Tortilla de Patatas: A Nutritious and Simple Recipe

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Tortilla de Patatas is one of the simplest, yet nutritious anytime meals endurance athletes can make. At its core, it’s just potatoes, eggs, olive oil, and salt and pepper, and it’ll give you a great mix of carbs, protein, and fat that your body needs to spend hours on the course. Or, you can take it to the next level—as I like to do—with ingredients like caramelized onion, sautéed spinach, and chopped bacon.

Ingredients:

  • 12 yellow potatoes
  • 12 eggs
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 onion
  • Bag spinach
  • Half bacon package

To start, peel and take out the eyes of the potatoes then chop them into slices and stew them on medium heat in a large non-stick pan with olive oil and salt.

While potatoes are cooking beat eggs in a separate bowl. It’s also a good idea to start your balsamic reduction—which I’ll drizzle over my tortilla de patatas when I’m ready to serve them—and start caramelizing your onions, sautéing your spinach and cooking your bacon if you go that route.

Now, once potatoes are al dente, cover them with the beaten eggs, so the eggs almost cover potatoes. This is also the point when you’d add the caramelized onion, spinach, bacon or any other ingredients. Continue to cook on medium to medium-low until eggs have firmed up a little—just enough to stick together—then you are ready to flip.

While you can get adventurous and go for it, the easiest way to flip them is to put a plate over your pan and flip on the plate then transfer back into the pan. Cook for 3-6 more minutes until the desired doneness—do less time for softer, or more time for a little firmer. I like mine as close to raw as possible, so I typically go for about 3 minutes.

I’ll typically cut it like a pie and eat an eighth of it, and then either freeze the rest or put it in the fridge for later.

Then drizzle on the balsamic reduction or you can garnish with hot sauce or experiment with any other flavor you want.

Tortilla de Patatas makes a great pre-race, during race, or post-race meal because the balanced mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat will keep you fueled all day.

Hear more from Dr. Allen Lim >>

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