Mashed Potatoes

YUM!!  Who doesn’t love mounds of mashed potatoes???  Okay, I’ll admit it: for a long time, I hated mashed potatoes.  Seriously!  I did.  Just ask my parents.  I think what happened was that they got into a bit of a food jag in my teens, and as I remember it, we were having mashed potatoes like, 3 and 4 times a week.  And I just got sick of them.  But that was more years than I care to remember ago, and so  now they are back on the menu!  Here’s what I do:

Ingredients

enough potatoes for everyone you’re feeding (in my house, that’s 4 potatoes)
water to cover them halfway
2 tbsp minced onion, or 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (I haven’t ever done both, I like each flavour separate from the other)
2 tbsp low-fat sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Bring potatoes to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the potatoes, and mash them.
3. Add in the onion or garlic and the sour cream.  Stir it all together and taste them.  Add salt & pepper if you think they need it.

I have also added parmessan cheese, butter, chives…  really, I don’t think you can go wrong with mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Veggies

This blogging has inspired me to become creative in the kitchen again.  YAY!!!  And here is the latest:

Ingredients

1 crown of broccoli
1 tomato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried dill

Method

1. Cut up the broccoli and tomato into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a bowl.
2. Pour olive oil over the vegetables and then toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle with the veggies with the chopped garlic and the dill.  Toss again to coat.
4. Place in pan, cover with foil and roast at 350 for about 15 – 20 minutes.

Greek Potatoes

So I live in Greektown.  Always have, and of course that means that I LOVE Greek food.  I like to get my souvlaki from a butcher on the Danforth, and then I come home and grill some vegetables and roast some potatoes.  Do you find that you just can’t replicate Greek potatoes that at home?  Well, I think I have.  And here’s what I do:

Ingredients

potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic
powdered chicken soup stock (I use the vegetarian chicken soup base; get it at the bulk barn for cheap!  You could use real soup stock too though, I’m sure it would be fine)
ketchup

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into quarters and place in a bowl.
2. Pour olive oil over them, about 1 tbsp/2 potatoes (so I generally cook 4 potatoes and so use about 2 tbsp of oil) and toss the potatoes to coat.
3. Sprinkle with salt (1 tsp/2 potatoes), pepper(1/2 tsp for 2 potatoes), garlic salt(2 tsp/2 potatoes) (not garlic powder, as that is a purely synthetic seasoning) and oregano(2 tsp/2 potatoes).  Toss to coat.  Put potatoes in a pan and bake (on barbecue or oven) at 350 for 40 minutes.
4. Mix 1/2 cup of soup stock with 1 1/2 tsp ketchup (again, this is for 2 potatoes) and pour over potatoes.  Continue cooking until the potatoes are done, about 20 minutes or so.  The sauce will thicken up and flavour the potatoes nicely.

I love these, especially with tzatziki!  So yummy…  enjoy!