Mini Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream & Chives

 

These are amazingly delicious and look very elegant on the table.  If someone in your house isn't a fan of smoked salmon, skip it.  I had an extra small plate ready for anyone who may not want the salmon, but everyone ate them.  That includes my 7 and 11 year old boys, so try it...don't be a wimp!

I got this recipe from Gale Gand's "Brunch!" cookbook.  Can you tell yet that I love it?  My last few posts have been from this amazing book.  Go get it!

To make these delicious bites (which can be served warm or at room temperature) you need to wash and quarter 4 large russet potatoes, and peel and quarter 1 1/2 medium yellow onions.  Put through a food processor with the grater attachment.  Then drain the liquid out.  Put 1/3 back into the food processor and puree.  Add it all together and continue to drain out the excess water.

In a separate bowl mix 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.  Pour this over the potato mixture.  Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the entire mixture and incorporate completely.  

Pour enough canola oil into a medium high heat pan to coat the bottom.  Form one inch potato balls and flatten them out with a spoon.  Let them cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes) and flip.  

Top these with sour cream, smoked salmon pieces and fresh chives.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Roasted Brusssel Sprouts and Oven Fries

I love that you can make chicken breast 3 times in a week and it can taste totally different each time.  Tonight I went with an old favorite:  Chicken Cordon Bleu.  That is just fancy talk for chicken with ham and cheese rolled inside, you know.  It's supper easy too.

Pound out the chicken with a meat tenderizer, add seasoning (I used salt, pepper, and paprika), one large slice of ham, freshly grated cheese of your choice (I used smoked provolone), roll it up, dip it in egg whites, and roll in breadcrumbs.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

Oh, and I sprayed them with olive oil to make them brown a little in the oven.  Yummy.

I also roasted brussel sprouts and oven fries the last 15-20 minutes.  Just drizzle with olive oil and then add salt and pepper.  When they come out grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top!

Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Skirt Steak with Spicy Green Salsa and Sour Cream Potato Salad

I'd never cooked skirt steak until this recipe.  It is DELICIOUS!  What took me so long?  I am a huge fan of flank steak, but this is just YUM.  I got this recipe from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast cookbook.  One of my favorite fast go to cookbooks.  The potato salad is really tasty!

You can find the recipe here:  www.marthastewart.com/334703/chili-rubbed-skirt-steak

Make this!  You will not be disappointed!!!  I promise you!

Potato and Bacon Cake

This picture does NOT do this justice.  I must say this is an excellent side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  I had it at the breakfast table and cut it into pie slices.  It's very YUMMY!  Here is where to find it:  http://www.marthastewart.com/349632/potato-and-bacon-cake.

First cook 3/4 of a pound of bacon into pieces.  YES, I used real bacon...I know, don't faint.

Peel and cube potatoes and boil them.  Then take them in batches and fry them in a skillet.

Layer first 1/3 of potato mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish and top with 1/3 of crumbled bacon. 

Drizzle with some of the bacon fat.

Continue with all 3 layers.  I put it in the fridge to bake the following morning for breakfast, but you could bake it at this point.  Set oven at 450 and bake for one hour (covered).  Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Rolls with Homemade Potato Chips

These were so good.  The recipe comes together quickly and you probably have the ingredients on hand.  I am looking forward to making these in the summer!  Very refreshing.

The recipe calls for a pound of cooked, shelled shrimp.  I personally think the precooked shrimp tastes very bland.  I always have a bag of uncooked, frozen shrimp in the freezer, so I pour half the 2 pound bag into a bowl of warm water while I am getting all the other ingredients out.  Then I take off the tails and put them on a paper towel to get the water off of them.  I find the best way to cook shrimp is to put them on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

These shrimp are good  if you chill them and serve them with cocktail sauce too!!  YUM.

Here are the ingredients that make the "shrimp salad."  If you have never used Greek yogurt, you should.  It is awesome and I can use it for lots of things.  I substitute it for sour cream all the time.  You can add fruit and granola to it for a quick and healthy breakfast.  YUM.  My son loves it with a scoop of strawberry jam as a snack.  

These are all things you probably have on hand (minus the yogurt).  I always have it on hand.  They now sell Greek yogurt at costco, which makes me very happy!  Oh did I mention it is good for you?

Once you mix all your ingredients with the cooled shrimp.  You put a lid on it and place it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

I can hear the Bunco girls teasing me now..."you know you can buy a bag of chips for a few bucks."  :)  Yes, I know this.  I am not really a chip eater though.  I love oven fries and potato wedges, but chips are not my favorite.  I do find the kids get huge smiles when they think they are getting "junk" we don't usually buy.  

Chips are very easy to make.  Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes 1/8-in thick.  Season with oil, salt and pepper (or whatever seasoning you like), and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Take some whole wheat hot dog buns and brush them with olive oil.  Place them in a grill pan and toast them until grill marks appear.  Fill with shrimp mixture.

Yum!  

Serve with homemade chips.  Yes, mine are slightly overcooked!  lol  I think next time I will slice them thicker!  Or pay attention!!  

Shrimp Roll

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt 
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion green (about 1 scallion)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound cooked, shelled medium shrimp
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 whole-wheat hot dog buns
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

If using regular yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with paper towel and set the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes. 

In a bowl, stir together the thickened or Greek-style yogurt, mayonnaise, celery, scallion and lemon juice. Fold in the shrimp and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to use.

Just before serving, open the hot dog buns and brush the inside with olive oil. Heat a grill pan over moderately high heat and grill the bread, cut side down, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Fill each with 3/4 cup of the shrimp mixture and serve immediately. 

Bangers and Mustard Mash

These "smashed potatoes" as my Marcus calls them were awesome!  He will not eat potatoes unless they are smashed.  I took a gamble with making Mustard Mash, but it was a winner!  Thanks to Ina, again!  What was not a smash, was the chicken sausage I tried to sneak in there.  I get them all the time when the boys want brats.  I don't eat many brats or hot dogs, so I get chicken sausages.  In all fairness, these were a little spicy.  I got the Italian chicken sausages...should have gone with plain.

Instead of dismissing this recipe as a fail...I think you need to use your favorite sausages and it will be fine.  I had seasoned, like I said, that did not make any of the men in my house happy.  BUT I enjoyed it and I know for next time what NOT to make them.

Served it with steamed broccoli.

BANGERS AND MUSTARD MASH
by Ina Garten

serves 4-6

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick, diced)
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces creme fraiche (I didn't find this anywhere so left it out)
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (didn't do this either)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds fresh veal or chicken sausages (8 large sausages)

Boil potatoes in a large sauce pan with one tablespoon of salt.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Drain and return to pan.  Add butter, milk and creme fraiche and beat potatoes in the pan.  (Use an electric mixer if you like them creamy.)  Mix in the other ingredients.  Add more milk if you need to.

Meanwhile prepare grill and cook sausages about 5 minutes on each side, until brown and cooked through.  Transfer to plate and wrap with foil.  Allow to rest 5 minutes.

To serve, mound a generous portion of potatoes on the plate and top with grilled sausages cut in half diagonally.

Classic Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

I've never made potatoes like this before, and I can't wait to try all the variations.  I found this recipe on blogs.babble.com and picked one of the many variations she had listed.  She did give credit to the original poster on that blog, and I'm sure if you do a google search you will come up with more variations or just make one up for yourself.  To find the recipe I worked from, click here:  http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/10/19/sweet-potato-hasselback-potato-recipe/.

I thought using the chopsticks to make sure you don't cut all the way through the potato was genius!  It made it easy for me to concentrate on cutting the potato, instead of having to worry if I was cutting to deep.  

Thinly slice the garlic and place it into the slits in the potato.  I used this garlic slicer, but you can cut it with a paring knife as well.

 Put the garlic into the potato and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  (I think 45 is the best number, or more if they are still not cooked through.)

Here are your finished potatoes.  I cannot wait to try the Proscuitto and Parmesean and the sweet potato drizzled with maple syrup.  Go for it!

I'm thinking these would also turn out great in the crockpot!

Potatoes Anna

Looking for an easy side dish to accompany a fall dinner that doesn't take forever to make and have a complicated recipe?  THIS IS IT!  Simple and delicious!  The added leaf decoration looks fancy, but this is one of the easiest "fancy looking" dishes I have made in a long time.  The recipe comes from Country Living's website and was listed by Susie Cushner.  Here is where you can find it:  Potatoes Anna Recipe.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

With a mandoline you can get the potatoes cut in no time.  It only took me a few minutes to peel them and slice them with this.  If you don't have one, you can cut them with a knife as well.

Melt one stick of butter and skim the foam off of the top and pour one tablespoon into a 12 inch skillet.

 Line the skillet with potato slices, slightly overlapping.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Apply second layer.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with salt.

Repeat layers, using all the potatoes and season.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the top layer and flatten the layers out.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Slice a sweet potato and use cutters to make fall leaf shapes.  The recipe called for purple potatoes and yams, but all I could find were the sweet potatoes.  (I will have to keep an eye out for purple, I think it would look really pretty.)

Heat a teaspoon of canola oil in a skillet and fry until golden on each side.  Place onto paper towel to collect excess oil.  

After 50 minutes, increase heat to 500 degrees and cook for 10 more minutes.  

To serve, invert onto plate and add the sweet potato leaves.  Enjoy!!!  This is delicious!

Chicken on the Grill

I love chicken on the grill, especially my new grill that I won by leaving a comment on one of my favorite blogs.  (I will never get tired of saying that!)  Anyway, I had a whole chicken in the refrigerator and simply cut it in half and grilled it.  

To do this you want to cut the backbone out and then cut right down the middle of the breast bone.  If you have a good pair of kitchen shears it takes just a minute.  (If you don't, I know where you can get a pair! *wink*)

Set the gas grill to medium and season your chicken on both sides very generously both outside and under the skin.  I used olive oil, rosemary seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.  Use what you like. 

 

Then when the grill is ready, put them on the grill.  I also cut up potato "fries" and put them on the grill as well (same seasoning).

   

Let them cook for 25-30 minutes total.  Check on them half way through.  Use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is fully cooked.  Let them set for 5-10 minutes to redistribute the juices.  Enjoy!  Grilling chicken is really very easy.  Enjoy!

Roasted Salmon and Potatoes

We love salmon at our house.  This roasted salmon, has just become a new favorite.  I got the recipe from my Martha Stewart Dinner at Home cookbook.  All of the recipes I have cooked so far have been easy and amazing!

To start the recipe, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat the potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs of your choice.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Turn the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more.

After the 10 minutes, move the potatoes to the edges and place the salmon in the middle of the sheet pan.  The salmon should be seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides.

Sprinkle the top of the salmon and potatoes with freshly chopped parsley and thyme.  I used what I picked out of the garden.

Serve with your choice of vegetables.  I also make a dipping sauce from 1/4 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice (freshly squeezed!), salt and pepper.  Everyone loved this dish (my husband, 5 year old and 9 year old).  It will definitely be made often.

Roasted Salmon and Potatoes

ingredients
1 T plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
Course salt and freshly ground pepper
1 fillet (2 pounds) salmon, preferably wild, skin on
Mustard-Herb Butter
Fresh herbs, plus more leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush bottoms of roasting pan with oil.  Place potatoes in pan; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, and drizzle with 1 T oil.  Toss to coat, and spread in a single layer.  Roast 30 minutes, turning with a spatula after potatoes begin to turn golden underneath (about 20 minutes). 

Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.  Push potatoes to edges of pan, and place salmon, skin side down, in center of pan.  Brush with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and roast until salmon barely flakes on the edges when pressed, 25-28 minutes for medium-rare.  Brush salmon and potatoes with herb butter while still hot.  Serve, garnished with herbs.

Mustard-Herb Butter

ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup herbs

Stir butter and mustard in small bowl until smooth.  Stir in herbs and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. 

I changed a few things in this recipe.  For one, I did not have fingerling potatoes, so sliced russet potatoes into oven fries.  I didn't use the herb butter at all.  I felt the fish is oily enough on its own.  I also served it with a sour cream/lemon sauce.  It is good on both the fish and the fries.

Roasted Potato Bites

These potatoes are delicious!  I'm always looking for new ways to serve potatoes since my youngest son is not a fan.  I find when I roast them, he tends to eat them, and who can resist a potato with all that added topping?

I washed sliced about 12 potatoes lengthwise.  I used a melon baller to take out most of the inside of the potato.  (Don't throw it away.  I boiled some water and added all the insides for a quick smashed potatoes for another day for lunch.)

Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil on both sides, then season with salt and pepper.  I also added an Italian seasoning to them that I love.  Mix them all with your hands so they are completely coated, and place in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Take them out of the oven when they are golden brown.

In the meantime, mix 8 oz cream cheese (melted in the microwave about 30 seconds) with 6 tablespoons of sour cream, and 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chives.  I used kitchen shears to cut them right into the bowl.

Fill potatoes with cheese mixture and top with cooked bacon (I used Canadian bacon) and freshly grated cheddar cheese.  Thew were soooooo good!  Great as part of your meal or as an appetizer.

We had ours with steaks one night and turkey burgers the next!

ENJOY!