Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Potato Onion Skillet, another for the colder weather

(Updated 2/29/12, now with yummilicious pictures!)


I'm not really sure where I got this recipe, though I think it may be another from Jeff Smith's "Frugal Gourmet" show. This is a fantastic tasting and easy winter time recipe that always leaves us with a warm and full belly. The basic recipe has only 6 simple ingredients and uses only one pot, so both prep and cleanup are a breeze.

Although I've called this a skillet dish, it works even better when made in a deep pot, such as a soup or stock pot because you can make more layers of potato, onion and cabbage and fit more sausage on top. Warm up with this dish once when you are feeling chilled. It is sure to become a cold weather regular for you, too.

Potato Onion Skillet

Ingredients:
3 medium onions, sliced thin and separated into individual rings
3 or 4 Large potatoes, sliced thin
Use Yukon Gold potatoes, if possible.
They really add to the flavor and texture to this dish.

3 cups shredded cabbage
½ pound (or more!) Polish or smoked sausage, sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper



Instructions:

1. Cover the bottom of the pot with a layer of potato.
2. Cover the potato layer with a layer of the onion rings.
3. Add a generous grind of pepper.
4. Make another layer of potato, another layer of onion and pepper, then a third layer of potato.
5. Add another generous grind of pepper.
6. Make a layer of cabbage.
7. Layer the sliced sausage over the cabbage
8. Turn the heat on to high until you hear the potato start to sizzle on the bottom. This should take just a minute or two.
9. Pour in the chicken broth, turn the heat down to low simmer and cover tightly.
10. Cook covered for about 20 minutes.
11. Turn off the heat. Top with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and put cover back on.
12. Let stand 5 minutes so that the cheese melts slightly and serve.

We like to serve this with a nice Sourdough bread. And this is another "even better the day after" dishes.

The first layer. Don't forget the pepper!

Three layers of potato, starting to top with the cabbage.

Topped with sausage slices. The more you can fit, the better!

Simmered for 20 minutes, then topped with the Parmigiano-Reggiano

Yum. Don't forget the bread!

Enjoy,
Lorence

(Originally posted 09/30/2006)

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Barely's Smokehouse dinner tonight

We went to Barley's Smokehouse tonight, used the Prestige Dining Card and got one meal for free.
The boy and I shared a plate of ribs called "The Great Debate", a half rack of baby backs with Texas Smokedip sauce and a half rack of St. Louis Spareribs with the sweeter Kansas City BBQ sauce. Karen had the Smokehouse Half chicken (w/KC sauce). Most of both were demolished! Accompanying the meal was an amazingly smooth creamy and malty St Joan's Revenge Nitro Imperial Stout - Not CO2'd, but nitrogened instead (thus the intense creamy feel and flavor). It matched with the Texas sauce perfectly.

Good food, good beer, lots of wet naps on the table and EXCELLENT service. It was a good dinner.

If you live in or near Columbus or Dayton and you haven't gotten a Prestige Dining card yet, go to this link to see what I've said about it previously, then buy one! I think they are about $40 each and well worth it - BOGO at >100 restaurants! There are lots of Indian restaruants in this years as well as many of our other favorites (both Barley's, Vino Vino, Cuco's, Carfagna's Kitchen...). Buy one get one free - who doesn't like that?

Enjoy,
Lorence