Smashed Baby New Potatoes - Yum Yum

I had seen this recipe on the Vegan Yum Yum blog awhile back, and LoLo said that she got it from The Pioneer Woman's blog. They looked so delicious that I knew they would be great with my Comfort Food Sunday dinner. I think everyone who makes them adds a little of their own touch. I know that I added grating cheese to mine. These were delicious, so with special thanks to LoLo at Vegan Yum Yum and Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman for this awesome recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes. You can see the original posts by clinking on the two links in the last sentence.

What you will need for this recipe:



Crash Hot Potatoes

Make as many as you want (I figured 2-3 per person, but if you have teenage boys you may want to figure 3-4 per person)

Several small potatoes, red or russet (I used baby new potatoes) 

Kosher salt
 and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

2-3 Sprigs Rosemary, finely chopped
Grated cheese of your choice (Parmesan, Locatelli-Romano, etc) I used about 3 tablespoons

Preheat oven to 450º F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Wash the potatoes until they are clean. Put the potatoes in a pot and fill with water. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Place the water on a medium high flame and bring to a boil. Boil them until they are tender all the way through. Make sure a fork pierces them easily. Drain the potatoes. Let the potatoes cool a little. Drizzle the cookie sheet with olive oil. Place the cooked potatoes on cookie sheet.

Using a small paring knife, make an X cut on the top of each potato so it's easier to crush them. Use a potato masher and gently press on each potato until squashed but not disintegrated. You want them to stay together. If they fall apart, don't worry! Just pick up the bits into piles and keep going.

Once smashed, generously sprinkle kosher salt over each potato. Follow with pepper, and then, drizzle them with more olive oil. If desired, sprinkle each potato with freshly chopped rosemary or chives if desired. Sprinkle with smoked paprika to finish them off if desired. Bake the potatoes at 450º F for 20-25 minutes, longer is better, you want them very crisp, just don't let them burn. Serve hot!

Note: These can be done in a pressure cooker. If you have a pressure cooker, cook the potatoes whole on a trivet with 1 cup of water for 10-20 minutes at high-pressure, depending on the size of the potatoes. Turn off the heat and let the cooker release pressure naturally. Then proceed as above.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Make as many as you want (I figured 2-3 per person, but if you have teenage boys you may want to figure 3-4 per person)

Several small potatoes, red or russet (I used baby new potatoes) 

Kosher salt
 and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

2-3 Sprigs Rosemary, finely chopped
Grated cheese (Parmesan, Locatelli-Romano, etc) I used about 3 tablespoons

Preheat oven to 450º F.


Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet

Place the rosemary in a plate


Chop the rosemary very fine and set aside


Wash the potatoes until they are clean


Put the potatoes in a pot and fill with water


Add about 2 tablespoons of salt (I ran out of Kosher salt,
but if you have it, use Kosher salt) to the water


Place the water on a medium high flame
and bring to a boil.


Boil them until they are tender all the way through


Make sure a fork pierces them easily

Drain the potatoes


Let the potatoes cool a little


Using a small paring knife, make an X cut on the
top of each potato so it's easier to crush them

Use a potato masher and gently press on each
potato until squashed but not disintegrated




Place the cooked potatoes on cookie sheet
You want them to stay together. If they fall apart, don't worry!
Just pick up the bits into piles and keep going.




Drizzle the cookie sheet with olive oil
(I forget to do this step, so I added it
after the potatoes were on the
parchment paper -pictures look like they
are a little out of order, when actually, it's
my brain that is out of order :) )


Once smashed, generously sprinkle kosher
salt over each potato.


Follow with pepper,
and then, drizzle them with more olive oil




If desired, sprinkle each potato with freshly
chopped rosemary or chives if desired



Sprinkle with grated cheese





Drizzle a little more olive oil




Sprinkle with smoked paprika to finish them off if desired



Bake the potatoes at 450º F for 20-25 minutes,
longer is better, you want them very crisp,
just don't let them burn. Serve hot!

You May Just Have to Wing It!!!!!

America is in Crisis...the beloved chicken wing is becoming an endangered species!!!

It seems that the farm in Texas that produces the bulk of the chicken wings in the United States, Pilgrims Pride Corporation has recently filed for bankruptcy, and now, gasp, there may be a shortage of Chicken Wings just in time for next weeks Super Bowl.

Now, I have a few questions here, how come if chicken wings are in such demand, the corporation is going bankrupt...you remember from high school economics, that thing called the law of supply and demand!!! We're demanding them, you're supplying them and, you tell us you are filing for bankruptcy??? What's wrong with this equation??

My next question is one I hope would be obvious to everyone, what about companies like Perdue Chickens, are they raising chickens without wings???? I am still trying to figure out what Pilgrams Pride does to raise chickens that only come with wings...good trick if you can master it.

Where are the rest of the chicken body parts heading...south for the winter, away from the dastardly Buffalo, who put them in such hot demand in the first place. I can't blame them there, I'd like to get out of upstate New York as well...

Or, is this just another pot shot at us wing loving Americans to drive up the price of wings (now that gas is dropping, they have to get us one way or another) or will they invoke a chicken wing tax to go along with the snack food and soda debacle that is now controlling the country. I thought it was my right as an American to choose to be fat if I so desire, lol

What is happening in our beloved country????

So my suggestion is, better have some alternatives on hand for Super Bowl Sunday, and be prepared to wing it. Here is a veggie tart that might have a place in your house. Now, don't let the veggie part fool you, this is no healthy snack (once you weigh in the puff pastry and the artichoke-asiago spread) but what the heck it's Super Bowl Sunday after all. The beauty of this recipe is that you could easily switch the spread to anything you like, such as hummus, or bean paste, or a mushroom pate, anything you like, the same goes for the vegetables, use eggplant, mushroom slices, thin slices of carrots, you could mix and match at will.

This recipe was adapted from a great recipe on Vegan Yum Yum. That is the only site that could turn moi into a vegetarian, she has great recipes there.

Asparagus Zucchini Tart with Artichoke-Asiago Spread

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer

1 container of artichoke-asiago spread - (I bought this at Wegman’s Grocery
Store – on their salad bar section. I used the 1 pound container size, and filled it up. You could put any spread you like such as a red pepper hummus or make your own)
1 small bunch of Fresh Asparagus

1 small zucchini
1½ tablespoons Panko crumbs
1 tablespoon grating cheese
1 Puff Pastry Sheet
 - I used Pepperidge Farm
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Take one sheet of puff pastry sheet out of the freezer, and place it on a sheet of parchment paper about as long as a cookie sheet. Let it defrost on the counter for about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400º F and if you are making your own filling, prepare it now. See the Vegan Yum Yum blog for the original recipe if you want to do the bean pesto. While the pastry is defrosting, cut the bottoms off the asparagus. Peel the zucchini. I take a fork and run it down the zucchini to make a pretty border and then, cut it in to thin slices. (This works well with cucumbers too)

Mix your grating cheese and Panko crumbs together. Mix and set aside.

After defrosting the pastry, open it carefully (don’t tear it please) on top of the same sheet of parchment paper. Take a rolling pin and carefully, keep the rectangular shape, roll it out to a little bit small than the cookie sheet. Place the spread on top of the pastry. Spread the artichoke– asiago spread leaving a 1-inch border. Place two - three asparagus spears (alternating directions) on the spread. Place a row of the zucchini (overlapping slightly) next to the asparagus. Repeat the pattern. I put a border of spears along the edges. Fold the edges of the pastry up to make a little border crust. Slide the tart, parchment paper and all onto a cookie sheet. Trim any excess parchment paper, leaving just a small border so you can lift it later Drizzle or brush the vegetables with olive oil. Season with a little salt (because the dip and grating cheese are salty too) and black pepper. Sprinkle the Panko/cheese mixture over the top of the tart. Place the tart (paper and all) into the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry has puffed and the spears and zucchini are tender. Let cool a few minutes. Slice into serving size pieces with a pizza cutter or scissors. Serve warm.

Vegan Yum Yum says you can reheat this if it is left over or eat at room temperature.

Here is what you will need for this recipe:

Take one sheet of puff pastry sheet out of the freezer,
and place it on a sheet of parchment paper
that is about as long as a cookie sheet
and let it defrost for about 40 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 400º F


and if you are making your own filling, prepare it now.
See the Vegan Yum Yum blog for the original recipe
if you want to do the bean pesto.

While the pastry is defrosting,
cut the bottoms off the asparagus.
and set aside


Peel the zucchini


I take a fork and run it down



the zucchini to make a pretty border


and then, cut it in to thin slices.
(This works well with cucumbers too)


and set aside


Mix your grating cheese


and Panko crumbs


together


Mix and set aside.


After defrosting the pastry, open it carefully
(don’t tear it please) on top of the
same sheet of parchment paper.


Take a rolling pin and carefully,


keep the rectangular shape, roll it out
to a little bit smaller than the cookie sheet.


Place the spread on top of the pastry


Spread the artichoke – asiago spread
leaving a 1-inch border.


Place two - three asparagus spears
(alternating directions) on the spread
push down gently


Place a row of the zucchini (overlapping slightly)
next to the asparagus.


Repeat the pattern.


I put a border of spears along the edges


Fold the edges of the pastry up

to make a little border crust.




Slide the tart, parchment paper
and all onto a cookie sheet.


Trim any excess parchment paper, leaving just a
small border so you can lift it later




Drizzle or brush the vegetables with olive oil.


Season with a little salt (because the dip and
grating cheese are salty too)


and black pepper.



Sprinkle the Panko/cheese mixture
over the top of the tart.



Place the tart (paper and all) into the
oven for 25-30 minutes,


I turned my tart from front to back after
15 minutes to insure even browning),

until the pastry has puffed and the
spears and zucchini are tender.


Let cool a few minutes.



Slice into serving size pieces with
a pizza cutter or scissors.


Serve warm.



Vegan Yum Yum says you can reheat this
if it is left over or eat at room temperature.

Kudos to Vegan Yum Yum for the original recipe!!!