Lynn's Kitchen Adventures » Side Dishes

Saving Time Making Mashed Potatoes

Lynn — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:29:58 +0000

Today’s kitchen tip is such an easy tip, but it will save you so much time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. This is a tip I learned from a friend at church quite a few years ago.

This friend makes that best mashed potatoes. She brings a large bowl of them to almost every church dinner and they are always a hit. One Sunday I asked her how she managed to make up such a large pot of mashed potatoes all the time to bring to potluck dinners. She answered by saying that she did most of the work ahead of time.

She told me that she did all the peeling and cutting ahead. She then put them in a pot and covered them in water and left them to sit in the fridge until she was ready to use them. Then when she was ready to cook them, she set them on the stove, heated them up, and cooked and mashed them.

By doing the time consuming part of peeling and cutting the potatoes ahead of time, she saves a lot of time the day she needs them. And by covering them completely in water, she keeps them from turning brown. I loved this idea, because peeling potatoes is not my favorite job to do, especially in the middle of trying to prepare a meal like Thanksgiving dinner.

I also love this because it is an easy job to give the kids ahead of time. They can easily peel and even help cut the potatoes the day before or the morning of the day you need them. You can cover them in water and cook and mash when needed.

I have used this tip many times now and it saves me so much time during the holidays, and during those times where I need a large batch of mashed potatoes.

It is simple tips like this that make holiday dinners so much easier.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Lynn — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:20:28 +0000

I love potatoes. I think I have mentioned that once or twice. I could probably eat them everyday. I love them baked, twice baked, as potato salad, as oven fries and more. I really do not think there is a bad way to cook a potato.

I have also mentioned before how much I love Emeril’s 20-40-60 minute meals cookbook. It is not Emeril’s typical style. It is full of quick and easy recipes that use pretty basic ingredients. And many of the recipes focus on fresh and healthy foods.

Today’s recipe was inspired by a recipe in the 20-40-60 cookbook. I say inspired because I did change the amounts a bit. Emeril used about twice as much butter as I did. So, if you like your butter add a little more, but if you are looking for something a little lighter use my amount.

I also decreased the buttermilk a little. I do not like my mashed potatoes runny. I like them a little thicker, so again you can adjust them to your taste.

Some of you may be thinking, buttermilk in potatoes?! I know, that is what I thought until I tasted them. Buttermilk really works here very nicely.

Buttermilk gives the potatoes a nice tang and gives them the ability to stand alone. These have so much flavor that you really do not need any gravy or anything else on them. They are a great side dish just like they are and would be perfect for the upcoming holidays.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

4 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup butter
2 ½ cups buttermilk

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender, this takes 15 or so minutes depending on how large you cut the potatoes.
Drain potatoes and pace in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.
Mash until desired consistency is reached. Salt to taste.
Serve and enjoy!

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Crispy Potato Bake

Lynn — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:12:25 +0000

When I first saw this potato recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, I knew I had to try it. It is so easy, yet so impressive. I did tweak the original recipe a little bit, but it is the same basic idea. And it is so good!

My family loved the crispy texture the outside of this had combined with the soft texture of the inner part of this dish. It is the perfect combination of both.

This would be a wonderful side dish for just about any meal. And really I would be quite happy eating this as the main dish part of the meal, although the meat loving men in my family might object.

But anyway you serve this I think you will love it!

Crispy Potato Bake

3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons oil
4 pounds potato, peeled
salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl combine butter and oil. Use part of the mixture to grease the bottom of a 9×13 or similar pan. Set remaining oil/butter mixture aside.
Slice the potatoes very thinly. I do this in my food processor using the slicing blade, so that I have thin and even slices.
Arrange potatoes tightly in the greased pan.
Sprinkle with salt and drizzle remaining butter on top.
Bake for 1 hr and 30 minutes or until potatoes are crisp on the outside and tender in the middle. I usually check this at about 1 hr and 15 minutes and then cook about 15 minutes more, but the time may vary depending on the thickness of the potatoes.

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Green Beans and Tomatoes

Lynn — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:38:17 +0000

When I first moved to Oklahoma I realized that many people cooked their vegetable way different than I was used to.

I am not sure if it is just a regional thing or not, but many people here cook their vegetables to death. I think it may actually be just an older way to cook them, not so much a regional thing. I know they like them that way and have eaten them that way, but in my opinion there is no reason to cook things like green beans for hours and hours.

Okay, well maybe they don’t cook them for hours, but they definitely cook them much longer than I do. I like my green beans cooked, but I like them to still be green. If I want my green beans cooked for a really long time, I can just buy them in a can.

I know that many of you may not agree with me. You may like your green beans that way, so please forgive me for disagreeing with you. And if you do like them cooked like that just cook them longer than I have suggested in this recipe. I am sure the recipe will still be very good.

Does anyone agree with me? Do you like your green beans cooked for long time or a short time?

Easy Green Beans and Tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb frozen green beans
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, I like to use the petite diced for this
½ teaspoon seasoning salt
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion in oil, until onion is tender and slightly browned.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Add seasoning salt.
Add green beans and tomatoes and stir well.
Cover and cook on medium low, stirring occasionally, until bean reach desired tenderness. For me this is about 10 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy.

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Quinoa Tabouli And A Few Facts

Lynn — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:18:07 +0000

Quinoa (pronounces keen-wa), is an ancient plant that is native to South American and is often used in South American cooking. It is one of the healthiest “grains” that you can eat. And although many refer to quinoa as a grain, it actually not a grain at all, but a seed.

Quinoa is common in gluten free cooking because it is naturally gluten free, but quinoa is also enjoyed by many outside the gluten free world because of its health benefits.

Today in my allergy section I shared my recipe for quinoa tabouli. If you love quinoa you should check it out. It is very good.

And if you have not tried my Mexican Quinoa you should give it a try. My family loves it.

How many of you have tried Quinoa? Did you like it?

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Lynn — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:23:45 +0000

Light meals like pasta salad are perfect for hot summer days. And this pasta salad works well for the pantry challenge that I am doing this month because it contains pantry staples. There is nothing fancy or gourmet in this, but it is really good.

Tuna Pasta Salad

1 lb of macaroni noodles, cooked according to directions on the package
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
chopped pickles or relish ( I used about 3 tablespoons)
sliced olives ( about 1/2 cup)
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1-5 ounce can tuna drained (you can add more tuna if you want more of a tuna taste)
salt to taste

In a large bowl mix together cooked macaroni and remaining ingredients. Salt to taste.

You can either eat this right away or keep in the refrigerator for a few hours until you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy!

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Broccoli Bacon Salad

Lynn — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:35:31 +0000

I cannot believe that I have not shared my Broccoli Bacon Salad recipe with all of you.

I have been making this salad for years and my family loves it. When I went to make this salad recently I searched my site for the recipe and realized that I have never shared this recipe with you.

Today I am going to fix that, because you all need to try my Broccoli Bacon Salad. It is perfect for a summer picnic or cookout, but we enjoy this anytime. It is really good.

Now, I will say that a lot of people make versions of broccoli salad, but these salads often contain crasins or raisins, at least that is how people in Oklahoma often serve it.

Well guess what, I am not a fan of fruit mixed with my vegetables. I never have been and I never will be. I like fruit and I like vegetables, I just don’t like them mixed together.

Remember that carrot salad that was so popular years ago. I grew up seeing that at almost every picnic, church dinner, or family gathering that I went to and I dreaded being served it.

I apologize to all my aunts and friends that used to make that salad. I am sure it was really good, I am just not a fan of carrots and raisins served together in the same salad.

The same goes for my broccoli salad. I love broccoli and I love craisins and raisins, but please don’t mix them together.

Is anyone else with me on this one? Please tell me I am not alone.

And for those of you that love fruit mixed in with your broccoli salad go ahead and put some in here, just don’t tell me about it.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

6 sliced of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 heads of fresh broccoli, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large bowl combine bacon, broccoli, and cheese. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add to broccoli mixture.
Stir to combine well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Serve and enjoy!

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Chipotle Bacon Potato Salad

Lynn — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:00:12 +0000

It is summertime. This means that it is the time of year many of us will be attending picnics, barbecues, and family get togethers. And one of the foods that you often see at these gatherings is potato salad.

This year I wanted to serve a potato salad that was something a little different. I was looking for something a little more unique and unusual.

When I was planning the menu for a recent barbecue that I was hosting, I decided to go with a spicy theme and a spicy potato salad sounded really good to me. I knew it would be pretty easy to add a little kick to my basic potato salad.

I decided to do this with a little chipotle pepper, but I did not just add the chipotle pepper, I made it into a chipotle mayonnaise first and then used that mayonnaise as the base for the salad.

But I still needed to add a little something else to it to make it different. Chipotle peppers have a smoky taste to them, so bacon seemed like the perfect choice to add to the salad.

When I first tasted this potato salad, I knew that I had created a recipe that was really good. I loved it. And so did everyone else at the barbecue.

I made this potato salad so that everyone would enjoy it and I kept the spiciness to a minimal, but you could easily add more chipotle to this if you like it really spicy.

Chipotle Bacon Potato salad

¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce ( 1 pepper not 1 can)
2 tablespoons lime juice
5 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
6 sliced of bacon, cooked and chopped
salt to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover in water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a medium heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.
In a food processor or blender combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle pepper, and lime juice. Puree until smooth.
Add chipotle mayonnaise to potatoes and stir gently until combined. Add boiled eggs, and bacon. Add salt to taste.
Refrigerate several hours before serving to blend the flavors together well.
Serve and enjoy!

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This post linked to Tasty Tuesday.

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Mashed Potato Casserole

Lynn — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:47:00 +0000

I love potatoes. I might have mentioned that once or twice before, but I really do love them.

They are so versatile. You can eat them roasted, mashed, as a salad, as a main dish, twice baked, and even a soup. You can use them in so many different ways.

Today, I want to talk about potato casseroles.

Over the years I have tried many recipes for mashed potato type casseroles. These casseroles are often called company potatoes, make ahead potatoes, and many other names. They are all the same basic idea, but some contain cream cheese and/or sour cream. Most contain some kind of cheese, although it varies what kind.

Today I wanted to share my favorite version of potato casserole. This version does not contain sour cream or cream cheese, instead it contains milk and eggs.

I love the texture that the eggs and milk give this dish. The eggs give is a lighter texture than most of the ones that I have tried in the past and the milk keeps it nice and moist.

This dish would be a perfect side dish for just about any meal.

Mashed Potato Casserole

3 tablespoons butter
3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup milk
1 ½ cups colby jack cheese, or a combination of cheddar and jack cheese

In a pan, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add salt, reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes, and return to the pan.
Add the eggs, and milk and mash potatoes until creamy.
Stir in 1 cup of cheese.
Place potatoes in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

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Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Lynn — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:44:05 +0000

I love cauliflower, but the rest of my family has mixed feelings about it. I recently realized that this may be partly due to how I usually cook it.

The easiest, and probably healthiest, way to serve cauliflower is either raw or steamed, and those are the two ways I usually fix it.

As good as raw and steamed are, they are a bit boring. So, in my effort to make my vegetables less boring, I have been experimenting with some vegetable side dishes.

I have roasted my cauliflower, but I am trying to find even more ways that will be interesting and appealing to my kids.

I recently saw a recipe for cauliflower in an old Taste of Home magazine and decided to adapt it a bit and give it a try.

My family loved it. This was so easy and so good. And because it was covered in cheese, my kids loved it.

What is your favorite way to make vegetables more interesting and appealing to your kids?

Cauliflower Cheese Bake

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 16 ounce package of frozen cauliflower ( you could use fresh also)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 -1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet saute onion in oil until tender. Add butter and garlic and cook for one more minute.
Add cauliflower, salt, and pepper.
Place in an oven proof dish and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.

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