Quinoa Dressing with Almonds and Craisins

I started making this quinoa dish in November, in the hopes of having it ready for Thanksgiving. As you can see from the date of this post, the recipe wasn't ready in time for this past year's Thanksgiving, but it will be ready in plenty of time for the next Thanksgiving coming up. However, this quinoa is so tasty that I don't want to wait ten months before posting it.

I found both regular white quinoa and red quinoa at our local Trader Joe's. If you can't find red quinoa, you can double the amount of the white quinoa. The dish will taste about the same but just won't be as colorful. If you can't eat almonds, try using pine nuts instead. The recipe can easily be doubled to serve more people.

Quinoa Dressing with Almonds and Craisins
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular quinoa. Try to find a brand that is labeled gluten-free.
  
• 1/2 cup red quinoa. Try to find one that is labeled gluten-free.
  
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• olive oil
  
• 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
  
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 large stalk of celery
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground sage (or 1/2 tsp. dried sage)
• 1/3 cup craisins

Instructions:

Soak each kind of quinoa in a separate small bowl filled with tap water for 5 minutes. While the quinoa is soaking, finely chop the onion and celery.

Rinse each kind of quinoa thoroughly in a sieve and transfer each kind to a separate small pot. Add 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 tsp. sea salt to each pot. Stir to combine, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. (If your water doesn't simmer over low heat, then increase to medium-low.) Simmer each pot of quinoa until all of the water has been absorbed. For the white quinoa this will take about 15 minutes; for the red quinoa it will take about 20 minutes. When the water has been absorbed, remove each pot from the heat and let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes before stirring it together with the other ingredients.

While the quinoa is cooking, place a small pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the almonds to the pan and stir them frequently until they have turned a golden brown and smell fragrant. Transfer the almonds to a small plate and set aside. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then add the chopped onion and celery, and saute until the vegetables have softened. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sage.

When the quinoa is ready, transfer the two kinds of quinoa, almonds, onion mixture, and craisins to a medium bowl. Gently stir all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately.

Note: If you will not be eating all of the quinoa dressing at one sitting, leave the almonds on the side and just sprinkle them on top of each serving. They lose their crunch and turn soft if left in the dressing overnight.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I meant to post this recipe in December, but December was more than a little busy. It was a month when I needed easy recipes that would taste good and feed my family, without taking much time to prepare. Since it was getting colder outside, I was also craving foods that are cooked in the oven. Roasted sweet potatoes fit the bill. I started with a Cook's Illustrated recipe from Fall Entertaining 2011, but I tweaked the cooking method so that the sweet potatoes would turn a nice roasted brown color. I would have a picture for you, but my camera died at the beginning of December. So instead, you can look at pictures on this recipe of similar roasted sweet potatoes. I have not yet tried their recommendation of topping the sweet potatoes with pecans, goat cheese, and celery, but it looks quite tasty.

You can double this recipe and the sweet potato rounds will all still fit on one baking sheet. If you like a bit more kick to your sweet potatoes, you could try sprinkling some spices or cayenne pepper onto the potatoes before roasting.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
serves 2 adults and 2 small children, or about 3 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes (about 3 medium or 2 large)
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch rounds. (If in doubt, err on the thicker side for the rounds. If they are less than 1 inch thick, they get too cooked and mushy inside.) Transfer the sweet potato rounds to a medium bowl. Toss them with the canola oil and sea salt. Place the rounds in one layer on a baking sheet. **If your baking sheet is not non-stick, you might want to coat it lightly with 1 tablespoon of canola oil.

Then put the sheet in an unheated oven on the lower-middle rack. Turn the heat to 425 degrees and set the timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, if the bottom of the rounds are not quite browned enough for your taste, put them back in for 5 more minutes. Then flip the rounds over and return the baking sheet to the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and let the sweet potato rounds sit on the sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish and serve immediately.

Quinoa

I've been making quinoa for a few years now, but I've struggled to make it consistently good. Sometimes it would turn out really well, but sometimes it would end up too sticky and wet. And sometimes the quinoa grains just would not unfurl, stubbornly staying hard and crunchy. This summer I finally decided to branch out from the instructions on the Trader Joe's box and search the internet for a reliable recipe. I tried several different methods, and here is the one I like the best. The other great this about this recipe is that soaking and then rinsing the quinoa before cooking somehow gets rid of the coating or residue that Michael sometimes reacts to. So please soak and rinse! :) If you want to add quinoa to a stew or soup, I recommend soaking and rinsing it before cooking it in the liquid of the stew or soup.

Quinoa
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

Measure the quinoa and pour it into a medium-size bowl. Fill the bowl with water, stir, and let the quinoa soak for 5 minutes. Stir again and then pour the water and quinoa through a sieve to drain the water from the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa under water and transfer to a 2-quart pot.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to the pot and stir. Bring the water to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the water simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it sit in the pot, still covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa and serve.

Mexican Rice

This is another dish I started playing with over the summer, beginning with this recipe. However, the original recipe called for chicken broth, and I like to avoid using chicken broth for side dishes when I can. The organic chicken broth I have to buy is expensive, and it can be hard to find. So I decided to try to increase the flavor of the rice without using any broth. With the addition of spices and a little extra salt, Michael and the girls think this rice is a hit. The bright color is just a bonus. :)

The other thing I've been working on this summer is how to prepare rice in general. Over the past year Michael has become more sensitive to rice and will sometimes react to it. I think it might be either something sprayed on the rice or something in the natural rice starch coating. The trick I've found to make rice safe for Michael to eat is to rinse it thoroughly in cold water. I put the rice in a large bowl and fill the bowl with water. Next I swish the rice around in the water with my hand. The water will turn whitish in color as the rice starch comes off the rice into the water. Then I pour the starchy water out into the sink and fill the bowl with water again. I do this four or five times, until the water remains mostly clear even after having the rice stirred around in it.

Mexican Rice
serves 3 to 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
  
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup tomato paste. Try to get a can with just tomato and no added citric acid.
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice (optional)
  
• 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Place a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot to heat up. Finely chop the onion and add to the pot. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. While the onion is sauteing, pour about 2 cups water into a kettle and bring to a boil. Measure out the cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper into a small bowl. Rinse the rice thoroughly in a large bowl with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the water from the rice.

When the onion is soft, add the garlic to the pot and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the spices and 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, and stir for 30 more seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir so that the paste thoroughly covers the rice. Measure out 1 3/4 cups boiling water and pour into the pot. Add the oregano and stir the rice and water mixture briefly to make sure that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Bring the water in the pot back to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Then stir the rice and any liquid that is still on top, cover the pot again, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir the rice, recover the pot, and let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes. Then add the chopped cilantro and lime juice and serve.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

I know it's been a while since my last post, but the girls and I have taken turns being sick for the past 3 weeks. I haven't been up for trying many new or fancy recipes; instead, I've been wanting comfort food. And nothing feels like comfort food to me more than mashed potatoes. The problem with mashed potatoes, however, is that they usually contain lots of dairy products in the form of butter and cream, or milk if you're trying to make them a little healthier. That much dairy just isn't good for me or the girls to consume on a regular basis. Not wanting to renounce mashed potatoes, I first came up with a version using clarified butter and Lactaid milk. They are good, but they still have a fair amount of milk. The other issue with that recipe is that often I'm too lazy to clarify the butter.

So I wanted to try to come up with an easier alternative that would still have the right mashed potato consistency and a good flavor. First I tried a Cook's Illustrated recipe for garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes. These were okay, but Michael didn't want to come near me for days afterward because of the lingering garlic aroma. So I tweaked the recipe quite a bit, and now we have delicious olive oil mashed potatoes with just a hint of garlic. Sometimes I also add in a couple tablespoonfuls of sour cream, which gives the potatoes a great creamy flavor. However, the sour cream is not necessary, especially if you are going to use the mashed potatoes to soak up any extra sauce or gravy on your plate.

This recipe is for rustic mashed potatoes, with potato skins and a few lumps in the finished product. If you would like to make more refined mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes before placing them in the water, and use a potato ricer or a mixer to mash them.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
serves 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin)
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes. These mashed potatoes really do need the Yukon Gold variety. Other kinds of potatoes just don't work as well or taste as good.
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt (or sea salt)
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream (optional). Use a full-fat sour cream, like Daisy brand, that contains only cream and no added milk or other ingredients.

Instructions:

Combine the olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. If you have any fresh herbs, you can chop them finely and add them to the olive oil as well.

Rinse the potatoes and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. I usually cut them down the middle length-wise and then in 1-inch sections width-wise. Place the cut potatoes in a medium pot and fill with water until the water covers the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and stir. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-high and let the potatoes simmer vigorously for 10 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are done by inserting a knife. If there is some resistance, simmer for up to 5 more minutes. If there is no resistance, pour the potatoes into a colander. Let the potatoes sit in the colander for a couple of minutes to dry them out a bit. Then return the potatoes to the empty pot. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Pour in the olive oil and continue to mash until the potatoes reach the desired consistency. Then stir in the black pepper, salt, and sour cream, if desired.

Oven Baked French Fries

Tonight for dinner I made some French fries that Michael liked so much that he said they didn't taste homemade. Hmm, I think that was a complement, right? I'll take it as one. ;) You can tell that the picture is of my plate because I'm the only one in the family who doesn't prefer to dip my French fries into ketchup. The girls have both taken after Michael in their appreciation of that red condiment. I think I might try to figure out how to make homemade honey mustard sauce so that I have something I like to dip my fries into as well.

If you like really crispy fries, then these aren't for you. (If your preference is for extra crispy, you might want to try out this Cook's Illustrated recipe.) But if you like French fries that are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, then these are perfect. One pound of potatoes was plenty for the four of us (two adults and two small children) for dinner, but the French fries tasted so good that we all could have eaten a lot more. As the girls get older, I know that I'll need to make at least a pound and a half, otherwise Michael and I won't get as many of the fries as we would like.

I've used only regular white potatoes when I've made these French fries, but other recipes swear by Russets. I think that whatever kind of potato you have on hand would probably be fine. The key steps are to dry off the potatoes after you rinse them, to use the full amount of oil, and not to salt the fries until they have baked. When I didn't follow these steps, the fries stuck terribly to the baking sheet. The loss of some of the French fries was mourned by all, so now I am careful to preserve every last fry for our consumption.

A couple of other recipes with helpful tips for making great oven baked French fries are at the following links for Roasted Potato Wedges and Perfect Oven Fries.

Oven Baked French Fries
serves 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients: (on a normal night)

• 1 lb. potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• dash of cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Ingredients: (on a night when we're all really hungry)

• 1 1/2 lb. potatoes
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the baking sheet in the oven while it is preheating. Rinse the potatoes and then dry them thoroughly. Cut the potatoes into strips that are 1/4-inch wide and tall, and the length of the potato. Place the potato strips into a medium bowl and toss with the canola oil. Sprinkle the onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper onto the potatoes and toss so that the potatoes are evenly coated with the spices.

When the oven is preheated, take the baking sheet out of the oven using oven mitts and spread the potatoes on the sheet in one layer. Return the baking sheet to the oven for 10 minutes. Then take the baking sheet out of the oven to toss the fries. Return the sheet to the oven for 10 more minutes. Toss the fries again; then return the sheet to the oven for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes are up, transfer the French fries to a bowl. Sprinkle the salt onto the fries and toss the fries to distribute the salt evenly. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Hot German Potato Salad

I've come up with a mayonnaise-free version of another favorite, this time a hot German potato salad. All I had to tell Michael was that it had bacon in it, and he was excited. I really like the combination of salty, sweet, and sour flavors in the dressing, along with the crunchy texture of the bacon. When my parents came up to visit this past weekend, I decided to make them a German-themed meal and served them this potato salad with pork sausages and cooked red cabbage.

Hot German Potato Salad
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. of Yukon Gold or other thin-skinned white potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 slices of bacon. To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I recommend a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture.
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup of potato liquid
• canola oil (1 to 3 Tbsp. depending on the amount of bacon drippings you have.)
  
• 1 tsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. celery seeds or 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, depending on what you have
• dried or fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions:

Place a large 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and 2 cups of water to the pan and stir. While the liquid is heating, peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch wide slices. Place the slices of potatoes in layers into the pan of heating liquid. (The top layer of potatoes will not be fully covered by the water.) Increase the heat and let the liquid come to a simmer. Then turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let the potatoes simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are fork-tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the bacon into thin 1/4-inch wide strips and cook over medium heat until the bacon is browned and crunchy. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the drippings in the pan. To make the dressing for the salad, measure the drippings and pour up to 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings into a small bowl. I usually have about 2 tablespoonfuls of drippings; therefore, I add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to bring the total amount of drippings and oil up to 4 tablespoons. Into the drippings and oil whisk the granulated white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and either celery seeds or mustard seeds. Finely chop about half of a small yellow onion so that you have 1/4 cup of chopped onion for the salad.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander with a large bowl placed under it to catch the cooking liquid. Measure 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk it into the small bowl with the rest of the ingredients for the dressing. Then take 1/2 cup of the potatoes, mash them thoroughly using a potato masher or a fork, and whisk them into the dressing to thicken it.

Transfer the rest of the potatoes from the colander to a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add the chopped onion and bacon and toss gently so that the dressing coats the potatoes. Sprinkle the potato salad with dried or fresh parsley and toss again. Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave before serving.

Grandma Robert's Potato Salad (without mayonnaise)

It's hard to believe now, but I never liked potato salad before I married Michael. To be more specific, I never liked potato salad until I tried the one that Michael's mom made using his Grandma Robert's recipe. That salad was so tasty that I immediately asked for the recipe and have been making it ever since. After Sabrina was diagnosed with her egg allergy, I knew that I needed to figure out a way to continue making this delicious potato salad, but without the mayonnaise called for in the original recipe. Tonight I tried a version that I think comes pretty close. Michael gave it the thumbs up, and Naomi even asked for seconds, which is a rare complement from her.

Grandma Robert's Potato Salad (without mayonnaise)
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. Yukon Gold or thin-skinned white potatoes
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
  
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• dried parsley

Instructions:

In a large 12-inch non-stick skillet (preferably one that has a lid), combine 2 cups of water, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp. sea salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin, 1/4-inch wide slices. Place the potato slices in the skillet so that they form 2 to 3 layers. The liquid will cover most, but not all, of the potatoes. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. While the potatoes are cooking, finely chop about half of a small onion so that you have 1/4 cup chopped onion for the salad.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander with a large bowl placed under it to catch the cooking liquid. To make the dressing for the potato salad, measure 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and pour it into a small bowl. Whisk into the cooking liquid 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 1/4 cup canola oil. Take 1/2 cup of the potatoes, mash them using a potato masher or a fork, and whisk them into the dressing to thicken it.

Transfer the rest of the potatoes from the colander to a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add the chopped onion and toss gently so that the dressing and onions coat the potatoes. Sprinkle the potato salad liberally with dried parsley and toss again. For a warm potato salad, keep the salad at room temperature and serve within 4 hours of making it. Or refrigerate the salad if you prefer to serve it cold.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

We were at my parents' house last week enjoying their wonderful cooking. Sigh. Now that I'm back home and back to doing all of the cooking, I appreciate even more not having to cook as much last week. I took pictures of a couple of the dishes my parents made so that I could post the recipes here and make them again myself. The first one is a recipe for rosemary roasted potatoes. I was surprised at how simple the recipe is because the results are amazing. The other great thing about this recipe is that the ingredients are safe for everyone in our family.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. small red or white potatoes, cut in half or quarters
  
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp. dried rosemary)

Instructions:

Follow the instructions on the link to the recipe. Toss the cut potatoes in the rest of the ingredients and then place them on a baking sheet. Roast the potatoes at 400 degrees for at least 1 hour, tossing 2 or 3 times.

Austrian Potato Salad

For small group this past Wednesday Tiffany made Austrian potato salad. I liked it so much that I asked her for the recipe. She found it on America's Test Kitchen, and here is the link to the original recipe. To make the salad for us, follow my modified ingredient list below. Download the recipe now while you have the chance because the website posts only this season's recipes for free.

Austrian Potato Salad
serves 4 to 6 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup Imagine Organic Free Range chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 small red onion
• 6 cornichons (about 2 Tbsp.) or 1 or 2 small kosher dill pickles
  
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives (or 2 tsp. dried chives)
  
• ground black pepper

Instructions:

Follow the detailed instructions on the website. The short version of the recipe is that you peel the potatoes and slice them 1/2 inch thick. Put them in a 12-inch skillet with the chicken broth, water, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender and give no resistance when poked with a knife. This took about 30 minutes for me. Then turn up the heat to high and boil off some of the liquid for 2 minutes. Take the potatoes out of the liquid and put them in a large bowl.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid for the dressing. Pour the liquid into a small bowl and whisk into it the other tablespoon of vinegar, the Dijon mustard, and the canola oil. Measure 1/2 cup of the cooked potatoes, mash them with a potato masher, and stir them into the dressing. Finely chop the onion, pickles, and chives, and add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and other ingredients, and gently toss so that the dressing covers them evenly. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if desired.

For the best texture, keep the potatoes at room temperature and serve them within 4 hours. However, I refridgerated our leftovers and thought they still tasted great the next day.

Crash Hot Potatoes

This week I was finishing up the final paper for my class, so I don't have any snazzy pictures for you. You'll just have to imagine what these potatoes look like, or you can go to the original recipe for some great pictures there.

I tried this recipe for crash hot potatoes this past week, and Michael, the girls, and I all liked them. What I liked about them, besides the fact that they tasted good, was how easy they were. They're a different spin on roasted potatoes, one that doesn't involve any peeling or cutting of the potatoes. Anytime earlier in the day you can boil the potatoes in water until they are fork-tender. Then, about 30 minutes before you want to eat, you crash the potatoes on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, brush some olive oil over the top of the potatoes, and sprinkle the potatoes with salt, pepper, and herbs. Into the 450-degree oven they go, and 25 minutes later you have crash hot potatoes. Voila!

Mashed Potatoes

Some foods go so well with mashed potatoes that I knew I needed to come up with a recipe that would work for all of us, including those who are lactose-intolerant. To complicate matters, through trial and error I've come to realize that dairy-free mashed potatoes just aren't a possibility. You see, Naomi is allergic to soy milk, and Michael is allergic to the corn in almond milk and dairy-free creamer. We could use rice milk, but I think it's a bit too sweet and doesn't have the right effect. Once I tried to make garlic and olive oil mashed potatoes, which are dairy-free, but they didn't taste the way I expected and wanted mashed potatoes to taste. So, for the once in a while that we make mashed potatoes, the best option I've come up with is to make them lactose-free by using Lactaid milk and clarified butter.

Here is the original recipe with which I started; however, I modified it to make it lactose-free and to feed a large group of people. If you would like to serve just four people but still make the potatoes lactose-free, then use 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes, 2 Tbsp. clarified butter or Canoleo margarine, 5 Tbsp. Lactaid milk, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.

Mashed Potatoes
serves 12 adults

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups Lactaid milk
• about 2 tsp. kosher salt
• about 1 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:

Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Put the potato quarters in a large pot and add water until the water just covers the potatoes. Sprinkle in some salt and then bring the water to a boil over high heat. When the water starts boiling, turn the heat down so that the water simmers, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they can be poked easily with a fork.

While the potatoes are simmering, clarify the butter to get rid of the milk solids. I find Alton Brown's instructions on clarifying butter easy to follow. Heat the milk in the microwave so that it is warm.

When the potatoes are ready, drain them in a colander and then put them in a pot or large bowl to mash. Add the clarified butter and use a potato masher to mash them so that the butter mixes in with the potatoes. Then pour in 1 cup of the milk, the salt, and the pepper and continue mashing. Pour in the rest of the milk -- or as much as you would like -- and mash or stir until the potatoes reach the desired consistency.

Oven Baked Risotto

I really like risotto -- I even have a risotto cookbook, devoted entirely to recipes for making risotto. Michael and I used to make risotto from scratch on a regular basis, but since having kids it just hasn't been practical. You see, making risotto on the stove requires stirring it pretty much constantly for at least half an hour. However, recently I read several recipes for risotto that looked so good that they made me want to try it again. The clincher was the recipe for oven baked risotto that I found in the latest issue of Southern Living magazine. Baking the risotto means that you don't have to stand at the stove for 30 minutes, so you get yummy risotto without nearly as much work.

Because we're trying to limit our intake of dairy products, I've modified the recipe a bit. Here is the original recipe for oven chicken risotto, in case you'd like to try it. In addition, this recipe for baked risotto with asparagus and spinach looks tasty as well. I included turkey in our risotto to make it a main dish, but you could leave out the turkey and serve the risotto as a side dish instead. I didn't add peas but think they would be a nice addition, so I've included peas in the recipe.

Oven Baked Risotto
serves 3 or 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth. Use either Imagine Organic Free Range chicken broth, Trader Joe's Organic Free Range chicken broth, or a homemade chicken broth.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 pound (or 2 cups) cooked turkey or chicken, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. I used Jennie-O Turkey Store All Natural Golden Roast Premium Turkey Breast, which contains turkey breast, turkey broth, sugar, and salt. Rotisserie chicken usually contains corn, but you could use leftover chicken from a homemade roast chicken.
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas, thawed
• 1 bundle of asparagus, cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 2 Tbsp. white wine or white wine vinegar
  
• Parmesan cheese as a garnish. Use either a block of Parmesan that you grate yourself, or 4C Imported Parmesan All Natural grated cheese.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small frying pan heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-low heat until the oil shimmers. Dice the onion and transfer it to the pan. Saute the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, add the Arborio rice to the pan. Stir the rice into the onion so that the rice is coated with oil. Remove the frying pan from the stove.

While the onion is sauteing, pour 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into a 9"x13" baking dish or a Dutch oven. Spread the oil around so that it coats the bottom of the pan or Dutch oven. Add 2 cups of the chicken broth, the white wine, salt, and pepper to the pan. Add the onion and rice and stir everything to combine.

Cover the 9"x13" pan tightly with aluminum foil, or place the lid tightly on the Dutch oven, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid is entirely absorbed. While the rice is baking, chop the pre-cooked turkey or chicken and thaw the peas. Rinse the asparagus, snap off the ends, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Steam the asparagus for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain the water, return the asparagus to the pot in which it was steamed, and toss with 1 to 2 Tbsp. white wine or white wine vinegar. Cover the pot with the asparagus to keep it hot.

When the timer beeps for the rice, remove from the oven and add the chopped turkey or chicken, the peas, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir, cover the baking pan, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Then remove from the oven, toss in the asparagus, and serve. Provide grated Parmesan for people to sprinkle on their risotto.