I really like potatoes. Mashed potatoes are my favourite. Plain mashed potatoes with warm milk and a little bit of butter, or "fancy" with herbs and yogurt. Any mashed potatoes is good for me. I also love baked potatoes, piping hot with melting butter and some salt, they are best wrapped in foil and "baked" in ashes in a nice big fire pit during cool summer nights under the stars. They are really hot and unwrapping them is an interesting activity with a lot of burnt fingers, but it's all part of an experience and the smoky smell of those potatoes is really worth a couple of small burns. What about boiled potatoes? A big pot of small new potatoes boiled to perfection and tossed with lots (and I mean lots) of chopped dill, garlic and butter. And if there are a couple of filets of herring on the side then it's just pure heaven!!!

And with all my love for potatoes I don't really like potato salads (with an exception of a famous Russian (olivie) potato salad, but it's a tradition). I don't like big chunks of cold potatoes tossed with mayo or sour cream. It just doesn't taste right. So, when I saw this recipe I thought that I'd give it a try since it's different from traditional potato salads. And oh my... I was in ecstasy after my first bite. The salad is quite simple with such humble ingredients as cucumbers and radishes, but a simple step of pan frying cooked potatoes brings the salad to another level and addition of sesame oil and maple syrup completes the picture. I think I can eat this whole portion by myself. Will I be able to move after? I don't know. But I can eat the whole thing, it's that good!

recipe adapted from trio-mia

• New potatoes - 500 g
• Small cucumbers, sliced - 3
• Radishes, sliced - 1 bunch (about 10-15)
• Sesame seeds - 2 tablespoons or more (forgot to put them in before I took the picture, but please do not omit them)
• Dill, finely chopped - 4 tablespoons
• Salt, pepper
• Oil for the pan

For the dressing

• Sunflower oil - 4tablespoons
• Lemon juice  - 1/2 lemon
• Maple syrup - 1 tablespoon
• Sesame oil - 1 tablespoon

- Boil the potatoes until they are fully cooked.
- Half the potatoes or quarter them if they are too big.
- Pan fry the potatoes for a few minutes until they have a nice caramelization on the sides.
- Mix all the ingredients for a dressing.
- In a big bowl mix all the salad ingredients while the potatoes are still warm and pour the dressing in. Mix.

Comments
- It's going to taste much better if the dressing is poured over warm potatoes, since they absorb more flavour while still warm.
- Any type of potatoes can be used, but new potatoes taste and look better and you don't have to peel them.
- Sesame seeds go really well in the salad especially with sesame oil.
- There's a lot of dressing but I wouldn't recommend using less, since it's really tasty.

I used to stay away from Coconut Milk. Whenever I saw a recipe with this ingredient I immediately stopped reading it. And right now I can't even think of a reason why I didn't like coconut milk so much. Maybe I tried something with it and didn't like it, or maybe it was just an idea of "milk" made from coconut. But a few months ago I tried a soup that had that ingredient in it and I liked it! Since then I've been waiting... Waiting for that perfect recipe to come along where I could explore my new found curiosity about coconut milk. And a couple of weeks ago I got my chance. I was leafing through my first ever cookbook (not even a book, just a tiny little borchure) and there it was - an ideal recipe. How good was it? I made it twice in five days and I am planning on making it again and again and again. So, here I give you this amazing soup!!

recipe from Fast Family Meals

for 4-6 servings

• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Onion, finely chopped - 1
• Leek, finely chopped - 1 small
• Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes - 500 g
• Orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes - 350 g
• Vegetable stock - 1 litre
• Light coconut milk - 270 ml can
• Fresh coriander leaves and whole leaves to garnish - 3 tbsp chopped
• Salt, pepper to taste

- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. - Cook the onion and leek for 3 minutes, or until soft.
- Stir in the pumpkin, orange sweet potato, add the stock, then cover and bring to boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Mash roughly with a potato masher.
- Stir in the coconut milk and chopped coriander
- Season to taste with salt and pcracked black pepper
- Ladle into serving bowls, sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with crusty bread

Comments

- The recipe promises that it's 200 cal per serving if used ofr 6 portions.
- Also, coconut milk can be substituted with cream or even extra stock, but I highly recommend trying this version. It's filling, slightly sweet and oh, so delicious.

These little potato latkes are good for lunch, late Sunday breakfast or light dinner if served with a side of salad. Easy to make and even easier to eat. Salty soy with pungent garlic and nutty sesame sauce brings the dish to a next level. It's not a traditional sour cream condiment and it makes these pancakes different from their rosti cousin.

recipe adapted from here

• Potatoes - 2 big
• Onion - 1/2 small
• Cornstarch - 3 teaspoons
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

- Grate the potatoes using a fine grater.
- Wrap the potatoes in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze dry to get rid off extra liquid in the potatoes.
- Put the potatoes into a large bowl.
- Finely grate the onion and add it to the potatoes.
- Add the cornstarch, salt, pepper and mix well.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Spoun the mixture and drop it onto a pan, spread it a little to form a thin layer.
- Dry for 2-3 minutes on each side until the potatoes are cooked through and golden.
- Put on a paper towel to get rid off oil.

For the sauce

• Soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
• Garlic, finely minced - 2 cloves
• Sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
• Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
• Maple syrup - 1 teaspoon
• Sesame seeds to taste

- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce.

If it Bubbles and it Squeaks, then what is it? I think this is they funniest name I've ever heard. Bubble and Squeak. Who came up with it? A quick search online revealed that the name might have been created to refer to the sounds that are made when this dish is cooked. I don't know... I've been waiting for my cakes to squeak or at least to bubble, but they didn't. Despite the fact that the cakes produced no sound, they turned out amazingly tasty. I'd go as far as say that currently this simple little dish is in the top five of my favourite foods.

recipe adapted from VeganYumYum

makes about 10 cakes

• Potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks - 1 kg
• Sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons
• Brussels sprouts - 500 g
• Cilantro, finely chopped - 3 tablespoons
• Chives, finely chopped - 1 tablespoon
• Flour for coating
• Oil for frying
• Slat and pepper

- Boil the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the brussels sprouts. Chop the ends of the sprouts and remove the outside leaves.
- When it's 5 minutes left until the potatoes are cooked, add the burssels sprouts to the pot.
- After 4 minutes, remove the sprouts and set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Let them dry for a couple of minutes on a very low heat.
- Shred the sprouts.
- Mash the potatoes together with sunflower oil, salt and pepper.
- Add the brussels sprouts, cilantro and chives to the potatoes and mix well.
- Check for the seasoning.
- Form the cakes, dip them into the flour to coat them very lightly. Shake the excess of the flour.
- Fry them in a lightly oiled pan for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the side is nicely caramelized and the cakes are heated through.

 Comments

- Extremely easy and extremely tasty recipe.
- It can be varied in many ways by adding dill, parsley, other herbs and different kinds of cooked cabbage.
- I served it with a simple sauce, which worked really well with the cakes. Mix ketchup, horseradish and lemon juice.

I love my meat and especially I love minced meat. Is it something from my childhood when "grownup" meat just wasn't fun? I like meatloaf, but I don't like all the bits of vegetables in it. I just don't think it's right to mix them. Vegetables are vegetables and meat is meat and the two shouldn't mingle together. It's the texture I think... I understand them separately but mixed together? Why? So, when I saw this recipe I knew right away that I have to (no, must) make it since the vegetables and pureed and only then mixed into the meat. This is meal turned out absolutely wonderful with nice smokey BBQ sauce, moist fluffy meatloaf and tangy mashed potatoes.

adapted from Everyday Food magazine

• Carrots, chopped - 3
• Onion, chopped - 1 small
• Panco breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon
• Eggwhite - 1
• Ground sirloin - 1 pound
• BBQ sauce - 1/4 cup
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• pepper - 1/8 teaspoon

- Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
- In a food processor blend the vegetables, eggwhite and breadcrumbs until the mixture is very smooth.
- In a big bowl combine the ground meat, salt, pepper and vegetable puree. Mix until it's all combined.
- Put the meat into a loaf pan.
- Brush with half of the BBQ sauce.
- Bake for about 25-35 minutes until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160F (71C).
- Brush the meatloaf with the rest of the sauce.

- For the mashed potatoes: boil the potatoed until tender, mash them, add plain yogurt to get them to the desired consistency, season to taste.

Fish is usually associate with rice and/or green vegetables for me; never with potato. That starchy vegetable is firmly planted in my mind with a pairing of meat or chicken. Fish and potato? How can that work? I was intrigued by this recipe, it was simple, easy and I wasn't sure if the flavours would work together. Oh, and they did! Wonderfully!

recipe adapted from Chef at Home recipe

for 8 small cakes

For the cakes:

• Baking potatos - 2 big
• Salmon filet - 340 g (about 2 filets)
• Egg - 1
• Lemon juice and zest - 1 lemon
• Dill, chopped - 4 tablespoons (or more to taste)
• Salt, pepper
• Oil for frying

For the sauce:

• Mayo - 2 tablespoons
• Horseradish - 2 tablespoons
• Ketchup - 2 tablespoons

- Bake the potatoes in the oven or microwave until it's tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and when it's hot, add oil.
- Season salmon filets and sear on both sides until just cooked through.
- Scoop out the potato flesh from the skins into a big bowl.
- Add the salmon filets and using a potato masher, mash the potato and salmon together.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped dill and egg, mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Form into 8 small patties.
- Heat a large skillet and add oil.
- Add salmon cakes and fry them until they are golden brown on each side and heated through.
- Serve with Horseradish sauce.
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together.