Creamed Peas and Baby Potatoes

I first tasted this side dish at my Dad’s table. He harvested the potatoes and peas from the garden that morning for this simple farmers dish and it was so good I ate all the leftovers.

Now it's one of my most favorite side dishes, even if I don’t grow my own potatoes and peas.

Creamed Peas and Baby Potatoes
If you use fresh peas you’ll have to boil them for several minutes until tender. Print Recipe.

1 pound baby potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper, to taste

1. Gently boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and peas to the sauce and bring to simmer. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Recipe adapted from source unknown. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Roasted and Mashed Honey Yams

This crazy little recipe is so healthy and easy you may never boil your yams or sweet potatoes again.

Roasted and Mashed Honey Yams
Print Recipe
This dish is more dessert-like than savory, almost tempting me to top my portion with whipped cream.

2 1/2 pounds yams or sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water
Cooking Spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Peel yams with a potato peeler and trim any tough woody edges off. Dice the potatoes into about 1-inch size pieces. Place them in baking dish. Drizzle with honey, salt and water. Cover dish with foil.

3. Baked at 350 for 50 minutes, or until fork tender. Carefully remove foil and mash yams in the dish. Move to a serving bowl.

4. Top with a little vegan butter or butter if desired, but I like to leave mine plain.

Serves 6.

Nutritional info without butter:
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 179.0
• Total Fat: 0.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 399.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 43.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
• Protein: 2.0 g

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

Gnocchi with Roasted Tomatoes and Fresh Basil in Garlic Cream Sauce

I feel like I’m getting back into the swing of cooking for my family. I’ve been working on a couple assignments the last few weeks that had me creating and cooking fun food, but not our usual fare.

This last project was a week and a half of kid food. About halfway through Jesse informed me if I was going to keep doing this type of work he could only eat so much macaroni & cheese and chicken fingers. They were good, but I agree with him. It’s nice to have some adult food again!

My husband loves gnocchi and tomatoes so I tossed them into a mildly garlic cream sauce as a sorry I fed you toddler food for the last 9 days will you forgive me meal.

If I keep this up maybe he’ll forget he tested three pans of chicken fingers, two batches of macaroni & cheese, three tries with another pasta dish, four versions of carrots, endless amounts of corn and many other kid friendly meals.

On the other hand, my daughter loved it. She’d prefer I cook that way all the time and hopes I’ll get another assignment! I do too honestly. It was exciting to step out of my comfort zone and create something new.

Gnocchi with Roasted Tomatoes and Fresh Basil in Garlic Cream Sauce Printer Version

This dish is quick to throw together on busy evenings. You’ll only need about 35 minutes tops from start to table.

2 cups mini tomatoes, any kind
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Annie’s Naturals Roasted Garlic Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for tomatoes
2 to 3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more for tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, plus more for tomatoes
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup shredded Parmesan Reggiano
2 (16 ounce) packages potato gnocchi
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup reserved pasta water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the tomatoes in the baking sheet and toss with a little garlic olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until skins pop and tomatoes are soft. Cut in half if you like smaller tomato bites.

Meanwhile, in a bowl toss the Parmesan with flour. Set aside. Bring a pot of salted water it a boil for gnocchi.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Turn the heat to medium low and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, half and half, and lastly cheese. Stir constantly until sauce simmers and begins to thicken. Do not boil.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water at the end of cooking time.

Drain gnocchi, toss with sauce, roasted tomatoes and basil. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed. Garnish with more Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4 to 5.

Notes: For two people cut the recipe in half.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

Samosa Tacos. Huh?

We love potato and pea stuffed samosas here, but they’re a special occasion food because they take hours to prepare with all the stuffing, folding and frying. This is my way to enjoy our favorite samosa filling without the hassle. I still make real samosas occasionally, but now we eat them much more often as a quick weeknight meal.

Samosa Tacos
If you’re up for the extra prep, these “tacos” are even better with a little cucumber raita drizzled on top. If not, don’t worry about it, they’re excellent plain.

2 pounds Russet potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for water
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup frozen petite green peas
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
Taco sized flour tortillas, store bought or homemade

1. Peel and cube potatoes into a pot of cold water. Drain water once all the potatoes are sliced, and refill to 1 inch above potatoes with more cold water. Heavily salt the water and bring to a gentle boil until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.

2. Drain potatoes well in a colander and place back in the pot. Turn on the stove to low and evaporate the liquid in the bottom of the pot and then turn off the heat. Add all the spices and olive oil and mash leaving some small chunks throughout. Stir in the frozen peas and cilantro and serve on tortillas.

Recipe & picture by Laura Flowers.

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes

What makes these the best you ask? Fondue is my answer! I use the recipe for Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue for these amazing stuffed potatoes. What makes them so incredible is the extra-aged award winning Washington State University Cougar Gold Cheese that the cheese sauce is made from.

I would swim with piranhas for Cougar Gold Cheese. Big, fat, toothless, vegetarian piranhas. Ok, so I’m a chicken, but seriously, this cheese is super fantastic. But if you can’t get a round of it, any good aged white cheddar will work well.

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes

4 Good sized Russet potatoes

Broccoli florettes, enough to cover 4 potatoes

Salt

Freshly Cracked Pepper

1 recipe Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue, below

1. Microwave Method: Scrub the potatoes, pierce with a fork, and place on a paper towel in the microwave. Cook on high, flipping over every 5 minutes until easily pierced with a knife. Set aside.

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, scrub potatoes, pierce with fork, rub with oil and place on the center rack of the oven. Place a foil lined baking sheet below to catch drips and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until easily pierced with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, make the fondue and steam the broccoli.

3. Place the potatoes on individual plates. Cut with a sharp knife down the centers and squeeze potato together so the insides pop out a bit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the broccoli on top of the potatoes and spoon the cheese fondue on top.

Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

1 pound Cougar Gold (extra aged if you can get it), or other sharp white cheddar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup hard apple cider (Drink the rest while preparing fondue)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Crumble or shred the cheese. In a bowl, toss together the cheese and flour.

2. In medium sized sauce pan bring the hard apple cider to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.

4. Add the vinegar and stir together. Spoon over baked potatoes.

Recipe & Picture by Laura Flowers.

Idaho Baked Potato Soup with Bacon

Did you miss me? Did you notice I was gone? No? Well that’s good I suppose. My computer kicked the bucket for the last time and refused to be rebuilt again. Jesse had had enough of my computer abuse, and replaced my laptop with a Mac-top hoping it will be stronger than my super destructive computer Karma.

So far the Mac has the best of me. I’m still trying to get around Steve Job’s left handed world. Oh, and my image calibration tool doesn’t work here, but that’s fine, it didn’t work on my last jalopy. You're probably used to funny colored pictures by now anyway!

This soup recipe is from a postcard I bought a few years back, it isn’t “health food” by any means, but it’s so rich and comforting that I don’t care.

I didn’t have a lot of time, so I scrubbed the potatoes, pierced them all over with a fork, and microwaved them. I think this soup works great with the skins on the potatoes as well as off. I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes, baked, peeled an cubed (about 4 cups)
4 green onions, sliced (Or one diced and sautéed onion)
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
Garlic powder
Onion powder

Instructions

In a large soup kettle or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Stir in flour; heat and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring until thickened. Add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes and onions, Bring to a boil; stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10

Recipe from an Idaho postcard. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Shepherd’s Pie with Accidently Hidden Vegetables

There are veggies in there. Really. I might not have proof but I remember putting them in this casserole. They are hidden amongst the huge mounds of meat and potatoes. I briefly thought about pulling some of them out as confirmation before I photographed this food blob, but with threatening forks in the way of getting a picture at all I decided to pick my battles.

So, I snapped away quickly and let the starving lions at it. Um, I mean I allowed my family and friend to eat the rest of their meal without my interference.

Mashed Potatoes
6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sour cream
Milk or buttermilk (Enough to make potatoes creamy)
Salt, pepper, onion powder, & garlic powder to taste

Meat Mixture & Cheese
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (Or lamb if you can get it)
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper for seasoning
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon good quality tomato paste (from a tube)
1 ¼ cups beef stock
1 to 2 (15 ounce) cans peas and carrots, rinsed and drained (Add the extra can if you like veggies)
About 1 to 1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (Preferably Irish Dubliner Cheddar)

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes or so. Drain and mash, (I used a potato ricer). Mix in butter first until melted, sour cream next, and then just enough milk or buttermilk to make creamy. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until softened and begin to brown. Add about 2 Tablespoons of water toward the end of cooking time or if the onions stick to the pan to deglaze. Place the onions in a bowl and set aside.

4. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan. Add ground beef and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Break the meat apart with a spoon and cook until well browned.

5. Strain off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add Worcestershire Sauce, ketchup, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Next add beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the peas and carrots. Salt & pepper to taste.

6. Spread the ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of the 9x13 inch pan. Add the cheese, and then top with the mashed potatoes.

7. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top.

Recipe by Laura Flowers

Penne in Sweet Potato Cream Sauce with Bacon

This pasta is a personal favorite of mine and I hope you'll give it a try. I created the recipe for a canned sweet potato competition, and although I didn't win the prize, I walked away triumphant because now I have this easy, lip smacking, addictive recipe in my arsenal.

The recipe uses the grill, microwave, and stove stop. Don’t let that stop you though, it comes together quickly and is well worth the extra steps. The pasta has a wonderful balance of sweetness from the sweet potatoes, onions, and peas; creamy from the butter and half and half; and salty and smoky from the parmesan, bacon, and char on the onions.

Ingredients
1 LB penne pasta
9 slices thick sliced Bacon
2 Medium sized yellow or sweet onions, plus olive oil for coating
1 stick (1/2 cup) Butter
1 (15oz) can sweet potatoes in light syrup
1 cup half & half
1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
1 teaspoon sea salt
Grated fresh nutmeg, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen green peas

Prep Work
Onions: Turn on the BBQ to medium high heat. Slice the ends off the onions and slice in half from the top. Discard outer skin. Cut each half into 4 slices. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Toss to coat. Lay onions on the BBQ and cook until grill marks form, turn and repeat. This takes about 10 minutes.

Bacon: Line a plate with paper towels. Place strips of bacon in a single layer on the plate and cover with another paper towel. Microwave on high heat about three minutes per side turning once cooking until crispy. Pat grease from bacon. Repeat with the rest of the Bacon. Break bacon with your hands into pieces.

Cooking instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions adding salt to the water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, strain and set aside.While pasta cooks melt butter in a large saucepan on medium high heat, add sweet potatoes with juice. Bring to a boil and reduce sauce until thickened (about 8 minutes) stirring often and breaking sweet potatoes up with the back of a spoon.

Turn temperature to medium low and add half and half, let warm and reduce for about 4 minutes stiring frequently. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and fresh grated nutmeg; stir together and remove from heat.

Pour pasta, sauce, peas, bacon (reserve some for garnish), and grilled onion slices into a large serving bowl. Toss to coat and add pasta water a bit at a time if needed to make creamy. Serve immediately.

Serves about 6

Recipe by Laura Flowers

Grilled Potato, Asparagus, & Lemony Goat Cheese Pizza

As a photographer I always eat with my eyes first. I’m captivated by texture, color, shape, movement, composition, and light. So, when I found a picture in the May 2009 volume of Bon Appétit of a white pizza with asparagus and fingerling potatoes, I wanted to make it right away. Alas, things didn’t turn out as well as pictured. I was a bit disappointed in the recipe as it lacked what many white pizzas do, acidity. I still like their concept, but have created a more balanced pizza from this gorgeous idea.

Coarse cornmeal for pizza pan
1 12 inch stretched pizza dough on a pan (See note below)
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
6 ounces fingerling potatoes
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup grated whole milk mozzarella
3 to 4 ounces lemon goat cheese, crumbled
8 ounces asparagus, rough ends snapped off
Drizzle of olive oil for asparagus
3/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano
Garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes (optional), salt & fresh cracked pepper
Juice of half a small lemon

1. Heat up the grill to hot and close the lid.

2. Scrub the potatoes and place them in a sauce pan. Add water until covered by about an inch. Heavily salt the water and cook on medium high until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the water and set aside.

3. Place the asparagus on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook on the grill until light char marks form. Remove and set aside.

4. Brush a 12 inch pizza pan lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Stretch and roll the dough and place on the pan. Brush with 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.

5. Cut the asparagus into three parts and slice the potatoes.

6. Layer on half the scallions, the mozzarella, potatoes, lemon goat cheese, asparagus, the rest of the scallions, Parmesan Reggiano, and a good pinch of salt & fresh cracked pepper.

7. Set the pizza on the grill and close the lid. Turn grill to medium high and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Turn to medium for a thicker crust pizza and cook longer. Remove onto a cookie sheet with tongs.

8. Drizzle with lemon juice and cut into wedges.

Note: See http://www.thecookingphotographer.com/2009/04/lets-talk-dough-pizza-dough.html for information on pizza dough and grilling techniques.

Recipe by Laura Flowers

This is my entry for May's Potato Ho Down. It's being hosted this month by Cathy from Noble Pig. http://potatohodown.blogspot.com/

Sweet Potato Bird of Happiness

Once you capture the elusive Sweet Potato Bird of Happiness, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub him clean (they really are quite dirty creatures), rub him in olive oil, place him on a foil lined baking sheet, and cook for 1 hour until pierced easily with a knife.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, and salt, or any number of delicious ways.

Picture by Laura Flowers

Fingerling Potato Salad with Corned Beef & Artichokes

I adapted this excellent recipe from MountainKing the fingerling potato company. We just couldn't stop eating it, and it looks so pretty too!

Ingredients
1 LB Assorted Fingerling Potatoes, washed 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon dried dill
4 Ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3 Ounces corned beef, chopped
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut fingerling potatoes into 1 inch slices and boil until soft, approximately 12 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.

2. While fingerling potatoes are hot, sprinkle with rice vinegar.

3. Meanwhile mix the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Toss in potatoes and mix gently. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 3 or 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Buttermilk Sweet Potato Biscuits

This recipe comes from One Potato, Two Potato by Roy Finamore. His volumous text entices us potato lovers with over 500 glorious potato recipes. The picture was taken by me as usual.

Oh yeah, and I gotta admit here. I just do this all in the food processor like normal biscuits. Just remember to bake the sweet potato ahead of time.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup cold baked sweet potato, peeled
½ to 1 cup buttermilk, as needed

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt with a fork in a mixing bowl. Drop in the butter and toss it in the flour, then cut it into pieces. Work the butter into the flour until it resembles oatmeal.

Whip the sweet potato with a fork until it's very smooth. Then add it to the bowl. Work it in lightly but thoroughly with your fingers. Add ½ cup buttermilk and stir. Add just enough buttermilk to make a smooth and only slightly sticky dough.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead it two or three times. Flatten it out to ½ inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2 ½ inch cutter. Put on a parchment covered baking sheet. Gather the scraps together, pat down, and cut out more biscuits.

Brush the biscuits with buttermilk and bake for about 15 minutes until well risen and appealingly brown. Serve hot.