Leftover Remix: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For some reason I thought it was necessary to cook an entire bag of potatoes for Garlic Mashed Potatoes at our Friendsgiving, but as you can see only about a third was actually ate! And you can only eat so much mashed potatoes, but the 2nd day of leftovers you get pretty tired of the same thing.  

One of my favorite soups is Potato Cheese soup from Silvergreens, but recently we ordered soup and it was watery and no longer the creamy cheesy soup I loved.  I was very dissapointed.  Last night, I thought I can recreate that Potato Cheese soup with my leftover mashed potatoes. 

This was probably the easiest dinner ever and I was sooo happy with the results! 

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potato Cheese Soup

1. Put 1 cans of veggie broth and the left over mashed potatoes in a stove top pan.  

2. As the mixture heats up use a hand blender and mix everything together. Add more veggie broth to get to the consistency you prefer.  

3. Add cheese and stir. 

4. Serve with pepper and top with more cheese. 

Please note I did not include measurements because leftovers vary.  For this recipe I used 4 cups of Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 

Salmon & Corn Chowder

My friend Matt

Almost once a week Andrew and I either host or join a group of friends for a homemade dinner.  Last night it was hosted at David, Jojo, and Matt's house, and we were in for a special surprise.  I was expecting a delicious grilled meal, both Matt and David are geniuses with a grill.  But no, the grill was stored away tonight.  Instead a big red pot was stewing away on the stove.  Matt was the chef tonight, and he decided to cook up Salmon and Corn Chowder. 

While I was devouring cheese, crackers, and the local farmer's market's carrots with the girls in the living room, I heard a faint, "Sarah," from the kitchen.  I wasn't sure why I was being summoned to the kitchen, but I marched right in and said, "What can I do for you?"  Matt whispered, "You are the only one in there I actually trust to taste this." Yes, was I flattered! He just won mega-points with me and so did his dish.  So I took a spoonful of soup and gave him my honest opinion, it was salty and needed some pepper, maybe a little more citrus and cream.  Now that my duties were done, I returned to the living room and the cheese plate.

Not too much later, dinner was served and it was terrific!  I have to say I mentally took some of the credit, but Matt really deserves it all.  The chowder was served with a nice Caesar salad and cornbread (with corn kernels, my favorite) which was perfect for the cold windy evening. 

I highly recommend it if you want to try fish, but you really aren't a fishy person or just want a new way to cook salmon.  Here is the recipe from Wood-Fired Cooking by Mary Karlin. 

Salmon and Corn Chowder
Serves 6 as a main course
From Wood-Fired Cooking by Mary Karlin

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 ounces unpeeled small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped, including half of greens
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (about 2 ears)
4 cups fish or chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 pounds salmon fillets, skin and pin bones removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup minced fresh dill (Matt used cilantro in his chowder instead)

Prepare a campfire or wood-fired grill for cooking with direct heat.  NOTE: We cooked it on the stove (Sorry wood-fire.)

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat and saute the celery for 3 minutes.  Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Stir in green onions and corn and add 2 cups of the stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Add cream and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the salmon and lemon zest and simmer gently until the salmon is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add more stock as needed and lemon juice to taste.  Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Serve in bowls, topped with the dill. Or cilantro like Matt. 

Enjoy!