January 19, 2012: Skinny Fries Recipe

Just because you’re watching your weight doesn’t mean you have to avoid potatoes. The potatoes themselves are not a bad food; it’s only when you add things like butter and sour cream or fry them in oil that they become less than healthy. This recipe will alleviate your craving for French fries with just a fraction of the calories and none of the guilt.

Skinny Fries served as a side to Roasted New York Strip steak and cooked carrots.

Skinny Fries

1 large Russet potato

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

½ t. Kosher salt

1 t. dried parsley (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley)

Scrub the potato and cut lengthwise into about 20 skinny sticks. Soak in cold water for half an hour. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, in small skillet add garlic to one teaspoon oil. Heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain garlic from oil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potato sticks with garlic-infused oil and salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place potatoes in a single layer on sheet. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until crispy and golden, turning once. Add reserved garlic and parsley to potatoes.

Serves 2.

December 14, 2011: Beef Stew 2 Recipe

During the winter months, soups and stews are some of our favorite family meals. Not only are they economical and easy to prepare, they’re hot and hearty and perfect for a cold winter night, along with fresh-from-the-oven biscuits or rolls.

This is a variation on the beef stew recipe I shared earlier this year that uses Lipton onion soup mix. The spices are different and it has a very unique flavor – but one I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Spicy Beef Stew

1 T. vegetable oil

1 pound beef for stew (try a tough steak, such as top sirloin), cut into chunks

1 small white onion, cut into chunks

1 cup baby carrots, cut into thick, diagonal slices

1 cup chopped celery (use the heart and bottom half of the stalks thinly sliced)

2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

¼ cup ketchup

1 14-ounce can beef broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 bay leaf

1 cardamom pod

¼ t. ground cinnamon

½ t. thyme

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. sea salt

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil to medium. Add the chunks of beef and brown on all sides. Add vegetables and cook five more minutes; turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover Dutch oven and transfer to a low (225 degrees) oven. Bake for 4 – 5 hours, until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf and cardamom pod before serving.

Serves 4

December 12, 2011: Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes Recipe

Here’s another easy way to cook the ever popular chicken in the crock pot. Especially during these hectic weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, it’s a real blessing to be able to put dinner in the crock pot in the morning and come home at night to a fully cooked meal.

All the ingredients in the crock pot, ready to cook all day on low.

Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes

1 T. olive oil

6 – 8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 medium-sized yellow or white onion, cut into big chunks

2 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 t. fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

2 T. butter

1 t. dried sage

½ t. paprika

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. cumin

1 t. Montreal Chicken Seasoning (McCormick Grill Mates)

Set your crock pot heat to high. Add the olive oil, garlic cloves, onions, potatoes and fresh rosemary. Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on top of the vegetables. Melt the butter and add the seasonings. Pour over the top of the chicken; sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Cover the crock pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 – 6 hours (or 7 – 8 hours on low).

Optional: Just before serving, heat a skillet to medium high. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down. Cook for a minute or so, just until skin crisps up.

Variation: For something a bit different, use yams in place of white potatoes and a Vidalia (sweet) onion in place of yellow or white onion.

Serve chicken over vegetable mixture and add a green vegetable, such as peas or green beans, for a complete meal.

Serves 4

November 2, 2011: Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Do you love mashed potatoes rich enough to be delicious even without gravy? Then these “smashed” potatoes are perfect. Try this recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner this year for a traditional side dish that is just a bit different.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

1 head garlic

Olive oil

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 T. chicken bouillon (or chicken stock base)

2 T. butter

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. dried minced parsley

½ cup heavy cream

Place the garlic, unpeeled, in a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Close the foil to make a package and place in a 350 degree oven (ideally, roast the garlic while you’re baking other dishes in the oven). Bake for about 30 minutes, until cloves are completely soft.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and chicken bouillon. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Continue to gently boil until vegetables are tender. Drain.

Return the pot with the potatoes to the warm burner. Allow moisture to evaporate, about one minute. Add the butter, seasonings, and heavy cream. With a fork or potato masher, smash until creamy but still slightly chunky. Serve with a dollop of butter in the middle of the mound of potatoes.

Serves 4

BTW, today is my husband’s birthday. Happy Birthday, my dear sweet husband! His favorite food is hamburgers so that's what we're having tonight - as I stand outside in the dark and freeze in order to grill his burger!

October 20, 2011: Slow Cooker Rathskeller Pork Recipe

Today’s recipe comes from an old cookbook called Crockery Cookery by Mabel Hoffman. The name rathskeller refers to a German bar or restaurant selling beer. I could easily imagine this dish being one served in a traditional German setting. I’ve made some adjustments, as usual, to not only include ingredients I had on hand, but to make it lighter and brighter. Use my homemade cream of asparagus soup recipe for the best flavor, color and texture.

Slow Cooker Rathskeller Pork

1 t. vegetable oil

4 bone-in pork chops

Garlic salt and pepper

2 cups cream of asparagus soup (preferably fresh but you can substitute one can)

4 green onions, white and green parts chopped

1 T. finely chopped fresh dill weed

4 small potatoes, thinly sliced

½ head of green or Napa (Chinese) cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded

1/3 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Brown pork chops in oil (do this in your slow cooker if it has a high setting or in a skillet if not). Make two layers of the pork chops, potatoes, green onions, dill and cabbage. Pour cream of asparagus soup over all. Cover and cook on low 5 – 6 hours. A half hour before serving, add the cream and increase heat to high. Leave uncovered and cook for an additional half hour.

Serves 4

Rathskeller Pork served with pickled okra and biscuits (dumplings would be a traditional German side).

May 26, 2011: Gratin Dauphinois Recipe

Over the years I’ve made my share of au gratin potatoes. I’ve tried making them in all different ways – from precooking the potatoes to using a combination of cheese in the sauce. Sometimes they turned out great, other times not so much…

I ran into this recipe (based on Julia Child’s scalloped potatoes recipe) while thumbing through an American Profile magazine, the small insert that comes with my local newspaper delivery. I decided to give it a try and lo and behold! This is not only the simplest way to make au gratin potatoes, they come out absolutely delish and perfectly cooked!

Note: In this recipe I used my new favorite ingredient, freeze dried garlic, which really gave the potatoes a strong garlic kick. Try substituting 1 tablespoon of freeze dried garlic for the fresh if you’d like.

Gratin Dauphinois

3 T. butter, melted
6 small russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup shredded cheese (Gruyere is suggested but sharp white cheddar is an excellent substitution)
1 t. garlic salt
Freshly grated black pepper
1 cup 2% milk, warmed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a round casserole dish (use the waxed paper sleeves the butter comes in, if possible).

Arrange one third of the potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle with one third of the garlic, butter, cheese, and salt; grate black pepper to taste over the top. Repeat twice more with remaining ingredients. Pour warmed milk over potatoes.

Bake 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and milk is absorbed.

Serves 6.

March 17, 2011: Irish Champ Recipe

Of course I wanted to honor St. Patrick on his day by sharing an Irish recipe with you. The problem is that my dear husband doesn’t really care for corned beef (besides which it would make enough to feed an army and we’d have leftovers for weeks) and he certainly doesn’t care for the lamb that is traditionally part of an Irish stew. So I figured that mashed potatoes with scallions was my safest bet!

The Irish call it champ, and according to many sources, this is the most widely eaten potato dish in all of Ireland.

The odd thing is that this recipe calls for the potatoes to be cooked without peeling them first, which is the way my mother taught me to cook potatoes for mashed, salad – anything. She wasn’t Irish; in fact her family was Polish. It wasn’t until my mother-in-law showed me how much easier it was to peel cold potatoes and cook them in smaller pieces that I adopted her method. What about you? Did you learn to cook potatoes with or without the skins on?

So… Happy St. Patty’s Day and enjoy this traditional dish!

Champ (Mashed Potatoes)

6 to 8 baking potatoes, unpeeled
3 to 4 scallions (green onions)
1 ½ cups milk
6 T. butter (or more, to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub potatoes, place them in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook until soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from the pan and peel when cool enough to handle.

Finely chop the green onions, using both the white and green parts. Add to the saucepan used for boiling the potatoes. Add the milk and slowly bring just to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and let the mixture stand until slightly cooled. Add the cooked potatoes and mash with a fork. Add the butter and beat with a mixer until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving, garnish with a pat of butter in the center of the mound (in a serving bowl or on a dinner plate).

Serves 4 to 6.

February 17, 2011: Neal’s Favorite Tacos Recipe

For me, food equals love. Since the month of February – the shortest month of the year and named after the Latin term for “purification” – is typically associated with love, it just seemed appropriate that I include a recipe that is a favorite of my favorite loved one, my son, Neal.

When Neal was growing up, we never had an excess of money. Did that mean our life was bad or hard? Not in the least. In fact, I think it meant that we were closer than if we’d been rich. We spent a lot of time shopping at yard sales and thrift shops, fixing up our house with elbow grease, and making gifts for special occaions. And I always made a home cooked meal. It was a rare occasion that we went out to eat at a restaurant.

If you ask Neal, he might say that he preferred fast food burgers and Chinese take-out to Mom’s homemade food but I know that deep down inside, he appreciated my efforts. In fact, on most nights I fed not only my son, but two or three or four of his friends. If they wanted frozen pizza they could stay home, but if they wanted a delicious meal of homemade chicken fingers or meatloaf, our house was the place to eat.

No matter how hard I tried to overcome his resistance, I raised a son who is picky when it comes to food. I tried my best to introduce him to new and varied foods, but I soon gave up when he demonstrated that he couldn’t tolerate certain things by “voiding his stomach” (to put it delicately). Oh well. Even though I couldn’t experiment with exotic vegetables and herbs, I still love cooking for him!

There is one dish that Neal craves and requests more than any other and that’s my rolled tacos. It’s an incredibly simple recipe but it pleases me no end that not even the Mexican food chain popular in Phoenix, Filiberto’s, can compete with mom’s rolled tacos. So here’s the recipe that tops my son’s list of all-time favorite foods.

Rolled Tacos

Cooked roast beef, shredded (about half a pound will serve four people)
Cooked russet potato (half to one whole potato)
12 or more corn tortillas
Cooking spray (such as Pam)
Oil for frying
Velveeta cheese
Milk
1 tsp. cumin
1 chopped green chile (optional)

There are no exact measurements included in this recipe because it relies on leftovers and the amount you have available will vary.

Make a pot roast one night and use the leftovers the next to make these tacos – if you have a large family, make a really big roast. If it’s only one or two diners, you can use a smaller roast of about 5 pounds cooked in the crock pot one night and have plenty leftover to make tacos the next night.

Take the leftover beef and shred it. Finely mince the cooked potato (use any leftovers from the previous night’s pot roast if available). Combine the potato with the shredded beef and add a bit of leftover gravy, if available – just enough to make the mixture moist.

You will need to gauge how many tortillas are necessary to use up the meat mixture. Start with a dozen and you can prepare more if needed. Use a small microwaveable plate. Take one corn tortilla and spray it one both sides with Pam. Place it on the plate. For the remaining tortillas, spray with Pam on one side and stack it on the plate, unsprayed side on top of the base tortilla. When all the tortillas are sprayed and stacked, cover the plate with plastic wrap and microwave on high for one to two minutes, until the tortillas are softened.

Take a softened tortilla and place about two tablespoons of the meat/potato mixture on one end. Roll it up tightly like a cigar, then secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Take a heavy saucepan and add oil to about two inches up the sides. Heat it to approximately 375 degrees. Using a pair of tongs, drop in two to three rolled tacos at a time. Fry for a minute or two on one side until the tortillas starts to turn crispy and golden brown, then turn it over and fry for an additional minute or so. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Continue with the remaining tacos, placing the cooked tacos in a warm oven.

When all the tortillas are cooked, cube Velveeta cheese (about one-fifth of a loaf will be enough for two people) and place in a microwaveable bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of milk along with a dash of cumin and a chopped green chile (if desired; Neal doesn’t like spicy food so I omit the chile for him). Microwave on high for about a minute, stirring halfway through. Cook until all the cheese is just melted.

Serve the rolled tacos over a bed of sliced lettuce and tomato and top with melted cheese sauce. Refried beans and Spanish rice are a great accompaniment.

And that’s how I show love to my son!