Crispy Smashed Spuds

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Everyone knows how I love spuds! I created this after tasting something similar at a great local restaurant. When I looked up ideas online, there are a million ways to do them, but all of them involve boiling the potatoes first, then grilling or frying to get that crispy edge. Yum….

1 lb. baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes*

1 tsp. salt

¼ c. olive oil*

¼ c. chopped fresh rosemary

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

½ tsp. liquid smoke

Clean potatoes and place in medium cooking pot. Cover with cold water and add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, and cook potatoes until fork-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool until just warm. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil, seasoning and rosemary. Lightly smash down potatoes until about ½-1” thick. Cook on electric grill or BBQ over medium-high heat until skins are crispy. Serve immediately. Note: the smaller the potatoes, the better they “smash.”

Options:

• Try chopped cilantro, chives, thyme, oregano or garlic instead of rosemary.

• To prepare for a party, boil the night before, cool. Let come to room temperature and toss in olive oil and seasonings the next day just before grilling and serving (leave them whole, they’ll grill better the next day).

• Can also put in baking dish and oven to finish at 450 degrees, for 30-40 minutes. Or, fry on the stovetop on medium high heat for a few minutes on each side until crispy.

* Items available at Bauman Farms, www.BaumanFarms.com

Greek Meatballs with Cucumber Sauce

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This is a great dish to make ahead and can be made into small meatballs as appetizers or muffin size to serve as a main dish.

1 lb. very lean ground beef or ground sirloin

1 lb. lean ground lamb*

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 T. chopped fresh mint

1 T. chopped fresh thyme

½ – 1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground allspice

¼ – ½ tsp. crushed red pepper*

3 minced garlic cloves*

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1” or 1-1/2” size meatballs and place on parchment paper in baking dish or large cookie pan with raised edges. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done. Can also cook in frying pan over medium heat until cooked thoroughly, and turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels if needed and cool slightly. Serve with cucumber sauce below.

Sauce:

1/2 c. plain fat-free Greek yogurt

½ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta

1 T. fresh lemon juice, divided*

2 large peeled & sliced cucumbers*

1 tsp. fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Serve over meatballs.

Options:

• Add ½ c. finely chopped onion to the meat mixture

• Bake meat mixture in muffin tins to have individual serving sizes and easy leftovers. Press mixture into 8 large muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Turn broiler to high; broil 3 minutes or until done.

• Make the meatballs the night before a party and just reheat in a crockpot on low or microwave (be careful not to overcook).

*These items are available at Bauman Farms, www.BaumanFarms.com

 

Grilled Veggie Kebobs

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I love this time of year…fresh fruit and veggies become my main staple and a reminder of my early years on a farm in Eastern Washington. I try to grow a few things in my little city garden, but I’ve found that with way less effort, I can go to farmer’s markets or farmstands and get a wider variety of seasonal ingredients. Over the years, I’ve discovered that I’m a way better cook than a gardener!

One of my favorite summertime side dishes is baby root vegetables such as beets, potatoes and carrots. You can find them in the summer and they’re smaller, but because of their density, they take longer to cook. To cook these outside on the grill, you just need to do a little pre-planning (some may call this “cheating”). If you like it, it’s healthy, and a little “cheating” makes it easier to cook on a busy week night, then it’s ok!

Grilled Veggie Kebobs

4 each golden & red beets (cut stems & leaves off)

10 each golden and orange baby carrots

10 baby Yukon Gold potatoes

10 fresh Brussels sprouts

2 small zucchinis

2 small yellow squash

¼ c. olive oil

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

¼ tsp. liquid smoke (careful, a little bit of this goes a long way!)

Soak 10 wooden BBQ skewers in water for 20 minutes as you rinse and clean all veggies. In a microwave safe dish (a round glass pie pan works great), cook the beets for 8* minutes or until fork tender. Let cool, then peel with a knife and cube and put in a large bowl. In another microwave safe dish, cook the potatoes and carrots 7-8* minutes until fork-tender. Then cook the Brussels sprouts 5-6 minutes until tender. Add to the beets in the large bowl.

Cut the zucchini and squash into 1” slices or chunks and add to the microwaved veggies. Add the olive oil, seasoning, and liquid smoke and toss until evenly coated. Then put on skewers. Cook the skewers over medium heat on BBQ grill and turn once, 3-5 minutes each side until veggies are finished cooking and tender. Serve immediately.

Options:

• Add fresh chopped rosemary or thyme to the veggies before grilling

• Drizzle with flavored balsamic vinegar when serving (I recommend lemongrass mint white balsamic from Benessere in downtown Portland!)

• Other veggies to try: mushrooms, baby onions, chunks of red/green/orange peppers

• If you prefer, toss the vegetables in a grilling basket instead of on skewers (just be sure to stir while grilling so the bottom layer doesn’t burn)