Lentil and Potato Salad

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month is The Wimpy Vegetarian.  Susan is a mostly vegetarian (hence the 'wimpy') married to a meat-loving man.  Sounds like quite a challenge, doesn't it?  Susan has met that challenge head on, finding healthy ways to pump up the flavors of her vegetarian dishes and making things tasty and interesting enough that her husband began eating more of her vegetarian 'horse food' - alongside his meat - and even going back for seconds.

Susan and her husband are again able to enjoy meals together, and for the rest of us, The Wimpy Vegetarian is a wonderful resource for anyone who is looking to eat more vegetarian and meat free meals, with great tips and ideas on how to adjust those meals so that even the meat eaters are happy.  There were so many recipes that caught my eye, as I'm sure you'll see when you check out Susan's blog for yourself!  Here are just a few:

• Mexican Casserole with Quinoa
• Mexican Street Corn Tart
• Brown Sugar and Plum Pull-Apart Bread
• Chard and Quinoa Gratin (and this Chard and Quinoa Saute - there seems to be a theme here!)
• and because this one was a previous SRC post, I can't use it here, but I am definitely going to have to make this Mac 'n Cheese Impossible Pie.

When I saw the recipe for this salad, I just knew it was the one.  I had never thought to use lentils in a salad, though I love them in soup, so I was definitely intrigued.  I also had a potluck to prepare for and thought this would be good for that because it's a great make-ahead dish that gets better as the flavors have time to blend.

Lentil and Potato Salad
from the Wimpy Vegetarian

Ingredients:
Salad

• 1 cup lentils
• 6 medium potatoes
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 seeded jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 T dried parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes,diced

 Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to package directions, just until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain and cool.
2. Cook potatoes until tender.  Cool and dice. 
3. Mix lentils, potatoes, onions, jalapeno, celery, and parsley in large bowl.
4. Whisk together the vinegar, oil and seasonings for the vinaigrette; toss together with salad.
5. Add diced tomatoes and toss gently.  Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later.  Toss gently before serving as the vinaigrette tends to settle to the bottom.

Makes approximately 10 cups

Susan indicated that her recipe would serve 2 (I'm guessing as a vegetarian main dish), so I doubled everything, needing enough to take to the potluck and share.  It made a very nice sized salad, and I even had leftovers to bring home, so I was able to enjoy it with my lunch several days the rest of the week.  Yeah, it made a lot.

This salad turned out quite tasty; I really enjoyed the combination of potatoes and lentils. It is very good on its own or as an accompaniment.  Susan's recipe called for fresh parsley and rosemary, but I settled for dried since that's what I had.  I also used diced tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, because I am getting tomatoes out of my garden now, and I wanted to use some of those.  Oh, and also used a jalapeno because I'm getting a bunch of those from the garden too.  As always, I think that's the best way to cook - use what you have on hand!

The only thing I think needed adjusted was the salt, so just taste and adjust seasonings according to your own taste.  Susan boiled her potatoes in well salted water (which I only just noticed when I sat down to post the recipe), and I baked mine in my crockpot, so I'm sure that made a bit of a difference.

An InLinkz Link-up

Crock Pot Chicken w/ Potatoes and Green Beans

I've seen pictures of this recipe (or a similar one) going around on Facebook or Pinterest (I'm not sure exactly which), and it looked easy and tasty.  I had never actually looked at the recipe until I went searching on Pinterest today.  Why not, right? 

There are quite a few variations of this recipe out there, some of them are baked in the oven and some are for the crock pot.  The yard really needed mowed this afternoon because it has been raining so much and the grass has been growing and growing - and today was the only day all week that didn't call for more rain.  The grass probably would have been knee high by the next time I could have gotten to it.   So I needed something I could throw into the crock pot in the morning and be able to have dinner tonight.

I really liked that this recipe uses a fresh homemade sauce to cook the chicken and vegetables.  But don't let that scare you away, because it's really simple - olive oil, lemon juice, and some seasonings.  Yum!  Put the chicken and vegetables into the crock pot, pour the sauce over the top, and come back at dinner time for a delicious meal.

Crock Pot Chicken w/ Potatoes and Green Beans
adapted from The Magical Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups diced red potatoes
• 8 oz. green beans (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

1. In 1 cup glass measuring cup (or small bowl), mix olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic with whisk.
2. Put sliced onion on bottom of 5 to 6 quart crock pot.  Put chicken in the middle with potatoes and green beans on either side.  Pour seasoning mixture evenly over the top.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours (or High for 4 hours).  
4. Shortly before serving, slice chicken breasts and allow to sit in the broth for a few minutes.  Enjoy.

I didn't really change a lot from the original recipe.  I threw some sliced onion in the bottom of the crock pot, and I used frozen green beans because I didn't have any fresh ones.  The chicken breasts were also still pretty much frozen when I put them into the crock pot.

I used a bit more lemon juice than the recipe called for.  The juice from one lemon wasn't quite enough, so I squeezed another one and that was too much.  I really should have checked after squeezing the first half of that second lemon.  But I didn't think about that until after I'd squeezed the second half.  It turned out really good, extra lemon juice or not.  Just be sure to use fresh lemon juice and not the stuff that comes from a bottle.

Fun fact: if you measure the olive oil into the measuring cup and then squeeze the lemon juice on top, the lemon juice will go to the bottom, allowing you to measure it, too.  Did that make sense?  I really should have taken a picture, but I didn't think about it.  Maybe next time.

I really love how simple and flavorful this is.  It's definitely my kind of recipe.

Amazing Skillet Potatoes

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month is Adventures in All Things Food.  Andrea lives on a large fruit and vegetable farm in Oregon with her husband and their three adorable kids,  She and the kids grow some beautiful produce in their backyard garden, and she loves good food without a lot of fuss.  Because, obviously she is extremely busy, but still wants to feed her family well. 

Quite a few of Andrea's recipes caught my eye.  Here are just a few:

• Zucchini and Quinoa Salad - not the right time of year, but I will definitely have to try this when summer rolls around, and I start getting zucchini from the garden.
• Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Cherry-Apple Cobbler with Sweet Vanilla Custard
• Zucchini Spice Cookies 

When I saw these skillet potatoes, I knew I had to try them.   There is just something about the combination of mushrooms and spinach that I am a bit addicted to, and these just looked so good.  The only thing I changed about this recipe was to add an onion, because everything needs an onion!  But really, I think these potatoes would be wonderful with or without the onion.

Amazing Skillet Potatoes
adapted from Adventures in All Things Food

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 4 russet potatoes, cubed (pre-cooked and chilled overnight)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 T butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 grated cheddar cheese

 Directions:

1.  Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Drizzle some olive oil into skillet and saute onions and mushrooms until tender and starting to brown.  Add spinach and allow to wilt.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Drizzle a little more olive oil in skillet and add cold cubed potatoes to skillet.  Allow potatoes to brown on the bottom and then add the butter.  When butter starts to melt, turn potatoes and allow them to crisp up on the other side.  Once they are nice and golden, stir the mushroom mixture back in.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Turn the heat off; sprinkle cheddar on top, and cover with a lid until the cheese melts.  Serve immediately.

I've often relied on fried potatoes as an easy dinner when I don't know what else to fix.  Heat some oil in a pan and toss in some potatoes, onions, and sometimes peppers, and you've got a yummy and satisfying meal.  These particular potatoes don't quite work that way.  Oh, they're definitely yummy and satisfying, and they are awesome for dinner.  But they do take a little planning ahead because the potatoes need to be cooked ahead and refrigerated, so when they go into the skillet all they really need to do is warm and brown instead of cook completely.  That extra step is most definitely worth it.  The flavor is wonderful.

And when I added the butter to the skillet?  Over the top, heavenly smells in my kitchen!  These potatoes were just wonderful.  Even after I was stuffed from eating so much, I just could not stop picking individual pieces of potato out of the skillet and eating them.  So good.  And then the leftovers?  Just as good.  I heated them up and then scrambled some eggs with them, and added some additional cheese to the top.  They were perfect!

I will definitely be making these again.

An InLinkz Link-up

Roasted Potatoes with Thyme

I found this recipe several years ago in my Vegetarian Times cookbook.  It's hardly an actual recipe, because all you do is toss some potatoes with olive oil, add some salt & pepper and fresh thyme, and bake.  What could be simpler?

But, of course, simple does not mean boring, and these potatoes are really really good.  We all love them, and they are a Passover tradition around here.  I decided the menu needed simplified years ago.  We have leg of lamb, these potatoes, peas, and unleavened bread.  We might have some pickles and olives and sometimes a salad - depending on who's coming and what they want to bring - but the main meal is just really simple, and it's just perfect that way.

Roasted Potatoes with Thyme
adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:

• Red Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Fresh Thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Toss potatoes and olive oil together (1 T oil for each pound of potatoes) in baking dish
3. Add salt and pepper and then top with sprigs of fresh thyme (about 8 sprigs per pound of potatoes)
4. Cover baking dish and bake potatoes for 45 minutes (or longer), giving the dish a shake a couple times during baking.
5. Cool slightly and serve.

The small red potatoes are best, but if you use bigger ones they'll still taste good.  They may just take longer to bake, and you will probably want to cut them in half to serve.  The oven temperature can be adjusted.  For instance, I bake the lamb at 325°, and I just bake the potatoes right alongside it.  And, the longer these bake, the better they seem to get.  The potatoes almost melt in your mouth, and they're really good mashed slightly with a fork and drizzled with some of the flavored oil from the bottom of the pan.

I could not find this actual recipe on the Vegetarian Times site when I searched, but I did find a couple more recipes that look pretty good - these Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes and these Garlicky Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole

I was searching for a recipe for "Turkey Breakfast Casserole" on Pinterest, because I had some cooked turkey in the fridge, and I was looking for a good way to use it for dinner.  Makes sense, right?  But I just wasn't finding anything interesting by just looking for a turkey casserole.

Anyway, I'm not sure why this particular recipe came up because it had absolutely no turkey in it, but it sounded really good so I went with it.  I just substituted my turkey for the sausage in the original recipe, added some corn, and used roasted red pepper instead of the diced green chilies.  It's pretty much the same...

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole
adapted from Julia's Album

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 1 tsp chili powder, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 3 cups frozen hash browns 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.  Generously butter a 13x9" baking dish.
2. Heat oil in large skillet; add chopped onions and cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add chopped pepper and cook until onion is translucent, stirring often. Add roasted red pepper, turkey, and half the spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt) and cook until fragrant.  Add hash browns, corn, and  black beans; mix well.  Turn off heat.
3. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and the remaining spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt - and a dash of black pepper).
4. Mix 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded mozzarella cheese into the hash brown mixture.  Cheese will start to melt.
5. Spoon half of hash brown mixture into prepared baking dish and pour half of egg mixture on top.  Repeat with remaining hash brown mixture and then egg mixture.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top.
6. Bake, uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, until eggs are set and casserole is nicely browned. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

This turned out really well.  It's good either just the way it is, or with some salsa and sour cream on top.  I love the browned edges.  And the flavors are all really good together.

I thought about adding some crushed tortilla chips to the mix, but since I was planning to serve this with some cornbread muffins, I decided to skip the chips. I also think a green salad would be great with this, but we'd just finished our salad for lunch, and I didn't feel like making another one.  So we had peas instead.  I think it just needs something green to go with it.  Of course, I think that about a lot of things.  Every meals deserves some green.

Chicken, Potatoes, and Broccoli in Creamy Mustard Sauce

I've been making this occasionally for several years. It's easy, creamy, and flavorful, and cooks in one skillet.  That makes it pretty much perfect in my book.

Chicken, Potatoes, and Broccoli in Creamy Mustard Sauce
adapted from American Heart Association One Dish Meals

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 a medium onion, diced
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
• 1 cup chicken broth
•  16-oz. package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook for a couple minutes before adding chicken.  Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, until browned, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced.
3. Stir in the broccoli.  Simmer, covered for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender crisp.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook until mixture is warmed through and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 4 

I don't always have red potatoes, so I just use ordinary Russets which I usually peel.  I also sometimes use a spicy mustard instead of the Dijon.  Either way, it turns out really good.

Of course, since it was a recipe from an American Heart Association cookbook, the original recipe called for low sodium chicken broth and reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup.  I don't buy those and am not convinced they're any 'healthier' than the regular kind, so I don't use them.  Feel free to substitute the kind you usually use.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

When I saw the recipe for Tuscan Chicken Stew on South Your Mouth, I knew I had to try it.  It just looked so good.   Of course, I didn't quite follow the original recipe, but I did use basically the same ingredients, and I kept all the seasonings the same.  I think it turned out great.

This soup is sure to become a favorite around here. I will definitely be making it again. It's super flavorful and easy to make.

Tuscan Chicken Soup
adapted from South Your Mouth

 Ingredients:

• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 carrots, diced
• 5 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (6 quart); add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, and celery; cook until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are soft, stirring frequently.  Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.  Stir in carrots, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes and then add broth, water and bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes with lid slightly cracked, stirring occasionally.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Cook a few minutes longer if needed, until carrots and potatoes are done.

I made this soup one day and then reheated it the next.  I think all soups get better when you reheat them, and some absolutely have to be made a day before you want to eat it.  I think this one would be good either way.   I made fresh cornbread to go with the soup, which was really good.  It would also be good with some nice crusty bread.

I used the1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, and the soup had a nice kick to it.  My husband, who does not like his food very spicy at all, didn't complain and really liked the soup, but if you don't like a lot of spice you'll probably want to cut the measurement down to 1/4 tsp. - at least the first time.

Roasted Veggies and Sausage

A few weeks ago I was checking out at the grocery store. I was buying smoked sausage, red potatoes, and cabbage. There were a few other things too, but there was something about seeing those things on the belt that made me think I really needed to throw something together with them.  I went looking for inspiration, and this recipe from real life Dinner was pretty much exactly what I had in mind.  Except I changed the vegetables a bit.  That, of course, is the beauty of a recipe like this - you can use the vegetables you have on hand or the vegetables that are telling you they really want to be thrown together into something yummy.  I think any number of combinations would work.

Roasted Veggies and Sausage
adapted from real life Dinner

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3-4 large carrots, sliced
• 4-5 medium red potatoes, diced
• Coarsely sliced cabbage (I did not measure)
• 3-4 T olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp. salt and freshly ground pepper)
• 1 12-16 ounce package smoke sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Toss veggies with olive oil and salt & pepper in 13x9" pan.  Top with sliced sausage.
3. Bake for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so.

That's it.  Really simple and really tasty.  Just chop your veggies up, toss them together, bake, and enjoy!

The secret is to cut all the veggies into similar sized pieces so they will cook evenly.  Next time I think I am going to cut my carrots and potatoes just a bit smaller.  Also, the size of your veggies, and how well roasted you like them, will determine how long you'll need to bake this.

This heats up really well, and the leftovers might be even better than the first time.  we had some green beans with it the first night, and I just threw them into the pan and roasted them with the rest.  (see them in the back there?)  Just really so good.

Honey Lemon Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.  I have really enjoyed Shelby's blog since I first found it through SRC, so I was very excited to have the chance to choose and share a recipe.  I am especially in love with that blog header because those cinnamon rolls look amazing!  (I actually made a variation of one of her SRC recipes once - Apple Filled Cinnamon Rolls)

As with all SRC assignments, the hardest part is narrowing it down and deciding which recipe to try.  Here are just a few of the other recipes that caught my eye:

• Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles
• Garlicky Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas and Cilantro
• Coconut Crunch Cookies

I eventually chose this one, which looks and smells so good even before you cook it.  (Yep, definitely worthy of a raw meat pic!)

Honey Lemon Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary
from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons
• 4 T butter
• leaves stripped from 4 rosemary stalks
• 3 T honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Chicken pieces (I used 1 breast and 2 leg quarters)
• 6 medium potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

Directions:

1.  Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan; add the juice squeezed from two of the lemons, garlic, honey and rosemary.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish.  Place the potatoes around the chicken and drizzle the lemony butter over the potatoes and chicken, turning them so they are evenly coated. Cut the third lemon into wedges and add to the pan with the chicken and potatoes.
3. Bake at 350° for one hour or until chicken juices run clear and potatoes are golden.  Stir twice during baking time.

Enjoy!

Seriously, this smelled so good!  From the time I melted together the honey lemon garlic rosemary butter, to the time it came out of the oven.  If only it had tasted as good as it smelled.  It was good, but the flavor of the lemons kind of took over.  We wanted to taste all the flavors we were smelling.

So, next time, I'm cutting the lemons down and maybe using 1 lemon in the sauce - or maybe just 1/2 of a lemon.  I'll definitely keep the lemon wedges in, though.  They bake down and fall apart, and taste amazing when you suck what's left of the lemon off of the rind.  The chicken was really good and moist, and the potatoes were cooked perfectly, so I'd say this recipe is a keeper.  If you really like a lot of lemon flavor, then go ahead and use the 3 lemons.  Otherwise, use a bit less lemon, and I think it will be absolutely perfect.
 

An InLinkz Link-up

Chicken Cottage Pie

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Chit Chat Chomp, an amazing blog written by Leigh who lives in Melbourne, Australia.  Her blog is full of amazing recipes and gorgeous photos of all of them.  Leigh calls herself an amateur photographer, but they look pretty professional to me!  I wanted to try everything on her blog.  Once again I started making a list:

• Chili Chicken with Hummus
• Asparagus Tart 
• Cranberry and Chocolate Biscuits - because, of course, I'm drawn to anything cranberry
• Chunky Apple Cinnamon Muffins w/ Crumb Topping - apples in the topping!
• Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins

And there were many more!

Of course, since Leigh is a child of English parents who lives in Australia, I needed to convert some of the measurements.  How much is 160g flour? I admit, I've let something like that keep me from trying some of the recipes I've found online, but this time I looked up some recipe conversions.  (Well, that was simple!)

Chicken Cottage Pie

adapted from Chit Chat Chomp 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in chunks (about 8 oz.)
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• fresh spinach (I didn't measure)
• 1 T dried parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup sweet corn (frozen or canned)
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche (I used sour cream)
• 2 T butter

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large fry pan and cook onion and chicken over a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, until the onion is soft and the chicken is starting to brown.  Add the mushrooms and spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt.  Season with dried parsley and salt & pepper.
3. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the corn and sour cream.  Season with additional salt & pepper if needed.
4. When potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them with the butter (or extra sour cream or creme fraiche) Season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat oven to 400° F.  Spoon the chicken mixture into a medium baking dish; top with the mashed potatoes, sprinkle with a bit of additional parsley, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

The chicken and corn mixture was soupier than I was expecting when I put it in the baking dish, and the potatoes were quite thick on top.  Then, the oven worked its magic, and they baked together into this perfectly creamy delicious dish that my husband and I both loved.

When I decided to make this particular recipe, I had to look up Cottage Pie, too. Leigh says this is not the sort of cottage pie her mum would make, which would be "an Irish or British meat pie cooked with beef mince and has a crust made from mashed potato" - and certainly not chicken.  Or corn.  Well, this one has both, and I added some mushrooms and spinach too, just because, and it is yummy.  Definitely comfort food.

An InLinkz Link-up

Potato Pancakes w/ Spinach & Cottage Cheese

I made these for lunch the other day. They were so good, I'm thinking of mashing some potatoes just so I'll have leftovers!

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

• Leftover mashed potatoes (1-1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1 egg
• Chopped onion
• Chopped spinach
• Cottage cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Flour

Directions:

1. Mix mashed potatoes, egg, onion, spinach, and cottage cheese well - no measurements, just whatever sounds, looks, feels good to you.  Season with salt & pepper.
2. Add enough flour so that you can handle the mixture and form into patties.  It will be very messy, and you will want to coat your hands with flour so it doesn't stick too much.
3. Heat a little oil in frying pan; add patties and fry on first side until browned, flip and cook the other side until browned and heated through.  Serve on a bed of fresh spinach.

 Enjoy!

I made a couple for me and let my daughter taste them so she wanted some too.  I added a little extra flour before making the rest into patties, and while it handled better, the flavor wasn't as good.  You want to use as little flour as possible for the best taste.

Chard Mashed Potatoes

Image via WikipediaI was talking to a friend this past weekend, and she was looking for some new ways to use some of the chard from her garden.  I mentioned these mashed potatoes because this is one of my favorite chard recipes.

Chard Mashed Potatoes

• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 to 3 tsp. salt
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup hot milk or half-and-half
• 2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional

1. Peel potatoes, leaving some skin on each. Cut potatoes into large chunks, and place them in medium pot with enough cold water to cover. Add 2 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and boil until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rinse chard well. Remove and discard stems and chop leaves coarsely. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in chard and garlic. Cover pan, and cook, until wilted and tender, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. When potatoes are done, drain and add milk and butter. Mash potatoes, leaving them slightly lumpy, adding salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chard and serve, garnished with Parmesan if desired.

So good!  Hopefully I'll have enough chard from my own garden to make this soon.  I cut a few small leaves yesterday, enough to make a really yummy pasta dish for lunch - chard sauteed in olive oil w/ sliced green onions and minced garlic, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then tossed with pasta and topped with Parmesan. Yum!  But my chard is going to have to grow a bit before I have any more, and the bunnies are going to have to leave it alone!
 

Related articles

• Chard and Cheese Pasta Gratin (girlinterruptedeating.wordpress.com)
• Light Swiss Chard Pasta (saturdaypersimmon.wordpress.com)

Grilling Some Potatoes

When we grill, I usually peel and slice some potatoes, add some sliced onion, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap them up in foil. They're easy to cook on the grill and turn out so yummy.  These Barbecued Baked Potatoes take a little more work, especially for the griller, but they are definitely worth it - and the sauce is really good!

Barbecued Baked Potatoes

• 4 large potatoes, scrubbed not peeled
• Salt & Pepper
• Paprika
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Parboil potatoes 10 min. in their skins.  Quarter potatoes lengthwise.  Brush with mixture of butter, paprika, salt & pepper on all surfaces.  Grill potatoes for 15 minutes or so, basting frequently with remaining butter.

For sauce, combine:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. fresh herbs

Serve with potatoes.

It's been a while since we had these, so I'm thinking we need to have them next time we grill. 

Related articles

• Starving Artist Saturday - grilled potatoes (sketchbooksandstagelights.wordpress.com)
• Hodge Podge Grilled Salad (yesiwantcake.com)

Butternut and Potato Bake

This is so good and so easy.  I don't really know what I should call it - it needs a creative name.  Anyway, my mother-in-law was the one who got me started making this.  Before that I always thought of Butternut squash as a sweet thing, for pies or to be baked with brown sugar and cinnamon.  This is better!  Or as good, in a different way.

Butternut and Potato Bake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• chopped onion
• chopped green pepper
• Butternut squash (cubed)
• Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef with onion and pepper; drain fat.
2. Grease a 13x9" pan and add the squash and potatoes.  Note, there are no real measurements here; just throw in whatever looks good.
3. Add browned beef, drizzle with some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread tomatoes on top and bake at 375° for an hour or more, stirring once or twice, until squash and potatoes are soft.
5. Enjoy!

Cook this for at least an hour.  Longer, and the potatoes and squash get browned and roasted and yummy, which I really like.  It all depends on what you like and how much time you have.
 

Peasant's Offering

Another recipe from my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals.

Peasant's Offering

Ingredients:

• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 medium head cabbage, grated
• 2-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 cup sour cream
• 5-6 large potatoes
• 1 cup milk or less
• 1 T butter
• Chopped parsley or chives

Directions:

1. Heat cooking oil in very large skillet. Add onion and saute lightly. Add ground beef and stir to keep meat loose and fine. cook just until pink disappears.
2. Gradually add grated cabbage, stirring until all cabbage is well cooked. Add seasonings adjusting to taste. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in sour cream. Spoon into rectangular baking dish (13X9) and spread evenly over bottom. Keep hot in oven.
4. Dice and cook potatoes. Mash with milk and butter until desired consistency. Layer mashed potatoes over cabbage mixture.
5. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives and serve.

This is always really popular at potlucks. I usually spoon the meat and cabbage mixture into my crockpot, layer the mashed potatoes on top, and turn it on low to keep it warm. If I'm fixing this at home, I usually just leave the meat and cabbage mixture in the skillet and put that in the oven to keep it warm. Then layer the mashed potatoes on top and serve. I usually completely forget about the parsley or chives, but I figure they're more for looks than anything - and no one seems to care.

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Hearty Skillet Meal

Dinner tonight. The original recipe came out of my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals. I adjusted it slightly.

Hearty Skillet Meal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup coarsely shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Saute ground beef and onion until beef is browned.  Drain excess fat.  
2. Stir in cabbage and rice and cook for a couple minutes.  Stir in carrots, potatoes, and garlic salt.  Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer, 40 minutes.
3. Immediately before serving, stir in soy sauce, salt and pepper.

The original recipe called for 1 lb. of ground beef instead of the 1/2 lb. I used, but 1/2 lb. is what I had because I used to other half in the meatballs I made today.  Cabbage was not in the original recipe, but I thought it sounded good, so I added it.  I didn't actually measure it, just cut some up and tossed it in, so I'm guessing on the 1 cup, and I wasn't real strict on measuring the carrots and potatoes, either.  With this kind of recipe, it doesn't really matter.  Also, I increased the water called for in the original recipe, from 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups, and that seemed perfect.

This has a really nice flavor, and it's really easy to make.  We had some green beans and some sourdough bread along with it.  I would've taken a picture, but it's not all that exciting to look at - just good to eat.

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Turkey Split Pea Soup

I cooked a turkey last week, so I've got turkey and turkey broth - perfect for making soup!

Turkey Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 3 cups water
  or 7 cups water and 2 or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 cups split peas, rinsed and sorted
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. celery seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of white pepper
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked turkey
  

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
2. Add broth, water, split peas, potatoes, carrots, salt, celery seeds, bay leaf and white pepper.  Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.  Add the turkey or chicken and heat through. 
3. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

This is also good with chicken broth and cooked chicken, if you don't have any turkey.  A 1 lb. bag of split peas is about 3 cups, so sometimes I just use the whole bag.  Also, you can adjust the amount of potatoes and carrots to suit your tastes or just to use whatever you have on hand.  It's soup - the measurements don't have to be exact.  And, it gets better after it's been refrigerated and reheated.

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Roasted Potatoes with Thyme

Our traditional Passover meal is roasted lamb, these potatoes, and peas. Additionally we have unleavened bread, pickles and olives, and maybe some salad, but the main meal is relatively simple and oh so good.

Roasted Potatoes with Thyme
Ingredients:

• 1 pound red potatoes
• 1 T. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:
Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a baking dish and scatter thyme on top. Heat oven to 375° F. Cover and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about an hour. Several times during baking, give the pan a shake. When done, let the potatoes cool. Serve the small ones whole; slice the larger ones lengthwise.

I usually use two 3-lb. bags of potatoes and multiply all ingredients accordingly - except I probably don't use quite as much thyme. These are so good. And so easy.

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Spicy Potato Soup

We had this for dinner tonight.

Spicy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 4 cups water
• 2 t. salt
• 1-1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 to 1 t. hot pepper sauce

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large kettle(5 or 6 qt.), brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add potatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in water, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.

This is so easy! Tonight I only used 1/2 lb. hamburger, because that's what I had in the refrigerator, thawed and ready to use. I also chopped some celery browned that with the hamburger and onions. I used the 1 t. hot pepper sauce, and Jeffrey said it was a little spicy for him, so if you have people who don't like spicy foods, cut back on the pepper sauce and pass it around the table for the ones who like it hot. Serve with saltines.

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Turkey Potato Soup

I cooked a turkey this week. The kids complain that when I cook a turkey we have to eat turkey for weeks! It's really not that bad. We do have turkey for a few meals - last night was turkey, some baked sweet potatoes and potatoes drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and green beans. Simple but delicious. Today I'll be making this soup. It's a recipe I adapted from a couple other recipes.

Turkey Potato Soup

Ingredients: 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup grated carrot 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 T. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. rosemary 4 chicken bouillon cubes 6 cups scalded milk 4 T. butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups chopped cooked turkey

Directions:

1. In large Dutch oven or kettle combine potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, rosemary and bouillon cubes. Add enough water to just cover vegetables.
2. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Do not drain.
3. Scald milk by heating until tiny bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove 1-1/2 cups milk from saucepan. Stir butter and flour into this milk with a wire whisk.
4. Add remaining milk to vegetables.
5. Gradually stir thickened milk into kettle until well blended.
6. Add turkey and simmer 15 minutes on low heat or until heated through.

This is so good! Don't forget the crackers.

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