potatoes

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Yummy Spud Fries! Choose a healthier way to have your fries and eat them, too. Take regular potatoes, preferably russet, cut them into thick strips leaving the skin on, and bake until crispy before adding a mound of toppings. I use both grated and shaved Parmesan cheese. You’ll know perfection when the outside is a lovely sunset golden color. One bite reveals a fluffy potato within. Now dunk them in sour cream and chives or slather on thick tomato ketchup. Mmmmm. 
YUMMY SPUD FRIES
Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, washed and cut into thick strips

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved

Garnish with bacon crumbles 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Put potato strips in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with garlic powder, thyme, and seasoned salt. Coat well. Transfer potatoes to a nonstick baking sheet. Spread into a single layer. Reserve oil in bowl. Bake 15 minutes. Turn potatoes and bake 15 minutes longer. Transfer potatoes back into the bowl with reserved olive oil. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Coat well. Layer fries onto baking sheet. Return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Before serving sprinkle spud fries with shaved Parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles. Serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: New Potato Salad! If I said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: the French have it going on! The more I explore their recipes, the more I feel like a gourmet chef. You can, too. Trust me. When I tell you I’m going to have you make potato salad by skipping the mayo, just pretend you didn’t hear me and forge ahead. The results are worth it. Don’t make a big deal when you serve it as a side dish. You’re husband will do that for you. Husband-tested, rave reviews!
NEW POTATO SALAD 
1 pound red-skinned new potatoes 

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup celery hearts, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh chervil, coarsely chopped 
Instructions: 

Place quartered potatoes, skin on, in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Add sea salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes. For dressing, combine olive oil, garlic red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Whisk until blended. When potatoes are cooked, drain well. Transfer them to a bowl to cool. Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add celery and chervil, gently folding to blend flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter A

Letter A – What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Au Gratin Potatoes! How’s this for comfort food? Butter, cream, and cheese……with potatoes thrown in. Can you say creamy and luscious three times very fast???
AU GRATIN POTATOES 
Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes 

1 clove garlic 

1 sweet onion, sliced thin

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup half & half cream

2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese* 

Sea salt and pepper to taste. 

* Gruyere or Provolone or all three may be combined. 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly rub garlic all over a 9×13 baking dish. Butter dish then set aside unused portion of butter. Peel and slice potatoes. Hold in a bowl of cold water until ready to use. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until cooked. Divide drained potatoes, cooked onion, and shredded cheese into three layers in baking dish, reserving last third of cheese until the final 5 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining butter with cream until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. Pour evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is browned, the cream has been absorbed, and the potatoes are soft. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Olive Oil Herb Potatoes! Being raised in the Midwest, practically every evening meal consisted of meat, potato, and vegetable. Perhaps that is why I love potatoes so much. I learned how to make homemade potato soup at the hem of my mother’s apron, without measuring or a recipe. But that’s a story for another day. I like the baby potatoes available now at the supermarket. By slicing them, with the skin on, and drizzling them with herbs and olive oil, the taste is unbelievable! Who wouldn’t fall in love with these tasty little nuggets?
OLIVE OIL HERB POTATOES 
Ingredients:

5 baby potatoes, washed and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence 

2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Leaving skin on potatoes, wash thoroughly and pat dry. Put one potato on a soup spoon. Beginning at one end, slice in strips, being careful to stop before slicing the bottom skin. The knife will hit the spoon to prevent it from cutting through. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Continue until all potatoes are sliced. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic powder, Herbes de Provence, and chopped rosemary leaves. Brush each potato with herbed olive oil, separating slices to coat both sides. Drizzle remaining oil over all. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake potatoes one hour until crispy, basting occasionally. Serve immediately. 

Go Irish: Corned Beef Tonight!

Eating corned beef brisket isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day anymore, but when you have a good thing, go for the gold. This is the best time to stock up when it’s popular and readily available at the nearby market. Go from the traditional favorite dinner one day to corned beef hash and eggs the next morning and Reuben sliders for a late night snack. Are you getting the idea? Be creative and tell me yours!
CORNED BEEF BRISKET 
Ingredients:

3-pound corned beef brisket, boneless

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon peppercorns 

1 tablespoon bay leaves

1 cup ginger beer or water

1-pound baby carrots, peeled

4 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon paprika 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. Place corned beef brisket, fat side up, in a covered roaster. Sprinkle spices on top. Add 1 cup of ginger beer or water. Cover and roast for three hours. The guideline is one hour per pound. After 2 hours add carrots to roaster. Cover and cook for 1 hour. At that time, the contents should be fork tender. Let the brisket rest for 15 minutes before slicing across the grain. Remove carrots and place in a bowl. Add butter to coat. Sprinkle with paprika. 
BOILED CABBAGE 

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

In a deep pan, add 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add cabbage quarters and salt. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Turn cabbage with tongs. Simmer 5 minutes longer until tender. Drain well. Add butter to coat cabbage thoroughly. 
PARSLEY BOILED POTATOES 

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sections

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon parsley

Instructions:

Place potatoes in 2 quart saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover. Add salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook potatoes 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Add butter to coat. Garnish with parsley. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Yankee Potato Salad! The new red potatoes at the market right now make the best-tasting side dish for all your casual meals. Wash them thoroughly so you can leave the skins on.  
YANKEE POTATO SALAD
Ingredients:

10 new red potatoes, small 

2 green onions 

3 ounces of hickory-smoked bacon bits

1 tablespoon fresh dill

1 cup real mayonnaise 
Instructions:

Quarter the red potatoes and put into a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, add cooled potatoes, bacon bits, cut-up green onions. Mix in mayonnaise to blend well. (For a moist salad, add more.) Finally, gently fold in the fresh cut dill. Refrigerate 1-2 hours for best flavor. 

No Pig-Latin Required 

A Kalua pig roast is as common in the Hawaiian Islands as an American hot dog is at a baseball game. A big difference on the islands is the time-consuming preparation required using an underground oven, or imu, for the pig roast. Patience is key. Slow cooking is the secret to rich, moist, tender pork with just the right amount of smoky taste that cannot be duplicated. To be fortunate enough to watch the ceremonial process is a privilege few tourists afford. After two hours the lava rocks are hot enough for the entire pig, which is wrapped in chicken wire, to be placed in the imu by two sturdy men. Taro, sweet potatoes, and ulu breadfruit are tucked around the pig before banana leaves and wet burlap completely encase it. A canvas tarp becomes the next covering. Last, but not least, dirt is used like the lid on a pot. Set the timer. The pig will roast underground for eight hours, saturating all the flavors. Once the multiple layers are removed, the tender pork is shredded and the luau begins. Aloha!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Hearty Ham and Bean Soup. I’m such a morning person which is why I can throw together a meal, as soon as I grab my first cup of coffee, and let it slow cook all day long. The aroma wafting throughout the kitchen is enough to make your mouth water in anticipation. This hearty bean soup can be simmered stove-top or in the crock pot. You choose. 
HEARTY HAM AND BEAN SOUP
Ingredients:

8 cups water

1 pound bag of dried Mixed Beans

1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce

2 1/4 pounds smoked ham chunks

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 potatoes, cubed

2 medium carrots, cut up

2 stalks celery, cut up

3 whole bay leaves
Instructions:

Heat water and dried mixed beans to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. 

Add tomato sauce, smoked ham chunks, onion, instant bouillon, salt, pepper, and garlic to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about two hours. Do not boil or beans will burst. Skim fat if necessary. 

Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Add whole bay leaves. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about one hour. Stir in 1 cup of water for thinner consistency. Makes 8 servings. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Beef au Jus!Talk about a no-brainer. This is a great meal when you have no time. I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long. By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door. Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine. A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance. Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax! An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!
BEEF AU JUS
Ingredients:

3 lb. Beef Roast

1 can Beef Consommé 

Herbs de Provence

4 Idaho Potatoes 

1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 

1 cup Dry Red Wine
Directions:

Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °. Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours. The meat will be juicy and fork-tender. Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover. Bake for one hour, or until tender. Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”. It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!
***Option: The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk. Leave a few lumps for texture. Top with “au jus”.