The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Chili, good.  Canned Chili, bad.  Canned chili expired 2010, ugly.  And there's a lot of cans left. 

Chili-Topped Potatoes
Adapted from Southern Living 
Serves 4 

4 large baking potatoes
2 cans chili
1 can corn (or frozen) 
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chopped green onions or chives

Scrub potatoes; prick several times with a fork.  Bake at 400 in the oven for an hour or microwave according to manufacturer's instructions. 

Heat chili and corn.  Split potatoes, and top evenly with chili and corn. Serve with desired toppings.  Use more or less chili or corn as desired.

Its that time of year.

That time when you disguise yourself and pretend your something your not.  Like these carrots that are all dressed up to look fresh.  Well at least edible.

Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 12

2 pounds of carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used a food processor slicer)
5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 sage leaves
5 thyme sprigs
Two 6-inch rosemary sprigs, cut into 2-inch lengths
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper  
  
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, sage, thyme and rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 55 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and golden. Scrape into a bowl and serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Soggy Potatoes

Garlic helps hide any flaws in the taste area.

V's Do-Ahead Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

16 servings 

Serving size: 192 g

Calories per serving: 224

5 lbs sierra gold potatoes or 5 lbs red potatoes, diced with peel 

1 cup water 

1 cup butter, cut into chunks 

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder (optional) 

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 1/3 cups milk, warmed 

Directions: 

Place the potatoes, water, and butter into a slow cooker.  Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Cover, and cook High for 3-4 hours.  Do not remove the excess water from slow cooker. This adds to the creamy texture. 

Mash potatoes with a masher or electric beater, adding the desired amount of warm milk to achieve a creamy consistency.  Keep warm on low until serving. 

Potatoes keep consistency for a couple of hours after mashing. Just keep the lid on the slow cooker and serve directly from there.

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/vs-do-ahead-slow-cooker-mashed-potatoes-196153?oc=linkback

Salade Nicoise

Salade Nicoise

From Great Dinners from Life

Serves 6

2 pounds potatoes, boiled and sliced (I cut into chunks)

2 cups cooked cut green beans

1 cup cooked artichoke hearts

3 cups garlic dressing (recipe below)

Salad greens

1 large onion (I used red)

3 7-oz cans of tuna, drained and broken into chunks (I didn't add)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 cup pitted black olives

6 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

1 large green pepper, cut in rings (I didn't add)

1/2 cup canned or bottled red pepper strips (I didn't add)

2 2-oz cans rolled anchovies with capers (I definitely didn't add)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 T dried  (I forgot)

Combine the potatoes, beans, artichoke hearts and onion with the garlic dressing.  Marinate the mixture in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  (If you don't have room it can sit on the counter for 2 hours.) Stir gently two or three times.  To serve, line a salad bowl with greens.  Drain the marinated vegetable, keeping the dressing for use later, and spoon them onto the greens.  Put the tuna in the middle of the bowl and arrange the tomatoes, olives, eggs, red and green peppers, and anchovies around it.  Sprinkle lightly with parsley.  Pass the dressing at the table or sprinkle a little onto the salad just before you serve it. 

Garlic Dressing

2 cups olive oil

1/2 cup tarragon vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 T. dry mustard

1 t. sugar

1 T. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine mustard, sugar, salt and a generous amount of pepper,  Mix in garlic.  Add vinegar and lemon juice and stir thoroughly.  Add oil and mix well.  (tip:  whisk while slowly pouring in the oil) Stir or shake vigorously just before using.  Makes about 3 cups. 

Aged Velveeta

You know, like aged to perfection.  Not like something that has been sitting around for years.  Wait, that is aged.  Oh yeah, so Velveeta, only better. 

Cheesy Dip or Potato Topper
Great served with Fritos

1 stick butter or margarine 
1 small package Mexican Velveeta (16 oz)
1 box broccoli, cooked according to directions. (10 oz)
1 small can mushrooms (4 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add cheese and melt.  Stir in soup.  Stir in broccoli and mushrooms.  Serve warm. Crock pot works well. 

If I can't find Mexican Velveeta or I am using what I have dug up on hand, I will use regular Velveeta and add one jar of salsa or one can of stewed tomatoes per 2 pounds of cheese used or to taste.  

Old Cold Fish

Leftover fish never gets eaten.  Potatoes and bacon can fix that.  They can fix just about anything. 

Salmon Hash with Poached Eggs

From Food and Wine

Serves 4

1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes
4 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3/4 pound cooked skinless salmon fillet, flaked
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
Hot sauce, for serving

Put the potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1-inch chunks.
In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then crumble.
Melt the butter in the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the onion and potatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and gently mashing the potatoes until browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Add the bacon, salmon and chives; season with salt and pepper. Cook just until the salmon is heated through.
Meanwhile, bring a large, deep skillet of water to a simmer. Crack the eggs into individual bowls and add them to the simmering water. Poach the eggs over moderate heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny, about 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the eggs out of the water; blot dry with paper towels. Spoon the hash onto plates, top with the eggs and serve right away. Pass hot sauce at the table.

Easy Poached Eggs

From Bon Appetit

Fill a 1-cup microwaveable bowl or teacup with 1/2 cup water. Gently crack an egg into the water, making sure it's completely submerged. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to a plate.

Easy Pot Roast

Some people brown their meat in oil before roasting it to give it a nice brown color. That's too hard. This recipe let's you skip that.
Easy Pot Roast
Serves 8

• 1 5-pound beef chuck roast
• One envelope French onion mix (I use Simply Organic)
• 1 cup water
• 4 onions, peeled and quarted
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into desired size
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled
• Frozen green beans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large roasting pan with a lid, place potatoes and carrots. Add green beans. Dot with onions. Add one cup of water. Place meat on top of vegetables. Sprinkle French onion mix over meat. Cover. Roast for 4 hours. At 350, roast for 3 hours.

You know who you are.

Some of you still have leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving. Uh huh. You know you are out there. Make this and it will look like you meant to keep them forever.


Potato Pie
From Great Dinners from Life
Serves 6-8

1 10 in. unbaked pastry shell 
1 lb. cottage cheese
2 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/2 c. scallions, sliced
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Put the cottage cheese through a food mill or use a food processor to make it smooth. Beat the mashed potatoes into the cottage cheese. Beat in sour cream, eggs, salt, and cayenne. Stir in scallions. Spoon into pastry shell. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 425 for 50 min until golden brown.

Here's a Little Ditty I Wrote

I call it The Pantry Song. I am just that creative.
Sung to the tune of Blowin' in the Wind.

How many times must a man walk out
Of the pantry and say that it's gross?
Yes, 'n' how many times must that same man say,
"Why can't we just eat like most?"
Yes, 'n' how many times must the pantry reek
Before I stop buying potatoes?
The answer, my friend, is there will never be an end.
The answer is there will never be an end.

I am using up potatoes. Again.
Thank you. Thank you very much.



Baked Potato Soup
From Southern Living
First let's discuss how to bake potatoes. Do not oil them or wrap them in foil. To achieve moist fluffy potatoes with slightly crunchy skins, don't do this. It only turns them into steamed mush.

To bake potatoes, preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Scrub large baking potatoes (8 to 12 oz. each) and prick with a fork twice.
Place uncovered, directly on the oven rake for 1 hour. Using oven mitts, carefully remove them from the oven. Serve immediately or let rest until cool. Store covered in the refrigerator. Can reheat in the mircrowave or use in the following recipe.

4 large baking potatoes, baked and cooled (makes about 4 cups)
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6  c. milk (whole in recipes is best)
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper (optional or to taste)
4 green onions, chopped and divided
12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, and divided (can use pre-cooked)
1 1/4 c. (5 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8-oz) carton sour cream

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp and set aside. Discard skins.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 T. green onion, 1/2 c. bacon, and 1 c. cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated, and stir in sour cream. Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired consistency. Or to thicken add more potato or potato flakes.   Serve with remaining green onion, bacon, and cheese. Yield: The recipe says 10 cups but I get about 7 cups. 

To make things easier sometimes I use dried minced onion in the soup and don't serve with green onion. I also just throw in all the cheese and bacon. Also instant potatoes can be used.

Note: The directions from Southern Living call for pricking the potatoes several times and baking at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

The Pantry Stinks

Oh, its rotting potatoes. This is a good time to make these again. We have enjoyed them all summer.
Don't smash too much. Just enough to break the skins.

Grilled Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 16 small red-skinned and/or white-skinned potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter)
• Olive oil
• Fresh rosemary leaves

Preparation

• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to kitchen towel. Cool potatoes to lukewarm, about 20 minutes. Using another towel, gently press each potato until split open and flattened to scant 1-inch thickness (don't press too flat or potatoes will break apart).
• Brush large baking sheet with oil. Transfer potatoes to prepared sheet. Brush potato tops with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and some rosemary leaves. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place potatoes, oiled side down, on grill. Brush with oil. Cook until crisp and beginning to color, about 5 minutes per side.
• Transfer to platter; sprinkle with more rosemary leaves and serve hot.