Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Potato Gratin

I'm sure everyone is thinking about Thanksgiving this week. If you haven't already planned all of your feast, please consider making a potato gratin as one of your side dishes. It's super simple to put together and absolutely yummy.

This recipe is for 4-6 people, but can be multiplied easily. You may, however, want to increase the cooking time for a larger amount. You also want to have a baking dish large enough to hold all the ingredients without spilling over. I use my quiche pan.

Peel and thinly slice four large Idaho-type potatoes. A mandolin works well here, but I don't have one so I just slice as thinly as possible with my chef's knife. It helps to slice a small piece off one side of the potato so that you can place that side down when slicing and the potato won't roll around. Also grate about two cups of cheese, any kind you like. My personal favorites are white sharp cheddar and gruyere. I definitely don't like yellow cheddar here, the color is just not right. Measure out 1 cup of heavy cream and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to it. The only other ingredients are salt and pepper to taste.

Place 1/2 of the potato slices in the baking pan. You don't need to be fussy with placement for this layer - no one will see it. Just spread the slices evenly, sprinkle with salt and pepper, scatter 1/2 of the grated cheese on top and pour 1/2 cup of the cream over all. The next layer is the same, but you want the potato slices to look pretty. Slightly overlap the slices in either a circle or in rows, depending on the pan you're using. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 1/2 hour more. To be sure it's done, poke it with a sharp knife. The potatoes should be tender, but not mushy.

My family gobbled this up last time I served it (no pun intended). It goes well with almost anything that you would serve potatoes with. It is definitely a French inspired dish - tres elegant. Bon appetit!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Pepper Steak

Yes, it's been quite a while. Lots going on, not the least of which is that I've started a new job. All the more reason to take short cuts when making meals and use leftovers whenever possible. My new motto is less time in the kitchen and less trips to the market.

I had a steak I couldn't finish not long ago. Just a small amount left, but it was a yummy sirloin, so I wanted to stretch it and get another meal out of it for myself and my mother. She loves pepper steak (it's one of the few ways she'll even eat steak), so that's what we had.

I put the already cooked sirloin steak (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound) in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice into thin strips. I also thinly sliced one medium onion and one medium green or red bell pepper. You will also need a sauce on hand before you start cooking. Combine 1/3 cup of soy sauce with one heaping tablespoon of hoisin sauce and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of chili paste with garlic. Add water to bring the mixture to 2/3 cup and stir in one tablespoon of cornstarch.

Cook some white rice while you make the stir fry. Add about one tablespoon of canola oil and one teaspoon of sesame oil to a frying pan or wok and bring the pan to medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers and stir fry them until crisp tender, about five minutes. Add the sauce and cook until it just begins to thicken, then add in the sirloin strips and cook until heated through. Serve over the rice. Note: you can also use uncooked sirloin. Just stir fry it for a minute or two before cooking the vegetables, and remove it from the pan. Then proceed with the peppers and onions.

I'm always so proud of myself when I economize. Thank goodness for the Chinese, who know how to make great food with very little meat. Hope you enjoy this dish!