Corny Potato Salad

JT:  Made a potato salad to take to Father's Day dinner. Really wanted to avoid the mayo -- I'd hate it even if it wasn't chock full of calories. The texture and taste have always been bad to me. So, I needed a no mayo potato salad. However, my dad doesn't like vinegar-y things... so, that made finding a good potato salad difficult! I stumbled across this one on foodgawker (fun site to browse, btw). The original recipe can be found here. I made some changes...

CORNY POTATO SALAD
serves 8 side servings

*27oz red new potatoes, cooked till fork tender (I boiled them) And the 27oz was just what I used... Orig recipe called for 2lb.
*2 Tbsp. dijon mustard (or to taste)
*2/3 of a 14oz can of creamed corn
*1 Tbsp. capers (forgot these)
*1 celery stalk, diced
*1 small red bell pepper, diced
*3 radishes sliced
*2 tsp. fresh dill
*1.5 cups of frozen green beans, thawed and dried
*3.5 slices of bacon, cooked super crispy in the oven and chopped

I cooked potatoes ahead of time and cooled. Mix mustard into creamed corn. use more or less, to taste. Could need more creamed corn too, depending on potato volume. Add potatoes and other veggies and mix gently. I garnished with chopped crispy bacon. Would also be good with different veggies -- especially cherry tomatoes! And it could have used a bit of onion.

Nutrition: Calculated the quantities/products I used... Each serving came out to about 130cal. I thought this salad was great. It has a creamy/dressed quality with out added any extra calories.

Potato and Onion Frittata

This dish is based on the classic omelet of Spain, tortilla española. In the authentic dish, the potatoes are fried, and most recipes call for copious amounts of oil. In this version, I steam the potatoes to cut down on oil and use a waxier variety of potato with a lower glycemic index. Waxier potatoes also have a better texture when steamed instead of fried.

1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled if desired and cut in small dice (1/2 to 3/4 inch)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon)
6 large eggs

1. Steam the potatoes until tender, about eight minutes, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet, and add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, about five minutes. Add the potatoes to the pan, and toss together gently so that the potatoes don’t break apart. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a bowl, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Stir in the potatoes and onions.

4. Return the pan to the stove, and heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a drop of egg; when it sizzles and cooks at once, scrape the eggs and vegetables back into the pan. Shake the pan gently while you lift the edges of the frittata, and tilt the pan to let egg run underneath and set. When the bottom of the frittata has set, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook gently for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the broiler.

5. Uncover the pan, and slide under the broiler for a minute or two (watch closely) to set the top. Remove from the heat. Let the tortilla set in the pan for a few minutes, then slide out onto a serving plate. Allow to cool to room temperature, and cut into small diamonds to serve as hors d’oeuvres.

Variations: You can add other vegetables to this to make beautiful tapas. Try 1 cup thawed frozen peas, 1 cup diced steamed carrots or 1/2 to 1 cup chopped blanched greens. Stir into the eggs with the potatoes.

Yield: Serves 10 as a tapa.

Advance preparation: Tortilla española is usually served at room temperature, so you can make this hours before serving. You can even make it a day ahead and refrigerate it, but be sure to allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Nutritional information per serving: 103 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 127 grams cholesterol; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 45 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 5 grams protein

From NYTimes

Twice Baked Potato Pie

4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, pricked all over with a fork
1 stick butter
1 cup sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, whatever cheese you prefer, grated
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each dried parsley, chives
Dash onion and garlic powder
Butter, for the casserole

a 13 x 9 baking pan, or 9 x 9 x 4 deep baking dish

Just looking at that list of ingredients makes me wince, but let's do this.

Preheat the oven to 350f. Depending on the size of your taters, bake for 1:15 - 1:30, until they're soft when poked. Cool 15 minutes.

Slice them in half, and using a spoon, scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add butter, sour cream, cheese, milk, salt and pepper and garlic, and mash well. You want them soft, airy, so don't over mash, and add a little water if you feel they're too thick. Using an electric beater, whip them for a couple minutes to aerate. Fold in your egg and set aside.

Butter your casserole dish.

Mince the potato skins well, and add the dried herbs and onion and garlic powders. Salt them a teeny bit and press them into the bottom of the casserole, making a crust.

Spoon the mashed potato mix over the potato skins, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for an hour, or until the middle has puffed and there's brown in spots.

From NoFacePLate

Good Luck Potatoes

Preparation:
3 pounds russet potatoes
3 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup milk
¾ cup whipping cream
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I used shredded)

Scrub the potatoes and poke several holes in each with a fork. Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until a fork pierced into one of the thicker ones meets little resistance. Cool potatoes briefly. Cut them in half, and using a towel in your hand to keep the potatoes from burning you, spoon the flesh from the peels. Put the potato flesh in a large bowl and discard the peels. Mash the potatoes a few times with a masher and add the melted butter. Continue to mash the potatoes until they are evenly coated with butter. Add the milk and continue to mash until the potatoes are the consistency that you like. You can add a splash more milk if you need to get to a good consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Seriously, taste it…you need good mashed potatoes as a base for this amazing topping). Spread the potatoes into a greased 3 quart baking dish. Depending on how much the potatoes have cooled during this process, you might cover them and put them in a warm oven (perhaps 250 degrees while you prepare the cream. The potatoes only go into the oven for an additional 10 minutes so they need to be warm before you add the topping).

Whip the cream until it is fluffy, but soft and fold in Gruyere cheese. Spread over the potatoes and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.

From TheMeaningOfPie