A Kitchen Keeper Original - 15 Minute Chicken Hash O'Brien

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Including hash in a collection of my favorite recipes will seem strange to some. A quick glance at the recipe will show just how easy this dish is to make. As a matter of fact, it's so simple that there are foodies who will reject it out of hand. That is their loss, not yours or mine. While I make it less these days, this was a staple in my kitchen when the children were at home and I was working. When the clock and calendar got the better of me, I, without embarrassment, would buy the chicken and frozen potatoes needed for the hash on my way home from work. This hearty dish can be made in one large skillet and you can have on the table in about 15 minutes. While it's completely lacking in sophistication, the hash makes a great weeknight meal, and if you are rushed and the gang is hungry, you might want to give this recipe a try. The only caution I have to share with you regards the amount of salt you add to the dish. I use a chicken bouillon paste to add quick flavor to the hash, but it is salty. While this dish will need additional seasoning, you'll want to add additional salt in small increments if you use the paste. Frozen Potatoes O'Brien contain peppers and onions. Make sure you use them rather than regular hash brown potatoes which are not seasoned. I think you'll like this hash. It is hearty, easy to make and tasty. Your family will enjoy it. Here is how it's made.

Herbed Potato Frittata

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a great recipe to have on hand when you are short of time or money. I serve frittatas for light suppers and brunch, so when I saw this one in Fine Cooking magazine, I knew I'd have to give it a try. Tonight was the night. The good news is the frittata is delicious and much of it can be prepared well ahead of serving. I did vary the recipe slightly. I blanched the potatoes to assure they'd cook in the allotted time and I added some Parmesan cheese to boost the flavor a bit. I also used bacon drippings to saute the potatoes and onions. While I peeled and diced potatoes, I suspect that frozen O'Brien potatoes could be used to save some time and make this dish even easier to prepare. I do hope you'll save this recipe to your files. It will come in handy on busy school nights, and if you are a long range planner, it would be a great addition to your holiday recipe collection. Here is how the frittata is made.

Skordalia (Greek Potato and Garlic Dip) with Zucchini Fritters

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know. I know. Just yesterday I promised there'd be no more recipes for zucchini. Actually, I promised no more recipes for zucchini bread, so I haven't really gone back on my word. While this post does feature zucchini fritters - incredibly good zucchini fritters, I might add - its real purpose is to share a recipe for Skordalia, a Greek garlic and potato dip that is wonderful to serve with fritters, crusty bread or substantial chips. Not many folks know about Skordalia, or how easy and inexpensive it is to make. I hope we can remedy that tonight. I have two cautions to share with you. First, while the dip can be made with mashed or riced potatoes, it is infinitely easier to make with a food processor. With that fillip taken care of, the remaining caution is that the potatoes must be warm when they go into the processor if you want your dip to have a smooth texture. The dip is full-flavored and tasty, and if you are looking for an uncommon dip or spread, do give this one a try. It is wonderful when served warm with zucchini fritters. Here is how it is made.

Julia's Potato Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been at least thirty years since I made these pancakes. My children loved potato pancakes, and while they were still at home we sampled versions made in various countries around the world. I was taken aback when I found a recipe for them in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As you might suspect, her version was a bit more complicated than most, but I'll try almost anything once, so they ended up on my table. As it turned out, my family really liked them, and, for a period of time, hers were our pancake of choice. As often happens with foods that we enjoy, but have so often we tire of them, Julia's recipe was retired when our last child went off to school. I've been going through magazines and cookbooks selecting those that will be donated and given a new home at our library's next used book sale. When I came to MAFC I stopped what I was doing and began to page through its well-worn pages. I came to the potato pancake recipe and knew they would be part of our dinner tonight. You must be forewarned, these are not a dieter's delight. If you are watching your weight, run to the nearest exit. If you allow yourself to fall from grace occasionally, do give these pancakes a try. I have a few cautions to share with you. You'll be much happier with the pancakes if you grate the potatoes on a box grater rather than in a food processor. I've altered the recipe to include carrots along with the potatoes. If you prefer not to use them, simply add another cup of potatoes to the mixture and you'll be fine. Prior to cooking, taste the batter carefully for a final addition of salt and pepper, and, as with all pancakes, do not attempt to turn them until they have browned at the edges. As it turned out, the potato pancakes ended up being dinner rather part of it. I poached eggs to put on top of them, and along with a salad, the pancakes made a great light supper. I'm always surprised by how few of Julia's early recipes are actually on the internet. I was not able to find this elsewhere, so I thought you might want to add it as a footnote to your collection of her recipes. Here is how her potato pancakes are made.

Irish Potato Pancakes - Boxty

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a reprise of a recipe I featured in 2009. It was part of a series that featured foods associated with festival of light celebrations that occur in December. I'm still not sure how boxty, Irish potato pancakes, ended up in that arc, but these pictures are undeniable proof they did. Here is how I saw the connection back then.

The winter solstice is nearly here and since recorded time we've tried to beat back its darkness with celebrations of light and fire. We adorn our trees and windows with lights and flickering tapers fill our homes with an artificial warmth and glow. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, begins next week and I realized I had posted no recipes for those who enjoy this wonderful celebration. I don't have many, but the ones I do have should be shared with others. My plan was to post recipes for latkes and tzimmes. Then, in what my Mother would call a flight of fancy, I started thinking of my paternal grandmother. Grandma Maude was Irish and more Catholic than the pope. I've mentioned in other posts that she spent her year traveling to the homes of her many children. She managed to rotate the dates so we all got to enjoy her company for one holiday or another. Well, today, in the middle of solstice preparations, memories of Lent with Grandma Maude came flowing back. Very old school, she was into what we, years ago, called the Black Fast. The particulars of that practice are best left to those of us who lived through it, but memories of Maude and days of fast and abstinence were triggered by, of all things, latkes. Grandma Maude had a very Irish recipe that she was convinced would carry the most egregious heathen through the Lenten season. Her weapon was boxty, an Irish potato cake that is far more dense than a latke. I'll tell you up front that it is delicious, but the only thing it has in common with a latke is its main ingredient, the potato. I learned to make latkes in the German and Scandinavian kitchens of my childhood. The goal was always a lacy, thin creation that when held to the air would allow the passage of light and not bend. Sounds easy, but it's not. My knuckles were regularly rapped until I perfected the technique. Maude's pancakes were thick and heavy and more likely to break a toe than emit light. The thing was, they were delicious, and as good in their own way, as the lacy cakes that came from the kitchens of others.

So, I have retrieved the recipe for boxty from my archives in hopes that you will make these clunky, but delicious, cakes part of your St. Patrick's Day celebration. Here is how they are made.

Uncommonly Delicious - My Recipe Rotation - Potato Curry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of the newer recipes in my rotation. I originally made it to serve as a side dish, but I have since started to add thinly sliced pork or chicken to make the dish substantial enough to be a main course. I loved these potatoes the first time I served them and they are still growing on me. Here is what I had to say just a few months ago.


I stumbled on this recipe several months ago while looking for vegan dishes I could serve to a visiting friend. The recipe was created by Jennifer Harmon and I found this potato curry on her blog Peppers and Peaches. We have had it several times since then, and while he will not eat it as a main course, even the Silver Fox likes it as a side dish when it is served with plain grilled meat or poultry. The dish is easy to make and relatively inexpensive to prepare, so it is great to serve on a busy day or those times when the numbers at your table expand without warning and you need to extend a small entree with a hearty side dish. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients for the curry and another 20 to 25 minutes for it to cook, so you can have it on the table within 30 minutes. The dish pulls elements from the Thai Mussaman curry and an Indian potato and pea curry that is called Aloo Matar. The coconut milk adds a smooth and lovely richness to the dish that makes it seem far more extravagant than it actually is. Chances are you'll have some extra sauce left over even if you use the full compliment of potatoes. I save it and serve it over rice noodles the following day, so nothing goes to waste. Those of you who try this will be both pleased and surprised. The potatoes are delicious and may even become a favorite of yours. Here is how this vegan and gluten-free dish is made.

Italian-Style Potato Wedges

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We're still at the lake, and since this our last night with friends, a special dinner seemed to be in order. The guys, who were suppose to be fishing, came back from ye old fishing hole with grass fed T-bone steaks instead of salmon. I can't help but wonder what kind of bait they used. At any rate, since the steaks would be grilled, that left the TWO burner range and small oven for preparation of what was suppose to be a special meal. These potatoes wedges are perfect to serve with plain grilled meat or poultry and they are simple to make. The potatoes, along with fresh sweet corn and a Caesar salad, could all be prepared in the small kitchen without straining the kitchen or the cooks and left time enough to make a blackberry shortcake for dessert. It was a lovely meal and the company was great, but now that the smoke is clearing from the valley, it is time for us to head home with grateful thoughts of friends who took in orphans of the storm. I do hope you'll give these gutsy potatoes a try. The recipe comes from a blog called Creme de la Crumb, which you can find here. I think you'll love them for their flavor and ease of preparation. They are especially good when served with a remoulade or green goddess-type dressing for dipping. Here is how they are made.

Potato Curry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I stumbled on this recipe several months ago while looking for vegan dishes I could serve to a visiting friend. The recipe was created by Jennifer Harmon and I found this potato curry on her blog Peppers and Peaches. We have had it several times since then, and while he will not eat it as a main course, even the Silver Fox likes it as a side dish when it is served with plain grilled meat or poultry. The dish is easy to make and relatively inexpensive to prepare, so it is great to serve on a busy day or those times when the numbers at your table expand without warning and you need to extend a small entree with a hearty side dish. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare the ingredients for the curry and another 20 to 25 minutes for it to cook, so you can have it on the table within 30 minutes. The dish pulls elements from the Thai Mussaman curry and an Indian potato and pea curry that is called Aloo Matar. The coconut milk adds a smooth and lovely richness to the dish that makes it seem far more extravagant than it actually is. Chances are you'll have some extra sauce left over even if you use the full compliment of potatoes. I save it and serve it over rice noodles the following day, so nothing goes to waste. Those of you who try this will be both pleased and surprised. The potatoes are delicious and may even become a favorite of yours. Here is how this vegan and gluten-free dish is made.

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...About five days into a family visit, my refrigerator starts to look overstuffed and leftovers in small portions develop an attitude as they claim real estate needed by other things. I have dabs of gravy, mounds of rice and, best of all, mashed potatoes that are ready to erupt as those from Sunday meet those from Tuesday and have no where to go. Fortunately, the younger members of the family are better with leftovers than their parents, who I am ashamed to say I raised. When it comes to leftovers, I've found that breakfast is the best time to use them. To that end, we've had fried rice and sausage with gravy and, of course, pancakes made with those ever growing mounds of potatoes. Tonight's feature is neither a glamorous or gourmet offering, but it is a fine way to use up pesky potatoes and the kids can help prepare them. There are no tricks to making these pancakes, but I have one hint that I want to share with you. Make sure the downside has crusted before you attempt to turn them. They will fall apart if you rush this step. The kids who eat eggs like to have them on top of the pancakes and while the original recipe calls for sour cream, I serve them with  applesauce for the anti-egg crew. If you end up with a quantity of leftover potatoes, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here is how the pancakes are made.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made these potatoes to serve alongside the roast chicken we had on Valentine's Day. I found the recipe for the potatoes on a site called Rock Recipes which you can find here. They potatoes go perfectly with any plain roast meat or poultry. They have wonderful color and I know you will enjoy them. While the potatoes have crisp exteriors, their interiors remain soft and once you taste them, I think you'll agree that they are delicious. They are also easy to make. Barry Parsons developed the recipe and he shared a tip with his readers that I think you will find helpful. Did you know that preheating the pan in which you are going to roast the potatoes, will keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan as they bake? It worked like a charm for me. If you like roasted potatoes, give this well-seasoned version a try. Here is the recipe.

Tapas - Roasted Potato Wedges with Chili Tomato Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Spaniards love potatoes. French fries accompanied nearly every meal we had in Spain and roasted potatoes, in one form or another, appeared on all the tapas menus we encountered. The potatoes I'm featuring tonight are a mild version of the hot and spicy home fries called Patatas Bravas. I like to use the wedge shape because it is ideal for dipping and dunking and it is easier to serve as a tapas entry. The potato wedges can also be eaten without utensils and that makes them ideal tapas fare. I blanch the potatoes I use for this dish. It gives them a head start on the cooking process and allows me to use a higher heat to nicely brown and crisp the exterior of the potatoes without burning them. This is an extremely simple dish to make and it can be sauced to your personal taste. I prefer to use fresh chilies in the sauce, but red pepper flakes make an adequate substitute if fresh chilies are not available. While it is a matter of personal preference, I do not completely puree the chili tomato sauce. I like my sauce to have a bit of texture and the wedges are thick enough to handle it. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the potatoes are made.

Colcannon for All Hollow's Eve - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Colcannon for All Hollow's Eve

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Back in the day, this was a perennial favorite on my Halloween table. Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish associated with Halloween, is made with potatoes and savoy cabbage and served with a well of butter in its center. It's simple and delicious and comes with folklore that's sure to please the curious or superstitious. The tale, as told to me, concerns the fate of unmarried women who would put the first and last spoonfuls of Halloween colcannon into a stocking and hang it on their doors. Their shared belief was that the first man who walked through the door would become their husband. Immigration statistics and the birth rate, all those years ago, lead me to believe this didn't work real well. Back then, the ingredients used to make colcannon could be found in any Irish country garden. The second bit of blarney revolved around the selection of a cabbage from that garden by a blindfolded, unmarried woman. The cabbage she selected would be used to make a colcannon into which a ring was hidden. Of course, the person who found the ring would be the next to marry. I must warn you that my recipe for colcannon uses classic ingredients but techniques that my grandmother would frown upon. There are two or three steps to assembling any colcannon. The meat, if used, should be cooked before the potatoes and the cabbage are started. I use a slab of bacon to make mine. Ham can also be used. I simmer it in water for about 45 minutes before dicing it. My potatoes are conventional enough, though I do steam rather than boil them. I prefer to cook my cabbage in a wok. It's the easiest way I know to assure crisp tender greens that aren't water logged. When it all is assembled it looks like a traditional colcannon, but there will be a hint of smoke to play against crisp cabbage. The recipe can be found here.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                   One Year Ago Today:                                                      Two Years Ago Today:

          Crock Pot Chinese Hacked Pork                                           Day of the Dead Bread

             Three Years Ago Today:                                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

   Pumpkin and Cinnamon Squares                                                  Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Rösti - Swiss Hash Brown Potatoes - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Rösti - Swiss Hash Brown Potatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It takes a while to work your way through ten pounds of potatoes. Despite all the potatoes I used last week, there was still a couple of pounds left in the sack that I wanted to finish up. I didn't want to repeat any of the dishes I had already made, so I skimmed through my files looking for a specific recipe for the Swiss version of hash brown potatoes that's called rösti. The recipe comes from Saveur magazine and I have had and used it for over a decade now. I love these potatoes, but I don't make them as often as I'd like because of the time required to get them on the table. There is nothing hard about the recipe, but the potatoes cook twice and must be chilled before they are finally browned. I usually boil and chill the potatoes the day before I plan to serve them, but, even with advanced planning, you still need the better part of an hour to complete their cooking. That being said, they are worth waiting for. The Silver Fox and I first had them years ago in a ski resort where we spent a completely unplanned day. Bad weather had forced us off the road and this was the only place to stay. We refer to the interlude as our introduction to après skiing and rösti and the meaning of the word fleeced. Rösti is a Swiss dish that consists mainly of potatoes. It is a common breakfast dish and many consider it to be the national dish of Switzerland. It was originally considered to be a complete breakfast, but over time it became an accompaniment to other dishes and was served with meals throughout the day. The dish is made with coarsely grated potatoes which can be cooked or raw. They are shaped into rounds or cooked as a large cake in a frying pan. While some add additional ingredients, the dish traditionally is seasoned only with salt and pepper before it is slowly fried in lard or butter. The process produces a wonderful crust and creamy interior that distinguishes it from standard hash browns. If you are a breakfast lover and have never tasted these potatoes, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. You will be wowed. I promise. Directions for making rösti can be found here.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                   One Year Ago Today:                                              Two Years Ago Today:

          Russian Tea Room Carrot Bread                           Skillet Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

               Three Years Ago Today:                                                 Four Years Ago Today: 

                   Chunky Apple Cake                                             Braised Vietnamese Fish - Ca Kho To

Table for Two - Amish Potato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While we are miles removed from the physical danger posed by the Deception Creek fires here in Oregon, the smoke is settling in our part of the valley and its acrid odor makes air quality readings completely unnecessary. It's a bit like suspicious leftovers, if you can smell it, chances are it's gone bad, and in this case its gone really bad. The Silver Fox and I decided to head to the coast for a picnic and some fresh ocean air. It was a last minute decision, so I only had an hour to pack the hamper and get us out of Dodge. Fortunately, I had cooked potatoes and eggs in the refrigerator, so I decided to make one of the easiest and best salads I have in my hopper, an Amish potato salad whose simplicity makes it a standout. The salad uses no onions or celery and consists, in the main, of eggs and potatoes that are coated with a sweet mustard dressing that pulls it all together. It took all of 10 minutes to assemble the salad and get it on ice for the trip to the coast. I really think you'll like this, but I do have one caution to share with you. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar and I found that that is way too much for our tastes. I cut the measure in half and was still happy with the results. Unless you like your salads swimming in dressing, I suspect you'll have more of it than you need to bind the salad ingredients. I used the excess on sandwiches I was making for our picnic. This recipe is fast and easy to make, but its best feature, other than its exceptional taste, is that it is scaled to feed just two people. If you are no longer cooking for a crew, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here is how the potato salad is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Poutine

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect that many of you have never heard of poutine. It's the French Canadian equivalent of comfort food and it's a favorite of our neighbors to the north, where some refer to it as the "National Dish of Canada." Poutine, by the way, is from a Quebecois slang word that means "mess". While it sounds dreadful, and doesn't look much better, poutine, a dish which consists of French fries that are topped with cheese curds and gravy, has crossed the border and has developed a committed following here in the United States. The exact origin of poutine is unknown, but as best as anyone can tell, it started in Quebec in the 1950’s, when cheese curds and gravy were added to orders of carry-out fries. A version of the dish known as "disco fries" was made in New Jersey soon after that,  but it used shredded mozzarella cheese rather than the cheddar curds that identify the classic dish. The curds are finger-tipped sized chunks of cheddar that have a briny taste similar to that of cottage cheese. They are usually sold in a bags, and if you are fortunate enough to get them freshly packed, they will actually squeak when you bite into them. Your grocery store may carry them and they can also be ordered online. Poutine was once an embarrassment to the French-Canadian populations of Montreal and Quebec, where great value was placed on their reputations for high-end cuisine. They considered it to be a low-end rural food, but as homely cooking gained international recognition it became more acceptable, not unlike our mac n' cheese to which lobster and crab can now be added. While the correct "gravy" used to top the fries can be debated, it is most often shown as being dark and rich. I decided to use Emeril LaGasse's recipe because he used a roux to make his sauce and I suspected it would be delicious. It is, but it took much longer to develop color and thicken than his recipe suggested. I've included my times along with his in the recipe that appears below. He also blanched the potatoes before frying, which gave them a wonderful crust while allowing their interiors to remain soft as they cooked. I LOVE THIS DISH and were it not so high in calories I'd have it once a week. DO TRY THIS RECIPE. It makes a poutine that will have your socks going up and down. It is not expensive to make and it can be served as an appetizer or main course, depending on your sensibilities and the state of your waistline. Here is the recipe for this week's Frugal Foodie Friday feature.

Table for Two - Homemade Hash Browns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It has been a while since I posted a Table for Two recipe, but I was thrilled when several of you asked that they keep coming and be set apart from other recipes on the blog, perhaps even giving them  a category all their own. Come September, if the good Lord is willin' and the creek don't rise, they will be given their own page where they can be accessed quickly and in a much easier fashion than is now the case. Tonight's recipe is simple in the extreme, but I promise you'll find this version of hash brown potatoes to be delicious, as well as being scaled to feed just two people. The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens, so you can rest assured it has been tested and the results will be spot on. I do have a couple of tips to share with you though. When I fry these I use a combination of oil and butter. The butter adds flavor, while the oil helps keep the butter from burning when the potatoes are cooked at a higher temperature. The next tip is an admission of sorts. I am not a ballerina in the kitchen, so I have to be extremely careful when it comes to flipping or turning anything. My simultaneous handling of two spatulas is better suited to a comedy routine than a cooking blog. Over the years, I've developed coping mechanisms that make me appear less clumsy than I actually am. In this case, I turn the half done potato cake onto a flat plate and slip the uncooked side of back into the pan to finish the cooking. I actually use the bottom of a cheesecake pan, which is perfectly flat,  to make the transfer. If you decide to follow suit, be forewarned that it will get hot very quickly and you will curse my name if you are not using pot holders of some type. Remember, I warned you. The Silver Fox and I have passed the age where hash browns can be part of every breakfast we eat, but when I make them, we usually use them as a base for eggs. His are basted and not quite set, while I prefer mine to be poached. The goal here is an egg that will run over the potatoes when poked, adding its eggy richness to the mix. We both like these potatoes and they are a regular feature of holiday breakfasts and those occasions when we have breakfast for dinner. I hope you will try this recipe. I know you'll be pleased with the results. Here is how these homemade hash browns are made.

Greek-Style Roast Potatoes - We Are 238 Years Old Today

Photo courtesy of veteransunited.com

Have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. It's time for all of us to celebrate.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are still looking for something to serve with your steaks or plain grilled chicken, I highly recommend this simple potato dish. The potatoes are easy and inexpensive to make and they are simply packed with flavor. I made them for the first time last evening and I liked them so well that they will become are a regular feature at my table. The potatoes bake for what seems a long time, but they get brown and crusty and all-together delicious as they cook. I know those of you who try them will love them and serve them often. Here is how they are made.

Table for Two - Warm Potato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love the ease that comes with summer cooking, but it does present some problems for smaller families. Most recipes for summer sides make enough food to feed the entire neighborhood, and unless you really, really like potato or three bean salad, their leftovers can become ponderous. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is an adaption of one that first appeared in Bon Appetit magazine. The salad, which is very pleasant, is similar to German potato salad but it contains no bacon. The Silver Fox insists that German potato salad must have bacon, so I've removed country of origin from the recipe title to please him. In addition to reducing the quantity of ingredients used in its preparation, I've substantially changed the way the recipe is made, and use a microwave to make the dish faster to assemble. It can be table ready in about 20 minutes. I suspect that those of you in the small family category will really like this salad, but I must admit to a personal prejudice. I'm a mayonnaise kind of gal and I miss its presence in my salad. If you have a small batch recipe for a mayonnaise-type salad, I hope you'll share it with me. It would be appreciated. In the meantime, here is how this fast and easy, warm potato salad is made.