Oh, Hey There!

Yes, I'm still alive.  And thinking about...hash browns.  Specifically, thinking about hash browns in yoga today, when I was probably supposed to be one with my body or the universe or some such thing.  But I made the mistake of going to yoga slightly hungry, and then at some point while grabbing my left foot with my right hand and grounding my rear end into the earth and twisting my spine and sweating profusely, I just started thinking about hash browns...and let me tell you, an hour-long class has never passed so slowly.  At the end of class, while lying in shavasana, I was plotting lunch big time.  As soon as I said my namastes, I sped home and made it happen. 

I'm moving in a week or so, and so the recent challenge has been to use up my perishables, including some potatoes I've had kicking around, which is probably why I had hash browns on the brain.  Those potatoes and about two dozen egg whites, left over from making multiple lemon tarts.  So basically I'm trying to think of anything that makes scrambled egg whites more appealing, and hash browns definitely fit the bill.  The real icing on the cake, (or, more technically, the salt on the potatoes) was that I finished them off with a healthy pinch of truffle salt.  Truffle salt is exactly what it sounds like--salt with a bits of truffle mixed in.  It is fantastic, and really adds that special something to simple foods, such as eggs and potatoes.  I found my truffle salt at a place in NYC's Chelsea Market (one of my all-time favorite places) called The Filling Station.  The salt is a bit pricey--$10 for a jar that's about ¼ cup--but well worth it.  I only need a pinch when I use it, so it'll last me years.  So without further ado:

Speedy Quick Hash Browns For One (or More...)

*Potatoes of your choice, as many as you need.  I used one 12-ounce red potato, but saved half for another meal.  However, any potato you have on hand will do, in whatever quantity you're hungry for

*Olive Oil (Extra Virgin or regular, it doesn't matter)

*Salt and Pepper (if you have a fancy salt, such as truffle salt or herb salt, this is a great time to use it)

1.  In a nonstick pan, heat a Tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-high heat, until it is shimmering but not smoking.  Ideally your pan will fit the potatoes in a single to double layer, but no more than that, or else you won't get lots of nice browning.  If you're making these for a crowd, better to do several batches than overcrowd your pan.

2.  Dice your potatoes evenly--a half inch dice is ideal to ensure quick and even cooking.  Once the oil is hot, add your potatoes to the oil, spread them out, and then let them sit for about a minute.  Resist the urge to disturb them--this is when a nice brown crust forms.

3.  If you're able, toss the potatoes using a couple of nice wrist flicks, TV-chef style, or if not, use a spatula to flip them over, then let sit again for another 45 seconds or so.  Repeat two or three times, until most sides are browned.  Add some water--a ¼ cup or so--and put a lid over the potatoes (it doesn't have to fit perfectly).  Let the potatoes steam a little bit, but continue to toss/flip every minute or so.  Check your potatoes for done-ness after about 8 minutes, either with a sharp knife (they should offer no resistance), or with your mouth (careful, they're hot!).  When they are tender, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately, with eggs or without.  Enjoy!! 

An Oldie, A Quickie, But A Goodie

Those of you who follow me on Facebook may have noticed a lot of beach plum chatter this past week or so.  I know this, because I have gotten multiple messages asking what a beach plum is, and what the heck does one do with it.  If you're still wondering, a beach plum is a small fruit that grows in mid to northern Atlantic coastal areas.  They range in size from a cranberry to a large grape, and have a hard pit inside.  They are quite sour, and not so good for eating plain, due to the sourness and the fruit to pit ratio, they are good for making into jelly, which is the Nantucket craze, as well as infusing in booze.

However, this post is not about beach plums...not yet!  I do have more to say on them, but I'm not quite ready yet, because a) I have a lot of photos to upload and edit, and b) I don't know how my experiments have turned out!  I'll get back to you on the liquor infusion projects in, oh, a year, and the jelly a little sooner than that.  I haven't opened a jar of the jelly yet, although I have had several nightmares about it in the past week.  In one the jelly didn't set (the horror!) and in the other, the jars didn't seal properly.  Honestly, if those aren't the lamest nightmares you've ever heard of...

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a recipe that I remade this week for the first time in nearly 3 years.  It comes from Food & Wine magazine, and was actually the recipe that inspired me to become a subscriber.  The recipe is Lentil and Potato Salad with Goat Cheese, and it's so simple, easy, and wholesome, and just all around perfect, I think.  Lentils are such a super food: mild tasting, quick cooking, and absolutely packed with fiber, which makes them extra healthy.  Creamy potatoes balance the lentils' earthiness, and then a mix of fresh herbs, garlic, scallions and tomatoes add additional dimensions of flavor.  And for the final punch, creamy, tangy goat cheese ties this whole yummy mixture together.  And probably best of all, the entire meal comes together in 30 minutes.  When I was looking for goat cheese, for some reason I couldn't find a container of the "crumbled cheese for salads" that you often see in grocery stores' specialty cheese sections, so I just used dollops of Chavrie, that sort of ubiquitous block of pasteurized goat cheese log that is actually kind of yummy in its own processed sort of way.  However, I think that crumbled feta would also be a fantastic alternative.  Also, the recipe calls for French green lentils, and honestly, I have no idea what kind of lentils I used.  They came in a generic bag that said "Lentils."  They were probably common brown lentils, however, I think they worked just fine.  I also substituted red potatoes for the Yukon Golds, because I already had them, and left the skins on--I know, I'm so daring.  And I used a little less olive oil and cheese than the recipe specifies, probably closer to a 1/4 cup of EVOO and 6 oz of cheese, total.  Finally, F&W suggests, although I did not do this, that a runnily poached or soft boiled egg atop each serving of this salad would really make it a meal, and I suspect it would be quite good, if you like runny eggs, which, as discussed in April, I do not.  Despite my substitutions, I will say this recipe is pretty perfect.  I made a full batch, and have had it for 2 dinners and a lunch (I'm all about cooking a lot and generating lots of leftovers these days.  I totally don't mind eating the same thing for several meals in a row.)  It's fantastic on its own, but could easily become part of a bigger meal at a picnic or potluck.

Lentil, Potato, and Goat Cheese Salad (Food and Wine Magazine, October 2007)

(Serves 2-4 as a main dish, more as a side dish)

*1 1/4 cups French green lentils (9 ounces), rinsed and drained

 * 2 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

* 3 scallions, thinly sliced

* 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

* 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 1/4 cup finely chopped mint

* 1 large garlic clove, minced

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

* 8 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1 3/4 cup)

1. In a large saucepan, cover the lentils with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 18 minutes. Drain the lentils well and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain very well and add to the lentils. 

3. While the lentils and potatoes are cooking, chop the scallions, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and garlic.  When both lentils and potatoes are cooked and drained and in a large mixing bowl, add the chopped ingredients, and dress with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss gently but thoroughly.  Spoon the lentil salad onto plates and top with the goat cheese. Serve at once.

Note:  The lentils and potatoes can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.  Bring them to room temperature before incorporating the other ingredients and serving.

Enjoy this one, and let me know what you think!

Easy Potato Gratin with Ham

 

Gratin is what happens when you try to thinly slice potatoes for homemade potato chips, fail, and have a potato and a half of misshapen potato slices.  And a hunk of ham that was supposed to become end up in quiche that later gets scrapped.  And leftover Gruyere cheese from French Onion Soup.  Really, if you ask me, the leftovers in the fridge were telling me that gratin was meant to be! 

Working with what I had, I modified a Cooking Light recipe slightly (basically omitting the healthy part).  This particular recipe has you simmer the potato slices, along with thinly sliced garlic, in milk before baking them to increase the creaminess of the dish without using any actual cream or butter.  The milk starts to tenderize the potatoes and infuses them with the garlic flavor.  The softened slices are layered in a pan with chunks of ham and grated Gruyere cheese (and parboiled green beans, if you follow the recipe verbatim).  Finally, a cup of the milk is mixed with a bit of grated nutmeg and poured over the top, bake for 40 minutes and voila! 

Overall I was happy with the recipe--it gives you the cheesy, indulgent gratin experience without the excesses of cream and butter that so many use.  Don't get me wrong--those are delicious--but this is more appropriate for an everyday kind of meal.  My only notes on the recipe are that the garlic flavor that was so strong after the potato slices simmered in the milk became much more subtle--almost too subtle--after baking.  When I use this recipe again I will increase the garlic from two to three or even four cloves to help retain the garlicy-ness post-bake.  I will also double the amount of nutmeg, because that also became too muted upon baking.  These technicalities aside, I like this recipe for its *slightly* healthier approach to potato gratin and its adaptability.  While it's certainly special enough for a holiday meal, served alongside a big mesculan, spinach, and chopped veggie salad (keep cleaning out that fridge!), it makes a perfect weeknight meal as well. 

Potato and Ham Gratin (Cooking Light, April 2002)

Serves 8 according to Cooking Light--but 8 very virtuous side-dish servings.  If you are making a meal of this, as I did, only plan on 4 or 6.

* 3 cups of 2% or 1% milk
* 2 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced--they say red, I used baking, but I'm sure anything will work!
* 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I'd use even more!)
* 2 bay leaves
* 4 ounces green beans, trimmed
* Cooking spray
* 1/2 cup deli ham, diced (look for nitrate-free, if you can)
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or more!)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
 
2. Combine the milk, potatoes, garlic and bay leaves in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring so the potatoes don't stick and the milk doesn't scorch on the bottom.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup milk mixture. Discard the bay leaves, but leave the garlic.

3. (If using), cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse in cold water; drain.

4. Arrange half of potatoes in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange haricots verts and ham over potatoes. Sprinkle with half of cheese, salt, and pepper. Top with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir nutmeg into reserved milk mixture; pour over potatoes.

5. Cover the baking dish with foil and cut 3 (1-inch) slits in the foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

First Official Food-Related Post (a.k.a.: Herbed Potato Souffle)

 

I love love LOVE souffles. They are perfect on so many levels. Egg-y cheese-y goodness in a light, airy format. Plus, they are baked, thus I am capable of making them, but they count as a meal. And you will impress people when you whip a beautifully golden puffed souffle out of the oven. Heck, you'll even impress yourself!

I think many people are intimidated by souffles. I say this based on the fact that when I talk about them with my peers, most have never attempted to make one, and are impressed by the fact that I can do it. I don't claim to be a souffle genius, but any souffle proficiency that I do possess I attribute entirely to my mother. She went through a souffle phase at some point (infinitely better than the beet phase and also decidedly better than the roast chicken phase, which lasted long enough to even wear out my love for all things chicken). I must have been in the 8th grade or so when we started having souffle every Sunday night for a number of months, which (appropriately) was dubbed "Sunday Night Souffle." We had a very spartan kitchen whose lone non-essential appliance was a sometimes-functioning Cuisinart. Which is to say, no electric mixer. Which meant that with this incessant souffle mixing, my mother needed someone who was willing to beat egg whites with a sticky old manual egg beater for 15 minutes or so, which is where I came in. (Now that I think about it, I also got stuck grating the cheese, if we didn't have pre-grated in the fridge. And sometimes whisking the roux while she consulted the recipe again and again). So, at age 13 or so I was fully introduced into the world of souffles, although I didn't make a souffle on my own until I was about 22. (Being away at school for 8 years wasn't exactly conducive to souffle making.)

In the fall of 2006 I had been itching to make a souffle, and it just so happened that there was a fancy kitchen supply store that was going out of business on Nantucket. It was liquidating its inventory at 70% off, and as a result I bought a souffle dish in just about every size they offered. (I have a habit of doing this. I now have 5 individual-size ramekins, 2 medium dishes and 1 large one. Oops.) I also bought a hand mixer for $2 at the thrift shop, which has make the whole egg white beating process much much easier! After finally procuring the necessary tools, I have made several successful basic cheese souffles, which remain my favorite, and about which I will post at a later date. Tonight I will write about Herbed Potato Souffle, a variation that I ripped out of Food and Wine at some point, which was tonight's dinner. The starch from the potatoes gives a denser and sturdier texture than a regular souffle, so it's a foolproof starting point. When the recipe was published in the magazine it was suggested as a side dish for a Braised Lamb Shoulder, but to be honest, the thought of eating this along side something as heavy as braised lamb makes me feel a little sick. I would suggest serving this along side a generous portion of a lightly dressed green salad and enjoy it as a vegetarian dinner. The original recipe, found here, is for 6, I adjusted the amounts of things somewhat for a recipe that could serve 3-4 depending on your appetites. (Erik and I split it, which I wouldn't recommend, since I still feel grossly full 3 hours later).



Herbed Potato Souffle (adapted from Food & Wine magazine, October 2006)

* 1 1/4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus another small pat for greasing the pan
* 1 pound of baking potatoes (2 small-medium potatoes)
* 1/2 cup milk or half & half
* About 1 1/4 cups Cantal or Gruyere cheese, shredded (I actually used Havarti with dill, but it was a little bit wimpy; when I make this again I will use one of the suggested cheeses)
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
* 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley (just realized I forgot this--oops.)
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 3 large eggs, separated
* 2 additional egg whites
* Pinch of cream of tarter (optional--sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't)
* Grated Parmesan cheese--Kraft brand is find, or a few pinches of flour for coating souffle dish

1. Decide if you want to boil or bake your potatoes. I've tried both, but since each instance was so far apart, I don't really know which is better. If you are baking, scrub and prick your potato(es), and bake for about an hour at 400 degrees F. If boiling, peel and quarter your potatoes, cover with cold water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Preheat or reduce-heat(?) your oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and either cheese (my preference!) or flour a 2-quart souffle dish.

3. Back to the potatoes: If you baked your potatoes, slice them open and scoop out the meat into a medium bowl. Eat the potato skins--they are full of good nutrients & stuff. If you boiled your potatoes, drain and return to the saucepan, and dry them out for a minute over high heat, then kill the heat. Add the butter and mash the potatoes. Stir in the milk or half & half. Stir in the grated cheese and herbs, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the egg yolks and set aside.

4. In a very clean large bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. If you have cream of tarter, add a pinch at this point. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

5. Fold one third of the egg whites into the potato mixture gently. For souffle neophytes, folding in egg whites means, taking a clean rubber spatula and cutting down the middle of the bowl and gently scooping along the bottom of the bowl and folding the potato mixture that you lift up onto the blob of egg whites on top. Keep repeating this motion while rotating the bowl a little each time so that you incorporate all the potato and egg white together and no streaks remain. Gentle is the key word here. You want to maintain as much air in the egg whites as possible for maximum lift. Once you've mixed in a little, add the potato mixture back into the egg white bowl and gently fold everything together until no streaks remain.

5. Gently scrape the mixture into your prepared souffle pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is puffy and browned. Serve immediately and enjoy!