Roasted Potato and Radish Salad

I have a tendency to buy radishes because they are so beautiful and then not use them. These poor little radishes pictured here sat in my fridge for more than a week before I finally found a use for them in my lovely Potato cookbook. Amazingly, they were still in crisp and crunchy condition. 

This is a wonderful spring recipe and an excellent use of radishes. Although the radishes take center stage upon first glance, it's the potatoes that actually steal the show for me; I confess to being a roasted potato lover. And the dressing is also very good. In fact, it's wonderful because it overcomes the need to use catsup with the potatoes. (Everyone knows roasted potatoes normally go with catsup, right?) The combination of crispy potatoes, fresh radishes, and crunchy walnuts makes for some great texture and wonderful flavors. Aside from the time it takes to roast potatoes, this dish comes together quickly and is a lovely twist on brunch, lunch, or supper side dish. 

Serves 4. 

• 1 pound red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Olive oil 
• Powdered garlic 
• Italian seasoning 
• Sea salt 
• Freshly ground pepper 
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon agave or honey 
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generous sprinklings of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning until well coated. Arrange potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until golden and slightly crispy - about 40 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and agave/honey. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. 
4. When potatoes are done, place them on a platter or plates. Top with radishes, and drizzle with dressing. Finnish with walnuts. 
5. Serve immediately. 

Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Herby Potatoes

You know those cute little pumpkins they sell at the grocery store? You can eat them! And they are delicious! (As long as they aren't shellacked - look for the ones that look natural rather than super shiny). This little dish is fun, festive, and really good for you. Sincerely, it's JUST a roasted pumpkin with mashed potatoes - super easy! The best part of these cute little treats is that kids love them. Jaden's eyes widened and with a squeal of delight, he ate it right up. Total joy for the mommy. 

Serves 6. 

• 6 mini pumpkins (not the super shiny ones)
• 3 large potatoes
• Olive oil 
• 1/3 cup milk (I used soy milk)
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian dried herb seasoning

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Slice tops off of pumpkins and gut out the insides. Reserve seeds. Brush insides with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 45 minutes - lids off. Remove from oven and set aside. 
2. Meanwhile, wash and cube your potatoes. I never peel them, but you can if you want to. Boil them in salted water until tender on medium heat. About 20 minutes. Drain and place into large bowl. Mash together with a generous drizzling of olive oil, milk, generous pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian herbs. Add more oil to taste and consistency. If they are really dry, add more milk. 
3. Stuff the pumpkins with mashed potatoes, top with the pumpkin lid and re-heat in the oven until ready to serve. 

Shepherd's Pie

My mom used to make Shepherd's Pie when I was young and it always seemed like a treat. In fact, the crusty potato top is a treat. Perfect for fall and winter, this is definitely a homey comfort food that will warm everyone up. Essentially, Shepherd's pie is baked stew topped with mashed potatoes. If you know how to make stew and mashed potatoes, then you know how to make this classic English dish. This particular version was inspired by my mom and by Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen cookbook. Feel free to use whatever you've got on hand in your stew and experiment with spices. Also, if you haven't got an oven, then you can brown the potatoes in fry pan and serve atop the stew.

For the topping

• 5 medium potatoes, cubed
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• garlic powder to taste
  
• generous inch of salt

For the stew:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery
  
• 2 cups veggie stock
  
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
  
• 1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn (thawed)
  
• 3 medium potatoes, cubed into bite-size pieces
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons flour

1. Prepare the topping: Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and add reaming ingredients. Mash well and set aside.
   
2. In a large pot, heat oil and add onions. Saute until tender. Add carrots and celery, saute an additional 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (minus the flour) and simmer together for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the stew and combine well - the flour is intended to thicken the stew. You can alternatively use flax seed. Simmer a few minutes and add more flour stew is not thickened enough.
3. Transfer Stew to a backing dish. Cover with mashed potatoes and bake for 25 minutes - or until the top is browned and the bottom is bubbling. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
   

Potato Gratin with Spinach and Pine Nuts

Potato gratin is a perfect dish to make as we enter the cool fall weather. I made it tonight because I had a big bag of potatoes and was looking for something besides our usual (though loved) mashed potatoes...I also happened to have spinach and pine nuts in the house; it seemed like not to make this dish would be against the natural forces that keep our household running smoothly. Turns out, we love this dish. It was so good and I was surprised how easy it was to put it together. An hour after diner has finished, the rich, savory smell of of this dish still lingers. The combination of potatoes and spinach in a creamy sauce and topped with crispy cheesy and nutty happiness is a treat.

The The recipe (inspired by the Complete Vegetarian cookbook by Nicola Graimes) calls for cream and milk - I used almond milk with ground flax seed and it worked wonderfully.

Serves 2.
Delicious with a nice green salad.

• Two medium sized potatoes, sliced thinly (wafer size)
  
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 2/3 cups almond or soy milk
  
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• Pinch of salt
• Pepper to taste - I used a teaspoon of red/black ground pepper combo because we like it spicy
  
• 8 oz fresh spinach
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1 cup grated cheese - I used half Parmesan and half Gouda
  
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Preheat your oven to 200 C / 400F.
   
2. Spread the potato slices in a heavy, non-stick frying pan. They should overlap. Sprinkle the garlic and onions evenly over the potatoes.
   
3. Whisk together the milk, flax, salt, and pepper in a small bowel. Pour mixture over the potatoes.
   
4. Place frying pan over preheated burner and cook on medium-high heat until potatoes are tender. About 12 minutes. Prick with a fork to check them.
   
5. Meanwhile, saute the spinach with the olive oil until just wilted. Set aside.
6. When the potatoes are tender, spread the spinach over the top of them and cook for two more minutes.
7. Transfer the potatoes - with all the sauce - to an oven-proof dish (use your fry pan if you can...I don't have an oven-proof one...yet. I guess I need a bigger oven too.). Sprinkle potatoes with cheese and pine nuts.
8. Bake for 20 minutes - cover with foil if the top starts to burn, but let the topping get crispy.
   
9. Serve immediately.
   

East Indian Spiced Rice

This recipe was inspired by my Complete Vegetarian cookbook by Nicola Graimes. It's a super book, especially for newer cooks because it has hundreds of easy, easy recipes and lots and lots of pictures. I made this dish last week mainly because I had all the ingredients in the house, but also because I was in the mood for a rice dish without a peanut-based sauce (which I've been doing a lot lately). It comes together kind of like a paella - you make it in a skillet rather than a pot. The flavors are really strong - nearly too strong me in my ultra-preggers state at the moment - this is where the yogurt comes in handy to chill it out and add a bit of creamy happiness. Feel freed to add additional veggies - carrots, peas, pumpkin (partially pre-cooked) , and corn would all be good.

Serves 4.
Serve with pita bread or naan.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  
• 6 cardamon pods, crushed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
  
• 1 teaspoon
  
• 1 cup rice - basmati works well
  
• 1 2/3 cups veggie stock
• 3 small potatoes, cubed into bite-sized pieces
  
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (use soy for dairy free) plus more for garnish
  
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Spicy, crispy tofu

1. Crush all the spices together with a mortar and pestle. Partially pre-cook the potatoes for 5 minutes in the microwave. Make the veggie stock - I used one veggie bullion in this case.
   
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the spices and garlic for about one minutes, continuously stirring.
   
3. Add the rice and veggie stock to the spices and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes (and other veggies if using). Cover and simmer for 15 minutes - turn down the heat to medium-low. If after 15 minutes the rice is not cooked, add more water and continue simmering until it's tender.
4. Meanwhile, make the spicy tofu.
   
5. Stir in the yogurt and the sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve onto plates or serving dish. Top with yogurt and spicy tofu. Serve immediately.
   

Baked Lemon Basil Fries

I, for one, am crazy about French fries. I wish I weren't, but I even have a hard time saying no to nasty ones. I once told my mom at a funeral that when I died, I wanted people to bring fries instead of potato salad to the reception. Anyway, when I made these little wonders, I was elated because they are so delicious and they're not fried - hurray! The salt, lemon, and basil flavor combination is pure happiness paired with the starchy crispiness of the baked potato.

Although they are easy to prepare, it takes a long time to bake them in my bite-size oven. I suspect I would make them a lot more often if I had a standard size - time will tell, I guess.

• 3 large potatoes
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• Zest and juice of one lemon
  
• 1/2 cup freshly basil, chopped
• 1/8 cup olive oil
  
• Pinch of sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F / 190C
   
2. Wash the potatoes well, pat dry (this is important!) and slice them into long strips, about 1 cm thick.
3. In a large bowl, mix garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Toss the potato strips in the mixture until well coated - add more oil if needed.
5. Arrange the potatoes flat on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them, though and lightly cover with foil if browning too quickly. (I'm starting to think this is an isolated problem with my oven.)
   
6. Flip and bake another 15 minutes. Test for doneness either by poking or tasting.
   
7. Remove from oven and set on paper towels to drain excess oil.
   
8. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and basil.
9. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven.