Good Enough To Be Dinner: Zucchini Almond Sauté

For most people this would constitute a side dish. I, however, consider this a perfect light dinner.

I have smitten kitchen to thank for this recipe. I have never prepared a recipe so soon after seeing it posted. But I absolutely love zucchini (seriously, I can barely cook anything without it. Not in the recipe? I will find a way to get it in).

It is a minimalist dish. You barely need anything to make it - zucchini, almond slices, and parmesan cheese.

And if I don't have it on hand, I often make it without the cheese. Still good, but with cheese is better. But thats no surprise since with cheese is ALWAYS better.

Anyway...getting back on track. Don't let this short list of simple ingredients fool you. There is sooo much flavor in this preparation.

Ingredients (all approximate):

2 medium zucchini

¼ cup sliced almonds

½ Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup shaved parmesan

salt

pepper

Method:

Heat oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over med-high heat.

While oil is heating slice your zucchini into matchsticks. I will show you how I like to do this not because I think you are dull, but because it quite honestly took me several tries to figure out a good way to do this.

When oil is hot, add almond slices to pan. Mix around to coat with oil, and heat until most pieces are golden brown and the nuts become fragrant.

Add zucchini to pan and toss with nuts. Add a bit of salt (I usually do about one turn on my grinder) and generously pepper.

Cook, tossing frequently, until zucchini just warms thru and softens slightly. It should still be somewhat firm and not completely translucent.

Transfer to bowl and top with parmesan. Serve (or eat) immediately.

Anythings Game Now: Cheesy Spicy Mashed Potatoes

I mentioned before that I was not sure what to do with this blog; whether or not I wanted to expand its scope outside pie.

I have been putting together a number of recipes lately for Tasty Kitchen, and one food came along and made the decision for me.

I created these mashed potatoes. They taste amazing, are easy to make, and need to be shared with as many people in the world as I can possibly reach.

They include the two best ingredients on the face of the planet: cayenne pepper and cheese. Mixed in with one of that which I will hereby name The Cream Dyad: sour cream.

I thought of these potatoes, and then thought about them for weeks waiting for the opportunity to make them. They were all I hoped they would be. It is so satisfying to not be disappointed by dreams.

The Potatoes:

The Recipe

(Makes 4 Servings)

1lb Potatoes

4 Tbsp Sour Cream

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1½ cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – the sharper the better and I recommend orange colored cheese to give potatoes that “yes, I am cheesy” hue.

Milk (a splash may or may not be needed)

Scrub potatoes and peel if desired. Cut into 1″ cubes.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil potatoes until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Start mashing potatoes, going until you have achieved a rough lumpy mash using whatever method you

prefer. (I just use a pastry cutter and a fork).

Thoroughly mix in sour cream. If the potatoes are not creamy enough, add a splash of milk and stir to combine.

Stir in cheese, adding it in batches of 1/4-1/2 a cup at a time. Keep stirring until completely and evenly combined.

Add cayenne pepper and stir. (This much pepper will produce a mild level of heat for spice aficionados while still preserving the cheesy flavor, so scale back a bit if this is too much for you.)

Creative leftover idea:

I had a bunch of these to enjoy a second night, and wanted to do something different with them. So I made my favorite mashed potato dish – potato tacos!

I stuffed them into flour tortillas, folded in half and broiled to get the tortillas warm and a bit crispy. Then I topped them with some more sour cream, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes.

It was Yummy. But warning, as with all things cayenne spiced, they got hotter with time.