Recipes Archives - Page 32 of 53

Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

By threejamigos | May 25, 2018 | Comments 2 comments

If you have a lemon tree in your backyard you will know what I am going through. Our one lemon tree produces enough lemons for my entire neighborhood. Too bad EVERY house in my neighborhood has a lemon tree.

So, if you have any suggestions on what to do with all my lemons, PLEASE forward them to me. I am always looking for ways to use them because man (or woman) cannot live on Lemon Bars alone…

Well, I probably could but that wouldn’t be wise.

Fortunately, I do have a suggestion for an abundance of lemons.

Jamie is home. Which means marathon kitchen sessions of baking, cooking, and CLEANING. We picked a bunch of lemons and made a stupid easy lemon syrup that we keep in the fridge for lemonade, drinks, lemon tea, just about anything that needs some sweet lemon goodness. It keeps for at least a month and is a fabulous way to make use of all those lemons. I have had a cold for the past week (feels like forever) and my go-to comfort drink has been a steaming cup of tea and a couple of tablespoons of lemon syrup.

Counting down: Top Five List of Ways to Use Your Homemade Lemon Syrup

5. As mentioned, a couple of tablespoons in a steaming hot cup of tea, so good.

4. Drizzled on berries and yogurt for a morning kickstart

3. Drizzled on pound cake for that extra zip

2. LEMONADE, nothing better on a hot summer day but a tall ice cold glass of lemonade-oh yeah. This is a mandatory summer fridge item.

Tall glass, Ice,1 part lemon syrup to 3-4 parts water, to taste… ahhhhhhhh, garnish with a sprig of mint or basil, life is good, drink lemonade

1. LEMON DROPS for Happy Hour (or any hour)

2 ounces lemon syrup, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 2-ounce vodka. Take a martini glass, dip rim in lemon juice then into granulated sugar. If you are cool enough to already own a cocktail shaker ( I want one), pour vodka, triples sec, lemon syrup into the shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Strain into martini glass. ENJOY.

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Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

Adapted from Taste of Home.

3 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 cups lemon juice about 16 lemons
2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

In a 1-1/2-qt. heat-proof container, dissolve sugar in boiling water. If necessary heat on stove to dissolve sugar. Cool.
Add lemon juice and zest; mix well.
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Although I have a jar in my fridge that has been there for a month, still delish!
Yield: 5-1/2 cups syrup (number of batches varies depending on concentration of lemonade).
When using the syrup, pour through a strainer to remove the pulp or zest. I'm a pulp girl so I generally don't bother staining the syrup.
To prepare lemonade: For 1 serving, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup syrup and 3/4 cup cold water in a glass; stir well. For 8 servings, combine 2-2/3 cups syrup and 5 cups cold water in a 2-qt. pitcher; stir well. Yield: 1 serving.

Variations on a theme. You could use Meyer Lemons cutting back the sugar a tad. You also use limes or a combination of lemons and limes. Its up to you! Enjoy!

“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

By threejamigos | May 16, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

If you are like me, an empty nester still transitioning from cooking for a family of 5 to cooking for 2, you probably still have some (ok, alot) of that luscious roast pork left. As much as I love tacos, I can eat only so many. Back to Sam Kass’s book, Eat A Little Better, to try one of the many recipes that makes use of that delicious roasted pork.

BINGO. Found another winner. Rigatoni with Pork Ragu.

The ragu’ comes together in minutes. Chopped onion, garlic, are sautéed before adding the tomatoes and roasted pork. Simmer until it is reduced to a lovely thick, rich sauce. Voila’, a comforting, warm and homey lunch or dinner on the table. I added a pinch of chili pepper flakes, as suggested, for a little kick. Make a big batch, this sauce is better a day or two later after the flavors really come together.

Better yet, it freezes beautifully. Luckily, I threw the remaining sauce in the freezer on the way out of town. We arrived home a week later, travel weary and hungry but happy with one of two new college graduates in tow. I pulled out the sauce, boiled some pasta and minutes later we were all standing around the kitchen island enjoying our bowls of pasta. Yummy eats and no more tuition. Life is good. Hmmm, Jordan comes home tomorrow, hope I have enough sauce left until then.

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“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons EVOO
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves smashed
Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe tomatoes cored and chopped or one 28 ounce can tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 cups coarsely shredded cooked pork shoulder I used 2 cups, its a lot of meat
1 pound rigatoni or pasta of your choice should be a thick pasta thats holds up well to the sauce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add onion, garlic, chili pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the onion turns a nice golden brown ~6-8 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and pork. Let the mixture come to a simmer, while stirring, break up tomatoes. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce has thickened. This will take approximately 25 minutes with fresh tomatoes and 15 minutes with canned tomatoes.
Season to taste with salt.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain well, toss with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.
Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Have additional parmesan on table.

The Name is Pork, Slow Roasted Pork (Sam Kass)

By threejamigos | May 15, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

One of my favorite recipes from Sam Kass’s book: Eat A Little Better is his Roasted Pork Shoulder. Don’t let the time commitment scare you. Prep is as easy as rubbing salt all over the roast, letting it sit for 2 hours then popping it in the oven for…

5 hours

So, yes, you will need to plan in advance and start early. By dinner time you’ll be ready to dazzle. You can serve the roast as is or transform it into delicious dishes like carnitas tacos, pulled pork sammies with your favorite barbecue sauce, or a yummy pasta ragu. Sam’s book includes ways to use this roast as the base for a variety of tasty options. All lip smacking delicious.

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The Name is Pork, Slow Roasted Pork (Sam Kass)

Ingredients

1 5-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder Boston Butt
Kosher Salt
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or dry white wine

Instructions

Rub the pork all over with 1 tablespoon salt. Let it sit for 2 hours at room temperature
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Put the pork fat-side up in a heavy roasting pan lined with parchment or foil. Place roast in oven and roast for approximately 5 hours until the meat is deep golden brown and fall off the bone tender. Start checking at about 4 hours.
To finish you may broil the top for a darker crisper top.
Teansfer roast to a plate. Deglaze pan with stock or wine stirring up bits on the pan.
Serve with pork or drizzle on top.
You can jazz up the rub with garlic or rosemary, minced and mixed into salt.

Let’s “Taco Bout” It (Carnitas Tacos)

By threejamigos | May 15, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I have been working my way through Sam Kass’s Cookbook Eat a Little Better and have to say it is pretty darn good! A family favorite has been his Roasted Pork recipe. Start with a nice 5-6 pound pork shoulder and slow roast it in the oven for 5 hours. You are rewarded with a beautiful mahogany colored, crispy on the outside, meltingly tender on the inside, hunk of deliciousness. Yum.

But as delicious as it is, IT IS STILL A WHOLE LOTTA PORK.

And as much as I enjoyed standing at my kitchen counter and pulling shreds of warm, succulent, salty pork off the roast and popping them in my mouth, I hardly made a dent.

Variations on a Pork Roast to the Rescue.

First on the list…TACOS

THE HISTORY OF TACOS by 3Jamigos

1960s: Taco shells out of a box-the equivalent of Chinese chow mein noodles out of a can (I can’t even), ground beef with tomato sauce, Lawry’s Taco Seasonings packet, iceberg lettuce, shredded yellow cheese, and tomatoes. They were good when I was a kid, now-not so much. The perils of growing up.

1970s: Tex-Mex Tacos: Visited San Antonio and had a Puffy Taco Moment. OMG! How can a taco shell be crispy and soft at the same time? Another, please.

1980s: Tacos in Mexico City: Tacos come on a plate with soft corn tortillas and toppings piled on top. A sprinkle of onions and cilantro, splash of salsa. #SoDamnDelicious. Mom and I sneak off the tour bus to eat tacos…..#RealTacos

1980s: I’ll take 2 1980s and skip the 1990s. Roadtrip to San Felipe and Ensenada. First stop: Buy a six-pack of Coronas and head for the nearest taco stand then head to beach. Freshly caught fish or shrimp, batter-fried, tossed in a soft tortilla with cabbage, salsa and crema…3 for a dollar. I have died and gone to seafood taco heaven.

2000s: Live and Eat in LA: Just about to order Lengua and Carne Asada tacos from fav Taco truck (cheap and open “All Night Long”, props to Lionel Ritchie)when… Wait, there’s a crazy ass long line at that truck over there called Kogi Truck, let’s check it out. Korean BBQ Tacos?! Mind blown.

2010: Kids work health fair at local church. After service, Carne Asada Tacos served fresh off the grill for 1.00 a piece. Kids (3 of them) eat 26 tacos. The next year the tacos go up to 1.50! La Vic’s Orange Sauce, say no more.

2018: Villa Moreliana in LA Grand Central Market 1.75 per taco. My favorite, Mixed Carnitas Taco. Comes with shredded pork, tongue, snout, trotter, and chicharrones. Go. Now. Eat.

NopalitoSF Carnitas tacos in a hipster setting near Divisadero Street, $14.50, Really? Afraid so. But damn, they are good.

Making my own with Sam Kass’s Roasted Pork Shoulder and homemade salsa. #SoDamnDelicious #EatAtHome #AsManyTacosAsIWant

Make your own tortillas too! Easy flour tortillas or corn tortillas from King Arthur Baking.

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Let’s “Taco Bout” It Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients

Slow Roasted Pork
Corn Tortillas Trader Joes makes a nice corn tortilla or La Tortilla Factory has a nice corn & Wheat handmade tortilla

Toppings: Put them all out or keep it real with onions, cilantro and lime wedges

shredded cabbage
chopped white onions or red onions Soak in cold water to mellow onion
Cilantro
Avocado slices
Pico de gallo
Your favorite salsa or try the easy homemade salsa on my blog

Instructions

Shred 1-2 cups of roasted pork. To crisp the edges and reheat pork, place shredded meat in a saute' pan with 1-2 tablespoon of oil until heated thru and crispy on the edges. Transfer to warm plate.
Heat tortillas. Put different toppings out and let people go crazy.
Allow everyone to make their own tacos.
#TacoTime

Eat a Little Better with Sam Kass

By threejamigos | May 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I received Sam Kass’s book, Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World to review QUITE a while ago. I wasn’t too busy and it wasn’t because I didn’t feel like looking at it. On the contrary, I really liked the book and kept finding recipes I wanted to try before posting. For those of you not familiar with Sam, he was the personal chef to President Obama’s family and worked with FLOTUS on her healthy eating initiative. Yes, I am biased and really wanted to like this book (plus he is easy on the eyes-I didn’t just write that, did I?). Luckily I can, in good conscience say, its a winner.

Eat A little better My fridge — Work in progress. Yep, all those fruits and vegetables were hidden in the bins below.

I love the stories about the White House, the first family and Sam’s tips on healthy eating and cooking. The first change I implemented was rearranging my fridge. I moved my fruits and vegetables to bowls and see-through containers. Now, when I open the door my weekend farmer’s market bounty is staring me in the face instead of hidden in the “the crisper”. No longer out of sight, out of mind. Be honest, who hasn’t pulled out an unidentifiable fuzzy green object that might have once been an apple or orange, or worse a forgotten cucumber that morphed into a slimy swamp creature…ewwwww.

Those ignored apples stashed in the crisper? Placed front and center, a visible “I’m here” reminder, turned into a couple of delicious apple crisps.

The recipes are straightforward, uncomplicated, some healthy, some homey, some both. Right up my alley. I LOVE sweet potatoes so a recipe for a trio of dips/toppings for baked sweet potatoes caught my eye. It reminded me of an absolutely scrumptious charred sweet potato with a bone marrow Salsa Negra appetizer I had at Cala in San Francisco. The potatoes were tender, smoky and sweet. Borrowing from Smitten Kitchen, I slow roasted the potatoes in the oven and finished them under the broiler for that nice char. The toppings, an herbalicious sour cream, and a brown butter orange juice were a snap to prepare. I nixed the bacon dip and made the topping for Kaddo, an Afghani dish of braised pumpkin topped with two sauces, a tomato meat sauce, and a garlic-mint yogurt sauce. The sweet potato stood in for the pumpkin, pretty yummy. It deserves its own post which is coming soon.

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Sweet Potato In-skin Mash-ups

Ingredients

4-6 Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes I used Smitten Kitchen recipe see link

Brown Butter-Orange Juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
Kosher salt

Herbed Sour Cream

3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives or green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt

Instructions

While sweet potatoes are roasting you will have plenty of time to throw these sauces together.

Brown butter-orange juice

Place butter chunks in saucepan, preferably a light color one so you can see the butter turn color. Place over medium heat and let the butter melt and bubble, swirl the pot occasionally. The butter will foam and then start to color. Watch carefully, the milk particles will turn a nice toasty brown, remove from the heat and pour butter into a heatproof bowl.
Stir in orange juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a slit lengthwise in each potato, season with more salt. Smoosh it with a fork and drizzle the sauce on the sweet potato.
Serve immediately.

Herbed Sour Cream

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, thyme and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Season with a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Split potato, season with salt and place a generous dollop of the sour cream in the potato.
Serve immediately.

Next, Butternut Squash and Kale Fried Rice. The sweetness of the squash meshed well with the saltiness of the bacon and the slight bite of the kale. Surprisingly good and easy to make. Feel free to use any kind of rice, use a mix of green onions and yellow onions and season to taste with soy sauce. DON’T SKIP THE EGG.

Leftover roast chicken? Sam’s tasty recipe for Chicken Salad was the perfect answer. Red onion, crispy green beans, fresh thyme, and mayo to bind. A breeze to put together. For a touch of sweetness, grapes or diced apples would be a nice addition.

How could I not try the dish featured on his cover? Braised Chicken with Olives and Oranges. Bold, bright flavors, sweet from the oranges and tangy from the olives, like tennis a love match. Even better the second day when the flavors mellowed and melded together.

You can see why it took me so long to review!

His Slow Roasted Pork served as the base for a couple of quick and delicious meals. I still had plenty left despite continually pulling shreds of pork off the bone and popping it into my mouth.

Eat A Little Better Slow Roasted Pork — Slow Roasted Pork out of the oven

First meal-CARNITAS. Topped with a cabbage slaw, homemade salsa, cilantro, and onions on warm corn tortillas, darn fine tacos.

Eat A Little Better Carnitas Tacos — Carnitas Tacos

Second meal-Rigatoni with Pork Ragu. Onions, tomatoes, slow roasted pork and a handful of grated Parmesan, so simple and satisfying.

So, verdict? Wonderful, simple, straightforward cookbook with some sage advice. I plan to use this book a lot. Hope you will too.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

By threejamigos | May 5, 2018 | Comments 3 comments

Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission. After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market. Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu. I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.

Bostock? Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure. A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds. Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar. So good.

I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story. It’s toast on steroids when you think about it. A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable. Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.

Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe. I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor. As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen. Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

Glorified toast which you should definitley make!

Course Breads, Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword Bostock

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
Sliced almonds as needed
Confectioners' sugar to dust

Almond Frangipane Spread:

1 cup almonds sliced or whole
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Frangipane Spread:

In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

By threejamigos | May 2, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

A while back on a visit to The Big Apple, we stopped at Brookfield Place for a quick bite. Near the World Trade Center, The Brookfield has an upscale food court (this is an understatment). You won’t find corn dogs and pretzel bites, what you will find-organic kale and quinoa salads, Pad Thai, avocado toast, sushi…the trendy hipster options are endless. After agonizing over what to eat, grab your food and pounce on the first table near the windows. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Hudson while you eat.

I decided on an egg dish (can’t remember exactly what I had) but it needed a punch of flavor. Back to the stand where I ordered my eggs. “Do you have any salsa”? The woman in line behind me rudely interjects “RIGHT in front of you”. I glance at the counter, turn to her and say “SALSA not salt” (you schmuck). The counter guy hands me a couple of packets of hot sauce with an apologetic “uh, will this do?” I take them and quickly walk away so he doesn’t hear me sigh.

New York City, you don’t know what you are missing…

With Cinco de Mayo coming up I pulled out a salsa recipe I had come across in the blog Cookie + Kate. This salsa is SUPER EASY and a snap to put together. This leaves plenty of time to mix up a batch of your favorite Margaritas, the perfect foil for chips and this salsa.

The secret? The salsa starts with a can of FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES. TJ’s has their house brand version that I have used with good results and Muir Glen makes organic fire-roasted tomatoes. Drain the tomatoes well or it will be watery. Throw the tomatoes in your food processor along with coarsely chopped garlic, jalapeno, diced onion, cilantro and a bit of lime juice and salt. Give it a whirl and voila’ SALSA TIME. Want it spicier, add more jalapeno. Bit more tangy? Extra squeeze of lime. Added punch? 2 garlic cloves instead one. It’s entirely up to you.

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

Ingredients

1 can 15 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped white onion about ½ small onion
¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ medium jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice more if needed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Drain off about half of the tomato juice from the can (about ⅓ cup) and discard it.
In a food processor:
Add the tomatoes and all of the remaining juice from the can. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.
Pulse the mixture until it is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomato or onion remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if you like.
Serve the salsa immediately or store it for later.
This salsa keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

By threejamigos | April 23, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I got up this morning with scones on the brain. A while ago I had come across a recipe on the blog Dessert for Two for Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones. They looked delicious. I filed it away under the “I should try these cause they look yummy” recesses of my mind. This past weekend my goal was to clean and reorganize the fridge (inspired by Sam Kass’s new book). As luck would have it, squirreled away in the back of the crisper drawer I found a forgotten bag of Meyer Lemons from my baking buddy, Kathy.

Karma, I was Meant to Make These Scones.

The recipe makes four more-than-generous scones so my first change was to make six instead. A nice size to accompany a breakfast plate or on its own as an afternoon tea treat. You can whip up a batch in no time flat and that’s without using a mixer. The keys are to keep everything as cold as possible and to not overwork the dough. The mantra for any scone, biscuit, or pie dough.

I used a pastry cutter to mix the butter in the flour. The butter should be in small pieces no bigger than petite peas. Add the wet ingredients and blend together. The mixture will not hold together but will be shaggy. Pour onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Fold and compress the dough to form a disc. The heat of your hands will help the dough clump together. Cut the disc into four to six pieces.

Separate the scones and paint the tops with heavy cream. Bake until golden. I made the icing but it didn’t stand out on the scones. It did add a nice sweet-tart finish though.

These scones are tender, buttery, and lemony sweet. The perfect beginning or ending to a day. It’s a good thing this is a small batch recipe…I’d be tempted to eat them all.

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

A lovely buttery, light, lemony scone from Dessert for Two that is easy to make, a perfect weekend morning pick me up.

Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Cream Scones, meyer lemon scones, Meyer lemons

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream plus extra for brushing
1 large egg yolk
zest of 2 Meyer lemons* I'm thinking grapefruit or reg lemons would work well too.

For the optional glaze: Try not to skip it, it is a nice finish.

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed and smaller than peas. Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips (quickly squeeze the butter pieces between your fingers pressing them into little flakes.
Whisk heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour ontothe flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to fold and press dough together until it sticks together into a round disc form.
Cut the dough circle into 4-6 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream. (Cut by pressing knife in one downward motion, don't use a sawing motion which will cause uneven rising)
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they lightly brown on the edges.
While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
Glaze the scones when cool.

Smashed Potatoes, A Smashing Success

By threejamigos | April 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Jamie and I love happy hours so whenever she comes home we usually throw together a couple impromptu gatherings. Drinks and finger foods are part of our MO. Half the fun is perusing cookbooks or the Internet looking for yummies for our casual soirees. Jamie came across a recipe for Smashed Potatoes on the site Damn Delicious…uh-oh, boil em’, mash em’ stick em’ in a stew. It’s like Pavlov’s Dogs, mention potatoes and I immediately parrot Sam-Wise Gamgee. Drives my family crazy.

Back to the recipe, very easy and very tasty. We like getting a variety of potatoes, reds, golds, purple all about 2 inches, you know, not too big, not too small. but just right The potatoes are boiled until tender. Removed and smooshed with a potato masher (you could probably use a fork) until flattened. The spuds are seasoned with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper then drizzled with olive oil. Place in oven for about 20 minutes to crisp and voila’, potatoes with soft and creamy centers and crispy edges. Serve with sour cream if you like. So, so, good. So, so, simple.

We had pancetta in the fridge, so we added a generous sprinkle of it over the smooshed potatoes before baking. You can use rosemary in place of thyme, bacon instead of pancetta, butter instead of olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan, whatever your imagination dreams up. A combination I plan to try includes smoky paprika and rosemary with a squeeze of lemon, Damn Delicious posted a new riff, Crispy Dijon Smashed Potatoes. Can’t wait to try it!

So next time you need a tasty bite, try these smashed potatoes. Added bonus, they’re gluten free, dairy free if you don’t use cheese and a perfect vegetarian dish if you skip the pancetta/bacon. Delicious!

Smashed Potatoes, with Garlic and Herbs

Course Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine American

Keyword fingerling potatotes, Roasted potatotes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Ingredients

18-24 small potatoes yukon, reds, purples or a mix washed and scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Finely diced pancetta or bacon optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment. Put a couple of squeezes of oil on the parchment
In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well.
Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher or fork, carefully smash the potatoes until flattened but still in one piece.
Top with olive oil, garlic and thyme. (Combine minced garlic and thyme with oil and drizzle on potatoes)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pancetta!
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve immediately.

Notes

To microwave potatoes. Wash and place in a microwavable. Cover with a vented lid of plastic wrap with a few holes punched in it.

Microwave at full power for 8-10 minutes, stopping halfway to stir. I have a 700 watt microwave so if your microwave's wattage is higher, try 7 - 9 minutes. Test by piercing with a fork.