Hot German Potato Salad

Ingredients

8 potatoes

8 slices of bacon

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup white wine vinegar 

1 cup chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
3. Add the flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet and cook in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.
4. Add bacon, potatoes and green onions to skillet and stir until coated. Cook until heated and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Turkish Spinach with Potato Recipes

Spinach with Potato

(Ispanakli Patates)

Ingredients

• Half a bag of spinach (approx 200g), washed. 
• 4 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into large sections
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes
• Tomato puree (I used sundried tomato puree)
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Add olive oil to a pan and sauté the onions and potatoes for a few minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, whizz up the tomatoes and tomato puree in a blender or food processor. 
3. Add the spinach and blended tomato mixture to the pan. Stir to combine. 
4. Put lid on the pan - the steam will cause the spinach to wilt and release extra cooking liquid to the pan. 
5. When spinach has wilted, add salt & pepper to taste, cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. 
6. Leave simmering until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Another Potato and Spinach Recipe

1 bunch spinach, washed and drained

7-8 yellow mini potatoes, peeled, cut in half

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, grated

1 tbsp crushed tomato, in can

50 ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

1/2 cup yogurt

1 garlic clove, mashed with salt

First cut the spinach in large pieces. Saute the onion and potatoes with olive oil for about 4-5 minutes on low heat in a medium pot. Then add the spinach, tomato, crushed tomato, salt and black pepper. Cover the lid and cook until the potatoes are tender on medium-low heat.

Serve Spinach with Potato with the Garlic Yogurt Sauce.

Ham leftovers: Ham, leek, and potato pie

Ham, Leek and Potato Pie

We had this pie for dinner because I had so much ham left over from New Year's Day dinner.  I had everything that it called for except creme fraiche but luckily found that on sale so this was a very inexpensive meal but quite spectacular in appearance.  It would make a very impressive main course for a lunch or dinner with guests.  The fact that there were potatoes in the pie, meant that I only had to make vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion , finely chopped
• 3 leeks , finely sliced
• 2 large potatoes , cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 300ml chicken or ham stock
• 100ml pot crème fraîche (or use leftover double cream)
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 200g cooked ham , shredded
• 4 bay leaves , optional
• 375g pack puff pastry
• 1 egg , beaten, to glaze (or use milk) 

1. Heat a large frying pan, melt the butter, then add the onion and leeks. Cover, then very gently cook for 15 mins until soft. Add the potatoes after 5 mins cooking.
2. Stir in the flour, turn up the heat, then add the stock, stirring until the mix thickens a little. Take off the heat, then stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and ham. Season to taste, then cool, if you have time. Spoon the mix into a large pie dish, adding a couple of bay leaves. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
3. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut a pastry strip the same width as the lip of the dish, wet the edge of the dish with egg, then fix the strip around it. Brush the top with egg, then lay over the remaining pastry.
4. Trim pastry to the edge of the dish, then ruffle the cut edges with the knife blade to help the layers rise. Cut a few slits to let the steam escape, decorate with bay leaves, if you like, then brush all over the top with egg. Can be done up to a day ahead, keep chilled. Bake for 30 mins until risen.