Since yesterday was the first day of Hanukkah, I thought I’d make latkes and salmon. By the time I got home, I realized (a) I didn’t have the right kind of potato and (b) I didn’t have any sour cream (or apple sauce – which I heard works great too). Lame excuse, I know, but I really can’t enjoy a latke without tons of sour cream on top. (Yes – I’m a sucker for toppings.)
Ok … so maybe these potatoes might have worked. The cutest assorted mini potatoes - blue, red, yellow… really cute. But honestly, I just didn’t feel like shredding them (lazy, I know). And of course - the sour cream dilemma.
Soo… I thought of the next best thing: an incredibly creamy, cheesy sauce…, which never fails to make me feel great. What on earth goes better with potatoes, if not BUTTER…. CHEESE and HEAVY CREAM... oh and some white wine. I can’t think of anything, can you?
Anyway, I was right. It was amazing. You need to make this. Seriously… so good. And it looks great too. Oh and it is easier than easy to make.
mmm, save some sauce for later. I could eat this by the spoonful. Seriously.
Blue, red & yellow mini potatoes w/cheesy, herbed cream sauce
(makes 4 side dish portions)
8 to 10 small potatoes - use assorted colors if you want them to contrast with the cream sauce
½ a stick of salted butter
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup of your favorite white wine – any white cooking wine will do
½ cup of your favorite shredded Italian cheese(s) - I used a bagged shredded 6 cheese Italian blend, which had mozzarella, parmesan, Provolone, Fontina, Romano and aged Asiago, but fresh mozzarella and parmesan would have been delicious too – if I had them on hand
1 tbsp of dried Italian herb blend (dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme & sage) – plus more to sprinkle on top later
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring salted water to a boil (taste water and make sure there is enough salt, otherwise the potatoes will be very bland). Add potatoes and boil until just cooked through, but not falling apart. Remove from pot and cut potatoes in half or quarters. In the same pot, after discarding the water, heat the butter and herbs. Add wine and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add cheese. Once melted, add heavy cream and salt & pepper to taste. Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes so that flavors are blended. Remove from heat. Add potatoes to sauce and sprinkle with remaining herbs.
Lemon-Pepper salmon with dried rosemary
Now let’s talk about salmon...
I’ll start by saying I know very little about cooking salmon perfectly… especially in the oven. Don’t get me wrong, it was totally flavorful, but a bit overdone. I suggest you keep an eye on it, especially if the pieces are small like mine were.
Lemon-Pepper salmon with dried rosemary
(serves 4)
6 small pieces of salmon
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of butter
salt & fresh ground pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of dried rosemary (plus more to sprinkle on top later)
Place all ingredients in an oven-proof dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and broil on high for a couple minutes until golden. Keep an eye on them!!!
