It’s no secret that I love brunch. It reminds me of time spent with family after church when I was young and pancakes were my go-to. More recently, I’m partial to brunches of potato and veggie scrambles and bottomless mimosas. In Denver, brunch is Snooze and Jelly. And during wedding season, brunch is just one more way to celebrate. Every year since graduating college, I’ve been blessed to celebrate the unions of many happy couples and the pre-wedding festivities can be even more fun (and less stressful) than the big day. Pinterest has surely changed the way we plan parties, and brunch is no exception. So for this month’s brunch-themed Recipe ReDux, I’m sticking with something I know well – Spanish cuisine.
When I graduated college, I spent the summer in Madrid before moving to Nashville for my dietetic internship. To celebrate both, my parents planned the most amazing Spanish-themed graduation party for me in their backyard. We set up red and yellow tables next to the pool and served La Bodega-inspired tapas and homemade paella prepared by the same uncle who cooked for my engagement party. We researched the local cuisine to plan the menu, and I was pleased to note that our choices were spot on after living abroad for a few months. One unexpected dish that I fell in love with was the tortilla, a traditional egg and potato bake ideal for brunching. It was unexpected because I’m not a huge fan of eggs in general. But for some reason, I regularly crave this dish and always order it at my favorite tapas restaurants. Here’s my own twist on the Tortilla Española, made from commonly used Spanish ingredients. Olé!
Ingredients
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
6 mini sweet peppers, diced (I used orange and red)
1 clove garlic, minced
8 eggs
1 cup manchego cheese, grated
Ham (optional; serrano and iberico are most authentic but often processed with nitrates)
2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced potatoes, onion, peppers and garlic, cooking about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
3. Beat 8 eggs in separate bowl.
4. Transfer potato mixture to 9 x 12 (?) greased glass baking dish. Add eggs, cheese, ham (optional), paprika, salt and pepper and combine evenly. Traditional “tortillas” are round, so feel free to use a round baking dish or bake ingredients in skillet.
5. Bake 10 minutes or until eggs are set. Garnish with additional cheese and paprika for color.
6. Serve with Spanish cava (sparkling wine) and Marcona almonds.
. I’m just so proud of her!
