Wooo boy did I take on quite the task this week by tackling a massive Spanish tapas spread! I was going for full Vegetarian, but as you can see in the photos, I did cheat and add some chorizo to the plates… I’m still going to sell this as a vegetarian tapas spread, though!
I made a ton of different dishes for an extraordinarily delicious and satiating dinner. But, what’s great about the recipe I have posted below is that you can pick and choose which tapas plates you want to make (or not make)… AND, you don’t even have to serve this for dinner. Now, we’re still in the midsts of a pandemic, so I’m not encouraging a dinner party anytime soon… But when we get back to the point of being able to have guests over for “the big game” or for an enjoyable social dinner, these dishes will make for an amazing spread… dinner or just nosh.
So, what’s laid out here? Me, ever the overachiever… homemade roasted red pepper and garlic hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed mushrooms, Spanish tortilla, and Spanish crostini’s. My definite favorite was the Spanish tortilla.
Okay, so background on me… I am mega weird when it comes to eggs. I cannot help it. I do not want to be mega weird. But I am hit or miss with eggs. Eggs have to be fully cooked ~ no sliminess, no over easy. I get super nauseous if eggs are not thoroughly done. But, even more so, even when they are fully cooked, they can still leave me feeling off. So, as I said, I do not want to have a negative reaction to eggs, but sometimes they leave me feeling not so great.
Making a Spanish tortilla… which is not like a Mexican tortilla ~ rather, it’s layered potatoes with whisked eggs poured over the top… I was super uncertain if I would like it. Most Spanish tortilla recipes are pretty straightforward, but I decided to add some paprika and cayenne to the eggs to give it a little boost. Tradition has you slide the half-baked potatoes and eggs onto a plate, cover it with a second plate, flip it, and slide it back on to the pan. Instead, I made it SUPER simple. After I added the eggs, I covered the pan and let it cooks until firm. Then, I took the whole pan and broiled it for a few minutes to ensure the middle was firm and the top was golden brown. Perfecto 👌🏻.
I topped the Spanish tortilla with a cilantro garnish and a dollop of sour cream… and WOW, it was delicious. Arguably, it’s a potato omelet… but that’s not what it tastes like. The texture isn’t even that of an omelet. Honestly, I’m not sure the best way to describe the taste but to encourage you to try it yourself… because it’s delicious!
My close favorite was the crostini. Manchego cheese is amazing! Melted on top of baguette slices and then topped with roasted red peppers is just divinely good. I felt like a ritzy Heidi having my cheesy bread!
The hummus and baba ganoush are both super easy to make as the vegetables can roast together in the oven. The tricky part to making both is whether or not you have both a blender and a food processor, which I do. Otherwise, you’re having to blend one, clean the bowl and then blend the other one. A handheld blender might work, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure! Totally worth a go though!
I am generally not a huge hummus fan. I don’t know why since I love garbanzo beans! However, I made this hummus a little different. I added a little bit of feta cheese before I blended the garbanzo beans with the roasted jalapeño, garlic, and roasted red peppers. Just that little addition took this hummus to a new level! Although I made crostini’s, I still served this with some flatbread pieces to scoop up the baba ganoush and hummus.
Lastly, the mushrooms!!! I love stuffed mushrooms. So does my husband. He makes these mushrooms every Christmas that, honestly, I’m not a huge fan of. I did revamp them a couple of years ago and think they’re awesome now, of course… I’m not vain 😜. Anywho, these mushrooms are stuffed with sun-dried tomato, Manchego, garlic, and cilantro. Then I sprinkled lemon zest on top before baking them. They are obviously citrusy, but the lemon zest really compliments the mushrooms and the sun-dried tomatoes. Soooo good!!!
So, as I said, I went a little above and beyond. And this did take a decent amount of time multi-tasking. I laid out the recipe in the order I would recommend working these dishes if you choose to take them all on for the same dinner/smorgasbord. Mediterranean food provides such a healthy staple, and you can certainly feel it after you have a little of everything from these plates.
Make one, make two, make them all… it’s up to you! They’re all delicious! Enjoy!
Vegetarian Spanish Tapas – Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Stuffed Mushrooms, Spanish Tortilla, & Spanish Crostini
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Mediterranean, Spanish
- Cuisine: Dinner, Appetizers
Ingredients
Hummus
1 – 15 oz can garbanzo beans
1 garlic head, top cut off
1 jalapeño, cut in half and deseeded
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup feta
zest * juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp paprika
pinch of salt & pepper
feta
cilantro
Baba Ganoush
3 medium eggplants, cut in half
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup nonfat yogurt
zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 TB cumin
1 tsp dried mint
salt & pepper
2 tsps paprika
Stuffed Mushrooms
~ 9 crimini mushrooms, stems removed & set aside
4 garlic cloves
2 TBs sun-dried tomatoes
3 TB cilantro
lemon zest + squirt of lemon juice
~ 2 TBs manchego cheese, diced
Spanish Tortilla
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin circles
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 TBs butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 large eggs
1 tsp paprika
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper
cilantro
sour cream
Spanish Crostini
8 slices of baguette bread
6 oz Manchego, thinly sliced
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
olive oil
cilantro
feta
Instructions
Make the Hummus and Baba Ganoush
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Lightly spray the cut side of the eggplant with nonstick spray and sprinkle with salt. Place face down on the baking sheet. Place the jalapeño and garlic head on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the hummus: Squeeze out the garlic or peeling it out from the garlic head. Add the garlic, jalapeño, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, tahini, feta, lemon zest and juice, paprika, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Dish into a bowl and garnish with feta and cilantro.
Make the baba ganoush: Scoop out any excess seeds from the eggplants. Scrape the remaining flesh away from the skin and place in a blender or food processor. Add the tahini, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, cumin, mint, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the eggplant. Process until smooth. Dish into a bowl and garnish with paprika ~ gently swirl with a spoon.
Make the Stuffed Mushrooms
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F
In a small food processor, chop the shallot, garlic, sun-dried tomato, cilantro, and mushrooms together. Place the mushroom caps into a small baking dish. Evenly divide the chopped Manchego cheese to the bottom of the mushrooms, then fill with the sun-dried tomato mix. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Squirt with lemon juice.
Make the Spanish Tortilla
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large, oven safe sauce pan or, preferably, a cast iron pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until just starting to soften. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ~ about 30 seconds. Spread the onions flat. Add the potato slices, evenly spreading across the top of the onions. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rearrange the onions and potatoes to be even and flat. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs with the paprika and cayenne. Pour over the top of the potatoes and cover the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes until the eggs set. Place the oven broiler on low and place the oven rack to the second highest spot. Place the pan under the broiler and cook until golden brown ~ about 2 minutes (watch carefully so the eggs don’t burn). Remove from the oven and slice. Serve with a garnish of cilantro and sour cream.
Make the Spanish Crostini
Lightly brush the baguette pieces with olive oil. Evenly divide the Manchego between the slices and broil or toast until melted ~ about 2 minutes (keep a close eye on the bread!). In a small bowl, mix together the diced red pepper with oregano and basil. Spoon over the bread slices and garnish with cilantro and feta.
Divide, share, and enjoy!
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