Crispy Potato Cakes

Crispy Potato Cakes

I love having leftovers around for easy lunches, or a quick supper, but sometimes there's leftovers of leftovers...do you know what I mean? Like you've eaten that roast beef and potatoes for 2 meals in a row now, you've polished off the meat and gravy and you are still left with those pesky mashed potatoes that you feel guilty throwing away.

Or the other day I was making Potato Skins and just couldn't possibly throw away the insides of the baked potato I was scooping out.

I came up with a solution to solve this problem. I know it's been done before, but I was pretty proud of myself for creating a recipe that uses up all those leftovers I feel guilty about throwing away...and instead turned it into a delicious side dish.

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Makes 4 servings

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc
1 green onion chopped
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
1 egg
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil

May need: 1 tbsp of butter, couple tbsp of milk, bread crumbs

Most recipes for making these use mashed potatoes that had been mashed with butter and milk. Since mine were plain from making Potato Skins I threw my potatoes in the food processor with a tbsp of butter and a couple tbsp of milk and pureed till I had mashed potatoes. Go easy on the milk, since I added a little too much and didn't have a really stiff potato.

Add to the mix 1 egg, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and if it's too gloppy some bread crumbs. Mix together. Add more breadcrumbs if needed to make them more stiff. If they already are stiff don't bother with the breadcrumbs. Mine were really mushy so I added about 1/2 cup. Stir in some chopped green onion.

Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. You should be able to form this mixture into 8 patties (don't worry if they seem sticky...mine were really sticky and still worked out). Put 4 patties into the hot pan, put on the lid and let get brown and crisp up for 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip them over and continue to brown and crisp for another 3-4 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm. Add the last tbsp of oil to the pan and add the remaining 4 potato patties. Cook the same as the first batch. Garnish with more chopped green onions and sprinkle of salt.

Click here for printable version of Crispy Potato Cakes
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THE RESULTS?
I was pleasantly surprised by these potato cakes. As I made the patties and they were still sticky and soft I wasn't sure how they would hold together or how they would turn out. But they were perfect....golden and crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. The flavor reminded me of our favorite upscale restaurants Potato Pancakes. I will definitely use this recipe again when I'm looking for something to do with leftover potatoes.

Phyllo Salmon with Honey Garlic Sauce

Phyllo Salmon with Honey Garlic Sauce

Because most of the meals I plan in a week are brand new never-tried recipes, I have frequent flops. I really do. It comes with the territory of experimenting with new recipes. But I have to say I haven't struck out once this week. That's amazing. As we gorged ourselves on tonight's supper my husband commented how it had been quite awhile since we've had a bad meal.

I've always wanted to try working with phyllo pastry, especially wrapping it around salmon. Salmon can sometimes have a soft, mushy texture, so I was excited to try it with the crispy coating of the pastry. The phyllo itself can be a tad tricky to work with, but to tell you the truth, it wasn't as hard as I had expected it to be. Keep in mind it has to defrost properly so it doesn't stick together. Follow the directions on the box, but defrosting overnight in the refrigerator is probably the safest way to go.

Recipe from Sandi Richard - Fixing Dinner
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Serves 4



4 salmon fillets
Salt & pepper
Dried dill
4 sheets of phyllo pastry
1/4 cup melted butter

Sauce:
1 tbsp cornstarch
5 oz chicken broth
1 tsp grated ginger
3/4 cup honey garlic sauce
2 tsp Thai sweet chili sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Take the phyllo pastry from the fridge and let come up to room temperature while you get the other ingredients ready. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Wash and pat dry your salmon fillets. Season both sides of fillet with salt, pepper and dried dill. Melt butter in a small container. Unroll phyllo pastry and take out 4 sheets. Roll the rest back up and place in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge for another use. Using scissors, cut the 4 sheets in half and set aside 2 sheets, one on top of the other. Cover the rest with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel (this is important since the phyllo pastry will dry out quickly). Place a salmon fillet in the center of the phyllo dough. Using a pastry brush, brush all the pastry surrounding the salmon with butter. Take the left and right side of the phyllo and wrap it around the salmon, then take the top and bottom of the pastry and do the same (it should look like a cute little package.) Brush butter over the entire phyllo sheet that is underneath and wrap it the same as the first. Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with dill and place on the cookie sheet. Do the same to the remaining 3 fillets.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. They will get nice and golden brown.

When the salmon goes into the oven, begin to make the sauce. Combine the ginger and cornstarch in a small saucepan and slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Place the pot over medium heat, and add the honey garlic sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sesame oil. Let come to a rolling simmer and let reduce by half until the sauce has thickened. (Mine simmered for 15 minutes and was still pretty runny. I should have added a bit more cornstarch diluted with cold water to thicken it up...but I didn't.)

Serve the sauce on the bottom of each plate with a phyllo-wrapped salmon on top.

Click here for printable version of Phyllo Salmon with Honey Garlic Sauce
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THE RESULTS?
WOW. We usually eat salmon with some kind of dill/honey/mustard combination so it was really nice to have something different. The sauce is fantastic and so is the flakey pastry salmon. SOOOOOO GOOD!!

My sauce wasn't as thick as sticky as I would have liked it to have been, but it still tasted fabulous. A bit more cornstarch could easily solve the problem. This is going into my folder of favorite recipes.

Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad

Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad

I love the fresh buttery flavor of avocados, but really only ever use them when I want to make guacamole. A couple weeks ago when I was buying some avocados, I was able to find a whole bag of them for cheaper than 2 individual ones. I brought them home and have since been wondering what to do with the extras that I didn't make guacamole with. Since I also had a bunch of fresh tomatoes I came up with this salad. The fresh flavors were perfect for my Grilled Beef Skewers.


Recipe inspired by Sugarmagnolia @ Recipezaar
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Serves 4

1 ripe avocado, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
1/3 cup cucumber, diced
1/3 cup mozzarella, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cut the avocado in half around the pit. Twist and separate into two halves. Take a small paring knife and score the flesh down to the skin lengthwise, and then crosswise. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a serving bowl and it should come out of the skin in a nice dice. Do the same to other half.

Cut off the top of the tomato where the vine came from. Slice in half horizontally, and over the sink squish out the juicy seeds, leaving the tomato flesh. Slice into rings and then dice and add to the bowl.

Peel and chop the cucumber into same sized dice as the other ingredients and add to the bowl. Slice and then dice the mozzarella and add to the bowl as well. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl being sure to catch the seeds (or use 1 1/2 tbsp of Real Lemon juice). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Click here for printable version of Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad
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THE RESULTS?
I was really happy with how this salad turned out. The flavors were perfectly paired with the Grilled Beef Skewers; we enjoyed it by scooping the salad inside the pita. It very much reminded me of Greek salad with the sharp tang of the lemon. The mozzarella is a great addition and adds a bit of creamy saltiness. I will make this salad again.

Grilled Beef Skewers on a Pita with Tzaziki

Grilled Beef Skewers on a Pita with Tzaziki

It's nice that ground beef is so cheap, but I get really tired of the same ol' routine with it: tacos, spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, hamburgers.....all of them delicious comfort foods, but a little less than exciting. I was able to get a fabulous deal on ground beef this week, so with all the extra beef in my freezer I challenged myself to find something different.

I definitely succeeded.

This is a twist on Greek Pitas and so easy to make....as easy as hamburgers.

Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray
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Serves 4

Tzaziki Sauce:
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup grated cucumber
1 clove garlic grated
1 tsp dried dill
Salt and pepper

Beef Skewers:
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp cumin
1 clove grated garlic
Salt and pepper

8 wooden skewers*
4 pitas

Put the wooden skewers in a container of water to soak for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, put yogurt in a bowl. Grate the cucumber and place in a clean kitchen towel. Wring out over the sink, then place dry cucumber into the bowl with the yogurt (this step is important, since it ensures that your sauce won't get runny). Add garlic, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Place in the fridge to let the flavors meld until you are ready to eat.

Heat an indoor grill or barbecue to medium heat.

In another bowl place the ground beef, cumin, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix together well and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into about a 6 inch log, and then skewer with two wooden skewers. Place on a plate and drizzle with oil. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.

Microwave the pitas for about 10 seconds each right before you are ready to eat. Place a beef skewer on top of a pita and drizzle with tzaziki sauce. Serve with a Mediterranean inspired salad along with it like Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad or Pepper, Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Click here for printable recipe of Grilled Beef Skewers on a Pita with Tzaziki
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THE RESULTS?
These were incredibly delicious. We love Greek food and Mediterranean flavors so this really hit the spot for us. We ate them with Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad rolled inside the pita as well, but a simple salad of tomato/cucumber/pepper dressed with lemon juice and greek seasoning would be just as good. I imagine they would be a fun meal for kids to eat because of the skewer - although for kids you might want to cut back on the cumin flavor. I love cumin, but it's definitely a dominant flavor in these kabobs.

I'm shocked that for all the times I have gone out and bought tzaziki because I thought it was too complicated to make, that it was that easy. I won't make that mistake again.



*Updated December 30, 2011: I ALWAYS forget to pre-soak my wooden skewers and would always end up with burnt ends, so I  picked up some metal skewers for super cheap.  I think they were about $2 for a pack of 6.  I absolutely love them and would recommend getting some.  No more remembering to pre-soak!






For more inexpensive meal ideas, check out the $5 Dinner Mom and for more Rachael Ray recipes visit Taste and Tell's Saturdays with Rachael Ray.

Tzaziki

Tzaziki

Back in the summer of 2002, I was 18 years old and dating this really hot muscular guy.  I planned a special picnic for us by the beach and thought I would re-create our favorite pitas from this pita joint in the city.  The pitas would not be complete without tzaziki, so I made sure to find a recipe and try making it myself.  The recipe told me to grate the cucumber and then wring it out, but I was a naive teenager and figured "what a waste of time, I can skip that."  Yeah no.  My tzaziki sauce turned to soup!  Apparently a cucumber is 95% water and once added to the yogurt there was no salvaging it.  I panicked and kept trying to stir more yogurt into it to thicken it up but there was no use.  We tried pouring it onto our pitas anyway, but it soggified them so much they turned to mush.

I never again tried to make tzaziki.  I figured it was WAY too hard, WAY too easy to screw up.  Then I came across this recipe and gave it another shot.  As long as you wring out your cucumber in a kitchen towel, there's no way you can screw this up.  Super easy.


Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray
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1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup grated cucumber
1 clove garlic grated
1 tsp dried dill (or about 1 tbsp of fresh dill)
Salt and pepper


Dump the yogurt in a medium sized bowl. Grate the cucumber and place in a clean kitchen towel. Wring out over the sink, then place dry cucumber into the bowl with the yogurt (this step is important, since it ensures that your sauce won't get runny). Add garlic, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Place in the fridge to let the flavors meld until you are ready to eat.

Click here for printable version of Tzaziki
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RESULTS?
I could not get over how easy this is to make!  After all those years of steering clear of homemade tzaziki and buying the expensive tubs in the deli, I learned my lesson: sometimes you just need to follow directions!

Meal Ideas:

• Simple Lemon and Oregano Roasted Chicken + Tzaziki + Spiced Pita Chips + Salad

• Grilled Beef Skewers on a Pita + Tzaziki + Tomato/Avocado/Mozza Salad  

• Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs + Tzaziki + Pepper, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Potato Skins

Potato Skins

As I pondered what to make with my Buffalo Chicken Wings, the wheels of my brain started turning as I recalled the Appetizer menu of my favorite restaurants. What would I be ordering if I were at the restaurant? Mmmm...Potato Skins. All that bacon, cheese and sour cream, what the heck is not to like? Elise at Simply Recipes got this recipe perfectly right for restaurant-style potato skins. Served with some veggies and dip, they make you feel slightly less unhealthy and indulgent.

But really....go ahead and indulge.

Recipe from Elise @ Simply Recipes
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Serves 4 as supper, 6-8 as an appetizer


4 small to medium sized baking potatoes (bake 2 extras if you plan to make Crispy Potato Cakes or Baked Potato Soup)
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
6 strips of bacon
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes and poke holes (to allow steam to escape). Place in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until the potatoes are soft. To quicken this process, instead of baking, place all 4 potatoes (poked full of holes) into the microwave for about 12 minutes.

Once the potatoes come out of the oven or microwave, cut them in half and allow to cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the potato innards, leaving about 1/4 inch still in the skin. Save the insides of the potato for another use.

Brush the potato skins with oil, inside and out and place upside down (skin side out) into a roasting pan. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 10 minutes, then flip the skins and bake another 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, cut raw bacon into small pieces, and fry on medium heat until crispy. Drain the bacon and set aside.

When potato skins are out of the oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper, grated cheese and top with bacon crumbles. Broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and delicious looking.

Serve the potato skins with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions.


Click here for printable version of Potato Skins
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THE RESULTS?
Wow. Absolutely delicious. You must make these. And while they do take a while to make if you are baking them in the oven, there is not much work to them. On a weeknight to shorten the process, you could have the skins pre-baked and scooped. When you get home you'd just have to roast the skins and top with bacon and cheese. Or try the microwave method. You won't be disappointed.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

My husband and I LOVE chicken wings. Before we had our daughter, we'd hit up a local pub on Wednesday nights for their Wing Night - .15 cents a wing. That's pretty hard to beat. We don't get the luxury of late nights at the pub now that we have our daughter, but the chicken wing craving still hits me pretty hard. I've discovered I don't have to let go of my desire for chicken wings or pay $10 at a restaurant for 10 wings. They are really easy to do at home (thank goodness for me!)....and it makes for a pretty fun supper date if you combine the chicken wings with other restaurant-style appies and a movie for an Appetizer-for-Supper night.

Adapted from Leesah @ Allrecipes
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Serves 2 for supper or 4-5 as an appetizer


3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh grated)
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb chicken wings
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot


Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a bag place the flour, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings to the bag and shake until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (I only did 1/2 an hour and it was fine).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the hot sauce mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 40-45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

Serve with carrot and celery sticks (just like the pubs :) and ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Click here for printable version of Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
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THE RESULTS?Loved these!! Even though these wings are baked and not deep-fried, they are still crunchy and golden on the outside and nice and moist and juicy on the inside. The fact that they are baked helps you justify it when you are reaching for another wing ;) The flavor is perfect and definitely hit the spot.

Oh and I even found these babies on Manager's Special %50 off....so I ended up paying .16 cents a wing. Just like at the pub.

While these do take awhile to make time-wise they are not a lot of work. If you wanted to make these on a weeknight, you could have the wings dredged in flour and placed in the fridge in the morning before work. That way when you get home, you really only have to throw them in the oven. And wait (im)patiently.

Meal Ideas:

• Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings + Cilantro Lime Rice

• Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings + Potato Skins + Veggies and Dip