Cooking for Seven

{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. I have compiled a list of all the lessons so far. Enjoy!}

Grandma decided it was time to move from scrumptious sweets to serving an entire meal; and there is no meal so traditional and tasty as a Roast Beef Dinner…

Grandma knows all the secrets to making a tender, tasty roast: sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Attack it with a sharp fork & sprinkle with Meat Tenderizer. Coat it with flour and cook in a skillet to brown on all sides.

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Here was an happy accident:

I asked Dad what he would like for supper. His answer: soup. What could be easier, eh?

I knew that one of Dad’s favorite soups is cream of broccoli, and I was pretty sure I could find some broccoli in the freezer. The catch? The the broccoli was FREEZER BURNT. One floret had turned a weird orange color and it all smelled horrid. Blech.

And so, instead of panicking, I quickly decided to make up a new recipe. That is how this soup was born.

Please do not be scared by the stick of butter included in this recipe. It is necessary. So very necessary. You can add any spices you like, but I found salt, pepper, and parsley sufficient. Also, any type of sausage may be used. I like spicy Italian.

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Sausage and Potato Soup

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Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 3 medium russet potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 2 1/2 teaspoons flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, cooked until no longer pink

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent. Add the garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper, and parsley and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the sausage.

2) Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer just until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serves approximately 4-6 people

Crunchy on the bottom, tender in the middle, crinkly skin on top. These potatoes resemble homemade potato chips in taste, but are so much easier to make and require much less oil. Serve with sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, or whatever you wish.

m

Crunchy Coconut Oil Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Approximately 7 medium russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened or melted
• Kosher or Sea salt
• Sour cream, butter, and extra salt and pepper, for serving

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425° F. Wash and scrub potatoes to remove dirt. Remove any undesirably spots with a knife. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.

2) Pour the coconut oil into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle with Kosher or Sea salt. Place the potatoes, cut side down, in the bottom of the pan.

3) Bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour, or until the underside of the potatoes are browned and the flesh is soft.  To serve, cut the potato open through the skin and spread on a little butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dab on a bit of sour cream.

Serves 6-8

So, how would you serve these potatoes?

m