Roasted golden beets, potatoes and apples

Just that: roasted chunks of golden beets, new potatoes, and two apples. Mix with some olive oil to coat, salt liberally, and roast at 425 until the potatoes are done. The apples add a nice sweetness, different from the sweetness of the beets.

Potato and pesto gratin

This was a big hit with my husband--he kept going back for more.

On a personal note, I sliced the potatoes with a mandoline, which gave me perfect paper-thin potato slices. The downside is that every time I use a mandoline, I manage to slice off part of a finger. EVERY GODDAMN TIME. Even using the protection thingey. Sigh.

The potatoes were good, though.

From the New York Times:

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (I used small new red potatoes)
1/2 cup pesto
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil. Slice the potatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the pesto. Stir the mixture until the potato slices are evenly coated, then transfer to the baking dish, making sure to scrape all of the pesto out of the bowl.

Cover the baking dish with foil or a lid and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes, then uncover and return to the oven. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are thoroughly tender, the olive oil in the dish — now a beautiful green — is sizzling, and the top is beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Israeli couscous with roasted sweet potatoes, apples, and basil

The recipe is really just that. A box of cooked Israeli couscous, mixed with two roasted (peeled and cubed) sweet potatoes, half an apple (diced), and lots of chopped fresh basil. Season with salt, pepper, and just a dusting of cinnamon and cayenne. Eat warm or cold.

Penne with roasted sweet potatoes, prosciutto, and pesto

The other day I discovered a Costco with a restaurant supply section. Not just napkins and things, but actual professional equipment. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Not just equipment, either--this one had a restaurant supply section, where you could buy fresh seafood by the case and entire sides of beef. Naturally, I have nowhere to put a professional-grade fryer or a side of beef, but I did buy a one-pound bag of fresh basil for $8 and was deliriously happy about it.

Naturally I had to buy a bag of pinenuts, too, so I could make pesto. Which I did. Two enormous batches.

Then I peeled, cubed, and roasted two big sweet potatoes, shredded the last of the prosciutto, and tossed those with penne and some of the pesto. Roasted sweet potatoes and pesto are surprisingly delicious together. I'm going to make this again, with more sweet potatoes.

Quinoa salad with apples and sweet potatoes

Spring actually is right around the corner, the weather notwithstanding, which makes me want to eat green, healthy things. However, the lettuces at the supermarket are still looking limp and tasteless, so I'm attempting a spring-like salad out of winter ingredients. To wit, this quinoa salad. I've made a quinoa salad with sweet potatoes before, but this one feels spring-ier to me.

Note: I'm not a huge fan of raw onion, so I left it out and used scallions instead.

From Food and Wine:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups quinoa
Salt
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 large Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 packed cups baby greens, such as arugula or kale (about 6 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the quinoa and toast over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the quinoa for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa, spread it out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until it is chilled, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and softened. Let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, apples, parsley, onion and greens and toss well. Serve right away.

Thai coconut-peanut sweet potato soup

I got a 10-lb bag of sweet potatoes from Costco, so you might be seeing quite a few sweet potato recipes shortly. I made a sweet potato risotto (with crumbled pecans on top and three different kinds of cheese, yum), and this soup from foodess.com. I really like the combination of peanut butter, coconut milk and cilantro.

Reprinted below:

1 tbsp oil
1 cup chopped onion (from 1 medium-large onion)
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds removed, if less heat is preferred)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1½” pieces
1 can (400 mL/14 oz) coconut milk
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
salt, to taste
⅛ tsp cayenne (optional)
1 lime, cut in wedges (optional)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until just softened. Add jalapeno and garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in curry paste. Add chopped sweet potato, coconut milk and broth. Cover and cook until sweet potato is very soft, about 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender, or do it in batches in a regular blender.

Stir in peanut butter, cilantro, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir, and adjust salt to taste. Add cayenne if additional heat is desired. Serve with more minced cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Potato, leek and feta tart

This is a free-form tart that comes together beautifully. If you roll the pie crust a little thick, you can eat it like a pizza.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into half-moons
1/2 cup crumbled feta (about 2 ounces)
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pie crust

Heat oven to 375º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the feta and parsley. Add the potatoes and toss to combine. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the pie crust to a 12-inch diameter. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture onto the pie crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edge of the pie crust over the edge of the potato mixture. Bake (covering with foil if the crust gets too dark) until the pie crust is golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

Veal and potato soup

Occasionally, the restaurant where I work will make veal for two. A big double veal chop, plus sweetbreads. The double veal chop is truly a joy to behold: brontosaurus-sized, glistening with butter and fat, enough to make any vegetarian reconsider (IMHO). But it's a lot of meat, and sometimes, people don't take the leftovers home.

The other night, two tables forgot to take the rest of their boxed-up veal leftovers with them--a few slices of the chop, plus the bones. I salvaged the two boxes, took them home, and threw them into the fridge, thinking to use the bones for veal stock.

Today, when I opened the boxes, I realized there were some good slices of veal meat in there, too. So I'm using them in a veal and potato soup.

Since the veal is already cooked, I'm just making a plain potato soup, without the cheese, with the veal bones added in while the potatoes are cooking. Once the potatoes are cooked through, I'll add the chopped-up veal, plus some herbs and salt, and finish with a little milk or cream. I'll garnish with some fresh carrot greens.

Doesn't that sound awesome? I'll drink my favorite tequila with it.

Bacon, potato and red pepper hash

Ah, hash. I've made white bean breakfast hash, sausage and potato hash, blue potato and corn hash, even sweet potato hash. Really just an excuse to eat crispy-fried potatoes, with other things.

This hash is one of those everything-left-in-the-fridge dishes. I simultaneously used up the rest of the potatoes, the bacon, two giant red peppers, and half a bag of frozen lima beans. And because I'll put a fried egg on top, the rest of the eggs, too.

Feel free to use this as a template, to empty your own refrigerator.

Dice some potatoes, and boil in water until almost but not quite cooked through. Drain. Fry some bacon. Remove the actual bacon and saute one diced onion and two diced red peppers in the bacon grease. When soft, add the potatoes back in, and any frozen veggies. Keep the heat on high and keep an eye on it. Stir it enough to keep it from burning, but not so much that you keep it in constant motion--you want a nice brown sear on everything. (I also threw in four diced mushrooms, just 'cause.)

When sufficiently browned, season with salt and pepper, crumble the cooked bacon on top, and serve with an egg on top. Good any time of day.

Lentil and potato curry

No posts for the last couple of days because I haven't been around to cook anything. I've been working pretty much continuously, but now it's my day off! This is what I'm making.

From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: 1 cup dried brown lentils, washed and picked over

3 1/2 cups water, coconut milk, or stock, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 medium starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Yogurt and chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Combine the lentils, liquid, and curry powder in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low so that the mixture bubbles gently, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils start to absorb the water a bit, about 15 minutes.

2. Add the potatoes and cover the pan completely. Cook undisturbed for 10 minutes or so, then stir gently and check to make sure the lentils aren't too dry. (At this point, you can add 2 tablespoons butter for a smoother mixture, if you want.) If they are, add a bit more liquid. Add salt as the lentils become tender.

3. Cover and continue cooking until the lentils are soft and beginning to turn to mush and the potatoes are tender at the center, another 5 to 10 minutes; add liquid if necessary. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. Add lots of black pepper, stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning and serve, garnished with yogurt and cilantro.

Potato and corn frittata

Remember this zucchini and potato frittata? This uses fresh summer corn; some of the kernels will almost caramelize, which is too delicious for words.

3 tablespoons olive oil or bacon grease
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1 large baking potato, peeled and sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups corn kernels
6 eggs
1 cup coarsely shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil (I used bacon grease) in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic, onion, potato, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, resisting the urge to stir. Remove the lid, flip the mixture so the other side can brown, and then cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the corn and cook for a few minutes longer, to heat through.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, then add the cheese, parsley, cream, and salt and pepper. Pour into the skillet, stirring just to mix with the potatoes. Cook without stirring (shaking occasionally to loosen it) until the bottom is golden but the top is still runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Finish the frittata by placing it in the oven; bake at 400 until the top is just set. Remove and serve.

No-mayo potato salad

This is Mark Bittman's potato salad recipe; it's just potatoes with a mustard vinaigrette. It takes no time at all to throw together, it's made with easy pantry ingredients (I threw in a few finely diced dill pickles and some fresh dill, since I didn't have any parsley, and used shallots instead of onions).

Reprinted below:


11/2 pounds waxy potatoes, like red new potatoes or fingerling; or all-purpose, like Yukon Gold (or even starchy baking potatoes are fine)
Salt
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped scallions or red or yellow onion
1/2 cup Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe below), plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel the potatoes if you like (or wash and scrub them well), then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them in a pot with enough water to cover them and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the water bubbles gently. Cook the potatoes until tender but still firm and not all mushy, 15 minutes or so, depending on the potato. Drain, rinse in cold water for a minute, then drain again.

2. Toss the still-warm potatoes with the parsley and scallion. Add the vinaigrette until the mixture is as dressed as you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding black pepper. Serve as is or refrigerate for an hour or so to chill the salad. (At this point, you may refrigerate the salad, covered, for up to a day.)
Mustard or Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good wine vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon any good mustard or 1/2 teaspoon or so dry mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you.

2. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. (This is best made fresh but will keep, refrigerated, for a few days; bring it back to room temperature and whisk briefly before using.)

Beet-and-potato salad

Using some of the beautiful baby beets my mom brought me from her garden, and a few gold fingerling potatoes, I made a really nice potato salad.

4 medium gold potatoes, cut into pieces and boiled
4 medium beets, roasted and peeled and cut into pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup mayo
salt
cayenne pepper
1/4 cup peas (optional)

Combine the beets and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain. Combine with the rest, mix until well blended, and adjust seasonings to taste.

Crockpot red bean and sweet potato chili

I've been on a crockpot kick lately. (Can you tell?) I also paid off one of my student loans the other day. Which is awesome, but it means I have no cash to go grocery shopping with. That isn't really a problem--I have a fully stocked pantry, as you know--but I am completely out of green things, even frozen spinach, and I'm starting to run low on other basics.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get nutrients without greenery. This combination of red beans, sweet potatoes and tomatoes has lots of vitamins and such, and best of all, requires a bare minimum of effort to throw together. That's why I've been using my crockpot so much lately--been eating a lot of beans and lentils, because it's the end of the month, and because I'm lazy.

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used 1 1/4 jarred roasted red peppers)
6 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups pre-cooked red beans
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, with juice
Chili powder, cumin and cayenne to taste (I used 2 tablespoons, 1 tablespoon and a healthy sprinkle, respectively)
Broth

Saute the onion, pepper and garlic in olive oil in a skillet (on the stove) until soft. Add the seasonings and the sweet potatoes, and cook for another minute. Dump all this into the crockpot and add the beans, tomatoes, and enough broth to cover. Cook on Low for 6 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot potato soup with pesto

Another easy win for dinner.

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 medium Yukon Gold (or other) potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups broth

Place the oil and garlic in the crockpot and turn to High and cover while prepping the potatoes. Add the potatoes and broth, stir, and cook on Low for 4-6 hours. Puree (in a food processor or with a stick blender). Serve with a spoonful of pesto swirled in, and salt and pepper to taste.

Blue potato and corn hash

I used the last of the blue potatoes I got at the farmer's market for this. I really have to get some more; they're so beautifully colored.

The recipe called for spinach leaves; but I was out of frozen spinach. Instead, I used a combination of parsley and cilantro for the greenery.

5-6 blue potatoes, diced
2 cups frozen corn
3 cups fresh spinach leaves; or one box of frozen spinach, thawed, with all the water squeezed out; or a combination of fresh parsley and cilantro
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used gruyere)

Boil the potatoes until cooked through. Drain well. Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet, and cook the potatoes until crispy and browned. Add the corn and the greenery. Cook until the greenery is just wilted; season well with salt and pepper; and stir the cheese in and mix well. Serve.

Warm blue potato salad

I got the most beautiful blue potatoes at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got around to using them. (Of course you could use regular potatoes, too; waxy ones work best for this.)

2 lbs potatoes, in chunks
salt and pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 shallots, finely diced
1 teaspoon Dijon
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons capers
Parsley, chopped

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until cooked through, and drain. Whisk the lemon juice and zest with the shallots, mustard and olive oil until it becomes an emulsion. Mix that with the potatoes, capers, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Sweet potato pie

No marshmallows needed or allowed.

I used the standard pumpkin pie recipe, and just substituted roasted, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin puree. The finished pie was a little lumpy; if you like a smooth pie, puree the sweet potato mash first. I used six small sweet potatoes; roast at 400 until cooked all the way through, then let cool and slip them out of their skins.

I used my standard pie crust recipe, too. No need to pre-bake it.

Portuguese kale soup

I was suspicious of a soup that only had four ingredients, none of which were the standard onion/garlic saute to start it off.

But I did have two heads of kale that needed to be used up.

1 lb chorizo or hot Italian sausage, squeezed out of the casing
6-7 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 heads of kale, chopped
Chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in water until tender. Drain and roughly mash. In a separate large stockpot, brown the sausage. Add a little broth to that, along with the potato mash. Add the chopped kale, and enough broth to float the whole thing. Stir well and let cook until the kale is tender, 15 minutes or so. Season well and serve hot.

Notes: Be sure to remove the kale stems and chop finely. A rough chop, like I did, is too much for this. Also, you can't have too many potatoes. The potato mash essentially disappears into the soup, thickening it up, so if you want a strong potato taste, add more.

I have no idea if this is the traditional Portuguese recipe or not (caldo verde, or green soup), but it still makes a pretty tasty kale soup.

Grilled steak (or, Belated Birthday Dinner)

My belated birthday dinner consisted of grilled dry-aged steak, fried potatoes, and creamed spinach, capped off with the last bottle of Laughing Stock. There was also a sort-of bearnaise sauce, but it didn't come together the way I wanted it to, so we'll leave that out.

The steaks were dry-aged beef. I'll leave out the science of why dry aging beef makes it taste better (it does; you can Google it for more info), but these were tasty steaks. I brought them up to room temperature, seared them on my indoor grill for two minutes per side, and then let them rest.

The potatoes were fried in truffle oil and duck fat.

It was a true Peter Luger-style dinner, in my very own living room.