Monterey Scalloped Potatoes

You’d think . . . a scalloped potato . . . is a scalloped potato. But I’m here to tell you that not all scalloped potato recipes are created equal. This one is definitely different – it uses Monterey jack cheese, for one. And that may be about the only thing that’s truly unusual about it, although this version also requires you to make a cream sauce – one made with cornstarch and milk and cream. The recipe came from a woman who used to work for me, in the ad agency I used to own.

Occasionally, usually around the holidays, we’d have a potluck, and as years went by, it was just accepted fact that Kathy would bring her scalloped potatoes. These are just so incredibly good, and I’ve never – ever – made another kind since she introduced me to them. I’ve changed her recipe just a little over the years (adding salt and pepper, and cooking the onions before starting to layer the potatoes). And I’ve altered the ratio of milk and half and half depending on what I have on hand. Kathy’s original recipe called for all half and half, but I changed it some years ago to half milk, and maybe just a touch of heavy cream if I happen to have it.

Cook’s Notes: be sure to use Monterey jack cheese – it is what makes this recipe. And don’t skimp on the baking time – it does require a full 90 minutes of baking. I salt and pepper the cream sauce to suit my taste (making it saltier than you’d make a sauce because after all, it has to salt the entire dish). If you have it, substitute a bit of heavy cream for an equal quantity of half and half.

Monterey Scalloped Potatoes
Recipe By: Kathy S, a former employee
Serving Size : 8
5 large Idaho potatoes
10 ounces Monterey jack cheese -- sliced
1 whole onion -- sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 ounces butter
1 teaspoon salt -- or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- or to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350. Select a 3-quart baking dish with lid. Spray the dish with vegetable spray.
2. Slice onion and place in a microwave-proof dish. Cover with plastic wrap and cook for about 4 minutes, until onions are just barely tender. Remove from microwave, discard plastic wrap, drain and allow to cool to a handling temperature.
3. Slice potatoes (with or without skins) to fill halfway up the dish. Cover with half of the slices of cheese and half of the onion. Repeat potato layer, cheese and onions, until dish is filled.
4. Make white sauce with half and half, milk, cornstarch and butter. Heat until somewhat thickened and pour over the potatoes. Place lid on potatoes. Bake for 90 minutes, removing lid during last 20-30 minutes.
Per Serving: 348 Calories; 23g Fat (59.7% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 561mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 4 Fat.
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Potato & Onion Cakes

I'm always on the lookout for a new and different side vegetable. One that isn't too difficult, but is attractive looking (for a company meal) and tastes good. This recipe was one from "the stack" I've talked about recently, of recipes I needed to file. It seemed like it would fit well with the grilled dinner we did about a week ago. There were a couple of different techniques in this recipe (using grated potatoes in a muffin tin) and gently smushing a red onion slice into the bottom beforehand.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living, November, 2006. It's not difficult, but does take a bit of fussing just before baking it. I got all the ingredients out, measured out what I'd need and had everything mis en place (ingredients in place, on a tray with everything I'd need) before I started. This must be constructed just before putting it in the oven because potatoes don't keep once they're grated. But I did what I could prior to that.

Ideally you need a 6-place large muffin tin. (You could use individual ramekins, no problem.) And since I don't bake muffins all that often, I was happy to find another use for the tin! First you butter the tin, sprinkle each cup with salt, pepper and a bit of brown sugar (all in the bottom). Then you drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic and red wine vinegars in the bottom of each cup, and artfully arrange a sprig of fresh rosemary across the bottom. Thin slices of red onion go in the bottom next (hopefully just the size of the bottom of the cup), then you grate the potatoes (quick work in the food processor) and toss with salt and pepper, and an egg yolk. Those are pressed firmly into the cup and you dot the top with a bit of butter. Bake for 30 minutes and you're done. You slide a knife around the edges and lift them out. Or, you could invert the whole pan. But I was concerned they wouldn't come out cleanly, so did them individually. I had to try several utensils before I found the right one. Very quickly place them on a HOT plate. They cool off quickly because they're kind of airy (the grated potato) so be ready to sit down to eat or serve them immediately. I'd make these again, just because they're pretty, and went well with a grilled dinner. These weren't a "wow" dish, but they were very good, and making some changes (see next paragraph) might make them "wow."

Cook's Notes: taste the potato mixture for salt and pepper before you pile them into the cups. Even though raw potatoes don't taste all that great, you want them to be seasoned right, and there's no way to do it otherwise. Try to arrange the onion slice "just so" in the bottom, so it looks pretty when you turn it out to serve. Next time I decided I'd add some Parmesan cheese to the potato mixture. And I'd mince up any remaining red onion and toss that in with the potatoes. Pack down the potatoes firmly, otherwise it breaks apart when you try to invert it. And lastly, I might try putting two slices of onion in the bottom if I could. You could also use frozen potatoes for this if you were so inclined.

Potato and Onion Cakes
Recipe By : Martha Stewart Living
Serving Size : 6
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary -- plus 6 sprigs for ramekins
1 small red onion -- sliced into six 1/4" rounds
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes -- grated
1 egg yolk -- slightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Generously butter a large (six 1-cup) muffin tins. Sprinkle in the bottom of each cup salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar; drizzle each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of each vinegar. Place a rosemary sprig in each cup, then cover with an onion round. Can be made ahead to this point, about 2 hours before baking.
3. Shred potatoes in food processor, if possible, then toss with the chopped rosemary and the egg yolk in a medium bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste. Divide the potatoes amongst the cups, then dot with butter.
4. Bake until potatoes are tender and well browned, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of each cup to loosen, invert onto a hot plate and serve.
5. Could be made an hour or so before serving, then reheat in a 300 oven.
Per Serving: 107 Calories; 5g Fat (39.5% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 672mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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Sugar Snap Pea Tops/Greens/Tendrils

A week or so ago we visited the farmer's market by UCI (Univ. of California, Irvine) near us. It's the largest in our area, but about 6 miles away, so we don't visit this one very often. I'm glad we did, though. All the vegies I bought that day were so very fresh. Certainly fresher than what I buy at the grocery store. There was a lot of repetition, of course, because of the winter season - lots of carrots, root vegetables, cauliflower, winter squashes, apples, oranges and pears. But at one stand they had all different kinds of greens. The proprietor said, in her halting Asian accented English, that this bunch of green stuff was the tops of sugar snap peas. They were such a beautiful color. I should have snapped a photo of the before picture. A huge bunch was just enough for two servings.

I hadn't a clue what to do with them. A search on the internet for "sugar snap pea tops" disclosed nary a hit. So, I did what I thought was the best thing: first I washed them thoroughly. The larger stems were big enough that I thought they might be tough, so I pinched them off, leaving me with a huge mound of the pure tops, leaves and tendrils. I thoroughly enjoyed tossing them (for a total of about 3 -4 minutes) in a hot pan with a bit of olive oil, garlic and butter. I hit them with a shot of salt and pepper, and served. We both lapped it up in nothing flat. DH wanted seconds. Sorry, honey, all gone.

Peas with Pancetta

Sometimes there's just no other vegetable (carb) except peas that will work. I really enjoy green peas, especially the young, small ones. But because they're a carb, we don't eat them much anymore except adding them onto a salad at a salad bar. This dish, though, makes me a convert every time I've prepared it. Probably it's the pancetta. I'm sure glad I was introduced to pancetta some years ago (it's Italian bacon, but not smoked as American bacon is). Trader Joe's carries it in paper-thin slices and in cube form. I keep one of those boxes of pancetta cubes in the freezer all the time now, and it's perfect for this dish.

The recipe came from Cooking Light, April, 2005. So that means it's low in fat and calories. But this recipe is high on flavor, I'll tell you.

Peas with Pancetta
Recipe: Cooking Light
Servings: 6
2 ounces pancetta -- chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup white onion -- diced
1 whole garlic clove -- minced
3 cups frozen peas -- petite
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Italian parsley -- minced
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat cook the pancetta until it is crispy but not brown. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. Add the diced onions to the drippings in the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue to cook for about another minute. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the peas, chicken broth, sugar and salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes (or less) until the peas are just tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the pancetta and chopped parsley and turn out into a heated bowl and serve.
Serving Ideas : Serve in a light colored bowl - the dish looks very pretty with the green and red-brown of the pancetta. If serving with lamb, add some fresh mint to the top. Would make a very nice holiday dinner vegetable, especially with lamb, pork or turkey.
Per Serving: 102 Calories; 3g Fat (23.5% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 490mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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