Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Potato and goat cheese cake with rosemary

This recipe stands well on it’s own with an interesting salad, or as an accompaniment to grilled meat. Serve warm or at room temperature

Serves 6

1 1/2lbs (680g) small red potatoes
4 tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4lb (113g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are barely tender. They should be very firm and barely cooked in the center. Drain and cool.
Oil a 9-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper or well buttered heavy duty aluminum foil, allowing the ends to hang over the side for easy removal later.

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C)

In a large bowl, cream the butter and goat cheese together. Beat in the sour cream, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and rosemary. Slice the cooled potatoes into 1/4″ slices.Gently stir the potatoes into the goat cheese mixture. Transfer to the baking pan and gently smooth the top.
Bake for 35 – 45 mins, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Place on a rack to cool. Lift the potato cake out of the pan and cut into pieces, discarding the foil or parchment paper.

Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Curried sweet potato salad

We love sweet potatoes and this is something to try with your BBQ food that’s not so heavy on carbs.

Screen Shot 2020-06-25 at 2.38.54 PM

2-4 servings
1 lb sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), preferably organic, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp mango chutney
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt, to taste
toasted cashews, optional

Place the cubed potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes.

While the potatoes are draining, stir together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add them to the dressing ingredients and stir gently to evenly coat the potatoes.

Chill in the refrigerator (preferably overnight) to allow the flavors to meld.

Gluten Free · Vegetable sides

“Dilled” baby potatoes

This is the time of year we love a pot of these along with some grilled meat or fish.
They are absolutely divine and very more-ish. Do try them

Screen Shot 2020-06-25 at 2.26.43 PM

24 tiny new potatoes
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Scrub and dry the potatoes. Melt the butter in a heavy oven-proof casserole with a tight-fitting cover over low heat Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Coat with the butter.
Cover and cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Shake the casserole occasionally. The potatoes are done when they can be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Toss with the dill and serve at once.

* What I have also done is added 1 heaped tsp dried dill weed with the butter then added the fresh dill in at the end. Depends how much you like the taste of dill of course!

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Crispy pan potatoes

Who can resist a pan filled with crispy, golden potatoes? Serve this easy, impressive side dish as an alternative to classic roast potatoes for your dinner party or Christmas lunch.
From Delicious magazine.

Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 12.26.42 PM

Serves 8

3lbs (1.5kg) waxy baking potatoes, thinly sliced
A few sprigs each fresh thyme and rosemary, and sage and bay leaves
3oz (or more) unsalted butter

You’ll also need
10″-11″ ovenproof frying pan or cake tin (not too deep)

Heat the oven to 400F/, 200C /180C fan/gas 6.
Cook the potatoes in a large pan of well-slated, boiling water for 3 minutes or until almost cooked. Drain well and lay out on a few sheets of kitchen paper to steam dry.
When cool enough to handle, arrange the potato slices in handfuls in the pan, packing them in tightly and making sure they stand up straight.
Tuck the herbs in among the potatoes.
Melt the butter, then drizzle all over the potatoes.
Season, then cook in the oven for 1 hour or until crisp on top and cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad

Crispy Potato Salad with Chiles, Celery, and Peanuts

As the 4th July gets close, I’m thinking about interesting salads, in fact with the warmer weather and the fact that we are about to start a 6 month remodel, I’m definitely thinking salads with a difference!

Screen Shot 2019-06-23 at 7.23.08 PM

2 pounds baby fingerling potatoes, sliced crosswise ¾ inch thick
Kosher salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red chiles (such as serrano or Holland), thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp finely grated peeled ginger
½ cup unsalted, roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced in half lengthwise, thinly sliced on a diagonal, plus ½ cup celery leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
½ cup torn mint leaves

Place the potatoes in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover; season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain; let cool.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook potatoes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes; season with salt.

Meanwhile, bring the chiles, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Toss the potatoes, warm vinegar mixture, and peanuts in a large bowl; let cool slightly. Add celery, celery leaves, cilantro, and mint and toss again to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Do Ahead: Potatoes can be boiled 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Paprika-Seared Potato Wedges with Olive-Date Tapenade & Date Sour Cream

Another great recipe from the food blog “The Original Dish”, author, Kayla Howey
I love the way she is so inventive with vegetables and highly recommend going on her blog and signing up.

Screen Shot 2019-05-03 at 9.05.41 AM

Serves 4
Date Sour Cream
8 oz pitted Medjool dates
1 cup cream sherry
8 oz sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Paprika-Seared Potatoes
2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and wedged (about 4 large potatoes)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon

Olive-Date Tapenade
4 oz pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
5 oz black pitted olives, finely chopped
1/2 oz capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine the dates and cream sherry in a small saucepan. Bring the sherry to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the dates have absorbed most (but not all) of the sherry. Let the mixture cool.
In a food processor, blend the cooled date mixture until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ounces of the date mixture with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the potato wedges with the paprika, salt and pepper. Make sure each wedges is coated with paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, add the potato wedges (you may need to work in batches; you don’t want to overcrowd the pan).
Lower the heat to medium and sear the potatoes until golden brown, a few minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the potatoes, about 10 more minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the potatoes as soon as they come out of the oven.

Combine the dates, olives, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

To Serve
Spread the date sour cream on a plate. Place the potato wedges on the plate and spoon the olive-date tapenade over the top. Alternatively, serve the date sour cream in a bowl with the tapenade on top and potato wedges alongside.
notes

** To lighten this dish up, try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You also will have extra date puree. Save this to flavor other dishes or to make the sour cream again. You can freeze it if needed.

Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Melting and crispy roast potatoes

Who doesn’t adore crispy roast potatoes with melting centers? The addition of stock and garlic elevates these to celestial heights.

Screen Shot 2018-08-26 at 2.03.35 PM

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
3 tsp fresh thyme or rosemary leaves
1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
½ to ¾ tsp ground black pepper
4 large smashed garlic cloves
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock/broth

Heat the oven to 500F with the rack in the upper-middle position. The hot oven gives the potatoes their deep golden color and crispy exterior, so don’t cheat this part.
Peel the potatoes (Yukons are perfect for this, their insides become so lusciously smooth) and slice them into 1-inch thick rounds. This is likely thicker than you think, and it may feel unnatural, but we’re not going for crispy potato chips here. We want hefty, decadent slabs of potato.
Toss the rounds with the 4 tbsp melted butter, 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or rosemary) 1 tsp Kosher salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer to a 13 by 9 inch metal baking dish and arrange in a single layer.
(Don’t use a glass pan, which can burst under such high heat.)
Bake for 15 mins, flip the potatoes then bake 15 minutes more.
Remove the dish from the oven and add 1 cup stock/broth and the smashed garlic cloves.
Return to the oven until most of the stock is absorbed, about 15 minute more. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

 

Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Mashed sweet potatoes with banana and rum

Don’t be put off by the “baby-food” look of this dish. The flavor is FAR from baby food! It’s from the Silver Palate cook book and is a super addition to the Holiday table.

Screen Shot 2017-11-19 at 7.48.16 AM

8 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes
3 ripe bananas
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsp rum
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt to taste
1 cup sliced almonds

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Cook covered until very tender. Drain.

Cut the bananas into 1 inch pieces and puree in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the hot potatoes, 4 tbsp of the butter, the rum and the brown sugar.
Process until smooth. Add the grated nutmeg and salt to taste and process just to blend. Keep warm.

Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small skillet. Add the almonds and sauté until lightly browned. Sprinkle wth a little salt.
Top each serving of the sweet potato with a generous amount of toasted almonds or scatter the whole dish with them.

Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Baked porcini mushrooms and potatoes

Rich, earthy, woody and fabulous to have with roasted or grilled meats and a salad. This recipe is from the River Cafe in London.

Serves 6

5oz dried porcini mushrooms. (See below for soaking instructions)
3lbs medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
5 oz Ghee, clarified butter or butter
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked from the stalks and washed

Preheat the oven to 400F

Cut the potatoes in half lengthways and into quarters lengthways if they are too big. Wash and pat dry.
Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 pints (1 liter) boiled water for 20 minutes, then strain, retaining the liquid.
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve. Rinse the porcini mushrooms under running cold water to get rid of any remaining grit. Dry well on paper towels.

In a thick-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter/ghee over medium/low. When the butter starts to foam, add the garlic and soften for a minute of two before adding the porcini.
Cook, stirring to prevent sticking, for a few minutes before adding the strained porcini liquid.
There will be a lot of liquid, which needs to reduce and thicken for about 7-8 mins.

Now add the potatoes. Coat them in the juices the gently stir and cook for around 15 to 20 minutes.
The potatoes should begin to take on the color of the porcini juices.

Remove the pan and tip everything into roasting trays.
Season with salt, pepper and the fresh thyme, stir gently and bake for another 30 mins.

Test the potatoes with a skewer to make sure they are tender.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Whole30 compliant

Crispy potato, olive and caper bake

This is such a lovely mixture of flavors and again, really not difficult to make.
Paired with some grilled meat or poultry, you have a pretty gorgeous meal

Screen Shot 2016-03-26 at 12.07.44 PM

2lbs Jersey Royal or Baby Yukon potatoes
A handful small capers
2 x handfuls pitted black olives (Please, not those awful canned ones!)
1 tbsp thyme leaves
A medium bunch rosemary, broken into sprigs
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Heat oven to 450 F
Boil the potatoes until the softer side of cooked, about 12 mins.
Drain, slice in half, then tip into a bowl. Tip the capers, olives and herbs on top of the potatoes then add most of the oil and a some seasoning.
Stir together, lightly crushing the potatoes.
Line a medium Swiss roll-type tin with baking parchment, leaving some hanging over the sides.
Tip the potatoes into the tin and flatten down. Mix the vinegar and remaining oil, drizzle over the potatoes, then bake for 40 mins until golden.

Enjoy!