Tag Archive for 'potatoes'

Bacon, Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Published by mel on October 6, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Bacon, Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers

On the rare occasion that I go out for brunch or breakfast, it’s not the French Toast or Pancakes that grab my attention, It’s the salty, starchy stuff. The eggs and omelets, the hash browns and tater tots, the hot sauce. If I see a “skillet” type thing on the menu, I’m probably ordering it. There’s nothing more satisfying than browned and crisp potatoes, smoky bacon and some eggs.

So, when I found myself wondering what to make with the random ingredients leftover from the week – poblano peppers, a potato, some eggs and not much else – breakfast-style stuffed peppers came to mind. No matter that it was 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, I love breakfast any time of day. I sauteed some peppered bacon until crisp, then cooked onions and potatoes in the bacon drippings. Toss everything together with some black beans, stuff into peppers, top with grated Cotija cheese and bake.

The peppers roast in the oven while the potatoes, bacon and cheese brown perfectly into a salty, crisp crust. Top with a poached egg (not pictured), and you’ve got the breakfast (or dinner) of champions.

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Bacon, Blue Cheese & Jalapeño Twice Baked Potatoes

Published by mel on September 15, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Bacon, Blue Cheese & Jalapeño Twice Baked Potatoes

September is here and with it comes football. My favorite thing about football? Tailgating food, of course. Sure, I love a good college football game, but the real treat is the afternoon beer, wings, nachos and potato skins. In honor of Michigan defeating Notre Dame last weekend (hopefully Michigan State will do the same this weekend), I’m posting football-friendly food all week. And I’m kicking it off with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Jalapeno Twice Baked Potatoes.

The nice people over at Ile de France sent me a nice St. Agur Blue Cheese, which was the perfect ingredient for this amazing side. The filling is spicy and smoky, creamy and blue cheese-y, and the skins are crisp and chewy. If you’re making steak, these should be your side dish. And even if you’re not making steak, you should make these anyway. I promise you won’t have any leftovers.

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Mojito Roasted Potatoes

Published by mel on July 17, 2009 in recipe and sides & bites.

Mojito Roasted Potatoes

Is there anything more refreshing than a cold, crisp Mojito when it it’s 200 degrees outside? I don’t think so. Nothing says summer like lime and ice and mint leaves. Roasted potatoes? Those are more like fall and winter. A summer potato is usually smothered in mayo and plopped on a picnic table. Delicious yes, but sometimes cold potato salad isn’t what I’m craving.

So, here’s my attempt to bring the refreshing summery-ness of a Mojito to the lowly potato. I roasted them with garlic, olive oil, lime zest and salt, then tossed them with lime juice and fresh mint. The caramelized potatoes and garlic added just the right amount of sweetness so that it really reminded me of a Mojito. The lime and mint brightened them up and added a good bite. They were really good and kind of addicting in that way that only roasted potatoes can be.

Although I loved them this way, I think I’ll try a cold, salad version of this recipe next time. Just boil the potatoes instead of roasting them and toss them with the rest of the ingredients once they’re cool. I bet that salad would be a big hit at my next BBQ!

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Published by mel on February 27, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

On this busy, busy week I’m experimenting with new ways to get dinner on the table faster. Or in this case, lunch into my lunchbox in record time. This beef stew went from fridge to photograph in 45 minutes. Including vegetable washing and chopping. One of the many reasons I love my pressure cooker. That and I never, ever remember to soak beans.

I used the pressure cooker because I wanted my stew fast, but this recipe would be equally good cooked in a dutch oven with a little more time. Either way, it’s a simple hearty stew made with flank steak, potatoes, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, rosemary and wine. Simply season and brown the meat, add the remaining ingredients and walk away. Twenty minutes in the pressure cooker (or 1 hour in dutch oven), and you’ve got a hearty, flavorful and healthy meal.

I’m really not a fan of too many kitchen gadgets, but if you’re thinking about investing in a pressure cooker, I’d highly recommend it. I love the idea of putting everything into a pot and walking away. I also love throwing dried beans, a ham hock, onions and dried chipotle peppers into the cooker for 45 minutes for some of the tastiest beans around.

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Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

Published by mel on November 18, 2008 in dessert, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

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A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

Published by mel on October 15, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

I really love a good soup. A good soup is one that I can throw together in under 10 minutes and let bubble on the stove for as long as I please. A good soup will fill me up for the whole day. A good soup is healthy and makes me feel good all day. This corn chowder is definitely a good soup.

Instead of loading the chowder up with cream and flour and other heavy chowder staples, I used fingerling potatoes to give the chowder its rich creaminess. I also added some slow-cooking polenta to thicken it up and add another layer of corn-y-ness. Some stock, frozen corn, lemon, crushed red pepper and a little bit of cream finish up this super simple chowder.

A Simply Delicious Corn Chowder

I topped it all off with cheese, herbs and dollop of plain yogurt for one of the best soups I’ve made in awhile. I could probably eat this every day and be a happy woman. Next time, I might add some crumbled bacon or sausage, or maybe even a poached or fried egg to top it off. It’s a simple, affordable and delicious lunch or weeknight dinner. In fact, I wish I had some in my lunchbox right now, but I suppose I’ll settle for Turkey & Pumpkin Lasagna.

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potato & spinach frittata w/ roasted golden tomato salsa

Published by mel on May 8, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

potato & spinach frittata w/ roasted golden tomato salsa

Back in college, Saturdays in the Fall used to be all about football. And football started first thing in the morning. It’s very important to get a few hours of tailgating in before the noon kick-off. So that means kegs and eggs. Yep, beer and breakfast. I’ll admit the first beer doesn’t go down so easily, but you get used to it after the first one, and you’re definitely enjoying it by the second or third. Some girls started with mimosas, but I’m a beer girl.

Last night I was cooking the potatoes and onions for my frittata when they began sticking to the pan. I didn’t want to add more oil and I didn’t have any chicken stock handy. Water is flavorless, and I needed something to help the potatoes and onions soften. Then that Corona in the fridge caught my eye. I promptly poured 1/3 of the bottle over the potatoes. The pan deglazed, the potatoes softened and a nice beer-y smell filled the air. Kegs and eggs anyone? Yes, please.

The roasted tomato salsa was a perfect match for the Corona-spiked frittata. It would also be darn tasty with some tortilla chips. I encourage you all to regress to those college days and try some kegs with your eggs.

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breakfast for dinner

Published by mel on March 13, 2007 in breakfast, entree and recipe.

frittata

There’s nothing better than having breakfast for dinner. Or, dinner for breakfast. Honestly, what’s better than a cold slice of pizza at 7AM? Do we feel a bit rebellious eating waffles with syrup when we should be eating steamed fish and veggies? I don’t know, but yesterday when the meal I started making quickly went into the garbage (due to some funky sausages), breakfast was the only thing my growling tummy had the patience wait for. (Yes, I am aware that I should not be ending my sentence with a preposition, but there it is.)

Back to breakfast. I had been trying to make potato pancakes, but the attachment on the food processor wasn’t being very cooperative. Mondays are the worst. Seeing as I had already massacred the potatoes, I decided to make my version of patatas bravas, or Spanish-style home fries.

I finished chopping up the potatoes and an onion and threw them into a hot pan with some olive oil. After they had begun to brown, or stick, as the case may be, I added some tomato paste, water, salt, pepper and some read chili flakes. I covered the pot and let them simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the taters were tender.

frittata

In the meantime, I whipped up my frittata. In keeping with my Iberian theme, I used some Linguica sausage, along with some non-Iberian torn basil leaves and ricotta.

recipe after the jump.

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