Tortilla

What may be my favorite tapa, just happens to be made with but three ingredients.

Potatoes * Eggs * Onion
Look here for directions

Sweet Potato Souffle

Making souffles is surprisingly easy. Though there are a few steps none are that difficult, and even if yours does not rise mile high it will surely be yummy. I picked up this recipe from Seriouseats.com

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Souffle
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
3/4 cup milk
4 egg yolks
about 1 cup mashed sweet potato
1 - 2 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper
7 egg whites
pinch cream of tartar


Warm the butter and flour over medium heat, mixing to form a roux. Cook for a minute or two until smooth and warmed.



Addd the milk and cook a few minutes longer to thicken.



Remove from heat and mix in the egg yolks. Make sure to stir thoroughly so that you do not scramble the eggs but mix them into the sauce.



Add the potato and cheese and season with salt and pepper.



Mix to combine. Set aside and cool to at least room temperature. At this point this can be placed in the refrigerator and used later to finish the souffles.



Coat small ramekins with butter or oil and bread crumbs. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks. Then fold this into the potato mixture. Fill the ramekins. Bake in 400 deg oven about 20 to 25 minutes.



Serve warm straight from the oven.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Last night I made gnocchi using sweet potatoes. This was a simple change that added a nice sweet flavor. I prepared a simple sauce of parsley pesto and grated Parm.

I used this basic recipe, but had to add extra flour, as the sweet potato does not have the same starch that white potatoes do.

I boiled the potato and passed through a food mill.




I let them cool in the refrigerator for a hour or so, as they we soft. Then sauted them in a little butter and oil.



To finish, I tossed with some parsley pesto and topped with cheese.

Smashed potatoes

Yesterday I was in the grocery store with Auden, he noticed on the TV some one making smashed potatoes and asked if we could make them. Luckily, we had potatoes at home.

Smashed Potatoes
small to medium red potatoes
3 - 6 cloves garlic
olive oil
course salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes, whole, in heavily salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked but not so much that they fall apart.



Drain, and let cool. Then using your hand or a spatula, smash the potatoes so that they are smushed but are still in one piece



In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom and add the garlic. Cook over medium to infuse the oil with the garlic. When they start to brown, remove and set aside.



Add the potatoes to the oil and pan fry. Cook for about 5 minutes a side until nicely browned.



Add the garlic back in to warm. Then serve with course salt and fresh pepper, drizzle with the garlic oil and the garlic pieces.

Potato and Rosemary Gallette

Here is another easy potato dish that always impresses. The trick is to lay out the first layer carefully so that when you flip the gallette over you get a nice presentation.

You can slice the potatoes with either a mandoline or a slicing blade on a food processor, the thinner the better. Also make sure to work quickly so that they do not brown as you are assembling.

Potato Gallette with Rosemary and Parmesan
about 1 Tbs butter
about 1 Tbs oil
2 - 3 small baking potatoes
rosemary to taste
Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450.
Melt the butter and oil in an oven proof skillet. Remove most of the butter, but leave a coating in the pan.




Using a mandoline or food processor, thin slice one potato. Then lay this out in the pan, over-laping each slice by about half. Cover the bottom.



Brush with butter, then sprinkle with rosemary, cheese and season with salt and pepper.



Repeat this rest of the potatoes, creating three layers. Warm the pan on the stove, until the bottom starts to sizzle. Then place in hot oven.



Bake about 20 - 25 minutes. Sprinkle top with more Parmesan and return to oven.



Flip onto a plate to serve.

Potato Salad

Here is an interesting take on potato salad. It is from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

Mediterranean Potato Salad

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 - 1/2 pounds red or golden potato, cubed

1 1/5 cups scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup EVOO

2 TBS lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the scallions, cumin, Oil and juice in a large bowl. Meanwhile soak the tomatoes in boiling water to soften.

Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked but still hold their shape.

Finely chop the tomatoes and add to the dressing.

Add the hot drained potatoes. I served with some greens to complete the salad.

Pommes Anna

Day two of my 30 day recipe challenge brought more potatoes. This time a recipe I found from Gourmet for Pommes Anna, thinly sliced potatoes baked in a pan.

The trick with this is to have a sharp mandoline or slicer to get the potatoes thin.

Pommes Anna

1 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Peel the potatoes and, using a food processor fitted with the slicing blade or a mandoline, slice them very thin, transferring them as they are sliced to a large bowl of cold water.

Drain the slices and pat them dry towels. Generously brush the bottom and side of a 9-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, with some of the butter and in the skillet arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, in layers, brushing each layer with some of the remaining butter and seasoning it with salt and pepper. The bottom layer will end up on the top, so arrange the first layer the neatest.

Cover the layered potato slices with a buttered round foil, press down the assembled potato cake firmly, and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan once.

Remove the foil and bake the potato cake for 25 to 30 minutes more, or until the slices are tender and golden.

Invert the potato cake to serve.

This turned out OK. The top was crispy and nice but the bottom needed more crispness. Next time I would cook it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the bottom (top when in the pan) more.

30 :: 30

About once a year I embark on challenge, make 30 recipes that I have never made before in 30 days. The goal is to learn some new recipes and expand the regular cycle of food in the house. Last time this worked great, I picked up a few tricks and added some great recipes to my repertoire.

Last night I started with this great recipe, with a few tweeks. I didn't have semolina, so I used white-wheat flour (basically wheat flour that has been ground extra fine) and I didn't have spinach or sage but used a puree of basil and arugula and topped with fresh parsley. I also only used about 3 or 4 Tbs butter to make the sauce, enough to add flavor and coat the gnocchi, but not swimming in the butter.

Gnocchi with Brown Butter

1 lb. russet potatoes, unpeeled
Kosher salt, to taste
2 Tbs basil and arugula puree

1 1⁄4 cups semolina flour, sifted, plus more (I used white-wheat flour)
2 eggs, beaten
about 1/2 stick butter

Freshly ground pepper, to taste
olive oil
Parmesan

Parsley

Start by boiling the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for about 20 - 25 minutes, until soft.

Run under cold water, and peel. Then pass through a ricer.

Mix in the flour and basil mixture. Make a well, blend the egg with the salt and add to the flour and potatoes. Make sure not to over mix other wise the gnocchi will become gummy.

Divide the dough into 3 or 4, and roll on a floured surface to for a 1/2 inch log, then slice into 1/2 inch gnocchi. Place these on a floured tray. (They can be frozen at this point, which I did with some of mine.)

Warm a tsp of butter with a touch of oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the gnocchi and cook until golden, about 3 - 4 minutes, then flip. Meanwhile in a separate pan melt 3 - 4 TBS of butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter takes on a golden color and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

Pour the brown butter over the gnocchi, season with salt and pepper and top with Parm and parsley.

Indian Feast

Last night I wanted to try a few new Indian recipes. Having never made these dishes before I was careful to read through the recipes and make sure I had everything ready before I started. Since many of the same spices where used in several dishes, I had all my recipes out and was able to measure each spice for each recipe one at a time. I put those that went in together in bowls to help keep track, and had all my pots and pans ready to go before I started. This took only a few minutes, but saved a lot of time when I got to the cooking of the dishes.

Baked potatoes

Baked potatoes are so easy and versatile. This simple "recipe" is great and makes a perfect potato every time. By coating the outside with oil, the inside stays light and fluffy and the outside becomes crispy without drying out.

Coat the potatoes with just a touch of oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake in 375 oven for about an hour, until they are crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside.

When they come out they are wonderful just the way they are with a touch of butter and salt and pepper.

I sauteed some broccoli and topped with a touch of fontina.

Celeriac Salad

Last week at the farmers market I picked up a celeriac or celery root. It has a subtle celery flavor and goes well with potatoes.

This salad is easy to prepare and is impressive.

Celeriac Gruyere Salad

1 celeriac bulb, thick skin removed and julienned.

2 medium firm potatoes (I used red skinned), julienned

1/4 lb gruyere, julienned

truffle oil

salt and pepper

Start by removing the thick skin of the celeriac. Then julienne.

Blanch the celeriac in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, until cooked but firm. Remove and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Repeat this with the potatoes, make sure that they are not too over cooked and fall apart.

After the vegetables have cooled, pat dry with a towel and toss with the gruyere and drizzle with the truffle oil and season with salt and pepper.

Potatoes Onion and Cheese and Apple

My mother in law is known for many things, cooking is not one of them, but there are a few (ok 2) recipes that I have taken of hers.

Potatoes, onion and cheese was a family favorite when my wife was growing up.

I've made a few modifications and updated it a touch, in this version I have added sliced apples. It adds a ice sweetness and goes great with the cheddar.

Potatoes, Onion and Cheese (and Apple)

3 - 4 med to large potatoes, sliced

1 med to large onion, sliced

1 large firm apple, cored and sliced

3/4 cup grated cheese (more or less to taste), I used cheddar

salt and pepper

oil

Pre heat oven to 400.

Rinse the potato under cold water to remove the starch. This helps to prevent this from becoming mashed potatoes.

Toss the potatoes, onions, oil and salt and pepper and place in an over proof dish.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the potatoes begin to soften. Add the apple slices.

After another 30 minutes or so, the potatoes and apples should be cooked, but not mushy, top with the cheese and cook another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. You can finish this under the broiler to crisp the top.