It wasn’t until I moved away to college in central PA that I learned most people call latkes potato pancakes.  Imagine my surprise when I ordered potato pancakes at a restaurant once and was served up latkes instead of what I know as potato pancakes.

No worries, I adore latkes because I will eat potato just about any way you want to serve it to me!

I honestly am not sure how my mom made her potato pancakes but this is how I do mine.

Amounts on ingredients will vary depending on how much leftover mashed potatoes you have.  If there’s a lot, you will probably need to up the flour and egg amounts.

Andrea’s Potato Pancakes

• Leftover Mashed Potatoes
• 3TBSP White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Breadcrumbs
• Olive Oil

Combine beaten egg, flour and mashed potatoes.  In a large skillet, heat about 2TBSP of olive oil over medium heat.  Scoop up some potato mixture and form into a small to medium sized patty.  Cover patty with breadcrumbs and gently lay into the skillet.  Repeat until you have used up all the potato mixture.

If you have a lot, consider cooking in two batches.

Cook potato pancake about two minutes on each side, until the breadcrumbs are crisp and the insides are warmed through.  Remove from heat and serve!

These are crispy, and if you’ve soaked your potatoes before mashing, they are light and fluffy.  Great as a side dish and you can also top with gravy if you want.

You probably should.

They can be kept warm in an oven and freeze very well.  When reheating, just place on a baking sheet and heat in a 375 degree oven until they are heated through.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 8

I had some apples that needed used up and quickly! They weren’t good to eat, kind of mealy, a little too soft, and the skin was wrinkled.

I wasn’t about to toss them because I knew they could be used for something!  I thought it over for a couple of days and realized that making applesauce would be the perfect solution!

After cooking the whole thing gets pureed which takes care of the mealy and soft aspects of the less than perfect apples.  The skin gets peeled, so that problem is solved as well!

I’ve made applesauce before but I really wanted something a little different this time around. Something a little more spicy and something with a bit more kick.  Once I realized that I could use bourbon, well everything just fell into place after that!

Keep in mind the measurements for this are estimates because I didn’t write anything down.  Also applesauce isn’t an exact science, it’s very forgiving and easy to adjust amounts based on what you have on hand.

Andrea’s Bourbon Applesauce

• 1lb Small Apples, Type is up to you but I would go with sweet and semi-sweet.
• 1/2C Bourbon, split into 1/4C increments
• 2C Apple Cider
• 1TBSP, Packed Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Ground Allspice
• Ground Clove

Peel and cut apples into chunks.  Place in a medium sized sauce pan and add cider.  You want the cider to almost cover the apples.  Not completely but close.  Add in cinnamon, allspice, and ground clove along with the brown sugar.  For the spice amounts, go with personal preference.

Bring mixture up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until the apples become cooked through and very soft.  Add in 1/4C bourbon, slowly.  You don’t want a flare up.  You can remove the pan from the heat to do this.  Stir and let simmer again for about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and place mixture in a blender.  Add in the remaining 1/4C Bourbon and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Serve warm or can be chilled.  Store in a glass container, will keep up to a week in the fridge.

This has easily turned into my favorite applesauce so far.  I decided to blend it because I wanted a really smooth and creamy applesauce.  Nothing chunky.

We like lots of spice, so I used probably around:

• 1tsp of Cinnamon
• 1/2tsp Allspice
• 1/2tsp Ground Clove

Clove is our favorite and really brings a holiday feel to dishes which is what I was going for with this applesauce.  Using the bourbon makes it a little bit more special.

The deep color is from the cider and the spices.  Since the bourbon and the cider both bring sweetness to the recipe, this is why I only used 1TBSP of brown sugar.  There was enough sugar going on that this recipe really didn’t need any more.

Definitely give this a try for the holiday season!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 6

I went back and forth about stuffing it because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to stuff it with, rice or…?

If I had had goat cheese on hand, I would have made a rice concoction.  Since I didn’t, I decided to go with stuffing to stuff the squash.

I used my apple stuffing recipe to keep things very fall-ish feeling.

I cut the squash in half and removed the seeds.  I saved those though because I can roast them!

I preheated the oven to 400.  I filled a baking dish with a little bit of water to create a steam.  I put butter on the exposed squash and sprinkled it with a little all purpose seasoning (similiar to poultry seasoning).

I roasted the squash for about 20 minutes and then flipped it over for another 15 or so.

While that roasted I made the stuffing.  When everything was done, I put the stuffing on top of the squash and called it dinner.

They are not kidding when they call this squash sweet.  Goodness!  It is crazy sweet, like I felt my teeth curl up, kind of sweet.

Scott loved it, I could only handle so much of the sweet before I tapped out.

The texture is amazingly buttery though and oh so creamy.  This would make an excellent casserole or pie.

Next time, I’m definitely going to try and make a rice mixture to go in it.  One that’s really savory and maybe a little spicy to combat all that sweetness.

Have you ever had a sweet dumpling squash before?  Do you eat much squash in the winter?

Comments: 4

I love sweet potato and pumpkin as savory items more than I do sweet. Hence why I put pumpkin in just about every chili I make now and why I think sweet potato fries should contain chili powder.

Previous meals, I had a little bit of cheese mixed in with my baked sweet potato and it was glorious.  I decided at some point I was going to jump in with both feet and make a savory baked sweet potato.

Last week I tried it out and will never go back to butter and cinnamon on a sweet potato again.

Andrea’s Loaded Baked Sweet Potato

• Sweet Potato
• Pepperjack Cheese
• Sour Cream (I use Greek Yogurt)
• Hot Sauce of Choice
• Chopped Green Onions

Bake sweet potato in oven at 400 for about 1.5 hours.  How long will depend on how big your potato is.  Baking a sweet potato is similar to baking a regular potato. Poke holes in it first.  I do not put anything on the skin of the sweet potato. I line a baking sheet with foil, spray with oil and bake the sweet potato as is.

After baking, cut open and top with the above toppings.  Amount is up to you.

Eat and enjoy!

The first time I had it, Scott had a regular sweet potato with butter.  He told me I was crazy.  He said that it was a little odd.

Then he had a bite.

Now he’s converted.

If you’ve never tried sweet potatoes as savory, I highly suggest you give it a taste.  Just to see.  Maybe you’ll surprise yourself.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 15

Needing something quick doesn’t mean that it has to come from a box or be a processed food item.  Or even something premade.  We can make quick dishes at home with only a few ingredients.

This dish fits those requirements. It uses few ingredients and can be made very quickly.

I’m sharing an idea and a concept with you which means the measurements aren’t exact.  The amounts are up to you!

Andrea’s Sautteed Greens with Beans and Corn

• Greens, finely chopped (Whichever greens you like)
• 1 15oz Can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• Frozen or Fresh Corn Kernels
• Olive Oil for sauteeing
• Garlic Powder
• Chili Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt

In a sautee pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in greens and start sauteeing.  Sautee for about 5 minutes.  Add in the beans and corn along with the seasonings.  Continue to sautee for about another 5 minutes or until everything is cooked and heated through.

Plate and serve!

You can use fresh greens for this or you can use frozen chopped greens.  The amount of seasonings are up to you and you can use which ever you like!

Adding a touch of butter and a little hot sauce to this dish would probably be a good idea but of course it’s totally up to you!

Beans, frozen corn, and frozen greens are all great things to have on hand at all times.  They can easily be added to bulk up dishes or used to make quick meals.

Putting quick dishes on the table for yourself and your family can be easy and only take a few ingredients.  Not being afraid to try different combinations will open up a lot of new dishes and cooking experiences.

Comments: 3

But the flavorings of pickled things can change and become whatever you want them to be.

• Spicy
• Garlicky
• Dilly

And as I grew up and started expanding my food knowledge, I realized that pickled is a term.  A concept.  A technique.  It isn’t just a green cucumber slice, but in fact, it can be whatever you want it to be.

You can go through the whole canning process in creating your pickled concoction or if you want quick results, there’s  a quick refridgerator pickling method.

I bet you can guess which I go for.

A recent viewing of Guy’s Big Bite is the inspiration for my quick pickled Jalapeno with Red Onions.  This took no time to make at all and were ready to eat by dinner time.

Andrea’s Quick Pickled Jalapenos with Red Onions

• 1/2 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Jalapenos, thinly sliced
• 3/4C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3/4C Water
• 1/2TBSP Salt
• 1/2TBSP Brown Sugar

In a medium sized glass bowl, add in the onion and jalapeno slices.  In a small sauce pan, add in the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.  Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cook just long enough that all the sugar and salt is dissolved.  Remove from heat, and pour mixture over the onions and jalapenos.  Allow to cool, then cover and place in refridgerator.

Let sit for several hours before serving.

This quick pickle turned out better than I anticipated.  It was perfectly crunchy, cool, and delicious.

I choose to use ACV instead of white vinegar because I wanted that little extra sweetness you get from the apple cider vinegar.

I seeded the jalapenos but if you prefer things a bit spicier, leave the seeds in for extra kick.

The beauty of this quick pickle is that this is just a base recipe. You can add in extra seasonings and spices that suit your tastes.

Next time I make this, I’m going to go for some extra kick.  I’m going to add in some garlic and red pepper flakes.  Oh yes!

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Not only is it great to eat straight up or on a salad, it makes for a lovely sandwich or burger topper.

Have you tried pickling at home?

And I mean that in a completely G-rated family friendly kinda way, of course.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 10

Not just any zucchini, but HUGE ones, longer than the length of my forearm.

Those kinds of zucchini demand the need for stuffing.  A lot of people stuff zucchini with ground meat, and this was highly typical where I grew up.  Ground beef was usually the meat of choice stuffed into the zucchini along with maybe some tomato sauce.

I like the flavor of cooked tomato along with zucchini but I wanted to do a meatless version of stuffed zucchini.  Instead of meat, I used my favorite grain, millet.

Andrea’s Stuffed Zucchini

• 1 HUGE zucchini, (literally like a foot in length, or as big as you can find)
• 1/2C Uncooked Millet
• 1 1/2C Chicken Stock (or veggie broth)
• 2-3 Green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
• 1/2C Shredded Carrot
• 1C Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1tsp Italian Seasoning
• Shredded mozzarella or provolone (optional)
• Olive Oil for sauteeing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking dish by rubbing some olive oil around it. In a small sauce pan, heat over medium high heat and add about a teaspoon of olive oil to it.  Add in the uncooked millet and brown for about 2 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until the millet is cooked and has absorbed the liquid.

Trim the edges of the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the insides being careful not to scoop down too far.  You want to create a long dent in the zucchini so you can stuff it with millet later.  Place zucchinis in the baking dish once they have been fully scooped out.

Once the millet has cooked, place in a medium sized glass mixing bowl.  Add in the tomatoes, carrot, and green onions. Add in the seasonings as well.  Mix until well combined.  Stuff the millet mixture into the zucchinis, packing them tightly.  If you have leftover stuffing, sprinkle that along the bottom of the baking dish.

Place in oven uncovered and bake until you hear the stuffing sizzling and the top is a golden brown color. The zucchinis should be cooked through by this point.  About 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese.

Because the zucchinis are so large, this can easily be a meal on it’s own.  If you want more, you can supplement with a side salad or maybe some sauteed greens.

This is a perfect make ahead dish as well.  You can prep everything in the morning before work (or even the night before) and bake it when you get home.  I would still bake at 400 but it will take a tad longer since the dish would be cold.  I would bake covered for about 15 minutes, and then uncovered for another 10-15.

I love millet and it works perfectly as a stuffing.  If you’ve never had millet before but have been curious (millet is also a great grain for those that have wheat intolerances), this would be a good way to get familiar with it.  The texture is like rice but it has a taste similar to polenta.

You could easily add some beans to the stuffing, if you wanted some extra protein kick.  Black beans or a white bean would work well with it.

Stuffed zucchini is a great way to use up some of abundance of veggies that are around this time of year.

Do you like zucchini? Have you ever had stuffed zucchini?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 17

I love questions from readers and will do my best to address any questions or concerns that you might have. So of course I can talk about how to make a baked potato! This method works for me every time and always presents a potato baked to perfection.

Andrea’s Perfectly Baked Potatoes

This is a method more than it is an exact recipe, keep that in mind as you follow along.

Preheat your oven to 400 or 425 degrees.  HOT! This works for one potato or several potatoes, the amount doesn’t affect the outcome nor the cooking time.

Scrub your potatoes so that the skins are clean and most of the dirt is gone.  You will need a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the potato in.  With a knife, poke holes in the potato. You will want a few good holes around the potato.  The reason for this is because potatoes have a huge water content and by poking holes in them, that allows steam to escape the potato as it cooks.  If you don’t do this, you risk the potato exploding on you.

This is not the desired result we are looking for.

Once you have holes poked in the potato, rub it down with a little bit of olive oil.  Then sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  If you’re feeling funky, toss some grill seasoning on there as well.

Wrap the potato up in the foil and then place the potato right on the cooking rack in the oven.  The rack should be in the middle of the oven and the potato should be in the middle of the rack.

Bake for about one hour. If the potatoes are really large, it might take slightly longer than that.  To test doneness, remove from oven, unroll the foil and poke with a knife.  The knife should go in cleanly with no resistance.

When they are done, remove from oven, unwrap and place on plates.  Eat and enjoy!

Top baked potato with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

By wrapping the potato and rubbing it down with some oil, that helps the potato steam cook. This provides a really fluffy and creamy inside texture.  Because the oven is so hot, this helps crisp up the skin and speed along the cooking process.

Seasoning the skin creates a lovely smell as it bakes and gives the skin a little umph when you eat it.  Feel free to play with the seasonings and use what flavors you like.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 5

The idea of a fried green tomato intrigued me. The closest thing to it I did have was fried zucchini.  There was good fried zucchini and then there was horrible fried zucchini. If you’ve ever had fried zucchini, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I looked into making fried green tomatoes and realized the technique between the two was very similar.

Plus what a great way to use up unripe tomatoes! They are always in abundance come the end of summer, right?  Breaded warm tomatoes are amazing, maybe with a little cheese on top and you’ve got a really great side dish.

However I wanted to lighten them up a bit because I don’t like a lot of fried things.  I can handle a little but not too much.  Since I didn’t want to fry up the tomatoes, how could I make fried green tomatoes unfried?

The solution is simple; a metal cooling rack and a really hot oven.

Andrea’s Unfried Green Tomatoes

• 2 Large Green Tomatoes, sliced thick
• 1/4C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, plus another 1/4C
• 1/4C-1/2C Breadcrumbs (or cornmeal)
• 1 Large egg, beaten plus some water
• Hot sauce
• Garlic Powder
• Chili Powder
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place a metal cooling rack on top of that.  Spray the cooling rack with oil or nonstick spray.

Get out 3 large bowls and set up a breading station.  In one bowl goes 1/4C AP Flour.  In another bowl goes the beaten egg with water.  To the egg add your hot sauce, and mix a little more.  As much hot sauce as you like, just not so much that it makes the egg too liquidy.  In the last bowl add in the 1/4C AP flour along with breadcrumbs.  Add in seasonings to this bowl, to taste.  I like a lot of garlic powder and a touch of chili powder.  Mix.

Dip the tomato in the AP flour, then the egg mixture, then the AP flour and breadcrumb mixture.  Place on cooling rack.  Repeat until all the tomato slices have been breaded. If you need more of any of the ingredients, add along as you go.

Once all the slices are breaded, spray or lightly brush the tops with olive oil.  Place in oven and allow to bake for about 10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are nice and crispy.  Remove baking sheet from oven, plate the tomatoes and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

They come out crispy every time! They are slightly tangy from the green tomato but have a very savory note because of the seasoned egg mixture and seasoned breadcrumbs.  You can use this same method with zucchini as well.

The next time you find yourself with an abundance of green tomatoes give the unfried version a try, I think you’ll be pleased!

Comments: 6

Using veggies that have a lot of moisture in them, like tomatoes and squash will provide you with automatic dressing.  No need to make extra sauce or dressing, it’s already built right in!

I love making dishes like this in the summer because they are so versatile. You can use whatever veggies are in season or what you happen to have on hand.  You can make a huge portion or a small amount. The dish can be served hot or cold.

As you prep the veggies, you can’t help but be amazed by their gorgeous color.  Something that looks that good and also smells good, before you even do anything to it, you know will turn out super tasty.

I recently made a roasted veggie and wheatberry salad which is perfect for summer meals.  Once you learn a concept, you can apply it to so many different dishes! Remember, this dish is open to preferences. Use what veggies you like and/or what you happen to have on hand.

Andrea’s Roasted Veggie and Wheatberry Salad

• 1C Hard Wheat Berries
• 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 Small Zucchini, chopped
• 1 Small Yellow Squash, chopped
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
• 1/2lb Asparagus, chopped
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium sized sauce pan, add wheatberries and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until wheatberries are cooked, about 15 minutes.  They will be soft but very chewy when done.  Drain wheatberries and set aside.

In a large bowl, add vegetables and toss with olive oil.  Use enough olive oil to coat all the veggies.  Add seasoning to taste and toss to combine.  I used probably about a tsp for the garlic powder and Italian seasoning, along with a huge pinch of red pepper flakes.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Spread the veggies out onto the cookie sheet and place in oven.  Roast for about 10 minutes or until all the veggies are soft.

Place cooked wheatberries in the previously used veggie bowl.  When the veggies are done, add veggies to wheatberries making sure to include all the juice on the baking sheet as well.  Combine all the veggies with the wheatberries.  Serve and enjoy!

Really simple right?  This is a great dish to take to a potluck or BBQ picnic because it can be served chilled or room temperature.  There’s nothing in it that will spoil if it sits out for a while.  Since it can be made ahead not only is it great for parties, but it’s perfect for weekday lunches or a quick dinner.

You could even add some spinach to this by adding fresh spinach to the wheatberries and adding the hot veggies on top of that.  The heat from the veggies will help wilt the spinach as you combine the dish.  Sprinkle with a bit of grated parm and enjoy your gorgeous masterpiece!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 8