Spanish Tortilla

So. A big change in our lives between my last post on the 4th and this one, which is why I haven't been posting. Jenny and I got a dog. Her name is Izzy, and she's great. However, now instead of starting dinner right when we get home, Iz insists we take her for a walk. By the time we're home and ready to start dinner, it's already after 7 o'clock. Now most of what we make and post on the blog is fairly quick and easy, but it's been hard to pull my attention away from Iz long enough to post a new recipe. I'm really sorry about that, but it's our honeymoon phase. Do you really expect anything different?

So on Tuesday night, post run around Peninsula Park, Iz and I made a Spanish Tortilla. Or more accurately, she ate the sausage and cheese that accidentally hit the floor. It was an accident, honest. I love my dog, but I'm not going to waste cheese and sausage. A Spanish Tortilla is a perfect left over meal, and the ingredients, other than the eggs are free game to play around with.

Inspiration: Growling stomach post Walkies
Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Oven safe frying pan
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 potato, diced
1 tbs olive oil
3 chicken apple sausages (pre cooked), diced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
5 eggs
Salt and pepper

1. In an oven safe fry pan, saute onion and potato in olive oil over medium-low heat until tender. Add sausage and cook until warm.
2. Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper. Pour over onions, potatoes and sausage. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Let sit until eggs have firmed up. Do not stir (this isn't a scramble...it's a Tortilla!)
3. Once eggs have set up, place pan under broiler in oven to brown the top. Please remember that your pan will be very, very hot when you go to remove it. Sounds simple, but it's easy to forget.
4. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool. (it comes out of the pan better this way)

Banh' Mi' Grilled Vietnamese Sandwich

I'm sure we've all had the experience where we have a meal at a restaurant and think to ourselves, "Shoot. I can do that." Well I finally got off my kiester last night, and recreated a simple Vietnamese sandwich that I get for lunch occasionally. The sandwich I have at lunch has honey glazed pork, pickled carrots, jalapenos and cilantro on a french baguette. What I came up with isn't too different, and just as tasty, especially when served with Sea Salt and Vinegar Kettle chips to help cut the heat.

Inspiration: Friday lunches with the girls
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: A BBQ
Servings: 4

Ingredients
1 cup Spicy Soy Sauce
4 thin cut, off the bone, pork chops
1 long french baguette, cut into quarters, and sliced in half
olive oil
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
1 carrots, cut into strips with a peeler
1 cucumber, slice as thinly as you can
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and cut into circles
butter
garlic chili paste
fresh cilantro
fresh basil

1. Wash and pat dry pork chops. Marinate in spicy soy sauce for 15 minutes.

2. While pork is marinating, slice your baguette segments in half, and brush each side with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of garlic powder and Cayenne pepper.

3. Grill meat on both sides until cooked (about 4 minutes total...if that...thin cut pork cooks quickly). Let rest 5-10 minutes and then slice into bite sized pieces.

4. After you pull your meat off the grill, place your baguettes on the grill inside down so that they grill while absorbing the left over meat juices. Toast until bread is golden brown.

5. To assemble the sandwich, spread butter on one side warm baguette. Spread chili paste to taste on the other. Build each sandwich to taste with carrots, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro stems, basil, and pork.

Note: I've also seen Banh'Mi' made with pork pate, lemon grass beef, or teriaki chicken. The beauty of this sandwich is the fresh baguette and the combination of fresh herbs and spicey flavors. Feel free to mix and match. In fact, share what you mix and match in the comment section.