Roasted Vinegar Potatoes

Do you love boardwalk fries doused in malt vinegar? ME TOO! But these are the next best thing without the guilt. Say hello to Roasted Vinegar Potatoes!

You'll need:

1 small sack of baby potatoes, cut in halves or quarters (I chose TJ's Teeny Tiny Potatoes)

1/4 cup of a GOOD quality red wine vinegar (or malt vinegar)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup olive oil

2 good sized pinches of  kosher salt

black pepper

Oven at 350 degrees. Place an ungreased cookie sheet into the oven to get it hot.

In a bowl big enough to hold the potatoes, add the vinegar, cumin and chili powder. Toss potatoes into the mixture. Let soak for about 10 mins.

Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss again. Scatter onto the preheated cookie sheet (Watch, they sizzle!) and roast for about 40 mins to1 hour, depending on the size of your potatoes. Turn occasionally.

Serve warm.

I served these with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri and it was a great compliment to the vinegar in the chimichurri.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri is an Argentinean marinade or dressing for steak. There is a red version as well, but I've only had the pleasure of enjoying the green. My first taste was a jarred one, and while it was really good, this one packed a much fresher, flavorful punch. The texture was completely different from the jarred as well.

Skirt steak is so tasty because of the amount of fat it bears. It's a long, thin cut of beef from the "plate" section of the cow. It's the same steak that is typically used in Mexican cuisine for fajitas, and Chinese use it for stir-fry dishes. Taste and cook time make skirt steak a great choice. Flanks are usually about 4 inches by 1 ft long or more.

You'll need:

• 1 skirt steak

For the chimichurri:

1. 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (make sure it's a GOOD quality - a nice, deep red.)
2. juice from 1/2 lemon
3. 3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
4. 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (stripped from stems)
5. 2 garlic cloves
6. 1/3 cup olive oil
7. 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Throw the first 5 ingredients into a blender and puree. 

With the blender running, slowly add the oil (through that little hole!), peppers, and salt. 


Done!

If you want another layer of flavor, add 1/2 a poblano pepper to the mix!

Store in the fridge for up to 1 day, or freeze extra for next time!


I served this with my Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Roasted Vinegar Potatoes.

Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad is simply one of my favorites for many reasons:

1. It goes with just about any meal (beef, italian, chicken, etc)
2. It's not complex, yet full of flavor.
3. Since arugula (a.k.a. rocket) is a sturdy green, you can make it about 30 minutes ahead of time while dinner is cooking, and it won't wilt.
4. It's a nice, peppery, leafy green that's packed for of good-for-you-stuff.
5. It's stupid easy.

Tonight I had it with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (recipe to come). Great compliment to the dish.

You'll need:

• 2 nice handfuls of arugula (rocket), rinsed and spin-dried.
• Juice of half a small lemon
• 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Cracked black Pepper

Squeeze the lemon into a bowl and add the oil. Whisk until blended into a milky-yellow emulsion. Drizzle over the arugula and toss well. Top with cracked pepper.

Making Homemade Yogurt

In my quest for eating more organic/less processed foods, I wanted to try making my own yogurt. I figured my daughter could benefit from it too (that is, if I could get her to eat more than one bite). I found this cute little yogurt maker online, made by Salton, for about $20. All together now..."Awwwww."

The process was easy, but time-consuming. Definitely a Sunday project.

You'll need:

4 cups of fresh, organic 2% milk
1/3 cup of non-fat instant dry milk
1/2 cup organic yogurt (this will be your starter)

In a medium saucepan, add the milk and the dry milk (Dry milk creates thicker yogurt and takes less time for fermantation). Slowly bring up the heat and get the mixture hot over medium-low. Keep stirring, and DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. 

Once the milk is hot, but NOT boiling (170 degrees if you're using a thermometer), remove the pan and place it in your refrigerator (on a dishtowel so you don't melt your shelves) and let it cool to about 110 degrees (lukewarm). Stir every few minutes. It should be in the fridge for about 20 mins total.

Remove the milk from the fridge and add in the yogurt (starter), stirring slowly. You'll want to blend the yogurt thoroughly, but don't use too much vigor while stirring to avoid bubbles.

Turn on your yogurt machine.

Remove all the lids from the jars, and drop about a tablespoon of your favorite preserves in each jar, for a "fruit on the bottom" treat. If you like cooking with yogurt, leave some plain.

Gently pour the mixture into each glass, leaving about 1/4 inch space at the top. Fasten the lids, and place the jars in the yogurt maker and cover. Leave for 8-10 hours.

When time is up, refrigerate your jars until set.

It's a good practice to keep a 1/2 cup of your end product to use as a starter the next time you make it.

Mmm! How rewarding! And I love bringing these cute, little jars to work with me!

My recipes featured in our local foodie paper!

Woohoo! I've been mentioned in Chester County Cuisine and Nightlife again! They are featuring 3 of my favorite recipes, and I even roped in the help of my former boss (a.k.a. favorite wine connoisseur) for some wine pairing suggestions.

Big thanks to the "Big Ham", Mary Bigham from wcdish.com :)

Click the picture above for a larger view of the article :)

Yay me!

Chorizo and Roasted Potato Hash

This is totally a breakfast meal, but I made it for dinner. What a comfort meal! Serve with salsa, or sour cream, or just by itself, but it's really satisfying. I'll definitely be eating this again for bfast tomorrow, but I'll top it with an overeasy egg. MMM.

Adapted from a recipe found on The Crepes of Wrath.

• 2 links of chorizo sausage, removed from the casing
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 red potatoes, quartered
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 TB enchilada sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flake
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
• 1/4 cup + 1 TB extra virgin olive oil

Oven at 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the potato quarters with the 1/4 cup of EVOO, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, and adobo.

Scatter the potatoes onto a greased cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast for 20 mins, tossing often.

While potatoes are roasting, get a stainless steel pan hot on med-high. Add the 1 TB of EVOO. Saute the peppers and onions until crisp-tender. Add the sausage and crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook for at least 8-10 mins. When sausage is cooked thoroughly, add the enchilada sauce to the eggs and whisk. Add egg mixture to pan, and scramble til egg is cooked through.

Add potatoes to pan when egg is cooked. Serve with your choice of salsa, sour cream, buttered toast, etc. A great idea is topping it with another fried egg. SO having this for breakfast tomorrow!

Easy Beef and Shrimp Stir-Fry

This was dreamed up as a result of leftovers from New Year's Eve. I made a hanger steak and some steamed shrimp, but had a lot left over. And born, was this yummy stir-fry!

I'm typing this by memory, so bare with.

left over steak, sliced thin

leftover shrimp, cut into bites

1 bag of Harvest Hodgepodge from TJ's

Rice (I used Organic Brown Rice from TJs - frozen)

1 TB Olive Oil

3 TB Lite Soy Sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger (I used frozen Dorot cube)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tb . cornstarch

1 tb. water

Add the soy, ginger, sugar to a bowl. Marinate the meat in the mix.

In a HOT stainless steel pan, add Olive Oil and frozen veggies. Stir fry til crisp tender. add the meat, marinade and shrimp.

Stir til hot. Add broth. Combine the cornstarch and water, add to pan. Stir till thickened and serve over cooked rice.

If I had more ingredients, it could have been a better sauce. But, this was tasty and did the trick!

Layered Cabbage, Sausage & Potato Casserole

This is adapted from a Lidia recipe, from the book "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy".  She uses beef, but I though sausage would be a great alternative. I halved the measurements to make a smaller casserole.

Oven 425 degrees.

1 TB rubbed sage
2-3 sprigs of rosemary - stripped from the branch
6 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 TB Kosher Salt
1 lb red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 links of mild italian sausage, removed from the casing
1/2 stick butter
1/2 head of cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch shreds
1 cup white wine
1/2 lb of fontina cheese, shredded


In a food processor, mince the sage, rosemary, garlic, 1/8 cup of the EVOO and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt into a paste (pestata).

Add the potatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 TB EVOO, and a bit of the pestata. Toss well to coat.

With the sausage removed from the casing, place in a bowl and add some of the pestata for flavoring. Careful not to douse it.

In a 1 quart casserole dish, brush with EVOO and 1 TB of butter. Arrange 1/2 the potatoes in a single layer, then top with  1/2 the cabbage. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Distribute all the sausage, in a single layer, over the cabbage. The casserole dish should be about 1/2 full. Press everything down with a wooden spoon if it's over 1/2 way full.

Dot the top of the sausage with small cubes of butter, using about 1 1/2 TB. Add the other half of potatoes on top of the sausage. Add the rest of the cabbage. Season with salt again. Stir all of the remaining pestata into the white wine and pour into the casserole. Dot with the rest of the butter.

Tent the casserole with foil, but ensure the sides are sealed. Set in the oven and bake about 2 hours until meat and veggies are tender and almost all liquid is absorbed.

Remove the foil, and sprinkle the fontina over the top. Bake for another 15 mins until cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve family style.