Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsps. olive oil

1 pkg. carrots (about 6 carrots), chopped into 1/2-1 inch chunks

4-5 medium sized russet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

Approx. 64 oz. of vegetable broth (I like the clear broth like Swanson Organic, as opposed to some of the muddier-looking broths that are available)

2 Not-Beef bouillon cubes (or any other vegetarian or vegan brand of bouillon cubes)

2/3 cup pearl barley

1 small bag frozen peas, thawed

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Put it together:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high and cook the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes (You will get a brown crust on the bottom of your pot, don't worry about it)
• Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Add the veggie broth and diced tomatoes (with their juice), as well as the tomato paste and bouillon cubes
• Add the pearl barley and potatoes
• Make sure it comes back up to a boil, taste, adjust salt and pepper, then cover and reduce heat to low
• Simmer, covered, for an hour, or until barley is softened
• If the stew is not thick enough for your tastes at this point, take the lid off and simmer uncovered until thickened
• If the stew is too thick for you, add water
• A few minutes before serving, add the thawed peas, heat them through, then serve

Variations:  You could use butternut squash instead of potatoes, or use fewer potatoes and add some cubes of squash, too.  If you hate peas, you can use celery, or a leafy green like kale or chard, though if you go that route, you probably want to add those earlier in the cooking process so they can soften and cook down.

Tortilla Espanola

I first had this dish in Spanish class in High School. If I recall correctly, my Spanish Teacher was from Germany, but had lived or spent a fair amount of time in Spain, and she used to bring this simple, tasty dish in for us as a treat once a year or so. It seems to be a staple on tapas menus.

You need:

2 yellow onions, diced
6 large boiling potatoes, chopped in 1/3-inch dice
10 eggs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika and/or chopped parsley for garnish

To make it:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  
• Saute yellow onions in olive oil and potatoes until vegetables are soft but not browned
  
• Let remove from heat, transfer to bowl, and let cool for 5 minutes
  
• Beat eggs lightly as if making scrambled eggs, then add them to cooled veggies
  
• Return this mixture to an oven-safe saute pan and cook until eggs are half cooked
  
• Level out top of eggs (by pressing potatoes and onions down with a spatula) and bake for 15 minutes
  

Slide onto a plate for serving, and sprinkle lightly with paprika and/or chopped parsely. You cut this and serve it in wedges like a pie. It can be served warm or room temperature and makes a great lunch or light dinner with a salad on the side.