Smashed Potatoes

It's different from mashed potatoes because I leave the skins on, and also because they are lumpy.

10 red potatoes
Whole milk
Butter
1 clove of garlic
Seasonings of your choice*

*I used paprika and rosemary.

Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill with water just to cover the potatoes, and bring the pot to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, cover the pot, remove from heat, and let sit at least one hour. Test with a fork to see if potatoes are cooked through.

Peel and mince the garlic, and cook down in three tablespoons of butter.

While the potatoes are still hot, cut them in to small cubes and put them back in the pot. Pour in the butter and garlic. Add your favorite seasonings.

Adding milk a quarter cup at a time, mash the potatoes until your desired consistency is met. The red potatoes break down really easily, so the mashing shouldn't take a lot of effort. Adding the milk too fast will make them soupy, which is A) gross, and B) much harder to mash through. It's like trying to walk in flip flops through the mud.

For a fun added bonus, pour the smashed potatoes in to a small baking dish, top with white cheese, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Tangy Brussels Sprouts

Based on a recipe from Real Simple magazine.

1lb Brussels sprouts
2 tbps ginger (I peeled a chunk of it in to matchsticks and chopped)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325F. Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar until dissolved. Cut sprouts in half or quarters. Toss all ingredients together until sprouts are coated. Lay out on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tender.

Serve with spicy chicken and red bell peppers!

Perfect Oven Fries, Every Time.

Courtesy of The Achewood Cookbook, these oven fries are simply the greatest. Crispy, crunchy, golden deliciousness on the outside, creamy, fluffy, magical potatoness on the inside. This is clearly not my recipe, but you should totally buy Onstad's book because he is amazing and because my Uncle Gary told you too.

Corn pudding

There are dozens of ways to make corn pudding. This one is the easiest and the most delicious. I promise.

1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup of whole kernel sweet corn (fresh is always best!)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter and cream cheese into a deep, round casserole dish. Set in oven to melt.

Mix in corn, creamed corn, sour cream, and Jiffy mix, stirring thoroughly.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the toothpick test comes out clean. The top inch or so should form a solid crust, golden brown, and the bottom should have the consistency of, well, pudding.