Monday Night Dinner

Spanish Omelet

6 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 lb (Yukon gold) potatoes
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
11 eggs*

Peel and quarter the potatoes, and then slice into ¼” slices.  Slice the onion thinly and add to the potatoes.  Toss with 4 Tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a 10” non-stick skillet.  Add the potato/onion mixture and cook, covered, over a low heat for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are tender – it’s okay if some of them fall apart a little.

Beat the eggs with the remaining ½ tsp of salt.

When the potatoes are done add them to the eggs and mix well.  Add a little more olive oil to the pan and pour the mixture in.  Stir gently for about 30 seconds and then cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until most of the mixture is set.

If you’re Cook’s Illustrated at this point you will be able to slide the omelet onto a plate, invert it onto another plate and slide it back into the pan to finish cooking for another 2-3 minutes.  If you’re me this is never going to happen and you slide it into a 350 oven for 5-8 minutes to finish cooking the top.

Notes:
The original recipe called for 8 eggs, but I thought this made it too potatoey and wanted a little more egg to bind it all together.

If you are not doing this in a non-stick skillet do not try and cook the eggs in the same pan you cooked the potatoes in, or if you do be sure you scrub it out first.  If there is anything stuck to the bottom of your pan when you add the eggs the whole mass will be irrevocably glued to your pan and you’ll never be able to slice it.  I did my potatoes in one pan and then did the eggs/potato mixture in a cast iron skillet since I don’t own a non-stick skillet.

Granola
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3* cups assorted dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, dates, etc)*, chopped into roughly even chunks
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1.5 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey

Toss the oats, dried fruit, coconut, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl.  Melt the butter and honey together.  Toss the oatmeal mixture with the butter/honey until everything is well coated.  Spread onto two baking sheets and bake in upper and lower third of oven for 20-25 minutes.  After 10-12 minutes stir the granola and switch the position of the baking sheets to make sure it all browns evenly.  Be careful not to let it burn.

* You can substitute 1 cup of nuts for 1 cup of the dried fruit if you like nuts.

Hummus
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Mince the garlic in a food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until a puree forms – how fine you want your puree is up to your personal taste.  Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a stream and blend to combine.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Serve with veggies and/or pita chips.

Honey Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey

Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.*

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.

Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.  Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).

Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).

Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center.  For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

* I did mine in a bundt pan because I wanted the pretty shape, but even well greased and floured the cake did not release.  The next time I make this – and I will make it again because it’s really tasty – I’ll make it in a loaf pan and make a parchment sling so that I can be sure to actually get it out of the pan.