Potato Broccoli Pancakes
Growing up, I always had mashed potato pancakes. I really don't remember ever having shredded potato pancakes - latkes - as a kid. Mom does have a recipe for them in her cookbooks - she switched it out to use frozen shredded potatoes - so I'm thinking she probably made them in the '70s after I was gone and there were less people in the house.
Mashed potato pancakes... yum. They could be fairly plain or mixed with different things - sometimes breaded, usually not. They're one of those foods that evoke a simpler place and time. Granted, it was a simpler place in time for me because I was a kid with minimal responsibilities. It most assuredly wasn't a simpler place in time for the adults.
But I digress...
Tonight's pancakes came about because I had a broccoli crown I wanted to use up and potatoes that have just been sitting around. My buying habits haven't quite caught up with our eating habits so there's always something on the brink - and we know how much I love tossing food. Fresh produce is especially rough when I do my Gentile's run - I need to remember that there are only so many meals in a week, and shop accordingly.
It could happen.
Mashed potato pancakes are another of those throw-together items. Mashed potatoes, a veggie, if desired, some onion, flour, egg, cheese, garlic powder, baking powder, salt & pepper. Form into patties and fry.
Potato Broccoli Pancakes
makes 6-8
- 1 medium russet potato, cooked and riced/mashed
- 1 small crown broccoli - cooked and chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- salt & pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry until nicely browned on each side.
Keep in a warm oven until all are complete and you're ready to serve.
A potato ricer makes quick work and adding the eggs after mixing everything else together makes for an evenly-distributed mixture.
They work great as a side, but also work really well as the base for chili, stew, or a simple fried egg.
Have fun with them!
Eggplant and Shallots
The eggplants are still coming in and I've been looking for more and different ways to cook them. Every time I turn around, there's another one or two ready to eat - and the neighbors are starting to avoid me. We have breaded cutlets in the freezer, we have caponata in jars downstairs. I hit the NY Times a few weeks ago and did an eggplant search. Lots of recipes - and far too many of them are mere variations of the same thing. I did see one that looked somewhat promising - a dish with eggplant and shallots with a chicken breast on top - so, armed with an eggplant and lots of shallots, I went to work.
The evolution of a recipe...
The recipe was fairly straightforward - saute large hunks of shallots, add cubed eggplant, ginger, and cilantro. Chicken breast rubbed with ginger and grilled...
The first change was the cilantro. Victor is of the taste like soap contingent, so we tend to avoid it, when possible. I picked fresh herbs from the garden - parsley, basil, oregano, and mint. Those flavors sound more Italian-ish, so I marinated the chicken in red wine, garlic, and olive oil.
At the point in the recipe where I was to add the ginger, I reached for a bottle of pistachio liqueur and added a handful of roasted pistachios. And when it was all done, Victor mentioned getting some balsamic - the good stuff - and drizzling it on top.
The end result was pretty darn good - and reasonably different from where I started.
That, of course, is half the fun of cooking.
Grilled Chicken with Eggplant and Shallots
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
- 6 large shallots, peeled
- 8 oz chicken breast
- 1/4 cup pistachio liqueur
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios
- 1/4 cup minced mixed herbs - parsley, oregano, mint, basil...
- S&P, to taste
1 hour before cooking, marinate chicken in 1/2 cup red wine, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Set aside. Prepare a hot grill and cook when eggplant mixture is halfway done.
Peel shallots and leave whole of small, cut in half lengthwise, if large. Saute in olive oil for about 10 minutes - until nicely softened. Add cubed eggplant and mix well. Lower heat to medium, cover pan, and cook until eggplant is softened and cooked through - about 15 minutes - stirring occasionally.
When eggplant is almost fully cooked, remove cover and stir in pistachio liqueur and pistachios. Add fresh herbs and S&P, to taste.
Continue cooking until liqueur has evaporated and eggplant and shallots are tender.
Drizzle with good-quality balsamic vinegar.
This really did come out good and the eggplant and shallots are a perfect side dish on their own - without the chicken breast. As we ate, we thought of other additions, such as raisins or chopped apricots, maybe dried figs. It's definitely something that can be played with time and time, again!
I have a new favorite eggplant dish!
Leeks, Fennel, and Rice
I really can't count the number of times I cooked steaks for us and midway through dinner said we could have gotten by with one. Knowing I was cooking too much food never seemed to stop me from cooking two, however. Cybil and Blanche loved it.
That was then, this is now. One NY Strip Steak is definitely enough for the two of us - and Blanche still gets a bit, too. I'm a slow learner, sometimes. What can I say?!?
Portion control has been my biggest challenge - but it's paying off. Slow or not, at least I'm learning.
I was perusing the NY Times Cooking section when I saw a recipe for a Fennel, Kale, and Rice Gratin. The concept sounded good, but there is no way in hell I'm buying kale. I don't like it and I don't have to eat it. There are any number of vegetables out there that are just as nutritious - and actually taste good. I see no reason to ruin a good dish with something foul.
But I digress...
A baked rice dish with fennel sounded good, so I decided to play. First off, the recipe fed 4 to 6, so I pretty much abandoned it and went with what would work for two. My kale was a partial head of romaine that needed using up. Onions became leeks. Gruyère became colby jack. Dill was omitted, completely. Recipes are great for getting ideas. You don't have to follow them. Really.
Leeks, Fennel, and Rice
- 1 small leek, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups chopped greens
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 3/4 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- S&P to taste
Cook rice, cool, and set aside.
Saute leeks and fennel is a medium skillet until they are limp and begin to color. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add greens and cook until they wilt. Cool and set aside.
To assemble:
In a medium bowl, mix eggs and milk. Stir in leek and fennel mixture. Stir in Cheese, and then stir in cooked rice. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Place in a small casserole and top with breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of olive oil.
Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
I sliced the steak and laid it out on top of the rice - layering food is always fun - and we both went to town.
It came out really good - and enough for 4 people, easily.
Lunch, tomorrow!
Corn Two Ways
Tonight's dinner is brought to you by my friend, the fresh cob of corn. Corn on the cob is such a good friend that I picked up two ears of it today. As I was putting groceries away, I noticed I had 2 ears of my best friend in the bottom of the vegetable bin. I guess I need to work on my social skills...
The two new ears went in, the two old ears came out. It was actually fortuitous, because I was planning to make a lentil salad, today. I did - and added fresh corn. The second fun dish was a corn fritter of sorts. A burger with chopped fried peppers from the garden rounded out the plate.
First thing I did was cut the corn from the cobs and blanche a few minutes in boiling salted water. Drain, cool.
I probably have 8 or 10 different flours on hand at any given moment, so I pulled down some corn flour and my Italian "00" and went to work. I didn't want to use a whole wheat or other strong flour and mask the corn flavor. Good corn is coming to an end - I want to enjoy it while it's here.
Corn Fritters
- 1/2 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
- 1 green onion, minced
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- water to make a stiff batter
Mix all dry ingredients with the corn. Drizzle in the butter then add enough water to make a stiff batter.
Fry in s small amount of oil until crispy on one side, flip, and continue cooking until crisp.
Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. A perfect combination!
The Lentil Salad was just as easy.
Lentil and Corn Salad
- 1 cup lentils
- 1 cup fresh corn
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 3 tbsp assorted fresh herbs (parsley, mint, basil...)
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cook lentils according to package instructions. Drain and cool
Mix vegetables with lentils, herbs, garlic powder, and S&P. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a dash of red wine vinegar.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
This is a total clean-out-the-refrigerator type of salad. There are really no wrong ingredients or wrong amounts. It will be a luncheon staple for a few days.
And now I have two new ears of corn to deal with... Maybe a simple corn-on-the-cob will be on the menu in a day or two...
Golden Beets and Apples
Victor started liking beets when he first had roasted golden beets. They were totally different than the canned pickled beets of his youth - they had flavor without vinegar. Golden beets aren't in the market very often - even though they have a long summer-through-fall season - so I grab a couple whenever I see them.
I roasted them in the oven - pan wrapped in foil - for about an hour, and then peeled them. That's pretty much my standard start. From there, anything is possible!
Today, it was cubing them along with an apple and a couple stalks of celery.
I sauteed them in a bit of olive oil, then added some Calvados and put a lid on to steam. Seasoning-wise, I used Penzey's Florida Pepper - their spin on St Augustine spice blend.
I marinated a pork tenderloin in the same spice and Calvados - and then grilled it.
To round out the plate, Victor made a tomato salad - fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic, salt & pepper.
The apples and beets really complimented each other - and the celery added a nice texture to balance them. And you just can't get any better than fresh tomatoes from your own yard. They are the highlight of summer!
Since the rains stopped, the tomatoes have been coming in at a rapid pace. I'll be doing another harvest tomorrow. And peppers. We have peppers! I'm leaving the majority of them out there to turn red. I'm making another batch of hot sauce! I do pull in a dozen or so every few days to fry. We have fried peppers on everything!
Another good day at the gym...
Life is good...
Tomato Sauce
It seems the weather has finally started cooperating - we're getting tomatoes! We went out to do some yard cleanup and a bit of harvesting - and the bit of harvesting was 20 pints of tomato sauce - 16 canned and down stairs, 4 in the refrigerator. I can only can 16 pints at a time...
The sauce is just a plain tomato sauce - a bit of red wine and a bit of salt and pepper - but nothing else. We will be able to use it for anything we want!
It was really a simple process - i pureed all of the tomatoes in the blender and then cooked them down a bit...
Whenever I break out the big blue pot, I always think of Macbeth... Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and caldron bubble. The pressure canner is just slightly larger - double the pleasure, double the fun... I think I'll stop, now...
I'm thinking this will be making some good soups and stews, this winter...
Fresh Figs
Fresh figs have arrived - and my tummy is smiling! I picked up a small container of them, yesterday, with the sole intent of making a savory topping for steaks, tonight. I don't often impulse-buy something with a definite purpose, but I knew I had steaks in the 'fridge that were going to be tonight's dinner and figs and beef really go well together. It's amazing how menus create themselves.
We have pretty well-stocked vegetable bins - and tons of fresh herbs out back - so the fig topping pretty much came together on its own. I had a white onion out and then looked into the refrigerator and realized I had two full bunches of scallions - the white onion went back. There are also lots of leeks in there... I think I'll use them for tomorrow night...
In the meantime... measurements are estimates - I just kinda went for it!
Fig Sauce
- 10 oz black mission figs
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 small clove garlic
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
- salt & pepper, to taste
Chop figs. Chop scallions. Mince garlic. Combine in bowl with lime juice balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mint, and basil. Add S&P, to taste.
This was really good. It would be excellent as a bruschetta topping - or on top of a blue cheese burger.
Versatility, thy name is fig.
Have fun!
Ratatouille From The Garden
We have achieved vegetables!
Not a whole lot, but the zucchini and eggplant are looking good. Well... the eggplant is. The zucchini has some issues - I had to get rid of half of the plant - but it's still producing as only a squash plant can!
The tomatoes are slow, the peppers are starting to come on strong... I'm sure everything will be in abundance just as we head north for a few days...
A nice-sized eggplant and several small zucchini definitely call for ratatouille - and a NY Times recipe suggested serving it over farro and topping it with an egg. Works for me!
Ratatouille is another one of those basic clean-out-the-refrigerator dishes. All recipes are pretty much the same - eggplant, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and tomatoes - with a few variations on herbs and spices. But it's still put it in a pot and make it hot. And then serve it hot or cold. I added an assortment of wild mushrooms and some baby broccoli because I wanted to use them up. Plus fresh basil and oregano we dried. When it was all done I added a splash of Sangiovese just to brighten it a bit.
I served it over wheat berries and topped it with a perfectly poached egg, a chiffonade of basil, and freshly-grated pecorino.
Not bad, at all.
And I even got the portions down right!
Salads and Fig Bruschetta
Ya remember those over-priced figs I bought on Friday? They became Fig Bruschetta on Saturday! And they were really good!
And really easy to put together. First, I sliced my crusty bread, lightly brushed it with olive oil, and then toasted it in the oven under the broiler. Next, I mixed up some ricotta cheese with some Boursin cheese.
I spread that liberally upon the toasted bread and then topped it with slices of fresh fig. That, in turn, was topped with a bit of shredded asiago. Under the broiler until hot and melty.
Totally outrageously good! One of those things one could eat quite a few of. We were, however, good boys. We saved some for Sunday Lunch!
To go along with the bruschetta, were simple salads with homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
Another fun meal...
Summer Salads
It's summertime. It's noon and 95°F - that's 35°C for the civilized world. With the heat index and all the stuff they calculate to make it look even hotter, it's 104°F - or, 40°C. But Fahrenheit or Celsius, it's hot, humid, and miserable. And only July 2nd. I can't wait for August.
One of my retirement dreams is to drop a couple of pounds - and Victor feels the same way. If I only learned one thing in all the years I worked in Nutrition and Dietetics, it is that dramatic diets and diet changes do not work. They're unsustainable and make everyone around you want to avoid you because they don't want to hear about your eating habits. Again.
They're only great for the guy selling the book.
We eat well - real food, cooked from scratch - but we eat too much. Portions are too big. At any given moment, the neighborhood could drop by unannounced for dinner - and there would be plenty of food to feed them. The goal, then, is to cook a bit less so we eat a bit less - as well as make sure the foods we're eating are filling us up and not merely empty calories.
I started it with the little cakes. I'm not cutting out dessert - I LIKE dessert - I'm just going to be making a small cobbler instead of a 10" deep-dish pie. I'm also going to work on my bread baking. I'll make the same doughs as before, but start portioning them into much smaller loaves - and freezing the dough for another day. Little changes.
It's still really early in Retirement Mode and since Monday morning has been the shopping day for quite a while, I did my shopping. First, to Wegmans to pick up the basics and then down to Gentile's for produce.
I see at least a weekly trek down there, if not a couple treks a week. I finally figured out how to get there by avoiding all of the major roads - and it's now less than 15 minutes to produce not wrapped in plastic or portioned in plastic containers. And they're busy - they turn their produce over. Always fresh and seasonally local.
My eating habits are such that I'm much more likely to eat a peach in a fruit salad than to eat one out of hand, so we always have a big fruit salad or a mixed melon salad in the 'fridge during the summer. And bean salads, grain salads...
They're easy to prepare, last a long time, and are a great way to utilize leftovers. There are no real recipes for these things - it's merely what's in the 'fridge or pantry and brought together with a dressing.
I use fresh herbs from the garden, olive oil, and whatever vinegar I happen to grab - there are many different ones on the shelf. S&P...
The bean salad was fresh green beans that I blanched, a can of pinto beans, a can of black beans, green onions, and a bit of orange bell pepper. I used aronia berry vinegar and olive oil.
And it tastes great!
The second salad is made with hard white wheat berries from Palouse. You could use any wheat berry, farro, spelt... even barley or a good whole grain rice. Any of them will work.
I added a diced yellow zucchini, orange bell pepper, pimentos, red onion, fresh herbs from the garden, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Plus a bit of salt & pepper. Another salad that could stay in the 'fridge for days... not that we'll let it, however.
You can build upon these in as many ways as you can think - and then a dozen more.
Have fun!
Artichokes
I brought home a couple of really nice artichokes, today. I am a big fan of artichokes. They were a special treat back when I was a kid. Mom would always steam them and we'd have mayonnaise to dip the leaves in. No fancy aoili or anything - just plain ol' Best Foods.
Victor asked me what I had planned for them and I casually said that I hadn't thought of it. He asked if I wanted them stuffed, and I immediately said YES!! He then looked at me and said I was just played, wasn't I?!? I smiled and replied, Yep!
I really was hoping he'd stuff them - and having him think it was his idea was perfect.
Stuffed Artichokes
- bread crumbs
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning
- parmesan cheese
- S&P
Mix crumbs with seasonings and cheese. Trim tops of artichokes.
Pull leaves apart and stuff the artichokes with the breading mixture.
Place in a deep pot and drizzle with olive oil. Add a cup of chicken stock (or veg stock or water) to pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until they're soft - about 45 minutes, depending upon size.
Baste now and again with the broth, adding more, as necessary.
They really were perfect! I grilled a couple of hamburger steaks - I mixed the leftover bread crumbs into the meat because - why not?!?
Boiled potatoes, smashed and fried, completed the plate.
A simple meal that filled us without bloating us - which is good. There's Cherry Crumb Pie for dessert!
Ricotta with Date and Pecan Pesto
Here we go with another fantastic recipe from our new cookbook Shaya!
It's one of those recipes that is just so simple that it has to be good! We brought it for Easter dinner and everyone loved it!
There's not a lot of ingredients, so make sure the ones you use are top-quality. Go for whole milk ricotta, good quality olive oil, and a really good balsamic.
You'll be glad you did.
And buy the book. You'll be glad you did that, as well!
Ricotta with Date and Pecan Pesto
adapted from Shaya, An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel
By Alon Shaya
- 2 cups parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound whole milk ricotta, drained
Place parsley, pecans, and dates in food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Blend in cheese, olive oil, and balsamic, and add salt to taste.
Place drained ricotta on a rimmed plate and spread out - making a well in the center. Place the parsley mixture in the center.
Serve with crusty baguettes or your favorite cracker.
Alon makes his by hand-chopping the ingredients - making for a much chunkier dish. He also uses less dates and parmesan. I went with the food processor but made sure there was still a lot of texture. I definitely wouldn't want it as fine as a traditional Pesto Genovese.
And if you really want to blow their socks off - make your own ricotta!
Fresh Ricotta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp salt
Add all ingredients to a heavy pot and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Scoop curds into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and drain about 30 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much whey as possible.
Cover and chill.
It's ridiculously easy - and ridiculously good!