An egg today is better than a hen to-morrow. Benjamin Franklin

Eggs may not be a first choice for a family dinner but they are so reasonably priced it would be wrong not to consider them as a contender.  Now I appreciate a soft boiled egg with soldiers will not hit the right spot after a hard day at work, so I was thinking bigger.
A traditional English omelette served with wedges or maybe new potatoes and a salad is worth entertaining, but how about really pushing the boat out with a Spanish Frittata?
Equally, a Spanish Tortila is both satisfying as well as economic.

Classic Spanish Tortilla
1 large onion
4 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil
4 potatoes, around 500 g -  thinly sliced
5 large eggs, beaten and seasoned

Serves 2-3 
Cut the onion in half, then slice thinly length-ways and separate into slithers.  Heat 3-tbsp of oil in a 20-cm frying pan.
Add the potatoes to the pan in layers, alternating with onion slithers.  Cook for 10-15 minutes over a medium to low heat, turning occasionally until just tender.  Remove the potatoes and onion from the pan and drain in a colander, reserving any oil.  Put the eggs and vegetables in a bowl and mix gently.
Heat the reserved oil in the pan, adding a little extra if necessary.  Add the potato and egg mixture, spreading it evenly in the pan.  Cook over a medium heat until the bottom is golden brown and the top is almost set.
Put a plate on top of the frying pan and invert to remove the tortilla.  Carefully slide the almost cooked tortilla back into the pan, browned side up, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with either a mixed salad or cooked vegetables of choice.

Field Mushroom Tortilla
20 g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cooked potatoes, diced
200 g flat field mushrooms
1 garlic clove, crushed
125 g baby spinach
4 eggs
100 ml milk

Serves 4-6
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a frying pan, add the potatoes and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate, then cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, adding a little more oil if necessary. Transfer to another plant, whilst returning the potato's back to the frying pan.  Sprinkle in the garlic, then add the mushrooms and spinach.
Mix the eggs and milk together, and season before pouring over the mushroom and potato mixture. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes.
Pre-heat the grill to medium.  Pit the torilla under the grill for 6-8 minutes or until the top is golden.

Mushroom Tortilla

Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata
6 large eggs
8 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
50 g pitted black olives, sliced
50 g Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced

Serves 2-3

For an intense flavour, mix the tomatoes and sage into the eggs an hour before cooking.

Place the eggs, tomatoes, sage, olives, and Parmesan into a bowl and season.  Mix together gently.
Heat the oil in a 20-cm frying pan before adding the onion.  Cook over a low heat until soft and golden.  Increase the heat to medium, pour the egg mixture into the pa and stir just long enough to combine with the onion.  Cook over a medium to low heat until the base of the frittata is golden and top has almost set.
Pre-heat the grill.
Slide the pan under the grill to finish cooking.  Alternatively, put a plate on top of the frying pan and invert to remove the tortilla.  Carefully slide the almost cooked tortilla back into the pan, browned side up, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Sun-dried tomato and olives Frittata

Just like in omelettes, you can combine almost any ingredients into a Frittata or Tortilla.  Try adding baby spinach, artichoke, Mozzarella, leek, goats cheese, feta, sausage, chorizo -  you get the idea.

Food is an important part of a balanced diet - Fran Lebowits

I understand that Stovies originates from Scotland, however, this recipe has travelled well.  The meat element may change from region to region, or the budget, but the base remains the same.

Sausage Stovies

Serves: 4 - 6

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 454g beef sausages
• 1.5kg floury potatoes,(Maris Piper), chopped in quarters.
• 1 cube beef stock

Method

Prep:10min  ›  Cook:1hr30min  ›  Ready in:1hr40min 

1. Place onions, sausages in a pan and brown.  Add the potatoes and stock cube into the pan and cover with water.  Bring to the boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are starting to break up. Top up with water if the pot starts to look dry.
3. Stovies is ready when the vegetables are soft and the sauce is thick. Stir in a little corn flour if the sauce is too thin. Season before serving.

Tip - Use your favourite sausages but always buy the best quality you can afford.  Add any vegetables you have to hand to liven up the basic stock - leeks, carrots and swede all work well.

Scottish Corn-beef Stovies, also sometimes referred to as Corn-beef Hash

Serves: 4 

• 25g beef dripping (or oil if prefer)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 to 7 large potatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tin corned beef
• pepper and herbs to taste

Method

Prep:10min  ›  Cook:35min  ›  Ready in:45min 

1. Melt beef dripping in a stock pan and add finely chopped onion.
2. While onions are cooking begin to peel and slice the potatoes. Keep occasionally checking the onions but you want to really cook them until they start to brown as this is what makes this recipe so tasty. Even if they burn do not worry, the burnt bits come off the pan as potatoes cook and enhance the overall taste.
3. When you are happy that onions are browned nicely add the sliced potatoes, then slowly add enough water to cover approximately three quarters of the potatoes, usually anything from 500ml to 1 litre. Add the crumbled stock cube and then open the tin of corned beef and add one large chunky slice (about a quarter of a tin) to the potatoes and onion. This really adds flavour to the potatoes as they cook.
4. Simmer until potatoes are softened, around 15 to 25 minutes depending on how thick you have cut potatoes. You want them to be just soft, not mushy. Occasionally prick the centre of a potato with a knife until it starts to go through.
5. When you are happy that potatoes are soft enough add the remaining diced corned beef and warm through. It can be served immediately, but I like to transfer it to an oven dish and put it in the oven at around 200 C / Gas 6 just long enough to add a crusty topping, around 20 minutes. I also create a crusty top by putting it under the grill for 5 minutes with the grill door closed. I add a bit of butter to the top, too.

Tip - Never add salt to Corned-beef Stovies, you really don't need it.  As with the sausage Stovies, there is limit to the vegetables you can use.

Just like Stovies, a basic tomato pasta sauce is extremely versatile.  Sausages or salami sliced into thin rounds turns this vegetarian meal into some uplifting and hearty for carnivores.  Cut the sausages into one inch chunks and the resulting meal resembles spaghetti meatballs, a favourite with children as well as adults.