Schmancy Potato Gratin

I recently scored a huge bag of potatoes on sale for fifty cents. How exciting is that? They were perfectly fresh, and since I've been thinking about making a potato gratin for a while, they seemed like the perfect candidates for the job.

Now this isn't the most health-conscious of dishes, but I did try to cut down the amount of cheese that most gratin recipes call for. The combination of bleu and Parmesan cheese with Herbes de Provence give this dish a more sophisticated flavor.


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: about 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes
SERVES: 6 people


INGREDIENTS:
5-6 large potatoes, cleaned and sliced 1/8" thick
1 large onion, cut into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Herbes de Provence, divided
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large frying pan, saute onion rings and minced garlic until translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grease a large casserole dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with potato slices. Top with 1/3 of onion & garlic mixture, 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, a sprinkling of bleu cheese, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper to taste. Cover with another layer of potato slices and repeat onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, two cheeses and salt & pepper. Repeat this step one more time (or as many times as you have potato slices for-- but no less than 3 layers!), ending with the toppings.

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour this mixture over potato layers. Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and bake 20 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and start to brown and crisp at the sides.



Bring to your next holiday potluck and impress all of your friends!

Red Pepper and Spinach Soup with Toasted Rice

Although winter isn't my favorite season, I do love the comfort foods that keep you warm and cozy through the cold months. Especially soups. There's nothing in the world more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup, designed to fill you up and warm you from head to toe as you brave those unfriendly elements.

I discovered the deliciousness of toasted rice just recently-- popping uncooked rice in the oven for a few minutes is really easy, and it lends a very complex & nutty flavor to the soup. Using pre-made soups is cheating a little, but when you need some homemade comfort food fast, it's so incredibly convenient.


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!


PREP TIME: about 20 minutes
COOK TIME: about 45 minutes
SERVES: 4 hungry people


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
3 cups veggie stock
3 cups roasted red pepper & tomato soup (I like Pacific Natural Foods brand)
2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed & cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil, for cooking
salt & pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cookie sheet and spread uncooked brown rice evenly over the sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake until the rice starts to darken, stirring frequently. (This should take anywhere from 6-10 minutes) Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, saute onion & garlic in a little olive oil until just translucent. Add bell pepper & dill weed and saute for 3 minutes more or until pepper starts to soften. Add veggie stock, soup and rice and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover stock pot, simmering until rice is fluffy and soft.

When rice is fully cooked, add spinach leaves and cheese. Stir to incorporate and remove soup from heat.

Serve immediately*, with a big piece of crusty bread for dipping!



*This soup actually does refrigerate very well, but expect the rice to absorb a lot of the liquid, changing the consistency to a more stew-like meal. Still tastes delicious, though!