M-J’s Golden Potatoes

High Praise for the Lowly Potato

Potatoes: the much-maligned tubers aren’t guilty of fattening us. The added fats in potato-preparation are the culprits. Spuds contain a “resistant starch” that aids in burning body-fat. This humble vegetable that grows low on the ground is high in nutrients. 

A potato supplies more potassium per ounce than a banana. Potassium helps to regulate blood-pressure and blood-sugar. Potatoes also contain vitamin C, B-6 and about 60 anti-oxidants.

M-J’s Recipe for Golden Brown Potatoes

M-J's Golden Potatoes

Peel and cut into quarters or eighths, as many potatoes as you think you need for dinner. The cut potatoes should resemble chunks or nuggets. One potato per person is a safe bet; the leftovers can be re-heated and eaten the next day.

Boil water in a pot, with saffron, salt and/or chicken bouillon to your taste. Add the potato chunks and boil them for twenty minutes. For a more orange appearance, some paprika may also be added. Drain potatoes and then sauté them in butter or the fat of your choice until brown. Alternatively, you may coat the potatoes in melted butter and salt, then bake them on a cookie sheet until brown. A good way to evenly distribute the coating is to put the potatoes, oil and seasoning in a Zip-Lock bag and shake gently, being careful not to break the potato chunks.
Baked or sautéed, these potatoes are soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside.
~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Elegant, Economical British Dishes Presented by Elaine Lemm on Video

Delicious, Economical British Classics Presented by Elaine Lemm

Here are three classic British recipes presented in video form by Elaine Lemm on about.com: the Cornish Pasty (a favorite in my family for four generations, which I made for English-Speaking Union parties at my house many times); Bakewell Tart (invented in Bakewell, England), an elegant dessert, the taste of which  reminds me of Danish pastry; and Irish Colcannon–a vitamin-rich, green-and-white dish that could serve as an economical meal, which contains three vegetables.

Italian Easter Pie: Torta di Pasqua

Torta di Pascua

Puff pastry or pie dough, enough to line and cover an 11-inch pie-plate

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 lbs. of ricotta cheese, well-strained to remove all liquid (setting the ricotta cheese in a strainer over a bowl overnight is best)

1/2 lb. mild or hot Italian sausage, sliced and lightly fried in olive oil

8 to 10 slices of prosciutto ham, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of diced mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons of chopped or dried parsley

Freshly ground pepper, and salt, to taste

One egg-yolk and one tablespoon of water for glaze

Prepare your pastry. Beat the eggs into the ricotta cheese, and add the rest of the ingredients. Roll out the pastry or pie dough, and line the pie-pan with one-half of it. Pour filling into the dough-lined pan, and lay the rest of your dough on top of it, sealing, trimming, and crimping the edges. Brush the top with an egg-yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water. Make pretty slits in the top of the crust, and bake in a moderately hot 350* oven for forty-five minutes to an hour, until the top of Easter Pie is golden. Serve Torta di Pasqua either warm or at room temperature. This recipe serves 8 people.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Sautéed Swiss Chard and Pine Nuts

M-J's Sautéed Swiss Chard and Pine Nuts

Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2007

Cook one head of separated Swiss chard leaves in rapidly boiling, salted water (blanch them) for two minutes. Drain and dry the Swiss chard leaves, then chop them into bite-sized pieces with a French chef’s knife. In a hot frying pan, put three tablespoons of olive oil and one half-teaspoon of powdered red chile or one half-teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper.  When the  oil has turned red, add a quarter-teaspoon of Himalayan salt, and one-half cup of pine nuts (piñon, pignolia).  Cook until pine nuts are toasted and reddish, then remove from the oil. Add the chopped chard and sautée until soft enough to eat. Toss the Swiss chard with the toasted red pine nuts and serve. This makes an excellent accompaniment to chicken.
~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2007

Swiss Chard Leaves: Elegant and Inexpensive Substitutes for Corn Husks

Making tamales at home is made less expensive and more elegant by using Swiss chard leaves instead of the now-expensive dried corn husks. You will need a bag of masa made especially for tamale-making, and a pot with a metal stand or steaming basket inside of it. Tamale filling is up to your own taste and creativity. Chopped green chiles combined with Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese is tasty as a vegetarian version of tamales. Chopped or shredded, leftover roast beef or pork,  spiced with some red chile powder is a meat-eater’s treat.  Spread masa and water mixture onto a leaf in a rectangle (bags of masa come with such instructions). Lay filling on masa, and roll together the contents to seal it. You may tie ends together with string.  Swiss chard tamale wrappers will be edible after you have steamed the tamales for forty minutes. This is a prudent, tasteful  and nutritious method of preparing tamales.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton and Elegant Survival, January 2009

M-J’s Autumn Harvest Potato Salad

 

Like the potato salad that my Swedish grandmother used to make for me, this dish relies upon some bacon, vinegar, and an onion.

M-J’s Autumn Potato Salad

Peel, quarter and boil eight medium sized potatoes, or ten small ones. Salt the boiling water. Alternatively, add some Maggi or Knorr chicken bouillon powder.
Boil the potato chunks for fifteen minutes. Drain but do not rinse them. In your cooking pot, sauté eight strips of bacon, finely chopped. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon. and reserve in a small bowl or cup. Empty out  half of the bacon fat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use peanut oil) and two tablespoons of vinegar (I use malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar). If you have it, a tablespoon of concentrated apple juice can be added to this dressing mixture. You will adjust the vinegar and oil to your taste after the initial mixing of all ingredients. Add the potatoes, one finely diced small onion (red, white or yellow), and one diced, unpeeled apple. Grind some pepper into the mixture for taste, and check for salt. Mix gently. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature for  best flavor.

~~Recipe and Photo of Autumn Potato Salad Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Autumn Potato Salad, Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008

Autumn Potato Salad

Pantry Essentials

Ingredients for a Well-Stocked Pantry
Elegant Survival Kitchen Essentials

• Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate or Bottled Apple Juice

• Cornstarch

• Unbleached White Flour

• Rye Flour

• Yeast

• Gelatine

• Almond Extract

• Vanilla, Imitation or Pure Extract

• Rum Extract or Flavoring

• Aluminum-Free Baking Powder

• Baking Soda

• Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

• Chocolate Chips

• Cinnamon

• Salt

• Peppercorns

• Dried Red Chiles

• Dehydrated Mixed Vegetables

• Brown Rice

• White or Basmati Rice

• Corn Meal or Grits

• Dried Pasta

• Alfalfa Seeds

• Wheat Berries

• Dried Parsley

• Dried Chives

• Dehydrated Onion

• Dehydrated Garlic or Garlic Powder

• Soy Sauce

• Powdered Ginger

• Toasted Sesame Oil

• Sesame Tahini Paste, Joyva brand of Brooklyn is best
• Almond Butter
  

• Popcorn, loose: Jolly Time Organic is better than Orville Redenbacher, at one-third the cost
• Peanut or Corn Oil

• Olive Oil

• Mustard Powder, Colman’s English

• Spanish or Hungarian Paprika

• Capers

• Green Peppercorns in Brine

• Rose’s Lime Juice

• Maggi or another brand of Chicken Bouillon Powder

• Canned Tomato Paste: store brand

• Canned Whole Tomatoes: store brand

• Canned Beets: store brand or generic

• Canned Small, Peeled Potatoes: store brand or generic

• Canned Green Chiles, whole or chopped

• Coconut Milk, Canned

• Whole Water Chestnuts, Canned

• Canned Ham

• Canned Vienna Sausage

• Canned Beef (usually from Argentina)

• Canned Pineapple, No Sugar Added

• Peanut Butter

• Raw Walnuts

• Almonds

• Powdered Sugar

• Brown Sugar

• White Sugar

• Molasses

• Honey

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• White Vinegar

• Boxed Red Wine, and a Cube of White Wine, both for Cooking

• Frozen Peas

• Dried Split Peas, Green or Yellow

• Freeze-Dried Coffee

• Coffee Creamer (not Coffee-Mate, which contains aluminum–check ingredients)

• Coffee Beans

• Tea Bags

• Non-Fat Dry Milk

• Powdered Buttermilk

• Powdered Eggs for Emergencies

• Bottled Lemon Juice
• Herbes de Provence (a combination of marjoram, thyme, rosemary and savory, available at Costco)
  

To Be Continued….

Compiled by M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

What to Do with Overcooked Pasta

Click Photo to Enlarge Image

Photo copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008: click to enlarge
How to Salvage Overcooked Pasta

Instead of dumping your overcooked pasta–the result of an emergency elsewhere while you should be watching the pot–drain it well and sauté it in butter, then add grated cheese if you wish. It will have a toasted flavor and stiffen up a bit if you brown it as shown. Sautéed in butter or olive oil, overcooked spaghetti or pasta can have a nice texture. You may even add the sauce of your choice after it is browned. A little butter won’t kill you, but an Italian, faced with mushy pasta, might!

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Addendum, February 6th, 2009

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans) is another thing you can make with overcooked pasta. There are hundreds of recipes for it on the internet (in New York City, it’s known as “pasta fazool”). Also, something many mothers have cooked since time immemorial is soup with noodles, tomatoes and ground beef. Overcooked pasta can be incorporated into this soup with great success, in place of  the usual egg noodles.

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M-J’s Golden Potatoes

Potatoes: the much-maligned tubers aren’t guilty of fattening us. The added fats in potato-preparation are the culprits. This humble vegetable that grows low on the ground is high in nutrients. The potato is high in a substance called “resistant starch”, a carbohydrate which has a low glycemic index and acts as fiber.

A potato supplies more potassium per ounce than a banana. Potassium helps to regulate blood-pressure and blood-sugar. Potatoes also contain vitamin C, B-6 and about 60 anti-oxidants.

M-J’s Recipe for Golden Brown Potatoes

Peel and cut into quarters or eighths, as many potatoes as you think you need for dinner. The cut potatoes should resemble chunks or nuggets. One potato per person is a safe bet; the leftovers can be re-heated and eaten the next day.

Boil water in a pot, with salt or chicken bouillon to your taste. Add the potato chunks and boil them for twenty minutes. Drain potatoes and then sauté them in butter or the fat of your choice until brown. Alternatively, you may coat the potatoes in lemon, olive oil and salt, then bake them on a cookie sheet until brown. A good way to evenly distribute the coating is to put the potatoes, oil and seasoning in a Zip-Lock bag and shake gently, being careful not to break the potato chunks.
Baked or sautéed, these potatoes are soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Still Life by Claesz

Make Your Own Finnish-Style Cheese: Leipäjuusto

Leipäjuusto and Cloudberry Jam: Photo by Teemu Rajala

Click Image to Enlarge Recipe

My mother gave me a booklet in 1985, when it was published: Kitsi Finnish Foodways, a publication of Suomi College (now called Finlandia University) for FinnFest 1985. My copy of Kitsi is yellowed. I don’t think my dear, departed mother ever made squeaky cheese, but, working at Suomi College’s Finnish-American Heritage Center, she did draw the illustrations on Kitsi’s cover. Leipäjuusto is an unusual creation that I really like with rye bread, when in Finland. Here is the recipe for making your own Finnish Squeaky Cheese.

Update: I’ve just found my mother’s friend, Beatrice Ojakangas’ blog, where she hosts a richer recipe for leipäjuusto.

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Here is a recipe for Finnish Apple Cake, by Beatrice Ojakangas, the Queen of Scandinavian Cooking

FINNISH APPLE SUGAR CAKE (Omenasokerikakku)
Makes 12 servings
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup light cream or undiluted evaporated milk
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/2 inch
Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together; add the eggs and beat until light. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the cream mixture alternately with the cream. Mix until batter is smooth and spread into the prepared pan.
Insert the apple slices so that the outer edges of the apple slices are up. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and dry. Serve warm.
~~Copyright Beatrice Ojakangas, The Finnish Cookbook, 1964

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Quinoa Casserole

Quinoa, an Ancient Incan Delicacy

Bring to a boil 2 1/2 cups of water.

Add 1 1/2 cup of quinoa, stir, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese,

One tablespoon of white flour,

One egg, and

One cup of milk.

Seasoning Salt and Pepper of your choice (Lawry’s, Plain or Himalayan Salt; Cayenne pepper, white or black pepper). Or, use a tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon (Maggi or Knorr brands, for example).

Chop a fourth-cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Add it to the milk and egg mixture.

Mix all ingredients together and place in a greased or buttered 9″ round or square glass casserole dish.

Decorate the top with any grated cheese.

Bake for forty minutes.

Variation: Omit the sun-dried tomatoes and substitute chopped green chiles (El Paso or Hatch brands, for example). Substitute Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese for the Parmesan.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008
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