Balsamic Roasted Potatoes - A Tasty Twist on the Usual Potato Roast

I have said before, I love potatoes.  I think it is in my DNA (being part Irish and all).  So when I saw this recipe for Balsamic Roasted Potatoes, I just knew I had to try it.  You see, along with my love of the tuber, I am developing a deep abiding love for balsamic vinegar. 

Just one more reason why this food blogging is a great thing, it exposes you to flavors and spices you may not have experienced before.  Balsamic vinegar falls into this category.  I don't think I had ever had it before two years ago.  But then again, two years ago, I only had four recipes in my cooking repitoire (and one of those was for Tollhouse cookies). 

Back to the potatoes, I liked them...alot.  Mr. Gooch...not as much.  I do think that next time I make them, I will add some rosemary to the mix.  I just didn't think the thyme had enough punch to hold up against the balsamic. 

Balsamic Roasted Potatoes
(Source:  Proceed with Caution)
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small pieces
3/4 C chicken broth
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and fresh grond pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In an 8-inch square baking dish, combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, garlic, thyme; season with salt and pepper.
Bake until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 1 1/4 hours, tossing twice.

A Fruity Cole Slaw - Not a Contradiction, It's a Tasty Treat

Now that we have gotten a handle on some of our home renos, we are back to trying new recipes each week. During the process of moving, unpacking boxes, spending too much time at home reno stores and little time on cooking, I had forgotten how much I liked flipping through my cookbooks, going through my Reader and surfing the internet for new (and hopefully tasty) recipes.

However, be not afraid, now that I have remembered those joys, I am back in the groove. We tried two new recipes last week, this being one, and both were great successes. So much so that they are going in the "regular rotation" notebook.

We served it with Crockpot Hickory Smoked Brisket and it was the perfect accompaniment to the smokey flavor of the meat.

The only thing we will change when we make this again is to find something (cider vinegar maybe), to give it some bite. The sweetness of the apples and the dressing were just a little much for us. But we do like the savory things.

Apple Cole Slaw
(Source: modified slightly from Delicious Meliscious - a cooking blog by Melissa)

Ingredients:
3-4 cups chopped cabbage
1 unpeeled red apple, cored and chopped
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped yellow pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste (we used a bit more than 1 tablespoon)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red apple, green apple, carrot, red bell pepper, and green onions.

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

Pour dressing over salad.

A Chill in the Air Means Apples and Applesauce

I love applesauce.  I could eat it every single day, especially in the Fall.  Strange when I think about it since I am NOT a fan of cinnamon, but the slight hint in a bowl of applesauce just seems right.

This year, I decided to try to make crockpot applesauce.  After seeing and reading about how easy it was, I figured even I couldn't mess it up. 

The best part is that the recipe is all approximate amounts.  So you can increase or decrease the various ingredients as you see fit. 

 I hope your batch(es) turn out as tasty as mine.

Slow Cooker Applesauce
Source:  a combination of various internet recipes

Ingredients
8-10 cored, peeled and chopped apples
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon (I use only 1/2 tsp)
1/4 to 1/2 c demura sugar (I like the hint of molasses left in the sugar)  This mount varies depending on the sweetness of the apples you use.

Directions
Pour chopped apples into the slow cooker
Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over apples.
Stir to distribute sugar and cinnamon.
Turn slow cooker onto Low and cook for 8-10 hours.  (I like to cook mine overnight).

I package the applesauce into containers, freezing those that will not me consumed immediately.

My New Potato Love - I Say It's My DNA's Fault

I love a good potato.

I love them roasted, mashed, sauteed or baked. Served with cheese, bacon, butter or herbs. Made on the grill, in the oven or on the stove top. I love Yukon Gold, Redskin and Russet. And now I have a new love. The Fingerling potato.

I saw the bag of multicolor Fingerlings at Costco and just had to buy it. I figure it must have been my Irish heritage crying out in my DNA telling me to "Eat the potatoes!!"

Once I brought them home, the questions was how to prepare them. Some I used in the Braised Herb Chicken Thighs With Potatoes and those were quite tasty but I still had plenty left.

On the drive home after a trip to Penzeys to get some more Italian Herb Blend, it hit me. Roasted with herbs, olive oils and roasted garlic salt. I could taste the goodness already. I also remember having seen an episode one of the chefs of some cooking show on PBS from years ago making a series of cuts in fingerling potatoes prior to roasting so I tried that as well. I think that the olive oil and salt were able to get into get into the cracks making these taste so wonderful.

Herb and Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
(Source: the depths of my brain)
Ingredients
Fingerling potatoes
Olive Oil
Roasted Garlic Sea Salt (I purchased this at Costco)
Italian Herb Blend

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Wash potatoes.
Let dry slightly.
Make a series of cuts down the length of each potato about halfway through.
Place in a small bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with roasted garlic salt.
Sprinkle generously with Italian herb blend.
Stir to coat all potatoes with olive oil, salt and herbs.
Pour onto nonstick baking sheet.
Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Oh my. My recent love affair with the sweet potato continues with this recipe. You see, I had never had a sweet potato before Mr. Gooch came into my life. Well, other than a taste of what I remember to be a sickly sweet pie at some point. This slightly savory version of the baked sweet potato is right up my alley. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

This recipe for thyme roasted sweet potatoes from Epicurious.com is right up my alley.

Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Source: Epicurious.com

Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds (I cut mine thinner and into half rounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme sprigs for garnish (I used 5 teaspoons of dried thyme)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added a bit more since I like a little heat)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss.
Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in 13x9-inch baking dish.
Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with thyme sprigs.

Mashed Potato Pancakes - Another Thanksgiving Leftover Idea

We had plenty of mashed potatoes left over from our Thanksgiving dinner and while I love them plain, I wanted to mix things up a bit.

By adding some cheddar cheese and bread crumbs to the potatoes

I then created patties and placed them in a heated non stick skillet with a bit of butter.

Let the patty brown on each side then serve when warm.

Mashed Potato Patties
Ingredients
(I just eyeballed the amounts)
Mashed Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese
Bread Crumbs

Directions
Heat skillet over medium to medium heat
Combine all ingredients
Shape into small patties
Cook in skillet until brown on each side
Serve when warm

Not Your Grandma's Mashed Potatoes - Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs

I love potatoes. I love love love mashed potatoes. Add two types of cheese and I am in heaven.
So when I saw this recipe from Giada Di Laurentiis on the Food Network web site, I knew this was our Thanksgiving potato dish.

While the recipe says you can prepare up to 6 hours prior, I actually prepared the potatoes the night before and added the Parm and bread crumb topping right before I put the dish in the oven.

It was definitely a tasty dish. The only changes I would suggest were adding a bit more Parmesan cheese to the potatoes as well as adding some roasted garlic. But then again, I like garlic in just about every type of food I eat.

And there were enough left over for Mashed Potato Pancakes (post on that dish coming later today).

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well.
Mix in the milk and melted butter.
Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish.
Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes.
Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.
Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Tiny Carrots in Dill Butter - A Family Favorite

I love carrots. I love them so much that when I was little, my dad would often ask if I was part rabbit.

So this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book has been part of our veggie rotation for several years.

I love that it is quick and easy yet "jazzes" up a veggie staple. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Tiny Carrots in Dill Butter

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (c. 1996)

Ingredients
16 oz. package (3 1/2 cups) Baby Carrots
2 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine

Dill (1 Tablespoon fresh or 1/2 Teaspoon dry)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions
In a medium sauce pan cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Drain. Return to carrots to saucepan.

Stir in butter/margarine, dill, lemon juice, salt and peppers, making sure to carrots are entirely coated.

Serve.

Cheesy Skillet Potatoes - A Great Last Minute Creation

Have you ever had a night where you knew your main dish but forgot to plan a side dish? That has been my weak link in menu planning. I always get a big bag of red potatoes and a big bag of rice and make our starch side. The problem: I usually end up making the same 3 or 4 recipes over and over again.

Faced with a potato side dish dilemma last week, and not wanting to make the "usual," I checked the fridge to see what my options were. Peppers? Maybe. Onions? Maybe. Smoked Gouda? Definitely. Garlic? Another definitely. All I needed to do was add a little butter and some seasonings to the thinly sliced potatoes and we would be good to go.

For a last minute creation, this was so good. The crunchiness of the potatoes on the bottom of the pan combining with the smokey flavor of the cheese made for a dish that garnered kudos from Mr. Gooch.

Cheesy Skillet Potatoes

Source: Depths of my Brain

Ingredients

Approximately 6-8 thinly sliced small red skin potatoes

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon butter (cut into small pieces)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (more if depending on amount of potatoes)

Olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda

Directions

Sweat garlic in a skillet with a little olive oil

Add Italian seasoning to skillet

Coat sliced potatoes in olive oil and add to skillet

Mix with garlic and seasoning

Add butter pieces to top of potatoes

Cover and cook until potatoes are soft

Remove cover and cook for several minutes until bottom layer had browned and started to crisp

Add cheese to top of potatoes and cover until melted

Slide onto plate to serve

Mr. Gooch Cooks: Yams Make Great Fries

At one of the last Farmer's Markets we visited, one of the farmers had some good looking yams. Now I know that yams are very similar to the sweet potato. This was per Mr. Gooch, who apparently knows all about such things.

Not knowing much about the yam or sweet potato, I asked Mr. Gooch what he wanted to make out of this particular veggie. He asked for fries.

I found several recipes online and on other blogs but when it came down to it, Mr. Gooch just did his own thing. And it tunred out great. Some of the pieces got a little dark, but those were the sweetest ones, strangely enough.

We served this with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Calzones.

Yam Fries

Ingredients

1 large yam

olive oil

seasoned sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Tony Chacherie's Creole Lite seasoning

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil

Slice the yam down into real small strips

Place the sliced yams in a large bowl

Coat with olive oil

Spread onto the foil lined sheets

Season with sea salt, Creole seasonings and fresh ground pepper

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pieces begin to darken

We Crashed, Into The Pioneer Woman's Potatoes

I have been hearing about The Pioneer Woman's Crashed Potatoes on my cooking board for months now. Some raved, some thought they were so-so. We are ravers.

Though I do think that we would not have been such fans if the 'tatoes were made exactly as the recipe calls. As always, I had to doctor them up a bit and think that was the trick. My changes are in italics in the directions.

Mr. Gooch said these can definitely be added to the rotation of sides.

Crashed Potatoes

Ingredients
Red Skin Potatoes
Olive Oil
Seasoned Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian Seasoning

Directions
Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender.

Generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. (I skipped this step since I have a non-stick baking sheet)

When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet, giving them plenty of room to spread out.

Using a potato masher, gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashed. (I actually used a meat tenderizing hammer since I use a ricer to make mashed potatoes.) Rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie. (I only mashed once since I wanted them a bit chunky). Repeat until all are flattened.

Brush the tops rather generously with olive oil. (I just drizzled the Olive Oil over the tops)

Season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and top with fresh herbs. (I topped with a seasoned sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning instead).

Place baking sheet onto the top rack of a very hot oven, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

On a Roll - Another PW Muffin "Fig's Cheese Muffins"

With the success of the PW blueberry muffins and the ease of making muffins, I decided to try another recipe from thepioneerwoman.com. This time, I made another contest winner Cheese Muffins. I figured that if it was good enough to win a contest, it was good enogh for me.

Additionally, I am now constantly in search of items to add to the rotation for dinners now that we are eating in. I thought that a cheese muffin instead of garlic bread or a roll would be nice. And I think it will go well with the marinated flank steak planned for tonight.

I think however, the next time I make these I will use a cheese with a bit more bit, like sharp cheddar to really bring out the cheese flavor.


PW Cheese Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 C flour (I used 1 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 1/2 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 cups shredded co-jack cheese
1 C milk
1 egg
1/4 C (1/2 stick) melted butter (like PW, I used salted)

Directions
Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together.

Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.

Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Tasty Side Dish - Spanish Rice

As I was putting together this week's dinner menu, my goal was to use items that we already had in our cupboard. To stretch things even further, we were going to eat leftovers for lunches each day. I think that this is what people call pantry eating. I was excited to be so successful since the result was a shopping list with less than 15 items (including toiletries and paper products). And I even had coupons for several of the items. The "Savings Nerd" in me did the fist pump in the air!

After laying out the entrees, I realized that I needed a side dish for our Mexican might. Not being a huge fan of the whole/chunky tomato, I needed to find a recipe that didn't use salsa or chuncky tomatoes. Using ingredients from several recipes on http://www.epicurean.com/, I created the recipe below. It is a bit "hot" due to the chili powder and Tabasco. If you like your dishes milder, just reduce those amounts.


A serving suggestion from Mr. Gooch, add a dab of sour cream.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients:
1/2 chopped onion (small pieces)
1/2 chopped red pepper (small pieces)
1/2 chopped green pepper (small pieces) [I used green peppers only since that is all I had]
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Pour olive oil into large saute pan.
Saute onions until clear.
Add peppers and saute another 5 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients.
Bring to boil.
Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until rice is done.

Fabulous Dinner on the Grill: Tri-Tip, Potatoes, Corn and Peaches

Monday is Mr. Gooch's night off during the week. So it is the night we do our most involved dinner. This week it was all about the grill. Mr. Gooch was very happy as he loves cooking on the grill.

The menu included
Ceasar Salad
Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs
Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Peaches



We purchased the tri-tip a couple of weeks ago from a vendor at our local farmer's market. The family has been in farming for over 100 years and cows on their farm are grain-fed, locally raised and have been certified hormone free. It is tastes amazing. The nice thing about purchasing a larger piece of meat is that there is enough left over for lunches.

Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound tri-tip steak
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Marinade

Directions
Marinade steak for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator
Heat grill to low heat
Grill meat for approximately 45 minutes over low heat
Flipping every 10-15 minutes or so

Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs (from epicurious.com)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (from our garden)
1/1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (from our garden)

Directions
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes; cool.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Cut potatoes in half; transfer to large bowl. Add 1/2 of the oil; toss to coat. Grill potatoes until golden, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Drizzle with rest of oil and add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Easy Corn on the Grill (from cooks.com)
Ingredients
2 ears of corn for each person
1 tablespoon butter for each ear of corn
3 tablespoons crushed ice for each ear of corn
aluminum foil or foil pockets
salt, to taste

Directions
Husk corn and rinse. Heat grill to 350F.

Cut a rectangle of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob twice. Place each corn in the center of foil with the shiny side in. Add 3 tablespoons crushed ice and 1 tablespoon butter.

It's important to wrap the corn with the aluminum foil so that the edges of the foil are crimped and sealed securely so that as the ice melts, the liquid will be retained in the foil pocket. Make an envelope with the foil and double fold the edges, then place the seams on the top.

Place the corn pockets on the hot grill and cook for 30 minutes or so, turning over half way through cooking time. (Length of cooking time will vary depending on the tenderness, variety and age of the corn - some types of corn may be done in half the time).



When I was buying this week's batch of peaches, I overheard one of the farmers telling a customer that a great (and easy) dessert to be made on the grill is roasted peaches. Based on the basic directions I heard, I headed home and pulled together the recipe below.

Grilled Peaches
Ingredients
Ripe Peaches (this ensures that the peach with some off the pit easier)
Brown Sugar

Directions
Cut the peach in half
Remove the pit
Fill the whole with packed brown sugar
Create envelope using tin foil making sure you can access top to check for doneness
Place filled peaches in envelop
Cook over medium to medium high heat until peaches are soft
Serve with vanilla ice cream with the juices from the brown sugar and peaches