Herbed Tilapia with Tomatoes and Jalapenos over Chive Mashed Potatoes

Baked Tilapia:
2 tilapia filets
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Lemon pepper seasoning
Salt
2 Tbsp minced fresh herbs (cilantro, flat leaf Italian parsley, Rosemary)
about 5 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used baby heirloom tomatoes)
1 jalapeno, sliced (seeds removed)

Mashed potatoes:
3 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
2-3 tsp butter
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (you can also use milk, cream or sour cream instead)
season with salt and pepper
1/2 Tbsp minced fresh chives

Start with potatoes, by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay two sheets of parchment paper on a flat surface. Place a filet of fish on each sheet. Drizzle with EVOO, season with lemon pepper and salt. Sprinkle with herbs. Top with tomato halves and jalapenos.

Fold and crimp the top of the paper closed. Then repeat for the sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until fish is no longer transparent.

Once potatoes are cooked, drain. Add butter and yogurt to pot. Return potatoes to pot and mash together. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in chives. Add more yogurt if potatoes need more moisture.

To serve, open parchment paper packs, plate fish over mashed potatoes. Pour over extra juices.

 

Battle of the Potato Salads: Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

When my husband told me that he didn’t care for the Czech style potato salad that my family makes, 1) I was shocked that I’ve never heard this before considering we’ve been together for 10 years, and 2) how can you not like the potato salad?! It’s so good! His friend did confirm that it was strange to have peas and carrots in a potato salad, which didn’t occur to me as strange considering that’s how I’ve always had it. 

 

So, since we were having our friends over for a BBQ this weekend, I decided to have a ‘battle of the potato salads’ and let our guests decided which on was better. Here are the two contenders: Czech Potato Salad and a Vinaigrette Potato Salad. Let the battle begin. 

 

I recommend making the salad a day before to let the flavors blend overnight.

 

Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Czech Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
2 large carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas
2 celery stalks, diced
1small yellow onion, minced
2 green onion sprigs, diced
2 large pickles, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Dressing:

¾ cup mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp pickle juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, dice carrots and place in a small pot of boiling salted water. Add peas and cook until carrots are fork tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing. Whisk together until combined. Add to potatoes and veggies. Gently toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Vinaigrette Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
5 strips of bacon
3 green onion sprigs, diced
½ small red onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 celery stalks, diced
3 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Champagne vinaigrette (store bought)

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, cook bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Remove bacon from pan onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up extra grease. Once cooled, roughly chop and add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix together. Add the eggs last, gently folding in with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Spicy Seared Ahi Tuna with Seaweed Mashed Potatoes

2 fresh Ahi tuna filets

Cayenne or Cajun seasoning

2 large red skinned potatoes, cubed
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup dried seaweed
2 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp butter
Season with salt, to taste

Steam cubed potatoes for about 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain water from pot and add potatoes to pot, add broth, seaweed, milk and butter. Mash together. Season with salt, to taste.  Cover and set aside.

Season both sides of tuna filets with salt and spicy seasoning, such as cayenne or Cajun seasoning. Grill over very high heat until both sides are cooked and center of fish is pink.

Serve with grilled veggies.

Saturday Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash

I don’t even like corned beef, but I went to the grocery store starving and it was on sale (after St Patty’s Day), so I said – what the heck? My husband feels the same way about it, but we both loved the way this meat came out, as well as the breakfast we used it in the next day!

 

Then my co-worker brought me three fresh eggs from her own chickens. There was one brown and two with different shades of green. I was so excited to try them since I’ve heard you can really taste the difference between fresh verse store bought eggs. The yolk was larger and more yellow. They were delicious. A great accompaniment to the corned beef hash.

 

4 servings

 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled until tender (make the day before)

2 cups chopped corned beef - see corned beef recipe below, make the day before

½ small yellow onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

 

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add EVOO. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, corned beef, onion, peppers and garlic. Press down with a spatula and let cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley, salt and pepper. Press down with spatula and cook for another 5 minutes, until potatoes and beef are browned and crispy. Serve with fried eggs and toast.

 

Crock Pot Corned Beef:

2 ½ lb corned beef brisket

Vegetable broth (low sodium)

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

 

In a crock pot, add corned beef. Cover with broth. Add garlic and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from liquid, place on cutting board and cut against grain.

 

Tip: Make the day before and use leftovers for corned beef hash.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

2 large red skinned potatoes, diced

¼ cup milk

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

3 slices of crispy bacon, chopped

2 green onion sprigs, chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

 

In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Add milk and sour cream. Mash until smooth. Mix in cheese, bacon and green onions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

NY Strip Steak Hash with Eggs

I created this breakfast using all the leftovers from our Valentine’s Day feast … and then added two eggs! Yum … and Valentine’s weekend continues!

 

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 large red skinned potatoes, steamed or boiled, cubed

½ cup diced cooked steak

½ cup chopped steamed cauliflower

½ small yellow onion, diced

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a frying pan over high heat, drizzle EVOO. Add potatoes and cook until all sides are browned and crispy. Turn heat to medium, add steak, cauliflower and onion; mix together.

 

Create two holes in the hash mixture and crack an egg into each hole. Cover pan and let egg cook until the whites are settled, but the yolk is still soft (or cooked to your liking). Season with salt and pepper.

 

Enjoy with a few dashes of hot sauce and a side of fresh fruit.

 

Chorizo Chili Stuffed Potatoes

I made these tasty little guys for a Super Bowl party. They were a hit with the crowd, but unfortunately they didn't help the 49ers win!

 

Chorizo Chili (recipe here)

Or a quicker version of the a Chorizo Chili:
1 link of chorizo sausage, removed from casing
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 can of your favorite chili
10 small red skinned potatoes
Grated cheddar cheese

In a large pot, cook chorizo over medium heat. Add jalapenos; cook for 2-4 minutes. Add a can of chili. Mix together and cook until chorizo is cooked all the way through.

Cut potatoes in half and boil or steam until fork tender; drain. Using a melon baller or a small spoon, scoop out centers of potatoes. Do not pierce potato skins. Fill with chili and top with cheese.

Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet and under broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Loaded Potato Pancakes

I was watching one of the episodes on the Food Network where the stars share their tips and favorite recipes. I got this technique from that lady with the spiky blonde hair that looks like Guy Fieri, and the overall inspiration from Paula Deen's Smashed Potato Pancakes.

 

3 medium Russet potatoes, steamed or boiled until tender
2 medium Russet potatoes, raw & freshly grated
1 egg, beaten
2 slices of sourdough bread, diced
1/2 cup diced ham
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

flour for dusting

Vegetable oil for frying

In a large frying pan, heat about 1/2" of oil over medium high heat. The oil should come half way up the pancakes when placed in the pan.

While the oil is heating, press the steamed potatoes through a ricer and combine with the remaining ingredients in a large boil. If the mixture is too wet, add more diced bread. Using your hands, form patties from potato mixture. Sprinkle each side with flour and gently place into oil.

Fry each side for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Place pancakes on a paper towel lined plate to soak up extra grease.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: To see if the oil is ready for frying, test it by putting a little bit of food into the pan. It's ready if it starts to bubble and cook. 

Croatian Swiss Chard and Potatoes (Blitva)

While were in Croatia, we often ate this traditional Dalmatian side dish, Blitva.  You could find it on the menu of any Dalmatian restaurant accompanying grilled fresh fish. Unfortunately, some of the dishes we had were lacking flavor due to over boiling the vegetables. Since I love these two vegetables, I decided to do it my way and kick the flavor up a notch.

 

To increase the flavor, I steamed the potatoes, instead of boiling, and sautéed the chard in garlic and red pepper flakes with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

 

2 large red skinned potatoes, diced

A large bunch of chard (I used red chard), rinsed and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or crushed
Few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes
A few drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
A dash of apple cider vinegar
Salt, season to taste

Over the stovetop, steam diced potatoes for about 15 minutes, until fork tender. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat EVOO over med-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add chopped chard. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until wilted. Add apple cider vinegar and season with salt, to taste. Add potatoes and stir to combine.

Serve with your favorite grilled fish.

If you like this dish, try the Italian version, Spicy Greens and Bean, of this dish here.

Note: The potatoes are pink because the red chard releases the pink color from its red stems. You can use regual Swish chard with white stems too.

Gnocchi with Ham and Peas in Creamy Pesto

We just got back from our trip to Croatia where we had the opportunity to try all types of regional Dalmatian cuisine. In different parts of Croatia, the cuisine and architecture have Italian influences, since the two countries are located just across the Adriatic Sea.

This meal was inspired by a dish my husband had in a little town near Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. Since it’s all store bought (sorry, I cheated for this one!), it was super fast to put together. I think the longest cooking time was for the frozen peas! Perfect for a midweek meal.

1 package of Knorr Creamy Pesto sauce mix (or use your favorite jarred white sauce)

1-17 oz package of potato gnocchi
5 oz frozen peas
7 oz cubed ham
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Prepare Creamy Pesto sauce mix according to directions on packaging. Whisk constantly and remove from heat; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas for 3 minutes, then add gnocchi for an additional 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan over high heat, sauté cubed ham to brown.

When gnocchi start to float to the top of the water, drain water and return to peas and gnocchi to pot. Mix in pesto and ham.

Serve in a shallow bowl and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I garnished with diced tomato, just because I had some on hand to use up.

Grilled Pork Chops with Sautéed Veggies over Mashed Potatoes

Nothing fancy, but tasty and filling.

 

 

Serves 2

2- 3/4" Pork chops

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Seasoned salt

 

Veggies:

¾ cup baby carrots, halved

1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces

½ small yellow onion, sliced

1 Anaheim pepper, sliced (you can use a regular bell pepper too)

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp of freshly minced cilantro

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

 

Mashed Potatoes:

2 large red skinned potatoes, cubed

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup milk (add more to get a creamy consistency)

Salt and black pepper, taste

 

Starting with the potatoes since they have the longest cook time, in a large pot of boiling water, cook cubed potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain water and add back to pot. Add butter and milk and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Cover and set aside.

 

Preheat grill to medium heat. Season one side of pork with lemon pepper seasoning and the other side with seasoned salt.  Grill pork for about 4 minutes per side, or depending on thickness until no longer pink in the middle.

 

Lastly, prepare the veggies. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO. Start sautéing with carrots first. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add zucchini , onion and peppers. Sauté another 3-4 minutes. Last, add garlic and cilantro. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until carrots are tender. 

 

Serve pork chops over a plate of mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. Enjoy!

 

Variations:

·         Grill chicken, fish or steak instead of pork chops

·         Pan sear the meat instead of grilling

·         Substitute any of the veggies by adding your favorites or removing those you don’t like

·         Add a variety of herbs to the veggies, such as rosemary, parsley and/or chives

Corned Beef with Colcannon

‘Tis the day to wear your greenest sweater with matching socks, and to wash down green food with a cold Guinness. We celebrated by cooking traditional Irish dishes, in a not so traditional way. Instead of boiling the corned beef and cabbage, we roasted and sautéed.

Corned Beef

4 lb brined corned beef

Preheat oven to 380 degrees.

Drain and remove corned beef from packaging. Rinse off with water and place fat side down in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Add about 1” of water, or until its half way up the beef. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 40 minutes per pound, or until beef easily shreds off with fork.

Let rest for 10 minutes, place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain, into ½” thick slices.

Colcannon

5 Tbsp milk
4 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
1/3 head of green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ yellow onion, sliced
Pinch of nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a medium pot, bring milk to a boil and add potatoes; simmer for 15-20 minute until tender.

In a sauté pan, add a drizzle of EVOO over med-high heat. Add cabbage, garlic and onion, sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add cabbage mixture to potatoes. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper; mash together.

Plate a small mound of colcannon on a plate. Make a shallow hole at the top and place a slice of butter.

Plate colcannon with sliced corned beef. Serve Key Lime Pie for dessert!

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Loaded Potato Cake Benedict

There’s a lot going on here, but worth all the effort when you hear your husband say it’s the best breakfast ever. It consists of my Loaded Potato Cakes on a bed of sautéed spinach and steamed asparagus, topped with a fried egg and homemade Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Cakes (I had some leftover from this recipe and froze them for future use. I thought this would be a delicious substitution for hash browns.)

5 eggs, separate the yolks from 3 eggs, save the whites
3 tsp butter, sliced, room temperature
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6-8 thick asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2-3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a double broiler, add 3 egg yolks, 1 slice of butter, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Whisk rapidly. Once butter melts, continue to add another slice of butter until it’s all whisked in and sauce thickens. Do not let sauce curdle or scramble. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

NOTE: If you don’t have a double broiler, just use a large pot, fill with 1” of water and bring to a boil. Then place a glass bowl over the pot. The glass bowl has to be larger than the opening of the pot so water does not get into the bowl.

Once the Hollandaise sauce is done, add asparagus to the pot of boiling water, add a little salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain and place asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan, drizzle EVOO over med-high heat. Fry potato cakes on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.

Once potato cakes are done, add a little more EVOO to the same pan and sauté spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with a little salt to season. Once spinach is finished, start to plate by creating a little bed of spinach on each plate. Stack a few asparagus spears on spinach. Top with two potato cakes.

In the same frying pan, add more EVOO over high heat. Add remaining egg whites and two whole eggs to pan. Let eggs bubble and edges turn crispy and golden. Flip eggs and fry for another 1-2  minutes, depending on how soft you want your yolks. If the egg whites spread and all run into each other, use your spatula to cut in half and flip one half at a time.

Top potato cakes with eggs (you might need to fold it in half if it’s too wide). Spoon Hollandaise over eggs. Stack nice and tall for an extra wow factor.

Baked Pesto Salmon

This dish was so easy and fast to make.
It was very delicious and I plan on making it more often.

Pesto Salmon:

2 salmon fillets

Salt & pepper, to taste Pesto sauce

1 ripe tomato, sliced

Foil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (I used my toaster oven).

Take a long piece of foil, drizzle with EVOO. Place salmon, skin side down on foil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pesto over salmon and top with tomato slices. Bring each side of foil together and crimp closed, to make a packet. Bake for 13 minutes. Let the fillets sit in the packet for 2-3 minutes before opening.

Mashed Potatoes:
2 large red skinned potatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste

2 green onion sprigs, sliced

In a pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes; Drain. Return potatoes to pot with butter and milk; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in green onions.

Serve salmon over a bed of mashed potatoes.

Loaded Potato Cakes

A crispy spin on loaded baked potatoes!

4 slices of bacon, chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ cup sour cream (use low fat to reduce calories)
¼ cup chicken broth
¾ cup fresh bread, diced (I used a crusty artisan bread that was about to go stale)
2 green onions, finely sliced
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes; drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan over med-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Use the bacon grease to fry the potato cakes, or wipe out the bacon grease and replace with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, or your Kitchen Aid, combine all ingredients except Panko bread crumbs. Once combined, make potato cake patties with your hands. I was able to make 8. Dredge patties in Panko bread crumbs.

Make sure the oil in the frying pan is still hot and cook the potato cakes on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. You will probably need to cook them in several batches to give them enough room to cook and so you can flip them.

Enjoy your potato cakes with a grilled steak and veggies.

NOTE: I froze some of the potato cakes to use for a future breakfast in place of hash browns. Yum!

Chili Pepper and Rosemary Infused Potato Roast

This side dish is really pretty with its multi colored layers. It has a long baking time, but it will be worth the wait to impress your friends and family with this fancy looking dish.

4 servings

Chili Pepper and Rosemary Infused Oil
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp minced fresh Rosemary
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Potato Roast
1 large Russet potato*
1 large sweet potato*
*look for potatoes that are about the same size and width, so they cook and fit in your dish evenly
1 large garlic clove, sliced into slivers
½ small onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp minced fresh Rosemary
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

In a small sauce pan over med-low heat, add ingredients for infused oil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Thinly slice potatoes. The thinner you slice them, the crispier they’ll become in the oven. Grease or spray a casserole dish then arrange potato slices vertically around dish. Wedge garlic slivers and onion slices between potato slices. Brush potatoes with infused oil. Sprinkle with parsley, Rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake for 1 ½ hours, until potatoes are cooked through with crisp tops.

Enjoy as a side dish with a Chicken Meat Loaf.

NOTE: Use leftover infused oil as a marinade for chicken, steak or fish, or use for dipping bread.

Picadillo

I came across this Latin American dish called Picadillo when I was searching for a recipe to make with the ground beef I had. There are several different versions with a variety of different spices and ingredients depending on the region it’s made. After reviewing several recipes, I decided to make a combination of the Costa Rican and Mexican Picadillo.

1 lb of beef or pork

EVOO

1 small onion, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice from one lime

1 cup of thick & chunky salsa

1 small can of tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed thyme

2 Tbsp freshly minced cilantro, same some to sprinkle as a garnish

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

10 large green olives, pitted

Salt and pepper to taste

*If the mixture seems too thick, add ½ - 1 cup of broth or water

Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat. Start to brown meat. Add onion, potato, carrot, garlic, lime juice, salsa, tomato paste and spices. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and olives, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. If the mixture seems too thick and the potatoes aren’t cooking, add broth or water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve Picadillo over rice, sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe serves 4. Or you can serve 2 and use the rest for taco or tamales filling. I’m going to try to make Papas Rellenas, so stay tuned!

Philly Cheese Steak Potato

You might remember me talking about my eatery idea, Spuds, my gourmet potato bar. It’s my make-believe restaurant that I create recipes for and then try then out on the hubby at home. Here’s one of Spud’s specials.

1 large russet potato
¾ lb beef loin
Salt
Pepper
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
½ small yellow onion, sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced (I used baby Bellas)
2-3 slices of Provolone cheese
A couple slices of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean one large russet potato, cut in half, pierce with a fork, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minute minutes. You can use one whole potato per person but we usually just split a large one, especially since this dish contains meat, which is really filling.

Slice beef into thin slices and season with salt and pepper. Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a pan over high heat. Sear each side of beef for 30-45 seconds, just until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more EVOO and sauté veggies for a few minutes until tender. When veggies are ready, lay slices of cheese on top, cover pan to let steam melt the cheese a little.

Remove potatoes from oven, unwrap, push ends together to insides open up. Sean with salt, pepper and a slice or two of butter. Using a spatula, scoop veggies topped with melted cheese from pan onto potato.

HELPFUL HINTS:
• Place beef in freezer for about 30-45 minutes so it hardens and is easier to slice thin.
• Melt cheese over veggies once potato is prepared to prevent over melting and it becoming runny.

Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Coleslaw

I received my Food & Wine issue last month, which featured the movie The Help and included recipes from the movie. Then I saw the movie this weekend and had to make some classic southern fried chicken! I’ve never made fried chicken this way before. I usually make a thin chicken schnitzel in bread crumbs, but this was easy and a hit with the hubby.

Fried Chicken

2 chicken breasts

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp seasoned salt
1 Tbsp freshly cracked pepper
Vegetable oil

In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg; coat chicken. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper; dredge chicken.

In a medium frying pan, heat oil until med-high. The oil should only be about half way up the chicken. Cook chicken for about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned. Remove from pan and set on a paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Coleslaw in Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp mustard
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
A few dashed of red pepper flakes
2-3 cups of shredded green cabbage
1-2 cups of shredded purple cabbage
1 large carrot, peel off ribbons
2-3 green onions, sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl combine the vegetables and then toss with vinaigrette dressing. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Mashed Potatoes
2 large red skinned potatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes; Drain. Add butter and milk to pot with the potatoes; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.



Ricotta Lemon Potatoes with Grilled Swordfish

This dinner came together after I discovered an easy ‘make your own ricotta’ recipe in another blog. Whenever I think of a side dish with lemon, I think grilled fish. A heavenly pairing.

4-6 small red skinned potatoes

¼ cup fresh ricotta cheese (I made my own following this simple recipe)

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp minced fresh Rosemary
1 tsp minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp minced fresh chives
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
3- 1” thick fresh swordfish filets
EVOO

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a few holes, toss in EVOO and bake in an aluminum covered casserole dish for about 50 minutes, or until fork tender.

In a small bowl, combine cheese, herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.

Heat a grill to med-high heat. Drizzle fish with EVOO, season both sides with Lemon Pepper and salt and grill each side for about 4 minutes, depending on filet thickness, or until fish is done.

When potatoes are done, pierce tops with a fork and squeeze both ends together to open. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then top with ricotta mixture. (If the potato is a little dry, add a slice of butter.)

Plate fish with a couple lemon ricotta potatoes. Serve with a lemon wedge.