Potatoes, Shrimp, and Veggies over Rice and Lettuce

This was an interesting dinner I made about a month ago.  For some reason I was craving potatoes (well, aren't I always?), but also kind of wanted something fresh and salad-like.  So I figured I'd assemble pretty much everything fresh in my fridge on top of lettuce, but added some rice for texture and substance.  It was pretty good.

Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, potatoes, basmati rice, shrimp, red onion, garlic, tarragon, cumin, coriander, salt/pepper, yogurt sauce to garnish

Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes.  I chopped into ~1 inch cubes, but do whatever you prefer.  Then, just as if I was preparing breakfast potatoes I cooked them in the skillet with a little bit of olive oil and added the tarragon, salt/pepper, cumin, and coriander.  Let them cook for about 20 minutes to cook through, and if you want you can periodically add a little broth that will be absorbed and soften the insides. 

Once primarily cooked, I added the red onion, a little garlic, and the shrimp to the pan.  Saute until the shrimp are pink and the onion softened.  I opted to chop my shrimp for the sake of having more shrimp scattered throughout in smaller bites.  It makes the shrimp go further.

Once cooked through you can assemble your meal.  I layered lettuce on the plate first, covered with the rice (it was leftover from a previous dinner so I just reheated it), piled the potatoes/shrimp on next, topped with fresh cucumber and tomato slices, and finally drizzled the sauce over.

The sauce was also leftover from a previous meal (see: Salmon w/ a Zucchini Yogurt Sauce).  It's basically a combination of 1:1 yogurt and mayo.  Then you throw in diced zucchini and chives, but really you can add whatever you like.  Or make your own yogurt sauce. 

So this dish is kind of like a salad, kind of like an mediterranean burrito bowl, but the combination of hot/cold, heavy/light makes for a tasty, hearty meal.

Zucchini and Saffron Vichyssoise with Scallops

I've made this soup a few times now, and it's one of my favorite indulgences, for when you've got saffron threads you're just dying to use.  A vichyssoise is a thick, starchy soup based on potatoes and cream typically served cold.  But I'm not so much a fan of cold soups.  So I serve this one hot, and it's definitely a winner.  The original recipe comes from epicurious, so you can see what you need and in what quantities, but I'll show you the pictures and tell you my process.

Ingredients: zucchini, onion, potatoes, butter, garlic, saffron, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, heavy cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper, scallops, and bacon for garnish (not in the original recipe, but how could i resist?)

For this dish I peel the zucchini and the potatoes completely.  I cut them both into small cubes as well as the onion.  First saute the onion in the butter.  Once softened add the potatoes, garlic, and saffron and cook for a minute.  

Next add the broth and your spices (bay leaf, thyme) and cook over medium/medium-low heat until the potatoes are softened, about 15-20 minutes depending on your potatoes.  

Add the zucchini last because it is already soft enough it shouldn't need to cook as long as the potatoes.  After about 10 minutes it should be softened enough.

At this point, bust out your immersion blender (or the regular blender if you don't have the handheld variety), and puree the soup nicely.  The recipe mentions pouring through a fine sieve, but I don't like losing some of the thick starchiness, so I skip that step, opting to leave every bit of the soup intact.  At this point you can add the cream, lemon juice, and salt/pepper.

If you want cold soup let it cool, then put it in the fridge (don't put it directly into the fridge or you ruin the integrity of the flavors from the cold-shock).  But if you want it served warm you can let it sit on low heat at this point, or leave the burner off until right before you're ready to serve it and turn the heat back up.

This soup is great on it's own, but if you need some meat with your dinner, the scallops are an excellent accompaniment.  Get the large sea scallops and slice them horizontally into smaller discs.  Since I'm a glutton for all things pork fat, I obviously decided a bacon garnish was necessary moreso than a zucchini garnish, so in a small skillet render some chopped bacon.  Remove from heat and to the bacon grease in the pan you can add a little butter and then sear your scallops.  Season with salt and pepper first, then add the scallop to the medium/medium-high heated skillet.  You'll only need to cook for about a minute on each side.  You want to cook the scallop through, but overcook it and you get a tough mess so err on the side of less time on the stove.  

To serve, plate (bowl?) your soup.  Add some scallop slices and sprinkle with bacon.  The soup provides a nice thick pillow for the scallops and the flavors really do play well together. 

Baked Eggs

 

I've been wanting to attempt baked eggs for awhile now, but haven't had the proper ramekins, so this holiday season provided the perfect opportunity to try my hand at this dish.  Basically you crack eggs into ramekins, surround with a little milk or cream (to avoid burning), and bake for 15 minutes or so.  I of course wanted more than just eggs so I layered potatoes, cheese, bacon, onions, and mushrooms.  

Begin by cooking your bacon and once rendered remove to paper towels to drain.  Slice your potatoes (I used peeled fingerlings) and add them with some minced garlic to the bacon grease to cook.  

Once your potatoes are cooked to your liking, start assembling them in your ramekins.

Next up is cheese.

Followed by the bacon.

Meanwhile, saute some onions and mushrooms in the leftover bacon grease (add more butter if needed) and once softened add those to the dishes.  

Make room for your cracked eggs in the center of your mount of food.

Finally add a tablespoon of milk or cream atop the eggs.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 325 F. 

These ramekins were a little shallow for all the ingredients I tried to cram in them, otherwise the eggs might not have looked so separated from everything else, but it didn't diminish from the deliciousness.  Everyone had an individual serving of breakfast goodness all in one place and the baked eggs were an interesting consistency different than what you'd get from frying or poaching.  

Reduction Sauces - Steak and Potatoes

I purchased two filet mignons so I had two nights of steak and potato dinners.  The first I served with asparagus, the second with zucchini.  And for the sauce, two reduction sauces with garlic and mushrooms and then a garnish of french fried onions. 

The first reduction sauce was a port reduction.  I used a tawny port and added about a cup to a skillet of sauteed garlic and mushrooms and cooked until it was reduced.  The second reduction sauce was balsamic and I did the same thing.  

The asparagus I cooked in a skillet with a little water, salt, and pepper.  The zucchini I seasoned and cooked with a little olive oil.  For the filets, I heated a skillet over medium-high heat, salted/peppered the meat, and seared the steak for about 2 minutes on each side. 

Dish up the potatoes, green veggies, steak, pour the reduction sauce over the potatoes/meat, and garnish with the onions.  Steakhouse dinner at home and you didn't even need a grill. 

Balsamic Marinated Steak with Pesto Mashed Potatoes

I bought these weird thinly sliced steak strips that called themselves sandwich strips.  I figured I'd marinate them, grill them, put them between some bread, and do the whole sandwich thing.  Well, my bread went bad, but I was hungry, so I figured I'd treat these steaks how I normally would a skirt or a flank steak.

I went for a balsamic-based marinade, so into the ziploc bag went the balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper, rosemary, garlic, and a touch of olive oil.  Into the fridge it went while I sliced some red onion and scallion (onion overkill? probably. but they were all i had in terms of complimentary produce).

I then made some mashed potatoes, because nothing goes better w/ steak than potatoes.  I mashed with cream cheese and pesto sauce, rather than milk and cheese, for a little variation.

Finally, it was time to cook the steak.  It took about three minutes since it was so thin, and I didn't want to overcook.  Heat the skillet over medium-high heat.  Add your steak, red onions, and the juices.  Cook the steak about 1-2 minutes per side.  Turn over, repeat.

Plate your mashed potatoes, lay your steak atop them, and drizzle with some of the red onions and reduced balsamic vinegar marinade.  Garnish with some fresh scallions if you're feeling like your breath won't be pungent enough already.

Mashed Potato Benedict

Yet another variation on my favorite brunch item: benedict.  This version utilizes some leftover cheesy mashed potatoes I had in the fridge, because why should such a delicious form of the potato be reserved solely for dinner?  Upon eating this yesterday, I have discovered my current favorite easy breakfast. 

Step 1: make sure you have leftover mashed potatoes in your fridge and scoop some into a ball/patty.

Step 2: cook the bacon in a skillet. remove to paper towels when cooked through.

Step 3: cook potato patty in bacon grease to brown the outside (~2 min per side)

Step 4: plate potato patty, cover in bacon, and now crack the egg into the skillet.

Step 5: slide your fried egg atop the bacon covered potatoes

Step 6: devour

Tarragon Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream

This was last night's dinner, but I'd recommend it for brunch.  This is a very simple potato latke recipe, so if you have another that you prefer, keep doing what you're doing. 

Ingredients: 2 potatoes, 1 shallot or 1/2 a small onion, 1 egg, 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp dried tarragon or 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, salt and pepper
Toppings: smoked salmon, sour cream or creme fraiche, tarragon to garnish

Begin by grating the potatoes, I used russet, and the onion or shallot with a coarse cheese grater.  Place grated potato in a dish towel and ring out all the water.  Place potato and shallot in a bowl.

The potato may start to turn color, so you can add a splash of lemon juice if you aren't able to work quickly and tend to the potatoes immediately.  Next, whisk your egg and add it to the bowl, followed by the flour.  Once mixed, season with salt, pepper, and tarragon.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet.  Form potato mixture into little balls and place in heated oil over medium to medium/high heat.  Press down to flatten.  Cook about 3 minutes on one side then flip over.  Continue cooking until you've reached your desired level of brown doneness. 

Once cooked, you may drain on a paper towel, or not if you don't care about a little residual oil.  Top with a dollop of sour cream, any amount of smoked salmon you want, and a sprinkle of tarragon.

Shepherd's Pie

Last night was a meat and potatoes sort of night, so I felt like attempting a recipe I'd never made before: shepherd's pie.  Now as is the story of my life, I didn't have as many ingredients as I would've liked, but I was not about to head out to the grocery store, so I made do, and I was actually pretty pleased with the results. 

Ingredients: 1.25 lb ground beef, 3 carrots peeled and sliced, 1 small leek sliced, 1/4 onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic diced, 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, olive oil, salt/pepper/coriander/cumin, 1/4 cup broth or white wine, mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your mashed potatoes.  I used 3 russet potatoes, mashed them with milk, butter, salt/pepper, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  

Begin the filling by sauting your vegetables in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper.  Throw in whatever veggies you have, I would have added mushrooms had they been in my fridge.  After about 7 minutes of softening, add the ground beef. 

Cook over medium heat until browned.  Mix in a dash of spices like cumin and coriander and add your fresh herbs.  If you want to be healthier, drain the fat at this point.  If you don't care add the broth or wine now.  At this point I would have liked to add some tomato paste or sauce, but alas I had none of that either.

Fill a baking dish with your meat and veggies, spread mashed potatoes on top and bake in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Finish with about 5 minutes under the broiler to get that characteristic golden brown topping. 

The baking allows the carrots to soften, but since everything is already cooked through you can bake as long or as short as you'd like. 

Potato Leek Soup with Corn

Who doesn't love warm homemade soup on a cold winter's night?  So when I noticed my roommate's CSA leeks in the fridge the other night, I was immediately inspired.  I adore potato soups, cream soups, and thick blended soups, so potato leek was the perfect winter pick me up, and I threw in a splash of corn at the end for an added texture and flavor.

Ingredients: 3 large russet potatoes, 2 large leeks, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp butter, 2 cans chicken broth, water, 1/4 cup fresh taragon, 1/4 cup fresh thyme, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp dried saffron powder, 1/2 cup corn, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, dollop of pesto sauce as garnish

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping everything.  Add butter, garlic, and leeks to a large soup pot over medium heat.  Saute and stir for about 10 minutes until nicely softened.

Add the potatoes and chicken broth.  Add water until potatoes are just covered.  

Throw in your fresh herbs and let simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until potatoes are nice and tender. 

When flavors have melded, veggies softened, and you're so hungry you can't wait anymore, go ahead and blend the soup.  I'm a big fan of immersion blenders, but if you don't have one, puree in batches in a regular blender.  I blend on the lowest level so that most everything is blended, but there's the occasional piece of leek or potato.  Next I added the cream, saffron, and salt and pepper.  I threw in the corn, straight from the freezer bag, and let it heat through.

To serve I sprinkled in some cheese and spooned a little pesto sauce over the top.  Delish.

Irish Nachos

Once, at an Irish pub, some friends and I saw Irish Nachos on the menu, basically potato skins in lieu of tortilla chips smothered in nacho glory.  As you might assume, they were delicious.  So in honor of the Giants game on Saturday, I decided to make my own version.

Ironically, my least favorite part of potato skins, is the actual skin.  So i decided to just peel my potatoes and slice them.  I lined them in a butter-coated pan, drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them in a 350 degree oven while I prepped the rest of the ingredients.

potatoes after about 20 min in the oven

Next I chopped a tomato (organic, courtesy of the roommate's CSA), and a little bit of onion.  I sprinkled the onion on the potatoes and put them back in the oven to cook together longer.  Meanwhile I defrosted and chopped some chicken.  I threw it in a skillet w/ a little oil and spices (paprika, chili powder, oregano) and cooked it through.  Out of the oven again I now sprinkled the tomatoes, chicken, and a can of black beans atop the potatoes and onions and baked for about another 10 minutes.

potatoes, onions, tomatoes, chicken

Finally I took the nachos out one last time, grated some white cheddar and snipped some chives for the top (I was out of scallions).  Back in the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese and it was Irish Nacho game time.  I served them with a hefty dollop of sour cream (sadly i had no avocados or guac in the fridge).  Even the vegetarian roommate pushed aside the chicken and found this dish delicious.  Let's hear it for a little south of the border and overseas fusion.

LND: Wake Up and Smell the Bacon

I'm definitely more of an eggs and bacon girl than a milk and cereal girl when it comes to my breakfasts.  So in this blog edition we recount a common brunch fare I make for myself and friends on the weekends.  Breakfast potatoes with a fried egg on top.  Just remember, the key to this meal is bacon grease! Mmmmm.

So first, choose your ingredients for the potatoes wisely.  We opted for garlic, mushrooms, onions (more than were shown), and bacon (obviously).  Now you may want to cook bacon strips to eat on the side, but I'm a fan of chopping the bacon and having it mixed with the potatoes.  My suggestion for you: try both.  The more bacon, the better.

Once the chopping is done, you're ready to start cooking.  Take your skillet and add the bacon, no additional butter/oil/grease required.  Once rendered (fancy term for cooked), remove the bacon to a paper towel, but leave all that delicious and fatty grease behind.

With the bacon set aside ever so gracefully, you can start cooking your other ingredients.  Begin with the garlic and onions.  Once the onions are soft you can add the mushrooms.  It's important to space out your veggies based upon what will take the longest to cook.  Also, with mushrooms, they're full of moisture, but initially they will suck up the cooking liquid and once they're sauteed, they will release it again, so don't worry if your pan suddenly appears too dry.  After a couple minutes of cooking your veggies, you can add the potatoes.  The bacon grease will ensure they get nice and crispy on the outside, but we're concerned about cooking through to the center as well.  So a trick I use is that after about 10-15 minutes of sauteing and crisping I'll add a liquid.  I usually go for white wine or chicken broth.  The liquid will after a few minutes evaporate completely, but not without first helping to poach the potato and promote a softer interior.  I'll add about a quarter cup of liquid at a time.

When the potatoes are cooked to your desired level of doneness, add cheese, herbs, scallions, etc.  Anything you don't want to cook, but want in the potatoes.  This is also the time to add back the bacon.  (We opted for shredded cheddar at this point in the game).  If you want to keep the potatoes heated until you're ready to serve them, the oven is another option for finishing these babies off.  All in all I'd say you're looking at about 15-30 minutes of potato cooking time to achieve your desired level of softness or crunch as the case may be.
Now for the final touch, I add a fried egg on top.  Of course, the egg must be cooked in bacon grease.  Cook it to your liking, but I highly suggest leaving the yolk runny to seep down over your potatoes.  To serve, plate the potatoes, put the egg on top and add whatever else you'd like on the side.  Delicious, full service breakfast on a plate or in a bowl.

Ingredients: Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, Bacon, Chicken Broth, Cheddar Cheese, Eggs

And to prove we aren't giant grease-eating carnivores, we even sliced some peaches and strawberries to balance out the meal.  (Though I won't comment on how much of this fruit we actually managed to eat).

Feta Mashed Potatoes

Yes, an entire post dedicated to my favorite tuber in one of its best forms: the mashed potato.  Again, needing to use up some potatoes and the last of the cream I couldn't quite finish with the risotto, I opted for a dish that never fails me.  Really any potato will do.  I happened to be using small yellow potatoes.

Peel, slice, boil.  Make sure the potatoes are of comparable sizes so they'll cook evenly.  When a fork inserted in the potatoes reveals them to be soft and slightly falling apart, you're ready to drain.  Next comes the good part.  Over very low heat, add your mix-ins.  Start with your butter, then your milk or cream (I used cream last night...it makes for a richer potato) and some salt and pepper (unless you boiled the potatoes in salt water, then be careful not too add to much).  If you're going for cheesy or garlic potatoes, add those now too.  I have a ton of feta cheese in my fridge so that was last night's flavor.  

Now you're ready to start your mashing.  Start by adding less butter/cream than you would think you need so you can add more once you get going.  No one wants runny potatoes, but dry potatoes are easy to salvage.  Once mashed to a desired consistency, you can add other mix-ins.  Spinach, bacon, whatever strikes your fancy.   And there you have it.  I'm not above eating a heaping plate of mashed potatoes with bacon on top as my only dinner item....they're that good.