Roasted Garlic and Lemon Duchess Potatoes

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Duchess Potatoes

More great side dish ideas is one request often made by our readers and are always a welcome addition to a recipe arsenal. So often we have the same roast chicken, beef or turkey and the side dishes become even more important to add interest to what might otherwise be a rather mundane meal.

As part of a recent Sunday dinner which would do great service as a Thanksgiving or even Christmas dinner, we enjoyed these potatoes with roasted vegetables and a very delicious Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Turkey. The lemon and roasted garlic for these potatoes actually came from roasting the vegetables that we served with it but if you are making this as a side dish for another meal, they are easily roasted on their own.

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Duchess Potatoes

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Duchess Potatoes - golden crusted, creamy duchess potatoes with sweet roasted garlic and a hint of lemon.

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 20 - 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients

• 3 lbs red or yellow potatoes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/3 cup cold whipping cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 roasted lemon, juiced
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• drizzle olive oil (for lemon and garlic roasting)

Cooking Directions

1. Place garlic cloves in a garlic roaster or just wrap in aluminum foil with a pinch of salt and a light drizzle of olive oil.
2. In a small glass baking dish drizzle a little olive oil then place the lemon, cut side down. Roast with the garlic for 45 minutes or so or until the garlic has softened.
3. Meanwhile, peel and cut your potatoes into chucks and simmer gently until fully cooked and for tender. Drain.
4. Mash the potatoes well and add the butter, juice from the roasted lemon, roasted garlic and salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
5. Whisk together the egg yolks and whipping cream. Quickly mix into the mashed potatoes. Turn into a greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
6. Duchess potatoes can also be baked on a parchment lined baking sheets by dolloping the potato mixture or even piping it onto the sheet in individual servings or smaller sizes to serve 2 or 3 as a serving.

Roasted Winter Root Veggies & Apples w/ Rosemary & Thyme

This is one of my favorite veggie combos to roast when the weather turns colder.   It’s super easy to make a big batch ahead of time and reheat as needed. 

Enjoy!

Equipment: Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Peeler, Large Mixing Bowl, 2 Large Casserole Dishes or 2 Large Baking Sheet Pans

Note: Please use organic vegetables and apples when you can.  I would highly recommend at least using organic apples and potatoes if you cannot find all organic produce.  These are on the “dirty dozen” list of having the highest amounts of toxic pesticide residue. 

·      3 parsnips, peeled

·      3 carrots, peeled

·      3 red potatoes

·      1 large sweet potato, peeled

·      1 large golden beet, peeled

·      3 sweet apples, peeled (I use Fuji apples)

·      1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stem

·      5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

·      4-5 fresh individual garlic cloves, peeled

·      3 tablespoons pasture butter, ghee or fat of choice (See Resources)

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Wash all produce.  Prep produce, peel all of the produce that needs to be peeled (see above).  Cut parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, beet and apples into 1 to 1 ¼ inch cubes … this can be a rustic chop, don’t worry about everything looking the same.  Don’t cut pieces too small as they will shrink some while roasting.  Add chopped produce into large mixing bowl.  

3.   Remove fresh herbs from stems and chop finely.  Again, a rustic chop is fine.  Add to chopped produce/mixing bowl. 

4.   Remove skin from garlic cloves.  Add to chopped produce/mixing bowl.

5.    Add salt and melted fat of choice to the chopped produce/mixing bowl.  Combine with clean hands or large spoon, toss well to coat.

6.   Add all chopped produce in a single layer to 2 large casserole dishes or 2 large baking sheet pans. 

7.   Bake for 25 minutes, stir with a metal or wooden spoon/spatula.  Bake for another 25-35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and have some golden brown edges.

8.   Season to taste and serve hot. 

Yield: Makes about 10-12 servings.    

This recipe is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. 

Potato Crusted Canadian Bacon and White Cheddar Frittata

Potato Crusted Canadian Bacon and White Cheddar Frittata

I was asked to create a recipe for Klondike Rose Potatoes which is a very pretty yellow fleshed potato with a pinkish red skin. As regular readers will attest, I love my weekend brunches and this delicious Canadian inspired frittata made this past weekend's brunch very special indeed. 

I sliced these beautiful potatoes and blind baked them into an oven safe frying pan to form a potato "crust" for the frittata which included some lightly fried Canadian Bacon and aged white cheddar cheese which gets diced small instead of grating to provide tasty cheese pockets throughout the dish. It was absolutely delicious with some spicy quick tomato compote served on top.

 Brush the inside of a non stick, oven safe, frying pan with

• 3 tbsp melted butter

Slice about 

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of Klondike Rose potatoes

in about 1/8 inch slices. Overlap the potato slices to completely cover the bottom and sides of the buttered frying pan. This will form the potato crust of the frittata which must be blind baked before adding the filling.

To blind bake the potato crust, simply place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the potatoes and cover the bottom of the frying pan with baking weights. (Dry beans, peas, rice or barley work just as well as anything else.) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20- 25 minutes. Remove baking weights and parchment (or foil). Mix together and sprinkle the following ingredients over the bottom of the potato crust:

• 6 ounces lightly fried Canadian bacon, chopped in 1/2 inch squares
• 6 ounces white cheddar cheese diced small, 1/2 inch or less
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic

Quickly whisk together:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/3  cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Pour the egg mixture into the potato crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the eggs have set at the center. Invert  the frittata onto a serving platter. Serve immediately topped with Spicy Quick Tomato Compote.

Spicy Quick Tomato Compote

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 8 large ripe tomatoes diced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili sauce or ¼ tsp chili flakes
• salt and pepper to season
  

Sauté the garlic in the oil over medium heat for just a minute before adding the tomatoes, brown sugar, chili sauce, salt, pepper. Continue to cook until the tomatoes soften and the compote reduces to a jam-like consistency. Add the balsamic vinegar in the final minute or two of cooking before serving.

Colcannon

Colcannon is so delicious, it’s a traditional Irish dish full of yummy potatoes and cabbage.  Yum, yum, yum!

I feel the need for a disclaimer here, this is NOT an authentic Colcannon, but it’s pretty close.  My version uses sour cream, an authentic one does not.  Normally the potatoes will be steamed, then peeled, but I prefer the skins on for the added nutrition (but honestly, this is optional).   And typically Colcannon will have ham in it, usually cooked the day before, but I use bacon instead. 

Colcannon

This is a wonderful dish for St. Patrick’s Day, but perfect for any other occasion too. 

Equipment: Cutting Board, Knife, Large Stockpot, Medium-Size Saucepan, Large Bowl or Casserole Dish, Potato Masher, Colander

·      3 pounds organic potatoes, washed and scrubbed (I prefer Yukon Gold’s)

·      9 tablespoons pasture butter, divided (See Resources)

·      1 cup whole milk from pastured cows (See Resources)

·      8 ounces homemade or organic sour cream

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      1 head green cabbage or Napa cabbage, cored and finely shredded

·      Filtered water

·      1 recipe of Baked Maple Bacon, crumbled (optional)

1.    Wash, scrub and prep the potatoes.  If you don’t like skin in your mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes.  If using Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into quarters, otherwise cut potatoes into about 1-inch chunks. 

2.   Add potato chunks into a large stockpot.  Cover with just enough water to cover the potatoes (literally just enough, do not pour too much water into the pot).  Bring to a boil, uncovered.  Once boiling, reduce to a low boil for about 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender (will fall apart easily when poked with a fork). 

3.   In a medium-size saucepan, heat the milk over low heat. 

4.   While potatoes are cooking, wash and prep the cabbage.  I used Napa cabbage, removing the tougher white bottom, then julienne the green leaves.  If using regular green cabbage, quarter, remove the core, and finely shred/chop the cabbage.  [Note: I prefer shredded/julienned pieces in the Colcannon, but if you prefer smaller pieces, make sure to chop/dice the shredded cabbage.]   Set aside.

5.    Once potatoes are cooked, pour potatoes into a colander over the sink.  Add strained potatoes to a large bowl or a 9x13 casserole dish (I use a casserole dish, I find it’s much easier to mash potatoes large quantities of potatoes).  Add 8 tablespoons of butter to the potatoes.  Slowly add the warmed milk and sour cream.  Using a potato masher, mash all of the potatoes, stirring to combine ingredients, until there are no lumps anymore, or until desired consistency.     

6.   Add shredded cabbage into the same stockpot, cover with just enough water to cover the cabbage.  Bring water to a boil, boil for about 1 minute or until the cabbage turns a bright green color.  When the cabbage is bright green, remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter, stir and cover for 1-2 minutes.  Strain through colander and add cabbage to the mashed potatoes.  Stir to combine. 

7.   Add ¾ of the crumbled bacon to the Colcannon and stir to combine.

8.   Serve hot, topped with extra pasture butter and crumbled bacon pieces. 

Yield: Makes 6-8 servings.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  It’s wonderful heated up the next day. 

Vegetarian Option: Omit the bacon.

Optional Toppings: Pasture Butter, Crumbled Bacon, Lacto-fermented Sauerkraut, Lacto-fermented Kimchi


This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, and Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks. 

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes Recipe (Vegan)

We have potatoes (sweet, russet, yams, red, etc.) with our suppers once a week or so. We especially like roasted baby red potatoes. These potatoes are sweet and flavorful and are a great side dish for almost any meal.

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes Recipe

10 baby red potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, do not peel. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the potatoes in half (cut the really big ones in quarters) and put them cut side up in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 1 hour total roasting time. At the 50 minute mark, uncover the potatoes for the last 10 minutes. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a side dish.

Homemade Gnocchi Recipe (Vegetarian)

I created this gnocchi recipe originally because I wanted a use for my leftover Baked Mashed Potatoes (Vegan). I know that homemade gnocchi traditionally has mashed potatoes, flour, egg yolk, and a dash of salt in it. My Baked Mashed Potatoes (Vegan) have just baked potatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper in them, so I figured they would work great in gnocchi. Here is what I came up with. We love this gnocchi browned in some olive oil with shredded parmesan. You can also serve it with your favorite tomato sauce.

Homemade Gnocchi Recipe

1 large russet potato (1-1.15 lbs)
Olive oil for rubbing on the potato
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

-OR- 1-1/2 cup leftover Baked Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)

1-1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 egg yolk
Unbleached flour for dusting
Water by the tbsp if using leftover cold Baked Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)

To prepare the potato:

Place a piece of aluminum foil on the middle/top rack of your oven, large enough for the potato to sit on. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potato, dry it, and poke it with a fork a few times in various places. Remove your rings and drizzle a little olive oil on the potato and rub the oil over it entirely. Place it in the oven on the aluminum foil and bake it for 1-1/2 hours, until it is baked through and soft.

When the potato is done, have a mixing bowl ready. Cut it in half and squish out (or remove using a spoon) the potato from the skin into the bowl. Discard the skin (or you can eat it separately if you want). Add the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and use an electric hand mixer to whip up the mashed potatoes. You should have around 1-1/2 cup of mashed potatoes using one large russet potato.

To make the gnocchi:

Remove your rings. Then mix together by hand the mashed potatoes, flour, and egg yolk. If you're using just-made mashed potatoes, the dough should form a ball without having to add any water to it. If using leftover Baked Mashed Potatoes (Vegan) from the fridge, use 1-1/2 cup of the potatoes, and when the potatoes, flour, and egg yolk are thoroughly mixed, add water 1 tbsp at a time just until the dough forms a ball.

Lightly dust your working surface with flour. Take a small handful of dough, dust it with flour, and using your hands, roll it into a long stick shape. Use a knife to cut 1/2" pieces into the strip of dough.


For each piece of gnocchi you cut, press your finger into it to make a dimple, then round the edges a bit.

Lay out the gnocchi side by side, not touching, in an aluminum 9x12 pan lined with wax paper. When the first layer is full, start another layer right on top of it (you can have mulitiple layers of gnocchi-lined wax paper in the pan).

Either cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze the gnocchi for later, or cover and refrigerate the gnocchi until you are ready to boil them that day. If you freeze them, remember to take the pan out of the freezer after a few hours, remove the wax paper, and relocate the frozen gnocchi to a large Ziploc freezer bag.

To cook the gnocchi:

Non-stick cooking spray
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Handful of shredded parmesan cheese (fresh)

Heat a large pot of water, with a dash of salt, to boiling over High heat. Drop in gnocchi a small handful at a time until all of the gnocchi are in the pot. The gnocchi will float to the top when they are ready to take out.

Meanwhile, on another burner, heat a large skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to Low heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the floating gnocchi from the pot. Shake the spoon over the pot to drain off as much water as possible. Put the drained gnocchi in the heated skillet. Use a spatula to move the gnocchi around every couple of minutes, until all of the gnocchi are finally in the skillet. Raise the skillet heat to Med. and drizzle a little olive oil over the gnocchi, salt and pepper to taste, and saute them until all of the gnocchi are lightly browned. This will take around 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add a handful of shredded parmesan cheese to the gnocchi and mix together. Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 adults (and one small child) as a main course topped with tomato sauce (or served with a grilled meat if not vegetarian) and a side of vegetables.

Baked Sweet Potato/Yam Fries Recipe (Vegan)

I stopped buying packaged french fries years ago because of Sam's hydrogenated soybean oil sensitivity. We love roasted sweet potatoes and yams, so to do something different, I started making fries, baking them instead of frying them. The nice thing is you don't need ketchup with these fries. They are flavorful enough to eat by themselves, and are a great finger-food to eat with tacos, fried fish, or hamburgers. The picture above are yam fries (sweet potato fries are not orange).

Baked Sweet Potato/Yam Fries Recipe

1 large sweet potato or yam (or 2 small)
Non-stick cooking spray
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Peel the skin off of the sweet potato/yam. Cut it into steak fry-sized strips, not too wide or thick. Place the strips on the cookie sheet side-by-side, not overlapping, with space in between them like this (this is one large yam):


When all of the strips are layed out on the cookie sheet, spray them with cooking spray, and then salt and pepper them to taste. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Fries will be slightly carmelized when done. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a side dish.