Potato Cakes

 

2 cups Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

3 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 tablespoon Butter

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Sour Cream & Hot Sauce, optional 

Heat the oil with the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

In a bowl, mix first four ingredients.  Form the mixture into patties, makes about 8.

Coat the potato patties in the panko bread crumbs.

Cook patties for about 5 minutes, turn and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 8 cakes.

Serve with sour cream and hot sauce.

*Perfect way of using left over mashed potatoes.  Serve them for breakfast or at lunch with a green salad.

Clam Chowder

3 6oz cans Clams, drain and reserve juice

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons Butter

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Few Sprigs of Thyme

3 slices Apple Smoked Bacon, cut into small pieces

1 small White Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Flour

2 Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups Vegetable Stock, or your favorite

2 cups Whole Milk

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Bay Leaves

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and one tablespoon of olive oil, over low heat.  Add chopped garlic, clams, and sprigs of thyme.  Let the clams simmer in butter-garlic mixture for about 10 minutes.  Move over to the side, off the heat.

Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat, and add one tablespoon of olive oil.  Add bacon, and saute for about 4-5 minutes, until golden.  Add chopped onion, salt, pepper, and saute for another 3-4 minutes. 

Add the flour, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved clam juice and vegetable stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Stir well to make sure the flour gets incorporated in the stock.

Turn the heat to medium, add the potatoes, and whole milk.  Season with cayenne, fresh ground pepper, and salt if needed.  Add Bay leaves.  Turn the heat back up to high, and bring the soup to boil. 

Once it boils, turn the heat to low, add the butter-clam mixture, and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

With the back of the wooden spoon break some of the potatoes down.  Adds creaminess to the soup, as it thickens it up at the same time...

Discard Bay leaves and Thyme...

Serves 6

*One of my old recipes that my friends and family love!!!!

Roasted Vegetables

1 pound Baby White Potatoes

1 pound Asparagus, ends trimmed

2 Red Beets, peeled and cut in 4 pieces each

1 Yam,  peeled and cut into large pieces

2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil.  Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss all together.

Roast potatoes, beets, and yams for 20 minutes.  Add asparagus and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are golden.

Serves 5-6

Potato Skins

3 Large Russet Potatoes

4 oz Pancetta, diced

4 oz Pepper jack Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Green Onion, sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

2 tablespoons Butter, melted

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Sour Cream, to serve with.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Wash potatoes well.  Poke with a fork all over and bake for about 55 minutes.  Cut in half and let them cool for 10-15 minutes.  Scoop the insides out of the potatoes into a small bowl, and mash well.

Meanwhile, saute pancetta for about 4-5 minutes.  Add to potatoes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, reserving half of the cheese and green onions.  Mix the stuffing together and generously scoop it back into potatoes.

Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Top with the remaining green onion and enjoy with sour cream.

Serves 6

*Pancetta is Italian bacon, salt cured and seasoned with spices as nutmeg, fennel, peppercorns, and garlic.

Fried Potatoes with Chanterelle Mushrooms

4 Potatoes, sliced

1 pound Chanterelle Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 medium Sweet Onion, sliced

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

Salt, Pepper to taste

Preheat non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, melt butter and oil.  Add sliced mushrooms and onions, saute for about five minutes.  Turn the heat to medium heat, add sliced potatoes, and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, flipping potatoes occasionally. 

Serves 2-3

*Chanterelle mushrooms are in season.  You can find them at your local farm in the month of October for about $6-$7 per pound.

Chicken with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce and Fried Potatoes

2 Chicken Breast

1/2 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 small Red Onion, chopped

1/4 pound Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup White Wine

1 large Tomato, chopped

3 tablespoons Capers

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Olive Olive

1 tablespoon Butter

Fried Potatoes

3 Russet Potatoes

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

To make Fried Potatoes:  Peel and thinly slice potatoes, a Mandolin works great.  Preheat the skillet to medium heat and add oil.  Layer the potatoes in the skillet, cover with a lid and fry for ten minutes.  Flip once and cook for another ten, or until golden brown and tender.

Preheat  a skillet to medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Cut the chicken breast in half length wise. You will have four thin pieces.  Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a bowl, mix together flour, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Lightly dunk the chicken in the flour mixture on both sides.  Fry the chicken breast for about 3 minutes on each side.  Move it onto a plate.

In the same skillet melt the butter, add chopped onion and mushrooms, then cook for about 4 minutes.  Add the wine, tomato, garlic, capers, and season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.  Let the sauce thicken up for about 3-4 minutes and add the chicken back in.  Cook for another 5 minutes, letting the chicken to reheat back up.  Serve with fried potatoes.

Serves 3-4

*Elegant and Delicious....Perfect for a Date Night

Boiled Potatoes Russian Style

1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes

3 slices Bacon, cut into pieces

1/2 pound Crimini Mushroom, sliced

2 Leeks, white parts only thinly sliced

1/2 stick Butter

Fresh Dill

Salt, Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Olive Oil, for frying

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Meanwhile preheat skillet on medium-high. Add bacon and cook it for about 4 minutes, then add the sliced mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 7-8 minutes, until mushrooms and bacon are golden brown. Turn the heat to medium, add leeks, and tablespoon of olive oil, and saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the bacon-mushroom mixture and butter to the potatoes. Top with fresh dill and serve.

Serves 5-6

*Family Style Dinner that brings back childhood memories...

*Leave the bacon out to make it vegetarian dish.

Russian Style Crab Salad

1 pound Crab Meat

1 pound Small Baby Potatoes

4 Hard Boiled Eggs

8 small Dill Pickles

1/2 pound Peas, defrosted

1/2 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons Champagne Vinaigrette

Juice of one Lemon

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

Boil potatoes so they are fork tender, cut in half, season with salt and pepper, and brush with some olive oil.
Pre- heat grill and cook potatoes for 4-5 minutes. Remove off the grill and cut potatoes into bite size pieces.

Dice hard boiled eggs and pickles into small pieces. Add to potatoes, as well as crab meat, peas, parsley, green onion, jalapeno, and garlic.

To make dressing: in a small bowl add Dijon mustard, champagne vinaigrette, juice of a lemon, salt, and pepper. Whisk olive oil with the rest of the ingredients until it all combines together.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss all together. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8-10

*Can be made 4-5 hours ahead.

*This is a traditional Russian salad that I put my own twist on, by grilling potatoes and making mustard-champagne vinaigrette, instead of mayo. To make it easier on yourself, feel free to eliminate the grilling of the potatoes.

You can find crab meat that comes in a can at Trader Joes or Costco.



Potato Leek Soup

3 medium Leeks, sliced thinly (white part only)

2 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 pint Half and Half

3 cups Vegetable Stock

3/4 cup White Wine

2 Garlic cloves, minced well

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

1 teaspoon Dry Oregano

2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

1/4 cup Flour

Salt, Pepper to taste
Chives

Pre-heat oil in a large pot on medium heat, and melt the butter.  Saute leeks for 4-5 minutes until they become soft. Then, add garlic, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Pour wine and let it cook for 3-4 minute so the alcohol cooks out, stirring constantly. The mixture will be thick...

Turn the heat up to high and add stock. Using a whisker break up the leak-flour mixture so it blends together with the stock. Bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat back to low and add half and half, potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat back up to high and  bring the soup to a boil. Once it comes up to a boil, turn it back to low, cover, and cook for abot 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Using the back of the wooden spoon smash most of potatoes up against the walls of the pot (be very careful). Stir and serve it with some chives.

Serves 4-6

*So nice to have a bowl of hot soup on a rainy day...there are just few of those in Oregon :0)