dreaming of Barcelona

i have yet to visit Barcelona... well, i have yet to go to Spain.  and when i do, i will indulge in all the Spanish tortilla i can.  the authentic version: full of eggs, potatoes and saffron. i can't wait!  having said that, the vegan Spanish tortilla, or as Isa Chandra Moskowitz calls hers, the "Revolutionary Spanish Omelet", that i make regularly, is pretty fantastic and uses no eggs at all.  so for those of you with allergies, those of you who are strictly vegan, or those of you just watching your egg intake, this version can be equally satisfying.  in fact, i almost prefer it sometimes to the egg version and pretty much always opt for it in my daily cooking. but for the sake of embracing authenticity (within limits, of course), i WILL have the original, not so revolutionary version, when i do eventually make it to Spain!

for Isa's delicious original "revolutionary Spanish omelet", i invite you to check out her book vegan with the vengeance. that recipe is delicious, though i usually play with it a bit.  i've added some nutritional yeast to it, a dash of smoked Spanish paprika, and i almost always roast lots of onions and garlic cloves along with the potatoes.  i like the sweet roasted garlic "surprise", so i make sure to always have some.    also, the other day, i had completely re hauled the recipe by using yams, rosemary and lots of smoked Spanish paprika.  the result was pretty delicious too! and as i am much more of a yam-fan than a potato fan, this will now be my mainstay tortilla!

here is what you need if you'd like to try my even more revolutionary (though completely unauthentic) 


Smokey Yam Omelet with Rosemary, Sage, Spanish Paprika and Roasted Garlic

3 medium size yams, washed and sliced 
1 red onion, sliced 
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 block of medium/firm tofu
1T nutritional yeast
2 sprigs of Rosemary, or 1-2t the dry stuff
1t sage
1T smoked Spanish paprika
1t coarse sea salt
3T oil and more for brushing 
some unsweetened almond/ or soy milk or veggie stock
1-2T sliced, blanched almonds

in an oven, roast the yam slices, onions and garlic (keep the husks on the garlic, and reserve one), with 1 T olive oil (or more if you like that), a pinch of sea salt and some rosemary and sage.  if you have a cast iron pan, a pan with metal handles and no plastic on it, or a nice round baking dish, roast it right in it...   roast at high temperature (i usually broil it) for about 10-15 minutes or until the yams are soft and edges are getting dark.

while the veggies are roasting, break up the tofu into chunks and in a food processor or in a bowl (using a hand blender), process/blend the tofu with 1 T olive oil, the nutritional yeast, one clove of garlic, the smoked paprika, sea salt and a pinch of rosemary.  add some almond or soy milk to get a smooth consistency that's creamy but not too runny.  you want it to still be scoop-able without being too thick.  taste and add whatever else you think


when the veggies are done, take out of the oven.  "fish out" the garlic and squeeze it out of the husks. you can cut it into smaller pieces or just leave the little garlic "surprise" for whoever is lucky enough... arrange the yams so that they are more or less evenly distributed.  now, pour/or scoop out the tofu mixture over the yams, distribute evenly and shake the dish/pan that you are using, even bang it on the counter a little to make sure that some of the tofu "sinks" between the yams.  smooth out the surface.  brush a little olive oil on top.  garnish with some rosemary leaves and sprinkle some smoked paprika on it... you can also sprinkle some almond slices or pine nuts for a nice finish. 


now, bake in the oven at about 400F for 30 minutes or so.  take out of the oven, check if the tofu has "set" and let it sit for 10 minutes before eating.  you can eat it as is just with a side of salad of some sort because it is very flavourful on its own.  or Isa has a delicious roasted red pepper sauce that she serves her potato omelet with.   its pretty easy to make if you have some ready make roasted red peppers in a jar.  then you just need 3-4 of those, a little lemon, a little brown sugar or maple syrup and 1/3 cup of almond meal.  blend, taste, add whatever you fancy! delicious!