Pure Imagination- Veggie Tacos

Sorry about being gone for a bit there. I'm always doing that, huh? Saying I'm back and then wandering away, no doubt distracted by some shiny object. Well, you see, the deal with last week was there was a lot of schedule shifting going on, and so dinners didn't go exactly as planned. And when things don't go as planned, it usually means that we're falling back on stand-by meals I've already shared, frozen burritos, or grabbing a quick bite out. And I can't exactly snap a pic of my Chipotle burrito bol and be all, "Look y'all, I eated this". So, yeah, that was the deal with last week. Which is a shame, cause I was planning to try a new recipe out. That didn't happen, but I tried to turn that into a bonus last night, and it worked! I decided Sunday morning while doing my menu planning that I needed to get to work using up our corn tortillas. I thought I'd take a stab at making up some veggie tacos, especially since I had an onion and squash on hand for that recipe that I didn't get to make. These turned out really yummy! And, thanks to some early effort, pretty quick too. I normally have a couple heads of lettuce and some other veggies to clean and chop after our grocery shopping, so that I can make our lunch and dinner salads throughout the week. While I was doing just that this weekend I also chopped up some of the veggies for my taco filling, cutting down the pre-eating prep work last night. I also got a little imaginative when it came to putting the tacos together. Originally I was going to make some spicy black beans on the side, but I had the idea to instead mash the beans and spread them on my warmed tortillas. It was one less thing going on the stove, and it helped keep the taco fillings in the tortillas. So, let's see what my little mind cooked up.

Veggie Tacos
Recipe by moi; Makes 8 tacos

Olive oil
1 large russett potato, scrubbed and diced
1/4 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and ribbed, large mince
1 zucchini or yellow squash, quartered and sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped
8 corn tortillas
1 15 oz. can black beans, mostly drained
Garlic powder
Ground cumin
Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Salsa

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add diced potatoes and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown and soften. Add salt and pepper.
  
• Meanwhile, mash your black beans in a bowl, adding garlic powder and ground cumin to taste. You want to keep a little liquid with your beans to make a smooth mash.
• Add your bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, and squash to the potatoes. Allow to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes more, until mushrooms have started to soften.
  
• While veggies finish cooking, wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and warm in microwave for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Spread your beans on each tortilla, warm in microwave for 15- 30 seconds if you wants your beans to be warmed.
• Top your tortillas with veggie mixture, cheese, and salsa of your choice.

My notes: Just cook the vegetables until they are softened to your liking. My potatoes were a little undercooked, but it made for a nice texture. And definitely add your mushrooms last, you don't want them to get too soft. They add a nice meaty texture to the filling. We had three tacos each, and there was a little filling leftover. The only other thing we had with these were small side salads, so if you were serving any other side dish I would say two tacos per person is a good serving and just equally distribute your filling. I had two tacos with salsa verde, and one with picante. Both were delicious, so you go where your taste buds take you. I think this filling would also be great with some scrambled eggs. Breakfast tacos anyone?

Warm Spinach Salad, Version 2

So, as I said in the last post I had some filling/topping leftover from the Mushroom & Spinach Tart. I was making the Warm Spinach Salad later in the week and thought the extra mushrooms and onions I had would work well in it, so I popped the leftovers into the fridge with that purpose in mind. At the end of step three, I added the mushrooms and onions in with the browned potato and let it warm through before adding to the spinach and dressing. This was super delicious, and as I had forgotten to get the shallot for this recipe, the red onion helped make up for that. I think this is a great recipe for this "winter's ending, spring's beginning" time of year. It has a fresh taste with the greens and bright dressing, but it's got a cozy feeling too with the warm potato, Parmesan, and egg. I served it with some sourdough toast and it goes great with a glass of your favorite wine, if you are so inclined (which I was).

Warm Spinach Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4














4 tablespoons olive oil
2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb. total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, leaves washed well and roughly torn
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
4 large eggs

• In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, mustard, and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss); set aside.
• When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to bowl with spinach and dressing (reserve skillet). Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
• Heat skillet over medium, and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks. season with slat and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 minutes more. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve immediately.

My notes: I halve this recipe for the two of us, using one potato and a pre-washed bag of spinach to save time.

Venison Shepherd's Pie

A little break for the moment in Harvest Month. I've got photos of one HM meal, but not the recipe, and I've got the recipe for the other, but the photos aren't ready yet. So, in the meantime here is a non-harvest meal that came of my kitchen recently. Our friend Carrie was incredibly kind enough to deliver to us 2 pounds of ground venison, that she shot herself, when she came to our housewarming party. I decided I would use each pound individually so I could try more than one meal. I've already decided to make a chili with one pound, but first I decided to use a pound to try out a shepherd's pie. I couldn't quite settle on a recipe, so I used ideas from several different Martha Stewart/EF ones to come up with something. This meal was pretty good, but I'm not convinced that thyme was the right choice for the venison. We'll see how the chili goes when I get a chance to make it.

Venison Shepherd's Pie
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart/Everyday Food; Serves 4-6














2 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground venison
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 box (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar

• Preheat oven to 425. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook venison, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup water and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and butter. Mash until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve.

My notes: I unfortunately didn't have an onion when I made this recipe. I don't know how I overlooked that when making my grocery list, but oh well. I would definitely recommend using one though. Next time I think I'll forget the idea of cheese on the top, it seemed to prevent my top from browning much. Also, I didn't peel my potatoes. Call me crazy, but I love potato peel and it good for you, so I just mash it in with the potatoes. Thanks for the venison Carrie!

Chicken Sammiches

Recently I made one of Josh's favorite foods for dinner- a chicken sandwich. I know, is it weird that that is his favorite thing? That a chicken sandwich is what he will almost unfailingly order if it's on the menu? That it is his best and most ordered meal at our favorite seafood restaurant? Just give him some chicken on a bun and he's probably pretty happy. That said though, since he likes it so much I had always hesitated to make it. It's so simple, but I was sure that I could find a way to mess it up. But I went ahead and took a stab at it a week or two ago (don't even get me started on how little I've had to post lately). I used Kelly's Honey Mustard Chicken recipe to bake two chicken breasts. I spread a little bit of the extra sauce on the wheat buns (p.s. I found some awesome Orowheat buns with, like, 5 grams of fiber!), top with some tomato and greens, and there ya go! I made some more oven frites, cutting them a little thicker this time. They still came out great. Since I needed the oven at different temperatures for each recipe I cooked the chicken first, and covered it with foil while I cooked the fries and that worked great. Next time I will just split a chicken breast, or look a little harder for chicken cutlets, because it can be quite a mouthful with a whole breast.

Skillet Potato Salad

After we had that Warm Spinach Salad I kept thinking about the flavor of the potatoes with the dressing. It was haunting my taste buds and just had to be re-visited. So last week I made a little something I've dubbed Skillet Potato Salad. I'll probably continue to tweak it, as I'd like it to be more colorful, but it was perfectly delicious just as it is.

Skillet Potato Salad
Adapted from Everyday Food Recipe; Serves 2-4 depending












2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb.), scrubbed and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 shallot, minced
Parmesan cheese, grated

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the other tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Finely grate Parmesan cheese into dressing to taste (follow your personal preference here).
• When potatoes are done cooking, add to bowl and toss with dressing. Serve.

My notes: We had these potatoes with tuna salad pitas. I'll write about the delicious tuna salad another time. I think these potatoes would be good for a brunch too, something a bit different from regular skillet potatoes or hash browns.

Back To The Future

The future of my cooking that is. Finally back to my usual cooking schedule after all the travel and other interruptions. Trying out two new recipes this week, the first one was made last night. I have had this on my menu once or twice in the past few weeks but it just hadn't happened for one reason or another. Last night my plans finally came to fruition. I really enjoyed this recipe, despite the fact that I was having a clumsy night in the kitchen. I think I'll definitely make some variation of this recipe again in the future.

Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












4 tablespoons olive oil
2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb. total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, leaves washed well and roughly torn
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
4 large eggs

• In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, mustard, and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss); set aside.
• When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to bowl with spinach and dressing (reserve skillet). Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
• Heat skillet over medium, and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks. season with slat and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 minutes more. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve immediately.

My notes: I accidentally over-cooked the eggs. Well, I was busy rinsing dishes and just wasn't paying too close attention. Our yolks were still soft, but not very runny so they didn't really mingle with the dressing and salad like I believe they are supposed to. Anyway, the real star of this salad is the combination of flavors from the potatoes and dressing. That was a really fabulous flavor and scent for me. I think this salad, minus the egg, would be a really great accompaniment to the quick and easy crust-less quiches I like to prepare for dinner. Also, I halved the recipe for just the two of us, and since I was doing that I took the easy way out and bought a ready-to-eat bag of baby spinach

Re-run One

It's like there's a writer's strike in my kitchen or something. As I mentioned in the last post I'm cooking for two this week. And when cooking for someone else you want to make something you know is good, right? So last night's menu included Southwestern Turkey Burgers. I made these because they freeze so well. Two for us, and two for the new mom & pop. To freeze for later I place two of the patties on wax paper and then into the freezer for 3o minutes or so, until firm. Then wrap in wax paper and seal in a freezer bag for later use. Don't forget to date your bag, so that you don't let good food waste away. (I should listen to my own advice here, what is that foil wrapped blob and how long has it been in there?) When you're ready for a re-run of your own just pop them in the fridge overnight and you'll be ready to go for the next day's dinner. Didn't have the foresight to thaw the burgers ahead of time? Toss your freezer bag into a bowl of cool water and change the water every 30 minutes till they're ready to go. I also made the Chili Oven Fries last night, so I figured I'd re-post both recipes for you here.














Southwestern Turkey Burgers
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey, 93% lean
1 jalapeno, minced, seeded and ribbed
2 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil for grates (if grilling)

• Heat grill/pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl place turkey, jalapeno, cheese, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix very gently with fork to combine, being careful not to over mix.
• Gently form meat into 4 equal-size patties, 4" in diameter and 1" thick. Press thumb in the center of each patty to make an indentation approximately 1/2" deep.
• Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; rub on cooking surface. Season burgers with salt and pepper; grill until cooked throughout, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on buns with desired toppings.

My notes: The only thing I change about this recipe is I usually use Pepper Jack cheese in addition to the jalapeño. Mmmmm, me likey spicy. It's not really that spicy though, ha.

Chili Oven Fries
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4

3 large Russet potatoes (2 lbs.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve potatoes lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise into thirds.
• In a large bowl, whisk olive oil with chili powder; season generously with salt & pepper. Add potatoes and toss to coat.
• Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet, cut sides down. Bake, turning potatoes halfway through, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

My notes: This serves 4. I should remember that, so that I don't make too many and then eat too many. But what would be the fun in that? Oh well, I needed to use up those potatoes anyway.

A Nice Sunday Dinner

I decided to throw together something pleasant and delicious for dinner last night. It was also a bit indulgent, as we hardly eat such a large meal. So while I was at the grocery stores getting all the ingredients for this week's menu I also picked up a large top round steak that was really lovely, a bunch of asparagus, and some red potatoes. After a little thinking I decided I would cook the steak with a rub in my grill pan, roast the asparagus and make buttermilk smashed potatoes. Since I bought one large steak I cut it in half for cooking, and then we decided to split one half between the two of us. Josh will be enjoying the leftover steak and potatoes for lunch today and tomorrow. We gobbled up all the asparagus. Below are the little tidbits you might need to know to prepare this meal.









All Purpose Spice Rub
Recipe from Everyday Food; Makes 1 1/4 cups
1/3 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.

Roasted Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus (appx. 1 lb.)
olive oil
minced garlic
coarse salt and ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean, dry and trim the asparagus. Lay on baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss with tongs to coat evenly. Add 1-2 cloves minced garlic, plenty of coarse salt and ground black pepper. Toss again.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve.

I've featured the Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes before. I rely on this recipe because I absolutely hate to peel potatoes. Although this time I think I overcooked them just a bit.

We had our meal with a nice Merlot. Red Bicyclette isn't a fancy wine, but it is an enjoyable one. And their website offers up recipe ideas to compliment their wine selection!




Stay tuned because I'll be making almost all new recipes this week!

Weekend Food Fun

Okay, sorry I haven't posted for a little bit, but I did a couple of repeat recipes last week so wasn't much to write about. However we went to Blue River this weekend, which you can soon read more about over at On This Harvest Moon. We had an awesome, fresh, summer dinner though, so I gotta share that with you. The Pop-In-Law had gone up to Blue River in Oklahoma Friday night, and so when we arrived just after noon on Saturday he had already been up early that morning and caught several catfish. So, for dinner we had a real seasonal feast:
-Fish fresh from the river, cornmeal battered and fried
-Red Potatoes roasted on the grill
-Grilled ears of corn
-Yellow squash, some grilled and some fried
-Homemade Coleslaw
-Green Bell Pepper

The squash, bell pepper and coleslaw ingredients all came from Pop-In-Law's garden. We drizzled the potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley (also from his garden) and cooked them on our portable propane grill double wrapped in foil for 25 minutes, turning once or twice. We rubbed the corn with a little butter and just grilled it directly for about 8 minutes. Everything was so delicious! We just sat around eating, and talking about how much we loved what we were eating. :) After dinner we went down to the river to cool off a little bit, and when we got back to our camp base we had strawberry shortcake for dessert. The perfect end to a great summer meal!

Busy Bee

I'm having a bit of a busy week, and it's only going to be a busier weekend. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to blog about what I'll be making. I've gotta make the pound cake I'll be taking to Easter dinner Saturday morning before we head off to our niece's 8th birthday. And then from there to the birthday party for my best pal, Stephanie at Frosted Garden. And of course Sunday will be more Easter preparations and celebrations. Oh yeah, I still need to go grocery shopping too, but I'm struggling with my menu plan and shopping list. My brain is swirling with lots of distractions. Which might account for the difficulties I had with dinner tonight. Okay, actually the problem is my love of Pepper Jack cheese. I put way more than I needed into my turkey burgers, thus making it difficult for them to stay together while cooking. They managed, but they were just too soft, moist, whatever. They might not have been pretty, but they were pretty delicious. I love making these burgers, cause the 2 we don't eat freeze really well. I served them on toasted wheat bread, cause we just don't eat any type of burgers often enough to justify buying a package of 8. And it's just healthier this way anyway. And despite the fact that there was too much cheese in the burgers, I topped mine with more Pepper Jack. We had these juicy burgers with a side of Chili Oven Fries, which are pretty darn easy to throw together and quite delish.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers
Recipe from Everday Food; Serves 4
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey, 93% lean
1 jalapeno, minced, seeded and ribbed
2 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil for grates (if grilling)

• Heat grill/pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl place turkey, jalapeno, cheese, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix very gently with fork to combine, being careful not to over mix.
• Gently form meat into 4 equal-size patties, 4" in diameter and 1" thick. Press thumb in the center of each patty to make an indentation approximately 1/2" deep.
• Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; rub on cooking surface. Season burgers with salt and pepper; grill until cooked throughout, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on buns with desired toppings.

My notes: Okay, I take a shortcut and just use Pepper Jack cheese, I figure it kills 2 ingredients with one, uh, ingredient. Yeah, that's it. I've made it the proper way before, I've made it with jalapeno and Pepper Jack cheese, and I've made it with just the Pepper Jack, and every way has been delicious.

Chili Oven Fries
Recipe from Everday Food; Serves 4

3 large Russet potatoes (2 lbs.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve potatoes lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise into thirds.
• In a large bowl, whisk olive oil with chili powder; season generously with salt & pepper. Add potatoes and toss to coat.
• Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet, cut sides down. Bake, turning potatoes halfway through, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

My notes: Like I said, easy and yummy. I've also done these in chunks before, just need to cook them for a little less time.

Okay, here's hoping I can find time to update through my busy weekend! And a big thanks to Lindsey at Just Recipes for the shout-out. If you haven't checked out her page yet you should! I also dig her family blog, Cafe Johnsonia. You may know her from her recent stint as guest mom over at Design Mom. I think her kids have the cutest names.

Feedback

I've been looking for ideas for a potato dish to take to Easter dinner at the mom-in-law's house this weekend. I got some good suggestions over at This Week For Dinner..., but still hadn't come across quite what I was looking for. I had a Scalloped Potato recipe, but I wasn't 100% keen on it. Anyway, I've taken that recipe and made a few changes to try and come up with something more to my liking. Let me know if it sounds good, if the measurements seem okay, stuff like that. I'd certainly appreciate it!

Potato & Broccoli Bake
Serves 8

2 lbs. (appx. 4 medium) Russet Potatoes, well scrubbed, sliced 1/8" thick
2 10. oz. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2-3 cups half-and-half
Coarse salt & ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix together broccoli and onion. Mix together shredded cheeses.

Layer bottom of dish with 1/3 of the potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer on 1/2 cup of cheese mixture, 1/2 of the broccoli mixture, and then another 1/2 cup of the cheeses. Repeat the layers. Top with last remaining 1/3 of potatoes, pour half-and-half over dish, top with 1/2 of the remaining cheese and dot with butter.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. After the hour, remove from oven, remove foil, and top with rest of the cheese. Return to oven for an addititional 30-40 minutes. When done, the potatoes should be tender, but not mushy, and the liquid should be mostly absorbed.

Futile Recipe Search

So, I promised that Orange-Cranberry Muffins would be coming soon. The problem is I completely forget to do it while at home, where the recipe is. And despite the fact that I got that recipe from the internets, when I search for it here at work I come across no recipes matching what I made. And of course I wasn't clever enough to make a note of where I discovered the recipe. Sigh. If I could just remember to type the damn recipe up when I'm at home they'd be posted already. I even have pics people! So, despite the fact that I have that and another item to post (specifically for a blog event) I haven't put anything up on here in over a week. But, hopefully tonight I will be able to get that recipe up. And I'll finish up that blog event entry. And tonight I'll be making another blog event recipe, so I'll get that one up by the end of next week too. I'm going out of town tomorrow, and won't be back till Sunday, so there probably won't be any interesting cooking or baking adventures over this weekend.

I can tell you about the dinner I made Saturday night though. We had our friends over for a pre-Valentine's dinner. I went with some standby recipes, like Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon, and Roasted Zucchini with Thyme. I also made Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes for the first time. I was going to make the ones from Barefoot Contessa At Home, but then there was the whole potato peeling problem. I am TERRIBLE at peeling potatoes. They just go flying right out of my hands and into the trash. I wasn't crazy about using the Martha Stewart recipe because, truth be told, everything else I made was from Martha Stewart. But these taters didn't require peeling, and I only needed a handheld masher. So I went for it, despite the fact I had to buy said masher just for it. I'm glad I did though, cause these potatoes will definitely be making repeat appearances at my dinner table. And of course I didn't take a pic, mostly cause we were hungry. So this pic is courtesy of Martha Stewart, just like the recipe.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4




1 1/2 lbs. new potatoes, scrubbed
Coarse salt & ground pepper
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons butter

• Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced witha knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
• Add buttermilk, sour cream, and butter; mash with a potato masher until creamy. Season generously with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Per Serving: 203 calories; 7.3 grams fat; 5.1 grams protein; 29.8 grams carbohydrates; 2.9 grams fiber

And just because the few of you who bother to read this have been patient with my laziness, here's a muffin teaser.