Yummy Potatoes, by Cheryl

I don't even know what to title these, but they are gooooood! Over Labor Day weekend we visited our friends Dave and Carla. Dave is always coming up with these great recipes on the spot. This is one that he made for us as a side to our dinner. And they were so good that I made them soon after coming home! I never thought I would like this since I'm not the biggest fan of mustard, but the flavors work so well together! I love these potatoes! Yum!

Ingredients:

1lb small red or white potatoes

2-3 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard (the one with the seeds)

1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar

a handful of chopped parsley

1 shallot, diced

Directions:

1) Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in until tender (not mushy).

2) Meanwhile, put all of the other ingredients in a bowl and mix together. 

3) Drain the potatoes and cut them in half, or quarters depending on how large they are. 

4) Place potatoes in bowl and mix together until covered. 

Classic Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

 

This is, as it turn out, our 6th shepherd's pie on the blog, but just so happens to be the only *normal* version which I find hilarious! I made this for dinners this week, and it turned out pretty well! The only thing I would change is that there was not really a gravy or sauce with this recipe once you drained the fat off, and so it was lacking in flavor and a bit dry. Once I made some gravy to go with it, it worked really well. I omitted the cheese in the potatoes here too, and kept it whole 30 except for the flour which easily could have been arrowroot. This recipe was adapted from NYT. This was also incredibly quick and easy to whip up for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 package frozen peas and carrots

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 tbsp flour

3/4 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper 

1/4 tsp dried thyme and rosemary

4 tbsp butter (I used ghee)

1 cup milk (I used almond milk because that's what was on hand)

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes, boil until fork tender. Drain, mash, then add butter and milk until it becomes a thick consistency. Season as desired.

2. While the potatoes cook, brown the meat in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Drain and return to the pot, reserving 1-2 tbsp of the fat in the pot for cooking.

3. Add garlic, stirring for 2 minutes, then add peas and carrots.

4. Once the mixture heats back up about 5 min, add in tomato paste, herbs, and salt and pepper. 

5. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stirring for 2 min, then add broth and let simmer until sauce thickens (there was no sauce with mine so I would at least double this).

6. Adjust seasonings, then smooth the potato mixture over the top, forming peaks.

7. Bake at 375 for 30 min, until the liquid is bubbling on the sides and the potatoes are nice and golden (I stuck mine under a broiler for a few minutes because my top didn't brown after 35 min of cooking time).

Ham and Potato Chowder, by Diane

 

I made this for the first week it got cold a few weeks back, and honestly it was one of those dishes that should have come out great but actually turned out just okay. I had some ham that I had made bone broth from to use as the base of this, and chopped up the remaining ham to use in the chowder. Overall I would not make this again, but A for effort!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

5 carrots, sliced (I used rainbow carrots)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 leek, sliced green parts only

2 cups ham, diced

Seasoning: I used a combo of herbs de provence and poultry seasoning

3 cups broth, I used ham bone broth

Salt as needed

3 tbsp arrowroot flour

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add oil, carrots and potatoes into a pot. Stir often and cook until they soften.

2. Add in leeks and ham, cooking until leeks wilt.

3. Add broth and seasoning, let cook for an hour over low heat

4. Taste for seasoning and salt, then add a slurry of flour and some broth whisked together in a small bowl into the soup to thicken.

Potato Skins Whole30 Style, by Cheryl

I was really excited to try this recipe. I LOVE loaded potato skins so when I came across this recipe from Paleo Running Momma I was psyched! So I can't compare these to regular potato skins... they just can't compare. But they do the trick in regards to taste and keeping it Whole30. I did make one mistake. I was supposed to leave a thin layer of potato in the skin and I took the whole thing out! So if I made them again I would add this step back in because it would have added to the flavor. They were definitely a delicious side with our dinner tonight! Yum! 

Ingredients:

4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried well

Coconut oil

Package of compliant bacon

8 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped

2 medium onions, sliced thin

Ghee

Salt

Compliant Ranch dressing

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2) Coat each potato with a little coconut oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes. 

3) Meanwhile, caramelize the onions. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add ghee. Add in onions and add salt. Stir. Keep on heat for 25 minutes and stir occasionally. 

4) Cook the bacon. Reserve the bacon fat.

5) Coat the broccoli in bacon fat. Roast at 400 for 15 minutes. 

6) Once potatoes are done, allow to cool, then cut in half and scoop out insides except for a thin layer. 

7) Using a pastry brush, coat the insides with the bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt. 

8) Place face up in oven and broil for 5 minutes. Turn skins over and broil another five minutes. 

9) Fill each potato skin with onions, broccoli, and bacon. Drizzle some ranch dressing on it. Serve immediately. 

Crispy Smashed Potatoes, by Cheryl

I can't believe how easy these are to make. And how delicious. And how crispy! This may be my new go to instead of roasted potatoes. We loved them, the kids loved them, we all loved them. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 bag small potatoes (golf ball size or smaller)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2) Preheat oven to 400.

3) Place on baking tray and smash with bottom of pan or potato masher. The thinner they are the crispier they'll be. The thicker they are the fluffier inside they'll be - both good! 

4) Leave on tray to let the steam out. 

5) Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. 

6) Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

7) Serve hot. You can sprinkle with parsley. We served them with sour cream. 

Red Lentil and Kale Stew, by Cheryl

I came across this recipe when I was reading my Eating Well magazine, which to be honest I don't know why they keep being sent to me since I canceled that a while ago. Anyway, this looked like a delicious, healthy, and comforting dish. I even added sausage to appease the hubby. Unfortunately, it was just okay. We ate it and it was fine, but it's not something I would make again. The leftovers are still sitting in the fridge and I made it 4 days ago. I felt like there was way too much broth for the lentils.. they got lost in there so I couldn't taste them at all. So this is one you can skip... I have plenty of other healthy stews and soups that are way more delicious. Yum? 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 cups veggie or chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

3/4 cup red lentils

4 ounces baby kale

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1) Steam potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. 

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes and lentils and bring to a simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in kale. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

3) Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot; add milk, butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt. Mash to desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan.

4) Serve the stew over mashed potatoes. 

Mexican Breakfast Casserole, by Cheryl

I was craving a Mexican breakfast burrito. So since I'm doing Whole 30 I decided to try to replicate the taste in a casserole! This was soooo good! I will say that I felt it was a just a tad dry, especially when you get to the potato part, but I added hot sauce, tomatoes, and avocados and it elevated the dish exponentially! This is a solid whole 30 meal that I can rely on. Delicious, filling, and healthy! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen shredded potatoes (or grate your own. Sweet potatoes ok)

1 lb ground beef

Compliant taco seasoning (or make your own!)

9-10 eggs, beaten

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

A couple handfuls of spinach, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

Avocado oil 

Optional toppings: tomatoes, avocados, hot sauce, etc. 

Directions:

1) Cook shredded potatoes until cooked through. Set aside. 

2) Cook ground beef until cooked through. Add the spices and about 1/4 cup of water. Mix until the beef is covered. Set aside. 

3) Add a couple of tbsp of oil and cook the pepper and onion until softened. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. 

4) Oil a 9x9 pan or cast iron skillet. Layer the potatoes on the bottom, followed by the ground beef, and then the peppers, onions, and spinach. 

5) Pour the eggs over the top and coat evenly. Top with green onions. 

6) Bake for 45 minutes. When done top with avocados, tomatoes, hot sauce, etc. 

Korean Potato Salad, by Diane

 

This week in cooking through the countries was Korea- and luckily I had a pal to share all the food with!! We each made a few banchan (or small dishes) ahead of the main meal. This was the first one- it was really good! Quite easy to make and really filling, I think this could be a lunch on its own! Recipe https://seonkyounglongest.com/korean-potato-salad/ 

Ingredients:

2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into large chunks

1/2 Kirby cucumber, diced small

1/2 cup carrots, julienned and chopped

2 tbsp red onion, diced 

1/2 cup imitation crab, diced

4 hard boiled eggs, diced 

1/2 cup kewpie mayo

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook potatoes until fork tender.

2. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt on the diced cucumbers and let sit for 10 min to sweat, then rinse and squeeze excess water from them. Set aside.

3. Drain potatoes and mash slightly while still hot. 

4. Add all remaining ingredients and combine well, adjust seasonings if needed.

5. Refrigerate for 30 min before eating.

Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Lamb Soup), by Diane

 

When I was in Iceland I was obsessed with kjötsúpa, a comforting and filling lamb and root veggie soup that seemed to be served everywhere along with Icelandic butter and bread. So as part of my cooking through the countries in quarantine, I decided to try this for Iceland! I ordered this mix of Icelandic herbs (Villikrydd- go here to order!) for the soup, and I happened to have some salt I had brought back from my trip (you can buy it online- Nordur is the brand I had). I had never cooked with lamb meat before (only ground lamb), and so I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

HOLY MOLY was this out of this world amazing- and the best part is that it tastes EXACTLY like it did in Iceland! How often can you say that you can accurately recreate your favorite dish that you ate in a country from your own kitchen? This soup was easy to make as well, and I already am looking forward to dinners this week! The best part, aside from the delicious broth, is that the lamb literally melts on your tongue it’s so tender! I modified the recipe a little by adding some bone broth I had to use up (I figured a little extra flavor and nutrition couldn’t hurt) and skipping the cabbage since I didn’t have that in Iceland. I added a cup of barley to thicken it up (some recipes use this and others don’t- but this is how I had it most on the trip), but it just took all the broth away overnight and didn’t thicken it at all so I wouldn’t do this again. This will be on repeat this winter!!!

Ingredients:

2 lb lamb shoulder, bone in, cut into bite size pieces and trimmed of fat (save the bones)

8 cups water

2 cups bone broth

1 large leek, sliced 

2 tbsp Villikrydd

1 tsp pepper

2 tbsp salt

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 medium rutabaga, chopped into bitesize pieces 

1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bitesize pieces (I left the skin on)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, add lamb, bones, water, and broth and bring to a boil.

2. Skim the scum off the top and add in leeks, salt, pepper, and herbs. Simmer partially covered for 45 min.

3. Add in remaining veggies, stir and cook until veggies are soft.

4. Adjust seasonings, then refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to come together. 

Garlic Potato Puree, by Cheryl

These are the creamiest and silkiest mashed potatoes I've ever had. Jon found this recipe from The Sauce when he was making a side for smoked brisket. I loved it so much that I've made it a few times since then, pairing it with rack of lamb or steak. Yum!


Ingredients:

2 lb russet potatoes, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
salt, to taste

Directions:

1) Dice the potatoes into 2 inch pieces. Place in a pot of cool water. Add the cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Strain the water out.

2) In a separate pot, bring the butter and cream to a simmer. Add the potatoes and garlic in. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Season with salt.

Greek Style Layered Meat and Potatoes, by Diane

This week's dinners for week 2 of Whole30 was also found on Instagram from @thenourishinghome. Instead of using a traditional meat sauce, I used my recipe (well, our Greek friend's recipe) for Greek Meat Sauce because I have had a traditional Greek dish similar to this as a version of moussaka with potatoes instead of eggplant and I loved it. Also, this sauce could be served in a shoe and I would still eat it all, so really you can't go wrong with it. I used a mandolin for slicing the potatoes which made this come together fairly quickly. THIS WAS AWESOME. Just a good, hearty, awesome can't wait for leftovers kinda meal. Like if Cheryl and I still lived close by and had another round of Best Of this would be the entree. Make it!!

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups meaty marinara sauce
8-10 medium Yukon gold potatoes
Dried parsley, garlic powder and sea salt for sprinkling
Extra virgin olive oil


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9"x9" baking dish (I used a 9x13). Set aside.

2. Thinly slice the potatoes using a food processor with slicing blade attachment, or carefully use a mandoline.

3. Add 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Layer with potato slices in a single layer with the edges overlapping.

4. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt, dried parsley and garlic powder. Repeat these steps (sauce, potatoes, seasonings) to form a total of 3 layers, making sure to sprinkle each layer of potatoes with seasonings.

5. Lightly brush olive oil evenly across the final (top) layer of potato slices. Then lightly sprinkle with the seasonings.

6. Bake uncovered about 55-65 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Lavender Potatoes, by Diane

Before- look how pretty these are!!

After- YUM.

Recently, my parents went to Canada and brought back a container of lavender sea salt. I love any new kind of salt or spice, so I was anxious to use this one! I've already used it in my homemade mylks, with yummy results. The container said to try it on roasted potatoes or meats, and so this weekend I set out to get some potatoes. I found the most beautiful pink and purple potatoes at the farmers market, and decided to stick with the color scheme! These were so easy and really delicious! You can make your own lavender sea salt simply by buying dried lavender and mixing it in to coarse sea salt (there should be way more salt then lavender!). The coarseness of the sea salt in this blend was great because it coated the potatoes along with the garlic and made a salty crust!

Ingredients:

Potatoes (any variety, cut into small pieces and unpeeled)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1.5 tsp lavender sea salt


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Spray a baking dish with some oil or nonstick spray and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients well until coated and pour onto the baking dish. Make sure there is space between the potatoes.

4. Roast the potatoes for 20 min, then flip and continue cooking until softened.

Basic Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

Apparently when it's cold out I innately make shepherd's pie. This is the 4th iteration on the blog, and while I've created Moroccan, Kale/Chorizo/Sweet Potato/Pumpkin, and Brisket shepherd's pies I discovered today that I've never posted a classic version. And today was the perfect day for this dish because it is windy, cloudy, and in the 50's even though it's the start of Labor Day weekend. Since I chose to have a staycation this Labor Day this should last me all through the weekend- already looking forward to leftovers!


Ingredients:

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes (you can use any but these taste the best IMO!)
1 lb. ground beef (I used grass fed as I can tell a huge taste difference!)
1 lb. ground lamb (I used free range, same thing!)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 bags frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup red wine
4-6 tbsp worcestershire sauce (I really like the taste of this so I used more)
1 small can beef broth
1 tsp each rosemary, black pepper, sea salt, and dried parsley
Flour
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
Optional: milk
Fried onions


Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water to cover the potatoes, and cook until soft.

2. While the potatoes cook, add the meat, onion, and garlic to a large saucepan and cook until meat is brown and crumbled. Reserve the liquid in a separate bowl and place the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Add the veggies to the pan with a little bit of the pan drippings from the meat mixture. Cook until softened, then drain and add to the meat mixture in the baking dish.

4. Add the remaining pan drippings, wine, worcestershire sauce, broth, and the 1 tsp worth of spices to the pan. Bring to a boil.

5. Make a rue with the flour by adding some flour (a few tbsp) to a small bowl and whisking in the sauce until completely smooth and liquid. Then add back into the pan, whisking until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer for another 2 minutes until gravy is thickened.

6. Pour the gravy over the meat and vegetable mixtures and stir well.

7. Preheat the oven to 350.

8. In a large bowl, make the mashed potato mixture by adding butter, salt and pepper (and milk if you want) until your desired consistency. Layer the potato mixture over the meat and veggies in the baking dish.

9. Sprinkle fried onions on top of the potato mixture in an even layer.

10. Place the baking dish onto a baking sheet to avoid overflow in the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the mixture is bubbling.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil, by Cheryl

We have a great farmer's market on Saturday mornings about a mile away from us. I'm really going to miss it when we leave because one stand has the BEST peaches every summer! They got me to love peaches when I was never really a fan. Anyway, there's a sausage guy there that has maybe 15 different kinds of flavored sausages. He had an old bay flavored kind that I ended up buying and per his recommendation I decided to make a sausage and shrimp boil. So this was good, not great. I found it to be very one dimensional and although I do love old bay, it just didn't do much for me as it being the only spice in the recipe. The recipe itself has great reviews, and it wasn't bad at all, but it's just not something I would make again. That being said, it was tasty and tender and reminded me of Maryland. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) Recipe from here:

1/4 cup old bay seasoning
2 quarts water
6 ounces beer
4 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large vidalia onion, cut in wedges
4 ears frozen corn on the cob (I used 3 large ones and cut them in half)
2 lbs shrimp (I used only 1 lb)
I added some cauliflower as well and it soaked up a lot of flavor!

Directions:

1) Bring Old Bay, water, and beer to a boil.

2) Add potatoes and onions, cook for 8 minutes.

3) Add sausage, cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add corn, cook for 7 minutes.

5) Add shrimp, cook for 4 more minutes.

6) Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into several large bowls or pails. Sprinkle with a litle Old Bay.

Papas Rellenas (al horno), by Diane

A shot of the inside!

I've only been home for 3 days from my epic 2-week South American vacation and I'm already craving the food. While in Peru, we took a cooking class and had time for all but one dish- papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes). We had these in with varied fillings all over both Peru and Colombia, and they were delicious! They sent us a copy of the recipes afterwards (expect more in the coming weeks!), and I decided to give these a shot this weekend.

They are pretty tough to master without having them fall apart during the stuffing or cooking stage. There are a lot of instructions in here on how to really dry the potatoes out, but having never done this before it was quite tricky to get the right moisture balance. Nevertheless, these were really good and the topping was delicious with it! I decided to bake them instead of fry them (al horno =  in the oven), because all we had was fried food in the latter part of our Colombian travels and I needed a break. The adaptation still left them crispy which was good! You can also serve this with a kind of ketchup/mayo sauce they use down there or a guacamole salsa combo (you can easily make both of these at home), or it was just good plain with the topping!


Ingredients:

5 potatoes
2 garlic cloves minced
1 red onion (1/2 diced very small, 1/2 sliced thinly into strips)
1 tomato (1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 sliced thinly into strips)
Red wine vinegar
1 lime
1⁄4 cup of dark raisins
1⁄4 cup of carrots diced small
1⁄4 cup of cooked peas
1⁄2 cup of beef cut in small pieces (I used 1 lb. ground beef)
1⁄4 boiled egg
1/8 cup of fresh roasted peanuts
8 olives
1⁄2 cup of beef broth
Salt and pepper
Cilantro or parsley chopped
Oil


Directions:

1. Try to get at least two potato varieties and boil them in separate pots, starting with cold water and adding salt to water. Once they are boiled strain the water and return the pot to the stove on low heat to remove any moisture. Let the potatoes cool down and peel them.

2. While the potatoes cook, brown the beef and set aside. 

3. Mash the potatoes with a fork mixing both varieties trying to get a consistent texture while making sure they are neither sticky nor dry. In case they are sticky use some flour to get the right consistency as you did during the class. If dry add more potato. Season the potato mix with salt and pepper (use a bit as they can taste bland). Set aside.


4. Heat a pan on medium high heat and add a couple circles of oil. Add the chopped onions and cook until light golden brown. Add garlic, chopped tomatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes on medium low heat. Then add raisins, carrots, peas, cilantro, peanuts, pepper and beef broth. Mix well
and let cook all together for 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour before using.


5. Take a hand of potato mix and shape it flattened in your palm. It should be about the size of your hand. Take a spoon and place the stuffing in the middle, adding a 1/8 of an egg and a couple of olive strips. Then shape it like an egg making sure all of the stuffing is covered with potato.

6. Preheat oven to 375. Coat the balls in egg and seasoned panko/breadcrumb mixure and place on a well oiled baking sheet. Spray the tops of each ball with oil and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway and re-spraying before baking another 10 minutes.

7. You can make the topping at any point by combining the strips of onion and tomato with salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and lime juice to taste. It should be fairly tart. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Easy Parmesan Potato Bites, by Cheryl

These are like little mini baked potatoes. They would be really good as hors d'oeuvres and appetizers if you're hosting anything. I got the original recipe from here, but I changed it some due to the ingredients I had on hand. These were cute little bites and I'd make them again! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb small potatoes
olive oil
sour cream or Greek yogurt
grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced chives
salt

Directions:

1) Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook about 12-15 minutes, until tender.

2) Drain. Preheat broiler.

3) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, coat them with olive oil and cut in half. Slice a sliver off the bottom of each one so they stand upright.

4) Spoon one teaspoon of sour cream or yogurt on each potato. Put some grated Parmesan cheese on top.

5) Broil until golden brown. Sprinkle a tiny bit of chives on top and serve.

Jerk Chicken Potato Patties, by Diane

This recipe is a fusion of two of my favorite recipes, Crockpot Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Baked Kerala Chicken Cutlet. I wanted to make the jerk chicken, but didn't want the carbs of the usual rice and beans I make to go with it, so I made it into patties a la cutlet style. Much easier for me to grab on the go anyway, which is one of the reasons I love these cutlets so much! These turned out EXACTLY as I had envisioned, the delicious flavor of the jerk chicken with the creamy texture of the potato and the crispy crust. YUM. I didn't even need a dipping sauce to go with them!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3-4 pounds chicken breasts, cleaned
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
10 peppercorns
5 medium garlic cloves, smashed
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, sliced into rounds
3 large potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup each flour and breadcrumbs


Directions:

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the chicken all over with the rub and set into the base of the crockpot.
2. Throw the remaining ingredients through habanero peppers into the crockpot and cook on low for 5-8 hours. Remove the chicken and blend in food processor with 1 cup of the liquid (not the ginger or habanero) until just before smooth. Keep the remaining sauce in case you need to add more to the mixture later.
3. 30 minutes before the chicken is done, peel, cube, and boil the potatoes until soft. Puree in a food processor until smooth.
4. Add the chicken to the potatoes and mix well. Taste for flavor- if it needs more flavor, add more sauce!
5. Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 2 9X5 baking trays with cooking spray.
6. Take flour and bread crumbs in two separate plates. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl big enough to dip each of the patties. Take each shaped patty, roll in flour, dip in egg, roll in bread crumbs and place them on the baking sheet.
7. Spray tops of patties with a final coat of nonstick cooking spray. Bake in oven for 18 minutes when edges are crisp and tops are golden brown. Rotate baking trays halfway through and flip, adding more cooking spray below and on top of the patties.

Spicy Beef and Potato Curry, by Diane

This recipe actually came from an email I got sent out by Whole Foods. They wrote an article on cooking with turmeric, my favorite spice, and I had to see some of the recipes. They were all amazing, but this is the first one that caught my eye and I've been dying to make it for weeks now. It tastes just like it looks, warm and filling! The whole house smelled amazing too. The chiles didn't wind up being spicy at all, so I added cayenne for a slight kick.


Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 serrano chiles (remove seeds for a milder curry)
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut or expeller-pressed canola oil
1 3/4 pound sirloin tip steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can light coconut milk
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves 

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine onion, chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet with a tightly fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt. Add half the steak pieces to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon; repeat with remaining steak. Set aside.

3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric; stir for 10 seconds and then add the onion and chile mixture. Simmer for 1 minute and then stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar. Add the beef back in, cover the skillet, and simmer 40 minutes. 

4. Stir in potatoes and continue to simmer until beef and potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes more; remove the lid during last 10 minutes of simmering if you would like a thicker sauce. 

5. Remove cinnamon stick; taste curry and add more salt if desired. Serve garnished with cilantro.  

Creamy Asparagus Potato Soup, by Cheryl

This comes from my Eating Well magazine. I was intrigued by it since we always eat roasted asparagus, but I never know what else to do with it! This recipe was just okay... I found it to be a little bland (I, of course, added salt... but that doesn't mean anything). I also didn't find it to be very creamy, but I think I could have cooked the asparagus and potatoes longer. It was good, not great, and I won't be making it again. I didn't even eat the leftovers! Yum?

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup diced peeled potato
2 teaspoons horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
sliced scallions for garnish

Directions:

1) Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add broth, asparagus, potato, horseradish, and salt; bring to boil.

2) Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender.

3) Serve the soup topped with croutons, or scallions.

Kuvana Krtola - Potatoes w/ Yogurt & Cheese (Montenegro), by Cheryl

This may not look like much, and it may look like something anyone can just put together (and you can), but this Montenegrin recipe is super tasty and so easy! I don't remember seeing these on the menu in Montenegro, but I wasn't exactly looking for them either. Apparently it's the first and foremost thing a traveller has to try when in Montenegro - Diane, maybe you can keep this in mind when you visit! Anyway, the combination of a hot potato, fresh cheese, and yogurt is very very good and is a great snack or appetizer. Yum!

Ingredients (Recipe from here):

1 potato
2 tablespoons yogurt (I used much more than that)
2 tablespoons cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Bake the potato until tender (I microwaved it since I was short on time).

2) Cut into halves, maintaining the long shape.

3) Mix the rest of the ingredients and spread them on the potato halves. Dig in while it's hot!