New Recipes

It seems as though I have fallen off my recipe blogging.  Though not intentional, I guess I have not been trying many new recipes.   But over the past month  I have accumulated a few and will say the are all keepers!

I found this recipe from a Blog I follow kaitlin in the kitchen.  We made it to go along with grilled shrimp po'boys and it was fabulous!  I did not take any photos of ours so click on the link and you can receive step by step instructions with great pics!

Garlic Parmesan Fries

Ingredients:

2 Large Russet Potatoes

1 Large Garlic Clove

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

Oil, for frying

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Directions:

Wash your potatoes and cut into strips that resemble french fries. Place your fries in a bowl and add a drizzle of oil over them and cover with a microwave safe lid or plastic wrap and steam in the microwave for 3:00 minutes. While your fries are steaming, heat up your oil on medium high, it should fill a large pot about halfway full. Carefully place your steamed fries in your oil and fry until golden brown and then transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet or plate to soak up excess grease, and also season with salt immediately. Unpeel your garlic clover and slice it in half and put it into a bowl with your butter and microwave until melted, then remove the garlic clove. Place fries in a large bowl and pout butter over them and then the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss fries to make sure everything is coated evenly. Serve.

 Everyone loves The Pioneer Woman Cooks and I could not wait to try this recipe. She has fabulous pics and tips on her blog!

Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi

 Ingredients

1 pound Angel Hair Pasta

½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese

½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

½ cups Grated Romano Cheese

½ cups Goat Cheese (chevre)

2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 whole Garlic Clove, Peeled

½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Minced Fresh Parsley

Preparation Instructions

Heat cream in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.

Rub garlic clove all over the inside of a large serving bowl.

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water, leaning toward the al dente side. Do not overcook! Drain pasta, then return to the cooking pot. Pour in cream, add butter, and add cheeses and salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine, adding hot pasta water as needed for consistency. Don’t overmix; if there are little clumps of cheese here and there, it’s fine! Taste and add more salt if needed. Mixing stage should happen very quickly.

Turn pasta into large serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with a nice medium rare steak.

*Can use whatever four cheeses you’d like!

**My 2 cents on this recipe.  I substituted feta for the chevre.  I am not partial to Goat Cheese, too bitter for me.  I decided , against my better judgement, to use Angel Hair as the recipe states.  I only cooked the pasta for 2 minutes  and by the time I added the warm cream and pasta water, it was a ball of mush.  The flavor was very good but from now on I will make this dish with linguini or similar pasta that can stand up to the cooking the cooking, and warm, ingredients and mixing without becoming an overcooked. DEFINETLY reserve the pasta water .  Without it this dish would have been impossible to mix.

I love Giada’s recipes and do not believe I have ever tried one that was disappointing.  Despite the being fried, the parsley and lemon giveit a light fresh taste, perfect for Spring!

Fried Smashed New Potaotes

Ingredients

Potatoes:

2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed

3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 lemons, zested

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the potatoes: Put the potatoes in an 8-quart stockpot with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil, if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

Enjoy!