That's the way Sam says it to Gollum in one of the LOTR movies (we quote them to each other all the time).
Our favorite thing to do with potatoes, especially in the winter, is just roast them. It's hardly worth writing out a recipe, but for what it's worth here's what we do:
1. Heat oven to 450 or so
2. Cut up a bunch of potatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini, squash, cherry tomatoes, bratwurst, and/or anything else that sounds good and put 'em all in a bowl.
3. Add some olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and any spices that sound good, and mix until everything is covered. We usually use sage and rosemary, but at various times we've also used mesquite grill seasoning, Montreal steak seasoning, herb de Provence, and stone ground mustard, and it always come out good.
4. Pour it all into a baking pan and bake until things are done: tender and maybe even a little crispy on the outside. It's a fool-proof recipe and very satisfying.
Here's a little more legitimate recipe involving potatoes, and it's the perfect season for it or soon will be, when fresh basil starts to show up. We got it from a cookbook called Potatoes, by Annie Nichols - one of these cookbooks that's almost more a coffee-table book than a recipe book - food porn - but this one comes out well.
Macadamia pesto and potatoes with pasta:
Pesto:
1/4 cup unsalted macadamias, chopped (we can almost never find unsalted madadamias; salted ones will do in a pinch)
1 garlic clove, chopped
medium bunch fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Put the garlic, basil, cheese, and nuts in a food processor and chop finely; drizzle the olive oil through the little hole on the top while blades are going (turns out that's what it's for). When it's all blended together add salt and pepper to taste.
Potatoes and pasta:
1/2 pound new potatoes
as much pasta as you need (recipe calls for tagliatelle, but I prefer penne with this dish)
Slice the potatoes into largish chunks and boil them till they're tender. Drain.
Boil the pasta, drain, but leave a couple of tablespoons of water in the pot. Then mix the potatoes, pasta, and pesto in the pot (supposedly the cooking water helps the pesto to bind to the other things). Voila. Top with more grated Parmesan.
Friday, July 16, 2010
gingery turkey couscous
OK. This recipe is from a weight watchers cookbook. I took it to a barbecue at Taryn's once, and she approved. It would be delicious sans turkey, too, for the vegetarians among us.
ingredients:
1/2 c. couscous
5 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
5 teaspoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger (I use powdered ginger...it's OK)
1.5 c. diced turkey breast
1.5 c. fresh broccoli florets
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or equivalent amount of dried)
directions:
prepare couscous, let it cool (i usually stick it in the freezer for a little while)
whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. mix everything together. eat!
notes: i often double the couscous, even though that's not so carb-friendly...
ingredients:
1/2 c. couscous
5 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
5 teaspoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger (I use powdered ginger...it's OK)
1.5 c. diced turkey breast
1.5 c. fresh broccoli florets
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or equivalent amount of dried)
directions:
prepare couscous, let it cool (i usually stick it in the freezer for a little while)
whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. mix everything together. eat!
notes: i often double the couscous, even though that's not so carb-friendly...
Okra: everyone's favorite slimy vegetable
As promised, here is my okra post. I have always liked okra. This is one of the proofs that contrary to what any of you said when I was growing up, I am not an alien, a foundling, or adopted :) My love of okra comes straight from Dad. Okra is a beautiful thing when treated correctly (that is, not made slimy, which it naturally wants to be). I have three favorite ways to make okra and all three are really simple, tasty, and pretty popular among those I have made eat it. My first fav (and one of my oldest recipes) involves another unpopular vegetable, eggplant! Yay eggplant!
Eggplant and Okra Stir-Fry
*you can use frozen okra in a pinch
-2-3 Japanese eggplant, diced
-1 lb. fresh okra cut into rounds (caps and tips removed)
-1/2 a large onion, chopped. Any kind of onion except a sweet one would do
-about 4 tbs of soy sauce (Japanese soy sauce)
-red chili flakes or chili sauce (like sambal olek or sriracha)
-garlic powder: however much you like. Be generous
-ginger powder: Use the same proportion roughly as the garlic you use
-cooking oil
Generously (but not excessively) coat the bottom of a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat it over high heat. Add your onions, eggplant, and okra. Stir-fry those for about 3 minutes (trying to get some color and ideally some charred spots). Add your soy sauce slowly so that it is absorbing and not burning on the bottom of the pan. Throw in your chili sauce/hot stuff. Add your ginger and garlic powders. Cook for about 2 minutes until everything is tender but bot mushy and serve over some nice white rice.
Indian Okra Stuff.
Okra in India is called "bhindi" and is often referred to as "Lady fingers." This recipe is representative of how I generally make okra indian style. I do not always do it the same. I omit things sometimes when I don't have them. The tomato, for example, doesn't have to be in there but it is nice :) You can use powdered ginger and garlic when you don't have fresh but fresh is better. It's such a go-to thing for me that I have like 50 permutations of it!
*you can use frozen okra in a pinch
-1 lb. Okra, cut into rounds (caps and tips removed)
-1 medium tomato, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
-1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
-2 tbs garam masala
-Salt
-2 tbs. cooking oil
Heat your oil in a non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Throw in your onion and your okra. Cook them for about five minutes until they are getting soft. Unlike the previous recipe, we aren't so much going for char here. Throw in your tomato (if you are going to) and let it get good and mushy. That can take about 4 minutes. Now you will probably have some tomato juice stuff at the bottom of your pan that is getting okra slimy and of you didn't use tomato you just have some slime most likely. Don't worry, we are about to de-slime! K. Throw in your ginger and garlic and stir those nicely into everything and let them cook a bit but not burn. I like to keep the garlic really sharp in this recipe but if you want it to mellow, turn down the heat and let it cook for about ten minutes. Throw in your garam masala and your salt and let those absord all those slimy things at the bottom of your pan :) Now stir it all and cook it for like 2 minutes just until everything is well blended. What you should end up with is a kinda saoucy but not gravy or curry-like vegetable dish that pairs nicely with rice or flat bread.
Notice there is nothing spicy per se in this (Garam masala isn't actually really hot btw). You can add heat with cayenne pepper.
Fried Okra
This recipe is not healthy at all. It counts as a vegetable like french fries or potato chips count. Also, your house is about to smell very masala-y. It's extra good if you can get your hands on some amchoor to throw in the flour mixture as well.
*Frozen okra will not work here. Your could try, but I have little confidance that it'd work.
-1lb Okra, cut in half lengthwise (remove their little caps but leave the tips)
-1/2 cup flour
-3 tbs. garam or chaat masala
-Salt
-3/4 cup peanut oil (enough to make about an inch deep pool in the pot)
-A pot.
K, It's okra shakin' time! Put your oil into your pot and heat it over high heat. Let it get good and hot. Throw your flour, masala, and salt to taste into a big ziplock bag and mix it well. Throw the okra in there and shake it up until each piece is really well coated. The flour will stick because of the okra slime, no milk or egg required! In batches small enough to fit comfortably in the bottom of that pot, fry your okra until it turns a nice golden brown. Lift them out with a wire strainer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. I like to eat this in a roti or pita with some mixed pickle. It's really good because everything fried is pretty much awesome.
Ok. There you go. The okra post :)
Eggplant and Okra Stir-Fry
*you can use frozen okra in a pinch
-2-3 Japanese eggplant, diced
-1 lb. fresh okra cut into rounds (caps and tips removed)
-1/2 a large onion, chopped. Any kind of onion except a sweet one would do
-about 4 tbs of soy sauce (Japanese soy sauce)
-red chili flakes or chili sauce (like sambal olek or sriracha)
-garlic powder: however much you like. Be generous
-ginger powder: Use the same proportion roughly as the garlic you use
-cooking oil
Generously (but not excessively) coat the bottom of a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat it over high heat. Add your onions, eggplant, and okra. Stir-fry those for about 3 minutes (trying to get some color and ideally some charred spots). Add your soy sauce slowly so that it is absorbing and not burning on the bottom of the pan. Throw in your chili sauce/hot stuff. Add your ginger and garlic powders. Cook for about 2 minutes until everything is tender but bot mushy and serve over some nice white rice.
Indian Okra Stuff.
Okra in India is called "bhindi" and is often referred to as "Lady fingers." This recipe is representative of how I generally make okra indian style. I do not always do it the same. I omit things sometimes when I don't have them. The tomato, for example, doesn't have to be in there but it is nice :) You can use powdered ginger and garlic when you don't have fresh but fresh is better. It's such a go-to thing for me that I have like 50 permutations of it!
*you can use frozen okra in a pinch
-1 lb. Okra, cut into rounds (caps and tips removed)
-1 medium tomato, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
-1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
-2 tbs garam masala
-Salt
-2 tbs. cooking oil
Heat your oil in a non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Throw in your onion and your okra. Cook them for about five minutes until they are getting soft. Unlike the previous recipe, we aren't so much going for char here. Throw in your tomato (if you are going to) and let it get good and mushy. That can take about 4 minutes. Now you will probably have some tomato juice stuff at the bottom of your pan that is getting okra slimy and of you didn't use tomato you just have some slime most likely. Don't worry, we are about to de-slime! K. Throw in your ginger and garlic and stir those nicely into everything and let them cook a bit but not burn. I like to keep the garlic really sharp in this recipe but if you want it to mellow, turn down the heat and let it cook for about ten minutes. Throw in your garam masala and your salt and let those absord all those slimy things at the bottom of your pan :) Now stir it all and cook it for like 2 minutes just until everything is well blended. What you should end up with is a kinda saoucy but not gravy or curry-like vegetable dish that pairs nicely with rice or flat bread.
Notice there is nothing spicy per se in this (Garam masala isn't actually really hot btw). You can add heat with cayenne pepper.
Fried Okra
This recipe is not healthy at all. It counts as a vegetable like french fries or potato chips count. Also, your house is about to smell very masala-y. It's extra good if you can get your hands on some amchoor to throw in the flour mixture as well.
*Frozen okra will not work here. Your could try, but I have little confidance that it'd work.
-1lb Okra, cut in half lengthwise (remove their little caps but leave the tips)
-1/2 cup flour
-3 tbs. garam or chaat masala
-Salt
-3/4 cup peanut oil (enough to make about an inch deep pool in the pot)
-A pot.
K, It's okra shakin' time! Put your oil into your pot and heat it over high heat. Let it get good and hot. Throw your flour, masala, and salt to taste into a big ziplock bag and mix it well. Throw the okra in there and shake it up until each piece is really well coated. The flour will stick because of the okra slime, no milk or egg required! In batches small enough to fit comfortably in the bottom of that pot, fry your okra until it turns a nice golden brown. Lift them out with a wire strainer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. I like to eat this in a roti or pita with some mixed pickle. It's really good because everything fried is pretty much awesome.
Ok. There you go. The okra post :)
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