Sunday, February 1, 2009

Rat-tailed Dog in the Year of the Ox + Spanish Omelette







Phew, I'm like a new mum (at this advanced age!) -- exhausted from endless rounds of walks, run-arounds in the park and me putting on coat and shoes (I need Velcro sneakers! Can't tie shoelaces anymore for the umpteenth time!).

The pup has grown into a teenage mutant ninja Dogzilla. Just look at the contrasting pictures.










Where has the cute little pup gone?!



Like a typical rebellious teenager, she at times does not do what I ask her to and even 'talks' back by making funny noises or barking once loudly (that got put paid with 'correction' from the puppy expert who visits us once a month). The picture at right shows you the "don't tell me what to do" brooding face, with her left ear flipped up punk-rock-style. Nice, huh? Oh, and she steals my couch-blanket too when I leave her alone in the living-room. The cheek. Apparently I'm now her 'mum' as she isn't that crazy about her original dog-mother-smell-infused towel we brought her back with.

And she snores. (Isn't it enough that my other half snores? I must be paying back for some past-life karma.)

So who has the time to cook elaborate dishes? Not me. So here's a
Spanish Omelette,
adapted from recipes on the 'Net and what a Spanish friend taught me:

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
salt n pepper, to taste
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
3 eggs
1 tomato, cubed
4 button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons grated cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chives or spring onions, snipped (optional)


Method:

1. Heat oil to medium hot in a small frying pan (the size you want for your omelette). Cook the potato cubes in it for 10 minutes, or until you can pierce a piece with a chopstick.
2. Grind salt and pepper to taste over the potato. Add mushrooms, onions (the Spaniards do NOT usually use onion or garlic for this but I like them) and whatever veggies you like. Add tomato last.
3. Beat eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour into the veggies in pan. Sprinkle grated cheese over it if using.
5. Down heat to medium-low. Cover the pan if you like -- to help the top to gel faster.
6. Lift side of omelette to check done-ness. Be careful not to overcook. Carefully slide the omelette onto a plate bigger than your pan. Replace upside-down pan over it (put a silicone or heat-proof pad over pan bottom if it feels safer) and flip over. Remove plate and place pan back on stove.
7. Cook for 1 or 2 more minutes and invert or slide omelette onto serving plate. Eat it warm (before the dog needs to go out for yet another pee-poo).


37 comments:

Naz in Norway said...

Hi there!
You must be extremely fit by now. Thanks for the recipe :)

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Naz. Great to see you!
Yes, I lost almost 1kg. Precious 800g of fat gone, hahahahaha.

ray said...

Komen Pak Malim kucing ray yg alim.

Dog itu sangat cute, kata Pak Malim sambil memegang butang 'mute'. Muka manis, kata Pak Malim sambil mengunyah kuih manis. Dia mesti suka Argus, kerana anda pandai masak kata Pak Malim sambil memakai baju pesak.

Argus Lou said...

Terima kasih, kata Argus yang kira biji selasih. Pak Alim Ray sudi datang menjenguk, bisik Arg yang hampir nyanyuk.
Anak anjing kesian hanya makan Eukanuba, bilang Argus yang gila-gila.
Kalau tidak, nanti periok semua kosong, kata Argie sambil jatuh di lorong.

Kenny Mah said...

Hooo Hooo... that's cute. Your Better Half snoring and your Doggy Half snoring too! What a symphony they must make at night! :D

Argus Lou said...

Kenny, the funny thing is why don't they wake themselves up snoring so loudly? Symphony? You mean cacophony surely? There I was, Snorer Half on my left and dog-bed on the right - hi-fi snoring anyone? - and I'm twiddling my thumbs and counting sheep, but all the sheep have earplugs on.

fatboybakes said...

KONG HEI FART CHOY, argus. hey, you oso didnt do DBC this month ah?

Argus Lou said...

Thanks, FBB. Hope you enjoyed the Fart Choy in your CNY veggies, too. :)
Ya lah, I wanted to do the DBC and then got busy and forgot. How ah? Going to be kicked out soon.

WokandSpoon said...

Hey there. Happy belated CNY! The 'teenage mutant ninja Dogzilla' is adorable!

Argus Lou said...

Thanks, WokandSpoon. Your little 'muffin' is a lot cuter; and will stay cuter longer. :) Hope you had an enjoyable CNY too and a great Year of the Ox to you and yours.

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I love her eyes. So beautiful!

Argus Lou said...

Thank you, LL. I love your eyes, too. ^_^

Cynthia said...

Oh, look at that face that speaks of pure love.

You make me want to get a puppy.

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Cynthia. They grow up too fast but they're worth all the work and time.

ocho-onda said...

Hi Argus. Saw you at Masterwordsmith's site, so I had a little peek into your World .. :-)

Nice dog you have there. I used to have a golden retriever when I was not leaving in an apartment.
Really enjoy your pictures and that Orange Chiffon cake looks scrumptious ! I will have to try it out if I can find the time ! I have tried the Pandan recipe and it tastes divine as well !
Cheers.

Argus Lou said...

Welcome, Ocho-onda! Glad you had a good time here. Do drop in whenever you can. And, yes, that orange chiffon cake is yummy-licious.

Unknown said...

Hello!!!

What an amazing blog you have here! A genuine dog-lover indeed :-).

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Which part of Switzerland do you come from?

All the best to you and yours.

Have a lovely weekend!

cheers

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Masterwordsmith! Thanks for your kind comments. I live in Zug canton.

Kak Teh said...

argus,yet another recipe that I must try to keep the children happy. They are tired of my usual kambing masak kicap and ayam masak merah.

Argus Lou said...

Yes, Kak Teh. This is another form of comfort food. Just make sure the little potato cubes are cooked through before adding the other things. And happy flipping!

Tunku Halim said...

Argus - Must admit your doggie still scares me. You Spanish omelette sounds yummy. I sometimes add chilies to mine. Also I finish off my topping it with cheese and slipping it under the grill.

Tunku Halim said...

"You" = "Your". Obvious lah!

Argus Lou said...

Ha ha. A lil' pup with falling-out teeth scares you?! Your phobia runs kinda deep, huh?
TH, you can call me an omelette but never a tartlette. The chilli addition sounds delicious (must remember to add it next time) but cheese can make it a bit heavy.

Mitra Themis said...

Hey Argus,

The Spanish omelette looks mighty delish. And Umbria as a pup has no rival...

gRaCe said...

She's still cute!! *melts away..*

Oh, sorry for not hopping over more often.. new job's got me ever so busy... *wipes sweat*

Argus Lou said...

Thanks, Mitra Themis. Good of you to drop by.

Grace Spiffy, thanks for visiting even though you're so busy. The pup has grown even more - 15kg!

ray said...

Komen Pak Malim kucing ray yg alim.

Argus,

Lama tak nampak, kata Pak Malim sambil memegang kapak. Saya baru saja klik klik komputer, sebelum nak padam dan tido, kata Pak Malim sambil memeluk biawak komodo. Tiba2 terbaca Argus baru letak komen baru, kata Pak Malim sambil memegang ikan cencaru. Woo Hoo. Nampaknya kita on line pada masa yg sama, kata Pak Malim sambil memegang ayam serama. Saja nak tanya khabar, kata Pak Malim sambil memegang gebar. Selamat Malam. Sekarang 11.36 pm waktu Malaysia, kata Pak Malim sambil memeluk bohsia.

Argus Lou said...

Wahai, Pak Malim, kucing ray yang alim. Baik hati pakcik, kata Argus sambil masak yang pelik-pelik. Saya amat 'busy' jaga anak anjing, bisik Argie yang bakar kari kambing. Ada kawan juga yang jemput, bilang Arg sambil kelam kabut.

fatboybakes said...

oops, left a comment in your penultimate post which i thought was here. so? this month oso never do DB challenge ah? i DID i DID!!

Argus Lou said...

No, lah. Methinks kicked out already. Will go see yours, FBB.

pam said...

Such a pretty dog! I love the spanish omelette, perfect for quick dinner nights.

Argus Lou said...

Thanks, Pam, and thanks for visiting. I cook Spanish omelette once a fortnight or so. :) Naturally, being Malaysian, I eat it with a bit of 'sambal oelek', a salty red chilli condiment.

Unknown said...

Wait till you meet our Robbie. He has eyes that denies anything like digging my garden into several trenches!! See him in my post, 'Wag tail -Home!'.

Argus Lou said...

Keats, maybe your dog's past life was that of a WWII foot soldier and digging trenches was a daily job. :)

Thanks for dropping by. Will go over to see...

jbr said...

JY,

I found your website while surfing the SMK Convent Girls alumi blog. I attended Convent Taiping from Standard 1 until 1979 (I was in Form Four when I left).

By chance, were you at Convent in Form Four in 1979? If yes, then I do believe I know you.

Shirley.

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Shirley! You must be the tall girl who wore glasses and played the violin and piano. :)
Great to hear from you! How are you? Are you on Facebook?

JY

jbr said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

My old living-room

My old living-room
In Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

A cherished dream

A cherished dream
To live on a pale beach by a crystal clear sea. (This was taken on the east coast of Johor state, Malaysia.)

slideshowtime