MASHED POTATO PANCAKES

 

Who doesn't have leftover mashed potatoes at one time or another? I've got a few one-cup bagsful in the freezer, ready to make potato pancakes for a Sunday breakfast, or a dinner where I’m stuck for a starch.  This happened the other night.  We were on the last servings of a boneless pork roast, with a dollop each of turnip (or, as they call them down here: rutabaga) and only a wee bit of gravy, so I took out a bag of frozen mashed and whipped some up as follows:

1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 Tbsp. dried onion (I’ve used fresh chives and scallions too)
3 Tbsp. flour
salt and pepper

Mix it all up, let it sit for a bit so that the dried onions soak up some liquid, and drop four portions into a frying pan in which you’ve heated

1 or 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Let them brown on their bottoms – you’ll see the edges start to get brown – flip them over, brown the other sides and Voila!  Good schtuff!













 

WARM TUNA SALAD FOR TWO

This, my own concoction, is a delicious, quick, and different kind of salad.  It is hard to find 6 oz. cans of good tuna these days, and I am now on the last of my hoard from Price Chopper in Pittsfield Massachusetts. I suppose the 5 oz. size will have to do once that last, sacred can is gone.  Perhaps we might even want to have a can each.

Warm Tuna Salad For Two

1 15.5 oz. (or similar size) can of Great Northern, cannelloni, or other white beans, drained and rinsed

1 6 oz. cans tuna, drained and broken into large chunks

2 ¼” slices off a large red onion, cut slices into thirds

1 small tomato, cut into thin wedges

¼ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste on top of the tomato

Pour olive oil into a medium frying pan and begin to heat it on a medium heat.  Add the beans and onions and warm them through for just a few minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. 

Divide beans and onions into two bowls, topping them each with half of the chunks of tuna, and half of the tomato.

MARGHARITA PIZZA FOR TWO

NOT MY OWN PIZZA, BUT CLOSE!

I do realize that this hot weather we're having might not seem to be conducive to turning on the oven to bake a pizza. I have been estivating in my nice, cool cave, and baking a pie is surely the better alternative to getting out in the heat and driving to the nearest, good pizzeria.  I Italicize the word 'good' because there are several chain pizzerias between me and the best pizzeria around, and that one is in another state. So do give this one a try. Don't be intimidated by the yeast - it is very forgiving. And don't be concerned by the looks of your pizza - it will be that taste that's important.

Start to prepare this at about 4:30 or 4:45 for 6:oo PM dinner

In bowl mix

½ C warm water - 1 Tblsp yeast* - ½ tsp sugar - ½ tsp salt 

When mixed well add 1 Cup of flour, and mix well.  This will be very, very sticky.

Using an oiled spatula, turn this out on to a floured surface.  Flour your hands and mix a bit more flour into the dough, adding up to ½ Cup more flour. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 

Scrape up the dough and put it into a well-oiled oven-proof frying pan, or on a small cookie sheet or round cake pan - or what have you? (not Teflon coated!).  Spread the dough out to the sides of the pan using floured fingers.  Let dough sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare topping by sautéing 1 large, chopped or sliced onion in a Tblsp or so of olive oil.  Add a tsp. or so of minced garlic, about ¼ tsp. of dried oregano,
and some salt and pepper.

Slice a very large garden tomato in thin slices. 

After dough rises for 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 450°

Spread the onions over the dough, arrange the sliced tomato over it. Sprinkle on fresh basil leaves (preferred) or dried basil, and then

1 Cup of shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheeses.
Pop the pizza into the oven when the temp reaches 450°

Bake pizza for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is brown and crisp.

Serve it with a green salad.

 * I buy my yeast in bulk, but you can use a single packet of yeast for this recipe.  A packet measures out at just a bit less than a tablespoon.

FRITTATA FOR TWO

I'm not going to add any pictures to this post. Why? Beacuse there are too many ways you can do up this recipe. Find the Google images for 'frittata' and you will see what I mean.
Basically a frittata is a quiche without the crust - that's why you want to serve it with a baguette. You can add or change ingredients, except for the eggs, butter, and onions which are de rigueur, to your heart's content. It's another what-have-you-on-hand recipes. Think of adding asparagus, tomatoes, green pepper, chilli pepper, potatoes,even leftover spaghetti. How 'bout some ham or bacon? Change the cheese, change the seasonings. You can't go too far wrong.

I adapted this recipe from one I found in Bon Appetit many months ago.

Preheat the oven to 400°

Ingredients:

4 eggs     
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. powdered sage
 

1 Tbsp butter                              
1 small onion, diced

4 white mushrooms, sliced thin (optional) 
        

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup shredded mozzarella

Have all ingredients ready before starting. Whisk eggs, parmsan and herbs in a small bowl.

In an ovenproof nonstick pan, heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions until they are just soft. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the onions are golden, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook until it begins to set – about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Put the pan in the oven and bake until eggs are set – about 7 to 10 minutes. Cut frittata in half with a wooden spatula and slide the halves on to plates.

Serve with salad and baguette.

Sauce for Meat or Poultry - for two or more

Monday again!  Doesn't it just amaze you how the weeks roll on and on? Here's the latest transfer from Latelife Recipes. This sauce is soooo easy and it always looks elegant.



THIS SAUCE, AND ITS MANY VARIATIONS, IS EXCELLENT FOR ANY TYPE OF MEAT, INCLUDING STEAK, BEEF ROASTS, PORK CHOPS OR ROAST, HAM, TURKEY, CHICKEN, ETC., AND IS EXCELLENT WHERE THERE ARE NO DRIPPINGS TO FORM THE BASE OF A GRAVY, OR WHERE YOU WANT AN ELEGANT, TANGY SAUCE.

BASIC RECIPE IS FOR TWO SERVINGS – MULTIPLY AS NEEDED

ON LOW HEAT, IN A SMALL SAUCE PAN, MELT AND BLEND

2 TBLSP. BUTTER

2 TBLSP. APRICOT JAM*

ADD 2 TBLSP. WHITE WINE *

1 TBLSP. DIJON MUSTARD*

2 TBLSP. DRIED CHERRIES *

COOK UNTIL CHERRIES ARE PLUMPED UP A BIT. SET ASIDE AND REHEAT IT A BIT JUST BEFORE SERVING. IF NECESSARY, THIN WITH MORE WINE.

* THIS IS THE FUN PART. YOU CAN USE ANY FAVORITE JAM OR JELLY, WHITE OR RED WINE, COARSE OR FINE MUSTARD (BUT NEVER YELLOW MUSTARD!!), DRIED CHERRIES, CRANBERRIES, RAISINS, SNIPPED DRIED APRICOTS, WHAT-HAVE-YOU!!

YOU MAY THINK YOU HAVE TO SUIT THE INGREDIENTS TO THE MEAT - FAR FROM IT! A RED WINE BASE GOES WELL WITH CHICKEN, GIVING IT GREAT COLOR. RECENTLY, I SUBSTITUTED 1 TBLSP. OF ORANGE MARMALADE AND 1 TBLSP. OF FRESH LEMON JUICE FOR THE 2 TBLSP. OF JAM, AND USED IT ON HAM. I AM STILL EXPERIMENTING WITH THIS TO MATCH MY AVAILABLE INGREDIENTS.



From Google Images,
a photo of a dried cherry sauce on pork

JACQUES PÉPIN QUICK SAVORY RECIPES

It's a slow, warm Thursday - a good day to transfer this piece from Latelife Recipes:

These are the quick savory recipes from Fast Food My Way. Again, read through these recipes and be thinking of how you could adapt them and make them your own, depending on what you regularly stock in your kitchen. Even more so than with the quick savory recipes, the variations are endless.

Shrimp burgers. I discovered these at Dr. Taco while vacationing at Playa del Carmen in Mexico. Put a couple of slices of manchego or mozzarella cheese in a nonstick skillet and place over moderate heat. As the cheese begins to melt, add a few small raw shrimp or pieces of shrimp, salt, some hot salsa or cracked pepper, and some chopped scallions or chives. Cover and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then slide the cheese-shrimp burger onto half a toasted bun topped with a lettuce leaf and tomato slices.

Baby mozzarella salad. As a first course, a baby mozzarella salad is great. Make use of the bounty of your supermarket deli counter: small mozzarella balls (boconccini), diced red pimientos, pitted black and green olives, sun-dried tomato halves, and capers, if available. Mix these ingredients with a little extra-virgin olive oil, cracked pepper, and a dash of vinegar and serve cupped in a leaf of radicchio on individual plates.

Red beets in sour cream. For a winter salad, drain a can of sliced red beets and combine the slices with sour cream, cracked pepper, salt, and a dash of red wine vinegar. Serve over endive leaves, with a sprinkling of flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, or basil leaves on top.

Ham cornucopias. For a first course, roll up individual slices of ham into a cornet or cornucopia shape and place each in a flat-bottomed rocks glass or on a plate on top of baby spinach or watercress. Mix diced feta cheese, pitted black olives, and marinated mushrooms--all from your supermarket deli--with a dash of olive oil, cracked pepper, and salt. Spoon into the ham cornucopias and serve.

Tuna tomatoes. In summer, when good tomatoes are available, mix a drained can of tuna (preferably packed in oil) with some minced scallions, pitted Kalamata olives, diced anchovy fillets, chopped parsley, and cracked pepper. Cut off the tops of ripe tomatoes and hollow them out with a spoon, reserving and lightly crushing the tomato pulp with a fork and mixing it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper to create a sauce. Fill the hollow tomatoes with the tuna mixture and serve with some of the sauce for a first course.

Lavash pizza. You can make homemade pizza in no time at all using flour tortillas, pita bread, or--my favorite--lavash. After oiling a cookie sheet, I press one of these large flatbread rectangles on the sheet, then turn it over, so it is lightly oiled on both sides. Cover it with sliced tomatoes, some grated mozzarella and Parmesan, cracked pepper, anchovies (optional), and a few dashes of olive oil. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, then sprinkle with lots of basil leaves torn into coarse pieces.

Peasant soup. For this soup like one my mother used to make, prepare croutons by baking slices of leftover bread in a conventional oven or toaster oven until brown and crisp. Divide the toasted bread among soup bowls, breaking the slices into pieces if they are too large, and grate a generous amount of Gruyère or Jarlsberg on top. Bring a good homemade chicken stock or canned broth to a boil and pour over the croutons and cheese in the bowls. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and a few chopped chives and serve.

Cannellini and chorizo soup. I always have the ingredients for this fast, satisfying soup in my pantry and refrigerator. Puree a can of cannellini beans in a blender with enough chicken stock to make a creamy soup. Transfer to a saucepan, add diced chorizo sausage, bring to a boil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with a little heavy cream. Garnish with chopped chives and croutons.

Cold black bean soup. When friends drop by in the summer, I like to make cold soup. One combination that I love is made in a food processor. Puree a can of black bean soup with a little olive oil, Tabasco, a couple of tablespoons of chopped onion, a crushed clove of garlic, salt, and enough chicken stock to make the mixture creamy. Serve in soup plates, topping each serving with a ribbon of sour cream diluted with a bit of water and garnish with a few slices of banana and a couple of cilantro leaves.

I added thse two recipes much later. They are other examples of Pépin's quick and wonderful ways with food:

Julia and Jacques Onion Soup - 1 lb. onions, sauté in olive oil, s & p, thyme slowly 8 to 10 minutes, until caramelized. Put in 4 cups stock, red wine, heat it a bit then serve. Can coarsely grate Swiss cheese, put on top, in 350 oven for 35-40 minutes

Jacques – Mustard Sauce for Asparagus (or what-have you?) 1C mayo, 2T Dijon, red wine vinegar, cracked pepper

And here is the complete entry - sweet and savory - from KQED, which produced Fast Food My Way. There are some I didn't copy for myself, but you may like to use them.

"Happy Cooking!"