Sweet Potato Omelet Bites

I've made my fair share of omelets over the years. Like most of them, this particular recipe was pulled from memories of my childhood, watching my Mom cook omelets for my Dad (a native of Spain), as well as my own experiences trying to duplicate her ability to create perfection on a plate (still working on that). Since I had the basics down, I decided to move away from the traditional Spanish omelet, and try something different. Why not an appetizer? The spinach and sweet potatoes give this recipe its own unique flavor, but what really helped to transform this recipe into an appetizer was the size of the skillet. I found that a 10-inch skillet made the omelet thinner (about 1 inch in height as opposed to 2-3 inches). And, by cutting the omelet into small, bit-size pieces and inserting toothpicks on top, you have an instant appetizer.

Sweet Potato Omelet Bites


Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (potatoes),  20-25 minutes (omelet)


Ingredients

5 large eggs
2 1/2 medium size sweet potatoes (peeled)
2-3 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped, frozen spinach
1/4 tsp. dill weed
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed garlic

Directions

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small pieces (about 1/2 inch all around). Place them in a pot of water on the stove (with about a 1/2 tsp. of salt). Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil. When the potatoes are tender to the touch, remove them from the stove and place in a strainer. Let cool. In a medium-size bowl, combine the eggs, 1/4 tsp. salt, dill weed, crushed garlic, and chopped (thawed) spinach. Mix well, and set aside. Using a 10-inch skillet, place 1-2 tbsp. of canola oil in the skillet on medium heat. When the oil is heated, pour the sweet potatoes into the skillet and cook for about 3-5 minutes.

(note the size of the sweet potato pieces)

Pour the egg mixture over the sweet potatoes, moving the mixture around to ensure that the potatoes are evenly coated. Cook the potato and egg mixture for approximately 12-14 minutes. Shake the skillet back and forth to make sure the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom, and to test for doneness. Be care full not to burn the bottom of the omelet.

(you can see here that the liquid hasn't completely evaporated yet)

When just about all the liquid has evaporated from the omelet, place a large plate over the top of the skillet (put oven mitts on first!), and flip the omelet over onto the plate. Put another tbsp. of canola oil in the skillet, then carefully slide the omelet back in. Cook for no more than 3-5 minutes. Place another plate on top of the omelet in the skillet, and flip it over onto the plate.

Let the omelet cool for 20 minutes on the counter or in the refrigerator. Cut the omelet into small, bit-size pieces (approximately 1 inch in diameter). Arrange on a plate, and place a toothpick in each piece. Serve cold, or at room temperature.

Makes about 45 omelet bites. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers.

Hungry for More? 
You can add shredded cheese to this appetizer (mix in with the egg batter) for added richness.

Happy Eating!

Easy Homemade Ciabatta Bread

I'm not a veteran bread maker, so when I took on a self-imposed challenge to make ciabatta bread, I went into a bit of a panic, thinking that I would end up with an inedible, brick-like loaf. My fears were confirmed after reading that ciabatta bread is not the best choice for beginner bread makers (very small margin of error). So I put on my research cap, and came up with this simple recipe that even a bread-making novice like me couldn't possibly mess up. The end result was a fantastic, firm-crusted, soft-in-the-middle, chewy bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toast, dipping in soup, or just on its own. I will surely be adding this to my list of go-to recipes.


Ciabatta Bread


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rising Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees


Ingredients


4 cups unbleached, white flour
2 cups warm water 
1/4 tsp. active, dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. dill weed


Directions


One secret to making good bread is to time the process well. Prepare the dough at night, then bake the dough the next morning (or mid afternoon, depending on what time you prepared the dough). When ready to make the dough, pour 2 cups of warm water into a large bowl. The water should be about 105-115 degrees. You can do a finger test for the water temperature if you don't have a thermometer handy. The water should be warm, but not so warm that you can't run your finger through it. Add 1/4 tsp. of active, dry yeast to the water, and mix well so that the yeast dissolves. Wait about 5 minutes, then add 4 cups of flour, and mix well. Then add 1 1/2 tsp. of salt. Mix the dough well with a wooden spoon. The salt needs to be added at the end (after the flour) because the salt can slow the yeast's fermentation (or reproductive) activities. In addition, if there is too much salt in dough, the bread could potentially have a reduced volume. 


Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and seal with a large elastic band around the bowl. Let the dough rise overnight for 12 hours in a warm, dry place. The next day, remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, and transfer the dough to a wooden cutting board, sprinkled with flour. Kneed the dough slightly and shape into a loosely formed oval shape. Transfer the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and cover with a small towel for 30 minutes to rise. Remove the towel, and brush the top of the dough with melted butter and dill weed (optional herb). Place the dough in a preheated oven (400 degrees) for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the bread for the last 5 minutes of baking to prevent over baking (ovens can vary greatly when it comes to temperature). Remove the bread from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve the bread warm or at room temperature. 


Hungry for more? 
Ciabatta bread, when a few days old, can be used to make French Toast or even croutons.


Happy eating!