Potatoes, potatoes, and MORE potatoes!

Tried these first two recipes out earlier in the week and loved them both! As for the third, all credit goes to my mom. She made these a ton when I was growing up, and to this day they are the best french fries I've ever tasted!

So for all you potato lovers out there, here's your fix for the week!

Petite Potatoes with Herbs

Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 pounds petite potatoes, unpeeled

1 cup chicken broth (I used chicken stock and threw in a chicken bouillon for even more flavor)

3 T. butter

1 t. chopped fresh parsley

1 t. chopped fresh chives (or 1/2 t. freeze-dried chives)

salt

Instructions:
Scrub potatoes with brush and cut them into quarters (I only cut mine in half because they were so tiny to begin with). Arrange quarters (or halves) in large heavy skillet in one layer. They must fit snugly. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and cook about 4 minutes, shaking skillet over high heat until almost all liquid has evaporated. Lower heat, add butter and cook gently 10 minutes, uncovered, shaking skillet often. Test with fork. Partly cover and set aside; keep warm. Sprinkle with salt, chopped parsley and chives just before serving. Serves 4-5.

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 T. butter (or margarine), melted

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. Italian seasoning

1 t. garlic powder

6-8 small baking potatoes, halved lengthwise

Instructions:

Pour butter into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Place potatoes in pan with cut side down. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until tender.

*I cut the recipe in half (as you can see in the above photo), and used a combination of basil, oregano and chives instead of Italian seasoning (I didn't have any on hand). In addition to garlic powder, I added a pinch of cayenne pepper. Baked in a 7x11-inch baking dish for 35 minutes, and they came out perfectly. I'm not huge on baked potatoes, but I liked these. You can still add all the normal toppings that you would to a traditional baked potato. This just adds a little extra crunch and flavor.

Mom's French Fries

Ingredients:

4-5 medium russet potatoes (this makes enough for Neil, Chloe and me)

6-8 cups canola oil (or enough to fill a small stock pot 3-4 inches)

salt

Instructions:

Heat stove to medium-high heat (I put the knob to 7). Scrub and rinse potatoes, and slice lengthwise into strips to whatever thickness you prefer.

After the oil has heated about 7 minutes, dip one fry slightly into the hot oil. If the oil immediately starts fizzling around the fry, that's a pretty safe bet the oil is ready (see picture to the right). If not, give it another minute and try again. If on the other hand the oil immediately starts splattering around, it's too hot, so turn it down slightly and give it another minute. Every stove heats differently, and the temperature of the oil is key to success with this recipe. My stove takes 8-10 minutes to heat the oil, but that doesn't mean yours won't heat faster (or slower).

When the oil is ready, place the fries carefully into the pot. The oil should immediately come to a rolling boil, but again, not splattering all over the place. Immediately turn the temperature to medium heat (5) once the fries are in the pot (again, this is just what works with my stove. Adjust the temperature to whatever keeps the oil at a consistent rolling boil but not splattering - this may mean high heat for your stove - just use your own judgement). With a slotted spoon, gently break up the fries to prevent sticking (I know that sounds silly since they're in oil, but they can stick if they aren't separated). Gently stir fries every couple minutes.

Everyone likes their fries different, so after another 7 or so minutes take one out, let it cool off a bit and give it a taste. If it has just the right amount of crisp to it (and is entirely cooked through), then they're done and you can remove the rest. Just use your own judgement. Mine usually take 9 minutes, and I like them just barely crispy. Be sure to remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a few layers of paper towel to absorb the grease. Sprinkle with salt (that's all we ever use) or whatever other seasoning you'd like.

Valentine's Day, Cafe Rio style...

This year for Valentine's Day I attempted a Cafe Rio feast for my husband, as we are both fanatics. He spent the week in San Diego on business, and after a very long day of meetings, flights and car rides, he made it home to my arms, safe and sound (at 9:12pm to be exact). I was thrilled to see him for the whole hour and a half of Valentine's day we spent together; and he was thrilled to be home, especially when he discovered the food that was waiting for him.

I found these on the internet, and every one claimed to be actual Cafe Rio recipes. I'm quite certain they aren't (except the salad dressing, which tasted about the same), nevertheless they have still become Andersen favorites (especially the pork) and I thought it'd be wrong of me not to share...

Sweet Pork
Ingredients:
3-5lb. pork loin or pork roast (bone-in roasts are cheaper and more tender)
1 1/2 cans Coca Cola
1 c. sugar
7oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 t. dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 t. ground cumin (heaping)
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 c. brown sugar (recipe didn't call for this - I included it for extra sweetness)
Instructions:
Place can of chilies in a bowl and cover with coke. Once the chilies are no longer coated with adobo sauce, remove them and throw away. If you prefer HOT, leave a few chilies in. I removed all but one chili and it was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Combine all ingredients (except pork) in a blender and mix. Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over the top. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 7-9 hours. Carefully turn roast over halfway through cooking. Remove pork and shred, then throw it back in and mix with juice. It may be liquidy, in which case you'll want to use a slaughtered spoon when serving.

Cilantro-Lime Rice
Ingredients:
1 c. long grain rice
2 c. water
2 chicken bouillons
1 t. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. lime zest
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 t. sugar
3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
In a saucepan combine rice, water, bouillons, butter, garlic, and lime zest. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over rice.

Black Beans
Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground cumin
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. salt
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions:
In a non-stick skillet cook garlic, cumin and olive oil over medium heat just until you can smell it. Add beans, tomator juice and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving, stir in cilantro.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Ingredients:
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. milk
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatillos (look like green tomatoes surrounded by husks)
1/2 serrano pepper with seeds removed
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour to thicken.

And voilà! A romantically yummy dinner for two!








I found the tortillas at Costco - $5.99 for a package of 44! That's cheaper than the 12-packs you can buy at the grocery store (and at least a hundred times better - just another reason I love Costco)! Once you try these you'll never go back. They are uncooked, which means when you throw them in the pan for the entire minute and a half they take to warm up, they come out smelling and tasting like hot fresh restaurant-style tortillas!


This food was to die for! We've had it for dinner the last two nights and will probably eat it again tonight. Needless to say, Neil was pleased. Hope everyone else had a Happy Valentine's Day!