Potato Gratin

I recently came to my own blog site looking for a recipe I was sure I had shared in the past.  Shocked not to find it, I have to add it now.  These are a staple in my house.  By now I have basically memorized this recipe, and can throw in curve balls here and there, given what I have on hand in the fridge, and how inspired I'm feeling.  I give you a really smashing, basic Potato Gratin (courtesy of Williams-Sonoma) with slight modifications for helpful hints, and CHEESE.


Potato Gratin

1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lb Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced thin (about 1/8")
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
3/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
(1/2 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese, optional)

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a 2 qt baking or gratin dish with butter.

In a heavy saucepan, over med-high heat, add cream, half and half, garlic, salt and pepper (about 10 twists of a peppermill, or about 1/2 tsp).  Add potatoe slices carefully, making sure they don't stick together as you add them to the pan.  Let mixture reach a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring gently (so that you don't break the slices).

Carefully transfer potatoes and cream to baking dish, arranging in layers.  Add generous sprinkle of cheese throughout, and on top (optional).

Bake about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender, and slightly browned.

PW's Braised Short Ribs with Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Do you know the Pioneer Woman?  You should, she's a World Famous Blogger.  A gifted photographer.  And soon to be even more mainstream...because she's having a movie made about her right now.  Being played by none other than Reese Witherspoon.  Ree Drummond is also an INSANELY good cook.  I know.  I just made her Braised Short Ribs.  You should too. 



PW's Braised Short Ribs w/ Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Here's what I used:

8 whole Bone-in Beef Short Ribs
1/4 AP Flour, for dredging
6 pieces pancetta, diced (I used bacon)
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 whole medium onion, diced (I used 2)
2 shallots, peeled and finely minced
3 regular carrots, unpeeled, diced
2 cups red or white wine (I used Barefoot Merlot)
2 cups Beef broth
2 sprigs fresh Thyme
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

4 peeled russet potatoes
1/2 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup sour cream
bacon crisps from Braised Short Rib recipe above

Here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season ribs w/ S&P, and dredge in flour.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta (or bacon) on medium until crispy and then remove (and set aside for mashed potatoes).  Add olive oil to pancetta/bacon grease and raise heat to high.  Brown ribs on all sides for 1-2 minutes per side, and remove.  Turn heat to medium and add onions, carrots and shallots to pan.  Cook for several minutes and then add wine.  Deglaze pan (scrape bits off bottom) with cooking spoon to get the yummy bits into the mix and off the bottom of the pan.  Boil for 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1/2 tsp salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Add ribs, thyme and rosemary (whole).

Put lid on pot and cook for 2 hours in the oven.  Reduce heat to 325 and cook another 35-45 minutes.  Ribs should be falling off the bone.

While ribs are cooking, set a large pot to boil with potatoes.  Cook until soft.  Add potatoes and the last 4 ingredients together and mix with hand mixer in large mixing bowl until smooth.  Add S&P as desired.

Plate with mashed potatoes on the bottom, 1-2 ribs on top, and then drizzle/heap sauce/vegetables on top and around the plate or bowl. 

This dish definitely has a "fall/winter" vibe, but we weren't complaining.  It was decadent, delicious and surprisingly simple for what you get as a result.  Yummm.

Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

I have a back issue of Bon Appetit with a Child Friendly Chicken Masala that I have been wanting to try.  I have always loved Indian food, but Nick has a real aversion to anything he thinks may be "curry-like".  So I was thinking a child friendly version may be just the ticket to introducing him to the cuisine.  Additionally, if its a little toned down on spices, the chances are higher that Sydney will like it too.

On to the modifications, I made more than a few.  I converted the recipe from a traditional oven to slow cooker.  I used pork tenderloin instead of chicken. I substituted sour cream for plain yogurt, and dried onion flakes instead of fresh chopped.  I also added vegetables and white pepper.

Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

Here's what I used:

1 2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into fist-sized chunks
1/2 bag baby carrots (or enough to cover bottom of slow cooker)
3 large red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp garam masala (Priya brand, found in my local grocery international section)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp dried chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp olive oil

Here's what I did:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or LOW for 8-10.  Just prior to serving, remove pork and cut into 1" or bite sized pieces, and then add them back into the cooker.

Serve over Basmati or Long Grain rice.

I am soooo pleased with this one.  My first foray into any sort of Indian fare, and it was really successful.  Spices were right on.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

While home the other day I felt the urge to make a nice, rich but healthy stew.  And what better way to do that than to set it and forget it with my Crockpot?  So I commenced searching for a healthy beef stew recipe, and then modified to suit my taste.  I actually found a Weight Watchers recipe, so if you follow that, this is WW approved and my modifications do not affect the health-factor of this meal. 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Here's what I used:

1 lb cubed stew beef (packaged as stew meat at the store)
2 cups mini-carrots
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup AP Flour
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups stock (your choice, I used chicken)

Here's what I did:

Set nonstick skillet on medium heat, and add onions.  Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent.  Add them to Slow Cooker.  Meanwhile, add flour, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder to a large ziplock bag, and shake to incorporate.  Then add stew beef to bag and shake to coat the meat evenly.  Using same skillet and 1 tbsp olive oil, brown beef on all sides, 7-10 minutes total.  Add browned beef and drippings to Slow Cooker. 

Add in all vegetables but the potatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock.  Let cook on High for 6-8 hours.  1-2 hours before complete, add in potatoes and cornstarch (to thicken).

This turned into a decadent, silky and healthy meal that took very little preparation.  Everyone loved it.  Even Miss Sydney.

Crispy Roasted Chicken with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Cauliflower

The name of the game Friday night was Roasted. I received my October issue of Bon Appetit magazine, and did a quick search for a recipe that would jive with the bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts that I had. Luckily for me, there was a recipe that fit, and lo and behold the fingerling potatoes that I'd bought were also part of the pairing. What are the chances?? I modified it a bit as I didn't have a whole chicken as the recipe calls for, and thus was missing the gizzard and neck (for making a gravy), so this is more of an omage to the recipe than an actual "copy".

Crispy Roasted Chicken

Here's what I used:

3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
3-4 tbsp good olive oil
One lemon, sliced into 6 rounds
S&P

Here's what I did:

Preheated oven to 400 degrees F. Arranged one rack in the center of the oven, and one rack at the very bottom (for my vegetables - recipe below). Generously S&P the chicken breast and drizzle with olive oil, ensure breasts are evenly coated with oil. Lay 2 lemon slices over each chicken breast. These cooked for about 25-30 minutes. I used a meat thermometer to make sure they were at safe poultry temp, and not dry. The minute they hit 165 I pulled them out.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Cauliflower

Here's what I used:

1 bag fingerling potatoes, chopped into 1/2" rounds
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small flourettes (about 1" pieces)
4-5 tbsp good olive oil
S&P

This is so easy... Prepare a cookie sheet with foil or other nonstick coating/cover (I wish I had done this, I lost a lot of crispiness off the potatoes that stuck to the bottom of my cookie sheet. Waaaah!!). In a bowl, coat vegetables in olive oil and sprinkle generously with S&P. Lay out in single layer on cookie sheet. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning once or twice throughout to ensure crispiness on all sides of vegetables. Potatoes should have crispy outer coating.

Since these two parts can cook together in the same oven, same temperature...its a great recipe to sort of "set and forget". You're not having to make a sauce while watching a timer, etc. The chicken was perfectly cooked, JUST right. You can really taste the lemon on the skin as well, subtle but delicious.

Ribeye Steaks with Sauteed Onions and Red Potatoes

Nick found a great deal at our local grocery store the other day. One ribeye steak was half off, and the other was .16. Yea, someone made a boo boo, but we reaped the rewards. Sweet. This is like every coupon mom's midsummer night's dream.



Ribeye Steaks with Sauteed Onions and Red Potatoes

Here's what I used:

2 ribeye steaks
1 cup soy sauce
2-3 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter

2 medium onions, cut into rings
3 tbsp olive oil
S&P

12 small red potatoes, skinned
3-4 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
2 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp butter
S&P

I marinated the steak in the soy sauce and steak seasoning for about 20 minutes, flipping once to get both sides. Also threw skinned potatoes in stock pot of water, and set to high (added salt to water).

Meanwhile, I added olive oil to a saute pan at medium heat and added the onions. Sauteed onions until they were browning on the edges and limp/translucent, about 15 minutes. Sprinkled with S&P.

Removed onions from pan and put them on a plate to rest, and inverted another plate over top to keep them hot. In same pan as used for onions, I added another tbsp of olive oil and and 2 tsp butter. Immediately added my steaks and let cook for 3 minutes per side. I pulled them off and allowed them to rest for another 10 minutes.

Once my potatoes were done (check by piercing a potato with a fork, it should split the potato easily) I drained them into a colander and added them back to the stock pot. Added butter, cheese, scallions & S&P. Then I covered the stock pot, and gave the mixture a few good shakes. I find this an easy way to incorporate ingredients w/ cooked potatoes, it gives the dish a "beaten" texture/quality which keeps it more rustic but still really good.

I don't think there were any complaints from this meal. My steak was a little overcooked, but my piece was thinner (I suspect it was also the .16 piece. Hmph.) The potatoes and onions were delish.