Gratin and scalloped potatoes are so versatile, from the cheese to the flavorings – the mixing and matching options are endless. For the cheese; Swiss, cheddar, blue, goat, or no cheese at all. There are too many flavorings to mention but a short list might include onion, red pepper, tomato, fresh herbs, bacon, or mushrooms. The liquid doesn’t have to be milk or cream; you can use chicken broth, wine, sour cream, yogurt, and even water. What I like best about the gratins featured here is the size. Individual gratins are prettier than the “scooped from the pan” version and are perfect with as a summer BBQ side.

Individual Potato Gratins

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 or 3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely minced green onion
1/4 cup peeled and finely minced red onion
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a pastry brush, generously coat 12 muffin tins with melted butter.

Season potato slices with salt and pepper. Mix together the green and red onion and season with salt and pepper.

Place 1 or 2 potato slices in each muffin tin. Sprinkle with half of the onion mixture. Top each with another 2 or 3 potato slices, sprinkle with the remaining onions. Top with the remaining potato slices and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere cheese.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the cream into each muffin tin and sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese. Season the top of each gratin with salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and remove the foil.

Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on top. Allow gratins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before using a spoon to lift the gratins out of the muffin tins and onto a serving plate.

Makes 12

Potato skins are something I generally associate with the fall or winter. I’m not really sure why that is, but when they are grilled, instead of baked and broiled, they just seem more “summery”. These were a huge hit on the last day of summer kids classes! Speaking of which, ever wonder what the kitchen looks like before and during classes? A few photos are at the end of the recipe… I wasn’t brave enough to put up any “after” pics!  Tomorrow I’ll share a few photos of what my fridge looks like after a shopping “spree” before a week of classes – it’s scary – I’ll tell you that!

Grilled Potato Skins with Spiced Chipotle Sour Cream

Seasoned Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed, finely diced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 small chipotle chile, finely minced

Potatoes
6 russet potatoes, scrubbed
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped chives

Seasoned Sour Cream: Mix sour cream and mayonnaise in a large bowl.  Add remaining seasonings, spices, and chipotle, one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Chill until ready to serve.

Potatoes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake potatoes on middle rack for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Fry bacon in skillet until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Cut potatoes lengthwise, and spoon out most of the flesh, leaving a half inch shell. Melt the butter in microwave and add the minced garlic. Brush the potatoes with the mixture. Use tongs to turn over and butter bottoms of potatoes.

Place potatoes on the grill and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.  Divide the cheese up among the potatoes while they are still hot. Top the potatoes with the seasoned sour cream, and chives.

Serves 12

Apps are all the rage these days, so I’ve decided to create one of my own! OK, so not the sort of app that you’re thinking of, although that would be terribly cool of me too. No, “apps” – as in appetizers.

On the Friday of each summer “teen week”  class, the students help to create the menu they will cook and serve to their guests. Three of the ten students requested mashed potatoes this past week.  Mashed potatoes in June? Hey, I love mashed potatoes, after all, I’m 100% Irish!  But in the 100+ degree heat of the summer – not so much. The potatoes would generally be the side dish to something t0o heavy and hot for such sweltering temps. On the other hand, how can I ignore the request of 30% of the class? How could I get the mashed potatoes stand on their own?Turn them into an appetizer, of course … brilliant!

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Peppers

3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled, cut into
1 – inch cubes
1/2 cup half and half
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked crisp
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced green onion

2-pound package mini sweet peppers
(found at Costco in the cold produce section)
Additional olive oil, for drizzling

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring the half and half and butter to low simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat.

Drain potatoes and return to pot.  Add the hot half and half mixture and mash.  Add cream cheese and mash until well blended.  Taste and then season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and two thirds of the garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and the parsley.   Stir in the onion mixture and crumbled bacon and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and green onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the remaining one third of the garlic, and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Lay a mini pepper on its side on a cutting board and cut a thin slice from the side edge of each of the peppers.  Carefully remove and discard the seeds and white membranes from the inside. Repeat with the remaining peppers. Safe the sliced off portions of peppers for either crudités or to dice for another recipe.

With either a pastry bag or a small spoon, stuff each pepper with the potato mixture, dividing evenly between them.  Place stuffed peppers on baking sheet and top each with the bread crumbs and drizzle very lightly with olive oil.  Roast the peppers in the preheated oven until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.   Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves a crowd

For Mother’s Day my sweet husband and adorable son made me not only breakfast, but dinner as well!  So when our Phoenix Suns swept the Spurs to advance in the playoffs, it was if I hit the jackpot yesterday!

Breakfast was thick-cut bacon, mimosas and cinnamon-pecan waffles with fresh strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream! And for dinner they made  lamb, chicken, and beef kabobs (picked up at Whole Foods), our favorite parmesan asparagus, toasted garlic-olive bread, and sea salt roasted fingerling potatoes with whole fresh herbs.

Since the asparagus has been featured here a couple of times already, we’ll share the very easy potato recipe. You can use the fingerlings as the recipe calls for, or if fingerlings are hard to find or too costly, just use russet or yukon gold potatoes cut into wedges. Both choices are pictured below.

Sea Salt Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Whole Fresh Herbs

It is just now beginning to warm up here in “The Valley of the Sun”.  That means if we’re going to have soup, hot soup anyhow, it better be now!  I was inspired to make this after assisting for a class last night at Barbara Fenzl’s Les Gourmettes Cooking School. Paula Lambert, of the Mozzarella Company, was the instructor and she made a Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone. This mascarpone will be flavored with basil and orange in the place of mint, with a base of  tomatoes instead of peas for the soup… just goes to show how versatile soup is.

Paula founded the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas in 1982 and believe me, she is one talented bundle of energy and a laugh a minute!  Her delicious cheeses are available by mail order, check them out at this LINK, I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

Tomato, Orange, and Basil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 heaping cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
28-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained
2   1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup cold heavy cream
1/4 cup cold mascarpone
Grated zest of one large orange
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, when hot add the oil and then add the onion and potatoes and stir to coat immediately, or the potatoes with stick. Season lightly with salt and pepper and add garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring frequently to prevent potatoes from sticking, about 4 minutes.

While the vegetables sauté; stack and roll the basil leaves. Slice thinly in a chiffonade. Divide the basil in half, set one portion aside, and thinly slice the other portion in the other direction, to mince the basil. Keep the two portions separate.

Add the tomatoes and their liquid, the chicken broth, and the basil chiffonade (the portion that is in thin strips) cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

While soup simmers; whip the cold cream in a medium metal bowl, using a balloon whisk, just until soft peaks form.  Fold in the mascarpone, orange zest, and the minced basil, set aside the mascarpone cream.

After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, pour into a blender or food processor and purée until smooth (remember to remove the feed tube of the machine to allow steam to escape, or the hot liquid may explode from the force – see the steam escaping in the picture below).

Return soup purée to the pot and stir in the orange juice and half of the mascarpone cream. Return to a low simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Once soup simmers, remove from heat and ladle into 6 soup bowls. Garnish each serving with a dollop of the remaining mascarpone cream and serve immediately.

Serves 6

For the “end of spring break” brunch yesterday we had home fries, also known as breakfast potatoes, along with our frittata. I generally add diced red bell pepper to my potatoes, but since those were already prominent in the frittata, I left them out this time. Feel free to use 1 diced pepper in your potatoes though, you’ll just add and sauté it along with the onion.

Most recipes for home fries, such as these, call for the potatoes to be boiled first. I’ve found that this leaves the potatoes too water logged and they do not brown as well when later sautéed, so instead I use the microwave to steam them… far better end result! How long to steam them all depends on your own microwave, and you know it best, so use your judgment.

My microwave is, by far, the worst tool in my entire kitchen… as my kids say, “it sucks!”  Every single time they come home, they are shocked to see that it is still here. I do not know why I am so resistant to just go get a new one. I’ve had to purchase several in the last few years for the kids’ dorms and apartments, so why not just get a new one for myself? Maybe I feel I need to have just one thing in my kitchen that isn’t “all that.”  I mean, I am so fortunate to have all the latest and greatest and, in many cases, (because of the cooking school) more than just one of each of those latest and greatest…  Three KitchenAid standing mixers (all the big model); four Cuisinarts, including the new super-duper one; a Vita-Mix and two Waring blenders; more than two dozen silicone spatulas in every shape, size, and color; a dozen whisks… you get the picture. So if I have to suffer with an inferior microwave that literally takes twice the time to cook something, so be it!  I honestly don’t use it that much for actual cooking, more often than not, it is used to melt chocolate and butter or to soften something. Although it did take a full 17 minutes to get these potatoes tender! But if you have a “good” microwave, it may only take 6 or 7 minutes.

Breakfast Potatoes

2 pounds baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning or another seasoning mix of your preference
Minced fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano)

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 6-10 minutes, depending on the power of your particular microwave. With the plastic in place, toss the bowl to redistribute potatoes, every couple minutes to ensure they cook evenly. Be sure and use hot pads to hold the bowl while tossing, it will get very hot! Carefully remove the plastic wrap (the side away from you) watching out for steam, and drain potatoes thoroughly in a colander that is placed over a bowl.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and seasoning mix and sauté until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and  then mix in the potatoes; distribute mixture evenly over the pan. Cook undisturbed until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Use a metal spatula to carefully turn over potatoes to ensure even browning. Continue cooking, turn every few minutes until potatoes are well browned all over. Add herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8

My girlfriend, Lorie, was recently in town from California; along with her sister, Cathy, who was in from Indiana. We had a great night out and Lorie was raving about a roasted vegetable and polenta lasagna she had ordered at a Los Angeles area restaurant called Zinc Café & Market. Let me tell you, I am a fool for polenta and there aren’t too many things more fantastic than roasted vegetables! Since I won’t be getting to LA in the near future, I had to make my own concoction! The polenta fills in as the “noodle” layers in this healthy, gluten-free, and vegetarian lasagna. You can purchase prepared firm polenta in a tube at most grocery stores and always at Trader Joe’s. Thank you Lorie for a great night, dinner, the cute little glasses you gave me, and the idea for this scrumptious lasagna. It was a bona-fide hit with Dave, me, and (believe it or not) even my Dad!

Roasted Vegetable Polenta Lasagna

2 zucchini squash, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices on a diagonal
2 yellow squash, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices on a diagonal
1 large eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 bell peppers (whatever color you like), trimmed, seeded, and opened flat
1 large potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, peels left on
1 jar marinara sauce, divided
1  (16 to 18-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 18 slices, divided
1 small container low-fat ricotta cheese, divided
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant slices in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste and toss to coat. Lay out vegetable slices on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Place the onions, peppers, potato slices, mushrooms, and garlic cloves in the same bowl; add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat and lay out on a second rimmed baking sheet.

Place both baking sheets in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven and turn over vegetables, then return to oven, switching racks. Roast another 18 minutes or until vegetables are nicely browned and caramelized. Squeeze garlic out of peels and toss all vegetables together. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce onto the bottom an 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the roasted vegetables over marinara and top evenly with 9 polenta slices. Spread 1/2 cup ricotta over the polenta and spread another 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly ricotta.

Top with 1/3 of the vegetables and the remaining 9 polenta slices, spread with 1/2 cup ricotta and the remaining vegetables. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

One week from today is St. Patrick’s Day!  Here are a few fun St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day facts from Wikipedia:

• Blue was the original color associated with St. Patrick, not green.
• St Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish  people.
• St. Patrick died on March 17th 461 AD.
• The Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies but the first  recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world on 17 March 1737.
• The first parade in Ireland was not until the 1931 parade in Dublin.
• Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges  and had the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.
• St. Patrick’s Day is a one-day reprieve from the forty days of fasting during the season of Lent. For many Christians this  includes indulging in ale.
• Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic  background, wear green-colored clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched,  usually affectionately.
• And of course, corned beef and cabbage is the food most associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.

According to Wikipedia, “Corned beef refers to a particular style of brine-cured beef. The “corn” in corned beef refers to the “corns” or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. The consumption of corned beef has become associated with St. Patirick’s Day. Although corned beef did not originate in Ireland, it has been an integral part of Irish-American culture. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is Bacon and Cabbage (more akin to Canadian style bacon or ham). Corned beef and cabbage became popular in America after Irish immigrants in the eastern United States used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish.”

All that said, although I am 100% Irish, I cannot stand corned beef and cabbage! So when I volunteered to appear on Channel 12 Valley Dish for the St. Patrick’s Day show, I was expected to make something along those lines – yuck! So after mulling it over, I came up with the perfect solution – Pizza! Yes, pizza, a traditional Italian dish would solve all my issues with that Irish-American dish I so despise. I mean, what’s not to like; bread, cheese, potatoes (very Irish!), cheese, caramelized onions, garlic, and more cheese. With those stellar flavors to cover up the other two- I knew I couldn’t go wrong. And I was right!  This sauceless pizza is one they should be making and selling at Sauce! Although, the other 364 days of the year, I’d prefer it with crisp crumbled bacon (like a true Irishwoman!) rather than corned beef.  So get to the store this week, buy the ingredients and make it along with me at 4:30 on Channel 12 Valley Dish with Tram Mai on March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day… I’ll drink to that!

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potato Pizza

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved through the root end and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green cabbage
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (available at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
3 ounces thinly sliced cooked Deli corned beef, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Add the cabbage and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until just soft, about 4 more minutes, set aside.

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, until golden, about 12 to 14 minutes, turning potatoes over, halfway through.

Roll dough into a 14-inch round. Place the round on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal (if baking on a stone) or a large oiled pizza pan if you do not have a stone; drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the Fontina cheese evenly over the crust, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border all the way around. Top with onion-cabbage mixture, corned beef, and potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Carefully slip the pizza onto the hot stone, if using, or place the pan in the oven. Cook until golden and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 1 large delicious Irish pizza

Tonight I was shocked to discover that I have not posted my biggest “go to” and one of my all time favorite recipes ever! I would feel terrible for holding out on all of you, but I can’t feel bad about something I didn’t realize I had (or in this case, hadn’t) done! The discovery occurred when I had about twenty good friends over to support another good friend in her new business venture.  You see, my friend Ronnie, is a fashion consultant and I hosted a home party for her tonight.  I served my Caesar Dip, which I have been making and serving at parties for the past two decades. Just ask any one of the employees at my husband’s office and they will tell you that they have had Caesar Dip.  We hosted the office Christmas Party for about 10 years running and it was there on the buffet year after year. So when a bunch of the ladies tonight were asking for the recipe, I was telling them to look here on the blog. One of them said they didn’t think is was posted, low and behold, she was right! Honestly, I would have thought that it would have been one of, if not the, very first recipe I would have put up.

My favorite crudités to serve with the dip and the ones I think compliment it the best are Belgian endive spears, cherry tomatoes, and new or fingerling potatoes. For the potatoes, just boil in salted water until they are easily pierced with a paring knife, drain and while still wet, toss in Kosher or sea salt.

Usually when a recipe is written and the list of ingredients are given, they are listed not only in the order they are added, but also in “most” to “least” order. For example, 1 cup milk, 1/2 sour cream, 1/4 cup salsa, 3 tablespoons horseradish, etc… but here I list the first 3 ingredients out of that order and instead in order of cleanest to messiest. Use a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup for all three and you won’t have to wash it in between. And, of course, I also use the little cubes of garlic from Trader Joe’s to make this even quicker and easier. So here it is, my favorite recipe ever…

Caesar Dip with Crudités

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 1 anchovy fillet, finely minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Assorted crudités; such as cherry or pear tomatoes, endive spears, boiled and salted new potatoes, carrot, sugar snap peas, cucumber slices, carrot and jicama sticks.

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Caesar dip is best when make at least 3 hours and up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with assorted crudités.

Makes 2 cups

As promised, here’s a tasty way to use the leftover crab from yesterday’s crab cakes. Baby potato halves make excellent little hor d’oeuvre cups. And a small mellon baller is the perfect tool to hollow them out, so be sure to pick one up the next time you are at the grocery store – that’s right, you’ll find one in the “kitchen aisle” of your neighborhood grocery store. For another vehicle to hold the crab, try small mushrooms, just pull out the stems and use them either fresh or lightly roasted.

Crab Stuffed Baby Potatoes

24 small red and/or yellow potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup (packed) cooked lump crabmeat, picked over
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes in half crosswise. Mix with oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place cut side down on heavy large baking sheet. Set aside the bowl with any remaining oil inside. Bake potatoes until just tender, about 25 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking; melt butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and cook until translucent.  Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the thyme and crab and cook until heated through, about 1 additional minute, remove from heat and set aside.

When potatoes are done, remove from oven and when cool enough to handle; cut a thin slice off the rounded end of each potato so that it will sit flat on the bottom. Turn the potatoes over and, using melon baller or small spoon, scoop out some of the center of each potato (reserve for later use for mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, or gnocchi). Lower the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the potato cups on a cookie sheet, brush the inside of the potatoes with the reserved oil from the bowl and return to oven for about 5 minutes to crisp.

Add the Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the crème fraîche to the shallot-crab mixture, and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the potato cups with the crab mixture and place back on the baking sheet.

Return to oven for 5 minutes to heat through. Top each potato cup with a dollop of the remaining 1/4 cup crème fraîche and sprinkle with chives.

Makes 48

The second of February! How is that even possible? I still have not gotten used to writing 2010! Honestly, sometimes I still write 19—when putting down the date on something. I guess that’s because we still do have to put 19—on so many things; for instance; when you have to fill in your date of birth, your kids’ birthdays, the year you graduated from high school… it all starts with 19, not 20….so I guess it’s understandable, but really, how can it already be February 2010?

Since this is so confounding to me, how about something I totally understand, appreciate, love and might be a just a little wee bit obsessive about? Trader Joe’s! I adore Trader Joe’s! Of course, I’m not the only one – for proof of that GO TO THIS LINK and be one of the more than 528,000 people who have already viewed this little ode to Trader Joe’s.”  As I watched this video; I smiled, I laughed out loud, and I shook my head in complete agreement.  After you watch, please share your thoughts and comments with me, and I’ll randomly pick one winner from all the comments. That person will receive a bag, full of some of “My Favorite –Must Have” items from TJ’s.

In that same vein, every single ingredient for today and tomorrow’s recipes are from my neighborhood TJ’s. And to prove my devotion to them and to you, I even went there on a Sunday to purchase it all!  As a rule, I do not visit TJ’s on a weekend day, but for you…I made the sacrifice. xoxo

Potato and Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
10-ounce package sliced crimini mushrooms
10-ounce package sliced white mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
1 pound bag “teeny tiny yellow” potatoes, halved
1/3 cup soy sauce
Fage Greek yogurt, garnish

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, onions, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.

Add cremini and white mushrooms, sauté as mushrooms let out all their water and become dry.

In the meantime pour the broth and water in a large pot, add the potato halves and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the potatoes to a blender, add a couple ladles of the liquid and puree, return to pot. Add the onion-mushroom mixture from the skillet to the pot. Pour the soy sauce in the skillet to deglaze the pan and then add it to the soup pot.

Taste and season soup with additional salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish each with a dollop of yogurt.

Serves 6

Once or twice a year our neighborhood has a Progressive Dinner. Here’s how it works – a notice goes out to all 118 homes in the community. You may sign up to be a “Dinner Host”, which means you do not have to cook, just set up to host dinner for 10 people. Or, you sign up to cook, in which case you are then assigned to provide either an appetizer, an entree for 10, soup or salad plus a side for 10, or a dessert. Those dishes are dropped off at the “Host Houses”. Each couple brings 1 bottle of red wine and 1 bottle of white wine to the “Appetizer House” where everyone first gathers. Names are drawn randomly during appetizers and we all disperse to the various host homes for dinner. The wines travel along to the dinner portion of the evening. Then we all gather back together at a specific house for dessert (remaining wine – in tow). You and your significant other stay together if you are a “Dinner Host”, otherwise the two of you are split up during the dinner portion of the evening. Past themes have included; Italian, Mexican, Western, Mardi Gras, Valentine’s, and Tacky/White Trash (not the best food- think Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pigs in a Blanket, Chili in a Frito bag- but the most fun ever! Pictures below.)

Our house for appetizers; complete with plastic flamingos in the yard, a clothesline on the trailer, and a wheelbarrow full of cheap beer and boxed wine

Me, Whitney, and Joanie (last names omitted to protect the innocent!) complete with candy cigarettes in hand, bad make-up, wads of gum in mouths, and classy overalls!

Twinky, zinger, sno-ball, ding-dong, donut, White Trash cake!

Our next Progressive is this Friday and the theme is Jamaican. Appetizers will be at our house and even though hosts are not required to cook, obviously, I still do. One of the dishes I plan to make Jamaican Beef Dumplings. I found an amazing price on a pot roast at the store today and decided it would be perfect to use for the shredded beef. I cooked up the roast for dinner  and will now use the rest of the beef for the dumplings, that recipe will post in a couple days.

1960's price! What a deal!!!

Spicy Crock-Pot Roast

5-pound beef chuck pot roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup red wine, water or beef broth, divided
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
2 tablespoons giardiniera
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

Season pot roast with salt and pepper on all sides.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil and brown the meat on all sides. Place the browned roast in a crock-pot. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and sauté until lightly browned.

Add the vinegar, 1/2 cup of the wine, chili powder, and allspice to the skillet and bring to a boil to deglaze the pan.  Pour the tomato soup into the skillet, fill the soup can with the remaining 1/2 cup wine and swish around to clean out the soup clinging to the can and add to the skillet.

Rub each side of the meat with 1 tablespoon of giardiniera. Pour the onions and liquid from the skillet, into the crock-pot over the meat, Cook on high heat for 30 minutes, reduce heat to low and cook an additional 2 hours. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 30 more minutes until the potatoes are tender and the meat shreds easily.

Serves 6

Just add a some shredded chicken to this and you’ll have yourself a main-dish salad supper (use purchased rotisserie chicken or roast a chicken breast, or two, alongside the potatoes). Other great add-ins include; thin red onion slices, chopped Kalamata olives, cherry tomato halves, minced parsley, chopped sun-dried tomato, etc. Or switch out the cheese; maybe some shaved smoked Gouda, Parmesan, or Manchego. How about pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts in place of the walnuts? You get the idea, make it our own and be sure to let me know how you mixed it up!

Potato-Green Bean Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and Roquefort

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon grainy mustard

2 pounds well washed baby red-skinned potatoes, quartered
2/3 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed

Vinaigrette: Cook walnuts in 1 tablespoon oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until  they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels and reserve any oil left in pan. Season nuts with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl; whisk together vinegar, nectar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and reserved oil from skillet in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified, set aside.

Salad: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together the quartered potatoes and 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on a baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes, stir. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 additional minutes. Transfer to large bowl and cool slightly, mix in 3 tablespoons vinaigrette and 1/3 cup Roquefort cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Place strainer or colander over the hot pot the beans cooked in and rinse the beans under cold running water to cool and stop the cooking; drain well. (Running the cold water into the pot will cool it down as well and save you from having to dirty another bowl for the next step). Return beans to the empty and cooled pot and mix in 3 tablespoons cheese, remaining vinaigrette and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper.

Lay out beans in a flat layer on a serving platter. Mound potatoes in center of platter atop beans. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate any leftover salad, and either serve cold or leave out for about an hour on the counter to serve at room temperature.

Serves 6

Another picture; this time with 2 roasted and shredded chicken breast halves added.