fried potato cakes

so last week, i saw a cooking show on tv where someone prepared fried potato cakes...and it looked intriguing.  later in the week, i saw a rosemary and white cheddar potato cake on a restaurant menu.  this reminded me that i thought the concept was interesting.  so i decided to attempt it on my own.  because why not?

tonight, i cooked some green beans, reheated some of jackie's pulled pork, and had some potato cakes on the side.

in this case, the potato cakes are merely a side, but i prepared them ahead of time.  prep time took about 45 minutes (of which only 10-15 are active for prep) and about 10 minutes of cooking.

ingredients:
- 1 lb redskin potatoes
- 1.5 tablespoons butter
- milk (maybe 1/8 of a cup)
- herbs/spices (dried rosemary, fresh thyme, garlic powder, salt/pepper)
- shredded cheese (i used italian six cheese blend)
- vegetable oil

preparation:
boil the potatoes ahead of the actual cooking time (taking about 30 minutes).  once cooked, drop the potatoes in a bowl and mash them with the butter and the splash of milk.  stir in the herbs.  once everything is blended, put it in the fridge for later.

when you're ready to cook, take the cheese out of the fridge and add the shredded cheese (i put in about 1/3 cup, but that really wasn't enough).  once the cheese is incorporated, form patties/cakes out of the potato mixture.  for my experiment, i made a total of seven cakes.  put the cakes back in the fridge until just before cooking.

add vegetable oil to the bottom of a frying pan (just enough to cover the bottom) and bring it up to a medium-high heat.  place the cakes in the pan and brown for about 1.5 minutes per side.  through trial and error, i learned to squish the cakes immediately after being placed in the pan.  this ensures they get properly flattened.  once browned, remove from the pan, place on a paper towel, and dust with some salt.

verdict:
overall, i am intrigued by this recipe.  the first couple cakes didn't work quite as well because i flipped them too soon; they thus did not brown and instead fell apart.  however, subsequent cakes turned out nicely brown/crispy on the exterior and soft/warm on the inside.

in principle, it was excellent.  however, i didn't use quite enough cheese, so that flavor profile wasn't as prominent as it could have been.  for future versions, i would need to use more cheese in the cakes (and possibly use something with more bite, like sharp cheddar).

beyond this, i see these cakes as being versatile options.  they could be used as a side dish, but they could also be made into a breakfast entree by incorporating bacon.  additionally, my lovely assistant (and chief taste tester) suggested that this could become something of a dessert by using mashed sweet potatoes, toasted nuts, and pie spices.  i could even see using cranberries or raisins in such a mixture.  certainly food for thought!

interestingly, this is the first time i've ever made homemade mashed potatoes.  admittedly, it wasn't a full-blown mashed potato recipe (which would require more milk and more thorough mashing), but i think i could manage to do that in the future.  good to know!

Mega Meatloaf

**GUEST ENTREE ENTRY**
Mega Meatloaf - my own concoction

So when I traditionally think of meatloaf, I don't have nice thoughts associated with it & cringe at the use of ketchup on dried out meat... GROSS!

This is the second time I have tried making meatloaf with my spin on it and both times have been a great success!  It's only taken me a few months to finally blog it though.

Ingredients
1 huge mixing bowl
1lb hot ground sausage
1lb lean ground beef
1 packet of McCormick Meatloaf Seasoning
1/4c Progresso Italian breadcrumbs
1/2c 2% milk
2 eggs
2 raw russet potatoes peeled and shredded
2c shredded carrots
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 oven safe baking bag

Roll up your sleeves and blend the two meats together.  Add the seasoning, breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs.  Add in shredded potatoes, carrots, and onion.  Keep mixing with your hands until it is fairly uniform.  It is going to be an extremely large loaf.  Transfer the meat/vegetable mixture into an oven safe baking bag.  Mold into the shape of a loaf.  Place in a Pyrex dish, loaf pan (if you can find one for this monster), or baking sheet.  Bake at 375F for 1 hour.  Enjoy!

Verdict:  It is probably the most delicious meatloaf I have ever had!  The hot sausage adds a nice kick to it & by baking it in a bag, it retains all of the moisture.  Oh and not to mention... it contains a starch & 2 vegetables inside of the loaf too, so it is a complete meal by itself!  Brian did insist on green beans; which went well with this too.

pineapple chicken

after much debate, the matter of dinner last night was settled.  first was a thought of tacos, but that didn't sound quite right.  a vague notion of pepper stuffing was similarly discarded.  after discussing the possibility of a stir fry, jackie and i pondered orange chicken.  this (naturally) led to the idea of a sweet and sour pineapple chicken.

given how i've never made a sweet and sour sauce myself, this experiment sounded worth trying.  for a total of about 30-45 minutes to prepare and cook, we ended up with a dish with approximately four servings.

 ingredients:
- 1.25 pounds chicken (boneless breast meat, cut into chunks)
- one 12 oz package of frozen mixed vegetables (this packet had peas, carrots, broccoli, and water chestnuts)
- one 20 oz can of pineapple chunks
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- cayenne pepper
- ground ginger
- cornstarch

preparation:
for the sweet and sour sauce, mix the sugar, honey, soy, and vinegar into a sauce pan.  add most of the pineapple juice from the can (approximately 3/4 cup) and simmer, stirring occasionally.  after simmering for maybe 5-10 minutes, turn the heat off and leave for later steps.

add cornstarch (i didn't measure, but perhaps 1/3 of a cup) to a bread bag.  season the cornstarch with ground ginger and cayenne, and shake the bag to mix evenly.  place chunks of chicken in the bag and shake to coat thoroughly.

put oil in a large frying pan and bring to a high heat.  add the chicken to the pan to brown.  once the chicken is cooked, add the vegetables to the pan and stir until vegetables are warm.  add the pineapple and pour the sauce over everything.  stir until everything is coated evenly.  allow to simmer for several minutes.  remove and serve over rice.

verdict:
there were some flaws in this recipe -- but nothing that made it inedible.  the largest problem may have been how i cooked the chicken.  in my case, i probably underseasoned the cornstarch (more pepper and ginger would've been okay), and i didn't start with a hot enough pan.  the chicken didn't brown quite enough, and there wasn't quite enough crispiness on the outside.

also, the proportions for stir fry were a little off; i probably could've used a little less chicken and a little more vegetable.

finally, next time i may need to reduce the sweet and sour sauce a little further; it was a little more liquidy than i had anticipated.  maybe letting the sauce sit overnight would have helped it become more viscous.

all in all, though, i am pleased with myself and would try something similar again in the future.

lasagna

it isn't that i haven't cooked anything yet this year...it's more that i haven't cooked anything new or innovative yet.  i just don't feel the urge to re-blog recipes i've already cooked...unless they're different enough (or spectacularly awesome enough) to warrant a new entry.

that said, jackie and i decided to make a lasagna today.  with vegetables and such because why not.  i figure total prep and cook time was on the order of one hour, and there's something on the order of six or seven portions to this particular recipe.

ingredients:
- one 18oz package of hot italian sausage
- one zucchini (medium)
- one eggplant (relatively small)
- pasta sheets (nine)
- ricotta cheese (15 oz container)
- italian six cheese blend (8 oz bag)
- one egg
- assorted spices (parsley, basil, sage, rosemary)
- salt/pepper
- jar of spaghetti sauce

preparation:
cook the lasagna sheets per the box instructions.  remove from water and set aside.

mix the ricotta cheese with about half the bag of italian six cheese blend.  add one egg, a pinch of salt, a little pepper, and basil/parsley.  stir until well blended.

shred the eggplant and the zucchini (keep them separate).  remove the sausage from the casing and brown on medium heat with the eggplant.  i also added a little dried parsley and a little fresh sage and rosemary.  once the sausage is mostly browned, add in the zucchini.  finish browning the meat and vegetables, drain water (the zucchini gave off quite a bit), and let cool.

in a 9" x 13" dish, spread a thin layer of sauce.  place three pasta sheets side by side in the pan and smush a layer of cheese mixture on top.  add a layer of the meat mixture and more spaghetti sauce.  repeat the pasta/cheese/meat/sauce layering.  add a final layer of pasta and sauce.  sprinkle the remainder of the six cheese blend on top.  bake (covered with aluminum foil) at 350°F for about 20 minutes.  remove the foil and continue to bake for approximately 12 minutes (or until nice and bubbly).

 

verdict:
the sausage we used had a significant kick to it...spicy but very good!  the zucchini added a little bit of texture and color to the dish that work well.  eggplant, on the other hand, was not noticeable; i'm sure it adds something (besides a little bit of healthiness), but it's not particularly obvious.  i think a few shredded carrots would also be good in the dish, and that might be something to adjust next time.  all told, though, i am pleased.

tortellini salad

not every meal can be a freddington, and sometimes you just don't have the time or the energy to do anything fancy.  i've made this tortellini salad a few times, and i figure it's finally time to post it.

this particular dish is quick (less than 30 minutes to prepare), easy (can you boil water?), and tasty.  i'm sure there variations on the theme that are also worthwhile.


ingredients:
- one 9 oz package of pre-made tortellini (i used spinach and cheese this time)
- one pint frozen green peas (courtesy of dad's garden)
- bacon pieces
- parmesan cheese

preparation:
simmer the peas for approximately 20 minutes or until tender.  i add a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper, but other seasonings can certainly be used.

cook the tortellini per the package instructions.  yes, it's pre-made (so it's technically cheating), but whatever.  it takes approximately 8 minutes to cook in a pot of water with a little olive oil.

toss the pasta with the cooked peas, sprinkle in some bacon pieces, and top with cheese.  bon appetit!

beef freddington

what, you ask, is beef freddington?  well, it is what you get when you adapt beef wellington by removing the mushrooms.  this recipe is probably the most ambitious thing i have ever cooked (and certainly the fanciest), and i created it the day after thanksgiving (by special request from my sister).  she wanted beef wellington but hates mushrooms (and frankly, who can blame her for that).

selfie!

after reviewing the all-knowing internet, i found ways to adapt the recipe to remove mushrooms...but most resources vehemently declared that removing the mushrooms effectively makes it something other than "beef wellington."  so my sister said that i could call it "beef freddington."  i think this works just fine.

because you sometimes need to eat something other than turkey the day after thanksgiving

the basis for my recipe comes from chef gordon ramsay's beef wellington recipe (see video here and recipe here), to which i made various adaptations.  it's not a terribly difficult recipe to follow, but the preparation is a little time-consuming.

ingredients:
- about 1.5 pounds beef tenderloin (yeah, this is xpnsv)
- proscuitto (i used 6 slices)
- english mustard
- one small eggplant
- package of raw chestnuts (approximately 1 pound unshelled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- puff pastry (i used two sheets of frozen pastry)
- 1/2 granny smith apple
- rosemary and thyme
- salt/pepper
- 2 egg yolks
- olive oil

preparation:
i roasted (and shelled) the beforehand using instructions found online, which turned out to be a good thing.  shelling chestnuts is very time-consuming, and it makes ones thumbs hurt after awhile.  i ended up with about a quart of shelled nuts.

i salted/peppered the tenderloin, put olive oil in a hot cast-iron pan, and seared the meat just enough to get a nice caramelized color on all sides (including top and bottom).  as a hint, pressing the meat up against the side of the pan helps provide a nice sear.  remove the meat from the stove and brush english mustard on the entire tenderloin.  set aside to cool while preparing the duxelles.

you might think it's too much mustard...but it is not

the duxelles is the filling between the puff pastry and the meat (apparently used as a tasty moisture barrier).  where normally it's made of minced mushrooms, i made my own version.  mix the (chopped) eggplant, half a granny smith apple, the garlic, and the chestnuts and blitz together with salt/pepper in a food processor.  i made a rather coarse mixture, but i think it would work better to make a very fine mixture.  cook the mixture in a hot, dry pan (maybe medium heat) to help dry out any remaining moisture.  i also added fresh rosemary and dried thyme.  once the mixture is starting to brown (it took maybe 10-15 minutes), remove the duxelles from the pan and set aside to cool.

using a long sheet of cling wrap as a platform (leave it on the roll), take the proscuitto and overlap it a rectangle.  i made my rectangle to rows of three.  add a little black pepper.  once the duxelles are cooled, spread them on the proscuitto (leaving a clear edge of approximately 1/2" around the perimeter).  put the beef in the center and use the cling wrap to fold the proscuitto/duxelles around it.  tightly wrap the cling wrap around the beef (squeezing the ends together to create a log).  refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow it to get firm.

 

 

encase the beef in puff pastry; i had to connect my two sheets of puff pastry together to get something long enough to fully encase the freddington.  trim any excess pastry (use it for dessert!  i cut it into squares, brushed with butter, added a little jam or honey/nuts, twisted the tops together, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and baked at 400°F for about 15 minutes) and twist the ends of the freddington together.

yummy

again, tightly wrap the freddington in cling wrap and return the cylinder to the fridge.  i did my prep in the morning and didn't cook it until evening, so i left it there awhile.  apparently this is something that you can prepare in advance for dinner parties or whatever.

when you're ready to cook, remove the freddington from the fridge and brush with egg yolk (i mixed the two egg yolks with a little water to make it easier to brush on).  for decorative purposes, use the back of the knife to create a line down the spine of the freddington, and then twist the knife down the sides to create a ribbing effect.  sprinkle the top with a little salt.

bake in the oven at 400°F for approximately 35 minutes or so.  the meat shouldn't be overcooked, so you're looking for a nice rare to mid-rare.  i used a meat thermometer to tell me when the internal temperature was approximately 125°F.  remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

almost a pretzel texture on the very outside

verdict:
this was totally worth the effort.  the aroma as i sliced the freddington was amazing; there was a sweetness (probably the chestnuts and the apple), but it wasn't overly sweet.  the eggplant was hard to distinguish, which makes me think that mushrooms may not be noticeable if they were used, either.  the english mustard (used because it has more of a kick than regular mustard) isn't overpowering, but you can definitely taste it on the palate.  obviously, the middle of the roast was a little more rare than the edges, but everything was exceedingly tender.

so good...

i would make a few changes to the recipe in the future, though:

• as i noted previously, i would chop the duxelles a little finer in the future, and i might use a little more apple.
• for future wrapping purposes, i would probably also overlap the cling wrap; the roast was a little longer than i had anticipated, so there wasn't quite enough width of cling wrap to effectively roll the freddington.  having a doubled width would make that a non-issue.
• i'd also do a better job putting the puff pastry sheets together.  as you can see below, there was a slight split in the seam.
• i would also roast this on a baking rack (as opposed to directly in a pan).  despite the moisture barrier of the duxelles, there were still some juices that the puff pastry sat in, and cooking on a rack would prevent that slight sogginess.

it split =(

stuffed shells

i am by no means an expert at cooking italian cuisine.  however, i have cooked my mom's stuffed shells recipe for italians before, and they have told me how good they are.  i figure this is pretty high praise...especially considering how she originally got the recipe off a box of pasta.

i've adapted the recipe in recent years due to my own experimentation and due to the fact that mom has incorporated vegetables into her shells.  and since i happen to like how that works, i've blatantly stolen her methods.

 ingredients:
- box of large pasta shells
- container of ricotta cheese (i used a 15 oz container)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- parsley
- garlic powder
- basil/oregano
- salt/pepper
- jar of spaghetti sauce (i used almost a whole 24 oz jar)
- one zucchini (smallish)
- sausage (i used two links of pre-cooked italian-style chicken sausage)

note that this recipe won't make enough stuffing for a whole box of shells.  i tend to overstuff the shells, so i end up with 16-20.

preparation:
cook the shells according to the package instructions.  while the shells are cooking, mix the three cheeses, the eggs, herbs, and spices.  note: reserve a little mozzarella for the topping since it melts so nicely.  in the cooking pan, spoon a thin layer of sauce.  add chopped sausage and zucchini to the dish.  i sliced the zucchini into medallions and then sliced each medallion in thirds.  the sausage, i simply cut it into small chunks.

after the shells are cooked and drained (let them cool a little bit), spoon about 1 tbsp of cheese mixture into each one.  place the stuffed shells into the pan.  spoon more sauce over the pan of shells (enough to coat them all) and sprinkle with cheese.  as i said before, the recipe calls for mozzarella, but i had to make use of parmesan...the horrors!

cover and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes (or until the sauce starts to bubble).

i only fit maybe 10 shells into my pan.  however, the lovely thing about this recipe is that you can freeze the shells for use later.  i stashed the remaining 7-8 shells on a pan in the freezer for a couple hours until they hardened.  that way, they're easy to transfer into freezer bags.

verdict:
i know this is a good recipe; it's pretty much tried and true.  there are a few things that didn't work quite so well this time, though.  i don't think i cooked everything quite long enough.  although the sauce was starting to bubble, the zucchini was a touch al dente.  this may be in part due to the pan i used; it isn't one that's cooked shells before, so i maybe needed a little extra time.  also, i didn't have any aluminum foil, so i had to tent the pan with parchment paper (with aluminum on one side).  necessity is the mother of invention!