Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts
When I was at the Goucher's Farm Market with my sister one day last week, I noticed they had the most beautiful red potatoes. I could not resist buying myself a small bag!
They were beautifully red in color and just the right size for boiling. I adore boiled potatoes. But then again, I adore potatoes in any way shape or form! I am a potato-holic!
I don't share a lot of side dishes here on The English Kitchen and I am not sure why that is. I often think that the side dishes are the real stars of any dinner!
What is a great production in the theatre without the audience, and what is a tasty main dish without great support on the side lines. We need each other! Side dishes that complement the main are a very important part of any meal!
This was a first time for me making smashed potatoes. Oh, I have made roasted crispy smashed potatoes before. They are lovely.
All crispy edged and buttery. A real delight to eat, and adaptable to many flavors.
These smashed potatoes are of a different genre of smashed potatoes. These are like a smashed mashed potato, meant to be rustic and creamy all at the same time.
I have seen these before many times, but thought it was about time I tried them for myself, and am I ever glad that I did! These are fabulous!
To be honest I never thought that potato skins would work in mashed potatoes, or lumps. That is not the mashed potatoes I grew up with, although I have long had an affection for potato skins.
For me the skin is almost the best part of the potato, especially if it is buttery and crisp, but I wasn't sure about the skins in a pot of mash. I grew up thinking that if you had skins left in your mashed potatoes you had done a very bad job of peeling and mashing them! haha
Trust me when I tell you that in this fabulous side dish they totally work. Not only do they add color and texture, but they add fiber and nutrition!
This is quite honestly an excellent side dish that I would even serve to company or on a special occasion such as an Anniversary or even Valentines day! I adapted the recipe from an ATK cookbook entitle The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RUSTIC SMASHED RED POTATOES
Its a very simple list of a very few simple ingredients. There is nothing outlandish here.
- 12 ounces (340g) small red potatoes, unpeeled
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 3 TBS cream cheese, softened
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1 TBS minced chives or spring onion
I used the smallest potatoes in my bag of red potatoes. Not one was more than about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I think these are the size which would work best in this recipe.
Why break the bay leaf in half? I was taught that this helps to release all the flavors of the bay leaf and imparts important oils into the dish you are cooking.
Because you will be using some of the potato water to flavor the potatoes at the end, making sure you eke out as much flavor from the bay leaf as possible is important!
HOW TO MAKE RUSTIC SMASHED RED POTATOES
It only looks complicated. Its really very simple, but if you follow each step in the order given and with exactness your potatoes will be exquisite!
First start off with really clean potatoes. Even though your potatoes might look clean, do give them a good scrub in some clean water, and pick out any eyes, etc.
Place the potatoes, along with 1 tsp salt and the bay leaf into a medium sized saucepan. Cover with water to top up by 1 inch. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are fork tender. (This will take 10 to 15 minutes.)
Drain well reserving 1/2 cup (120ml) of the cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Return the saucepan to the residual heat of the burner and shake the potatoes to dry them out. (About 2 minutes.)
- Whisk the softened cream cheese together with the melted butter and 2 TBS of the potato water until smooth and amalgamated. Stir in 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper along with the chives/spring onions.
Break the potatoes up with the back of a wooden spoon, smashing just enough to break the skins.
Fold in the cream cheese mixture until most of the liquid had been absorbed and chunks of potatoes remain.
If desired, you can add the remaining potato water, 1 TBS at a time to loosen them up a bit. I did not have to do this as mine were perfect just as they were. (Note, they will thicken upon standing.)
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Moist low starch red potatoes are the best to use in this recipe, although you can use white potatoes in their place. They will lack that nice pop of red color, but will still taste fabulous!
Try not to worry/mash the potatoes too much. You want to leave plenty of texture. Add the potato water helps to prevent the potatoes from becoming glue-like on cooling.
This is a real danger with small newer potatoes. I remember early in my culinary journey trying to make mashed potatoes with new potatoes and what I ended up with was a pot of glue. Not appealing in the least to make a long story short!
These are quite simply wonderful. I cannot imagine anything that they wouldn't go with, and in fact they are delicious all on their own!
I enjoyed them with a mix of grilled chicken and broccoli florets. Very yummy indeed. I can imagine they would be fabulous with a nice grilled steak for a special occasion!
I really hope that you will give them a go!
Rustic Smashed Red Potatoes
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min
These are quite simply delicious. Easy to make and a little bit special. They would make a fabulous side dish for Valentines day for those who are making a special meal for the one that they love.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) small red potatoes, unpeeled
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 3 TBS cream cheese, softened
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1 TBS minced chives or spring onion
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, along with 1 tsp salt and the bay leaf into a medium sized saucepan. Cover with water to top up by 1 inch. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are fork tender. (This will take 10 to 15 minutes.)
- Drain well reserving 1/2 cup (120ml) of the cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Return the saucepan to the residual heat of the burner and shake the potatoes to dry them out. (About 2 minutes.)
- Whisk the softened cream cheese together with the melted butter and 2 TBS of the potato water until smooth and amalgamated. Stir in 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper along with the chives/spring onions.
- Break the potatoes up with the back of a wooden spoon, smashing just enough to break the skins. Fold in the cream cheese mixture until most of the liquid had been absorbed and chunks of potatoes remain.
- If desired, you can add the remaining potato water, 1 TBS at a time to loosen them up a bit. I did not have to do this as mine were perfect just as they were. (Note, they will thicken upon standing.)
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Thanks very much for visiting today. Do come again!
One thing we really love in my family are scalloped potatoes. They are not something which I make very often, especially now when I am on my own here.
I saw this simple recipe in a Taste of Home Cookbook the other day, entitled Grandma's Favorites. It intrigued me for several reasons.
Normally I have made scalloped potatoes in one of two ways. The first way it to simply layer the potatoes, along with onion, in a baking dish, layering flour, salt, pepper and dots of butter in between the layers.
Next an amount of milk is poured over top. Just until the milk is barely peeking through the layers. You don't want the dish more than 1/3 full of milk. This then gets covered and baked until the potatoes are tender.
The flour in between the layers works with the butter to slightly thicken it. You can also put bits of cheese between the layers depending on how rich you want the finished bake to be.
The other way is to make a cream/béchamel sauce and layer slightly cooked and sliced potatoes along with onions and the sauce in a dish. This is a bit more labor intensive due to making the sauce first.
Like the other version, this is baked until the potatoes are tender as well and bubbling away, golden brown.
This version today used basically only a few ingredients. There was no sauce making required either. It looked really simple, simple, simple I decided to amp it up a bit by using two potatoes, sweet and russet.
I also added a bit more seasoning to give it extra flavor.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SIMPLE DOUBLE SCALLOPED POTATOES
You won't believe how simple these ingredients are. A bit rich maybe with the cream, but what the heck!
- 1 large russet baking potato (or two medium ones)
- 1 large sweet potato (or two medium ones)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp each dried thyme, ground black pepper, and garlic powder (not salt)
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Make sure you use garlic powder and not garlic salt. You could also use finely minced fresh garlic if you wanted to. I would use only 1 fat clove, peeled and minced.
If you are not wanting to use heavy cream, you can substitute it with undiluted evaporated milk. This comes in a low fat version as well. You really can't taste that it is evaporated milk, and it cuts down on the fat and calories quite a bit.
My russet potato was about six inches in length, and so was my sweet potato, so quite large really. They were the perfect size to fill my casserole dish comfortably.
The original recipe used 3 pounds of russet potatoes and 3 cups (720ml) of cream. It also made 10 servings. I thought using sweet potatoes would cut down on the carbs a bit, and be a tiny bit healthier.
They also added flavor and color. I also cut the recipe down by 2/3 pretty much.
HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE DOUBLE SCALLOPED POTATOES
Nothing could be any simpler than this. I peeled my potatoes and then cut them into thin slices. I placed them in stacks, alternating the white and the sweet potatoes. I guess I made about six stacks. I then cut the stacks in half crosswise to make 12 stacks of half moon potatoes.
I placed the stacks of potatoes, rounded sides up, flat sides down, next to each other in a well-buttered 7 by 11 inch baking dish. You want to leave a bit of room around the rows of potatoes, but they fit fairly snugly.
Once I had the slices in the dish, I sprinkled the seasoning, thyme and garlic powder, evenly over top of the potatoes. You could also add a sprinkle of onion powder if you have it.
I then poured the cream over top. You don't want the dish swimming in cream, but take a tip of a knife and jiggle the potatoes a tiny bit to make sure the cream gets evenly dispersed.
They will not be covered, but you don't want them to be. Like milk, cream expands when it is heated so you don't want it to overflow in the oven. I also placed the baking dish on a baking sheet just in case.
Cover your baking dish tightly with some aluminum foil and then pop the baking tray into a oven which has been preheated to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
This needs to bake now for 40 to 45 minutes. At that point you can uncover it. Increase the oven temperature to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5 and bake it for about 15 minutes longer until the mixture is bubbling away and the top has browned a tiny bit.
You can sprinkle the optional grated Parmesan cheese on top for the last five minutes if you wish. Leave the baked casserole to set and settle down for 10 minutes before serving.
This is simply wonderful. Very easy to make and oh so delicious. I guarantee it is destined to be a much requested side dish by your family and friends.
I cannot think of anything this would not go with. You could turn it into a main dish by adding some cubed ham and it would be really lush. In that case I think it would feed 3 people rather than 4.
I do hope you will want to give it a go. I think if you do you will agree that it is a really winning taste combination!
A bit indulgent perhaps, but I have never really done anything halfway. I am a full-on kind of woman! But you probably know that by now!
I adore potatoes in any way shape or form. They are quite simply my favorite vegetable! A day without a potato in it is just not a good day for me!
I love them boiled, fried, baked, steamed . . . in the skins, out of the skins . . . plain, buttered, any which way you can prepared them. I have never met a potato that I did not like!
If I could only bring one kind of food with me to a deserted island, it would be the potato. No questions asked!
One of my favorite potato side dishes has to be Classic Potatoes Lyonnaise. This is a classic potato recipe names after the city of Lyon in France.
It is an amazing side dish that goes with just about every kind of protein . . . meat, fish or poultry. I cannot think of a thing that it wouldn't sit nicely beside.
Not only that but it uses relatively few ingredients. You can cook it all on top of the stove, frying the potatoes, or you can bake it in the oven after caramelizing the onions.
It is delicious any way you choose to cook it. I choose to cook it in the onion. Let me say upfront however, if cream is added you don't have Potatoes Lyonnaise.
You have Potatoes Dauphinoise which is an entirely different thing. I see so many people out there confusing the two. They are not the same thing. Not the same thing at all!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC POTATOES LYONNAISE
One of the beauties of this dish is that it uses only three simple ingredients not counting the seasoning. Yes, you read that correctly. Only three simple ingredients.
- Butter (I always use salted butter for cooking, unless otherwise specified)
- Onions (A simple brown skinned cooking onion)
- Potatoes
WHAT KIND OF POTATOES SHOULD YOU USE
The recipe requires the use of a "floury" potato. You may not be familiar with that term. A floury potato is simply a potato that breaks down when cooking and becomes somewhat fluffy.
They are great for mashing, roasting, baking, chipping, etc. unlike their "waxy" counterpart, which are ideal for salads or dishes in which you want your potato to maintain it's shape.
Ideally you will want to use a russet type of potato in North America or in the UK a Maris Piper or a King Edward. You don't want to be using new potatoes either. They tend to be on the waxy side.
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC POTATOES LYONNAISE
As mentioned this can be cooked completely on top of the stove, frying the potatoes as well as the onions, or it can be cooked in the oven.
In both instances you need to fry/caramelize the onions first.
You need to peel one onion for this small batch version. (If you are making a larger version, double the butter and use a large onion.)
I cut my onion into slices about 1/3 of an inch thick. You don't want to cut them so thin that they disappear. You also don't want to chop them.
Peel, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into half moons. You will be frying these in a quantity of butter. Some people choose not to let them brown. I am very naughty, I want them to caramelize a bit because I adore caramelized onions.
You can peel or not peel your potato. I leave the peels on. I like the peel of a potato. But if they bother you, by all means peel. If your potatoes are overly large, cut them also in half lengthwise and then crosswise into half moons.
If you are cooking a larger amount, double the butter and the amount of potatoes as well.
These then get layered in a baking dish. For this smaller amount I used a 9 inch Pyrex deep dish pie plate which gets buttered first. If you are making more use a larger dish.
You want to layer in a layer of potatoes, onion, potatoes, onion and finish with potatoes. Season each layer lightly with salt and pepper as you go.
Once you have them all layered in the dish, pour any residual butter from the skillet over top. Easy peasy. Bang into a hot oven and let them bake until golden brown and the tip of a sharp knife inserts easily.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately!
These are so delicious and quite simply one of my favorite ways to cook potatoes, but then again . . . . potato glutton here that I am, there is no bad way to cook them.
Not that I have met yet anyways! Classic Potatoes Lyonnaise. A very good thing. Enjoy!
Classic Potatoes Lyonnaise
Yield: 2 - 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 45 MTotal time: 2 H & 5 M
I downsized one of my favorite potato recipes to feed the smaller family. These are easy to make, use only a few simple ingredients and are incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 TBS butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 pound (1/2 KG) floury type of potatoes, sliced (use a russet or a King Edward/Maris Piper)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Lightly butter a 9 inch deep glass pie dish. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions. Cook gently over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions just start to caramelize a tiny bit.
- Layer the potatoes and onions in the buttered pie dish, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. You should finish with a layer of potato.
- Pour any butter left in the skillet over top of the potatoes. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender and golden brown. (The tip of a knife should pierce them easily.)
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Delicious!
It's a cold, wet, rainy day out there today. Not fit for man nor beast. It could always be worse however as it could be snowing.
My brother posted a photo of his backyard on FB this morning and in Ottawa, it was snowing. I am not sure I am ready for that. I haven't even bought myself a snow scraper yet. (Not to self, buy snow scraper.)
This is a comfort food kind of a day. When I think of comfort food, several things come to mind. First, potatoes. Second cabbage. Third onions.
This simple dish of fried cabbage and potatoes has all three of those things. It's quite simply delicious as well. I could eat a whole pan of just this and nothing else and be very, very happy.
I adapted the recipe from one which I found in this cookbook. Written by blogger Parish Ritchie (Life with the Crusts Off) I have it on my kindle.
I love church cookbooks. I had several of them, but of course they got left behind. Church potluck suppers are always some of the best functions to attend.
People always tend to bring their very best potluck dishes to church potlucks. They are a point of pride.
The best ones I enjoyed of all time were held in a small country church that I used to attend in French Lake, New Brunswick. The tables in that church basement used to groan under the weight of an abundance of delicious food.
That little Baptist church was filled with lots of "good cookers" as my friend Debbie would say!
You never came away from one of their get-togethers hungry. Dishes just like this one of the many on offer. Along with the companionship and fellowship of some very nice and caring people.
I adore cabbage and I adore potatoes. They are two of my most favorite vegetables. Combine them both and I am in comfort food heaven!
This is a simple side dish that goes well with just about anything. If you are a vegetarian, it makes a delicious main dish, especially if you serve it with a nice square of cornbread on the side!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE FRIED CABBAGE AND POTATOES
Very simple ingredients, that's what!
- butter (I use regular butter in most of my cooking)
- onions (just ordinary brown skinned cooking)
- potatoes (any potato will do, peel or not as you prefer)
- cabbage (I used the everyday cabbage or white cabbage as it is known in the UK)
- salt, pepper
- water or chicken stock (note if using stock, you may not need as much salt)
They offer what is called Stew Packs in the shops here. I think they also did the in the UK. I find them to be a great economy.
Included in the pack will be a cabbage, a few turnips or rutabagas, some carrots, an onion or two and some parsnips.
=
All ingredients that I can easily use if not in a stew, then on their own and it always works out a lot cheaper for me to buy them in a pack like this rather than in individual lots.
There is also far less waste for me. As the only resident in my household, it only makes sense to buy things in smaller quantities. These stew packs work perfectly for me.
HOW TO MAKE FRIED CABBAGE AND POTATOES
It's not hard to make really. You need to begin by peeling your potatoes and onion. You don't need to peel the potatoes if you don't want to, but I did.
I cut my onion in half horizontally and then cut it into thin slices crosswise (half-moons). I did the same with my potatoes.
Melt your butter until it begins to foam and add your onions. You need to cook these, stirring occasionally, over a moderate heat until they begin to soften and then throw in your potatoes.
No need to cook the potatoes first. I was a bit surprised at this because I usually cook my potatoes first when I am going to fry them, but today I threw caution to the wind and just went with the flow!
While the potatoes and onions are cooking, prep your cabbage. Cut it in half and then remove the core. Then cut it into thin wedges and chop them across into smaller pieces. Perfectly bite sized.
Once your potatoes have softened and they have started to brown, along with the onions, scoop them out into a bowl using a slotted spoon and set them aside, keeping them warm.
Add the cabbage to the dish, turning to coat it in any pan drippings and add your water or stock. Cover and then just let the cabbage steam until it is beautifully tender.
True confession here, I always add a pinch of sugar when I am cooking cabbage It takes away any bitterness.
Once your cabbage is tender, remove the cover and allow any liquid to evaporate. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper and toss the potatoes and onions back into the pan, carefully combining everything evenly.
Oh my, my, my . . . a quick heat through and your dish is ready to go!
If you are a person who dislikes the smell of cabbage cooking, light a candle. I, personally, do not mind the smell. It is a smell I love.
Anyways, this is true comfort food. Hearty, filling, delicious. You could add bacon to it if you wanted to of scraps of ham, and yes, cornbread goes wonderfully.
Enjoy!!
Fried Cabbage and Potatoes
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This is a fabulously tasty dish. Simple to make, using simple ingredients. I downsized the original to feed two but if you want to feed four see measurements in brackets.
Ingredients
- 2 TBS butter (4)
- 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced (1 medium onion)
- 2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (4 potatoes)
- 1/2 small head of cabbage, cored and chopped (1 full head)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- water or chicken stock
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat until it starts to foam. Add the onions, cook and stir for 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the potatoes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and onions are cooked through and beginning to brown. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.
- Add the cabbage to the skillet. Season with some salt and pepper and add 1/4 cup (60ml) water or chicken stock. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender (about 20 minutes). Keep an eye on it and stir it every so often.
- Uncover and turn up the heat to evaporate any water/stock which may remain in the pan. Return the onions and potatoes to the pan and toss everything together to combine.
- Heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- Serve hot.
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