Hunger Awareness Dinner #1: Grilled Chicken Sausage with Kale and Potato Spanish Tortilla

Tonight I cooked my first meal for the Food Blogger Hunger Awareness Project with the Capital Area Food Bank.  When I put together my meal plan, I wanted to have at least one meal that would be a little special and would be worthy of entertaining.  After all, we all have special occasions in our life and, when times are tough, you can't afford to go out to celebrate.

At H-E-B, I was surprised to find a package of their store brand chicken and feta sausages for a mere $3.14.  It seemed like a great way to add a special touch to a meal and it felt a little like a splurge for very little money.

I also wanted to do something with the bag of potatoes that was more exciting than the standard mashed or baked.  I picked a Spanish Tortilla recipe  - potatoes, eggs and onions cooked down in a skillet  - that also included kale, which I don't really like and am always looking for a way to hide.  This recipe sounded perfect.

The tortilla was surprisingly easy to make, although I used a skillet that was too large so I couldn't flip it like your supposed.  It didn't matter; it was really delicious.

I made a salad with my mixed lettuces, radishes and balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the dressing.  Altogether, it made a pretty plate and I would have been proud to serve it to friends.  The meal made four decent sized servings.  Instead, I have leftovers for the next few days.

Here's the rundown on the cost:
$3.14  H-E-B Chicken and feta sausage (5 links) $3.14
$  .83  1/3 of a 5 lb bag of potatoes
$  .83  1 onion
$1.16  7 eggs
$2.00  1 bunch kale (I'm estimating on this since it was part of my CSA delivery; kale was $2/bunch last week at the market)
$   .80  1 serving of mixed lettuce  (Again estimating based on size of bag and typical cost for mixed lettuce.)
$   .67  1/3 radishes from bunch
$9.43   Total

If I'd be cooking for others, I would have used all my salad makings so it would have been closer to $14, but when is the last time you entertained a party of four on $14?  Everyone deserves a nice meal - even on a budget.

Kale and Spanish Tortilla
from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com

1 lb boiling potatoes
1 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 lb kale, center ribs discarded
7 large eggs

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/3-inch dice (2 1/4 cups). Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook potatoes, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Blanch kale while potatoes cook:
Cook kale in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain again, squeezing handfuls of kale to extract excess moisture, then coarsely chop.

Add kale to potato mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain vegetables in colander set over a bowl, reserving drained oil, and cool 10 minutes.

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl, then stir in vegetables, 1 tablespoon drained oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add 1 tablespoon drained oil to skillet, then add egg mixture and cook over low heat, covered, until sides are set but center is still loose, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Shake skillet gently to make sure tortilla is not sticking (if it is sticking, loosen with a heatproof plastic spatula). Slide tortilla onto a large flat plate, then invert skillet over tortilla and flip it back into skillet. Round off edge of tortilla with plastic spatula and cook over low heat, covered, 10 minutes more. Slide tortilla onto a plate and serve warm, cut into wedges.