Hash Waffles

I know I'm late to the waffle party - I haven't made much other than actual waffles in my waffle iron although I've been wanting to try the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls since Hannah told me they work great.

We're not big potato or hash brown people in general but this recipe has been popular around our house.  Well, after the first time when my husband though it was an actual waffle and poured syrup all over it.  I'll typically make one and split it between the two of us as a side with eggs or omelets.  There's a picture of this with the fritatta in the last post.

Recipe notes . . . I buy the frozen hash browns that don't have extra ingredients - that are basically just the potatoes.  I imagine you could shred your own and it would be the same but I usually take the short cut and keep a bag in my freezer.  Where the recipe says "Other seasonings," I've tried this with diced green chiles and cumin and usually put hot sauce on it after it's cooked.  You could do chopped spinach, other diced veggies, cooked diced bacon etc.

Hash Waffle (makes 1 large waffle)

3/4 cup frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)
1 egg
3 T egg whites (about 2 large)
salt and pepper to taste
any other seasonings

Preheat waffle iron.  Beat eggs and seasonings in a bowl.  Stir in thawed hash browns and mix well.  Spray waffle iron with non-stick spray.  Pour mixture into iron and spread evenly.  Cook until browned and cooked through - or when your waffle iron light comes on (or goes off?)

3sp

Loaded Baked Potatoes

While my mom was visiting my sister and new nephew, I had my dad over for dinner.  My husband was working late that night, so I decided to make something he doesn't enjoy:  baked potatoes.  I made bbq shredded chicken quite a bit and I usually serve it on little slider buns with melted cheese (and those pickled onions!  and jalapenos!) so this is a variation on that idea.  It was warm, yummy comfort food at its best!  I now want to try this with a buffalo chicken sauce and bleu cheese!

You can make the bbq chicken ahead in the crockpot.  I usually place breasts and thighs in the crockpot and pour about a cup of beer or chicken broth over it.  I cook it on low for 5-6 hours and then shred it with a fork.  At this point, drain off most of the liquid.  Then, add 1-2 cups of your favorite bbq sauce.  Keep it on warm in the crockpot until heated through (or remove and refrigerate until you're going to use it).  Alternately, you could cook the chicken on the stove until shreddable or you can use a rotisserie chicken (shredded and heated up with bbq sauce) or you can buy it all ready to go. 

Loaded Baked Potatoes (makes 4)

4 potatoes
2 cups shredded bbq chicken
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped green onions
bbq sauce
salt
olive oil

Scrub the potatoes, pierce them with a fork, brush with a light layer of olive oil, and sprinkle salt on them.  Place them on a piece of foil in a 400 degree oven for 40-55 minutes, or until they are have some give when you squeeze them (with an oven mit!).

Slice the top of the potato and squeeze the ends.  Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of the potato filling and discard.  Place a heaping mound of bbq chicken in the potato and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  The chicken and potato should be hot enough to melt the cheese, but if not, you can place them back in the warm oven for a few minutes. 

Serve immediately with a drizzle of bbq sauce, sour cream, and green onions.

Skillet Potatoes

After daylight saving time started and it was light outside later, we made hamburgers one night and I found a new side dish recipe to go with them.  Let me pause by saying that when you picture "hamburger" it's probably not what my husband makes.  He grills hamburger patties and center cut bacon, toasts Kaiser rolls in the bacon grease, and assembles his famous "Gondola Ride" adding deli mustard, Swiss cheese, arugula, red onions, and bacon.  They are amazing.

The full name of this recipe on the original site is "Crispy-Outside, Creamy-Inside Garlic Herb Potatoes" - too long!  I'm going to call them skillet potatoes.  I loved the method and the end result and I'll be making these often as a side dish.  I liked dipping them in spicy mustard.

Skillet Potatoes (serves 4-6)
from Host the Toast

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
2 c. low sodium chicken broth (plus more if necessary)
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, finely chopped

In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, arrange the baby red potatoes so that they are in a single layer with a little extra room around each one (you'll flatten them later).

Add the rosemary, thyme, chicken broth, olive oil, kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet.  Bring to a boil.  After it boils, reduce the heat to medium and put a lid on the skillet but leave it cracked to vent the excess steam.  Make sure the broth simmers for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

If all the liquid has absorbed, add an additional 1/2 cup.  You want the broth to come about 1/3 of the way up the side of the potatoes.

Take the pan off the heat and use a mallet or the back of a measuring cup to press down on the tops of the potatoes lightly until the skin cracks and and they flatten a little bit.

Return to high heat, uncovered, until the liquid has absorbed and the potatoes have browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat again and flip the potatoes.  You can flatten them a little bit more at this point and scrape up any burnt bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the last tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with parsley, and cook until that side is browned, about 5 more minutes.  Serve warm sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

First, a little Mini update.  Mini girl is now 8 months old.  She weighs in at about 13.5 lbs and is still wearing 3-6 month clothes.  She can sit up and wave, she recognizes her name and the names of people in our family, and loves to be outside.  It's amazing to see similarities between my girls at this age and I've been feeling sentimental about my girls as baby lately, so here are some photos of all three at 8 months.

First, the youngest (and the most recent photos):

Next, middle when she was 8 months old (and already crawling everywhere):

And finally, from back in 2008, Big at 8 months old:

This is a super easy crockpot soup - you chop some stuff, put it in the crockpot, and turn it on.  There might be more depth of flavor if you browned the onion and leek first (maybe with garlic and olive oil?) but I threw it all in there raw and it turned out great without the extra step.

How big you chop the pieces depends on whether you plan on blending the soup or not . . . if you're going to leave it chunky, dice the potatoes, carrot, celery, and onion smaller.  Make sure you wash the leek well before adding to the soup.  I found that with low-sodium broth and the milk, I needed to add some salt before serving it.

Cream of Potato Soup (serves 8)

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into pieces
1 carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tsp salt (more to taste)
pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup evaporated milk

Optional garnish:
cooked chopped bacon
chives
fresh parsley
grated cheese

Put everything but the evaporated milk in the slow cooker.  Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low (I did 2 hours on high and then turned it to low for 3 more hours).  Add the evaporated milk and mash up the soup with a potato masher (or for a smoother consistency, use a blender).  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Bring it back to a simmer (the milk & blending will have cooled it off) and serve with bacon, chives, parsley, and cheese to garnish (if you want to).

Smoked Salmon over Potato Cakes

Normally when we have salmon, my husband grills it.  I've only recently discovered how much I like smoked salmon and when I saw this recipe in a recent Cooking Light, I really wanted to try it.  It was a perfect light summer supper but would also be  an awesome idea for brunch or a luncheon.  I thought that some of the traditional toppings like creme fraiche and capers would also go really well.  I had a bag of frozen hash browns (just potato - no other ingredients) and thawed out the correct amount.  

If it's too hot to turn on your oven, try a crock pot recipe instead and remember this for when it cools off a little!!

Smoked Salmon over Potato Cakes (4 servings)
from Cooking Light

6 cups grated peeled baking potato
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
5 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
cooking spray
3.5 ounce package of smoked salmon
dill sprigs

Place an 8 inch round metal cake pan* in the oven.  Preheat oven to 425 with the pan in the oven.

Combine potato and onion in a large bowl.  Combine salt, pepper, cheese and eggs in another bowl, stirring well.  Combine egg mixture and potato mixture.  Remove preheated pan from oven  and carefully coat with cooking spray.  Place potato mixture in the pan and pack down slightly.  Bake at 425 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand in pan 10 minutes.  Invert potato mixture onto a plate.  Cut into 8 wedges; top evenly with salmon and dill (1 serving = 2 wedges = 391 calories).

*Instead, you can use ramekins.  I made large 2-cup ramekins but you could also divide it between smaller ones.  Reduce cooking  time by 10-15 minutes if you do this.

Potatoes Anna

The other night I made this for the second time and I really like the simplicity of the recipe (check out that ingredient list) and the crispy potatoes.  It's a versatile side dish for lots of kinds of menus.  We usually have it with grilled salmon or steaks.  The original calls for all white (russet) potatoes which you can certainly use, but I like it with a layer of sweet potatoes in there.  I use my mandolin slicer to get really thin slices.

Middle layer

Top before going into the oven

Potatoes Anna (serves 6-8)

from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

6 russet potatoes (or 3 sweet potatoes and 3 russets)

6 tablespoons of butter, melted

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel potatoes and using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice into rounds (1/4 in. thick or thinner).  Martha says not to put the slices in water - you need the starch to bind the dish together.

Brush the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet with about a tablespoon of butter.  Place a layer of potatoes, slightly overlapping, in a circular pattern covering the bottom of the skillet.  Brush with another half tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Repeat for two more layers.  I usually put the sweet potatoes as the middle layer.  

Place the skillet over high heat on the stovetop until the butter sizzles (about 2-4 minutes).  This will brown the bottom layer.  Put the skillet in the oven for about an hour or until the potatoes are fork tender and lightly browned on top.  Remove from oven.

Martha says to run a small spatula around the potatoes and invert onto a serving platter.  I've made a huge mess trying this so I serve them from the cast iron skillet.  But, I'm sure if you're more coordinated than me, it's beautiful that way!

Pesto Potato & Green Bean Salad

I'm really excited that it's almost summer!  I keep myself from thinking about the 90+ essays I'll be collecting in the next week or so, I've been making a summer "fun" list of things I want to do . . . maybe I'll share it on here sometime soon.

This potato salad is a great summer side and addition to a barbecue or potluck.  Without any mayonnaise or anything like that, it can sit at room temperature for a long time and is good warm or cold.  You can serve it to your GF friends, and your vegatarian friends.  The other potato side dish I like to make is this Deconstructed Potato Salad but this pesto version with the green beans is definitely going to make its appearance at summer dinners this year!

I thought the leftovers were amazing and even though I didn't have pine nuts, I'd definitely add them the next time.  My husband thought the potatoes should be cut smaller than quarters so I'll probably make that change next time too.

I found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen and Deb makes her own pesto for the salad.  I used store bought (Trader Joe's) but if you want the ingredients & instructions to make your own (it's not hard!) click on the link under the recipe title.

Pesto Potato & Green Bean Salad  Serves 10

from Smitten Kitchen

4 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments
1 cup of prepared pesto

6 Tablespoons (or more to taste) of a mild vinegar (white wine, champagne, or white balsamic)

1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and 

beans to a large bowl.

Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar, green onions, pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.

Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.

Sausage & Kale Soup

I seriously LOVE this soup.  It's a great combination of flavors and I spice it up quite a bit with red pepper flakes.  I used Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's but I'm interested in tryng it with a hot sausage next time.  There's no flour to thicken the base so it's gluten free!  Make sure you notice that this is supposed to serve 12 . . . easily halved for a smaller crowd.

The Pioneer Woman's Sausage and Kale Soup (serves 12)

Original Recipe here

2 bunches Kale, Picked Over, Cleaned, And Torn Into Bite Sized Pieces

12 whole Red Potatoes, Sliced Thin

1 whole Onion, Chopped

1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more to taste)

2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

2 cups Whole Milk

4 cups Half-and-half

Splash Of Heavy Cream (optional)

Fresh Or Dried Oregano

Black Pepper To Taste

Prepare the kale and set it aside.  In a medium pot. boil sliced potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage with the chopped onion. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness (optional), then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve.

New summer side dish

We grilled steaks the other night and I was thinking of making a caprese salad to go with it. I don't like to eat a lot of cheese with meat so I was trying to think of another idea when I remembered seeing this recipe on Blue Kitchen. It's similar to a caprese salad but with thin slices of cooked potatoes (served cold) instead of the cheese.

It came together really quickly and my husband actually ate potatoes! It's not that he hates them, he just doesn't prefer potato side dishes. Occasionally, mashed potatoes are fine, but in general, he'd prefer rice or bread or some other starch. I'm planning to make this a bunch this summer - cold side dish with summer flavors.

A couple of recipe notes: I think kalamata olives would work well in place of the capers, don't skimp on the basil, and I used heirloom cherry tomatoes which were great (but tomatoes fresh from the garden would be even better!). I made the full amount of garlic olive oil and then used it to make pasta the next night. It would be an awesome dipping sauce for bread!

My husband thought that if the potatoes were diced or sliced like matchsticks, it would be better / easier to eat than the rounds. I used two small russets instead of one big one and I thought the small rounds were just fine.

Deconstructed Italian Potato Salad (2 servings)
from Blue Kitchen

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove
freshly ground black pepper

1 large russet potato
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 T chopped red onions
4 tsp. capers (chopped if large)
2 T chopped fresh basil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste

Make garlic infused olive oil: Peel the garlic clove and bash it with the side of the knife to break it up. Put it in a jar with the olive oil and grind in some black pepper. Seal jar and shake it up. Let it set for a few hours (or make a few days ahead and refrigerate). Bring it to room temperature before using.

Make potato salad: Peel the potato and slice into 1/4 inch slices, discarding ends. Add to a rapidly boiling pot of water (salt the water). Cook the potato until it just loses that raw taste but it still firm, no more than 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the slices to an iced water bath to stop the cooking and once cool, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Combine the tomatoes, onions, capers, and half the basil in a bowl. Dress the mixture with 1 T of the garlic-infused olive oil. Spoon 3 T of that oil onto a serving plate. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer on a serving plate. Scatter the tomato mix over the potato slices. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of basil over everything and season with salt and pepper.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

At a family dinner last February, we had these potatoes and the recipe was a real winner - even my husband who doesn't really like potatoes loved it. The combination of spices was great and I liked the bits of red potato peel. It was pretty light - less than 200 calories per serving and only 3 T of butter. If you need potatoes to go with those steaks you're grilling this weekend, you can make these without turning on the oven. I can't think of any changes I would make to the recipe so here it is (originally from Cooking Light 11/07):

Ranch Mashed Potatoes - (10-12 servings)

Ingredients

13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Place potato in a big pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Put the lid on and simmer 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potato in a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

All about the accessories

Appliances and gadgets - I've been pretty picky about those things in the past due to limited cupboard and storage space but now that I have a little more room, a couple new toys have been the inspirations for what I cook.

My friend Kristen bought me a mandolin slicer for my birthday. I used to have a cheapy plastic one that scared me to death but this one is awesome - it is stable on the counter top and has an enormous guard that I think will protect my fingers. It inspired me to make a recipe again that was very laborious with a knife - Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin with Fresh Herbs (Gourmet Nov. 08). Tonight it didn't turn out so great because the potatoes were underdone when it looked done on the top - I'd add at least 15 minutes to the cooking time before you remove the foil. I had also refrigerated it before putting it in the oven which I didn't compensate for with the cooking time. Two other tips (thanks Kristen!): double the cheese and the herbs and make sure the potato slices are pretty dry before layering them. Even though it was a little raw tonight, I still love the recipe.

Last Christmas I got an ice cream maker that I had been eyeing for awhile. It's compact, easy, and great fun. Since the new year, I've been watching the sweets (I know, I'm such a new year's resolution cliche) so I think the frozen yogurt I made tonight was the first dessert I've made in weeks. I used to make this with pear sauce from Trader Joe's but they stopped carrying it. The recipe is a little tart (which I like) but you could add 1/4 cup white or brown sugar to sweeten it up a little bit.

Spiced Apple Frozen Yogurt (makes 1 1/2 quarts)

1 1/2 cup of apple sauce (I used the chunky kind with spices but no added sugar)
2 cups Greek yogurt (I used the kind with honey added from Trader Joe's)
1 T whole milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. You can store it in the refrigerator for a few hours until you're ready to make the frozen yogurt. Then, just pour it in your ice cream maker according to your model's instructions.

I think it's best to make frozen yogurt right when you want to eat it - the texture isn't great if it's put in the freezer after it's made.