Baked Mashed Potato Balls

I had leftovers of the Feta Mashed Potatoes, and they were so good that I wanted to serve them again. Unfortunately my better half doesn't eat leftovers, so I had to find a way to make them new again!  These turned out ok, but I think I might try to pan fry them next time instead of bake them. I will let you know how that goes!
(I must have been to excited to eat because I didn't take a picture!)


Cold Leftover Mashed Potatoes
1 Egg, beaten and diluted with 2 Tbs water
Seasoned Bread Crumbs or Crushed Corn Flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll mashed potatoes into balls, dip balls in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs or corn flakes.  Place balls in a buttered baking dish and bake until heated through.  Once heated, place under broiler, turning occasionally to evenly brown.


I kind of made this recipe up.  I saw Paula Dean do this with her leftovers, but she deep fried them.  I am sure that is WONDERFUL, but I am still not completely comfortable with deep frying on my stovetop.  I learned how, and it really wasn't too hard (if my memory serves), I have just never tried it at home!

Feta Cheese Mashed Potatoes

This is a great alternative to traditional mashed potatoes, and the best part is no gravy is required to make them good.  I find that if the mashed potatoes are made well and seasoned correctly, no gravy is needed; be sure to always salt and pepper to taste.  My rule is to taste everything before it is served and salt and pepper won't even need to be on the table.  

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, pealed and cubed

4 cloves garlic, pealed

1 (4 oz. pkg) Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.  Drain water and transfer to a mixing bowl; mash.  Add the feta, cream, salt and pepper.  Beat until fluffy.

  *A little side note: when draining the water, reserve some of it in a separate bowl.  If you find that the cream doesn't make the mash creamy enough, use the potato water.  It has all of the flavor and won't add more calories.

Serves 6

Quinoa with Mushrooms

Quinoa is listed as one of the 10 superfoods, so I had to give it a try.  The grain is high in protein and fiber and is a naturally good source of iron.  It also packs zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control your weight as well as lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Superfood for sure.  The only downfall this has, it is hard to find.  Apparently not all grocery stores got the memo of its greatness, and don't yet carry it.  Not to worry, Whole Foods is always a good source for anything that is good for you!

This dish turned out pretty well.  I think a little more flavor can be injected into the quinoa, but the mushroom mixture made it into a nice side dish.  Enjoy!

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 (8 oz) package mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced (I think I added about 3 cloves)

1 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed

3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the onions and mushrooms, adding the garlic half way through.  Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.

  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add quinoa and let brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low; simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. 

  Stir the mushroom mixture into quinoa and cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to serve.   

Recipe from allrecipes.com by Jen Cardenes

Roasted Asparagus

These turned out great! They were still crisp and bright green after cooking, and even though Asparagus isn't J's favorite, he enjoyed it as well. He did request that I use this recipe for green beans in the future.

I got this recipe from my favorite source, Cooks Illustrated. I love Cooks Illustrated because they have developed their recipes after trying everything. They deconstruct recipes and figure out the best ingredients and techniques to use for your dish to turn out perfectly. This is exactly what a newbie cook like me needs, though I will admit I still manage to screw it up sometimes!

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced (About 2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

Table salt and ground black pepper

1 pound medium asparagus, tough ends trimmed

10 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese

Adjust oven rack to upper position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Stir in oil, garlic, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper together in large bowl. Spread asparagus across rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with half of garlic mixture and toss to coat. Rearrange asparagus in single layer. Combine mushrooms with remaining garlic mixture and toss to coat. Scatter mushrooms over asparagus.

Roast until asparagus begins to soften and turns bright green with some brown edges, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and continue roasting until asparagus is softened and mushrooms are deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Toss vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to platter, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve.

Serves 4

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, Spring Entertaining 2011