Perfect Crispy Potatoes

These really are perfectly crispy. I have made them quite a few times. For the past 5 yeras or so, I have been roasting potatoes left and right. It is like my go-to side. However, I had never done anything special. Just olive oil, salt and pepper and throw them in the oven for however long at whatever temperature.

Then, I tried this recipe. And it is MUCH better. I love it. These potatoes would be a great "hash brown" type breakfast side. But they are a great side for any meat and potato dinner. They are fluffy on the inside due to steaming them quickly on the stovetop (btw, might want to use your oven fan...I swear I always put my fan on about 20 minutes too late and end up having to open up all the windows and 50% of the time setting off the smoke alarm, it's fine). And they are so crispy on the outside. Usually only the side that is touching the hot surface (i.e. the baking sheet) gets crispy, but because they are steamed first, the entire outside gets crispy. I feel like it is because the outside has added moisture due to steaming and when it goes in the oven, the oven removes the moisture. So, if you don't steam it, the oven can't remove moisture from just a plain old pure potato. Yeah, something like that. I just made that up, but it makes sense.

Perfect Crispy Potatoes

by Melissa D’Arabian

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2‐inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium‐high heat. Add the potato cubes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the water, stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3 or 4 more minutes. (Every 1 to 2 minutes, open the lid long enough to stir the potatoes so they don't stick.) Lower the heat to medium, and saute another 1 to 2 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on how dark you want them. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

(Servings: 3, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 25 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

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Best Apple Pie I Ever Ate!

This past New Year's Eve, Scot and I went to a Wild game in MN. Afterwards, we went to eat at Mickey's Diner and I had apple pie. And. It was AMAZING. SO AMAZING. Thinking about it right now is just a bad idea. No, it is a good idea. Seriously, though, it was the best apple pie I have ever had.

It was a crumble crust on top and I actually am usually not a fan of a crumble crust. I think it is because they are usually too sweet. I actually had a hard time sharing this with Scot. I mean, I gave him a little bite. But I regretted that.

Anyways, Mickey's Diner is awesome. If you are ever in downtown St. Paul, you should give it a try. We sat at the counter, because that is always fun.

Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta

I made this pasta last fall. And I think it will be a recipe that I will make every fall from now on. It calls for canned pumpkin puree, but you could even roast your own! Bobby Flay says he can't tell the difference, so you can use that as an excuse for using canned. That is what I did. Make sure to get the regular pumpkin puree and not that the pumpkin pie filling.

The sage, sausage, pumpkin combo is awesome. This sauce is naturally thick and creamy from the pumpkin puree, so feel free to leave the cream out or even use milk instead. I just used milk.

I think this would still be good without the sausage to make it vegetarian. I would suggest replacing the sausage with something that has some contrast to the creamy sauce. Hmmm....maybe bacon? JK. I don't know a good replacement, so let me know if you do. Oooh, maybe some roasted red pepper? Grilled asparagus?

Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta

by Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage

4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated

Coarse salt and black pepper

1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente

Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: none, Cook time: 45 minutes, Difficulty: Easy)

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Individual Potato Gratins

If you know me, you probably know about these individual potato gratins. Probably because I have gone on and on about how awesome these are. But seriously! The first time I made these, I decided then and there that Melissa D'Arabian was a genius.

These little guys are such a good idea. It makes the traditional potato gratin look kind of fancy! It is also perfect because each serving has the crispy edge. I love the swiss cheese and I am sure a fancy swiss cheese would be even better. These photos are from the first time I made this and I served it with green beans and chicken breast (made like Chicken Piccata but with lemon, rosemary and caramelized onions).

Make these!

Individual Potato Gratins

by Melissa D’Arabian

Vegetable spray

2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 8 muffin tins (the ones for jumbo size muffins work best) with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 25 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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PS: Some of my besties and I made these for our Christmas dinner, this past Christmas.

Here they are, ready to go in the oven:

We had them with braised pork, steamed broccoli and some bread:

Roasted Cauliflower and Poblano Pepper Soup

This soup was really good! I would strongly recommend the goat cheese on top. It is tangy and creamy.

Also, I LOVE my immersion blender. It makes making soups and sauces so easy. I have used it a lot lately and wondered what I did without it?

Roasted Cauliflower and Poblano Pepper Soup

by Closet Cooking

1 head cauliflower (cut into florets)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 cups vegetable broth

2 poblano chilli peppers (or any mild pepper)

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, optional)

1 tablespoon goat cheese (crumbled, optional)

Using the broiler, blacken the skin of the peppers. Place in a brown bag (or in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap) for 10-15 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel of all the skin, remove seeds, guts and top. Slice into smaller pieces.

Toss the cauliflower florets in the olive oil with the salt and pepper. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a single layer in a baking dish. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Bring the broth, cauliflower and peppers to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Puree with a hand blender. Mix in the heavy cream.

Serve garnished with goat cheese and cilantro or dukkah.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 45 min, Cook time: 30 min, Difficulty: Intermediate)

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Caramelized Onion Tart with Fennel and Apples

I made these into individual tarts. The reason...the two full sheets didn't fit on my baking sheet and I wanted to make them. But they look cuter that way too. Puff pastry makes everything feel like cheating. I use it every once and a while and it always makes for a nice appetizer or side.

Caramelized Onion Tart with Fennel and Apples

by Evil Chef Mom

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1 granny smith apple, sliced

salt and pepper

frozen puff pastry, thawed

thin slices of havarti

Heat oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Stir in apples, salt, and pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes.

Place a sheet of pastry on a lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Lay on cheese slices, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top with onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30-35 minutes. Cut into pieces before serving.

(Servings: 4-8, Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 40 minutes, Difficulty: Easy)

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Baked Fish Tacos with Chipotle Dressing

So colorful? Haha...tasted much better than it looks.

This recipe is from a recipe book my sister made me for Christmas. It is great. There are a bunch of things I want to try from it. She got most of the recipes from blogs actually! Here is a blurry picture of the baked fish taco recipe:

She is very artistic:

I was interested (and very skeptical) of trying a baked version of fish tacos. I love fish tacos. I love them with the fried fish or with grilled/blackened/etc. You will notice mine are not as yellowy/orangey as the ones in the blurry picture. That is because I used flour tortilla chips (because that is what we had). I would definitely use corn next time.

Also, I will definitely fry them next time. The baked version is nice. But, I am an all or nothing kind of girl. If I wanted to avoid frying something, I think I would probably just grill the fish. However, it is much easier to bake them. It was so easy to make. And it was pretty good.

I love the chipotle sauce. The original recipe called for light mayo and light sour cream. If you did that, this would be such a healthy/low-fat meal. And it is really refreshing.

I think next time I will also make a little slaw out of the cabbage and avocado. Something light with oil and lime juice. Maybe some cilantro?

Basically, I will make this again and make it less healthy. We had some of the famous Whole Foods homemade tortilla chips with their mango salsa:

Baked Fish Tacos

by Evil Shenanigans

4 fish filets (Tilapia)

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 cup finely crushed corn tortilla chips

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

2 egg whites

Cooking spray or light cooking oil

8 corn tortillas

shredded cabbage (or lettuce)

1 avocado, diced into medium chunks

Chipotle sauce (recipe follows)

Chipotle sauce:

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo, finely diced

1 tsp adobo

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp paprika

1 garlic glove grated

1 tbsp of grated onion

Preheat oven to 375 °F and spray and baking dish with non-stick spray (or lightly oil it). Cut fish into 2 inch fingers. Set Aside.

Combine the panko, tortilla chip crumbs, cumin, and salt in a shallow dish. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites until slightly frothy.

Dip the fish first into the egg whites then into the crumb mixture, making sure to coat the fish well. Set aside on a clean plate for ten minutes.

Place in singer layer in baking dish, and bake for 12-16 minutes or until the fish is golden and it reaches an internal temp of 145 °F. Time may vary depending on how thick your fish are.

While the fish bakes make the sauce and heat your tortillas, wrapped in a damp cloth, in the microwave until soft. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients (you can whisk by hand or in blender or food processor.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of our regulars. I think I have been making it for 3 or 4 years. Which makes me feel old. This is a Rachael Ray recipe, but I have modified it a bit.

I have to tell you a story. My two friends, M and N, made this about 3 years ago after I gave them the recipe for Christmas. So, the recipe calls for 2 chipotles in adobo sauce. Chipotles in adobo sauce come in a little mini can, like 6-8 ounces. They read that as two cans of chipotles in adobo sauce. They thought maybe they would like it less spicy than me, so they only used one. CAN! They put the whole can in!!! Holy cow! There are probably about 20 peppers in one can. Maybe 10. I don't know. Anyways, they could not eat it. Not any of it. So sad. Yet so funny. And so typical of M. In particular. I have many more stories to tell about this girl. I like to call her the substitute queen. And other things too.

I actually put three chipotles in the soup with as much sauce as I can get out of the can. If you don't like spicy food, then that is probably too much. But it is hard to say? If you aren't sure, I would add it slowly because these peppers are hotter than you would expect. But, they add so much flavor.

I just love this soup. I love the toppings and the texture of soup after it is poured over the tortilla chips. And how it is more than substantial enough for dinner.

Last thing to note, I have always added cooked chicken to this. Rachael's original recipe has you poach chicken tenders in the broth first (gross!). I kind of hate the chicken tender. It has the little tendon that is impossible to remove quickly (and it is ALWAYS left in when you buy the pack of chicken tenders at the grocery store, can't the butcher man take care of that for me???). When I buy whole chickens, I usually just add the chicken tender to the chicken stock pile. Ok, but anyways, I have used various cuts and methods of adding chicken to this soup. This time, I was like, "do I even need the dumb chicken?" I never like when it is in the soup. So, I didn't add it, and I loved the soup even more! And it makes the meal so much easier/quicker. I have been removing unnecessary filler meat from my recipes more and more recently. Sometimes I feel so brainwashed when I think I always need to add meat to dishes! Bye!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

adapted from Rachael Ray

some olive oil

a few slices of bacon, diced (optional)

1 yellow onion, sliced

6 cups of chicken broth

1 28 oz. can of fire‐roasted tomatoes

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped + a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce

(more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

lime juice of one lime

a couple of handfuls of tortillas chips, smashed

1 cup of mozzarella, shredded

Toppings:

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

lime slices

In a large pot or dutch oven, crisp up bacon in a little bit of olive oil. Once crisp, remove from put and drain on paper towel. Discard of most of the bacon grease (or leave as much as you’d like). Add some more olive oil and sliced onions. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add chicken broth and deglaze pan. Add tomatoes, chipotle peppers and sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes until all warmed through. Right before assembling, add lime juice.

To serve, place crushed tortilla chips in bottom of the bowl. Place some shredded mozzarella on top of chips. Spoon soup over the chips and cheese. Top with cilantro and bacon. Serve with lime wedge.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 30 minutes, Difficulty: Easy)

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Chicken and Bean Chimichangas with Cilantro Lime Rice

We eat lots of Mexican. I have never made (and probably never had) Chimichangas. I saw a recipe posted on For the Love of Cooking blog and thought it was a good idea. We always have tacos, taco salads, burritos, enchiladas, etc. I thought this would be something new. Scot really loves Mexican, so this is his kind of meal.

I would call this Tex-mex. Whatever that means. It is just lighter than authentic Mexican (because my normal Mexican is so authentic...). I really enjoyed the Cilantro Lime Rice. It is basically the same rice that they have at Chipotle. I watch them make it sometimes actually. I am pretty sure this is all they do.

Does anyone else think that the sport of figure skating needs to be nominated for What Not to Wear?!?! Seriously...those outfits haven't changed for forevs!

Chicken and Bean Chimichangas

by For the Love of Cooking with modifications by foodforscot

Meat:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

1 lb of ground chicken (or beef)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

Dash of red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1/4 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup of light oil

Other:

7-8 large flour tortilla shells

1 14.5 oz. can of refried beans

shredded mozzarella or cheddar

Serve with some or all:

salsa

sour cream

guacamole

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, cook for a few minutes. Add the ground chicken and break up the meat into crumbles. Add the spices, then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and mix it up. Set aside.

To assemble Chimichangas, first, warm tortillas in the microwave to soften them up. Also warm up refried beans. Place refried beans on the bottom of tortilla, add some chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and roll up like a burrito. Do the same with the rest. Should make between 7-8.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet. Place two Chimichanges in at a time, seam side down. Cook for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy, flip and do the same on the other side. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Cook the rest the same way.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. For sides, serve with Cilantro Lime rice. Just make white rice, add chopped cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 45 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Difficulty: Easy)

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Meatballs in Sauce with Creamy Polenta

This was pretty much amazing. I wanted to make polenta with meatballs and decided to make it this week...last week. Then, TODAY, Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. So, I decided to base my recipe off of hers because everything she does is amazing. I didn't follow hers exactly, but I adjusted the recipe below to what I actually did.

These meatballs are SO good. The sauce (which is really quite a bit different from hers), was also soooooooo goood.

And this is a great little polenta recipe. I have some polenta directly from Italy that Scot brought back for me last summer. It is a little finer than regular corn meal. And it is just delicious.

The trick to good meatballs, from my experience of making a lot of bad ones, is. Ok, I need a new sentence. First, the meatballs can't be too big. The diameter should be 1-1.5 inches. Any bigger and they won't cook all the way through. Second, you need to brown them first for a few minutes on each side. Then, finish cooking them in some sort of a sauce. Then, you need to mix the ground meat with various things to keep them moist...bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, etc. Eggs to bind them. But, I have done all that plenty of times and still had failure. So, I think the first two things are key.

Polenta hardens when it cools. So, this polenta recipe is just enough for 2-3 servings (/us for dinner). I made some pasta to package up with the leftover sauce and meatballs. You could also just save the meatballs for meatball subs. You could also make a double batch of polenta. Make a roll of the leftover polenta (in plastic wrap...like how you would make an herb butter). After it sets up in the refrigerator, slice it into disks, and grill it. Then, you could serve the grilled polenta with the leftover sauce and meatballs, or something else. Lots of options.

Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Meatballs:

3/4 pounds Ground Beef

3/4 pounds Ground Pork

3/4 cups Fine Bread Crumbs

2 whole Eggs

3/4 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan

1/4 cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced

1/4 teaspoons Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Splash Of Milk

1/2 cups Olive Oil

Sauce:

1 whole Yellow Onion, peeled

2 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes

1/4 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced

8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional)

Start sauce. Put all the ingredients for the sauce except the fresh herbs (parsley and basil) in a Dutch oven or large pot. Cook for about 45 minutes (or longer…the longer, the better), mashing up the tomatoes with a potato masher or back of the spoon as they cook. Add chopped parsley after sauce has become less chunky and more saucy.

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Once browned on both sides, put in marinara sauce. Continue until all the meatballs are browned and in sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

Serve over polenta (recipe below). Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

Polenta

by Tyler Florence

2 cups water or chicken stock

3/4 cups finely ground cornmeal or polenta

1/8 cup heavy cream

1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pinch kosher salt

In a large saucepan bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer. Quickly whisk the cornmeal into the stock and lower the temperature to keep it from splattering. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, butter, and salt. Turn off the heat and keep in a warm place until the meatballs are ready.

(Servings: 6 for sauce and meatballs, 2-3 for polenta, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 75 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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V-day Dinner

We had a nice V-day dinner. We had:

Mixed Citrus Salad

Caramelized Onion Crostini

Shrimp Bisque

Chocolate Terrine with Creme Anglaise

The dessert was ok. The terrine is like solid chocolate, or fudge. It is SO chocolatey. I would say, it is for chocolate lovers. I like to label everyone I know as a chocolate lover or not. I am not one. Scot is the ultimate chocolate lover. If you are wondering if you are a chocolate lover, then you are not. Requirements to be considered a chocolate lover:

1. loves dark chocolate, the darker the better

2. often thinks dessert without chocolate, is not dessert (this is semi-optional)

3. when getting the choice of a dessert, 99% of the time, they choose the one with chocolate

4. craves chocolate, specifically chocolate, not just something sweet. for example they will frantically search the kitchen for any chocolate they might have forgotten about. this usually happens after dinner. and usually every night.

5. when eating chocolate, they get chocolate stuck in the corners of their mouth. (ok this one is just scot)

I wish I loved dark chocolate, because I feel like all the cool people appreciate dark chocolate. I just can't fake it. I love dark chocolate in things, but by itself, I just am not so into it. I do love milk chocolate and chocolate, in general. But, given the choice, I actually usually pick something without chocolate. I love like all the spiced stuff, cinnamon. I love fruit desserts. I LOVE vanilla.

I will say though, when I was little, I did think that if I had the choice between chocolate or vanilla, I really thought I had the choice between chocolate or plain. I always thought, why would anyone ever choose plain?!?!? Same with chocolate milk at school. Weirdos.

Ok, so...the terrine, was good. It is a chocolate lovers dessert. It goes great with the custardy creme anglaise. In fact, I probably couldn't eat it without the creme anglaise because it was too overwhelmly chocolate. Scot could, though. The custard didn't get as thick as I would have liked. The whole dessert needs to be made a day in advance. Which is why I chose it. It was a lot of whipping. Like, my arms were sore the next day. I am not going to post the recipe because I am too lazy. I made both recipes from the Joy of Cooking.

Anyways, here are some pics from Scot's race.

He did great. He did that for me. Since it was Valentine's day. So nice of him! But for real, he is having a good season.