Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

These parmesan potatoes are creamy, rich, indulgent. The perfect pair to a nicely marinated steak or a juicy piece of roasted chicken.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the clean potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cool water. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Boil potatoes until fork-tender (depending on the size of your potatoes, this will probably take about 30 minutes).

Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Mash up the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. Adjust the texture to your liking using the reserved liquid. Enjoy!

Potatoes Provençal

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbes de Provence

1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppers
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray an oven-save dish or baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Wash your potatoes, and slice them on the bias into 1/2-inch-thick coins. Sprinkle the olive oil over the potatoes. Season with pepper, salt, tossing to coat evenly. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on your prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes; then remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Herbes de Provence. Toss the potatoes carefully to distribute the herbs evenly, and return them to the oven. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown.

Spicy Southwestern Roasted Potatoes

Here's a hot and spicy side to go with your burgers. This one was inspired by Hayley, too!

Spicy Southwestern Roasted Potatoes

4-6 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into roughly equal sized wedges
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the vegetable oil and the spices until they are completely coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside. Serve warm.

Beannachtaí lá Fhéile Pádraig Duit, A Sheáin Léitheoirí!

Blessings of St. Patrick's Day to You, Dear Readers!

As I've mentioned a few times now, I have a mostly Irish heritage. So today is a fun and festive day in my family when we celebrate with food and friends! Here is what I put in my crock pot this morning. As opposed to a London Broil, I like to call this a Dublin Boil.

Here is what my crock pot probably looks like right now, bubbling away in my kitchen:

I can't wait to get home and enjoy this overflowing, bountiful Irish feast!

Dublin Boil
Inspired by a few recipes I perused in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors:Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother

3 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 12-ounce bottles Irish lager beer
2 cups of water
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" rustic chunks
1 lb. small red potatoes, rinsed clean and sliced in half
2 tablespoons Irish butter
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 cup leeks, rinsed and chopped, white part only
1 large rutabaga (i.e. turnip), peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
1 large green cabbage, cut into quarters or sixths
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Spray the inside of your 8-10 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place the corned beef brisket in the crock pot. Add the beer and enough of the water to cover the beef. Next, add the bay leaves, the peppercorns, the parsley, the Worcestershire, and the salt and pepper. Also add the potatoes and the carrots to the pot.

In a heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic, the leeks, and the yellow onion, sautéing for 4-5 minutes. Add these veggies to the crock pot.

Cover the pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is very tender. In the last hour or two of cooking, add the turnips and the cabbage. Taste the broth and season as needed with the salt and pepper.

Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve hot in generous bowls with a wedge of Irish Soda Bread.

Golden Steak Fries

Just one more reason I am glad that I let my husband register for the mini fry-daddy . . .

Golden Steak Fries

2 Idaho potatoes

Plenty of cooking oil

Plenty of salt

Plenty of freshly ground pepper

In a large pot or a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, slice your potatoes into long strips about and inch wide and 1/2 an inch thick, leaving the skins on. In batches of about 10-12 fries each, cook the fries in the oil until golden brown - about 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with ketchup.

Hubby's Veggies

My husband loves southern veggies. He could eat a veggie plate every night for dinner and be happy. One of my favorite veggie dishes that he makes for us is his Beefy Veggie Soup. It tastes so amazing that you would never believe how easy it is to make. We always have it with some nice hot cornbread on the side. Yummmmmm....

Hubby's Beefy Veggie Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of corn
1 can green beans
1 can sliced potatoes
1 can sliced carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can butter beans
1 can vegetable juice (recommended V8)

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook through, drain, and pour into a large pot or crock pot. Dump the rest of the ingredients in. Note that you should not drain the canned veggies - pour them in, juice and all. Stir ingredients together. If you're using a pot, then simmer for 1 hour. If you're using your crock pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours.

Serve with Southern Boy's Cornbread.

Guinness Beef Stew

My brothers and I calculated it once, and I think we came up with the figure of 85% - we're 85% Irish. My maiden name has an apostrophe in it, and the only bad part about being married is that I miss my apostrophe. ;-)

I like to put together a special Irish menu every St. Patrick's Day, and a couple of years ago I was inspired to try to re-create the amazing bowl of Guinness Beef Stew that I enjoyed one night in a pub in Dingle, on the west coast of Ireland, when I was studying abroad there. Now it's become one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes!

Guinness Beef Stew

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5-2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, roughly sliced
1-2 baking potatoes or 5-6 red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 16-ounce Guinness
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth or stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Clean the beef and pat it dry. In a bowl toss your stew meat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat all pieces. Arrange the meat in a single layer in the heated skillet. Cook just until the pieces are browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Note that the meat will still be raw on the inside.

Meanwhile, toss all of your veggies into the crockpot. Pour the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce over the veggies, sprinkle the thyme on top, and drop in the bay leaf. When all your meat is browned, pour it into the crockpot, too. Return the skillet to the stove and pour in the can of beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan into the broth. This not only saves you some cleaning time but also ensures that you don't lose any of the flavorful bits left behind in the pan!

Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir everything together to mix thoroughly.

Put the lid on the crock pot, and cook on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Meat should be very tender (falling apart, melting in your mouth) and veggies should be fork tender (and wonderfully cooked in the broth). Remove bay leaf and adjust the seasoning before serving, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or some hearty bread.

Old Fashioned Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Last night, we had a "24" viewing party. I made my go-to roasted potato recipe to go with our yummy roasted beef tenderloin sandwiches. These potatoes are so flavorful and crispy, making them a great healthier alternative to french fries or loaded baked potatoes when you're craving some carbs.

Old Fashioned Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

4 cups fingerling, Yukon gold, and/or new potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Pour olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle seasoning on top. Toss together with your hands until potatoes are well-coated.

Dump your potatoes in a large roasting pan, spreading into one even layer.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender. You may wish to toss the potatoes a couple of times during baking so that they cook evenly and don't stick to the sheet. Broil for last 2-3 minutes for extra crispiness.