Quick Potato Dishes - as Exciting as They are Easy

If you’re going to leave the skins on as the recipe suggests – and so do I - try to find smooth, “pretty” potatoes. I mean, some sweet potatoes are so gnarly and cratered you almost don’t want to touch them, much less eat them. And if you don’t already have a mandolin – the kitchen kind, not the musical kind - for slicing the spuds you really should have one for quick and easy.

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4 -inch thick x 4-inches fries
2 Tbsp olive oil (or more)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp each chili powder & ground coriander
kosher or sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 450F – yeah, that’s HOT. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until fully coated. Add the other stuff; toss to distribute evenly, and arrange them in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes on the lower rack until they soften, then move the pan to the middle rack of the oven and broil for 5-8 minutes until crispy. Done.

I used to know a guy named Herb who complained a lot. We called him “Whiney Herb”. So this tasty tater salad, with wine and tarragon, brought him to mind; so, of course, I named it after him...sort of.

3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 & 1/2 lb baby red new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
2 Tbsp water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped tarragon leaves (or 1 Tbsp dried)

In a medium saucepan, combine the white wine with the vinegar, butter, shallot, potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and dump into a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper, toss with the tarragon and serve while still warm or at room temp.

This may be a cheap, impressive and easy appetizer but you cannot say the name five times fast – or even twice; try it.

1 & 1/2 lb “B”-size potatoes (about 15 potatoes)
1/2 cup any brand herb & garlic spread, softened
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp real bacon bits
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 12 min. or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, mix cream cheese spread, sour cream and Parmesan cheese; cover.

Drain potatoes and let cool a few minutes.

Except for the seasonings, every ingredient here is a nutritional star, but that’s not why it’s offered. In fact, it’s the seasonings that make this such an exciting dish.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large stalk celery, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth (water is ok)
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp each salt, black pepper & ground turmeric
1 cup soy milk

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion, celery and garlic in the canola oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the water, sweet potatoes, carrots, cumin, salt, pepper and turmeric and bring to a boil then simmer until the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender in about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth, 5 to 10 seconds. An immersion blender would work, too, and it would make cleanup a lot faster.

When doing this recipe and any other tater recipes on a grill, try to use only Idaho or russets because they contain the least amount of natural moisture and so will crisp up “real good”.

2 lb russet potatoes, skins on, cut in wedges big enough that they won’t fall through the rack and spoil your cook-out
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp granulated garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

Heat grill. Duh.

Toss potatoes with 2 Tbsp of the oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Grill, covered with a foil tent, over a medium heat source for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender when stuck with a fork.

Place potatoes in large bowl; toss with remaining oil, cheese, garlic and parsley; and serve ‘em while they’re hot.

Is this too simple to call a "recipe"? Ok, then call it "a super-simple way to make plain-old potatoes a favorite dish".

1/2 lb red potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tbsp dried

Preheat oven to 450F and generously oil 2 large baking sheets.

Arrange potatoes in 1 layer on sheets. Brush tops with oil and sprinkle with rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.

Roast potatoes in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden and edges are crisp, about 20 minutes. Done.

Everyone loves potatoes, right? And who doesn't like corn? So if you also enjoy chopped Mexican peppers, this might become your main dish instead of a side. Aren't we always being told we should eat less meat & more veggies?

1 or 2 serrano chiles, seeded & chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cups small red potatoes, cubed
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Salt

After cutting the little spuds in quarters, boil them about 8 minutes.

Meamwhile, cook and stir the chiles and onion in the butter in a 10-inch skillet until they're tender.

Not just a Thanksgiving Day dish, these sweets, so quick & easy, will become a frequently-requested favorite.

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbsp molasses
4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 / 2-inch slices
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, nutmeg, and molasses. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in one layer on a large baking sheet with rims - a.k.a. “jelly-roll pan” - and roast 15 minutes.

Turn potatoes over, brush with half of orange juice mixture, and roast 5 to 8 more minutes, until fork-tender.

Return potatoes to large bowl and toss with remaining orange juice mixture. Transfer to a dish and serve warm.

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