Braised Short Ribs & Garlic-Horseradish mashed potatoes

Braising makes practically anything delectable, even leeks. Remember braised leeks? those were amazing, but this. This is a whole new level of deliciousness. Just imagine fall-off-the-bone flavorful meat with sauce so good you want to slurp with a straw. Oh, and don't let me forget the mashed potatoes. I served them as a bed for the gorgeous short ribs so that each bite would have a bit of tender meat and soft creamy potato. This is truly a fool-proof feast. It's hard to mess up because if you find that the meat is not fall-off-the-bone tender, than you just stick it back in the oven. Please make this. You will not be sorry. I promise.

Braised Short Ribs, serves 2

adapted by Pioneer Woman

4-5 short ribs, bone-in

kosher salt

ground pepper

dried thyme

about 3 carrots, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 shallot, diced finely

2 cups red wine

2 cups beef or chicken stock

2 bay leafs

1 Preheat oven to 350. Heat a dutch oven to high heat with a bit of olive oil. Season the short ribs with kosher salt, ground pepper and dried thyme on all sides (if you have fresh thyme, use it). Sear each side of the ribs in the dutch oven until nice and deeply browned, not just gray. Once all the ribs are browned on all sides, remove from the dutch oven onto a plate and let rest.

2 Lower heat to medium high and throw in the diced carrots, onion and shallots into the same dutch oven and cook for about 2 minutes. Raise heat to high and pour in red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits of flavor from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil. Pour in the stock and cook for another 2 minutes.

3 Season with salt and pepper and drop in the two bay leaves.

4 Return the short ribs to the pot and cover. Place in the oven for 2 hours. Then lower the heat to 325 and cook another 30 minutes.

5 Remove the dutch oven and let rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes. Once rested, skim fat off with a ladle or large spoon (or refrigerate so that fat solidifies at the top, and then reheat on the stove) and serve on mashed potatoes and spoon plenty of sauce on top.

Garlic-Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 When there is about 20 minutes left of braising, cover the peeled and quartered potatoes and garlic cloves with cold water, season with salt and bring to a boil.

2 When potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander and return the potatoes and garlic cloves to the original pot. While on low heat, add milk, butter and horseradish. With a potato masher, mash all together until smooth and creamy. The garlic cloves will be soft and will mash with the rest of the potato mixture.

3 Spoon half the mashed potatoes on a plate and smooth with the back of the spoon. Serve with two short ribs and spoon more sauce on top to finish. 

Chicken Pot Pie-less

This is my second chicken pot pie I made in two weeks. Why? Two reasons – because it is sooo good and comforting in this cold weather and easy to just heat up for lunch and because I roasted 2 birds. I have no idea why I roasted two birds at once, but it ended up working out because I got two of these chicken pot pie's out of them. Thats how good they were. This is a perfect way to use up leftover roast chicken. It's hot, saucy and packed with carrots and peas as well. Instead of using actual pie crust, I was lazy and just whipped some yukon gold potatoes as a topping. The original recipe by Martha used phyllo dough instead of heavy pie crust which would have been wonderful but I didn't have any in the freezer, so the mashed potatoes were a perfect alternative. It's kind of like a shepherds pie but instead of ground meat there's chicken. You can either poach a whole bird or use any leftover chicken you have and hand-shred it. You don't need a whole bird for this recipe. There's lots of ways to use up leftover chicken — chicken quesadillas, chicken salad, bbq chicken sandwiches, and of course chicken pot pie-less! Chicken Pot Pie-less 1 tablespoon butter 2 medium shallots 1 garlic clove, minced salt and peppa 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons flour 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally leftover roast chicken, shredded 3 tablespoons parsley 1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen peas 3-4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 Preheat oven to 425. Cover your peeled quartered potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil. 2 Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan and soften the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat. Cook until all the flavors are melded together and pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock into the flour in a separate bowl. Whisk into shallot mixture and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, will thicken. 2 Add carrots into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken to coat and return to a boil. 3 Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley and peas. Transfer to a baking casserole dish. 4 While the chicken mixture is cooling, drain your potatoes and mash them up until smooth. Season again with salt and pepper. You can use a hand beater too for extra creaminess. 5 Spread the mashed potatoes over the chicken mixture in one even layer. Using a fork, make peaks in the potatoes by dragging the tines of the fork in large sweeping circles. Pop into the oven until the mashed potatoes are golden brown.

Potato Salad

This is yet another recipe from A Homemade Life. I know potato salad is usually for warmer weather, but who says you can't have it as a side dish next to say, pot roast? It is filling and delicious. The recipe called for hard-boiled eggs but I didn't feel like doing all that. I added coarse ground mustard to the ranch and mayo dressing, as well as dried dill because I didn't have any fresh on hand. It was truly delicious and even better the next day! I used baby Yukon gold potatoes, aren't they pretty? They almost shimmer underwater. You can bookmark this recipe for the summertime or make it with your next roast! Enjoy!

Potato Salad

1 lb baby potatoes, scrubbed (I sliced some lengthwise and half wise just to change it up)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mayo

4 tablespoons ranch

1 tablespoon coarse ground mustard

2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried

1 Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 15-20 minutes.

2 Drain them and set aside to cool.

3 Slice the potatoes however you like and put in a large bowl.

4 In a small bowl stir together the mayo, ranch, mustard and dill. Pour dressing over the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight if serving next day.

Smoked Paprika & Parmesan Grilled Fries

The first time I made grown up fries on my george foreman grill, I used olive oil,  sea salt and oregano and fresh thyme. This time I went a spicier route with smoked paprika. Have I mentioned how much I love this spice? It is similar to paprika but much bolder and smokier, especially delicious when used on roast chicken. I was sure the smoky flavor would pair perfectly with my grilled fries. I didn't use measurements on this side dish, just threw a bunch of stuff together in a bowl and tossed. On top of the golden fries, I grated lots of fresh parmesan cheese. YUMMM! Crispy, smoky and cheesy. I couldn't get enough! Smoked Paprika & Parmesan Grilled Fries 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin medium wedges olive oil, enough to coat smoked paprika, enough to coat salt 'n' peppa fresh parmesan, grated 1 Heat your george foreman grill to High. 2 In a large bowl, toss peeled and sliced potatoes with some olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. 3 Arrange potatoes in one even layer and close the grill. Grill time will take about 20 minutes, until there are grill marks. 4 Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese

Late Latkes

I know Hanukkah is over, but I haven't gotten a chance to post my favorite Hanukkah treat – Latkes!! Even though Hanukkah ended on friday, you can still enjoy latkes all year round. My grandmother prepares latkes all the time, sometimes as an appetizer. They are soooo good and everyone loves them. The toppings are where people have differing tastes. I am a sour cream girl. I love the cool cream on top of the hot crispy potato cake. Adam has to pair his latkes with applesauce (gross!) and some even like to mix sour cream with applesauce together (blech!) Toppings aside, these are a snack/side dish/appetizer everyone will love!

Latkes

4 potatoes, serves 2-3

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

1 Peel the potatoes and grate with the largest grater hole over a large bowl.

2 Once the potatoes are grated, place them in a clean dish towel, and roll them up jelly roll style and squeeze out the excess liquid. The drier the potato shreds, the less likely they are to burn.

3 Once the potato shreds are as dry as you can get them, put them back in the large bowl and mix in the beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix well throughout.

4 Heat a medium pan over medium high heat. Pour the canola oil, enough to cover entire pan.

5 Drop in the potato mixture by the spoonful into the hot oil. If the potatoes do not sizzle once they touch the oil, the pan is not hot enough. Work in batches, don't overcrowd the pan.

6 Once the potato cakes are golden brown, flip on the other side and cook until golden. Place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil and continue working in batches.

Baked Mashed Potatoes

I've been on a major potato kick lately because of Hanukah, and guess what? I'm loving every minute of it.  Potato latkes are my favorite Hanukah treat, I will post them up soon but we eat them too fast for me to photograph them! I'm sure I'll make another zillion latkes this week so hopefully I'll be able to snap some photos. For a change, I decided to make creamy mashed potatoes baked in individual ramekins. The tops were golden and crisp because of the breadcrumbs and creamy and smooth on the inside. This is a great side dish to any meat or fish — and easy!

Baked Mashed Potatoes

serves 2

4 Potatoes, peeled

salt and pepper

1 cup hot milk, heated in the microwave

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, just enough to sprinkle on the tops

1 Peel the potatoes and immerse in a pot of cold water, enough to completely cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil ,cook for about 20 minutes until fork tender.

2 Drain potatoes and throw in to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper. With the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the potatoes until there are no clumps or bumps. Pour splashes of hot milk while you are smoothing out the potatoes, a little bit at a time, until completely smooth.

3 Fill ramekins with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven (I used the toaster oven) until tops are golden brown.

Quick Roasted Potato Slices

Crunchy around the edges yet soft and tender in the center – the perfect roast potato. This is yet another quick and easy way to serve my favorite side dish. It takes about 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients – Potatoes, olive oil, salt, and paprika. I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes very thin (be careful with that blade!), tossed with the remaining 3 ingredients, and let the oven do the rest.

Roasted Potato Slices

3 russet potatoes

olive oil

paprika

salt

1 Prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2 Wash the potatoes and use a mandolin to slice them thin.

3 Lay potatoes in a single layer, some overlap is ok; brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and paprika.

4 Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Hashbrown casserole

This past weekend Adam and I drove to Knoxville, TN for my friends' beautiful wedding. On the drive back home, we were determined to find a cracker barrel and chow down. Exit after exit, every cracker barrel was packed to the brim. Eventually, even after following the GPS to a cracker barrel that doesn't exist anymore, we found one that only had a 10 minute wait! I know I've had their hash brown casserole before, but I didn't get it this time. Adam, however, did order it. I tasted a bite from his and I was in heaven! Melty, oniony, cheesy hashbrowns. Mmmm. When we got home I started investigating for the recipe and I found it! It tastes almost exactly like it and is satisfying hot or straight out of the fridge. If you know the cracker barrel hashbrown casserole Im talking about, you will love this! This was also the side dish to last night's dinner, stay tuned to find out what the main dish was!

Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole

1.5 lb frozen hash brown package

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1.5 cups sour cream, reduced fat

1.5 cups sharp cheddar, grated

Bread crumbs

salt 'n' peppa

Original recipe included a can of cream of chicken soup, but I omitted it

1 Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350

2 Defrost the hashbrowns and mix all ingredients except the bread crumbs in a big bowl. Mix well.

3 Spread the mixture in a glass dish evenly, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake for 40-50 minutes.

4 Savor every bite.

Lemon-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Braised Leeks

I was quite uninspired for dinner tonight. All I  knew was there was a defrosted package of chicken thighs and drumsticks in the fridge waiting for me when I got home, and had no idea what I was going to do with it. I stared inside the fridge. And stared. And stared. I realized that my fridge was full of odds and ends. Everything was either halfway done, or almost done. This bothers me. I hate buying and buying new stuff when I have a fridge full of scraps. Does this bother anyone else?

So, the moral of the story is that I ended up taking some of my odds and ends and put them in this chicken dish — an almost finished jar of dijon mustard, a spare leek that was left from the beef stew, rosemary that was about to go bad, and too many lemons that I bought from the market. The result was this delicious aromatic creamy herbal chicken with braised leeks. The meat was so soft and tender it fell off the bone. I cooked the leeks in the same roasting pan as the chicken so it had the juices and flavors from the chicken and just melted in your mouth. I have to say, this was quite the meal along with mom's roasted potatoes. It felt so good to air out the fridge a bit too!

Lemon Roast Chicken with Braised Leeks

1.5 lbs chicken thighs/legs

Salt 'n' peppa

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

3/4 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 leek, sliced

1 Preheat oven to 375. Pat dry chicken parts and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on tray.

2 Slice leek lengthwise and wash well to remove dirt in between the layers. Slice into 1 inch pieces and break up over the chicken pan.

3 In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, rosemary, dijon, honey and garlic together and pour over the chicken, turning the chicken and leeks with tongs to coat with the marinade.

4 Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Grown up Fries

When Adam moved in, he moved his glorious George Foreman grill with him. I decided to bust it out and experiment since I don't have a real outdoor grill. I thought, why not grill some fries? The idea could have gone completely wrong and I would have wasted 2 good potatoes and fresh herbs, but it came out absolutely amazing and by far my new favorite way to eat potatoes. I called these "grown up" fries because of the herbs and the fact that they aren't deep fried, so if you're looking for a healthy way to satisfy you're french fry cravings, give these a try. Maybe you'll even let your kids have some ;)  "Grown up" Fries

2 potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch strips with skin left on

2 sprigs of thyme, 1 reserved for garnish

1/4 tablespoon dried oregano. If you have fresh, use it.

Olive oil

Salt 'n' peppa

1 Put the sliced potatoes in a medium sized bowl and coat with olive oil, salt, fresh thyme and oregano.

2 Pre-grease grill so the potatoes won't stick. (If you don't have a george foreman grill, any hot plate or pan with grill marks will do.) Layer the potatoes flat without overlapping and cover for 10-15 minutes until you see grill marks, then flip them over. You can do this in batches if you are making a large quantity.

3 Remove fries when both sides have grill marks and are tender. Sprinkle with some more salt and fresh sprigs of thyme and serve.

Mom's roasted potatoes

When you think of your mom's cooking, what is the first dish that comes to your mind?

Casseroles?

Turkey on thanksgiving?

Bologna sandwiches?

Well, the first that comes to my mind are these oven roasted potatoes. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. My mom has been making these ever since I can remember, and boy are they delicious. This side is so simple yet tastes amazing and always reminds me of home. The sauce is made up of 5 basic ingredients: Olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Thats it! This is a great make ahead side dish for a party or just the fam. Enjoy!

Mom's Oven Roasted Potatoes

3 potatoes, cut anyway you want

4 tablespoons olive oil

about 3 tablespoons of paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt 'n' peppa

1 Prepare the sauce in a small mixing bowl: whisk the oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika together.

2 Peel potatoes and cut into whatever size you want, I cubed mine.

3 Pour the sauce over the cut potatoes and coat thoroughly. Let sit for 30 minutes. (optional)

4 Preheat oven to 400 degrees (I used the toaster oven) and spread the potatoes with all the sauce in a baking pan and cover with foil. Bake until tender (about 40 minutes).

5 If you want crispy potatoes, after the potatoes are tender take the foil off and bake further for 20 minutes or until desired level of crispiness.

Thrifty note:

I got these cute bowls from the home section of an asian supermarket. Can you believe it? You never know where you are going to find stuff, but Im always on the lookout! The first thing that attracted me was the vibrant green color, Im trying to break out of the blues! :)

Super Loaded Baked Potato

I know you can't really tell what this is just from the picture. It looks like a big pile of....stuff. And thats exactly what it is, a big pile of stuff on top of a hot, round, creamy yukon gold potato. Mmmm.. This was actually Adam's idea. He used to eat baked potatoes with these toppings when he lived in New Orleans. I trust his taste, and to be honest it sounded so amazing that I couldn't resist — melted cheddar, cool sour cream, soft caramelized onions, and sauteed woody mushrooms. Whoa.

Oh my, you know what would make this the ultimate baked potato? A fried egg on top. Ok, I need to stop now.

Loaded Baked Potato

1 yellow onion, sliced

8oz mushrooms, I used button

1 yukon potato, Idaho is fine too

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

1 Slice onion and saute over medium heat until light brown in color. Season and set aside.

2 Prick potato with fork all over, wrap in a paper towel and heat in microwave for 6 minutes depending on size of potato.

3 While the potato is in the microwave, in the same pan, saute the mushrooms, season and set aside.

4 The potato should be ready at about the same time as the mushrooms.

5 Now its time to assemble the loaded baked potato. You can do it any way you please. We split open the potato, covered it with cheddar, dolloped with sour cream, next the caramelized onions, mushrooms, more cheese and if you're like me, a couple of snippets of green onions just for some color.

Note: These pictures aren't the same, I just couldn't choose which I like more! :)

I am also submitting this recipe to BSI hosted this week by Doggy Bloggy at Chez What?