Patatas Bravas

I was looking through a copy of one of those photo-filled, generic cookbooks that's put out by magazines like Family Circle, and a recipe for Patatas Bravas caught my eye because it sounded good and I had all the ingredients at hand. All I had to do was swap the fried potatoes with baked ones--eliminating a lot of olive oil and fat grams--and tweak the sauce a little, and I had a delicious but healthy tapas or side dish.

The "Bravas" of the title apparently translates to "fierce," meaning fiery or hot, but if you expect to be breathing fire after eating this version, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The cayenne gives it a little bite, but the predominant flavor is delivered by the smoky paprika. If you want to give it a little more fire, you'll need to add more cayenne to taste. Whether you make them tame or fierce, you'll be hearing a lot of "bravas" when you serve these scrumptious potatoes. (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)



Patatas Bravas
(Crisp Spanish Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
(click for printer-friendly version)

3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I didn't peel mine)
olive oil spray
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water
4 -6 green olives, halved
chopped parsley, for garnish

Start a large pot of water on to boil while you preheat the oven to 375 F. When the water comes to a boil, add the diced potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes—no longer or they will start to fall apart. Pour them gently into a colander and allow all the water to drain off.

Place the potatoes into a large, shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil. Spritz the tops of the potatoes lightly with olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir with a spatula, making sure they aren't sticking to the pan. Bake for about 30 more minutes, stirring again halfway through. The potatoes should become crispy but not hard and overdone.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce. Sauté the onion in a non-stick pot for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook one minute more. Add the remaining ingredients (except parsley) and simmer for about 20 minutes, until thickened. Remove the bay leaf and puree the sauce in a blender or food processor. Return it to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

Once the potatoes are cooked, place them in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve as a side dish or appetizer.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 211 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 6 g Protein; 46 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 146 mg Sodium; 5 g Fiber

Looking for Thanksgiving recipes? Nava Atlas has compiled 40 of her favorite recipes into a PDF file that you can easily download onto your computer. It costs just $8, and a generous portion of that goes to Share Our Strength, an organization that's working to end childhood hunger.

You can see the table of contents and order the e-book from this page. I already have my eye on the Traditional Potato-Bread Stuffing, which uses much less bread than most stuffing recipes, and just the mention of Cranberry-Apple Relish puts me in the holiday mood.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free McDougall