Mini Potato Boats + Father's Day Food

Father's Day is upon us.  Here's what you should do...

Invite your pops over.  If he is not a Southern Baptist minister, crack him open a beer. Find him a cozy chair to settle into and hand him the remote to channel surf for a couple hours.  Don't worry, you don't have to be a witness to the channel surfing.  You will be busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  Let's make man food and make our dads proud (and full).

Green Eggs

Mr. Hungry and I come from two different worlds.  

In his world, no one would ever dream of squeezing the toothpaste tube anywhere but from the bottom.  Everyone is very relaxed and laid back; however, there are methods to dishwashing....very meticulous ones at that.  Staying up extremely late is the only way to live. Eggs are best eaten in their most natural state... sunny side up or possibly scrambled... unfussy with nothing more than a splash of milk or touch of salt and pepper.

In my world, one uses the toothpaste that is nicely sitting at the top of the tube.  Schedules are made to pack the most possible things into one day.  Going to bed at 9:00 p.m. is an absolute treat.  Eggs are best when they are dolled up with cheese and spinach and stuffy things like artichoke and garlic... not to mention they must lose their yolks.

Welcome to my world.  This is how we prefer our eggs.  

There is a great breakfast place in Houston called Baby Barnaby's (if you've been to one of the many Barnaby's, you need to venture into Montrose next to the original Barnaby's and only serves breakfast.  It's an experience).  They make green eggs like none other.  While I will never get close to the original, these are pretty darn good.  

Green Eggs
Recipe Notes
I prefer mine with just egg whites so I use 4 eggs instead of 3.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon milk
3 large or extra large eggs
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
Step by Step
In a medium size bowl, crack eggs and add milk.  Use a fork to whisk the mixture together.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a nonstick pan.  Add garlic and spinach.  Saute spinach until leaves wilt, about one minute.  Add artichokes and stir to heat through, about thirty seconds.

Add egg mixture and scramble with a spoon.  Continue to cook eggs, scrambling with a spoon.  When eggs are cooked through, add cheese and mix into eggs.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until cheese is melted.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

There is something about a weekend breakfast at a little greasy diner that I love so much. 

Mr. Hungry usually orders a breakfast plate... eggs, bacon and hash browns.  I like some sort of scrambled egg whites with cheese and maybe some grits and a good biscuit.  I love grits so I always go with that carb option, but only because I know I can sneak some hash browns off Mr. Hungry's plate. 

Now that you know more than you ever needed to know about our breakfast habits, let's get to the point.

There is nothing monumental or fancy about these breakfasts. Pretty standard food we could choose to make at home.  But Mr. Hungry loves good hash browns and they seemed to always to turn out tasteless and mushy in my kitchen. 

Until now that is. 

These little hash brown cakes have a crunchy crispy exterior with a bit of soft buttery potato inside.  

There is exactly one major secret involved in getting these incredibly crispy potatoes.  Wringing every ounce of water out of these spuds.  It was quite shocking to see how much water is in a potato. 

When you think you have all of the water out.  Wring a few more times.  Im talking squeeze-until-your-biceps-hurt kind of wringing.  

After that, all you need is a good cast iron skillet and a generous amount of butter.

These hash brown cakes are kind of like my hair.  

 

They start out a very unruly mess and all over the place, but with a generous amount of product... butter... and quite a bit of shaping and care, you can pull together a somewhat presentable hash brown cake. 

Nice and crispy too.  Hopefully not like my hair. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

Slightly adapted from The Kitchn
Recipe Notes
There are two keys to crispy hash browns.  Wringing all of the water out of the potato and generous amounts of butter.  When you think you are finished squeezing all the water out, squeeze again.  I can barely believe how much water is in a potato, but get it out of there if you want crispy cakes.  Half way through the cooking my potatoes had absorbed the whole tablespoon of butter so I added more half way through to make sure both sides got crispy.  Add butter as necessary. 

Ingredients

1 large (8 to 10 oz) russet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
Equipment
Cheese grater
Dish towel
Skillet, preferably cast iron
Spatula

Step by Step
Cover your surface with a clean dish towel. Peel the potato and discard skin.  Using a cheese grater, grate the potato over the clean dish towel.

Gather the dishcloth and twist the neck until you form a tight package. Over the sink, squeeze and wring the potato as much as possible.  Squeeze one more time just to make sure you have gotten every last drop.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and then add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to coat them with butter and then divide them into portion sizes using a spatula. Flatten each portion with the back of the spatula to maximize contact with the hot pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Cook each side until desired doneness.  Whether that is a little bit soft or overly crispy, you be the judge.  Try to only flip once so that the cake does not fall apart.

Serve Immediately. 

Makes 3 small servings or 2 large servings. 

Veggie Shooters

There is really no room for extras in this kitchen.  Our everyday dishes already have to be housed in the dining area and cabinet space is precious all over this little home. 
So if something is going to make its way in that is not essential, it is going to have to be extremely versatile.  Enter these 3 oz. glasses.  If you throw a party even once every couple of months, these are worth the investment.  The options are endless. 

I can't wait to try these darling milkshakes.  What a perfect way to pass milk and cookies.  The soup options are endless.  Yep, I'm in love and now own two boxes, which comes to a total of 72. 

If you are interested, here is where I got mine and my favorite part is the thin bottom of the glass. They look less like shot glasses and they could go modern or rustic.   If you are not quite ready to make the investment, you could use small clear plastic glasses as well.

Goodbye to the days of camping out over the veggie tray. 
From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Veggie Shooters with Hummus
Recipe Notes
You can really choose any dip you want for the bottom.  I have found hummus to be the most popular, but ranch dressing works great too.  Plan on about 2 oz. of hummus per glass.  You might have a little leftover, but this will help you not run out. 
Ingredients
Assortment of vegetables, cut into 3-inch skinny strips (bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers)
Hummus, about 2 oz. per glass
Step by Step
Fill a small ziploc bag with hummus and seal.  Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Be careful to not make the hole too big.  Start small... you can always cut more off in you need.  Fill each glass 2/3 full with hummus.  Stick 3 or 4 vegetable strips in each glass.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Gorgonzola Iceberg Wedge Salad

 

I just about never pass up an iceberg wedge salad on a restaurant menu.  And I can guarantee if I do, I already know their dressing is no good.  There is something so refreshing and satisfying about a good wedge  and I figured if you get the dressing down, the rest would be a piece of cake.

This gorgonzola dressing is absolutely perfect.  You'll never come close to matching its taste with a  bottled dressing.  And it's a whole lot healthier than those dressings made with mayo and sour cream.  Tastes even better the next day.


From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Gorgonzola Iceberg Wedge Salad

Ingredients
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used fat free)
1 large garlic clove, minced
8 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Optional: 4 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon
Step by Step
In a medium bowl, stir the buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and garlic together. Add in 2/3 cup of the Gorgonzola to the dressing. Smash the cheese into the sauce to help it blend.  Stir in a few more sprinkles of the gorgonzola and leave them chunky.  Season with salt & pepper and set aside.

Arrange the lettuce wedges on individual plates. Spoon the dressing over the wedges, top with tomatoes and remaining Gorgonzola (and bacon if using). Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper on top and serve.

Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes 4 salads.  Or two salads one night and two the next...

{slightly chunky} Tomato Gazpacho Soup

It's hot as blazes around here.  Until further notice, my oven is closed.

Who's with me?  If you're not with me, it means you live in one of those places with perfect summer weather and I would rather not hear from you right now.

But if you are in my boat... the temps are above 95 or the humidity hits you in the face like a wool blanket when you walk outside...then get ready.

This heat has even changed my taste buds.  I've never been one for cold soups.  Just no appeal really.  I liked em hot and savory, but since this i-must-eat-only-cold-things hit, it sounded like a pretty good idea to have something both cold and savory.

Not to mention the fact that tomatoes are out of this world right now.  It's amazing how good foods taste when they are actually in season.

There is a little bit of prep work here, but no heat so that's a plus.  Have any favorite chilled or frozen recipes you'd like to share?  Email me, please.  Let's band together against this heat, shall we?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Here are a few pics from the process...

The way I like to go about getting the seeds out of a cucumber.  Slice in half and then slice diagonally on both sides to remove the strip of seeds. 

but as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. 

This is a good size chunk to aim for with all your veggies...

This thing is a work horse...

Finally got all those veggies processed.  As you can see, I still had some chunks, which is why I chose the hand blender to help me out at the end.

Tomato Gazpacho
Adapted from Ina Garten
Recipe Notes
I prefaced that this was slightly chunky because if you like gazpacho and you like it extremely smooth and creamy, that is not what you are going to get from this recipe, but I love the texture.

Ingredients

1  cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

4 plum medium sized vine ripened tomatoes

1 small red onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice (23 ounces)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment

Small food processor
Optional Equipment
Hand blender

Step by Step

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into small 1 inch chunks. Put each vegetable separately into a small food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Leave slightly chunky; do not completely liquefy.

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. Optional:  If you would like a little more creaminess with small chunks, you can use a hand blender at the end to get the consistency that you like.
The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serves 4-6. 

Antipasto Platters

I make a mean antipasto platter.

I'm not sure that's really an accomplishment since there is little that you are actually cooking, but they are always a hit at cocktail parties.  It's kind of the perfect answer to what serve at a party in the summer.  You turn on your oven for .5 seconds and then you just assemble.

Granted this is another one of my non-recipe recipes, but sometimes the simpler the better. And what better for a cocktail party than savory food that you do not have to keep warm and can be assembled ahead of time? Perfection.

This is my personal version of an antipasto platter.  Traditionally, they are made with a variety of meats and cheeses, but I like to spice it up a bit.  I thought I'd share my favorites, but let's get real, the possibilities are endless.

So let's get started...

I always include marinated tomatoes.  Click here for recipe. They have such great flavor and very addicting.  You just need to think about these the night before so they can marinate, but that's about all the prep work there.  Moving on...

These prosciutto wrapped asparagus are what make this platter feel fancy.   Check below for recipe...

My favorite cheese to serve is this marinated mozzarella.  This big tub comes from Costco and is super cheap for the quantity.  I prefer this to just plain fresh mozzarella balls because these have a lot more flavor.

You need some crackers to balance all this.  My two favorites are Carr's table water crackers and these Italian breadsticks that can be found at most specialty grocery stores.  They also add nice height.
And then I like to pile on olives.  But I'm an olive person.  If you are not, let's talk about some other ideas.

Thin slices of prosciutto, cuts of salami, artichoke hearts, sliced hearts of palm, piles of nuts, dried apricots... again more of my favorites, but they all work pretty well.

Hopefully you have something to work with here.  Now go ahead and invite your friends over.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus

Recipe Notes

The key to this is having extremely thin proscuitto.  If it is thick, it will be hard to bite through.  Costco sells a great prepackaged very thinly sliced prosciutto at a great price.  Or ask your butcher to cut it paper thin. Be careful to not overcook the asparagus.  You want it slightly cooked, but still crunchy... not mushy.  Asparagus size can vary dramatically so if you have very thin spears, keep your eye on them.

Ingredients

Asparagus (2 to 4 per person)

Prosciutto, about 1/2 a slice per piece of asparagus, sliced paper thin.
olive oil
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Trim the white, woody ends of Spread the asparagus in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast asparagus for about 5 minutes (see recipe note for timing).  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cut each piece of prosciutto in half, so you have two strips.  Wrap each piece of asparagus with a half piece of prosciutto.  Repeat until all asparagus have been wrapped.  Can be made up to 6 hours in advance and kept refrigerated.  Serve at room temperature. 

Squash Ribbon Salad

I know I don't have anyone on the edge of their seat over squash ribbons, but come on, stay with me. Seriously, stay with me... it's worth it.

I first tried the ribbon method for this pasta and I all of a sudden became a squash fan.  It turns a rather bland, sometimes boring veggie into a thin, crisp tool that can soak up great sauces without being heavy.  The ribbons turn into something refreshing and crisp that taste somewhere between a fettucine noodle and leaf of lettuce.  Does this make sense?  Keep following...

I rarely get pumped about a big bowl of greens, but this offers more taste,  and the bright pops of yellow ribbons are springier than spring itself.

So come on... just try it. Please?  Thank you.

Summer Squash Ribbon Salad
Adapted from the kitchn
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds zucchini or yellow squash
1 shallot, very thinly sliced... as thin as you can possibly get it (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup basil chopped finely
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 ounces goat cheese
Step by Step
Trim the ends off the squash and using a  vegetable peeler, or knife, cut the squash lengthwise into very thin strips.

Place in a large bowl with the sliced shallot, olive oil, and vinegar, and gently toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the basil and pine nuts and gently toss to combine.

Transfer to a serving dish and crumble goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings (or 2 big main servings).

Spinach, Artichoke & Ricotta Pie

We did some serious brunching over the long weekend.

When I woke up all I wanted to do was remain in my pjs and come up with hearty new dishes to try; so that is exactly what I did.  I did it for you, I did it for me... I did it for us. 

No fuss, much frill;  from my little kitchen to yours... Happy Brunching.

Spinach, Artichoke and Ricotta Pie

Adapted from The Kitchn

Recipe Notes

Make sure and add the avocado for serving.  It is optional, but pairs perfectly with the pie.  This dish also warms up really well in the oven the next day for leftover.  

Ingredients

1 cup canned artichokes, chopped

5 ounces spinach, roughly chopped (1/2 a small bag)

8 ounces ricotta cheese

4 ounces grated or shredded Parmesan

4 extra large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable oil or cooking spray to coat the cake pan

1 avocado, thinly sliced (for garnish)

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan lightly with olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheeses. Roughly chop the veggies and add to the cheese/egg mixture.  Add salt and pepper.  Stir until combined. Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and cook until custard is set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 5-10 minutes and serve with 3 slices of avocado per piece. 

Serves 4-6

I would have said this definitely serves 6, but I added 4-6 because this was all that was left after the two of us got ahold of it. 

baked sweet potato fries

I'm on such a roll.  Looks like I might have made this whole resolution thing a little too easy on myself.  Which I know it was downright silly that I had never used sweet potatoes in the kitchen, but I'm hooked.  I had one bad experience trying to bake them and they just turned out half burned, half uncooked with not much flavor.  After looking at lots of recipes, I came up with this combo and it's been working really well.

I have to make another plug for even those who think they do not like sweet potatoes.  Another reason I have not had these in my kitchen is because Mr. Hungry claims he does not like sweet potatoes.  What do you know, even he likes these sweet potato fries.  So if you have stayed away from sweet things, maybe give this one a try.

{sidenote: This is one of those recipes that I researched and copy and pasted from the internet and printed out.  Somewhere along the way, I have lost the source so if you recognize it, let me know and I will be happy to give credit!}

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe Note
In these pictures, the fries are pretty wide.  I have made them several time now and actually get better results when they look more like traditional french fries, 1/2 inch wide on all sides.
Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Peel sweet potato with a vegetable peeler.  Using a sharp knife, cut sweet potato into long strips, about 1/2 inch on each side.  Try to make the pieces as even as possible so they will cook for the same amount of time.  Place sweet potato strips in a sealable plastic bag.  Add olive oil, paprika, salt and cinnamon.  Toss to coat evenly.

Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes until just browned, turning every 10 minutes to prevent burning. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

Tomato & Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Spring is still in my air here in Houston and I continue to find vegetable dishes that are packed with flavor. This is such a great salad with so many fresh flavors.  If you make the vinaigrette ahead, you could have this on a weeknight, but I think it is special enough to serve at a luncheon or a dinner party. I just love all those colors.

That's all I have to say about this... it's just good.  Today, I'm working on putting together a few menus for a catering job so I'm looking for inspiration for what to serve at a baby shower.  Have any bite size favorites you would like to share?

 From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Tomato & Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Adapted from Peace Meals, Junior League Houston
Recipe Notes
You might gasp a little when you see the price tag on champagne vinaigrette.  There seem to be varieties that are expensive.  I bought the most inexpensive jar and it has lasted me a long time so it turned out to be a good investment.  Unless you like your salads drowning in dressing, you will also have plenty left over to use for another salad or to make this again.  Blanching is simply cooking a vegetable in boiling water for a few minutes to bring out it's color and then shocking it with cold ice water so that the cooking stops.  If you would like an in depth refresher, click here.
Ingredients
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
coarse salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash of sugar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
for the salad:
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, any color, halved
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Crush the garlic clove with the side of a knife blade.  The the clove (leaving it in one piece) to a mixing bowl.  Add the vinegar, pepper, and a dash of salt; allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Remove and discard the garlic.  Whisk in the mustard and sugar; slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Blanch (see note above) the asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Combing the asparagus and tomatoes in a medium bowl.  Add the cheese and toss with desired amount of the vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for up to four hours.  Toss again before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed.  

Store extra vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Serves 6-8.