Comfort Foods and simple suppers

Yesterday was one of those crazy days at work, and by the time I got home, all I wanted was a comfort food. One that was quick to make and filling, and meatless. Yes, I try to have a day or meal several times a week without meat. I figure I eat too much of it, so cutting back is a good thing for me.

So, as I had a craving for eggs, (and yes, they're excellent for supper too!), I remembered that a great way to use up leftovers or those goodies that are in your fridge that need to be used, is to make a Tortilla de Espana, also known as the Spanish Omelet.

Well, I had leeks in the fridge, some onion, potatoes, and some great squash from my rather abundant squash plants.

Personally, I love squash, and with as much as my plants are putting out (bigger now than in the picture) I have been quite creative with them.

So I set out to create our supper, and provide me with excellent leftovers for lunch the remainder of the week. And this is the finished product. YUM!

This is exceptionally easy to make, can't mess it up, it's a one pot or skillet meal, and is a very good way to use up leftovers, including meat leftovers if you like. I also had a fresh tomato that I wanted to use and thought it would be excellent as a topping under the cheese.

And by the way, I'll tell you now, I love goat cheeses and the traditional Mexican cheeses like Cotija, Asadero, and Oxaca. They usually are made from raw milks, and I seem to handle them better than most commercial cheeses. And in my humble opinion, the Asadero and Oxaca cheeses are absolutely the best when melted, all gooey, taste excellent, and better gooey than even mozzarella.

So I'll put down the ingredients as I used them last night, and how to make it. You can modify the ingredients however you like.

Tortilla de Espana / Spanish Omelet

10 inch cast iron skillet or other oven safe skillet (I do prefer cast iron for this)
6 to 8 eggs
1/4 cup milk or other milk. (I use So Delicious' plain coconut milk)
1/4 cup Italian blended shredded cheeses
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium to large squash, halved and sliced
2 medium to small potatoes, precooked in the microwave (8 minutes) halved and sliced
1 large leek, washed, halved, and sliced
2 to 3 cloves minced garlic
1 large tomato, sliced for top
6 oz. Mexican Oxaca cheese or other cheese of choice. Sliced for top.
2-3 Tbl coconut or olive oil to saute with.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano

Slice and chop the leeks and onions and garlic and set aside. Pre-cook the potatoes and let cool a bit before slicing, then set them aside. Slice the squash and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl,  whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Then whisk in the shredded Italian cheeses.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the skillet and coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat. Saute the leeks, onions and garlic till tender, add the squash and saute till just tender but still firm. Add the potatoes and stir to mix. Pour the egg mixture over and stir to ensure all in the pan is coated. Turn heat down to between medium and medium-low and let cook until the eggs are almost set.

Arrange the tomatoes on top, and cheese over the tomatoes. Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place in the oven for about 20 minutes to finish cooking the eggs and the cheese is all melted.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with a tossed salad if you like!

As I mentioned, you can use most any ingredient in it you'd like. Try left over quinoa or rice instead of potatoes, roasted peppers, bacon or ham, or left over roast sliced into strips. You can use any type of cheeses or cheese combinations you'd like. Possibilities are endless. It's a quick, one pot/skillet meal and so there's less mess in your kitchen!