Tag Archive for potatoes

Meat and Potatoes Meal

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Meat and Potatoes Meal - The Surprised Gourmet

A Meat and Potatoes Meal will be a winner with family and friends

Sometimes you just want to serve a good old Meat and Potatoes Meal to your family.

Combining a beef shoulder roast with carrots and mashed potatoes results in a scrumptious meal for family and friends. It’s a simple meal loaded with flavor.

Begin by marinading a 1 1/2 pound beef shoulder roast (or any type roast you desire) overnight. You can use balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce to marinade the roast. The amounts of these ingredients depends on your taste.

Next morning put the roast in a slow cooker and add enough water to almost cover the meat. Add 1 pack of instant onion soup mix, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

When you remove the roast from the slow cooker, pour the juice and scrapings into a sauce pan. Turn on high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. In a cup, mix 2 tablespoons corn starch and 4 tablespoons water thoroughly to make a slurry. When the pan juice begins to boil, add the corn starch mixture and let it return to a boil to thicken. Use a whisk to blend as it thickens to make sure everything is smooth. When it thickens to the desired consistency, take off heat and spoon over the roast.

Carrots

Meat and Potatoes Meal - The Surprised Gourmet

Beef Shoulder Roast is the focus of the Meat and Potatoes Meal

When it comes to carrots they can be prepared in so many wonderful ways. The quick and easy way is always a winner.

Wash carrots and cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks until you have 2 cups. Put in sauce pan, cover with water and boil until tender. When done, drain and add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Mix well and serve.

Potatoes

Potatoes always make a delicious side dish. Peel and dice 6 medium potatoes. Put in sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes boil on medium high for 10 minutes. When done, drain and add 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, and fresh ground kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Use a potato masher to mash everything together until you get to the consistency you want. Add 1/4 cup milk, mix well and serve.

Combing these dishes makes for a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you’ll give this a try. If you do, be sure to stop back by and let me know how it went or if you post it online add the tag #thesurprisedgourmet. I always like knowing how it turns out. Do you have a favor meat and potatoes meal?

Cucina Felice!

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Meat and Potatoes Meal

Rating 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6 Servings

This tasty meal will be a crowd pleaser
Ingredients
  • 1½ pound beef shoulder roast
  • Balsamic vinegar (to taste)
  • Liquid Smoke (to taste)
  • Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
  • 1 Pack instant onion soup mix
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons corn starch
  • 4 Tablespoons water
  • CARROTS
  • 2 Cups carrots, washed and cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • POTATOES
  • 6 Medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ Cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup sour cream
  • ¼ Cup cottage cheese
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • Fresh ground kosher salt (to taste)
  • Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Begin by marinading a 1½ pound beef shoulder roast (or any type roast you desire) overnight. You can use balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce to marinade the roast. The amounts of these ingredients depends on your taste.
  2. Next morning put the roast in a slow cooker and add enough water to almost cover the meat. Add 1 pack of instant onion soup mix, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  3. When you remove the roast from the slow cooker, pour the juice and scrapings into a sauce pan. Turn on high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. In a cup, mix 2 tablespoons corn starch and 4 tablespoons water thoroughly to make a slurry. When the pan juice begins to boil, add the corn starch mixture and let it return to a boil to thicken. Use a whisk to blend as it thickens to make sure everything is smooth. When it thickens to the desired consistency, take off heat and spoon over the roast.
  4. Carrots
  5. When it comes to carrots they can be prepared in so many wonderful ways. The quick and easy way is always a winner.
  6. Wash carrots and cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks until you have 2 cups. Put in sauce pan, cover with water and boil until tender. When done, drain and add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Mix well and serve.
  7. Potatoes
  8. Potatoes always make a delicious side dish. Peel and dice 6 medium potatoes. Put in sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes boil on medium high for 10 minutes. When done, drain and add 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup cottage cheese, and fresh ground kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Use a potato masher to mash everything together until you get to the consistency you want. Add ¼ cup milk, mix well and serve.

 

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Cold Cucumber Soup

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Cold Cucumber Soup - The Surprised Gourmet

Cold Cucumber Soup with toast and double creme brie

Summer may be winding down here in the U.S., but you can still enjoy a bowl of delicious Cold Cucumber Soup.

Cucumbers are good prepared a number of ways. You can eat cucumber sandwiches or just slices of cucumbers with a meal. But one of the best ways to enjoy cucumbers is in a cold soup. I prepared my soup similar to a Polish cucumber soup and added potatoes.

Start by peeling and dicing 3 small potatoes. Put them in a saucepan and boil. When they’re done (about 5 minutes), drain and set aside to cool.

Take 5 cucumbers, peel, seed and dice them. In a stock pot put 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add 3/4 cup minced sweet onion to saute, stir constantly for 2 1/2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add cucumbers, stir together and cook for 7 minutes.

Bowl of Cold Cucumber Soup - The Surprised Gourmet

A delicious bowl of Cold Cucumber Soup

Add cooled potatoes, stir well, add 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Use an immersion blender to puree soup. Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 4 teaspoons Lawry’s Garlic Salt, and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Put soup in a large bowl and refrigerate to chill for at least a couple of hours. The soup is best if let cool overnight before serving. To enhance the soup, serve with toast and a double creme brie.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you like cucumbers? If so, how do you like them? Do you have a cucumber soup recipe? Hope you’ll give this a try. If you do, please stop back by and let me know how it turns out or if you post it online tag it with #thesurprisedgourmet. I’m always glad to know how my recipes turn out for you.

Cucina Felice!

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Cold Cucumber Soup

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4 Servings

A bowl of Cold Cucumber Soup will hit the spot as the last days of summer fade away
Ingredients
  • 3 Small potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • 5 Large cucumbers (4½ cups), peeled, seeded and diced
  • ¾ Cup minced sweet onion
  • ½ Teaspoon celery seed
  • ½ Cup sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ Cup chicken stock
  • 4 Teaspoons garlic salt
Instructions
  1. Peel and dice 3 small potatoes. Put them in a saucepan and boil. When they're done (about 5 minutes), drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Take 5 cucumbers, peel, seed and dice them. In a stock pot put 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add ¾ cup minced sweet onion to saute, stir constantly for 2½ minutes. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add cucumbers, stir together and cook for 7 minutes.
  3. Add cooled potatoes, stir well, add ½ teaspoon celery seed and ½ cup chicken stock. Use immersion blender to puree soup. Add ½ cup sour cream, 4 teaspoons garlic salt, and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
  4. Put soup in refrigerator to chill for at least a couple of hours. The soup is best if let cool overnight before serving. To enhance the soup, serve with toast and a double creme brie.

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Smoked Sausage Scramble

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Smoked Sausage Scramble is a tasty meal for the entire family

Smoked Sausage Scramble is a tasty meal for the entire family

Meals in our house tend to be a combination of ingredients put together because they are foods that we enjoy thus the creation of Smoked Sausage Scramble.

What may start out as a simple dish of fried potatoes quickly evolves into a full meal with savory results.

I began by washing and drying 4 medium potatoes. I then diced them into 1/4-inch cubes leaving the skins on. The potatoes were placed in a hot skillet with about 1/4 cup Canola oil (enough to completely cover the potatoes) and fried on medium high until they were golden brown tossing occasionally to make sure all sides were brown. I added 1/4 teaspoon of Lawry’s Garlic Salt over the potatoes as they cooked Depending on your stove’s temperature, this should take about 10 minutes.

While the potatoes cooked, I removed the casings from a pound of fully cooked smoked pork sausage and then I diced them into 1/2-inch cubes.

Smoked pork sausage and potatoes cooking together

Smoked pork sausage and potatoes cooking together

When the potatoes were ready, I added the smoked sausage. This only needs to cook 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to heat the sausage through as it’s already cooked. Next I added 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt, 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use Spice World), and 1/2 medium sweet onion (like Vidalia) finely chopped.

In a small bowl I mixed 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, and 1/4 cup sour cream.

When the sausage and potato mixture had cooked for that extra 2 to 3 minutes, I added the egg mixture, stirring to combine and then cooked until the egg was set (about 2 minutes).

When the egg was set, I removed the scramble from the heat. Placing it in plates, I topped the mixture with shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup total) sprinkled over the top. Finishing off the dish, I added garlic toasted French bread as side.

Sometimes a side dish can quickly become a full meal if you just add the right ingredients. In the case of the Smoke Sausage Scramble, it was just ingredients that struck my taste buds that night.

Smoke sausages are quite versatile and can be adapted to enhance various dishes. Do you have a favorite smoked sausage recipe you’d like to tell us about?

Thanks for checking us out today!

Cucina Felice!

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Smoked Sausage Scramble

Rating 

Serves: 4 servings

Smoked pork sausage cooked with potatoes, fresh herbs and spices makes a delicious dish
Ingredients
  • 4 medium potatoes, diced into ¼-inch cubes
  • 1 Pound fully cooked smoked pork sausage, remove casing, diced into ½-inch cubes
  • ¼ Cup Canola oil
  • ¼ Teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ¼ Teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt
  • ½ Medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 Large eggs
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • ¼ Cup sour cream
  • ½ Teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 Teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • ½ Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Wash and dry 4 medium potatoes. dice them into ¼-inch cubes leaving the skins on. Place the potatoes in a hot skillet with about ¼ cup Canola oil (enough to completely cover the potatoes) and fry on medium high until golden brown tossing occasionally to make sure all sides are brown. Add ¼ teaspoon of Lawry's Garlic Salt over the potatoes as they cook. Depending on your stove's temperature, this should take about 10 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes cook, removed the casings from a pound of fully cooked smoked pork sausage and dice into ½-inch cubes.
  3. When the potatoes were ready, add the smoked sausage. This only needs to cook 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to heat the sausage through as it's already cooked. Next add ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon fresh ground kosher salt, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and ½ medium sweet onion (like Vidalia) finely chopped.
  4. In a small bowl, mix 4 large eggs, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, and ¼ cup sour cream.
  5. When the sausage and potato mixture has cooked for that extra 2 to 3 minutes, add the egg mixture, stirring to combine and then cook until the egg is set (about 2 minutes).
  6. When the egg is set, remove the scramble from the heat. Place it in plates, top the mixture with shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about ½ cup total) sprinkled over the top. Finish off the dish, add garlic toasted French bread as a side.

 

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