Scalloped Potatoes

 

It's simple, it's seasoned and it's layered and creamy. Scalloped potatoes, by far one of the easiest dishes you can make. I say that because really and truly it is just a matter of thinly slicing the potatoes, haphazardly layering them around a casserole dish, chopping onion, making a simple cream sauce, to go over and bake. A comforting tender flavourful dish known for its creamy rich texture that will complement just about any meal. 

Scalloped Potatoes 

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Serves 6 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried or fresh dill

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 1/2 cups 2% milk

6 medium large potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 oven proof baking dish.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, dried dill, salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender. Stir in the seasoned flour mixture. Cook and stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Stir in the milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Spread the potatoes in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Cut the 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and place on top of the potatoes. Cover an bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Notes: for ham scalloped potatoes stir in 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham into potatoes before pouring sauce over the potatoes. For added flavour add mustard powder and paprika to the flour mixture. 

Leftovers #66 ~ Coconut and Cashew Basmati Rice

 

Having leftover Basmati rice almost never occurs whether that's because I have my portions correct so it all gets ate or what, however there are times when I am a bit off with my portions causing me to have leftovers. This is a quick way to reimagine that leftover rice. It's mildly fragrant, scrumptious and enhances the leftover rice, only taking a few minutes and a few ingredients. 

First, chop and dice about half a yellow onion. Then warm a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, I used avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the fry pan and give a stir, allow the onions to sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes then add 1 to 2 teaspoons cumin seeds. Give a stir to infuse the onion and cumin seeds together and keep stirring as you don't want the seeds to burn. Once the cumin seeds become fragrant and toasty add some dried shredded coconut to the pan, how much and how sweet will be up to your preference. Keep stirring until the coconut becomes slightly toasted. Add the leftover basmati rice, I had about 4 cups, and gently break up the clumps while sautéing, making sure the rice get incorporated with the oil, onions, seeds and coconut. Take a handful of cashews and roughly break them into bits and add them to the rice mixture and stir together, allowing the cashews to get toasted. Now at this point you could add some coconut milk or chicken broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed, however I had neither so I kept it simple which worked really well as I wanted a more lightly fragranced drier rice then a moist sticky one to go with the spicy Tikka Masala I was serving.

Vegan Frittata

I stumbled upon this recipe after a friend shared it on-line. The ingredient list may look long however don't let that stop you from making this delicious dish. 

Vegan Frittata

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half an onion, chopped in half

2 - 3 stalks of celery, chopped in half

2 carrots, peeled and chopped in half

2 garlic cloves, peeled 

1 cup of broccoli 

200g chickpea flour

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

some pepper

2 1/4 cups Veggie stalk

1 cup chopped spinach

Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) Using vegan butter, butter the bottom and sides of a quiche or baking dish. Set aside.

Using a food processor, pulse/blitz the onion, celery, carrots and garlic a few times. Then add the broccoli and pulse/blitz again. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, turmeric, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper together; then add the veggie stalk, blend until smooth. Fold in the blitzed veggies plus the spinach. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until brown.  

Notes: With a few simple changes this recipes lends itself for modification if you are not vegan however the recipe as is, is great! 

You can find the video recipe on Youtube titled Easy Vegan Frittata by Vegish. or Vegish (vegish foods) on Facebook.  

Hope everyone is having a good week. Stay warm! - JD 

Bombay Potatoes

These easy potatoes are perfect with a curry or a lovely way to spice up your Sunday roast. 

Bombay Potatoes

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2 bags of mini potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 - 4 tablespoons grape seed oil

2 teaspoon black mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons curry paste 

1 onion, diced

Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper. 

Place the potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add the salt before the potatoes come to the boil. Simmer potatoes until just tender... approximately 5 to 7 minutes. 

Drain the potatoes. Allow to cool enough to touch and may be cut in half. Place potato halves in a large mixing bowl. Add the diced onion to the bowl. Set aside.  

In a small bowl, mix together the oil, black mustard seed, turmeric and curry paste. Drizzle the curry oil mixture over the potatoes and onions and gently toss to coat. Ensuring all the potatoes are well coated.

Turn out onto the prepared baking tray and pop in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until nicely brown and crispy. 

Notes: If using leftover boiled or roasted potatoes, toss the leftover potatoes in a mixture of turmeric, curry paste, onions, oil and black mustard seeds before popping in the oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Unfortunately, I could not find black mustard seeds therefore I used nigella seeds instead.
If you are using peeled potatoes you can add the turmeric to the boiling water with the potatoes.       

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Butternut Squash with Parmesan

For some reason it seems like I am on a roll with adding Parmesan to everything lately. Grated butternut squash could not escape my cheesy wrath. Sautéd in a frypan with little oil and salt and pepper; once softened a generous handful, it is cheese after all, of parmesan cheese was sprinkled over top. Allowing the cheese to melt ever so slightly. Simplistic in form and effort however a great way to make a bland vegetable very palatable. Cheese makes everything that much better... well at least I seem to think so! 

Hope everyone's week is going well. - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Roasted Potatoes with Parmesan

I am most certain that adding cheese to just about any dish guarantees a positive vibe. These Parmesan Roasted potatoes are an easy way to add some comfort and familiarity in one dish. Prepare and bake chopped potatoes as you normally do. I wash and chop potatoes into random pieces, then toss the potato pieces in oil, herbs and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Place on a lined baking tray, and bake in a preheated 400ºF for 30 to 50 minutes. Turning the potatoes half way through. Once potatoes are nicely golden brown remove from oven, you may shut the oven off or leave it on, sprinkle cooked potatoes with parmesan cheese and place back into the oven for a few minutes, allowing the cheese to melt. A lovely side with Sunday roast.  

World Cup has finished. It was entertaining. Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds

This side dish is the simplest thing you can rustle up even when you are foraging around the kitchen. Even if you do not have all the ingredients there are only a few which makes this recipe efficient and a breeze to create after a busy day. 



Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds
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1 medium/large cauliflower, washed and chopped into smaller florets
a bunch of fresh kale, washed and chopped into strips
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vegetable herb mix
handful of almonds
1 orange, for juice and or rind, optional

In a large frying pan add the oil and warm over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the kale. The kale will stand high in the fry pan however it will cook down. Stir to ensure that the kale does not stick and everything gets incorporated nicely. 

Once the kale has cooked down and the cauliflower is tender but still firm; sprinkle the vegetable herb mix over the cauliflower and kale mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Add  the almonds, stir and heat for a few minutes longer until the almonds are warm and sautéd well enough. Transfer to a serving dish and serve as is or add some freshly squeeze orange juice over the top or grate orange rind over the dish. 

Notes: You can always add chickpeas and or mushrooms. Use lemon juice or lemon rind instead of orange. Try using different oils. Add cheese. To make it a main meal you can always serve over cooked quinoa or brown rice. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We did! Still managing with this cold virus hope to be 100% soon. - JD 

Leftovers #26 ~ Mashed Potato Pancakes

This was my first time making potato pancakes with mashed potatoes. Usually I grate raw or semi cooked potatoes. This is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and create a quick and delicious side dish. Mix everything together with no rhyme or reason and form the pancakes the best way you can. Sounds like a solid plan to me! 

Mashed Potato Pancakes

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3 cups mashed potatoes, chilled or a room temperature

1 cup shredded cheese

2 medium scallions  (green onions)

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

Line 2 large plates or 1 baking tray with paper towel and set aside.

Place all the ingredients, except the oil, into a large bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium heat.

Using a large spoon drop and spread the potato mixture into a patty shape and cook until golden brown on both sides... about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate or baking tray. Repeat with the remaining potato mixer until all the mixture is gone. 

Serve with salsa, apple sauce, or sour cream.

Notes: The ingredient list is pretty basic and quantities, how much or how little, may be altered. You may also want to add ingredients to give it a bit more kick... like crushed chillies, and peppers.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD 

Kale

I usually eat kale raw mixed in with other salad greens. When we were invite to friends for dinner they served us a lovely side of sautéed kale. It was very delicious. Of course I had to ask what went behind this simple yet lovely dish. It was explained to me and it is very simple. Red/purple kale boiled... sautéed in oil and garlic... dash of balsamic vinegar... serve. Keeping that in mind the next day I decided to give it try with the green kale I had. Because this is one of those times where anything is possible and I wasn't really following a recipe making this was a bit more relaxed and up for a few changes here and there.  

First, I chopped the kale and placed into boiling water for a few minutes. When I was satisfied with the amount of time it had boiled, usually a bright green colour is a good indication, I removed it from the heat and drained it very well. 

Letting the kale rest, I placed some vegetable or in my case Camelina oil in a fry pan over medium heat to warm. Then I added 1 clove of freshly crushed garlic. Stirring, not letting the garlic burn or stick. Now you can thinly slice the garlic or chop the garlic, it is personal preference really and crushed adds a more pronounced garlic flavour. When the garlic was starting to turn slightly golden brown I added the kale.   

After adding the kale, I sautéed it for a few minutes letting everything come together.  

 

Then I added the balsamic vinegar. I do not have an exact measurement. I just added what I thought was a good amount, a dash or two. Sautéing a few minutes longer.

Essential the kale was done however I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed everything for a few minutes longer just to soften the tomatoes and bring out their flavour. Remove from heat and serve. 

It is that simple! 

Enjoy! - JD 

Herb and Blue Cheese Bites

I made these tasty herb and blue cheese bites the other night. They were quick and easy.

I bought a package of locally made organic whole wheat pita. Cut each one into four triangles. Set the oven to 375º. Lined a baking tray with parchment paper and placed the cut pita on the prepared baking tray. In a small bowl, I added some olive oil and some of my favourite herbs. Thyme, rosemary and garlic. Mixed the herbs and oil together. Then brushed the mixture on top of each pita piece. I then crumbled blue cheese on top. Placed the tray in the oven and baked for about 20 minutes... until the cheese had bubbled and melted. Since I was serving pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce these bites accompanied the meal nicely. They were very delicious and devoured by everyone! Have a good weekend! - JW