Baked: Baked potatoes will soon be...

Subject: Baked potatoes will soon be...
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 18:51:39 -0500
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mashed potato pancakes :-) Mom used to do this with leftover mashed potatoes. It's been a long time since I made potato pancakes that weren't made from raw grated potatoes. There was a bit of a potato conflict when I was growing up since my mother's family was pure Scottish and my father's mother was German but she married into a Scots family :-) Grated potatoes, mashed potatoes... how to make a pancake? Either way is good.

I baked a number of medium-sized white potatoes two nights ago (wasn't sure how many I'd need, and no, I wasn't cooking for my boss!). I have 3 left over which have been wrapped in the fridge since. I'll be mashing them (stirring in a tad of milk if needed for moisture). Then stir in a large beaten egg, some diced fresh parsley and season the mixture simply with salt and pepper. Form them into 'cakes' with your hands and dust lightly with flour. Then heat some vegetable oil in a skillet or on a griddle and cook the pancakes until golden brown.
From: Siobhan Perricone (astarte at sover.net)
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 08:47:53 -0400
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Jill McQuown wrote:
>I baked a number of medium-sized white potatoes two nights ago (wasn't sure
>how many I'd need, and no, I wasn't cooking for my boss!). I have 3 left
>over which have been wrapped in the fridge since. I'll be mashing them
>(stirring in a tad of milk if needed for moisture). Then stir in a large
>beaten egg, some diced fresh parsley and season the mixture simply with salt
>and pepper. Form them into 'cakes' with your hands and dust lightly with
>flour. Then heat some vegetable oil in a skillet or on a griddle and cook
>the pancakes until golden brown.

No onions!? :D I love potato pancakes. Never thought of the "dust 'em lightly with flour" step, though. That would help a LOT! *grin*
From: limey (limey at giveitup.com)
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 10:26:29 -0400
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I mix the flour with equal parts of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs - gives the cakes a little more oomph.
I haven't tried onions - that sounds good, but with such a short browning time would the minced(?) onion cook through?
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 10:18:57 -0500
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I add onions when I use grated potatoes because they have to cook a lot longer, but frankly, I never thought about it with the mashed ones. They taste good without it. Maybe a dash of onion (or garlic) powder instead?

Yes, the flour makes all the difference in handling.
From: (Daniel B. Wheeler) truffler1635 at my-deja.com
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 17:34:34 GMT
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> I add onions when I use grated potatoes because they have to cook a lot
> longer, but frankly, I never thought about it with the mashed ones. They
> taste good without it. Maybe a dash of onion (or garlic) powder instead?

The garlic powder sounds real good. And I'd opt for dried minced onion instead of fresh: to me it cooks faster, and absorbs excess moisture.

Because of diabetes I have to eat kind of carefully. Plain baked potatoes are good but bland. Garlic, parsley, calamint, green onion or chives sound good too.
From: Siobhan Perricone (astarte at sover.net)
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 14:42:57 -0400
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Jill McQuown wrote:
>> No onions!? :D I love potato pancakes. Never thought of the "dust 'em
>> lightly with flour" step, though. That would help a LOT! *grin*
>
>I add onions when I use grated potatoes because they have to cook a lot
>longer, but frankly, I never thought about it with the mashed ones. They
>taste good without it. Maybe a dash of onion (or garlic) powder instead?

I usually just whir some onion in my food processor so it's finely minced and only add a bit to the batter. The onions don't cook to soft, so they add a nice bit of texture to the pancakes, and tidbits of flavour that just enhance it, for me.

>Yes, the flour makes all the difference in handling.

I can well imagine it would. I'll try it next time I make the pancakes. :D
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Spread for Baked Potatoes (WAS: Re: Baked potatoes will soon be...)
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 13:17:10 -0500
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> Because of diabetes I have to eat kind of carefully. Plain baked potatoes
> are good but bland. Garlic, parsley, calamint, green onion or chives
> sound good too.

Daniel,

See if your diet allows this. It turns plain baked potatoes into absolutely scrumptious.

Non-Fat Garlic Spread

8 oz. pkg. non-fat cream cheese or Neufchatel
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs. finely minced chives (or fresh parsley)
dash celery salt
dash onion powder (you could substitute dried minced onion)
dash paprika

Let cream cheese stand at room temperature until soft. In small mixing bowl, blend together with remaining ingredients with a spoon until mixed thoroughly. Cover and chill. Mixture keeps in the refrigerator about 2 weeks.