Learning to like new foods, plus my Spanish Tortilla

Confession: I am a picky eater. My list of ‘food hates’ include mushrooms, fish, seafood, lunch meat, eggs, milk, tomatoes, avocados, cheese…it goes on. It drives my family, my boyfriend, my flatmates and waiters the world over a little bit crazy. I think I was probably spoiled as a child. No, revise that, I was spoiled as a child, but I do not resent that. It means mom made pancakes or waffles every morning before school. Thanks mom! On the flip side, I also wasn't forced to eat things I didn't like, which ended up being quite a few things, hm. 

My flatmates keep telling me that I have to try new foods at least ten times before I will like them, and you know what, I am starting to really believe them (sorry for doubting you for so long!). For example, I now like courgette (zucchini for my North American friends). Cheese seems to be well on it’s way off the list as well. And I think I can now remove tomatoes from my list of ‘food hates’, particularly after our Brilliant Bruschetta the other night (blog post coming soon!).  

And, as I write, I am devouring a Spanish tortilla I just made. Spanish tortilla is really like a glorified omelet in my opinion. And yet, so much better. I was converted to the tortilla by our dear Spanish friend Berta, who made it for us once and which I ate so she wouldn’t be offended. But I liked it! I’ve only made it once since then, as I still view eggs with suspicion, but I decided today was the day to get over this! 

The thing is, you just have to force yourself to try things. I don’t like to, but I’m seeing positive results. Like this tortilla. It’s delectable. Warm, fluffy, cheesy, moist, full of potatoes and vegetables. And it doesn't taste too egg-y. I could eat it for dinner, or breakfast, or lunch. And you could do.

Here’s what I did:

Thinly slice a potato, any kind will do, you don’t need to bother peeling it. Par boil the potato until tender. Drain and set aside.

Chop up whatever veg you want to add. I chose onion and red pepper.

Choose a frying pan. You really want a smallish one with higher sides. Put it on the hob with a pat of butter. As the butter melts add the onion, pepper and potatoes. Let fry for a few minutes. You could stir in some spinach now, I did. Let the veg cook through.

Now for the eggs. The number you use is going to depend on the size of the pan and the number of servings you want. I used three eggs, but wish I used more, because it it better when it is deeper, mine turned out a bit flat. Whisk briefly. Grate some cheese in. I used plain old cheddar. If you're feeling fancy, toss some herbs in too. I used fresh rosemary. Add salt and pepper too.

Now the veg should be done. Add the veg to the bowl with the eggs, cheese and seasoning and mix quickly. Then add more butter to the pan, let it bubble, then pour the whole mixture on top. Let it set. This took about 10 minutes. I finished it off in the oven for another ten to make sure it cooked through and the top went a bit golden.

Let cool a bit, and then slide out of the pan onto a plate. Slice and eat, or save it for tomorrow. I did both J.