Amelia turns 1!
Smashed potatoes
Serves 8
- 2 pounds new potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1. Scrub the potatoes with a vegetable brush to clean; leave whole. Place in a steamer basket set over a pan of water at a low boil, cover and steam until just tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Remove potatoes from steamer and cool. The recipe can be made a day in advance to this point. Cover cooled potatoes and refrigerate.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. When potatoes are evenly coated, use the bottom of a small pan to lightly smash. Arrange in a baking dish and roast in oven 20 minutes. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle top with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and Romano. Continue roasting 5 minutes.
Data per serving:
Calories 173
Protein 2.61g
Fat 8.18g
Carbohydrates 23.03g
Sodium 209mg
Saturated fat 3.43g
Monounsaturated fat 3.71g
Polyunsaturated fat 0.58g
Cholesterol 12.75mg
Pork with Dates and Dried Apricots
Serves 6 to 8
- 2 ½ pounds boneless Boston pork butt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups sliced onions (about 2 medium onions)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 ¼ cups pitted dried dates
- 1 cup dried apricot halves
- 6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
- ¾ cup water
- Salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut the pork into 8 to 10 equal-size pieces. Heat the olive oil in large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven. Add the pork and brown for 5 minutes, turning as needed. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and saffron and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and meat is evenly browned.
2. Add dates, apricots and garlic and pour in the water. Cover and cook in oven for about 1 hour or until pork is fork tender. Check frequently and add more water if casserole seems to be drying out.
Kathy’s Note: Basmati rice is the perfect accompaniment to this rich and savory dish. If you wish, you can make it a day ahead, then let cool slightly, chill, cover and store refrigerated. If you prefer a leaner dish, remove the solidified fat before reheating.
Tomato soup
Its easiest to make this recipe (and other pureed soups) with a hand blender. We have a $20 Braun model from Bartels that works great.
Ingredients
- ~28 oz tomatos (canned with juice, or peeled fresh)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
- ~1 qt stock
- 4 T butter, plus extra for sauteing onion if using
- 4 T flour
- bay leaf
- sugar (optional)
- salt
- pepper
If using an onion, sautee in extra butter until limp. Add stock, tomatos, and bay and bring to a simmer for at least 10 minutes. In another small saucepan, melt 4T of butter, and add flour to make a roux. Add roux to tomatos and stock, remove bay leaf, and puree off heat. Return to heat, and add salt, sugar, and pepper (and other spices if desired) to taste.