mashed potato fritters

What I do when we have way too much leftover mashed potatoes. Also, a quicker way to basically, make latkes (sorta).

mashed potato fritters
makes 12 small pancakes

Ingredients:
3 cups chilled leftover mashed potatoes
2/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped scallions
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp, plus 1/2 cup all purpose flour
vegetable oil, for pan-frying
sour cream, for serving
scallions, chopped, for serving

In a large bowl, stir together the mashed potatoes, cheese, scallions, egg and 3 tablespoons flour until combined. (See Note at bottom) Using your hands, divide the mixture into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a compact ball then flatten it into a pancake about a 1/2-inch-thick.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow dish and carefully dredge each pancake in the flour.

Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. (Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan.)

Fry the pancakes, in batches, until they're golden brown and crispy on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more oil to the pan as needed between batches. (Do not overcrowd the pan and do not flip the pancakes too soon or they won't develop a crisp crust.) Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle them with salt.

Serve the potato pancakes topped with sour cream and garnished with additional chopped scallions.

Original Recipe's Notes:
All leftover mashed potatoes will vary in consistency depending on how much cream, milk or melted butter you added to the original batch. If the mashed potato pancake mixture looks too dry and isn't holding together, add one more egg. If it looks too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is cohesive.
 

creamy zucchini soup

quick to make and a go-to dish to make for the kids.

creamy zucchini soup
makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup vegetable stock or low-sodium broth

In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a simmer; cook until the zucchini is very soft, about 10 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, puree the soup in a blender until it's silky-smooth (or use an immersion blender). Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Serve it either hot or chilled.

lentil bolognese

another great vegetarian recipe! I think this was better than the meat bolognese I made several years ago. We used this bolognese to make sloppy joe's, but you could also serve it on top of polenta, rice or pasta.

lentil bolognesemakes one very large pot, at least 12 servings if not more!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 large carrots, finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced Italian tomatoes
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
2 cups water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, celery ad carrot. Cook, stirring as needed, until softened about 5-10 mins.

Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 30 secs. Stir in tomato paste, and cook for 1 min. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juice, basil, oregano, baking soda and salt and pepper.

Stir in lentils and water. Simmer, stirring regularly, until lentils have softened, about 20-30 mins.

italian wedding soup

This fall I've experienced the wonder and fun that are mini-meatballs in soups while eating out at a few places. One of which was this Italian wedding soup, and the next day I found myself making the exact same soup share with the rest of the family. There's something very pleasing and extra soothing about slurping a bit of soup and biting into these mini-meatballs.

I'm thinking of making a bunch of the meatballs and storing them in the freezer for whenever I have a bunch of leftovers and need a soup I know the kids will eat.

italian wedding soup
serves 10

1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 dried bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried basil
3 tbsp minced onion
1 quart chicken broth
1 1/2 quart water (6 cups)
2 cups spinach or kale (thinly sliced)
1 cup Israeli couscous or small pasta shapes
3/4 cup diced carrots

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion. Roll mixture into 3/4 in logs and cut logs into 3/4 in pieces. Roll each into a ball and set aside.

In a large stockpot, heat chicken broth and water to boiling, stir in the spinach/kale, pasta/couscous*, carrot and meatballs*. Return to boil, reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, at a slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente and meatballs are no longer pink inside.

*Pasta/couscous can be boiled seprately first to avoid soup becoming too starchy. Meatballs can be browned first in a separate pan to cut down on the grease.

coconut kale banana smoothie

I used this to mask some medicine that our daughter will have to take for the next 10 days.

coconut kale banana smoothie
1 adult serving, 2 kids servings

1 banana
2 cups chopped kale
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tsp maple syrup

garlic rubbed roasted cabbage steaks

Decided to give this a shot, and it was pleasantly delicious - the sides were crisp and salty like a chip and the centers were soft and melt in your mouth.

garlic rubbed roasted cabbage steaks
serves 4

2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 head of green cabbage
olive oil
black pepper, freshly grated
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Pull outer leaf off cabbage, cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1" slices.

Run both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic. Brush olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.

Sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Roast on the middle rack for 30 mins. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 mins until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

sesame noodles

We're trying to cook some more vegetarian dishes in our house, but we also want our food to taste yummy - like this meal. :)

sesame noodles
serves 8

1 lb spagheti, soba or Chinese egg noodles
1/2 cup rice vinegar
6 tbsp sesame paste, almond butter or peanut butter
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp or more chili-garlic sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced on bias
1 1/2 cup bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 pkg frozen shelled edamame (for vegetarian version)
1/2 lb shredded chicken (for non-veg version)
4 scallion, thinly sliced
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until tender yet firm. Drain the noodles and run cold water over them until cooled down. Drain again.

In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame paste or nut butter, honey, sesame oil and chili-garlic sauce until smooth, or combine in a jar and shake until smooth.

Put the noodles in a large bowl along with the chopped vegetables and chicken, if using. Add 3/4 of the sauce on top and toss well to distribute the sauce evenly throughout. Top with scallions and cilantro and mix again. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Add more sauce if needed.

pho noodle soup

This is what I crave all winter long, and I finally decided to learn how to make my own. It's not the simplest of recipes, but I figured if I spent time upfront making the broth, then I could freeze it and have it on hand whenever I like.

pho noodle soup
makes 6 servings

For Broth: 
5 lbs beef marrow or bones
1 lb beef tendon
2 (3 in) pieces ginger, cut in half lengthwise and lightly bruised with the flat side of a knife
2 yellow onions, peeled
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
10 whole star anise
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1 tbsp salt

 For Noodle Soup and Garnishes:
1 lb dried, wide rice sticks, soaked, cooked and drained
1/2 lb beef meatballs
1/2 lb beef sirloin, sliced paper-thin across the grain (I find them in Chinatown, pre-sliced)
1/2 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin
3 scallions, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb bean sprouts
10 sprigs basil
6 Thai or 1 serrano chili, cut into thin rings
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Place the bones and in a second pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer the bones and beef to the first pot of boiling water. Discard the water in which the meat cooked. (This cleans the bones and meat and reduces the impurities that can cloud the broth.)

Put the tendon in the emptied pot and cover with water at least 3 in above the tendon. Boil tendon and then simmer until soft, about 4 hours.  Once tendon is soft, remove from pot and once cool enough to handle, slice and add to broth. (I like to save my tendon broth and add salt and green onions for a simple white bone broth for when I'm sick or feeling under the weather).

Meanwhile, char your onions and ginger: (I think this can be done in an oven too, but haven't tried that method) Hold the piece of onion or ginger with tongs directly over an open flame or place it directly on a medium-hot electric burner. While turning, char until the edges are slightly blackened and the ginger is fragrant, about 3-4 mins. Char the onions in the same way. Peel and discard the blackened skin of the ginger and onions.

When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim the surface often to remove any foam and fat. Add the charred ginger and onions, fish sauce and sugar.

When the broth has been simmering for about 1 1/2 hours total, wrap the star anise and cloves in a spice bag (or piece of cheesecloth) and add to the broth. Let infuse until the broth is fragrant, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard both the spice bag and onions. Add the salt and continue to simmer, skimming as necessary, until you're ready to assemble the dish. The broth needs to cook for at least 2 hours. (The broth will taste salty but will be balanced once the noodles and accompaniments are added.) Leave the remaining bones to simmer in the pot while you assemble the bowls.

To serve, place the cooked noodles in preheated bowls. (If the noodles are not hot, reheat them in a microwave or dip them briefly in boiling water to prevent them from cooling down the soup.) Place a few slices of the raw sirloin on the noodles. Bring the broth to a rolling boil; ladle about 2 to 3 cups into each bowl. The broth will cook the raw beef instantly. Garnish with yellow onions, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, inviting guests to garnish the bowls with bean sprouts, herbs, chilies, lime juice and black pepper.