California Recipe: Potato

Showing posts with label Potato. Show all posts

Monday, March 12, 2012

Colcannon – The Name Has Nothing to Do with Viking-Killing Leprechauns

You’ll be happy to know that since finishing this St. Patrick’s Day-inspired colcannon video, I’ve come to learn what the name actually means. Apparently, “colcannon” is Gaelic for "white-headed cabbage," which I’m sure everyone will agree is not nearly as interesting as my explanation.

Regardless of its etymological origins, colcannon is probably my favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipe. It combines the lovely, Spring-is-finally-here-greenness of kale and leeks with the always-alluring comfort of buttery mashed potatoes. Thinking about this next to some beautifully roasted lamb, makes me wonder why it’s only made once a year?

There are so many holiday-inspired recipes that are certainly easy and delicious enough to be added to the regular rotation, but for whatever reason aren’t. Why don’t we roast a turkey with all the fixings other times of the year? Wouldn’t Easter bread be just as awesome in November? Why we deny ourselves these things the rest of the year is one of the great culinary mysteries.

In fact, I think I’m going to heat up the last of my colcannon, sip on a Guniness or three, and carefully ponder this and other great questions. Anyway, I hope you give this a try soon, and may you all have a very happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Enjoy!

For the green mixture:

4 oz trimmed kale leaves

1 leek, light parts only, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tbsp room temp butter

*boil kale and leeks for 5-6 minutes in salted water, then puree with butter and onions in blender

For the rest:

3 pounds russet potatoes, boiled tender, drained VERY well

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup cream or milk, or to taste

butter and green onion for the top

Bonus Colcannon Coverage!

Check out this great video from my new friend, Jay del Corro aka The Aimless Cook. He's using a variation on colcannon as a base for lamb stew. Why didn't I think of that? I invite you to get the recipe, and read the original post here. Enjoy!

Monday, March 5, 2012

St. Patrick’s Day Special: Irish Shepherd’s Pie (the real one, not the stuff they eat in cottages)

I know I may have used a few atypical ingredients in this, but as far as I’m concerned, the only two things that are mandatory to make a “real” Shepherd’s Pie are potatoes and lamb. While the ground beef version is also very delicious, it’s not considered a “Shepherd’s Pie,” since shepherds raise sheep, not cows.

The real mystery is why the beef version is called “Cottage Pie,” and not “Cowboy Pie,” or “Rancher’s Pie.” When I think about cattle, many things come to mind, but cottages aren’t one of them. Okay, now that we have all those search keywords inserted, we can moooo’ve on.

By the way, I know it’s something of a Food Wishes tradition that I do a cheap, culturally insensitive joke about Irish-Americans drinking too much in our St. Patrick’s Day video, but this year I decided not to do any. In fairness, I know hundreds of Irish people, and several of them have no drinking problem whatsoever, so it just didn’t seem inappropriate.

Anyway, as I say in the video, this would make a lovely alternative to the much more common corned beef and cabbage that you may have been planning for dinner. Also, I really hope you find some nice Irish cheddar. I used one called “Dubliner” by Kerrygold, which can be found in most large grocery stores.

If you’re curious about beverage pairings, may I go out on a limb and suggest a nice Guinness, or other Irish beer…just hold the green food coloring, please. Erin go bragh, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients:

For lamb mixture:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 diced onion

2 pounds lean ground lamb

1/3 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp ketchup

2 1/2 cups water or broth (use more or less to adjust thickness as needed)
12 oz bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed, drained well

For the potato topping:

2 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 pound Irish cheddar

1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tbsp milk

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Classic Diner Hash Browns - The Real King of the Breakfast Potato

When people make breakfast at home that includes some kind of potato side dish, they almost always go with homefries over hash browns. I’m not sure of exactly why, but I think people assume that hash browns are somehow more difficult, which is simply not the case.

Grating a couple potatoes is not that much harder than cubing them up, and the cooking process is almost identical. If anything, hash browns cook faster than homefries, and in this chef’s opinion are the superior breakfast potatoes. They are crisper, more interesting, and absorb runny egg yolk like homefries can only dream about.

One thing to note when you look at the ingredients below: this is a scalable recipe, with one medium-sized russet potato portioned per person. If you're going to make this for a larger group, you’ll want to use several pans, as you need enough room to get the proper crustification.

Speaking of russets, the potato variety is much more important here than with homefries. Just about any potato will work for those, but for hash browns you need the starchy texture of the russet, as opposed to the waxier texture of red potatoes. By the way, Yukon gold also works okay, but russet is the best.

Anyway, the next time your cooking a proper breakfast at home, I hope you give these “other” breakfast potatoes a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients per person:

1 medium russet potato, grated

1 1/2 tbsp clarified butter (melted butter separated from the milky liquid)

salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika to taste

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Fennel Potato Soup with Saffron

Once the winter chill comes in, many of us long for some comfort food. Soups are a healthy and satisfying choice of the season.

Today I am sharing with you an easy broth-based soup filled with fennel, potato, soya cream (optional) and flavoured with saffron. If you prefer a lighter version, just leave out the soya cream at the final step.

Fennel bulb is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is the body's primary antioxidant and a necessity for the proper function of the immune system. In addition to its vitamin C, fennel is a very good source of fiber and potassium.

300 g Fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
100 g Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Small shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp Olive oil
350 ml Vegetable stock
1/8 tsp Saffron threads
1 Bay leaf
60 ml Soya cream (or heavy cream)
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim the fennel by removing the thin stalks and the thick base. Cut the bulb into 1cm pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm pieces too. Finely dice the shallots.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and add in the diced shallots. Cook until aromatic and softened. Add in prepared fennel and potatoes. Sautee for 3 minutes. Add in vegetable stock, saffron, and bay leaf. Bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup with an immersion blender. Stir in the cream and season. Serve in hot bowls with some chopped fennel fronds on top.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Potato and Whole Grain Spelt Pancakes

There’s nothing like good old fashioned potato pancakes as a side dish. It’s an awesome way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. You can serve these potato pancakes with meat patties, or simply enjoy them as breakfast.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas and success and health for the New Year 2012!

So wünsche ich Euch von Herzen ein frohes und gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest und viel Erfolg und Gesundheit für das Neue Jahr 2012!

200 g Potatoes
75 g Whole grain spelt flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
100 ml Milk
Salt and white pepper
3-4 tbsp Butter

Thoroughly clean the potatoes and place them in a medium sized pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add in about 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes are tender all the way through, about 20 minutes.
Drain potatoes and let cool slightly. Peel the potato and push potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl or mash with a large fork thoroughly. Add in spelt flour and baking powder, then add in whole egg and egg yolk. Gradually pour in milk, stirring well to make a smooth batter. Season the batter with salt and pepper.
Place 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter turns a light amber, drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter in the skillet. You should be able to cook 3 pancakes at a time, allowing enough space between them so they have a nice round shape.
Cook about 2 minutes on the first side, flip them over and cook about 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan, and keep warm. Continue adding butter to the pan and frying the rest of the batter. Serve the pancakes warm as a side with ground meat patties.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Crispy Crusty Potato Pancakes! (Symbolic Oil Sold Separately)

There's nothing like freshly fried potato pancakes, and thanks to Hanukkah, you can't visit a food blog right now without seeing a gorgeous-looking potato latke recipe.

I'm quite proud of my version, so I decided to repost this video from last year. We garnished this with smoked salmon, but truth be told, my favorite way to enjoy them is topped with applesauce and sour cream. I hope you enjoy seeing this potato pancake recipe again, and if you’re watching this for the first time, I really hope you give it a try. A happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating, and as always, enjoy!

Potato Pancakes – Squeeze and Be Squeezed

Click here for the original post and ingredient amounts.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Make-Ahead Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes – Holiday Trick and Treat

I thought I was posting a video to show off the advantages of doing mashed potatoes ahead of time, but then I realized all that was nothing more than a diversion to distract you from the fact that I’m really trying to trick you into using an alternative to the standard holiday potato side dish.

These mascarpone mashed potatoes are certainly close enough to the classic recipe to keep any purists in the family happy, but the addition of the mild, creamy Italian cheese, a touch of egg yolk, and copious amounts of butter, elevate this to “special occasion” status.

Besides being a delicious change of pace, the advantages of the casserole delivery system are obvious. You don’t have to time your potato mashing so precisely, and this keeps warm in the casserole dish a long time, so it’s really nice for larger groups.

As always, feel free to alter this to your tastes. I do add a substantial amount of butter, but a few times a year I feel like I’ve earned that right, and do so unapologetically. I hope you do the same. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 1/4 pounds russet potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup milk

1 egg yolk

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pistachio Crust – Save the Mini Marshmallows for Your Hot Chocolate!

Of all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, sweet potato casserole scares me the most. Luckily, for the vast majority of holiday meals, I’ve been the one who got to decide on and cook the menu. But there have been the rare occasions when I’ve been a guest at someone’s home, and subjected to the horror that is the mini marshmallow-topped dish of sweet potatoes.

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to food, I’m as opened-minded as anyone...hey, one time, I actually ate a McRib...but I just don’t understand taking something already as sweet as sweet potatoes, and topping it with one of the sweetest ingredients ever.

Sure, my topping has some brown sugar in it, but I think it’s balanced nicely by the crunchy savoriness of the pistachios. I also forgo the usual scoop of sugar in the filling for a much smaller amount of maple syrup (which, contrary to what you learned in school, is a one-syllable word).

The result is a rich and decadent, yet not cloyingly sweet side dish. By the way, as I mention in the video, the sweet potatoes I used may be called “yams” at the store, but the fact is that all yams sold in American supermarkets are really varieties of sweet potatoes.

Having said that, my recommendation is for using “Garnet Yams,” if you can find them. If you can’t, literally any other variety will do. I hope you give this great side dish recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the sweet potatoes:

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes

salt to taste

2 tbsp butter

2 large eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of allspice

pinch of cayenne

For the pistachio crust:

1/2 cup chopped pistachios (I used roasted, salted)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp melted butter

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pommes Duchesse

Pommes Duchesse, also known as Duchess potatoes, are basically some puréed potatoes that includ egg yolk, butter and seasonings. They can be simply shaped into a mound with a spoon or piped through a pastry bag into various shapes. The edges of the piped potatoes are crisp after baking, while the interior remains soft and creamy. Serve duchess potatoes as a side along with a good portion of meat.

400 g Potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
1 Egg yolk
50 g butter, melted
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and white pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring it to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl. Mash with a potato ricer or using a large metal spoon, press potato through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add egg yolk and half the butter. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 220C/428F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Spoon the potato mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe swirled rosettes onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle remaining butter over potato. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Ham and Potato Soup – Tuberlicious!

This title is dedicated to all those who chimed in on our root vegetable gratin video to let me know that a potato is a tuber, and not a root, even though I mentioned that fact in the video and the post! Bless your hearts. ;-)

I know we did a black bean soup not too long ago, but I had a piece of leftover ham that needed to be used up, and this time of year you just can’t have too many soup recipes. In addition to being a proven antidote for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the recipe is definitely filling enough to serve as a main course.

The version I presented here is a little on the lighter side, but by adding more meat (including bacon, sausage, etc.), and finishing with cheese, you can significantly increase its heartiness.

By the way, if you do want to finish this with some nice sharp cheddar, or perhaps a pepper Jack, do NOT add it until you’ve turned off the heat. Cooking the cheese is never a good thing, unless you want an oil slick floating on the surface of your soup. There will be plenty of residual heat to melt shredded cheese, so turn off the heat, stir it in, and dig in.

If you’re one of these vegetarian types, may I suggest you caramelize some diced mushrooms to a dark meaty brown first, and then proceed with the rest of the procedure as shown. Either way, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb gold potato (or any other kind will work)

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery
8 oz diced smoked ham

3 cloves garlic

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne

chives

Friday, October 21, 2011

Hasselback Potatoes with Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

Swedish version of baked potatoes. These baked potato fans, also known as “accordion potatoes”, were named after the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden that first introduced them in the 1700s. They are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and make an excellent accompaniment to baked cod, and roasted wagyu beef, or simply as an appetizer served with herb sour cream or blue cheese dressing. Potatoes may be fanned in advanced and placed in cold water to prevent discoloring until ready to use. Dry potatoes well before baking.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing	Hasselback Potatoes
1 cup Mayonnaise 1/2 cup Plain yogurt 1/4 cup Buttermilk 1 clove Garlic, crushed 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp White wine vinegar 1/2 tsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper Dash of hot pepper sauce, or to taste 80 g Crumbled Gorgonzola	6-8 Oval-shaped potatoes, medium sized 4 tbsp Olive oil 3 Garlic cloves 4 Rosemary sprigs Salt

In medium bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients except cheese. Gently fold in the crumbled Gorgonzola. Dressing may be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Rinse and dry the potatoes. Grease a baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Put each potato, in turn, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, and cut across at about 3mm intervals.
Brush the rest of olive oil all over each potato, then arrange in the baking pan together with garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle with salt. Bake the potatoes in the middle of the oven until tops are crispy and potatoes are cooked through, 45 minutes. Serve warm with creamy blue cheese cheese dressing.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Orange Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This bright golden-coloured, creamy pumpkin soup is perfect for a light lunch with some crusty artisan bread rolls. Roasted pumpkin, potato and spices work together creating a rich depth of flavour and creamy texture without addition of heavy cream.

1 kg Hokkaido pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm pieces
3 tbsp Walnut oil
1 Potato, peeled and diced
1 Onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 Cayenne chilli pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tbsp Curry powder
1 tsp Coriander powder

1 l Vegetable stock
250 ml Orange juice
100 ml Milk
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 tbsp Lime juice
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Chives
Chilli threads

Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Place pumpkin and potato in a roasting pan. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of walnut oil and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft. Add in garlic, pepper, curry, and coriander powder. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.
Add in pumpkin, potato, stock, orange juice and milk. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Blend the mixture in a food processor or with a handheld blender until smooth. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and lime juice. Ladle among serving bowls. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds, chopped chives, and chilli threads.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Potato and Chanterelle Salad and No-Recipe Salad

This is a wonderful and easy salad with potatoes, chanterelles, shallots and cilantro, that goes perfectly with any BBQ dishes, or even a light lunch all by itself. Bacon and goat cheese could be added to the salad to create a even more satisfying meal.

One no-recipe salad. Just throw anything you like and left in the fridge into a serving dish, and you have a salad you love. Serve it with a yoghurt dressing.

Potato and Chanterelle Salad

Adapted from Essen und Trinken

750 g Potatoes
Salt and freshly mulled black pepper
2 Shallots
200 g Chanterelles
1 tbsp Sunflower oil
2 tbsp Raspberry vinegar
150 ml Chicken bouillon
1 tbsp Cilantro, chopped

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 18 minutes or until fork tender. Cool and peel. Cut potatoes into bite sized chunks or thin slices. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl.
Finely dice the shallots. Rinse the chanterelles, drain and pat them dry to remove all excess liquid. Chop the large ones. Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add shallots and stir for a minute. Stir in chanterelles and cook for 3 minute more. Remove and add the chanterelles to the potatoes.
Pour the vinegar and chicken bouillon into the same pan. Bring it to a boil. Pour into the salad. Toss well, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Mix in chopped cilantro. Taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled chicken or steak.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

I'm Hot to Tot

Photo (c) Average Betty

How good is my potato tot recipe? It was just chosen by Sara, from Average Betty, as her favorite in a "Tot-O-Rama" taste test, alongside versions from Chefs Michael Symon and Mark Zeitouni. But that's not the impressive part…this all happened despite the fact I don't actually have a 'tater tot recipe. Take that, chefs that cook things first!

Apparently AB was so taken by my crispy onion ring recipe (posted below in case you missed what may be my best recipe of all time), that she virtually included me in her Tot-O-Rama using a coating inspired by our ultra-crispy rings. She was right about one thing; I will be giving this tasty-looking tot a try in a future post!

Thanks to Sara for sharing her great "Tot-O-Rama" video, and be sure to follow this link to read the entire post. Enjoy!

Our Crispy Onion Rings Recipe (click here for recipe)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Roasted Potatoes with Sea Salt and Thyme

Those herb-roasted new potatoes are a tasty accompaniment to any meat dish. They are so easy to make and come out so nicely golden brown, crisp and delicious. A real crowd-pleaser! Turn the potatoes over at half-time to ensure even browning if needed, I left them unattended during cooking. Use other herbs, like rosemary, marjoram or even sage in place of thyme. I will definitely be making these again and again!

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten and Taste Food

700 g Small or new potatoes, leaving skin on
2-3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Freshly mulled black pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
4 Thyme sprigs, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 215C/420F. Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a baking tray. Scatter the thyme sprigs around the potatoes.
Place baking tray in the middle rack of the oven. Roast the potatoes for an hour until golden brown and crispy. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

I'm reposting the Pinotage Spaghetti with Arugula for a dear friend - Monet at Anecdotes and Apple Cores, who has had a really rough and difficult year. Two sweet ladies - Kate at Kate's Kitchen and Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake were really kind to assemble some comfort food recipes for Monet in an effort to support and show some love. I feel blessed to be part of something so special.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Smoked Salmon Salad with Potatoes and Crispy Capers

Warm potatoes and smoked salmon are wonderfully harmonious with a creamy, guilt free tzatziki dressing and crispy capers. This simple recipe makes a delicious and luxurious brunch dish served with a glass of unoaked Chardonnay.

350 g Potatoes
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Capers, drained
30g Arugula
100g Smoked salmon
2-3 tbsp Tzatziki

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to the boil. Uncover and cook for 8 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Cut into 6 wedges.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Add in drained capers and potato wedges. Cook until capers are crisp and potatoes golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
Arrange sliced potatoes on serving plates. Top with rocket, smoked salmon and capers. Drizzle over the tzatziki.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Warm Roast Potato Salad with Black Forest Bacon

Potato salads make the perfect accompaniment to many meat dishes or a delicious and hearty meal on their own. I personally prefer the roasted potatoes instead of usual boiled one for my potato salads as it intensifies the flavour. If you can't find the smoky black forest bacon, use regular bacon.

800 g Small potatoes, cut into 2-3 chunks
2 tbsp Rosemary infused olive oil
Salt
5 slice Black forest bacon, chopped
1 tbsp Fresh rosemary leaves
2 tbsp Sour cream
2 tbsp Homemade mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 tbsp Capers, drained and chopped
1/2 tbsp Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Heat oven to 210C/420F. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, then rub with rosemary infused olive oil, rosemary leaves and a sprinkling of salt. Roast for 30 mins until the potatoes have turned a deep golden brown. Leave to cool slightly.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dry-fry the chopped bacon until crisp. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers, and the basil in a large bowl. Add in roasted potatoes and crispy bacon. Toss to coat and serve.

I want to thank Elisabeth at foodandthriftfinds for passing the "Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award" to me and Raven at Ravienomnoms sharing her "Stylish Blogger Award" with me. Thank You, ladies!