Hummus ... Yummus! :)

So, what is more mediterranean than hummus? That is one of the staples that come to my mind. And the great thing is that you can ALWAYS have the ingredients on hand, and they are cheap!

Ingredients:
Garbanzo Beans - 1 can
Garlic - 3 cloves
Olive Oil - 3 to 4 Tbsp.
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Method:
This is so easy and you either love it or hate. Personally, I love it! First, you grind up the garbanzos and garlic in a food processor. If you have a blender, you want to add the olive oil at the beginning also. Back to the food processor, you can just add olive oil until it has the consistency you desire. Then just add salt and pepper to taste. I prefer the Kosher Salt and white pepper for this recipe.

A few alternatives to keep in mind ... used roasted garlic, add lime or lemon juice, add a pinch of cumin. It's fun to experiment and come up with new tastes for this hearty snack!

There you go ... does it get any easier than that? You can whip this up in 5 minutes, if you like it cold make it ahead of time, so it has time to cool down. This is the perfect amount for an average family, and then some. If you have a larger gathering, just double or triple everything.
Enjoy - go get some pita chips or crusty bread - very satisfying and tasty treat!

Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Tortilla)

This is one of the most popular foods eaten in Spain, it was the first thing I was served by a Spaniard when I lived there. Most of the tortillas I had were made with the standard egg and potato indredients, but sometimes they were made with mushrooms, eggplant and even spinach. So, keep those variations in mind. The great thing about this dish is that it is CHEAP and uses items many of us always have on hand, eggs, potatoes, onion, garlic and olive oil. This dish takes about 45 minutes total to prepare, some of that is cooking time for the potatoes, which is when I prepare the rest of the meal. This goes very well with a marinated tomato and cucumber salad and a fresh baguette. Fresh fruit makes a great dessert, especially for a summer meal. And this is exactly how the spaniards do it.

Ingredients:
4-5 medium potatoes
6 eggs
Salt
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Olive Oil

Method:
Start by peeling and dicing the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. I like to boil the potatoes to cook them, until they are just tender, you don't want them mushy or waterlogged. Just for the record, this is a deviation, most Spaniards fry the potatoes with the onion and garlic in a frying pan first, I just prefer the boiling method. While the potatoes are cooking, do two different things. First, crack the eggs open into a large bowl and use a fork or whisk to get them light and frothy, adding about 1/4 tsp. of salt. Now this is another trick that some spaniards do, they add a tablespoon of Baking Powder into the eggs, to make them fluffier. Second, slice the onion into thin slivers and mince the garlic. Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook until lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and cook just a bit longer, until garlic appears golden.

Add the onions and garlic into the eggs and mix lightly.
When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them well and add them to the egg mixture. Stir just a few times then put everything into the frying pan used for the onions and cook over medium heat while stirring for a few minutes until the egg starts to set.

Then you want to let the tortilla cook undisturbed for a few minutes. Make sure the bottom isn't burning. After a few minutes it is time to turn the tortilla - it should stick together now. I like to get a plate and place it on top of the frying pan, then turn the frying pan upside down so that the tortilla lands on the plate.

The tortilla should now be able to slide off the plate and back into the frying pan, uncooked side down, to finish cooking.

Cook for a few more minutes, keep checking to make sure that it isn't burning on the bottom. You might need to flip this one or two more times until it looks done (should have a golden brown color to it). And you want to make sure the center is cooked through. If you do flip the tortilla a few more times, use a clean plate so that you don't get raw egg on the cooked part of the tortilla - just to be on the cautious side.

I like to serve this in wedges with mayonaisse, yes, that is how the spaniards eat it. If any of you prefer to use ketchup, please don't tell me :) It can be served hot or cold, and can be the main dish or just part of an appetizer bar (have you heard of tapas?). This dish will serve a family of 5 easily.

Aebleskivers

First of all, you need an aebleskiver pan - mine is cast aluminum, others I have seen are cast iron. (See the photo above) I found mine at a thrift store in brand new condition. I tried to use my MIL’s cast iron pan and didn't have as much luck, but she does great with them. The key is just keep trying. If you make up a large batch of batter, you will get more opportunities to practice the technique first. As for turning the aebleskivers, my MIL uses spoons for the turning process, I use toothpicks (even better - bamboo skewers for kabobs - keeps your hand further away from the heat), and the traditional form is to use a knitting needle or a crochet hook. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated eggs from yolks - keep both parts
3 TBSP Sugar (you can use less, if desired)
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 cup light cream (1/2 and 1/2 or Whole milk do fine)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Butter or canola oil
Powdered Sugar
Toppings

Method:
Before you get started mixing, you want to get your pan warming up. I set the stove to medium and let it heat up while I mix up the batter. That is usually enough time to get the pan just right.

First whip egg whites until they hold distinct peaks and set aside.

Beat egg yolks with sugar, cardamom and cream until blended. Sift flour with baking powder and salt - stir into egg yolk mixture. Fold egg whites into egg yolk batter.
Heat pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, add some oil or butter (just a little bit – I use a pastry brush to coat the insides) to each "cup". Fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter. When a light brown shell has formed on the bottom of the aebleskivers (about 30 seconds) flip the ball over (with a knitting needle, crochet hook, spoon, skewer or toothpick - whatever works for you). This is the trickiest part, but after a few tries you figure out how to do it.

Make sure the insides are still really soft, so that you can keep the round shape of the aebleskiver.
Continue cooking and turning until evenly brown and center is fully cooked.

You should be able to get several batches out of the batter. Sprinkle the finished aebleskivers with powdered sugar, if desired (this looks very pretty). Then you can serve them however you wish, here are some ideas:

Jam – usually something more tart, apricot or raspberry
Sugar – some people like to skip the powdered sugar and just coat them in granulated sugar while they are still hot (and a bit sticky)
Syrup – they can be served with any type of syrup, my kids love maple
Caramel – this is over the top, but soooooo good, just cook up a soft caramel and pour a light drizzle over your plate of aebleskivers

These are a little bit more labor intensive than just frying up some eggs or cooking oatmeal - so I really only do these on special occasions. But they are so worth the effort and my kids LOVE them. I love them too, but I really love having a connection to my ancestry, that's what makes them particularly special. Funny thing - I just saw a complete aebleskiver kit in a gourmet cooking catalog - they must be getting popular - FUN! These will take about 30 minutes to make (after your first experience) and will easily serve up to 6 people, especially if some of them are little.

I sure hope you feel like you can make these, they really aren't too tough - just don't expect the first few to turn out very well. Go for it and ENJOY. And if you want to learn a little more about the aebleskiver story, the Solvang Restaurant has some great information about them, and even an Aebleskiver Blog!

Good Luck and have fun - your family will LOVE them! They are our Christmas Tradtition.

Jenny

Stay Tuned ...

We just decided to get this up and going, we are still looking for a few more "chefs" to help contribute. Anyhow, we will be posting right away, and you won't want to miss out.