Reference: Baked Potato, Bacon in the Oven

How wonderful is it that russet potatoes can be cooked at different temperatures?

Baked Potato Chart
Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/PotatoBaking.htm

Scrub em, fork em, roll em in salt, drop em directly on the rack.
Rub with Olive Oil for a soft skin.
Wrap them in Foil to steam em, (soft skin)

Conventional or Regular Oven:
(about 5 ounces or 150 grams each)

45 minutes at 400 degrees F.
60 minutes at 350 degrees F.
90 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Bacon

Sources: 

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/breakfastcookery/ht/bacon.htm

http://www.marthastewart.com/264476/less-mess-bacon

Line Baking sheet with foil or parchment

Don't Pre-heat if you can  

400 degrees 17-20 minutes / 15-18 pre-heated

Roasted Pepper and Garlic Carrott Soup

The best thing about soups, stews and chili is having the time to blog it while it is fresh in the mind, rather than trying to re-create the ingredients after a hearty meal when one just wants to read gawker and be netertained.  "netertained:" that was a typo but so apropos.


4 Roasted Garden Grown Red Peppers  (abt. 1/2 LB, prob abt 1-1.5 factory farmed peppers)
4 large cloves of Roasted garlic
4 smallish garden grown carrots - sliced  (abt. 1-2 store bought carrots)
4 C Chicken Stock.
1 med. store bought shallot - sliced
1 really big store bought boiling potato (i.e. red, yukon gold, NOT Russett or Eastern White)  
     Find Potato Info link
1/4 C white wine
1/4 C grated hard Italian cheese (i.e. pecorino or romano)
1 TBS Butter
1-2 TBS vegetable (light olive) oil 
1 tsp Bouquet Garni 
1/2 tsp ea. Hungarian Paprika & Hot Hungarian Paprika 
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Split and de-seed peppers, flatten, arrange on baking sheet with unpeeled garlic.
Spread a light coat of oil over the peppers 
Roast under broiler for about 8 minutes, until pepper skins blackened.
Remove the paper from the garlic, and set aside 
Place peppers in a sealed container to steam for 10 minutes.
Remove the outer skins of the peppers and discard the skins. they should slide off. mostly.

Sautee the shallot, carrots and herbs/spices in butter until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with wine, add broth, peppers, potatoes and garlic.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add cheese.

Stick your wand in the pot and rotate until the soup is smooth and creamy -or- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth 

This could also be made more delicious AND  unhealthy by adding a half cup of cream (or half and half) before blending, or sour cream on top.  But once you add the dairy, it will not re-heat well if you freeze.  

So I recommend that it be served ala Kate,  with sour cream on top.

German Potato Salad / Kartoffeln Salat

I love German potato salad and have been looking for a recipe for years. I finally found one on Food Network, that only needed minor adjustments (decreased the sugar.) I made this for a Memorial Picnic, and it nicely complemented the smoked brisket and Turkey that Chas made. Good stuff

5 lbs redskin potatoes.
1 LB Bacon
2/3 C Cider Vinegar
1 Onion diced fine
2 TBS white sugar
2.5 - 3 TBS Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 TBS diced fresh scallions
2 TBS dried scallions
1 Tsp salt

Partially peel potatoes, half lengthwise and cut into 1/8" slices. Cover potato slices with water, add 1/2 Tsp salt, bring to boil.
** Boil until JUST tender. (I always screw this up.)**
Remove from water and allow to cool at room temp.

Cut the bacon up in small bits, and pan fry on medium, until crispy. Do NOT drain the grease. Set aside the bacon, fry the onion until translucent.

Combine vinegar, mustard and sugar and whisk, pour into pan with bacon grease and onions, whisk over med heat until slightly thickened bubbly.

Return potatoes to pot in portions and add bacon and sauce in portions until done. Sprinkle with scallions and mix.

Best served warm.

Variations - Some recipes called for Thyme to taste.

Hambone Soup With Potatoes and Corn

Hambone
8 C water
med onion chopped
1 carrot grated
1 stalk celery chopped (w/ leaves if possible)
bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 clove garlic smashed

6 med potatoes (yukon gold 1st try) peeled chopped into 1" cubes
3 - 4 carrots sliced
1/2 head cauliflower
1 can or small bag frozen corn

4x4 roux (Heat 4 TBS butter, cook in 4 TBS flour)
1 C half and half
+ 1 C milk

Bring 1st ingredients to boil, simmmer 1/2 hour
remove bay leaf, bone, de-meat and add additional ham as needed

Add vegetables, simmer 15 minutes, until veggies are cooked

make white sauce from roux, add dairy
gently combine white sauce into soup.

heat through, serve

Kartofeln Salat (Potato Salad - German Style)

6-8 Potatoes cut into one inch pieces an boiled until just tender
Drain Potatoes, cover with colander (not lid) to allow to cool.

5-6 pieces bacon - cut up small and fried crispy
1/2 lg red onion diced and sauteed until tender
1/2 C cider vinegar
1/2 C H2O
1 TBS flour
1-2 TBS sugar to taste
1-2 TBS Mustard to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Fry bacon and onion.
whisk all other ingredients
add potatoes to bacon and onion or vice versa, depending on which pot/pan will hold it all.
over low heat stir in mixture, until it thickens
serve hot or cold (or in our house both)

Roasted Potatoes

Clean Peel and cube potatoes
coat in olive oil,
paprika, parsley salt and pepper to taste
Roast at 400 45 min.

need to try with
dijon mustard
or
fresh basil

Shepherd's Pie (Mashed Potatoes and Ground Beef)

One of my favorite dishes, dating back to college when I had an Oxford graduate for a roommate. Lamia (She was actually an Arab) introduced me to international food. And scotch. But her shepherd's pie was simpler than many of the ones I've tasted in Irish and English Pubs. This is the first time I've made it without a tomato paste base, and it seems more beefier (or better). You can substitute a small can of tomato paste + small can of tomato sauce for the beef gravy.

BEEF & VEGETABLES
1.5 lbs browned ground beef 90% lean
1 TBS butter
1 clove garlic
1 med. onion
1 LB bag of frozen carrots & peas
12 oz jar beef gravy
pepper and paprika to taste
1 TSP wocstershire sauce

MASHED POTATOES
3? lbs red skin potatoes (abt. 8 Lg potatoes.
1 stick of Butter
1 1/2 cups organic 2% milk
2 oz. half and half
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tbs Parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Wash and scrub potatoes. Remove eyes from spuds.
Peel only as much as needed to remove undesired skin.
quarter potatoes.
Boil until tender, drain.
Add butter, cover, allow butter to melt.
Mash.
Press Garlic over potatoes
Add salt, pepper, parsley
Add milk, 1/2 cup at a time.
Mash / Stir / Heat until soft.

Brown beef, pour off excess fat. Set aside.
Saute the garlic and onion in butter and grease until onion is translucent
Stir in gravy
add pepper, paprika and wocstershire sauce
Add frozen carrots, (or peas and carrots) heat over med. heat until simmering
Add frozen peas, heat until again simmering
Stir in ground beef
(if using peas and carrots- the carrots are cut smaller and will cook faster than crinkle cut carrot slices)
pour mixture into 9x13 baking pan

Spoon mashed potatoes over meat mix, abt. 1/2 in. deep
sprinkle with cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Garlic Ricotta Mashed Potatoes

Here's what I think I just made:

Abt 3 LBS Potatoes - filled 1/2 of a 2.5 QT pot
3 TBS half and half
6 TBS Ricotta Cheese - thats 3 heaping table spoons - not an actual measured amount
4 TBS Sour Cream (2 heaping spoons as above) - used lite - NEVER fat free.
3 cloves garlic
3 TSP Parsley (actual TSP)
3 TBS Butter (actual)
Salt to taste

Scrub, Peel and sixth (not quarter - theres a theme here)
Boil potatoes until tender
Drain water
put butter in, allow to melt
combine remaining ingredients in pot and stir togeher
bust out the masher and go to town
(mash to desired consistency, adding whole milk if needed.)


I like peeling potatoes, I find it very theraputic.