Potato Soup with Shrimp

I haven't been updating my blog as often as I used to. Well, that's because I have an awesome job that is keeping me busy these days. However, today I couldn't resist as I bought a handy dandy emersion blender. Also, I'm not taking a picture of it.....I have been told my pics are not doing my good cooking justice....lol, oh well, I'm just having fun....

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small red onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

10 red potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1 lb cooked shrimp (no tail)

Finely chopped dill and grated cheddar for topping

Directions

In a large pot melt the butter and saute the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes on medium high heat so that the onion is slightly golden and translucent. Add the flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly until the flour gets a blonde color.

Add the potatoes and stir regularly for about 5 minutes. Then add the milk and chicken stock. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. You can then add the heavy cream and season with the S&P.

Use the emersion blender to make the soup creamy....about 10 minutes with a strong arm. Then add the shrimp and heat through. Serve with dill and cheddar on top.

Potato Salad

Ingredients

3 pounds assorted new potatoes

2 eggs hard boiled, diced

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole gain mustard

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

Directions

Half and quater the potatoes and place in a large pot of cold water. Salt the water generously. Bring to a boil for 12 minutes. Drain into a colander and cover with a kitchen towel to steam for 15 minutes.

While potatoes cook, in a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustards, dill and teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add the onoins, celery, diced egg and cooled potatoes. Fold together carefully until all is mixed and refrigerate.

Gilled Yukon Potatoes with Rosemary Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients
5 Yukon gold potatoes
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 lemons juiced
5 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon course ground mustard
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 vegetable oil

Directions
Put the potatoes in cold water in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut into halves then quarters.

For the dressing put lemon zest, juice, garlic, mustards and herbs into a blender and pulse. Then slowly add the olive oil so it all combines.

Coat the potatoes in the vegetable oil and grill on high for 5 minutes. Then flip and cook an additional five.

Pour the dressing all over the potatoes and serve.

Chicken Cutlets

This is one of the first things I learned to make when I moved out to the desert. After years of watching Lala (my sister) make this, it was the least intimidating place to start my culinary adventures. It was always so much fun watching her get her fingers all goppy while putting the cutlets in the flour, egg and bread crumbs.

Funny thing is...all this time I had no idea I've been making something so fancy...I just called this chicken cutlets. Tyler Florence educated me while watching his Ultimate show. This dish is actually called Chicken Paillard.

Ingredients

1/3 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)

2 cups flour

S&P

3 eggs

1-2 dashes hot sauce

2 cups bread crumbs

1 cup parmigiano reggiano fresh grated

Directions

One at a time, put the cutlets in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pound each cutlet out - going from center out. They should end up about 1/4 inch thick.

Put the flour with S&P in a pie tin, beat the eggs and add hot sauce in another tin, and in another tin add the bread crumbs. One at a time, dredge the cutlets in the flour. Be sure to get them fully covered and shake off the excess. Then coat them in the egg mixture, again, shaking off the excess. Last, coat them in the bread crumbs. Hint: I keep a little bowl of warm water to the side. I use it to wash off my fingers between cutlets. This addresses the goppy finger problem.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.. Fry the cutlets about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

I serve this with roasted potatoes and asparagus. It's easy...just cut up some red potatoes and coat with extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, fresh grated parmigiano reggiano, S&P. Do the same for the asparagus. Put potatoes on a baking sheet and the asparagus on a separate one. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Put the asparagus in about 25 minutes before the potatoes are done.