Potato Candy - Recipe From A Memory

Early in the Christmas season, my Grandma was telling me about a special treat her mother used to make her and her sisters at Christmas time. She said there was only 3 ingredients; potato, icing sugar and coconut. In my head, I immediately thought "gluten free"! Having never heard of something like that, I turned to the Internet and found quite a lot of results. Most were covered in chocolate or had some sort of wax in them. Some recommended adding milk and salt to the mashed potatoes. I couldn't find something as simple as my Grandmas memories so I just gave it a shot. Nothing was measured and I will work on trying to perfect this recipe in the future, but here's what I did:

 

1 medium potato, peeled, cooked & mashed until smooth

Icing sugar (I'm going to say about 2 cups but don't add it all at once)

Approx. 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tsp vanilla

 

I kept adding icing sugar to the potato until it became a dough-like consistency. Once it was thick and not sticking to my hands, I added the coconut. Upon tasted it at this point I decided to add some vanilla extract (vanilla was not one of the original 3 ingredients my Grandma mentioned but she did confirm it was in the original once she sampled mine).

 

Once I had my dough all mixed, I was really unsure of what to do next. I spread it thin on parchment paper and then stared at it for a while. I couldn't see it really sticking together so I decided I would drizzle some melted chocolate on top. Once I did that, I stared at it again. Seeing this wasn't going to work either, I smooshed all the dough together and started making 1" balls. After a few hours, the balls do harden up and hold their shape nicely.

 

The verdict - these were SO sweet. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I couldn't really see anyone eating and finishing a complete ball but everyone tried one (some even two!). My grandma agreed - super sweet but similar to the original. Her mother somehow cut it into bars instead of the balls. My recipe requires some fine-tuning still but it was a fun experiment. If you like cake icing, you will love these!

Leek and Potato Soup

This year Santa made a fantastic book selection. He/she gets me a book each year and this year it was Quinoa 365:

Revolutionize your nutrition with Quinoa 365!

Keen what?

Pronounced 'keen wah', Quinoa is a frequently neglected and relatively unknown superfood - containing a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids. It is gluten-free and a great source of protein. Nothing else packs a punch of nutrition quite like quinoa. Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood shows you how to add quinoa to all your favorite foods!

"We eat it because it's so nutritious and works with all of our favorite recipes!"

As you can see, I have bookmarked essentially every recipe in the book and also purchased a 3lb bag of quinoa. If you have not tried quinoa and are interested in following along with some of those bookmarked recipes then I do recommend picking up a sack at Costco. That 3lb bag of pre-rinsed quinoa cost $8.49 which is a pretty fine deal.  I promise you it's easier to make than rice!

My very first recipe from this book was the Leek & Potato Soup:

3tbsp butter (I used 1tbsp)
2 cups sliced leeks, white parts only
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes (I used whatever was in the pantry.. not yukon gold)
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups milk or soy milk
salt to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the leeks until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove 1/2cup of the sauteed leeks and set aside.

Add the broth, potatoes and quinoa to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a summer and cook until the potatoes and quinoa are tender, about 18 minutes. Puree the cooked mixture with a hand blender or cool slightly and puree in 2 batches in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the saucepan and stir in the milk and reserved leeks. Heat on medium but do not boil. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and serve.

MY REVIEW: What a great soup! It was so thick and filling. If you're intimidated by the idea of cooking quinoa then this is a good starting recipe. There's no rinsing or straining involved - the quinoa simply goes from the bag to the pot.

JASON'S REVIEW: It was good.

Dinner & First Aid

As most of you know, Wednesday is Jason's group bike ride so I like to make him something special for when he gets home. I was cooking away when he phoned and requested 2 ice packs be ready upon his arrival. Dinner was JUST about on the table when Jason showed up and and out came the first aid kit. He has some pretty impressive wounds (he'll show you the pictures if you ask!) which he cleaned and I taped up as best I could. A few years ago we went to a hypochondriacs estate sale and now have a fairly extensive first aid section in our home, thankfully.  By the time we got around to eating dinner, it was cold and probably had been licked by the cat a few times.

I made salmon for myself and chicken for Jason. On both I used a mixture of olive oil, fresh dill, garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper. To go with that I made some carrots, fresh from the garden, glazed with honey.

My mom gave me the idea to make a stuffed baked potato. For the insides I used a mixture of gorgonzola, fresh chives and a splash of milk. My kitchenaid whipped it all up nice and smooth. The  insides went back into the potato and then I let them brown under the broiler.

MY REVIEW: The potato was yummy. Does anyone else think gorgonzola sort of gives things a strong mushroomy taste?

JASON'S REVIEW: I felt my wounds healing as I ate the delectable chicken, vegetables and fluffy savory potato.

PS - This is my favorite stray cat! She's so tiny and very camera shy but is such a sweetheart. She always has such a concerned look on her face but will let her guard down for a quick scratch on the head.  I used to hide the fact I fed stray cats from Jason. It is no longer a secret.

I'm back...

So for the past two weeks I have been eating a strict gluten-free diet. Although my final test is still months away, celiac or not - this diet agrees with me. Until I'm able to see a gastroenterologist (late September) my doctor has reccomended I follow this diet and I think I'm finally ok with it. My energy level is up to where it used to be, if not better. No more naps right after work and it's no longer so painful to get up early in the morning. My stomach has completely settled down and no more headaches (with the exception of a little worsterchire mishap.. it's only gluten-free in the states! Who knew?). My appetite has returned and it feels like the fog has lifted in my brain.

 

I felt like the pressures of putting a good looking meal on the table and maintaing a positive attitude with these changes was just too much so in my previous post, I gave up. Although feeling extremely overwhelmed at first, it turns out I've done some of my best cooking these past few weeks. I have felt so bad not taking pictures and sharing some darn good recipes with you all! Eating gluten-free means I'm forced to use whole foods and very little seasoning. This in turn means I am relying heavily on the herbs in my garden and the vegetables at the Farmers Market. I've read some very inspiring books, blogs and websites regarding the gluten-free diet as well. That, in combination with my guilt for not sharing some fantastic recipes, has made me come to make the decision to continue blogging through this transition.

 

For those of you (most of you) who are able to eat gluten, do not fear! I re-created one of Jason's favorite meals (spaghetti, meatballs & garlic toast) with 100% gluten free ingredients and he rated it at an 11/10.  Although he can still eat gluten, he's very much enjoying the new recipes and it's no problem to add some pasta or bread to one of my g-free meals for him. I just make sure that my meal is cooked first and all utensils are clean.

 

So, for my comeback post, I would like to introduce you to some absolutely fantastic Gluten-Free Potato Pancakes. This is the third time in the past 2 weeks I've made these and I could probably eat them everyday. My mom came across this recipe on an inspiring blog - Gluten Free Girl. The author has also written a book, which I am about half-way done. It would be a good read for anyone who loves food - celiac or not. She has a way of describing things so you can almost taste it with such vivid words.

 

I made a few changes with the herbs but here's the recipe as written:

As an added bonus, I made Jason some bacon pieces to sprinkle on top. Although I can't eat it, I do love the way it makes the house smell!

 

2 Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded on a wide grater
1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced (didn't use this)
¼ cup green onions, finely sliced (used fresh fill instead)
1/8 cup corn starch
kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste (try ½ teaspoon of each, to start)

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Peel the two potatoes, then shred them on a grater. You want these to be medium-to-large shreds. (Don’t use a microplaner, for instance.) Put all the grated potatoes in a nest of paper towels, then squeeze as much water out of them as you can. Go back again and wring out more. When they are as dry as can be, place them in a large bowl.

Turn a burner of the stove to high heat. Place your favorite skillet on it and bring to heat.

Put all the ingredients in the large bowl. Mix them up with your hand, squeezing and turning it all, fast, until everything is combined well.

Form the potato mixture into little cakes, about the circumference of a good coffee mug, approximately one-inch thick.

When the skillet has come to its full heat, put two tablespoons of good-quality olive oil in and turn the burner down to medium-high heat. Add the potato cakes.

After a minute or two — or when the underside of potato cake has browned and you start to smell the warmth of it — flip the cakes over and brown the other side for one minute more. Immediately place the skillet in the oven. Cook the potato pancakes for ten minutes or so, or until they are browned and smell so delicious that you just can’t wait another moment to eat them.

 Jason likes sour cream on his and I opt for ketchup - gluten-free of course!

To go along with these I steamed some tiny beets with their greens from our garden.

For a fresh salad I used a 99 cent bag of mixed ripe yellow and red tomatoes I scored at the Italian Market today. In addition to that I ripped up some fresh basil, drizzled organic olive oil and added pearl bocconcini.

 

MY REVIEW: I enjoyed putting this meal together. The potato pancakes were, of course, the best part of the whole meal. To get all the liquid out I put the shredded potatoes in a fine strainer and smoosh them around for a while. That works best for me. 

 

JASON'S REVIEW: Super tasty.

Meat & Potatoes with Vegetarian Gravy

I had a hankering for something smothered in gravy this evening. Not really a healthy hankering, but I tried to satisfy it in the most healthy way possible! To start, we had a tomato salad.

When we were in Italy and ordered a "tomato salad" it was always extremely literal... tomatoes and olive oil. For my tomato salad I whisked together a little dressing consisting of olive oil, dijon mustard, white vinegar, kosher salt, lemon juice and fresh ground black pepper.

For the main course, skinless boneless chicken breast cooked in the oven with fresh ground black pepper and a rosemary sprig on top. I made a vegetarian gravy using canned mushrooms, flour, vegetable broth (from powder), skim milk and some herbs and spices. I really can't get any more precisise than that.. I was adding things left, right and center to get the right consistency and flavour! You're going to have to do the same thing. I kept the gravy on the side because I didn't know if Jason was in a "gravy smothering everything" mood as I was. As it turns out, he was.

Note the "X" cut into the potato. This is how I always eat my baked potatoes and at a recent family BBQ, was questioned about my eclectic potato eating ways. Well - this was a little trick I picked up in kindergarten on the day we made baked potato volcano's.  You wait till the potato cools enough to touch, cut an "X" on the top and then push the sides into the middle with your fingers causing the potato (lava) to "erupt" out the center. At this point you would put lava (bacon bits), grass (chives) etc. on top of your volcano. I don't exactly know why my kindergarten class was making baked potatoes but that is one lesson that stuck.

JASON'S REVIEW: Dinner was fantastic and I wouldn't hesitate to eat it again.

MY REVIEW: Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it's meals like this that make me feel like I've actually made some progress in my cooking journey. In the beginning, the simple task of cooking a chicken breast would have required a phone call to my mom and at least half an hour of internet research. The end product would almost always be burnt as I figured that was the only sure way to know it was fully cooked. I am slowly but surely getting a "feel" for it and learning to trust myself in the kitchen. I just made vegetarian gravy from scratch without even looking at a recipe...go me!

Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad

This weekend consisted of back-to-back BBQ's - one attended and one hosted. For both, I made this potato salad. It had such great reviews on the Food Network site and now has great reviews from Jason and I as well! Although I'm not a fan of straight up dijon mustard, I am finding that I really love it in sauces and salads. The recipe also includes some good tips you can use for any potato salad. Here it is:

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup tightly packed chopped fresh dill
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (I just used a squirt of lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon grainy or regular Dijon mustard

Directions

Put the potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover by 1-inch. Season with salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the uncovered pot off the heat. Let them sit until almost room temperature. (Cooling them in the warm pot will get rid of any excess water in the potatoes, and that's good.)


Meanwhile, cut the white parts off the ends of the celery stalks. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise, then across into 1/4-inch slices. Stir the celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes.


When they're cool, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces, add them to the bowl as you go. Stir gently until all the potatoes are coated with dressing. You can make the salad up to a couple of hours in advance. Keep covered at room temperature. Don't refrigerate or the potatoes will lose their rich, smooth texture.

JASON'S REVIEW: It was delicious and nutritious.

Kale and Potato Augratin

It's been over a week since I posted last. How did that happen? It's Christmas time!

And my new  Christmas Cactus is going crazy! For some reason, Honey has no interest in it. Thank god.

Today was most definitely the first day of a what I hope is a short round of the good ol' seasonal cold....

... but I was determined to make a decent supper and use up some things in the fridge that were on their way out. I found this recipe to use up some kale:

Kale and Potato Augratin

* 1 large bunch of kale (about 1 pound) washed, and torn
* 1 small onion
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon butter (a little bit of margarine did the trick)
* 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices
* 2 tablespoons butter (sliced into pats) (again, just a bit of margarine)
* 1 tsp. garlic powder
* 1 tsp. salt
* ½ tsp. pepper
* 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Colby-jack or cheddar) (or a wee bit of marble)
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 2 tablespoons of butter (none of this)
* 3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray a 2-quart baking dish.

Remove kale leaves from stalks, tearing into pieces and wash. Set aside to drain.

In skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Sautee onions until almost done. Add kale to pan and cover, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted. Remove from pan and let cool.

Sautee onions and kale until just wilted.

In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Sift in flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Once milk starts to thicken, add salt, garlic powder and pepper, stirring constantly. Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Set aside.

Start with potatoes as the bottom layer.

Layer potatoes and kale mixture in baking dish, making sure you start and end with the potatoes.

Place pats of butter on each kale layer.

Once layers are complete. Pour sauce mixture over entire dish.

Cover and bake at least 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.

JASON'S REVIEW: He said the potatoes were undercooked. The oven is really driving me crazy lately. The recipe suggest 45 minutes at 350 and I had them in there at 400 for well over an hour.  Sadly, it is for this reason that I will not be making any Christmas baking this year. I can't afford to waste expensive ingredients with that unpredictable oven!

MY REVIEW: The potatoes had a nice flavor! Just undercooked I guess. Boo. Atleast we didn't eat out though. And I don't have to feel guilty about the kale in the fridge. I can only imagine how this would taste if I used all the real butter it suggested.

Also - while looking for a recipe, I came across this 365 days of kale blog. It's been bookmarked! Our kale grew so well in the garden this year but I did not know what to do with it. This should help.

Potato Salad

This was loosely based on a Jean Pare recipe for mashed potato salad. I didn't measure anything and I didn't have all the proper ingredients... but basically there's low fat mayo, hot dog relish, paprika, fresh dill and fresh chives, green onions and freshly ground black pepper.

Pan-Fried Turkey Scallops with Citrus Honey Sauce & Potatoes with Nori

I got a great Readers Digest recipe book from the library the other day. It has huge pictures which = great recipe book. I tried 2 recipes from it tonight and there are a few more I plan on trying before this one goes back to the library.



Pan-Fried Turkey Scallops with Citrus Honey Sauce - under 300 calories

4 small skinless turkey breast steaks, about 4 ounces each (Save-On Foods had turkey that was already smooshed - it came 4 slices to a package)
2 tablespoons butter (margarine)
4 large shallots, thinly sliced (only had 3)
1 garlic clove, crushed
14 ounces thin green beans, trimmed (i used frozen)
2 tablespoons honey
Fresh-grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Fresh-grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper (no salt for us)

Put the turkey steaks between sheets of plastic and pound them to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick; set aside. (Again - skipped this step thanks to Save-On Foods)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute until soft, but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a draining spoon, remove the shallots; set aside.

Put the turkey scallops in the pan, in one layer, and fry them 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and boil until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse briefly in cold water to stop the cooking; set aside and keep warm. (Or just microwave the frozen ones...)

Mix the honey with the orange and lemon zests and juices. Remove the turkey scallops from the skillet; keep hot. Pour the honey mixture into the skillet, return the shallots, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and boil about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Arrange a mound of beans on each of 4 plates (2 plates and 2 lunch containers!). Place a turkey scallop on top of each mound. Spoon the sliced shallots and pan juices over.

Potatoes with Nori - under 200 calories

500g new potatoes (I put just enough for 2 suppers and 2 lunches)
2 tablespoons butter (margarine)
Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 sheet toasted nori, about 20 x 18 cm
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives (had none of these)
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper (no salt for us)


1. Put the new potatoes in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and bring back to a boil, over high heat. Boil until they are just fork-tender, 12 minutes. (I didn't do any of this 'already boiling water' stuff... just boil the potatoes. You know how.)

2. Reserve 3 tablespoons cooking water from the potatoes, then drain them and return them to the saucepan with the reserved water. Add the butter and lemon zest and juice. Turn the potatoes to coat them with the liquid.

3. Use scissors to snip the nori into fine strips. Scatter the nori over the potatoes and cover the pan. Simmer over low heat until the nori is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add seasoning to taste and sprinkle with the chives.

MY REVIEW: I loved this meal!! No complaints. It was the perfect size. The ingredients weren't exotic or expensive but it came out looking pretty fancy if I do say so myself. I wasn't expecting 4 smooshed turkey things in one tray so I got 2 trays - now I have 4 more in the freezer and can't wait to try this again. The potatoes were fabulous too. What a great way to use nori.

JASON'S REVIEW: I've never tasted potatoes like that before and they were good. The turkey was good.

Oh Jason and your creative adjectives.

Fish Sticks with Oven Fries and Spinach Salad

Jason doesn't like seafood and pretends he's allergic to it sometimes in social settings. He will, however, eat tuna and fish sticks. When I saw these health smart little puppies on sale today I knew I had to get them! To go along with them, I made a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes and some Oven Fries. Here's how I make my oven fries:

Cut however many potatoes you want - I just made 2 because normally we wouldn't eat more than 1 potato each - into wedges. Then, put the wedges into some cold water for about half an hour. This step can be eliminated however it makes the potatoes less likely to stick to one another. It's a little trick I picked up from Jean Pare and I like the results better when I do it. Once they're ready, rinse and put only a baking sheet. Sprinkle a LITTLE olive oil and toss them around so they all get some. Then put your favorite spices (dill is great) on and pop in the oven at 425 for about half an hour - could take longer. Just until they're brown and crispy.

MY REVIEW: While the fish sticks were ultra healthy, it kind of left me wanting 'Joey's Only' greasy sticks. I always like potato wedges and salad was good. I'm full!

JASON'S REVIEW: I sometimes like fish when it's in stick form. I enjoy lots of tartar sauce.

Potato & Leek Soup

After making that carrot soup, I had a hankering to make MORE soup. This time, it was potato and leek from the Epicurious website:

• the white and pale green part of 2 large leeks, split lengthwise, washed well, and chopped (I used three)
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (Margarine! This should go without saying. I only use butter when making shortbread)
  
• 1 1/2 cups water (I just added water until it covered the potatoes)
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound boiling, potatoes (I didn't weigh them... lots o' potato)
  
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (none of these)
• I added three garlic cloves
• I also added a splash of white wine since it was laying around

In a large heavy saucepan cook the leeks (and garlic) in the butter with salt and pepper to taste, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are softened but not browned. Add the water, the broth, (white wine) and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. In a blender purée 1 cup (I did half and half) of the soup, stir the puré into the remaining soup with the parsley, and season the soup with salt and pepper. (Again, no salt because I'm too lazy to refill the shaker)

MY REVIEW: Loved it! Thick and creamy with no cream. It made lots so our freezer is stocked with soup now.

JASON'S REVIEW: Extremely tasty. (I may have to phase out this portion of my blog)

Spinach & Turkey English Muffin with Seasoned Potatoes

I did a healthier version of the Egg McMuffin today. The potatoes look shiny which makes them look unhealthy but really they were decent! I didn't follow any recipes today... I was inspired by all the little baggies in the fridge that were about to turn rancid!

In the english muffin:

1egg
1 piece of turkey bacon cut in half
Handful of spinach leaves

For the potatoes, I cut up some fingerling potatoes and boiled them in water. While they were cooking I sauteed mushrooms and onions in a little bit of margarine. Once the potatoes were ready to rock I threw them in the frying pan and stirred them around until everything was crispy. I seasoned with fresh ground black pepper and some garlic powder.

MY REVIEW: I really liked the english muffin. I could skip the cheese every time and go for the spinach version. I guess the turkey bacon isn't really that great for you but it's better than the real thing. Potatoes were great. I was so happy when I finally realized that to make your own hashbrowns, you should probably cook the potatoes first. So many camping trips.... so many hard potato bits...

ON A SIDE NOTE, the last 2 pictures were taken using my phone. It's kind of a hassle to whip my huge camera out everyday... just incase you noticed the quality had gone down the drain! ALSO, for the record, I usually only ever take a picture of Jason's meal. My plate is never as fancy unless there's 2 plates in the picture. Plus I don't eat like a hungry man.

JASON'S REVIEW: He really liked the spinach and said it hit the spot since he was so hungry.