potatoes

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When last week’s plan of healthy eating turned into dining out, events, and takeout every night, we were left with a fridge full of produce that we needed to eat in a short space of time. Smoothies and chips took care of the kale overload, but we had a bunch of other healthy ingredients to use up. With temps falling, soup seemed like the perfect idea, and in just a short amount of time, a vibrant veggie soup came together.

broccoli

The ingredients:

4 cups broccoli florets, roasted at 400 for 20 minutes

3 cups baby spinach

2 cups sweet peppers, roasted at 400 for 20 minutes

1 cup white onion, chopped and sautéed in olive oil until soft

4 large potatoes, boiled until soft

Coconut milk – enough to make it into a soupy consistency

handful fresh cilantro

pepper

spinach

So Delicious Coconut Milk

Once the veggies were roasted and the potatoes were cooked through, I added it all to my Ninja blender with some curry powder, garlic, cumin, and chili powder and pureed until nice and smooth.

potatoes and spices

I returned it all to the pot and simmered it on low until we were ready to eat.

creamy vegetable soup

We each had a big bowl topped with Greek yogurt to add some protein and creaminess to it. For being just a bunch of vegetables and a few other ingredients blended together, we both thought the soup tasted like something you’d find at a nice restaurant. It was a great green color, packed full of nutrients to keep us from getting sick, and an easy way to avoid wasting food, something I absolutely hate doing. I’m trying to be more careful with grocery shopping, only getting enough for what we need and also trying to stay home more. It’s not been too hard in this frigid weather!

It’s time to meal plan for yet another week; what do you have on your menu for next week?

Tags: broccoli, coconut milk, Food, healthy, peppers, potatoes, recipe, soup, spices, spinach, vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all get to celebrate love today for family, friends, significant others, and pets. And that you have some Champagne or chocolate or whatever your heart desires.

I celebrated Valentine’s Day a day early yesterday, helping out at the MSPCA Valentine’s Day sale. The sale is also on today at the MSPCA Angell Memorial Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Stop by to pick up flowers, baked goods, dog and cat toys, and other fun items, with all proceeds going to the MSPCA. I was happy to be in the mascot costume; it was a chilly day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

When I got home, I didn’t feel like eating much. I don’t know if it is tiredness from being away over the weekend, or I am coming down with something, but most foods didn’t appeal to me yesterday.

One recipe did, however. My mom gave me a cookbook she received from the Philadelphia cream cheese company, and I zeroed straight in on the Maple Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin. Somehow, though the bins of spinach and other veggies in the house did nothing for me, cheesy potatoes with sweet and salty flavors did. Sometimes you just have to eat what feels good, even if it’s not the healthiest dinner.  I think these would make a great side with any sort of chicken, steak, or pork dish.

Sadly, I deleted all of my prep photos before uploading them. Out of it.

maple bacon potatoes

These potatoes are super easy to make. I scaled it back to feed two, which ended up being a portion for about six people.

Before I got started on the ingredients, I preheated the oven to 400.

Then I used my mandolin to cut half a red onion. I added the onion to a dry frying pan and let it get a little browned and crispy, stirring frequently so it didn’t stick.

In the meantime, I cut two large Idaho potatoes into thin slices. I set those aside and got started on the au gratin sauce which consisted of chicken stock, milk, and cream cheese. I basically eyeballed the ingredients until I had a creamy sauce mixed with the onions. To that I added four slices of chopped, cooked bacon and a swirl of maple syrup.

These potatoes need to cook, covered, for a long time. Leave them in for about 40 minutes, then uncover, cook for about 10 more minutes.

What you end up with is a baking dish filled with cheesy, sweet, salty potatoes. The smoky bacon, the crispy onions, the cream cheese, oh the flavor love!

image

I didn’t feel very well when I started eating, but by the time I finished my first bowl of these, I had my appetite back. I had another bowl, made a fresh carrot and apple juice, and called it a night.

I hope my energy returns!

And I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Ever since the blogger dinner at Stone Hearth Pizza, I have been dreaming of a cozy night in with pizza and bubbly, so that’s what we are doing. I might make a special dessert if I am feeling better.

Do you have any fun plans for tonight?

Tags: bacon, potatoes, recipe

What are you doing for Mother’s Day? Do you have any special plans? I am not sure yet; since I was home in NJ this past weekend for my nephew’s christening, I won’t be able to spend the day with my own mom. There’s a slight chance the boat that we are getting will be in the water by the weekend; if it is, I will be on it!

If I was making a Mother’s Day brunch, I would definitely include one of my favorite potato dishes, this cheesy and garlicky baked potato casserole. I made this dish on a chilly evening recently, and everything about it, the smells, tastes, and comforting texture, make it a winning dish.

red potato

I started with five large potatoes, skin on. I almost didn’t want to cut up this heart-shaped potato! Smile But I sliced the potatoes into thin rounds and added them to a pot of salted, boiling water. or this dish, you don’t want the potatoes to get mushy, so boil just until fork-tender, then drain and set aside.

While the potatoes boiled, I finely chopped five large cloves of garlic and added the garlic to about a cup each of shredded skim mozzarella and grated Kerrygold Dubliner cheese.

cheese and garlic

To the garlic and cheese, I added about two cups of whole milk, swapped in where cream would be. It’s all about the moderation.

mozzarella and garlic

To the milk/garlic/cheese mix, I added fresh ground black pepper and a bit of grated nutmeg. I have said it before, but I absolutely love the addition of nutmeg to creamy sauces.

Once the sauce was ready and the potatoes drained, I layered slices of potato in a casserole dish, covering each layer with a mix of cheese, milk, and garlic

 

image

Once all of my layers were in place, I popped the dish into the oven at 400 for 25 minutes. Every so often, I turned on the oven light to check out the bubbly, browning cheese.

image

Caution. . . this dish is not only REALLY hot at first, it is also completely addictive! If I was serving these cheesy potatoes with brunch, I would balance it with an egg white frittata, fruit salad, and mimosas made with various types of juice, orange, mango, pomegranate.

If you are cooking for Mother’s Day, what are you making? If you aren’t cooking, do you have other fun plans?

Tags: breakfast, brunch, cheese, Food, potatoes, recipe, side dish

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