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Posts from the ‘Appetizers’ Category

Tri-Color Curried Potato Salad

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Over the past several months I’ve been seriously attempting to cut down on the dairy in my diet. I have no intentions of cutting it out completely, mind you. I’m a big believer in moderation. It’s tough, because I love cheese, ice cream, cream sauces, soups etc. But I don’t need them all the time.

I’ve found coconut milk to be a fantastic substitution in a variety of recipes (now that warmer weather is here I might have to make some coconut milk ice cream!). For something a bit different, I decided to try using it in potato salad. I love curries made with coconut milk, and this recipe evolved from that concept. If it makes a great stew, maybe it will make a great salad! This is a much healthier alternative to vegan potato salads that use soy mayonnaise. No one will ever convince me that stuff is healthy.

If you’re not familiar with coconut milk, it’s often separated when you first open the can. The thicker, creamier coconut milk rises to the top, leaving a more watery mixture underneath. You’ll have best results with this recipe if you use the creamy stuff.

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Potato Croquettes with Chorizo, Manchego and Pine Nuts

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I absolutely love croquettes.  When I see them on a restaurant menu I simply must order them.  Yet it occurred to me recently that I’ve never made them!  This recipe gave me a great excuse to play with my new deep fryer again.

When I put this recipe together, I was focused on creating a perfect balance of flavor in each bite.  This took quite a bit of experimentation and several test rounds.  I wanted them to be extremely flavorful, with bits of sweetness, spice and crunch.  The balance of chorizo, Manchego, pine nuts, and slightly caramelized onions achieved my goal.  The chorizo is spicy and meaty, and the toasted pine nuts add just the right amount of crunch.  The cheese is gooey and adds a bit of extra savoriness, or umami.  The onions add just enough sweetness (if you caramelize them too much they add bitterness).  Every bite really is perfect.

You don’t need a deep fryer to make these.  You can heat a neutral flavored, high smoke point oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, etc) in a large sauce pot or dutch oven.  I recommend using a thermometer to make sure you’re around 360 degrees.  If the oil is too hot, the outside will brown before the inside is properly cooked.  If the temperature isn’t hot enough the croquettes might absorb oil and become greasy.  You can try baking them but I can’t promise you’ll have the same results.  The outside won’t be as crunchy.

Lastly, you can substitute regular milk or cream for the evaporated milk.  I like using it because it has a subtle tang, almost like yogurt.  It adds another dimension of flavor.

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