Grandpa’s Smashed Potatoes

Another family favorite.

Jill to Julian says, “Hey don’t eat all of it, save some for everyone else!!!”

5 medium sized russet potatoes
Salt
Garlic powder
Butter
Milk

Peel and dice russet potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain and place in large mixing bowl. Add salt and granulated garlic to taste. Begin smashing potatoes. Add 2-4 tbs butter. Continue smashing until butter is mixed well. Add milk, start with ½ c of warm milk; continue smashing until smooth. If texture is dry, add more warm milk.

Grandpa Mel’s Baked Tomato Chicken

Even picky eaters and people who have given up meat have been known to eat this. If you haven’t guessed by now, grandpa buys the Costco boxes of canned tomato products. This is integral in his kitchen, basically you can make a meal for an army as long as you have this.

Lilith says, “Yummmmmmm.”

8 chicken thighs
½ Onion
15 oz Tomato Sauce
15 oz Diced Tomatoes
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 tbp balsamic vinegar

Wash and pat the chicken dry. Place in a baking dish, should fit snuggly. Season with salt and garlic. Finely chop onion and sprinkle all over the top. Add the canned tomato sauce. Add the diced tomatoes. To cover. *add balsamic vinegar over the top.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 1 hour.
Servings 4 to 8
Suggested sides mashed potatoes or steamed rice, veggies, and a salad.

Grandpa Mel’s Potato Salad

This is grandpa’s go-to side dish. He has been asked to provide for weddings, birthdays, funerals, pot-lucks, presentations, holidays (he likes to put homemade templates for for the paprika, pumpkins, he’s also used a Christmas tree, and birthday numbers, a wedding cake topper graced this dish at my engagement party).

Jackie says, This tastes like everything good in the world. And I would eat it all the time if I knew I wouldn’t gain weight.

5 lbs russet potatoes (boil, peel, allow to cool)
6 green onions
5 stalks of celery
6 hard boiled eggs
1 15 oz can pitted black olives
1 c. no juice hamburger dill pickles
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 c (possibly 3) mayonnaise
Paprika
*1 tbp sugar

Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Add salt to water. (Takes about 45 min to an hour). Allow to cool, skin, and dice into bite size chunks. Place in a large bowl. Dice entire onion. Dice celery into small pieces. Dice eggs. Add olives. Chop dill pickle into fine pieces. Add to potatoes. Salt to taste, garlic powder to taste, * (grandpa usually adds 1 tsp). Add mayonnaise and mix. After mixing, smooth top down sprinkle lightly (TRUST ME!!!!) with paprika. Garnish with olives and extra boiled eggs.

*I don’t actually believe he puts in 1 tablespoon of sugar – it’s more like a cup of sugar. I may be exaggerating a little.

Grandpa Mel’s Guiso

The grandkids love this dish! Chris once asked grandpa to make it for him to take to an Army maneuver. He was the only one with a home cooked meal and all the other soldiers wanted a taste. I’ve personally seen Julian eat an entire panful on his own.

1 lb ground round
½ onion
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes
salt (to taste)
Garlic (2 cloves minced) or granulated garlic (1/2 tsp)
Frozen vegetables (corn or sweet peas)
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Sautee diced onions in olive oil, until soft. Add ground round, cook until no longer pink. Peel & dice potatoes, add to ground round. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the diced tomato and tomato sauce & balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and garlic. Low to moderate heat and cook for ½ an hour, until potatoes are soft. Add the vegetables.
Servings 4-6 (depends on how hungry you are)*

*I sat down with grampa Mel to get these recipes from him last September, a couple notes, I know for a fact that he has never measured his recipes out, so we’re guessing here – like big time. I also think that when he says 1/2 tsp of granulated garlic, he really means 2 tsp. He’s rather heavy handed on spices and flavorings. I’m just saying, if you think it’s too little, it probably is at the very least double it. If you think it’s too much, it probably is.

Gallo Pinto

I remember watching my grandma Myriam & Coco making this in the kitchen when I was a little girl and Jason was a baby. Abuelito Jorge would eat it with homemade Nicaraguan cheese and corn tortillas. When we cook it, I’m transported to their kitchen. 
Remember that Nicaraguan Rice posted earlier? You’ll need that. 

Ingredients
Red beans
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic powder or crushed fresh garlic Leftover
Nicaraguan Rice

Directions

Soak red beans for about 2hrs & cook. Best to follow directions on the package. 
In oil, saute onion, not too cooked, add beans with a dash of garlic powder or minced garlic clove.
Then add rice and mix. 

Serve with corn tortillas and a chunk of queso fresco. 
Mmmmmm ¡sabroso!

From the Little Kids

The following are super easy to make and some favorites from Jordyn age 13, Lucia age 9, Lilith age 4, and Lukas age 4.

Lucia:

• Top Ramen (add spinach, tofu, frozen mixed veggies, hot dogs)
• Order Pizza
• Pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese or spaghetti sauce

Lilith:

• Instant Oatmeal
• Mac n Cheese (add hot dogs, frozen veggies, any baby food veggie laying around, butternut squash, zucchini)

Lukas:

• Taco Tuesdays!
• Fried chicken tacos with cabbage and cheddar cheese

Jordyn:

• Top Ramen
• Cold Cereal (Rice Krispies, if you must know)

Jackie’s Butternut Squash Soup

One doesn’t always have Suvi around to make it from scratch 😉

Purchase can of butternut squash soup.  Place in microwave safe bowl.
Place in microwave.  Allow to cool down enough to eat. 

Good with:
Grilled cheese. 
Side salad. 
Left over French bread. 
On its own.

Suvi’s Butternut Squash Soup

Scene: a very pregnant Jackie scarfing down dinner at Suvi & Cody’s apartment in Santa Barbara
Between spoonfuls Jackie says,  “this would make an excellent baby food! Will you make this for my baby when he/she starts eating solids? ”
And she did. 

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
2 cups low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable, homemade is best!)
ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, mace or nutmeg, cayenne pepper)
1 tbs butter
salt
vegetable or olive oil

Methods:

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.  Spread butter over the squash halves.  Sprinkle spices over the top (~1/4 tsp of each, but only 1/8 tsp mace/nutmeg).  Bake for 45 minutes or until soft and starting to brown on the edges.  Remove from the oven and cool until you can handle it.

Fry the onion in about 1 tbs of oil over medium heat until light brown, about 10 min.  

Add the onion and broth to a blender or food processor.  Scoop out the flesh of the squash into the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Return to a pot and bring to a low simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Check for salt.  

Serve with a little parmesan cheese or toasted crostini.

~~~~~~~
This can be made with other squash as well, substituting the spices when appropriate.  I like using carrot, parsnips, and yellow crooked neck squash with ground fennel, oregano, fenugreek (optional), ground coriander, and a hint of cinnamon.  In this case, saute cube-cut vegetables after the onion until soft instead of baking.

Suvi’s Campfire Chili

Suvi made this delicious and hearty chillie for a camping trip a few years ago. It’s a little labor of love and Suvi, like my mom, goes all out when it comes to a) cooking for get loved ones and b) cooking while camping.

Ingredients
1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Pasilla chili, diced
2 Fresno chilies (spicy) or 1 red or orange bell pepper (mild), diced
1 ear of corn, kernels only (or one small can plain corn kernels)
1 can diced Italian tomatoes (I really like Pomi tomatoes in a red and white box)
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 bottle beer, pale ale or lager
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Spices:
1 tbs each of:
   Paprika (smoked, preferably)
   Black pepper
   Salt
   Chili powder (Gerhardt’s brand is my favorite)
2 tsp each of:
   Cumin
   Coriander
   Oregano
   Chipotle Chili (optional, spicy)

Methods:
Place a little oil in a Dutch oven or heave bottomed pot on medium high heat (7). Add the onions and stir constantly for about 7 minutes until they are translucent and begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Add the meat in handfuls, stirring rapidly to sear and remove red color. If they start to sweat, turn up the temperature a little. When all the meat is seared, add the chilies and/or bell pepper, spices and stir to coat. Stir in the corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Bring to a simmer. Add the beer and return to simmer. Turn the heat down to just barely simmer and cover for 1-1.5 hrs until the beef can be cut with a fork. Deglaze the fat. Stir in the cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, or whatever else you feel like!

Angel Hair Pasta and Crab

Again, really good with a salad and some toasted french bread.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 2 tbs butter or margarine
• Salted water
• ¼ c olive oil or salad oil
• ½ c sliced green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 medium size ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• ¼ c dry white wine
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• ½ lb cooked crab, flaked
• ¼ c chopped fresh parsley
• Salt & pepper

Directions

Cook noodles in the large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well and place on a warm platter; keep warm. Meanwhile, in a wide frying pan over medium heat, place butter and oil. When butter is melted, add green onions, garlic, tomatoes, and wine. Cook, stirring until mixture boils. Adjust heat so mixture boils gently, and cook for two minutes. Mix in lemon juice, crab, and parsley. Cook, stirring, just until crab is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pasta. Lift and mix pasta gently, then serve. Makes 4 servings.