My favorite souvenirs from travels are those that I can eat, drink, and share with my family and friends for years to come. Over my past adventures, I have brought back drink recipes from Peru (pisco sour), side dishes from Brazil (salpicao), Cuban-style dirty rice (moros y cristianos), and my all time favorite, the tortilla española, from Spain, the land of jamón serrano, manchego, and Rioja. Previously, I shared my tortilla española recipe in a post, but now I wanted to give it an aloha twist, now calling Kauai my home.
The Tortilla Kauaiana is my take on the Spanish comfort food, using some Kauai ingredients that one can find at the Sunshine Markets around the Garden Isle. The Tortilla Kauaiana is equal to the Spanish version with one change, swapping the potatoes for local, purple sweet potatoes. With this small amendment, I would suggest a little more pizazz by adding more garlic, more salt, and rosemary. Because the sweet potatoes are a little more starchy, I would recommend additional eggs as well. Lastly, to show true aloha hospitable spirit (as seen in the beginning image), buy a fresh pineapple to garnish. It truly makes the dish.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 medium purple sweet potatoes, peeled
- 1 yellow onion
- 7-8 large eggs
- olive oil for pan frying
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (half for garnish)
- pineapple to garnish
- salt to taste
How to in 25 minutes:
- Heat frying pain to medium heat and add olive oil to liberally cover the pan
- Peel and dice sweet potatoes (make them all similar in size for equal cooking time)
- Dice onion
- Sautee garlic and veggies in oil
- Cook until soft. For best results, stir often, reduce the heat to below medium, and mash the ingredients a little bit to get a good binding capacity
- Add minced rosemary
- Take the pan off of the stove and cool for 5-10 minutes
- In a medium bowl, crack all eggs and stir
- Add all veggies to the eggs
- Reheat the pan and cover with a small amount of olive oil
- Add the egg and veggie mixture
- Scrape the sides of the frying pan and the underside of the omelet to prevent sticking
- When the omelet starts to solidify, it is time to flip (a challenge!)
- Put a large plate over the open pan, remove pan from stove top, and flip (can be messy)
- Slide that half cooked tortilla back into the pan until both sides are fully cooked
- Always present the best looking side to your guests with sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh pineapple
The Tortilla Kauaiana pairs well with both Kauai local beer like a Lihue Lager from Kauai Beer Company or a Mai Tai. Enjoy this aloha twist on my favorite souvenir!
As always, stay up-to-date on more adventure travel stories and tips from Kauai, Quebec, Peru, Cuba, Finger Lakes, and more by connecting with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.
Here’s to more good times and good stories. Aloha!