Bacon, Potato, and Leek Turnovers

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed red or Yukon gold potato
2 cups chopped leek
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
12 Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles (I used this pie crust recipe instead.)

Directions:
Combine potato, chopped leek, and 3/4 cup water in a microwave-safe pie plate or bowl; lightly cover with wax paper. Microwave at high 8 minutes or until tender, stirring every 3 minutes. Coarsely mash mixture with a fork. Stir in chives and the next 5 ingredients (through bacon). Cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place the Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture into center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal. Place turnovers on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pierce top of each turnover once with a fork. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Comments:
I'm sure using the wonderful, flaky, OMGITSSOGOOD pie crust altered the "light" part of this recipe a bit. But it was worth it. I think the directions given are pretty dumb. Why would you cook all this stuff in the microwave? I started that way and when I saw it was pretty much a big waste of time I threw the potatoes and leeks into a pan on the stove with some water and finished them off there. I made four kind of big turnovers instead of 12 small ones. This require a little longer baking time. But I think they turned out great. Very yummy. Might have brushed some eggwash for some color maybe...

Potato, Mushroom, and Leek Croquettes

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
8 ounces coarsely chopped peeled Yukon gold potato
4 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
4 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped leek
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg white
2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1. Place potato in a pan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Press potato through a ricer or food mill into a bowl.

2. Place mushrooms, leek, and thyme in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushroom mixture; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to potato. Add Gruyère, 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, and egg yolk; stir until blended. Shape mixture into 8 (2-inch) round patties.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine egg white and 2 teaspoons water in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-­Reggiano and panko in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Comments:
These were almost disasterous. There's definitely something wrong with this recipe as it's written. There's no way you can shape the glop that you create into patties. No. Way. I ended up adding probably half a cup (or more) of breadcrumbs to get it to stick together enough to cook. They were ok, if a bit bland. I added salt to mine. I probably wouldn't bother with these again.

Cheesy Potato Soup

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly. Add potato, milk, broth, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Top each serving evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions.

Comments:
This was... ok. It takes a whole lot longer than 10 minutes to get the potatoes cooked though. I let it go more than 20 and there were still some that were questionable. I added a lot of black pepper to mine and we both added some extra cheese on top. Adam suggested adding bacon or ham to the base for some additional flavor. Might try this again, but I'd definitely tinker with the recipe.

Oven-Fried Pork Chops and Parmesan Potato Wedges

From Cooking Light (pork) and Crockpot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes (potatoes)



For the pork

Ingredients:
2 cups panko or other coarse bread crumbs
1 1-oz. packet onion soup mix
1 teaspoon paprika
Pepper
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons flour
6 6-oz. boneless pork chops, trimmed of excess fat
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Arrange a rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix bread crumbs with soup mix, paprika and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine mustard and 2 Tbsp. water. Spread flour on a plate. Dredge pork chops in flour. Coat both sides of each pork chop with mustard mixture, and then dredge in bread crumbs to coat well. Place chops on prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp. melted butter over each chop. Bake until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, turning chops over halfway through cooking time for even browning. Let chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.

For the potatoes

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Layer potatoes, onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and butter in slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 4 hours. Transfer potatoes to serving platter and sprinkle with cheese.

Comments:
The pork was good. Even with sub-par meat the breading was pretty good. I even ate all of mine, which is impressive since I don't really like pork all that much. On the other hand, the potatoes were iffy. Potatoes in the crockpot generally end up all mushy and despite the high cooking temp and the deceivingly delicious picture in the cookbook, they ended up, well, kind of mushy. Still ok tasting, but not something I'd make again.

Polish Sausage and Veggies

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
4 cups cubed peeled potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1 pound smoked Polish sausage or smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup julienned sweet yellow pepper
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the potatoes, sausage, onion, peppers and Cajun seasoning in oil and butter for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Comments:
This was really good (and easy!) I added some leftover broccoli for additional vegetable action. We also had no Cajun seasoning so I used some of the 33rd & Galena spice from Penzey's Kind Heart Gift Set. Honestly couldn't even taste it so I added a bunch of pepper to my serving. I heart pepper!

Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Sage Butter

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup Basic Batter Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Microwave the potato on high until tender, about 12 minutes; let cool slightly. Peel and mash until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, combine the potato, ricotta and parsley. Stir in the batter and season with salt. Stir in the flour. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 3/4-inch-thick rope. Cut the dough crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes; stir and cook for 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons butter, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining mushrooms. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the sage, nutmeg and reserved mushrooms; cover to keep warm.

4. In a pot of simmering, salted water, working in 3 batches, cook the gnocchi until tender and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a platter. Pour the mushroom mixture on top and toss.

Comments:
Yes, yes, I completely sold out and used pre-packaged gnocchi. This wasn't even a very hard gnocchi recipe and I still wimped out. I hang my head in shame. If only those stupid Colavita gnocchi weren't so good!

Anyway, gnocchi aside, this was pretty easy to throw together. It was my side-prepped meal that caused all my problems. I'm not a fan of the mushroom so I planned to throw my half of the gnocchi in a bowl with some peas and parmesan cheese. Except I put the plastic container of peas on the burner I'd just taken the gnocchi pot off of. Oops. Ah, the smell of burning plastic! I blame it on the fact that just minutes earlier I'd slammed my right hand in the cabinet door.

Anyway. Not my night...

There's a lot of butter in this recipe. A lot more than I ever cook with. But I used it and I used it all. Adam didn't rave, but he did save the leftovers for later so it couldn't have been awful.

Hot Potatoes

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
7 small yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as yukon gold
1 cup broccoli florets
2 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons reduced-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeño chile
Salt and pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Chili powder, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan of boiling water, cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain. Finely chop the broccoli and place in a medium bowl.

3. Slice 6 potatoes in half. Scoop out half of the flesh from each piece and add to the broccoli. Peel and finely chop the remaining potato and add to the mixture. Add the cheese, 2 tablespoons yogurt and the jalapeño; mash coarsely and season with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the potato halves cut side down on a baking sheet and lightly coat them with cooking spray; invert and season with salt and pepper. Divide the stuffing among the potato halves. Lightly coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon yogurt and more chili powder.

Comments:
A lot of prep work on these ones, and I'm not sure the end result was really worth the effort. It definitely needs more cheese and I couldn't find my chili powder until after I had put them in the oven (stupid Spring cleaning - I can't find anything these days...) so they weren't really "hot" as in spicy at all. Eh.

Papas Rellenas

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds potatoes (about 8 medium), peeled and cut into wedges
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimientos
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1-1/4 teaspoons pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Oil for deep-fat frying

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, raisins, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and paprika; heat through.

Drain potatoes; mash with garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper. Shape 2 tablespoons potatoes into a patty; place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center. Shape potatoes around filling, forming a ball. Repeat.

Place eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip potato balls in the eggs, then roll in bread crumbs. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry potato balls, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Comments:
I followed the Editor's Note and baked these for 20 minutes at 450 instead of deep frying them. This definitely results in a dryer end product, which was really Adam's only complaint. They were ok reheated the next day with some ketchup too.

Knife 'n' Fork Steak Burgers with Blue Cheese Potatoes

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
6 blue potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup crumbled stilton cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup grated onion with juice, plus 1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add salt and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and mash with the cheese, cream and chives; season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire, garlic, grated onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Form 4 large patties.

3. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef patties and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes for medium-rare.

4. While the burgers are cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium heat; add the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened, 16 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Divide the patties among 4 plates; top with the onions. Serve with the potatoes.

Comments:
I don't know about these ones. The potatoes were really dry - I couldn't find blue potatoes so I just used some reds, but I don't think that made a big difference. The burgers were ok, but nothing spectacular. It sounded much better on the page than it tasted.

Steak & New Potato Toss Recipe

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1-1/4 pounds beef top sirloin steak
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-11 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients.

Drain broccoli and potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add beef and red pepper; drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Comments:
This was good. Adam thought the steak was overdone, which it probably was for him, but that's my fault because I can't stand meat that's red. The sauce is really light and complements the different elements of the dish.

Chicken with Grapefruit-Butter Sauce

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 pounds new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons choopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, green and white portions chopped separately
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 red grapefruits, 2 cut into segments, 2 juiced
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and toss with the parsley.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate.

3. Add the scallion whites to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and grapefruit juice, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 piece of butter until smooth; repeat with the remaining 7 pieces. Stir in the grapefruit segments and scallion greens and season with salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken, alongside the potatoes.

Comments:
Eh. Not too impressed with this one. I thought it would be interesting but I probably won't make it again.

Grilled Salmon with Chorizo and Fingerlings

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
3/4 pound fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, diced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 3 minutes or until shallots are tender. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups broth, potatoes, and chorizo; bring to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add spinach to pan; cover. Remove from heat; stir to combine. Keep warm.

3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and paprika evenly over fillets. Lightly coat fillets with cooking spray; arrange fillets in a single layer, skin side up, on grill rack. Grill 2 minutes. Rotate fillets a quarter turn on the same side; grill 3 minutes or until well marked. Turn fillets over; grill 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

4. Place 1 fillet in each of 4 shallow bowls; ladle 3/4 cup potato mixture over fish. Drizzle 3/4 teaspoon oil over each serving.

Comments:
I (of course) didn't have any of the salmon, but the potato/chorizo/spinach part of the dish was wonderful. The broth thickens into a great sauce and the chorizo gives it just the right amount of spicy undertone. Adam said the salmon was good too.

Cowboy Casserole

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
2/3 cup condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen Tater Tots

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in the corn, soup, 1/4 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder and pepper.

Place 1 cup Tater Tots in a greased 3-cup baking dish. Layer with beef mixture and remaining Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Comments:
This was good, but 20-25 is definitely not long enough. The middle was still cold when I took it out. Other than that, a good mix of flavors. Just cook it longer.

Spanish Tortilla

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
10oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup egg substitute
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 ground nutmeg

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onions until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, spinach, egg substitute, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until set and browned on bottom, about 10-15 minutes.
Loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a warm platter, or serve directly from the skillet.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
Simple, basic, tasty. Plus it's meatless and has potatoes. That's always good in my book. I actually used real garlic this time too since I needed it for something else later this week anyway. Wow, that stuff is strong - makes the whole house smell like an Italian restaurant. We'll see how it treats Adam's digestive system. :)

Potato Salad with Smoked Turkey and Gruyere

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 cups salted water
1 pound quartered small red potatoes
1/2 pound smoked turkey breast
6 ounces gruyère cheese
3 ribs celery
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for topping
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 chopped granny smith apple

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups salted water and 1 pound quartered small red potatoes to a boil. Cook until crisptender, about 5 minutes; drain and let cool. Meanwhile, slice 1/2 pound smoked turkey breast, 6 ounces gruyère cheese and 3 ribs celery into matchsticks. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard. Add the potatoes, turkey, cheese and celery and toss. Stir in 1 chopped granny smith apple. Top with dill sprigs.

Comments:
This was really good. The crunch of the celery, the sweet tartness of the apples. Great combination of flavors and textures. Plus, it's potatoes, so what's not to like? :)

Turkey (or Chicken) Schnitzel with Tots and Apple-Cranberry Sauce

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 cups frozen puffed potatoes, such as Ore-Ida Tater Tots
4 mcintosh apples, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries (a generous handful)
Flour, for coating
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (about a palmful)
About 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 turkey breast cutlets, pounded 1/8 inch thick
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 lemon wedges

Directions:
1. Bake the potatoes according to package directions until golden and crisp.

2. In a large saucepan, bring the apples, cider and cranberries to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook, mashing the apples into a sauce, for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs on 3 separate plates. Season the breadcrumbs with the poultry seasoning and nutmeg. Season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and coat them in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.

4. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the cutlets 2 at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges, potatoes and apple-cranberry sauce.

Comments:
Pretty simple, although I used chicken instead of turkey. Adam helped with the pounding of the chicken. He always likes doing that - male agression or something. He really whacks them good... The cranberry-apple sauce was really good. It gets pretty sweet, even with no added sugar, and is a nice alternative to ketchup for the tater tots.

Chorizo Quiche

From a special section of Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
Nonstick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cubed
6 ounces raw chorizo, casings removed
5 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups grated Emmenthal cheese
1 cup diced boiled potato

Directions:
Spray a 9" glass pie dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse to form a coarse meal. With the motor running, add 6 tbsp cold water in a slow stream, processing until the dough comes together. Then gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a floured surface. Roll out to form a 12" round, then transfer to the prepared dish. Crimp the edges to make a decorate border, removing any excess dough. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Line crust with foil and fill with uncooked dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue to bake for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let crust cool completely, but leave the oven on. Cook the chorizo in a dry, medium-sized heavy saute pan over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until dry and crisp. Let the chorizo cool on a paper towel-lined plate. Whisk eggs, milk, and cream in a large bowl. Mix in the chorizo, cheese, and potato. Pour mixture into the crust. Bake for 35 minutes or until the filling is puffed and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve hot or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Comments:
Pfft, who am I kidding? Frozen pie crust, for sure. I even remembered to take it out of the freezer yesterday so it was all ready for me. Go me! This was pretty simple to assemble. We don't have raw chorizo readily available so I just took the pre-cooked stuff, cut it into small pieces, and crisped it up in a pan. I subbed mozzarella for the Swiss also. I probably should have cooked it a little longer (the middle was still a little runny), but we were hungry. :)

Red Onion, Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
7 ounces fingerling potatoes (about 5 potatoes)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until just tender; drain. Cool slightly; cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

4. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 14 x 10–inch rectangle. Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet; place dough on baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over dough. Arrange potatoes and onion over mozzarella; top evenly with goat cheese and garlic. Bake in lower third of oven at 450° for 15 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with thyme; cut into 12 pieces.

Comments:
I couldn't find any fingerling potatoes so I used some small red potatoes instead. This was really good. The sweet onions and the tangy goat cheese - Yum! I think 15 minutes might have been a little long to cook it, but that could also just be my oven.

Potato-Apple Latkes

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
6 cups shredded peeled Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 cups shredded Gala or Honeycrisp apples (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
6 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Combine potatoes, apples, and 1 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand 20 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour to potato mixture; toss well to combine.

2. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add potato mixture in 1/3-cupfuls to pan to form 4 latkes; flatten slightly. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure 3 more times with remaining oil and potato mixture. Sprinkle latkes evenly with sugar.

Comments:
I halved this recipe and ended up using 1 large and 3 small potatoes and one apple to get to the four cups I needed. I let it sit over a bowl, smooshing it every so often for 20 minutes. It was nowhere near "barely moist" so I hauled out my tea towel and wrung it out a la frozen spinach. If I had known that I would have saved myself 20 minutes. Oh well. I'll keep it in mind for next time.

Anywho, I felt kind of guilty since I cooked this traditionally Jewish fare in bacon grease. Is that weird? Mine took about 5 minutes per side before they started to burn a little.

Adam really liked them, which is good since he picked the recipe out. They were ok for me, but seemed a little heavy. I'd still make them again though.

Braised Bratwurst & German Style Potatoes

From Rachael Ray via The Food Network



Ingredients:
4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt
2 pounds bockwurst or bratwurst (veal or veal and pork)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling plus 2 tablespoons
4 slices center cut bacon
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine or white balsamic vinegar
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 cup chicken stock
1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Halve larger potatoes and leave small potatoes as is, cover with water, bring to a boil, season with salt and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place sausages in a cast iron skillet, add 1/2-inch of water and a drizzle of oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let the sausages heat through as the water evaporates. Shake pan and let the casings crisp up until they burst, 3 to 4 minutes, and are golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put a medium skillet on the stove with a drizzle of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and render 2 to 3 minutes then stir in the yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes with the bacon to soften.

When potatoes are cooked, drain and add to bacon and onion. Douse the pan with vinegar and sprinkle with sugar. Pour stock evenly over pan, add the parsley and some pepper and turn off the heat. Stir the potatoes 1 minute to form a starchy sauce and combine flavors.

Halve crispy sausages and serve with the potatoes alongside.

Comments:
There's some cabbage slaw thing that I skipped on this recipe. Cuts the prep pretty much in half. This recipe wasn't too difficult. I just had time coordination problems. It takes so long for water to boil. I want one of the induction cooktops that boils water in 90 seconds or whatever. Too bad they're completely out of my price range. Boo.

Anywho, Adam didn't like the vinegar in the potatoes, but was fine with the meat. Why am I not surprised?