Roasted Potatoes with Scrumptious Pantry Catsup

Last weekend, my husband and I decided to check out Holidays on the Square, an annual open house of small businesses in Logan Square. In it's second year, this event involved dozens of Logan Square shops and restaurants offering deals and free samples. We shared a slice of rich and creamy mint chocolate chip pie offered by Bang Bang Pie Shop in a pop-up shop at Shop 1021. We drank spiked hot chocolate and sang Christmas carols with the staff at Letizia's Fiore. One of the highlights of the day was stopping by the brand new space of Scrumptious Pantry. Located at 3230 W. Fullerton, this space serves as their office and occasional event space. Last Saturday, it was open to the public and was offering free samples. My favorite was the brie on crackers, drizzled with their delicious balsamic dressing sauce. My husband loved a mixture of pickled beets and feta spread on toast. We also sampled their Heirloom Tomato Catsup "Smoky" with cranberries and chipotle and decided to take some home with us. Less sweet and more complex than your average ketchup, I decided to try Scrumptious Pantry Tomato Catsup tossed with roasted potatoes. I served with my Black Bean Burgers for a tasty meal.

You can purchase Scrumptious Pantry products, including their three catsups, at their website.

Roasted Potatoes with Scrumptious Pantry Catsup
Serves 2

4-6 medium red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Scrumptious Pantry Tomato Catsup "Smoky"
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks, leaving the skin on.
3. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Toss with 1/3 cup Scrumptious Pantry Cranberry Chipotle Catsup.
6. Return to oven and roast for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
7. Serve with more catsup.

Colorful Potatoes and Three Pea Salad

I recently posted a recipe for Three Pea and Apple Salad. I have extras of all three types of peas, but no more apples, so I decided to make a cold potato and pea salad.

Colorful Potatoes and Three Pea Salad
Serves 6


1 cup fresh English peas
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup snow peas
1 pound multicolored potatoes
1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add three types of peas to boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add ice to large bowl of water. After peas have been cooking for 3 minutes, using slotted spoon immediately drain and shock peas in ice water bath. (Reserve boiling water.) Leave peas in ice water as you prepare the rest of the salad.
4. Cut potatoes into wedges. Add to pot of boiling water.
5. Cook potatoes about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool.
6. Toss together peas, potatoes, goat cheese, green onions, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Leek and Potato Gratin

This is actually one of my first times using leeks. Now that I've tried them, I don't know what took me so long! I'm always experimenting with potato gratins and sauteed leeks add a great spring flavor to this gratin. For more gratin ideas, you can visit my posts Potato Au Gratin Three Ways and Tomatillo Potato Gratin.

Leek and Potato Gratin
Serves 6

2 leeks
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sage
Generous salt and pepper

1. To prepare leeks, chop off bottom and the green stalk. Take white parts and carefully wash. Chop.
2. Heat butter over medium heat. Add leaks and saute until leeks are tender, about ten minutes. Toss leeks with salt, cracked black pepper, and sage.
3. Wash potatoes, but don't peal. (A lot of flavor and nutrients are in the potato's skin. Also, I hate peeling potatoes!)
4. Using mandolin, thinly slice potatoes. (A food processor also works well here. Whenever I serve potato gratins to a crowd, I'll use my food processor to make it easier.)
5. Layer potatoes, leeks, and cheese. After each layer, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Last layer should end with potatoes, topped with more cheese.
6. Cover a bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.
7. Remove cover and bake for 15-30 minutes more, or until potatoes are fully cooked and cheese is browned.

I served the Leek and Potato Gratin with a salad of
arugula, thinly sliced apples, and lemon juice.

Aloo Mutter (Indian Potatoes and Peas)

About a year ago, I finally went out and purchased all the Indian spices, like turmeric and coriander, that were missing from my kitchen. Not surprisingly, having the right spices made my Indian cooking taste much more authentic. Indian food is a wonderful option for vegetarians and plenty of meat eaters also love vegetarian dishes like this aloo mutter. Stay tuned for the creamy chicken dish I also served with this recipe.

Aloo Mutter

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 russet potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper and saute one minute more.
4. Add tomato sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil.
5. Add potatoes and cover. Cook over medium heat, about 15 minutes.
6. Add frozen peas. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes more. If potatoes aren't done, add another cup of hot water and continue cooking, covering sauce pan.
8. Add generous salt and pepper.

7. Top with fresh cilantro and serve. 

Goat Cheese Potato Salad

Goat cheese makes a tangy sauce for these multicolored potatoes from Trader Joe's. This is best served warm topped with fresh parsley.

Goat Cheese Potato Salad
Serves 4

1 bag multicolored small potatoes
2 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons half and half
2 tablespoons mayo with olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley

1. Cut potatoes into wedges. Place in salted boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, mix together goat cheese, half and half, mayo, salt, and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of the water the potatoes are cooking in. Stir until creamy, adding more water if needed.
3. Drain potatoes. Immediately mix with goat cheese sauce. Serve topped with freshly cracked pepper and fresh parsley.

Tomatillo Potato Gratin

Have you tried tomatillos? These vegetables look like tiny green tomatoes and have a sweet and tangy flavor. Most often found in salsa verde, I've discovered they add flavor to a variety of dishes. This recipe involves a lot of thinly sliced vegetables and is much easier with a mandolin. For the hot sauce, I used a poblano hotsauce from Co-Op Sauce.

Tomatillo Potato Gratin
Serves 4-6

4 tomatillos, husks removed and thinly sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
4 ounces cheddar cheeses, shredded
1 jalapeno, cut into rounds
1/2 of an onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of hot sauce (or less, if you prefer a milder dish)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter

1. Layer potatoes, tomatillos, onions, jalapeno, and cheddar cheese. Lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.
2. Repeat layering until potatoes, tomatillos, and onions are used up.
3. Top with a bit more cheese, hot sauce, and jalapenos. Dot with butter.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

Fingerling Potato Salad

I've been finding multicolored fingerling potatoes at Jewel lately. Each type of potato has it's own flavor. Use a high quality grainy mustard to bring out the flavor of the potatoes.

Fingerling Potato Salad
Serves 2

1 package of mixed fingerling potatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon mayo with olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
Fresh chives
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring pot of water to a boil.
2. Add potatoes and cook about 30 minutes, or until potatoes can be pierced by a fork.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together mayo, olive oil, grainy mustard, red onion, chives, salt, and pepper.
4. Drain potatoes, return to pot and combine with mustard mixture. Serve warm.

I served this with Watermelon and Orange Salad with Feta and Basil.

Potato and Watercress Chowder

I paired this potato and watercress chowder with ham and provolone paninis. This is a great weeknight meal.  The flavor comes from all the spices in this soup, not from added fat.

Watercress and Potato Chowder
Serves 4

1 potato, pealed and diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bunch of watercress, reserve a few leaves for garnish
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons light cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/3 tablespoon butter
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. Heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and saute 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, separate leaves from stems of watercress. Dice stems.
4. Add chicken broth, milk, watercress stems, cream cheese, and spices. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
5. When potatoes are cooked through, add watercress leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully pour soup into a blender. Blend until smooth.
7. Return to pot and keep warm until ready to serve.
8. Serve garnished with reserved watercress leaves.

Roasted Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables on a Bed of Polenta

My husband recently ordered braised beef short ribs and vegetables that was served on a bed of polenta at Chicago restaurant Piccolo Songo. I'm not a fan of beef short ribs, but was interested in trying chicken and vegetables served on top of polenta. The combination is delicious! I served this with a side of roasted cherry tomatoes for an elegant meal.

Roasted Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Serves 2
 

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large pieces
1 red pepper, cut into large pieces
4 carrots, cut into large pieces
1 white onion, cut into large pieces
1 cup fingerling potatoes, cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper
Fresh chives for garnish

 

1. Combine chicken, vegetables, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. Roast in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.
3. Serve on a bed of soft polenta, topped with chives

Soft Polenta
Serves 2
1/2 cup quick cooking polenta
1 and 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil.
2. Add polenta and stir constantly for five minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 2

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, diced

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil.

Vegetable Spanish Omelet

A traditional tortilla espanola contains only potatoes, eggs, onions, and olive oil. That's delicious as a side dish or snack, but for dinner, I like to dress up a Spanish omelet with a variety of fresh veggies.

Vegetable Spanish Omelet
Serves 2-4

6 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook potatoes in 1 tablespoon olive oil until cooked through, but not browned, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Combine with all other ingredients.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan, as needed. Heat over medium heat.
4. Add potato mixture. Using spatula, press down potatoes.
5. Cook over medium heat until eggs are set, about 10-15 minutes. Do not stir.
6. Serve in wedges.

Shoestring Roasted Veggies

Last month, I bought a Groupon for Organics Delivered, an organic food delivery company. For $30, Organics Delivered drops off 2 deliveries of a variety of fruits and vegetables to your home. The photo below shows my first delivery. I'll be doing some recipe experimenting to find creative ways to use all the fruits and vegetables I received.

The first recipe I created used the interesting shaped squash I received. Substitute any hard winter squash available.

Shoestring Roasted Veggies
Serves 2

1 sweet potato
1 potato
1 hard winter squash, any variety
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

1. Slice vegetables thinly, as shown below.

2. Mix vegetables, olive oil, and spices together.
3. Roast at 400 degrees, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich with Chipotle Oven Fries

I love using my slower cooker to prepare chicken dishes. I don't have to do much handling of raw meat and I can be confident that the chicken is cooked through, but not dried out. This easy chicken recipe can be prepared in the morning or afternoon to be ready in time for dinner. The sandwich pairs wonderfully with crispy chipotle oven fries.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich
Serves 4
2 pieces chicken breast (fresh or frozen)
1/2 of an onion, sliced
1 cup of barbecue sauce
4 buns

1. Place chicken and onions in slow cooker. Top with enough barbecue sauce to cover chicken.

2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 5-6 hours.
3. About 1 hour before you're ready to eat, remove fully cooked breasts. Shred meat using a fork and return to slow cooker. Cook for 1 more hour.
4. Serve on buns with oven fries.

Chipotle Oven Fries
Serves 4
2 large potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1. Slice potatoes into thick wedges.
2. Combine with olive oil and chipotle chili powder.

I use my hands to mix the potatoes to ensure all potatoes are coated in olive oil and spices.

3. Cook for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Stir twice during cooking.

Potato Au Gratin Three Ways

Traditional potato au gratin is a delicious--and extremely unhealthy--comfort food. It typically calls for both heavy cream and lots of butter. I've lightened up potato au gratin three different ways. All are still creamy and cheesy, but they are much more nutritious.

Potato Au Gratin with Cottage Cheese

Potato Au Gratin with Cottage Cheese

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

2 Idaho potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 of a white onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 egg

2 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon red pepper

Salt and pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together and place in casserole dish. 

2. Top with additional cheese and red pepper.

3. Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

4. Remove cover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Au Gratin with Sharp Cheddar

Roasted Vegetables with Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Roasted vegetables are a great winter option. While this recipe is versatile enough to use with any vegetables you have on hand, I recommend always including onions to get the best flavor. Adding potatoes to the mix makes this substantial enough to be a main dish. I paired these vegetables with goat cheese bruschetta for a easy side dish.

Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4


5 small Yukon gold potatoes
2 small blue potatoes
1 medium white onion
2 carrots, pealed
1 green pepper
4 whole garlic cloves, pealed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper
Salt

1. Coarsely chop all vegetables except garlic.
2. Combine with olive oil, red pepper, whole garlic cloves, and salt.
3. Roast at 450 degrees 20-30 minutes.

Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Serves 2


2 small ciabatta rolls, cut in half
1/2 cup store bought bruschetta mixture
1 ounce goat cheese

1.) Spread goat cheese on ciabatta.
2.) Top with bruschetta mixture.
3.) Put in oven when the vegetables have 10 minutes longer to cook.