Tortilla española

I have become even fonder of the Tortilla española (Spanish omelet) lately, since I've been trying to economize and make yummy things...

You can do variations of a tortilla;my boyfriend likes it when I put in peppers and onions but you could use chorizo, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, cheese...almost whatever floats your boat.

For the tortilla, I use 3-4 small potatoes or 1-2 big ones. I wash them well and poke holes in them, then wrap them in a half sheet of paper towel and they go in the microwave for 7 minutes. Then I cut them in bite size pieces and saute them on medium heat in a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. This is also when I add a chopped bell pepper and half of a chopped onion (I like white or purple). Once everything is browned, I add 6 beaten eggs - or you can use egg white if you prefer - and let the eggs set up so it can be flipped. It may take a few tries before you become an expert at this, ideally use a plate that just fits over your skillet. So, flip your tortilla, put it back in the pan and let the bottom side brown, until done. I sprinkle mine with kosher salt.

Marinated red peppers are a nice garnish for tortilla. Serve with a green salad, crusty bread and little vino tinto -red wine - if you have it.

Tortilla is also nice the next day; put it on crusty bread, wrap in tin foil, and you have a tasty and portable lunch.

If you would like a tasty potato side dish for a baked chicken, make these potatoes (minus the egg) and they are called O'Brien potatoes. Brown them well and if you have red and green bell peppers it makes for a nice visual. An old haunt of mine that used to make O'Briens was Munch a Bagel on 7th St. and they were delish. They are especially good food for la cruda (the morning after).