Week 1 (Part 2): Meat and Potatoes

I eat to feel better. I know this about myself. Today was a day that I needed food. It was a bad day. Tears were involved. So, I came home and cooked. I snapped green beans and grated potatoes and whisked. It felt good.

"Lemony Green Beans"
Taken from Simple Suppers
from The Moosewood Collective

Serves 4 to 6 people
Ready in 20 minutes

1 tsp. salt
1 pound green beans
1 lemon
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
salt and pepper

Bring 3 or 4 inches of salted water to a boil. Rinse the green beans, and trim the stem ends. When the water boils, add the green beans and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

While the beans are cooking, grate the lemon peel and juice the lemon and set aside. You'll need about 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest.

When the beans are tender, drain them and return them to the pain. Add the olive oil or butter and the lemon juice and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with lemon zest.

I liked this. It was easy enough to make and tasted great - really lemony.

"Two Potato Gratin"
Taken from Simple Suppers
from The Moosewood Collective

Serves 4
Takes 55 minutes

2 eggs
3 C grated sweet potatoes and white potatoes
1/2 C chopped scallions
2 Tbsp. white flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 C grated dilled Havarti cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 375.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, scallions, flour, salt, pepper, and half of the cheese and mix well.

Heat the butter and oil in a large ovenproof skills (10 to 12 inches) on medium-high heat. Spoon the potato mixture into the skillet and spread evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottom is nicely browned. Do not stir.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the top is golden. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Cut the gratin into wedges and serve hot.

I expected this was going to be like cheesy potatoes; I guess they're called scalloped potatoes. It was more like hashed browns. But, the mix of sweet and regular potato was nice, and the onions added some crunch. I'd eat it again.

"Mustard Horseradish Sauce"
Taken from Barefoot Contessa Family Style
by Ina Garten

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 C mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1/3 C sour cream
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Whisk together. Serve at room temperature.

Ina's original recipe was meant to accompany a rib roast. I served it with beef tenderloin cooked on the grill.

I didn't have two different kinds of mustard and just used about 4 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard. I also would have added a little more horseradish for some extra kick. Oh, and I would recommend remembering to put the sour cream on your shopping list to avoid an extra and last-minute trip to the store.