For this dish I really wanted something that emulated the creamy delicious rajas we get at El Callejon, a Mexican restaurant in Encinitas. Rajas, as we know them, are a Mexican side dish of stewed chiles in cream. I figured what better way to get the sensation of rajas but also have a classic holiday potato dish than to have the chiles “stew” in the cream while the gratin is baking. There’s no getting around how incredibly rich this side dish is and there’s also no getting around how freaking delicious it is either! Whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any old night this gratin is worth giving a whirl.

Recipes in this post:

• Cheesy Chile, Fennel & Potato Gratin

Related posts:

1. Holiday Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
2. Knorr Homestyle Stock: Caramelized Onion-Roasted Garlic Jam & Chevre Corn Pudding
3. Knorr Homestyle Stock Sweet & Savory Wild Rice Dressing w/ Italian Sausage, Orange, Dried Cranberries & Hazelnuts

Now the last time I did a nontraditional sushi roll I ended up getting reemed by the folks in Japan for calling it a sushi roll while the only component similar to sushi was the rice, but otherwise the outcome was overwhelmingly popular. That was back in 2006 and these days lots of people are making nontraditional sushi rolls. For this leftover prime rib recipe, we’re eating a roll made with blanched collards, blue cheese-parsnip-potato mash, strips of gently reheated prime rib, roasted asparagus and sauteed portobello mushroom. The sushi roll was plated with a drizzle of Cabernet Port Reduction. While nontraditional, both as a form of sushi and as a use of leftover prime rib, we think this sushi will rock your effing socks off! (give ‘em a taste, KG)

Recipes in this post:

• Leftover Prime Rib "Sushi"
• Blue Cheese, Parsnip & Potato Mash
• Basic Roasted Asparagus
• Cabernet-Port Reduction

Related posts:

1. Kicking Up a Packet: Chipotle Lime Knorr Hollandaise Sauce

A patty pan nestled in mashed potatoes

A: hey, t? do you think it’s bad that i buy food purely on the “cuteness factor”?
T: Ahhh… I suppose you’re talking about these little squash thing-a-ma-bobs. As long as what you’re making is as tasty as these were it’s not bad at all! However, I know you think that nothing is cuter than a kitty cat, so…
A: i’ll reassure you that for the time being… and in this country… i’ll not be bringing home any cute little kitties to cook up for dinner! now baby patty pan and zucchini are a whole different story.
T: Ok, that’s good. I hear carnivores are pretty untasty, so unless the kitty were a vegetarian it would be better off as someone’s pet.
A: agreed. now if we can just find a “grass-fed cat farm” we can give it a whirl.
T: Obviously we’re joking, but we probably just made a few enemies out there in the blogosphere Can’t folks joke about eating kitty cats?
A: of course they can. and for the record, if i was in a foreign country and someone served me a cat, i wouldn’t hesitate to eat it. i eat all other animals. i don’t discrimi-hate. moving on! so what did you think of this cozy, rustic meal?
T: It was easy to tell that the steak had been sitting in the freezer for a few too many months… although I think you did it as well as it was going to be done. The squashes were really tasty (and cute), and the mashed potatoes were excellent. It was all very standard home-cooking, but was very tasty nonetheless.
A: i pretty much agree with everything you just said. we’re not huge beef eaters so the steaks had been in the freezer for a few too many months. the rosemary roasted veggies and garlic parmigiana smashed potatoes rocked. the sherry pan jus helped the steak a bit, but it couldn’t cover up how “aged” the meat was. I give this meal a 3.8/5. It loses points for part of the ingredients being crappy, as well as lack of technical difficulty. this was a super simple meal.
T: Yeah, we’re really spoiled aren’t we? I give it a 4.15/5. The mashed potatoes were my favorite part, and they were quite good. The cuteness of the squash definitely propped up the score a bit too. The steak is what was killing this one… and it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great. Folks have definitely done way worse, though.
A: it’s true. we certainly take for granted the fact that we can eat a meal like this when ever we want, and it’s not just rice for dinner.
T: yeah, or Ramen, which is what it would be if I were in charge. Ramen and cinnamon toast. That would be a kickass blog.
A: uh, yeeeeah…. suuuure it would. for like 5 seconds before it started to suck.
T: Yeah I would have to keep it innovative… that would come in the form of different shaped pieces of toast and varying bowls for my ramen.
A: dude, you could even do a cinnamon toast flavored ramen.
T: dude. you’re not even taking me seriously are you? That is such a bad idea

Recipes in this post:

• Roasted Baby Squash
• Garlic Parmigiano Smashed Potatoes

No related posts.