greek potatos and candied carrots

 Greek potatos are some of my very favorite kind of potato; all that lemony garlicky goodness.  Here's a super recipe we made recently.  The kids hated it, of course, but The Mister and I liked it thank god because it made a lot.

 

recipe - Greek style lemon roasted potatoes

Another good recent veggie recipe was this recipe for candied carrots - I wanted to do a roasted carrot dish  but ran out of steam and this seemed easy enough.  It isn't healthy, but it sure tastes good.

recipe - candied carrots  

crispy potato skins

 I saw this somewhere but I forget where - either Instagram or Tik Tok, and Tik Tok is more likely - that when you peel potatos, to not throw away the peels, but to cook them in your air fryer (or oven) until crisp for a chip-like snack.

We made mashed potatos a couple of weekends ago for Sunday dinner and so I saved the peels, and the next weekend when I rediscovered the container of peels in the fridge and they hadn't gone bad, I cooked 'em up in the air fryer.

I preheated the air fryer on the air fryer setting at 400' for a few minutes, and while that was happening I tossed the peels with some oil and some Kinders Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning.  I went a touch too heavy on both, but it was fine.

I cooked the peels, tossing with tongs every 3-4 minutes, for around 10 minutes.  Next time I might go a minute or two longer to make sure all the peels are crisp, but some slightly less crisp pieces are delicious too.

These were, or course, only a hit with me and The Mister, as the kids acted like I was trying to get them to eat garbage.  They are so annoying.  So I hid in the kitchen with The Mister and we ate them all up.  The end.

Boxty

Way back in Calgary times, we would sometimes go to a pub called Limericks - which Google tells me is still there!  We had a few few favorites on the menu - yorkshire puddings stuffed with beef, chips with curry sauce, and boxty - a traditional Irish potato "pancake".

Potatos have always been one of my very favorite foods, so who can be surprised I would love a potato pancake topped with more food?

I was going to make a version like they had/have at the pub; with chicken in a sauce, but stuff happened and so instead I made them for breakfast topped with sauteed onions and bacon.

Check out these recipes :  Traditional Boxty and Creamy chicken boxty

Easter Sunday Dinner - Scalloped Potatos and NIgella's Chocolate Cake and Sad Bread

We had a lovely delicious ham this Easter will all the trimmings. Busted out some special mustards, made some (mediocre, sadly) bread, and put on our elastic waist pants for the feast.

I made scalloped potatos from scratch which, frankly, I do not do often.  I quite like the box mix and I am not ashamed.  But we had a ton of potatos to use up and so my box scalloped mix sits on the shelf for another day.  

We made an enormous pan of potatos from Gimme Some Oven and they were very tasty.

For dessert I made Nigella's Easter Egg Nest Cake which is just a flourless chocolate cake covered in Easter candy.  I skipped topping the cake with chocolate whipped cream and candy, and we just scooped large dollops of cream on our slices on our plates.  It ain't a pretty cake, but it was so delicious I was forced to eat leftovers for breakfast a few days later.

I made the Milk Bread from 100 Breads and it didn't turn out super well. 

I think part of the problem was I didn't get my timing right and the dough wasn't ready to be baked before I needed the oven for the ham and potatos, and so I baked it in the toaster oven.  

Our toaster oven sucks.

It did have a nice flavor, it was just small and sad.

Sunday Dinner - Ham, Ranch Potatos, and Lemon Pud

This Sunday Dinner was a lose, win, lose dinner. The ham was pretty meh - there was 

something odd about it, not sure. It was a Costco ham, and no one complained, 

but I wasn`t happy. The winner was the Cheddar Ranch Potatos from 

Buzzfeed - so easy and delicious.  

The other loser was the dessert from Jamie Oliver - a lemon pud that was 

supposed to separate into a custard layer and a merengue layer and not 

only did neither but also started to burn well before the end of the 

baking time in the recipe.  The dish size isn`t specified in the recipe 

which is annoying.  Baking is a much more exact science that cooking, 

and I get irritated with books and recipes that don`t get specific 

enough.  Is it just me?

Anyway, the potatos were a keeper but the dessert was not, and neither was the

 book it came out of, if you`re not following along over on Instagram.

Recipe: Cheddar ranch potatoes

Oven baked fries with parmesan salt

I wanted to do something a little different with home made fries, so I tried this recipe from Emeril Lagasse.  Oven baked fries are topped with a blend of cheese and spices.  

I didn't follow the recipe exactly - I omitted Emeril's "Original Essence Seasoning" and seasoned the potatos only with salt and pepper before baking.  I also didn't measure out any of the salt ingredients, just eyeballed them instead.

This dish is a perfect combination of crisp on the outside, soft on the inside chips with a cheesey spicy kick.  A new favorite in our house.

Oven crispy french fries with paprika parmesan salt

Hash browns in the waffle maker

I love breakfast and I especially love hash browns, so when I saw this over on Pinterest it sounded too cute not to try -making crispy hash browns in your waffle maker. I grated the potato and squeezed out as much liquid as I could. I added them to a bowl along with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. When my waffle maker was hot, I added a small handful to each side, spread it out evenly, and cooked it.

You end up with a cute crispy square of potato! Some of them were difficult to get off the waffle maker in one piece though. 

Scott's plate made me laugh - a potato cake with ham, scrambled egg, cheese and hot sauce.  Crazy looking but super good. 

Recipes lately

I have either not been taking pictures or taking bad pictures with my phone.  Here's some stuff I've made recently:

Portobello prosciutto burgers  I LOVE portobello sandwiches.  The basil mayo in this was a super addition.

Spanish Tortilla  I made one a few months ago that was just a little better, but this is a good recipe, and it gives you nutritional information, which I love.

Meatzza  I follow Nigella Lawson on Twitter, and I was happy to see she has a new book coming out next year.  She linked to this recipe which was fun and delicious.  I used some marble cheese instead of the fresh mozza, and added fresh basil in the 'za.

Spiced shredded pork  I have mentioned this one before, very delicious.

Chinese Pork Chops Very, VERY delicious.

Gyoza stir fry This was fun and I got to use up some odds and ends in the freezer and fridge.

Souper Spaghetti It cooled down here for a week and I made this during that time.  So comforting and homey.  PS- Paula, you have not posted in 2 months.  Please come back.

Vegetarian chili with fries I have made this before as well.  OMG, so good.

Beef noodle salad bowl I added sauteed onions, pepper and zucchini to this.  I would make it, my way, again.

Salted peanut butter chocolate chip cookies Yes.

Salt Potatos

These were the most delicious potatos I've had in a long time, and certainly the simplest. Little nugget potatos boiled until tender in very salty water. When drained, salt crystallizes on the potato skins, leaving them perfectly seasoned. These potatos don't need anything else added to them.


Salt potatos
altered very very slightly from Food Network Magazine

1 1/2 pounds small nugget potatos, washed well
4 cups water
1 cup salt

Place all ingredients in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatos are tender, 20 minutes or so. Drain potatos and let stand for a few minutes so the skins can dry.

FNCCC - Melissa D'Arabian

This week for the Food Network Cooking Club Challenge we had our choice from 3 hosts - Mary Nolan, Masaharu Morimoto, and Melissa d'Arabian. I chose Melissa not only because I watched her win the Next Food Network Star show (they showed it on foodtv here in Canada at the end of last year) and I enjoy that many of her recipes are quick and easy. These words have been showing up A LOT on my blog lately. QUICK. EASY.

I love scalloped potatos but have never made them from scratch, I always buy the boxed mixes and we have both been fine with those. I saw Melissa's recipe for 5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins and they appealed to me not only because I love potatos but also I had every single ingredient needed in my kitchen.


These are pretty quick, all you have to do is thinly slice some potatos, chop some green onion and shred some swiss cheese. I didn't bother to measure out the cheese or cream, I don't think you need to.

The gratins were delicious and took no longer to make and bake than scalloped potatos from a package! We will definitely being having these a lot in the future.



5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins
Melissa D'Arabian

Vegetable spray
2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced (I used red potatos and didn't peel them)
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese (I didn't measure, just sprinkled between the potatos and on top)
2 green onions, finely chopped (I used 4)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream (I didn't measure, just poured some on)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 26 - Crock Pots, Dutch Ovens and Pressure Cookers.

I felt the need to make another dish for this months Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I received two Ina Garten books for Christmas and I haven't cooked out of either yet. While flipping through Barefoot in Paris (my favorite Ina book) I found a recipe to cook baby potatos in a DO (I read somewhere last night that DO is the slang that cooks use for their Dutch Ovens. And then I don't have to type out Dutch Oven over and over again.) that sounded really nice.

You melt a crap load of butter in your DO, then toss in whole baby potatos that have been scrubbed clean. They cook, tightly covered, over low heat for 20 or 30 minutes, then you toss them with herbs and gobble them down. I got them started and then was immediately filled with anxiety. I have trouble controlling the heat on the stove in our new house. It is beyond temperamental. Set it at medium high, it takes forever to heat up. But turn up the heat just a bare millimeter, and everything burns to a crisp in two seconds. I was really really worried that because Ina instructs you not to remove the lid during cooking, only to shake the DO from time to time, that everything was going to burn into a black mess and then there would be no potatos to eat. The horror!

It all turned out just fine in the end. I didn't have too much trouble with the temperature, although the potatos took about 45 minutes to cook. I'll admit that I peeked more than once just to make sure everyone was ok. And they were!

These were very delicious, although a bit too salty. Next time I'll cut the salt back by at least half. Yay - a successful Ina recipe to negate the lemon cake I wasn't crazy about.

Lis is accepting entries for this months Weekend Cookbook Challenge until March 26. So send them in to her! Here's how.

Herbed New Potatos
from Barefoot in Paris
by Ina Garten

serves 6

4 Tb unsalted butter
2 1/2 lbs small white or yukon gold potatos scrubbed but not peeled
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 Tb chopped mixed fresh green herbs, such as parsley, chives and dill

Melt the butter in a DO over large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatos, salt and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatos are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatos from burning. Turn off the heat and allow the potatos to steam for another 5 minutes. Don't overcook! Toss with the herbs and serve hot.

Bites v 4.0

I was going to do a post on the dinner that I made for New Years Eve, but then, meh. Do you need to see pictures of (extremely delicious) steaks that we did nothing to, other than salt and pepper? Or (really yummy) carrots that I have no recipe for? Especially at the beginning of February? No, I didn't think so either. But, I do want to share the recipe for the potatos that we had. Oh my, were they good.

Since the original recipe was for 8 servings I halved it. Scott is a big eater and we both like potatos, so I knew there wouldn't be any leftovers. I was wrong. Cut in half, this recipe still made a ton. Look at this:



That is 6 HUGE servings. Had I known how enormous they'd be I would have made them smaller. And more of them. On another baking sheet. Between what you see here and the leftovers I ate from the "piping bag" (what? there was no more room on the tray!) I easily could have made 8 servings. They were delicious though, and the leftovers were gone within a couple of days.

I made these in the afternoon and left them to chill until we were ready to eat. Very easy and very good.

Duchess Potatos
adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine

serves 6-8

1 1/2 lb potatos, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tb butter
4 tb non fat sour cream
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup finely chopped chives

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the potatos until very tender. Drain, return to the pot and add the butter and sour cream. Mash until smooth. Add the egg yolk and stir to combine. Add the chives and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the potatos into a pastry bag or zip bag (that's what I used, just fill it, squeeze out the air, cut off one of the corners and go to town) and pipe into 8 servings on a parchment lined sheet. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 400' and cook the potatos for 2-25 minutes, or until hot and starting to brown. If you so desire, pop the tray under the broiler for a few minutes to brown. Carefully remove to plates and serve right away.

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I am still madly in love with my juicer and my new hobby is going to the discount table at the local grocery shop and buying big bags of apples and oranges for 99 cents, and then making delicious juices, as seen below:





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I've shared the recipe for my favorite potato pancakes before, but I forgot, and last time I made them I took this picture that I thought came out rather well.



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I found an article on the internet a couple of weeks ago written by Peter Kelly on his appearance on Iron Chef America, and beating Bobby Flay. I found it quite fascinating. Read it here.

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Speaking of Iron Chefs, looks like Rob Feenie is recovering from losing his restaurants last year (well, as much as you could, I suppose); he's going to work for Cactus Club Cafe.

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I've heard via email from a few people on what they are forsaking for Lent. Even though I am not a follower of the faith, here's my decision for Lent: working harder to stick to my
dietlifestyle change, cheating on it less, excersizing more, less alcohol. For 40 days, baby!
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Happy Wednesday everyone!

ARF 5 A Day - Spanish Frittata

I know I've mentioned this a few times before, but I'd never made a frittata before until I reviewed this book last year. Now I am a frittata making machine!

A frittata is an Italian omelet that has the filling mixed in with the eggs, rather than the filling being folded between the two halves of cooked egg like a French omelet. The Frittata can be finished under the broiler, or flipped to cook the top side. I prefer them to omelets because they are easier to make. I also prefer the broiler to trying to flip them. I'm sure the top of my stove and my floor thank me for making that choice.

This one is a Spanish Frittata. I wanted to use chorizo sausage, but the only brand I could find is one that I am not fond of, so I used turkey sausage instead. It was delicious, and we didn't miss the spiciness of the chorizo at all, because right after I took the picture below the whole thing got doused in hot sauce.

Since this recipe contains potato, and the mighty spud is a good source of antioxidants, I am submitting this to Cate at Sweetnicks for her weekly Antioxidant Rich Foods round up.

Spanish Frittata

2 tb oil
1 large sausage (chorizo, turkey), chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium red or white skinned potato, cooked and chopped
4 eggs
3 tb water
salt and pepper

In a large pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage and onion and cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onions have softened. Add the potato and cook 3 or 4 more minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs and water together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add some finely chopped rosemary if you have any. Push the sausage and potatos evenly around the pan, then carefully pour in the eggs. Adjust your heat so the eggs cook slowly. Every few minutes, push the cooked eggs gently towards the center of the pan, allowing the uncooked eggs to run to the bottom of the pan. Continue to do this until the eggs are almost set. Place the pan under the broiler and cook, watching constantly until the eggs are set and the top is just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and carefully invert the eggs onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

4 Mexican(ish) Meatless Recipes and a Meme.

I give to you a combination of 4 unfinished posts all about Mexican Food rolled into one super fantastic post. And, they are all meat-free! You're welcome!

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This sandwich easily could have fit in to Sandwich Week!, but it's too late. So it will have to stand on it's own. And it does, very well.

I am a sucker for anything remotely Mexican. I've combined 3 of my favorite Mexican ingredients - guacamole (homemade), salsa (nice and chunky and homemade) and refried beans - into a easy, fast and delicious sandwich.

Cut some nice soft buns in half and pull out some of the soft insides to make a hollow space. Heat up some refried beans (to nice and warm, not screaming hot!) and season them with hot sauce if you want. Spread some of the beans on one side of each bun. Smear some guacamole and salsa on the buns too, close up and enjoy.

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Veggie Burritos

I am still pining away over Maui Taco, and still stewing over the fact I didn't buy their cookbook. So to cheer myself up we made some burritos that were in the end, nothing like the burritos from Maui Taco.


1 cup corn kernels, thawed if using frozen
1 can beans (pinto, kidney, black) rinsed and drained
1 small can chopped green chiles
salsa
rice (cooked with tomato paste and hot sauce added to the water for color and flavor)
sour cream
cheese
flour tortillas


Mix together the corn, beans and chiles. To assemble your burrito, lay some rice down the middle of the burrito. Top with the veggies, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Roll up your burrito. Don't know how? Here, go watch this video. Fast forward to 2:30 for instructions.


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A couple of months ago my office mates and I went out for lunch. One of the specials was a Mexican Pizza topped with beans, ground beef, cheese, salsa and sour cream. I asked for the pizza without meat. When they brought it to the table they had also left off the salsa and sour cream. I didn't say anything; it was delicious with just the beans and cheese. I told Scott about it and soon after we made our own version.

Mexican Pizza

It's hard to give amounts for something like this, but here is what we did. We spread refried beans on a pre-made whole wheat pizza crust. Use as much or as little as you like. Spread chopped tomatos, green onions and shredded cheese over the top and bake as per the crusts instructions.


When the pizza is done and out of the oven, drizzle it with sour cream and salsa. Serve straight away. (We knew we were not going to eat the whole pizza, so we drizzled the slices individually.)




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This one is tied with the Mexican Pizza for my favorite recipe right now. This recipe is based on a recipe that my Mom gave me a couple of years ago. It's ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning baked with potatos and salsa. I wanted something similar, but without meat. So I came up with this, and frankly I like it wayyyyyy better than the one with meat!

Mexi-Beany Spuds

1 lb new potatos, washed and cut in half
2 tb oil
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
3 tsp taco seasoning
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Toss the potatos with the oil and taco seasoning. Pour into an 8x8 dish and bake at 400' for 20-30 minutes or until the potatos are tender.



Mix the beans and second amount of taco seasoning together. When the potatos are done spread the beans over the potatos. Top the beans with a layer of chiles, then the cheese.



Bake for another 20 minutes until heated thru and the cheese had melted.


So damn good.

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Boy I sure do seem to like refried beans.

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And Emmy from Vegan Diva has tagged me with this Meme - 7 Random Things About Me. 2 memes so close together! Oh why not.

1. I have lived in 2 provinces in Canada; British Columbia and Alberta.

2. I have never been out of North America. I have been to 4 provinces in Canada and 8 states in the U.S.

3. Surely not a sign that I am immature or anything, but I had the chicken pox when I was 19, my appendix out when I was 22 and the mumps when I was 28.

4. I like chocolate. I like cake. I do not like chocolate cake.

5. I love Old Dutch Ketchup potato chips but I hate that they stain my fingers red, so I rarely eat them.

6. I am an only child.

7. I do not have the lobes of my ears pierced. I do have a tragus piercing and a helix orbital piercing.

And now 7 people to tag!

1 Mary, The Sour Dough
2 Lis, La Mia Cucina
3 Mike, Mel's Diner
4 Patricia, Technicolor Kitchen
5 Tanna, My Kitchen in Half Cups
6 Ruth, Once Upon a Feast
7 Anyone else who'd like to take part.

Have a great day!

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 16 - Something New

Wow, May's installment of Weekend Cookbook Challenge really snuck up on me. The last day to get your posts to me is the 12th which is just days away!

This month's theme is Something New. There are so many ways to interpret that - a new book, a new ingredient, a new technique, a new author - are just a few that come to mind. I have gone with 3 Something News in my post today - a new magazine, a new vegetable and a new product.

Scott bought me a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Mexican Magazine a few weeks ago. I love Mexican food so I want to make pretty much everything in the magazine but the recipe that jumped out at me first was for Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chiles.

We recently started shopping at Safeway again after boycotting them for almost 6 years (long story). I've noticed Anaheim Peppers in the produce area but I didn't know what to do with them. Until my new magazine!

Ain't it pretty?

These peppers were really great; very flavorful and light. It takes about an hour to get them together, but half of that is oven time so that's not bad. Another good thing about them is that the magazine has calorie and fat listings for all the recipes in the magazine. One pepper half comes in at 79 calories and 2 grams of fat! If you have access to Anaheim peppers, give this a try.

Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chiles
from Better Homes and Gardens Mexican Magazine

3 large fresh Anaheim or Poblano peppers, or 3 small sweet peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped potatos or sweet potatos
1 to 3 tb milk
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tsp chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded asadero, queso quesadilla, chihuahua or monteray jack cheese
1 egg white, beaten

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. Simmer the pepper halves in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain well.

Cook potatos in boiling water until tender. Drain and mash the potatos with the milk until smooth. Mix in the green onions, chile powder, garlic, egg white and half the cheese.

Place the peppers in a baking dish. Stuff the pepper halves with the potato filling.

Cover and bake at 350' for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, recover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.


My last something new is this spice blend - Tajin Fruit and Snack Seasoning. I bought this at the Calgary Farmers Market. It's a blend of salt, ground chile peppers and dehydrated lime juice. The lady who sold it to me says it's best sprinkled on watermelon so we gave that a try.


It was really delicious. I'm going to try it with cucumber as the website suggests.


If you would like to take part in Weekend Cookbook Challenge, please do! Email me your post by May 12 at iliketocook at shaw dot ca.

Hope to see you at the round up next week!

Preserved Lemon - The Lemoning - Part One

Some of you may remember that back in February I started to make preserved lemons. Then I updated the progress and used some of the quick batch for WCC 14. And then I went on holidays and sort of forgot about them. I'd see them in my fridge and go "Oh yeah!" and then forget again. But someone out there wouldn't let me forget! A lovely reader named Mike has also made some lemons that were ready for use on April 1 and has been waiting for me to get off my keister and do something with them, already! So this one's for Mike:

Mashed Potato and Preserved Lemon Cakes

I made these to get rid of some leftover potato. These would go very well with roast chicken. I really enjoyed the chutney with them, you may not.

1 cup mashed potatos
1 tb finely chopped preserved lemon

oil for frying
mango chutney, optional

Pull the flesh off the rind of the lemon and discard the flesh. Rinse the rind under water and pat dry. Mince the rind very finely (i put mine in the food processor) and mix into the mashed potatos. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat and form the potatos into small cakes. Fry the cakes, turning once, until golden on both sides. Serve plain or with chutney or other topping (sour cream, maybe?)

Mike, I'm working on some other stuff! Don't give up on me yet!

Be My...Dinner Companion

Scott and I aren't really big into Valentines Day, but we always have a nice dinner. This year we did the ole meat and potatos bit.

I love Parisienne Potatos, so I went out and bought myself a melon baller. They're sort of a waste of potato, but in hindsight I could have done something with the remains. I tossed the balls with olive oil, minced garlic and paprika and then roasted them for about 40 minutes.


I had bought some zuchinni the day before but hadn't thought of what to do with it. Lucky for me, Mary came to my rescue, just like she did at Christmas with a great recipe for zuchinni with garlic and parmesan.


I made Steak Diane for the first time and it was a success! I think the sauce was a teensey bit too salty, but Scott said it wasn't. Isn't he sweet.


Steak Diane

for 2

2 tenderloin steaks, 4-6 ounces each
freshly ground pepper
3 tb olive oil
2 oz brandy
1/2 cup beef broth
2 oz butter
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

Let the steaks sit out at room temperature for an hour or so to warm up. Press the pepper into both sides of the steak (use as little or as much pepper as you like). Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, until they are done to your liking. Alternatively, you can brown the steaks on top of the stove, then finish cooking them in the oven. When the steaks are done, remove them to a plate. Cover with foil and keep warm while you make the sauce. Carefully pour the brandy into the pan and cook, stirring up all the brown bits on the bottom until the brandy is reduced by half. Add the beef broth and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. Drop in the butter and stir until melted. Add the mustard and cream and simmer gently until the sauce is thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Place the steaks on your plates and top with the sauce, any maybe a bit extra for your potatos. Serve straight away.


In other news I'm happy to announce that I've won a Poppy Award for Best Recipe Blog! Thanks to Poppy at Poppy Cedes for the honor.



Edited to add - thanks for all your emails! I'm happy to say I've got the award up in the side bar now.

It's a long weekend this weekend in Alberta! This afternoon we're going to see a hockey game - the Hitmen vs the Kamloops Blazers. I'm thinking of making something new for dinner tonight and maybe even some kind of drink, since we don't have to get up early tomorrow. Not too many drinks though, we have a crazy week ahead.

Have a great day!

I is for...

I is for Indian Food.
Who: Indian Food.
What: The cuisine of India, which is heavily influenced by the use of herbs and spices, and a greater use of vegetables than many other cuisines.
When: Britain has close ties with Indian food dating back to the mid 1800's when India was part of "British India".
Where: The customs and climates in the different regions of India impact the type of foods eaten in different parts of the country. Some areas are strictly vegetarian, while others include fish or meat in their diets. The Northen part of India uses more dairy (ghee, yogurt, paneer) and the Southern areas are heavier users of rice and coconut.
Why: Indian food is full of spices that have health benefits - cumin and ginger aid digestion, and tumeric has anti-inflammatory properties. Indian food also uses lots of good-for-you foods like lentils, chick peas, rice, spinach (saag) and cauliflower (aloo gobi).

Mango Lassi
A traditional Lassi is made with yogurt, water, salt and spices. Here's my delicious Mango version.

2 small or 1 large drink

1 1/2 cups plain low fat yogurt
1/2 cup mango nectar
pinch of salt
2 tsp (or more) sugar
big pinch ground cardamom (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or use an immersion blender.


This is a total must try recipe - Curry Spiced Avocado Butter from the excellent Naughty Curry. This is completely to-die-for; rich and creamy and so flavorful. You can and will slather this on everything.
I under-estimated the power of the butter and only put out a small amount.
It was gone in less than 5 minutes.


We served some plain steamed cauliflower, but it ended up being tossed with the avocado butter.
Damn that stuff was good.



Indian Style Potato Cutlets

makes 6

1 large potato (10-12 oz) peeled and grated
2 tb cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tb grated fresh ginger
1/2 hot pepper seeded and minced

oil for frying

In a bowl mix together the potato, cornstarch, salt, ginger and hot pepper.
Heat 1/2" of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Form the potatos into 6 small patties and fry in the oil until brown and crisp on both sides. Drain briefly on paper towel and serve hot.


Roti
recipe from Are You Really Going To Eat That? by Robb Walsh

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup clarified butter
1 cup warm water

Put the dry ingredients into the bowl of a mixer. Add 1 1/2 tb of the clarified butter and blend with a dough hook until well mixed. Add the water a little at a time until a soft dough forms. Continue kneading with the dough hook for 30 seconds.
Divide the dough into 10 balls. Roll the balls of dough into circles 5-6" in diameter. Heat a pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with butter and cook the roti on both sides.

What a feast! We also had some store bought pakoras, dal, and some sort of bean dish. It was all delicious, and it all went very well with the avocado butter.

For Indian recipes check out:

Naughty Curry
Cook's Hideout
Hooked On Heat

Previous Alphabet Posts:
A is for Artichoke
B is for Beet
C is for Carrot
D is for Dogs
E is for Egg
F is for Fondue
G is for Garlic
H is for Hamburger

Potato Skins

I do love pubs. Sitting around in comfy chairs by the fire, sipping a Strongbow Cider and eating all that "bad" food - not that the food is bad at all; but food that you should certainly not make a habit of eating - nachos, chicken wings, dry ribs and the like. One of my favorite pubs serves chips and curry sauce. Heavenly.
Anyone who knows me knows I have a real weakness for the potato. I'd eat them with every meal if I could. So it's not surprising that my favorite pub snack is potato skins. Not only are they delicious they are a snap to make in your kitchen, if for some crazy reason you are so inclined to stay home rather than head out to your local pub.
Potato Skins
makes 16 snacks

4 baking potatos
oil
salt and pepper
3 green onions diced
6 pieces of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 tomato diced
1 package marble cheese shredded.

Wash the potatos, prick with a fork and bake until tender. Cool slightly, then cut each potato into quarters. Remove most of the flesh from the potatos, reserving for another use. Brush each skin lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes until the skins are crisp. Top with the onions, bacon, tomato and cheese, and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Serve immediately with sour cream on the side.

Mothers Day Week - Potato Pancakes

Anyone who knows me knows I am a real potato fiend. When I was little, I'd eat them at every meal if I could.
My mom taught me how to use the blender to make these. She'd serve them with sausage or ham, and sometimes on their own for a special breakfast.
Serve with applesauce, sour cream or butter.

Potato Pancakes

2 eggs
1/2 small onion
1 tsp salt
pepper
2 tb flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 cups cubed raw potato

Put 1/2 cup of potato, plus all other ingredients in a blender. Cover and process on "Grate" until all the potatos have gone through the blades. Add the rest of the potatos and blend, but leave a little chunky.
Heat pan over medium high heat. Add a splash of oil, and spoon 2-3 tb of batter per pancake. Serve right away.