Leeky Mashed Potatoes

In this experiment I was trying to recreate a dish my aunt brought to our Thanksgiving feast. Mashed potatoes with leeks or as I fondly call them Leeky Mashed Potatoes. I peeled and chopped the potatoes and boiled them as I normally would for mashers. I sliced, rinsed, and diced the leeks. I then sauteed the leeks in bacon grease (there was a pan on the stove from breakfast and I couldn't resist!) although obviously butter or oil would too!

Now is the part that needs further refinement.

I wanted to puree the leeks but I didn't think that would work well with just them in the processor. So I warmed my milk and butter as I usually would and poured that into the processor too. Well, that created a bit of an explosion as the warmed milk seemed to seal the processor and then when I pulsed the milk came frothing out the top. I recommend adding something to ease the pureeing part but maybe some potatoes would work better!

Finally, I mashed together the cooked potatoes, pureed leeks, warm milk, and butter. In total, I believe I had about 2.5 lbs. of potatoes, two leeks, 1/3C milk, and 2-3T butter.

Curried Lentils

I love curried lentils. It is a filling dish and is quick and easy. It also is forgiving and can easily incorporate as few or as many add-ins as you'd like. I love it with a side of rice and topped with chutney and yogurt.

Depending on how many you want to serve this recipe can easily be scaled up or down. This will serve about 4 (or more as a side dish). I saute 1/2 an onion, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a green pepper, and 1-2 carrots in 2T oil or butter or a mix. I add in 1C lentils, coat them in the grease, and toast them slightly. I then add 2C water or broth, depending on what I have available. My goal is to only add enough liquid for the lentils to cook and absorb it all in order to avoid ending up with soup.

Add more liquid as needed during the cooking process.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat. Lentils can overcook so it is important to check them as they cook. I usually cook them for about 10 minutes and then add potatoes.

Cook about 10 more minutes and add greens like spinach, chard, or kale. Continue to simmer until lentils are soft but not mushy and the potatoes are cooked to your liking. Add more liquid as needed. And serve with rice, plain yogurt, and chutney. I am a fan of mango chutney. With this dish I ate a homemade apricot chutney that I made over the summer. Yum!