POTATOES – Page 10 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Veggie Tales by Kris: Tapas!

When you go to Spain, except a lot of pork and cheese.

But the vegetables are bountiful!

The average french fry may not seem like a vegetable, but the Spanish Tapas classic “Bravas” is a must!

I just got back from Barcelona, and this dish was so delicious.

Puts the beloved French Fry to shame in my opinion (gasp!)

I’ve made Bravas before, but definitely learned a little secret across the pond!

PATATAS BRAVAS

3 large Idaho potatoes, cubed

grapeseed oil (you’ll need to fill your pot 1/2 with oil so that the potatoes are covered. Leave room for bubbling over!!! YIKES!)

Sweet and Hot Paprika Mixture (1 tbs)

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Sauce

Mayo (the secret!)

Peel and cube 3 large Idaho potatoes (these are the best for frying). You can put them in a large bowl of ice water to keep from browning and to get some of the starch out. Prep your fryer or a tall pot (not too wide) with grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil is great for fring. You can use canola oil too but I think that shit is evil! Use a thermometer to test the oil. At about 350 it’s ready. Fry your potatoes a few at a time. When they are golden brown, put them on a plate with papertowel. Sprinkle salt, pepper and smoked paprika on each batch and keep them in a warm over (about 200) while you fry them all up. Drizzle hot sauce and mayo over the potatoes or mix them together and serve on the side.

MY BRAVAS in BARCELONA!

I originally served these potatoes with this sauce, but in Barcelona I had it with the hot sauce and mayo and I like that simplicity much better. After my time in Spain, when it comes to food, I’ve learned… SIMPLE IS BEST!

Happy Weekend!

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN

OOPS wrong adage, but the try, try again really fits. I like to succeed, but I also LOVE to experiment. My dear friend Jenn and hubby both gave yesterday’s Bleu cheese spread for the DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED two thumbs up, but I couldn’t stop there – I still had spread left! I also had a fresh pork loin and had just read Martha’s STUFFED FLANK STEAK recipe and voile’ just like ~~Melanie Griffith~~, er Tess McGill in Working Girl combining Trask and radio to succeed, I had an idea! I combined pork roast, our new favorite Bleu cheese spread and Martha’s flank steak style with superb results – true success!

STUFFED PORK LOIN – serves 4

1 small pork roast, cut in half

1 1/2 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup minced green onions

In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
Cut volcano shaped slice out of the center of each pork half. Next time I will buy a large roast and have it butterflied, but today I worked with what I had.
Fill with bleu cheese mixture.
Salt and pepper generously.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour- 1 1/4 hours.

Now nothing goes to waste at our house. We use it until it can be used NO more. If it’s a sauce, it may become a dressing for hubby’s salads by adding flavored vinegars or oils or a filling for a casserole, but it gets used. I had a tiny bit of BBQ sauce left and it is one of our favorites, but it wasn’t enough to do much with, so I used it as a rub on the baked potatoes and then mixed the last couple of tablespoons with some butter and sour cream and darned if it wasn’t super yummy and flavorful too!

Moong Dal Dosa with Potato Masala

This week I will bring you to India for a simple moog dal (split mung beans) dosa, also known as pesarattu, with potato (aloo) masala that I made to go inside the dosa.
When I was searching for a variety of recipes on moong dal I ran across Manjula video on how to make moong dal dosa. I still had about a cup of split mung beans leftover form another recipe I made, just enough to try making this. I found the split mung beans at an Asian store.

I did stick pretty much to the recipe, with just a few changes…or additions. This is what the mung beans look like before they are soaked.

They don’t change too much just plump up a little. I did add some garlic cloves to the beans as they soaked, and I soaked them overnight just because of the timing. You can soak them for as little as 2 to 4 hours she calls for. A lot of dosa recipes will have you soak them over night and also will have rice as well.

I did mine in the food processor just because it was already out, or you could use a blender. In the food processor you add the beans, about a quarter slice of ginger, chili pepper (depends on how spicy you what it to what kind you use or not) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp salt and some water, about 1/2 cup but add it as you go until you get the right consistency. I added a little dill and the garlic that was soaking with it.

For the potato masala take a medium size sauce pan, add a tablespoon of oil, about 2 medium boiled potatoes diced, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup green peas. In a tiny skillet in a little hot oil add a pinch of hing, 1/2 Tbsp black mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds until it sizzles and pops. Then add to the potatoes and sir in 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (I just squeezed some over it) and some chopped cilantro.

Use a large non-stick skillet or you could use a tova if you have one, or a flat cast iron pan, or like I have a flat quesadilla pan that I use and it works perfectly. Make sure the pan is hot before you take half a cup of the bean puree and ladled (or poured) it on. It worked well with the back of a large plastic spoon to spread it circular and outward motion, smoothing as you go. When it starts to brown a little around the edges and firm up you drizzle a little oil around the edges and over the top. You don’t need much oil. Then with the back of a pancake flipper, just spread the oil over the top.

Then when it’s ready…flip it…easy breezy! After a little while, flip it again so the pretty side shows after you fill it, and finish.

Place the potato mixture in the center like you would fill a crepe.

Flip one side over it, then the other side, and there you have it.

Ta-da! You can serve it with some sambal, or your favorite chutney. Traditionally it is eaten with coconut chutney, but I didn’t learn how to make that yet. It’s next on my list. (I know I did this backwards). Of course Maranda ate hers with sour cream! You could serve the potato masala along side or inside like we did.

I will definitely make this again, everyone liked it. I was able to bring out my Indian Spice Box, which I just love, it comes in so handy.

We had it for lunch, but it would be a great dish for breakfast too. You can make it ahead and seal the mixture in a airtight container to use at a later time!

You can visit me at The Tiny Skillet anytime! I hope you will try this and enjoy a tiny taste of India!

ZUCCHINI, PEPPERS & POTATO BAKE

This is a great side dish that I make often. What’s great about it is that you can adapt it to your own tastes. In the mood for spicy? Add some cayenne. Or do what I often do and add more garlic!

This is healthy and delicious and goes with just about everything!

Zucchini, Peppers & Potato Bake

3 potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into bite size pieces
1 zucchini (about 1 lb), quartered and cut into bite sized chunks
1 onion (I didn’t use this but I usually do), chopped in large chunks
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/3 cup bread crumbs (I used garlic and herb)
2 tbsp. olive oil1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss together veggies in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss with bread crumbs. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet covered with cooking spray and cook in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour or 1 1/4 hours. Stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender and lightly brown. You may need to adjust cooking time depending how done you want your veggies.

Total calories = 1170
6 servings = 195 calories

1 Orange Chipotle Rib + Zucchini, Peppers & Potato Bake = 595 calorie dinner

Fire Day Friday: Changes and Potato Salad

I’m excited to announce a few changes here on Fire Day Friday!

First and foremost, I will be joined by Jenn of Jenn’s Food Journey and we will be alternating Fridays. Not only is Jenn a talented and energetic food blogger, she rocks the grill. Too many people think the grill is a man’s domain. That is crap and people like Jenn, Robyn (Grill Grrrl), and Danielle (DivaQ) are proving that day in and day out. Plus, her boyfriend’s name is Chris (not me) so she has got good taste 🙂

Secondly, while this weekly post will still be mostly about live fire (grill, smoke, fire roast, etc) cooking, Jenn and I have decided to not limit our posts to ONLY live fire cooking or sides.

This past weekend I was craving some old fashioned, traditional BBQ. I even ignored our two Big Green Eggs and brought out my old offset smoker.

I went with the basics. Smoked chicken, BBQ beans and potato salad. While my favorite potato salad is a spicy and warm jalapeno potato salad with feta cheese and black olives (odd I know but **** it rocks), I wanted a “normal” southern potato salad for this meal.

Southern Potato Salad
Source: NibbleMeThis

Ingredients
2 lb red potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
3 hard boiled eggs finely diced
1/2 cup onion finely diced
2 tablespoons sweet gherkins finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet pickled jalapenos, finely diced
2 tablespoons green bell pepper, finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoon stone ground mustard (I like Inglehoffers)
1 1/2 tablespoons French’s yellow mustard
2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon ground celery seed
1 tablespoon BBQ Rub (commercial brand or your home made stuff)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Leave the skins on the potatoes but cut them into 1/2″ sized pieces. Boil the potatoes in salted water just until fork tender. Drain in a colander and then rinse them with COLD water to stop the cooking process.

Place them in a large mixing bowl and then add the eggs, onion, pickles and peppers.

In another bowl, mix together the mustards, mayo, cilantro, sugar, celery seed, and BBQ rub. For the BBQ rub I used Dead End BBQ’s Chicken Rub this time. But you could use any other brand, your own, or even some Old Bay Seasoning.

Pour the mayo-mustard mixture over the potato mixture and GENTLY toss together to mix.

Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

CHEESEY AU GRATIN POTATOES

1/2 cup butter
16 oz. whipping cream
5 large russet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar) or 1 clove, mashed
2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc…)
2 cups rates sharp cheddar
Wondra Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
Grease 9×13 baking dish.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
Mix the cheeses all together.
Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I developed this recipe for a request from our youngest and it quickly became a family favorite.

Potato Salad

When peeling potatoes I use a plastic/paper store bag to catch the peels… then when done just wrap up the peels and put in the trash…

While boiling the potatoes I like to add pepper…
Put the potatoes in the fridge for a few hours to chill before adding other ingredients…

I’ve been told time and again that I make the best potato salad… however it’s never the same each time I make it…
And I don’t quite measure…
Vinegar, but now I have discovered apple vinegar
White sugar
Mayonnaise
Mustard or honey mustard
Green onions
Boiled eggs
Paprika

It was great for Labor Day weekend…

Happy Eating…

CAMPFIRE POTATOES

Amounts are proportionate and per taste.

Slice some yukon gold potatoes and Vidalia onions.

Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with melted butter until well coated.

Using heavy duty foil cut out generous sized squares per person.

Squirt a generous amount of yellow mustard all around.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and crumbled crisp bacon.

Seal well.

Seal well and toss on grill for 25-30 minutes.

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S POTATO CASSEROLE

Remember when I found this thrift store find? Well, here is the first recipe and it was a resounding success.

When I actually made this recipe I realized it really was my grandmother’s recipe. One that was undoubtedly passed around bymany women at neighborhood coffee clatches, tupperware parties and PTA meetings. I did update it a bit and hubby can’t seem to get enough of it.

POTATO CASSEROLE

2 pound package frozen hash browns

1 can cream of ~~chicken~~ celery soup

~~1 teaspoon garlic salt~~ 2 cloves garlic, minced

~~1 pint~~ 8 ounces sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

12 tablespoons butter, melted, divided 8 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons

2 cups ~~corn flakes~~ Special K original

2 cups ~~1 cup~~ shredded sharp cheddar cheese

~~1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt~~ 1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

~~1/2 teaspoon parsley~~

Preheat oven 325 degrees.
Rub the inside of a 2 quart casserole with butter or spray with PURE.
Whisk together the sour cream, soup, 1/2 cup melted butter and seasonings.
In a large bowl toss the frozen hash browns with the wet ingredients and 1/2 the cheese until well blended.
Arrange the hash brown mixture in the prepared baking dish.
Top with remaining cheese.
Top with the Special K.
Pour remaining butter evenly over top.
Bake 1 hour on lowest shelf in oven.

Better the next day and the next and the next…

POTATO OMELET MUFFINS

Potato Omelet Muffins

Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes (you could get away with 4, easily)

8 eggs or egg beaters

12 teaspoons bruschetta sauce

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, chopped (you can use dried – I ran out half way through so I added dried for the rest.)

2 slices yogurt-herb cheese or cheese of choice

1 orange pepper, diced

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream (low-fat)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet, put the butter and half the olive oil. Use remaining oil if needed. I used it then took another tablespoon and added it to the skillet.

Peel potatoes and shred.

Cook for three minutes, orange pepper and scallions. Add chives for one additional minute.

Remove from pan and replace with potatoes. I did three batches so not to overcrowd.

I browned the potatoes because we like them crisp. You can cook until translucent and then finish baking it, in the oven.

While potatoes are cooking, mix milk, eggs, sour cream, bruschetta sauce, and cheese.

Add peppers, scallions and chives to egg mixture.

Put potatoes on the side.

I did it again. I forgot the bruschetta. I had already filled a few muffin inserts so I put a piece of bruschetta on top of each and then poured the rest into the egg mixture. It added a great flavor to this. You could use liquid cayenne (hot pepper sauce) instead but I am not sure how much you would need since I chose not to use it. You can add heat to this if you like your food hot.

Take potatoes and put them on the bottom of each insert.

Using an ice cream scoop or ladle, scoop the mixture into each muffin compartment.

Bake for 30 minutes. I put a sharp knife in the middle of a few, like we do for baked goods, to make sure I did not have soft eggs. They came out dry but barely dry, the way I would want it to be.

GARLIC SMASHERS

6-8 small-medium YUKON potatoes, skin on, quartered

sea salt

white pepper

Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 – 1 stick butter, sliced thin

6 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Scrub potatoes.
Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet.
Group potatoes so they don’t overlap.
Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle minced garlic over potato tops.
Slice butter thin and lay randomly along potato tops.
Bake 45 minutes.
With a potato masher, SMASH each potato.
Bake another 30 minutes or until tops are crispy.

New and Review Potatoes

Old Potato Recipe – New Potato Recipe

Balsamic Roasted Red Potatoes – adapted

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive

2 pounds small red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion; toss to combine. Add the thyme, rosemary and nutmeg; toss well. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until potatoes are hot.

2. Transfer to a baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are golden and almost tender. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper; toss well. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.