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About this recipe: Gnocchi are small dumplings made from potato, semolina, or flour, usually served with a sauce, but my personal favorite are the pan fried crispy gnocchi with herbs, oil and parmesan. But, most importantly, you should try gnocchi because it is delicious and …
About this recipe: Croquettes come in all shapes, sizes and fillings. Potato croquettes have always been a personal favorite of mine. They are easy, cheap and delicious, my favorite trinity. Many countries all over the world have their own interpretation of this recipe. The Japanese …
Mashed Potatoes are one of those kitchen staples that everyone has. I am no exception to this. I’ve been making them for years and finally found my perfect combination of techniques and ingredients! These brown butter mashed potatoes will not dissapoint!
The secret to this recipe is the browned butter, infused with garlic. Brown butter is melted butter with a nutty and bold flavor brought on by gently cooking it on the stove. Cooking butter enhances its aroma ten fold. It requires a bit of patience but is so worth the end result. Throwing in some garlic makes it even better! The milk solids will cook faster and you’ll see them settle on the bottom of the pan.. When you transfer the brown butter to a new container, try to leave as much of the bits in the pan as possible. You can also strain the butter through a fine meshed strainer or cheesecloth to remove all the dark milk solids.
I like to make a large quantity of brown butter mashed potatoes to have leftovers and to use them in other recipes, like these:
Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Cover with water in a large saucepan/pot, add a good amount of salt and bring to the boil for 20 minutes or until soft and tender but not falling apart. Salting the potatoes during this part will help season them more effectively. Potatoes require a lot of seasoning!
Halfway through cooking time, heat butter in a small pan over medium-heat. When butter begins to foam, add the crushed garlic, lower heat to medium and stir continuously until it begins to change color and turn brown (it’s normal to see crispy little brown bits at the bottom of the pan). Remove immediately from heat.
Drain potatoes, transfer them back into the pan/pot. This will allow the excess water to evaporate. Mash with a hand masher or ricer. Strain the butter through a sieve straight into the potatoes (reserve the crispy garlic), and add the cheese and heavy cream.
Beat with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a small amount of milk if you like a thinner mashed potato consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve with more parmesan, chopped parsley and the crispy pieces of garlic.
About this recipe… Nothing is better on a cold evening than a warm hearty bowl of beef stew. I grew up knowing this as fact, because every winter beef stew was a staple in my household. I adore my mom’s recipe, but as I started …
A little about the recipe… So when you see Poached Chicken, it usually doesn’t look very appetizing. The reason is that just boiling chicken in water is guaranteed to result in dry and stringy chicken. This recipe will show you the few ingredients and changes …
Like most southerners I love pasta salad, however most pasta salads have mayo as their base. I grew up in a family where every potluck and family gathering had some sort of pasta salad and they were saturated with mayonnaise. I wanted to create a lighter and cleaner version for my family to eat on the regular. This recipe is an attempt to prove that mayo doesn’t make the salad. I want to take a heavy and fatty classic and change it up by adding tons of fresh vegetables and healthier ingredients. Asian flavors are also a personal favorite of mine so that is why I really liked the idea of mashing an American salad concept with Asian ingredients. It worked out better than I ever expected in this Asian pasta salad!
My preferred pastas in this recipe are “grooved” pastas like farfalle or Campanella, or even tubed pastas like elbow macaroni because they are great at holding “sauce” or in this instance dressing. Campanella or “bellflowers” in Italian is my absolute favorite pasta for this recipe. It is delicate but sturdy and it has an almost petal like, ruffled edge that catches salad dressing perfectly. Not to mention how pretty it is!
One of the great aspects of this recipe is just how customizable it can be. The base recipe is super simple and you can interchange most of the ingredients to fit your preferences. For example, I use red cabbage, bell peppers and herbs like green onion and cilantro, but you can also add carrots or cucumbers or even take away some ingredients that your family doesn’t like. You could even swap out the dressing recipe for something less Asian like a balsamic or Italian. I would stick oil based dressings though, to keep it light.
I decided to add some protein to make this more of a meal instead of a side like most pasta salads are. Feel free to change it up or omit the protein entirely. I like to use shredded or rotisserie chicken because it doesn’t take away from the fresh flavors in the salad. It is also really good at soaking up the dressing just like the pasta. I used my poached chicken recipe to make the shredded chicken, which you can check out in my other blog post, here “Poached Chicken Recipe”.
To start, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool completely.
Combine all the dressing ingredients, except the 1/2 cup oil into a medium sized bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to create an emulsion. Once the sugar is dissolved and the oil is completely incorporated you’re ready to go! Taste and add more salt if necessary. You can store leftover dressing in the fridge for about a week in an airtight container. Due to the amount of olive oil, the dressing can solidify in the fridge. If this happens just heat it up in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds and give it a good shake.
Chop, slice and dice all the salad ingredients. Add all the salad ingredients, except the Chow Mein noodles or wonton strips to a large bowl.
Dress the salad with the desired amount of dressing. To keep the leftovers as fresh as possible I portion out the salad and only dress what will be eaten immediately. This keeps it fresh and crisp for the next meal. Garnish with some more sesame seeds and the Chow Mein noodles or crispy wonton strips.
A little about the recipe: I don’t have a moving story or funny anecdote for every recipe I make, but my mom’s corn flake chicken recipe does hold a special place in my heart. A version of this recipe has been a staple in my …