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 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.

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!

Nicaraguan Rice

This is my dad, Jorge’s recipe. The best addition to this rice is ketchup not soy sauce. I also like it for breakfast the next morning with an over easy egg. And it is the base recipe for Gallo Pinto or Arroz Aguado.

Ingredients

• 2 c White rice
• 3 tbs Olive oil or vegetable oil  
• 2 White or yellow onions
• 1 each Red, Yellow, Orange and/or Green Bell Peppers (1 of each is usually a solid choice or just use what you have) 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 4 c water 

Directions

Heat the oil in a very large frying pan or large shallow pot (make sure it has a lid!!!).

Add the rice a little at a time sautéing and coating the rice with the oil. When the rice starts to pop a little, add the water. Make sure not to burn the rice. After you add the water, add the sliced onions and peppers to the top of the rice. Add the salt (more or less depends on taste). Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover with the lid. Cook for 20 min or so.

Serves 8. On a good day 😉

Chris’ Favorite Veggies

Chris says, “This is my addiction. You can put it over rice, but really that’s only to look ‘normal’ while eating this stuff. When I’m alone I may eat it straight out of the pan.”

Ingredients

• Soy sauce
• Olive oil
• Coconut vinegar 
• Sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, green, orange, purple, whatever you can get) 
• Sliced yellow onion

Directions

In a large frying pan heat up a good drizzle (maybe 2 tbs) of olive oil. Add the  yellow onion, sauteeing until translucent. Add the bell peppers 2 good splashes of soy sauce and 1 good splash of coconut vinegar; sautee until tender. Serve over rice.

Jackie here: we don’t always use the vinegar, it can be challenging to find because Chris likes to get silver swan coconut vinegar, and you can only find that in the occasional Phillipino market or online.