Dairy-Free Potato Chowder

So I like chowder a lot. I also have kids who can't have dairy. This creates a conundrum, since chowder is normally made with a milk/cream base. However, I have been experimenting with using dairy substitutes in my recipes, and I found that almond milk works almost as well as regular milk for most dishes. After making it a couple of times, I think I've got this recipe down!

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon (save the fat)
• 1 onion
• 2 ribs celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• vegetable, canola, or olive oil (as necessary, see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (maybe)
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and rinsed
• 1 quart almond milk (or rice milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper)
• 3 green onions, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or pot over medium-low heat. Remove cooked bacon and lay on paper towels; set aside for later. Estimate (or measure) the rendered bacon fat. You need 1/4 - 1/3 cup, so add oil if there's not enough or remove any excess. Sweat the onion, celery, garlic, and salt together over medium-low heat until the onion and celery are soft. Sift the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the flour becomes slightly toasted, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Add the potatoes, milk, old bay, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the flour (and get any stuck bits off of the bottom of the pot). If your "milk" is unsweetened (usually labelled "unsweetened" on the box), add 1 tablespoon of sugar (to taste). Simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning as desired (i.e. add more old bay, salt, or pepper if you want). Ladle into bowls and top with the green onions and crumbled bacon.

NOTE: If your family has no problems with dairy, you could make this with 2% or whole milk. Since I personally have no issues with dairy, I add a couple of tablespoons of finely shredded cheddar cheese to my bowl! I also like to add crackers.

Mashed Potato Soup

The French have a soup called Vichyssoise, where potatoes and leeks are pureed with cream and chicken stock. It is a very refined (almost snooty) dish that is actually very popular served cold. In Portugal, the most popular soup is called Caldo Verde which, like Vichyssoise, is made with pureed potato, but has other vegetables (like cabbage) and sausage added. This is a soup of the people - hearty and flavorful. I think I have found a way to combine the two styles. I use mashed potatoes instead of puree, since I like the added texture. I also use bacon bits (lardons in French) instead of sausage, but you could probably use any pork product you like!

Ingredients

• 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 leeks, trimmed, washed, and chopped
• 4 carrots, washed and diced small
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 pound washed, stemmed, and chopped kale (you could use cabbage or collard greens)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt
• white pepper
• crispy crumbled bacon

Directions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add just enough broth to submerge and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 10-20 minutes, or until they are just cooked through, but not mushy or falling apart.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, and onions with one teaspoon kosher salt. Sweat (no browning!) over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the leeks and carrots are softened.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain and reserve the broth. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher. Add to the pot with other softened vegetables along with all 4 cups of broth. Simmer, stirring gently, for 2 minutes or until everything is well integrated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Add the kale and cook for 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is just cooked (still firm, but not crunchy). Serve with a tablespoon of bacon crumbles on top of each bowl.

Shepherd's Pie

Although lamb is the traditional meat for this dish, I use lean ground beef because it's quite a bit easier to come by. Sauteeing the mushrooms and onions separate from the beef gives the stew a deep, rich flavor, without toughening the meat (which can happen if you brown it too long).

Ingredients

• kosher salt
• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned, optionally peeled, and cut in half crosswise (so they are as spherical as possible)
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• spice mixture - grind together in a spice mill or coffee grinder
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flake
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with 2-4 inches of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 2 quarts of water in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until a paring knife slides through without much resistance (do not overcook so they start to fall apart). Drain and mash -

Meanwhile, put the beef into a large dutch oven over medium low heat with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Gently cook the meat until it is no longer pink, stirring frequently - you are not trying to deeply brown the meat, just remove it's raw red color. Pour the meat into a large bowl and set aside.

If there is not 2-3 tablespoons of grease leftover from the beef in the dutch oven, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and started to brown. Add the garlic and saute one more minute, until the garlic is fragrant and lost its raw bite. Deglaze the pot with the canned tomtaoes. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, spice mixture, and cooked beef. Stir well to combine. Gently fold in the bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes and uncovered for 10, gently stirring occasionally.

Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the stew from heat and fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and smooth into an even layer on top. Sprinkle on all of the cheese and put under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately

We plate the 3A's their portion, then top our portions with cheese.

Marinated Potato Salad

If you want your potato salad to have lots of flavor, you really should start it at least 8 hours before you want to eat it. This gives the vinegar enough time to really penetrate the potatoes and give it some underlying acidity before putting on the creamy mayonnaise dressing. I guarantee that no one will think this salad is bland!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cleaned but not peeled
• kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (homemade would be nice)
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• one half to one whole clove garlic, sliced as thinly as you can
• 2-4 tablespoons diced dill pickles or dill pickle relish, to taste
  
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add just enough cold water to cover by 1/2 inch and add a very heavy pinch of kosher salt per quart of water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are just soft - do not overcook. Gently drain and rinse under cold running water for 30-60 seconds, until just cool enough to handle with a tea towel. Rub the skins off with the towel, being careful not to mash them. Once peeled, slice into 1/2 inch slices and put into a large plastic bag with the vinegar. Marinate for at least 8 hours, up to 1 day.

Mix together remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a couple of pinches of kosher salt (to taste). Gently fold in marinated potatoes and any vinegar left in the bag. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Note: Other herb combinations can be used instead of parsley and tarragon. You could also use basil and thyme, mint and dill, or cilantro and oregano. Just add whatever fresh herbs you think you might like 1-2 tablespoons at a time until you think the flavor is strong enough!