Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes are a variation on roasted potatoes. The potatoes have a crispy outer skin with a delicious, soft inside. The cooking technique isn't different from common baked potatoes, with the exception of being thinly sliced into an accordion shape.

A blend of butter and garlic creates a crunchy outer crust that is perfectly seasoned. To guarantee that the potatoes are cooked through, I parboiled them for a few minutes, cut them into a fan shape, dried them in the oven, then smeared them with a generous amount of garlic-flavored butter.

The accordion potatoes have a fancy presentation, but really, the dish isn't complicated at all. I'm thinking of serving hasselback potatoes for Thanksgiving this year instead of the roasted potatoes I typically make. As an added bonus, they go great with meat or poultry, making them perfect for turkey day.

 

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Quinoa and Brown Rice Side Dish Recipe

Cooking quinoa is as easy as cooking rice: count one part uncooked quinoa to 2 parts water. However, brown rice takes a little longer to cook, so I parboiled the brown rice first and then added the quinoa for the remainder of the cooking time. Since quinoa is pretty bland by itself, I added a little kick using a paste made from tomato paste and Serrano peppers.

The addition of grilled summer vegetables and garbanzo beans completed the meal. I served the quinoa and brown rice medley as a side dish with escalope de dinde (turkey scallopini).

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Fire-Roasted Corn in Miso Butter (Grilled Corn on the Cob)

We finally made it to Ashland, Oregon. The place we're staying at is fantastic and has a large barbecue grill. I decided to take advantage of it and grill fresh corn while the family was having fun in the swimming pool.

Instead of seasoning the corn with regular salt, I used white miso paste, which is a fermented rice and soybean combination. I chose white miso paste which is fermented for only a few weeks, as opposed to regular miso which is fermented for several months. I find the flavor to be less salty, with a subtle sweetness. Of course, if you don't have miso paste on hand, you could always use regular salt, but what would be the fun in that?

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Mashed Plantains (Banana Plantain Puree Recipe)

Unlike regular bananas, plantains require cooking and cannot be eaten raw. They're cooked in the same manner as you would potatoes. Their texture is denser, firmer and starchier than bananas but they still have a mild sweetness. As you let the plantain ripen the skin turns almost black, and it becomes slightly sweeter.

For the plantain purée, I used ripe yellow plantains. I boiled and then pan-fried them to caramelize them and enhance the natural sweetness. Finally, I mashed them and added caramelized onions and various herbs, completing this flavorful savory side dish.

Garlic chives from the garden.

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Barbecue Tips: Sweet Potatoes Cooked in the Coals

Our summer season has been filled with pool parties and a lot of barbecues. Grilling vegetables and meat is usually what makes the meals, but who doesn’t love all the yummy side dishes as well? If you’re looking to make something besides potato or pasta salad, here’s a delicious and not so ordinary suggestion: baked sweet potatoes, cooked in the coals or in ashes. Sweet potatoes are so much healthier than regular potatoes and the kids love to scoop the smooth and velvety sweetness.
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