It was early in the morning in the Island of Culebra and I was coming back to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The beautiful sunrise on this island is breathtaking and so is the sunset. We did have an advantage view.
It was over a week of swimming, cooking, and eating. A few spirits too. This recipe that I will share with you is of the Spanish Tortilla. In Spain every time you visit a tasca you will find the tortilla in their tapas menu. In different regions the Spanish Tortilla is prepared in different ways. Some tortillas have onions and potatoes only. Some are more dry than others. Either way it is a simple dish, one that works in all cases. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or appetizers.
You probably have the ingredients in your refrigerator.
This recipe was given to me without anything written.
Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
Peel 2 large potatoes and cut in small chunks.
1 medium onion, chopped.
In a small oven proof skillet put a little bit of olive oil and sautee the potatoes and onions until just soft, seasoning to your taste. Then, beat 4 to 5 eggs which you have added a bit of salt. Pour over the potatoes and onions and cook over low to medium heat until the borders are done.
Put skillet in the oven for 20 minutes.
Invert on a platter and this is how it should look.
To this Spanish Tortilla we added crumbled chorizo sausage. Not a lot just a bit. You don’t want to overtake the tortilla.
Enjoy. Meatless Monday is a global organization trying to inform people that eating healthy is the way to go even if it is just on Mondays.
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You can tell there is snow in the forecast….the grocery stores were having a white sale: bread, eggs, milk
Following some of the restaurants that are offering meatless Monday dishes, I decided to try a recipe given to me by my friend, Kathy. I have had the recipe for some time. But tonight was the night.
Like any of the recipes that I prepare, I usually add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. To this particular recipe, I changed a few things, and it was still very good.
The original recipe was vegetarian and gluten free. Usually, I would prepare it that way, using short or long grain brown rice, but I do have 50 pounds of pearl barley so I used the barley instead of the rice, and therefore, the recipe as I prepared it was not gluten free. All you have to do is to use the rice instead. Here it goes….I hope you love it just as much as I did.
PEARL BARLEY (OR, SHORT/LONG GRAIN BROWN RICE) AND WALNUT LOAF
1 1/4 short or long grain brown rice (I used pearl barley.)
1/4 cups walnuts, roasted and chopped (I bought the ones already chopped and roasted them.)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, lightly roasted
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
6 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard (Plenty of gluten free ones on the market, like Emeril’s.)
1 teaspoon salt is optional (I did not use it since there is cheese in the recipe.)
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese ( I bought an extra sharp cheddar block and did the grating at home.)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the walnuts for about 5 minutes then add the sunflower seeds for another few minutes. Watch them so they don’t burn.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and pulling away from the sides a bit. I will take about 60 to 90 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the Gravy. Once again, the original recipe called for 3/4 cup of Cashew Butter. Never have seen it, and never found it. So, I decided to replace it with Almond Butter. I also replaced the 2 1/2 cups of water for unsalted chicken broth. If using chicken broth make sure it is gluten free. This gravy is gluten free. It is so good, you might want to use this gravy for everything. It makes about 4 cups.
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, diced
3/4 Cashew Butter if you find it. If not use the Almond Butter…..very good.
1/2 cup wheat-free and reduced sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sage
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until caramel in color; about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the onions become browner, stir more frequently. Add the cashew or almond butter, gluten free soy sauce, broth, and spices. Cook until heated through.
Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I did this in batches, placing the already blended sauce in a saucepan and repeating the process. Be careful while blending since hot liquids tend to foam up. Warm up the gravy while you wait for the loaf to cook.
Once the loaf is ready, cut it and serve it with gravy drizzled on top. You may add your favorite veggie or salad to this dish. Enjoy!!
Have a good one!!
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I have been totally hooked on Annie’s Banannies since my friend, Renee, told me about it. I even question Annie the other day. I was wondering why she was closed on Mondays. Well, she is, actually, taking a well deserved Annie day off.
You wonder how a banana can transformed itself into an ice cream form. It is not ice cream, by the way. It is a frozen banana, put through a juicer. Toppings are added and that is basically it.
Annie’s Banannies is located at #9 1st Street South in Downtown Rehoboth Beach. One block off the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk and one block south of Rehoboth Avenue. Tel. 302-260-9875. Website? http://www.anniesbanannies.net.
I wrote a post with pictures on 7/22/10. All you have to do is click on that month and year under the Archives of AboutMyBeaches and scroll down to the 22nd.
Annie has done some remodeling since the last time I was there. The counter looks great and speeds things up.
Upon entering Annie’s Banannies you will notice a board with all the flavors and explanations. On the website you can see every topping they offer, as well.
You will also notice that they offer gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, and lactose free toppings. They also use eco friendly cups. The spoons are made out of potato starch.
So basically, once you know your topping (you can build your own too) then this is what happens.
Out of the freezer comes the frozen bananas. The juicer is waiting.
It is put through the juicer into a cup.
Toppings are added. I chose the Bunchberry, which had strawberries, blueberries and raspberry puree.
Another customer was there and she let me take a picture of her Banannie Cocktail, which had strawberries, blueberries, green grapes and pineapple.
There are benches outside, on the sidewalk, where you can enjoy one delicious desert without feeling too guilty.
Your 4-legged friend can have water and a treat outside, as well.
Talk to you later….have a good one!!
Note: You can find Annie’s Banannies on Facebook. On Twitter as BananniesBeach.
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This is the second time Gretchen Hanson, Executive Chef of Hobos Restaurant & Bar has offered this type of event. It takes a lot of preparation and only a person that has embraced this lifestyle for the better part of her life, could really inform and teach.
I was invited by Victoria to spend an informative evening at Hobos. This very popular restaurant is located at 56 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. is 302-226-2226. Website? www.myhobos.com.
Gretchen was offering a Sixty Day Wellness Program infused with cooking classes. Tonight was the informative evening with classes starting next week. If you are interested, either call the above mentioned telephone or visit the website.
Boy, was it cold tonight!! It really was. But, we all made it to Hobos. It was full to capacity. During warm months, Hobos has a great porch for dining; tonight we were all inside.
This program for 60 days looked very interesting. The majority of us there had not gone to her first session. A lot of them, though, were returning to continue the learning process. This class promises “detox from processed foods and an all around overhaul”.
The first thing we did was eat. That was more like it. I liked that. The foods had gorgeous colors; a nice variety, as well. Only the couscous was not gluten free. Couscous comes from North Africa.
The cabbage was delicious with a slight hint of sweetness; appealing to our visual senses.
The lentil soup got rave reviews, especially since it was so cold.
Gretchen suggested we tried everything. That’s exactly what everyone did. My plate looked beautiful. Pesto, eggplant tapenade and rice with zucchini were among the dishes.
It was a good crowd. Immediately after we were all seated, we introduced ourselves. Some were retired, others were looking for healthier ways to cook, others had no idea the word Vegan was going to be introduced. Then there were the persons that said they had no intention of being Vegans. And on and on it went. The interesting part was the people that had already made a change in their diet. Some had lost weight and others had very impressive results after having blood tests performed.
Gretchen will be the first to tell you that she is not a nutritionist or dietician. And, the class is not a diet class; it is a change from the way you eat. More of a plant base lifestyle; less milk and animal protein. She does not demand you become Vegan; she will be the first to tell you that she is not the perfect Vegan. She would like you to try it for those 60 days so that you can obtain the full effect of what she is talking about.
The problem with all of us, here in America is that we have set aside that family dinner that was so important. It really is a thing of the past. We eat foods that are handed out from a drive through window; then eat it just as fast.
If you are going to eat meat then choose “happy flesh”, meaning don’t put in your body something that has been injected to give it that extra boost.
We were there for 3 hours and it went so fast. So very interesting and even though she only scratched the surface, we all learned a lot.
While this class is in progress, Hobos is open on week-ends (Friday, Sat. and Sunday) for lunch and dinner. They can deliver and cater.
The restaurant is “green”, from toilet tissue to plastic bags and deli containers. Everything is recycable and recycled. Every company used is earth friendly.
Hobos has vegetarian, vegan and gluten free menus and it offers specials every day, as well.
I had to laugh when Gretchen said this 60 days are “a little granola crunchy”. She has an interesting story; growing up in a commune where everything was home-grown. Her mother did not even have a can opener; not such thing was needed.
Some of the suggested readings were:
The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell. It is the most comprehensive nutritional study ever done.
The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan; thoughtful, insightful and provocative.
Watch Food, Inc. It is a must watch because nothing you put in your mouth will ever taste the same.
One last thought. Let’s say you fall off the wagon, then make peace with your choices and move on.
As Gretchen said “Your Path, Your Journey, Your Choices”.
Guess What? I do feel a little guilty all of a sudden as I write this post….I went to Eming’s Pig Roast….tomorrow’s post…talk to you later…..
Okay Renee, I got it. Totally a fan now. I can see why you go there every day and have one of Annie’s Banannies.
And, Mac, you are also a regular and you were not kidding when you told me it is the best dessert in town.
The friends who mentioned that Annie’s Banannies is their favorite place. I did not know they also knew Mac.
The word is spreading; how good this dessert is. Word of mouth again is a powerful tool.
Annie’s Banannies is my post tonight. I went twice to their location on 9 1st Street South in downtown Rehoboth Beach. If you are a local or a resident and know the town well, Annie’s Banannies is one door down from the Frogg Pond. The telephone is 302-260-9875. The website is www.anniesbanannies.net. The e-mail address is anniesbanannies@comcast.net.
Please check the website because the menu is posted, as well as Annie’s story; on how finally her store was realized; a tender and uplifting summary of what Annie is all about. It is her own creation!!
Her motto? You’ll never dream….it’s not ice cream.
All natural ingredients that are good for you. The main ingredient? A frozen banana that will be put through a “juicer” and the outcome is like the most delicious ice cream. Soft, not overly sweet. There are no refined sugars used; fruit purees are sweetened with agave nectar. The toppings range from fruits to nuts.
Annie’s Bananies is also an eco-friendly company. The cups and straws are made from corn; the spoons from potatoes. All cups, desserts spoons, straws, and napkins are biodegradable and organic products are chosen when available.
Annie’s Banannies is sensitive to those customers with nut allergies. Plenty of Banannies that are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free, are available.
I decided to go with the Bunchberries. This one is made with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberry puree. It was gluten free and vegetarian/vegan friendly.
I kept watching how they just put a couple of frozen bananas in the juicer and the transformation was underway. Could not get over it. It was so good and refreshing. On a hot day like today it was the best prescription.
On my second trip, the Tropical Banannie was ordered. It had fresh mango, pineapple and coconut flakes. Again, it was gluten free and vegetarian/vegan friendly. Loved it just as much.
So, yes, I am hooked……Hours of operation are: Mondays – Wednesdays from 3 – 11 p.m. and Thursdays – Sundays 11 – 11 p.m.
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