Potatoes

Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 8 wedges each
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
2 teaspoons dried parsley
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon paprika
¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.  Arrange potatoes peel side down on baking sheet. 

2. Whisk together remaining ingredients in small bowl.  Brush mixture over potatoes and bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. 

3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.  (Although not too much, because they’ll get cold.) 

Comments
I decided that potatoes would be a good accompaniment for flank steak so I turned to delicious to see if I’d bookmarked any good-looking potato (recipes recently.  I found this recipe from A Pookie Pantry and decided it would work quite nicely.  Not only was it extremely simple to make, the potatoes were very tasty.  Art likes potato wedges best of all and he almost polished these off single-handedly.  Or single-mouthedly?

Shown here with Grilled Flank Steak with Bacon Balsamic Glaze.

Internet - A Pookie Pantry

Ingredients
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
6 slices bacon, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475*F. Set rimmed baking sheet inside oven. Prick potatoes all over with fork, place on paper towel, and microwave until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, turning potatoes over after 5 minutes. (I don’t know if my potatoes were particularly huge, or what, but it took them 20-25 minutes in the microwave.)

2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain bacon in a sieve set over a bowl.  Reserve the bacon fat and pat bacon with paper towels to remove extra grease. 

3. Quarter potatoes lengthwise, let cool 5 minutes, and then scoop out most of flesh (reserve for another use), leaving ¹⁄₄-inch layer of potato flesh. Brush exterior of potatoes with reserved bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes, skin-side down, to preheated baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Combine cheese, cornstarch, half of bacon, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Remove potato shells from oven and top with cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer skins to paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with remaining bacon.  Serve with sour cream if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and baking the skins prior to filling them certainly helped to keep them crisp.  I used lowfat cheese which is why it doesn’t look quite as melty as it should in the picture – lowfat cheese always melts oddly.  These were great and enjoyed by all.  Do be sure to let them cool so you don’t burn yourself with the first bite!

I’m also experimenting with backgrounds in my photographs…

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in colander set over large bowl. Rinse under running water, tossing with hands until water runs clear. Drain potatoes well.

2. Bring potatoes, smashed garlic, lemon juice, chicken broth, and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt to boil in large nonstick skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add oil to pan and continue to cook until deep golden brown, about 5-10 minutes, gently stirring halfway through. Off heat, stir in parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is the Cook’s Country take on my beloved Greek Potatoes (which I need to make again since that photograph does not do them justice).  This is a streamlined version that is made all in one skillet.  The flavors were great and I could really taste the similarities between the version I’ve made in the past and this version.  Lots of lemony goodness! 

Shown here with Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots.

Cook’s Country

Ingredients
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, dried, sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into ¹⁄₄-inch by ¹⁄₄-inch batons
6 cups peanut oil
¹⁄₄ cup bacon fat, strained (Optional)
Kosher salt

Instructions
1. Combine potatoes, oil, and bacon fat (if using) in large Dutch oven. Cook over high heat until oil has reached rolling boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes are limp but exteriors are beginning to firm, about 15 minutes.

2. Using tongs, stir potatoes, gently scraping up any that stick, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Comments
I saw this recipe for the first time about a year ago in a recipe testing email from Cook’s Illustrated and, while it sounded neat, I never got around to testing it.  It was published in the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and I bookmarked it as something to try in the future.  The future is here and I’m very pleased with how they turned out!  They were nice, thin, crispy and flavorful. 

The usual way to make fries involves frying at one temperature, removing the fries, and then frying at a higher temperature.  This method is different as it relies on the oil being room temperature to begin with.  I’m very pleased with how they turned out.  I think I’d make them slightly thicker next time just for a stronger potato flavor. 

Shown here with Steak and Bacon Tournedos, Béarnaise Sauce, and Belgian-Style Dipping Sauce.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed (Apparently my potatoes weren’t small enough and I ended up wishing that I had used baby potatoes or quartered the ones I did use.) 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 green onions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
1 cup sour cream
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Bring potatoes and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. (Due to the size of my potatoes this took about 50-60 minutes…)

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook green onion whites until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk in sour cream, half and half, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

3. Drain potatoes in colander and return to dry pot; let stand 5 minutes. Using rubber spatula, break potatoes into large chunks. Fold in sour cream mixture until incorporated and only small chunks of potato remain. Stir in green onion greens and season with salt and pepper. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual the flavors were great.  Aside from the large potatoes taking forever to cook, the recipe was very simple to bring together and very tasty.  I love the chunky texture that smashed potatoes have. 

Shown here with Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound vacuum-packed gnocchi
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₈ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
¹⁄₂ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475*F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook gnocchi, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to plate.

2. Add remaining oil and onion to empty skillet and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and water and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add basil and browned gnocchi to pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gnocchi is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake until cheese is well browned, about 8 minutes. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2008 Cook’s Country Annual and, overall, it was very tasty.  The one problem we all found with the recipe is that the gnocchi to sauce ratio was out of whack, when I make this again I’ll be increasing the gnocchi to a pound and a half, if not two pounds.  The flavors were great, though, and I’m loving these vacuum-packed gnocchi. 

Shown here with Mom’s Chicken.

Cook’s Country 2008

Ingredients
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, rinsed and cut into ¹⁄₂-inch slices
Table salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack and heat oven to 450*F. Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat and gently simmer until exteriors of potatoes have softened but centers offer resistance when pierced with paring knife, about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes well and transfer to large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt; using rubber spatula, toss to combine. Drizzle with another 2 tablespoons oil and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt; continue to toss until exteriors of potato slices are coated with starchy paste, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil over surface. Carefully transfer potatoes to baking sheet and spread into even layer (skin-side up if end piece). Bake until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 10 minutes. (Do be careful when putting the potatoes on the baking sheet since the oil has the potential to splatter.) 

3. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using metal spatula and tongs, loosen potatoes from pan, carefully flipping each slice. Continue to roast until second side is golden and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes longer, rotating pan as needed to ensure potatoes brown evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. 

Comments
I love roasted potatoes and I’ve tried out a few different recipes over the past few years.  This one is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual. At the first bite, Lance said “Wow, these are great!”  Tossing the potatoes in order to get a starchy coating built up really does help with the crisping process. These were fantastic, super crispy and delicious.  The recipe says that it serves four, but we gobbled them all up during the course of dinner.  I would make these again in a heartbeat. 

Shown here with Marinated London Broil.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch-thick sliced, rinsed well, and drained (4 to 6 medium potatoes)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-1 ¹⁄₂ cup whole milk
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in large saucepan; add water to cover by 1 inch and add 1 tablespoon salt. Partially cover saucepan with lid and bring potatoes to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender and just break apart when poked with fork, 12 to 17 minutes. Drain potatoes and dry saucepan.

2. Transfer potatoes to food processor; add butter, garlic, and 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt. Pulse until butter is melted and incorporated into potatoes, about ten 1-second pulses. Add 1 cup milk and continue to process until potatoes are smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides halfway through.

3. Return potato mixture to saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir in cheese, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated. Continue to cook potatoes, stirring vigorously, until cheese is fully melted and mixture is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is difficult to stir and seems thick, stir in 2 tablespoons milk at a time (up to ¹⁄₂ cup) until potatoes are loose and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Comments
Let me first say that I should have put these potatoes in something like a bowl before taking a picture of them, they spread out quite a bit on the plate!  This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and is pretty much the opposite of what every other recipe for mashed potatoes says to do.  The result was smooth, elastic, and extremely flavorful.  The combination of cheeses and garlic worked very well together.

I’m not sure that I’ll make these often, since I prefer mashed potatoes with a chunky texture, but this dish definitely has its place in the continuum of mashed potatoes!

Shown here with Salisbury Steak.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon turmeric
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground coriander
¹⁄₄ teaspoon paprika
1 pound russet potatoes, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch cubes
1 ¹⁄₃ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and paprika and sauté 1 minute. 

2. Add in potatoes and broth.  Stir well, cover, and cook 5 minutes.  Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to the consistency of glaze, stirring gently, about 8 minutes more. 

3. Reduce heat to low.  Season generously with salt and pepper, add lemon juice and stir well to combine.  Add frozen peas and stir until thawed.  Sprinkle with cilantro, if using, and serve. 

Comments
I knew that I wanted to find a potato and vegetable dish to serve with Tandoori Chicken this week, but I didn’t have one in my files that was calling to me.  I found this recipe on epicurious.com and, with the addition of peas, it fit the bill.  The flavor was fantastic, the potatoes were nice and yellow, and it was delicious. 

Shown here with Tandoori Chicken.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
1 pound potato gnocchi (The kind from a box.  Although you could easily use your own if you have them!)
²⁄₃ cup half and half
¹⁄₂ teaspoon all purpose flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground nutmeg
15 ounces baby spinach
¹⁄₂ cup ricotta cheese
²⁄₃ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Preheat broiler. 

2. Bring large pot of water to boil and cook gnocchi according to package instructions.  (My package said “3-4 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top.”)  Drain well. 

3. Whisk together cream, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, then bring to boil over medium heat, whisking.  Continue to boil, whisking frequently, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Add spinach and toss with tongs to coat.   Cook until wilted, about 2-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in gnocchi. 

4. Spoon ricotta over gnocchi mixture in 4-5 large dollops then sprinkle with mozzarella.  Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until cheese is browned and bubbling in spots, about 2-3 minutes.  Season with pepper. 

Comments
A friend of mine linked me to this recipe at least a year ago and I’ve just never gotten around to making it.  I finally picked up a box of gnocchi at the store and said “I will do something with this, or else!”  I remembered this recipe and decided that it would be my first gnocchi preparation experience.  And it was delicious!  The flavors all worked very well together, the sauce was light and scrumptious.  The gnocchi were fantastic and almost fluffy.  I would make this again in a heartbeat and will be on the lookout for other gnocchi recipes to make in the future. 

Shown here with Broiled Steaks.

Internet - Epicurious