Someone asked for a recipe for mashed potatoes, but I'd like
to suggest roasted potatoes--they're very easy:
1) Scrub and cut lengthwise into quarter or sixths, leaving skins on.
Throw them in a Ziplock bag with heavy seasonings like Mrs. Dash and
a sauce that's salty--worcestershire or soy or tamari.
2) Put on a plate and microwave for 5 or 10 minutes, depending on
how many potatoes you're cooking. I can only fit 2 or 3 cut up
and arranged in a circle with the middle empty, because the micro
doesn't cook well right in the center. They should be about
half-cooked.
3) Transfer to a heavy cookie sheet, skin down, and roast at high
temp, like 450 F., for about 20 mins, til browned but not shrivelled.
You can add other veggies cut into big chunks when you put it
in the oven to roast, but then I would add some liquid, like a
quart of a cup of water and worcestershire each, so they start
out braising and don't dry out.
I developed this method from the many postings about "unfries"
last year. It's a great way to quell cravings for french fries
if you eat the potatoes with ketchup or BBQ sauce!
Sometimes I roast a bunch of veggies (I like peppers, zucchini,
and mushrooms) with a lot of cumin and then mix with beans for a
burrito filling or nacho topping. I put out the mixture in a bowl
buffet-style with fatfree chips, tortillas, salsa, and
ff sour cream. Everybody who has tried it has been amazed at
how rich it tastes, due to the roasting. But I don't know what
to call it, since it's not chili or salad. Suggestions?
I could almost call it a "warm salad."
Now that it's getting warm, we'll try doing it on the grill
as shishkebabs. (I wonder how we'll get the beans to stay
on a skewer!)
--mm
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