potatoes Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Recipes At My Table

Rolla’s Kafta Casserole

Rolla’s Kafta Casserole is a Middle Eastern recipe. We call if Kafta, but it is known as Kofta in Middle Eastern countries. My friend Rolla is from Lebanon and she has introduced me to a whole new world of flavours. Now being Sicilian, we have that Middle Eastern influence, but some of the dishes are specific to Lebanon. In my life I have been very lucky to travel most of the world, live in many places, but most of all make friends. Rolla came into my life at the yoga studio here in Leamington and over the past 5 years, we have become members of her family.

Family comes together at the table. Food is such an important part of Rolla’s culture just like our Italian culture. At the table we share stories and make memories. Her family is kind and loving and we share meals, laughter, love and of course recipes. I miss her and her family and this recipe brings them to my table, even if they can’t come at the moment.

Kaftas are part of the meatball family. On a shopping trip to Lebanese markets, I picked these up with Rolla at a butcher shop catering to Middle Eastern cuisine. Our Kafta’s are made of lamb and pork. The butcher ground the meat with parsley and garlic. I loved watching him; it reminded me of growing up in Little Italy. When I got home, I rolled the meat into oblong shapes and flattened them a bit.

Kafta can can also be placed around a skewer and grilled on the barbecue.

How to make the Kafta from ground meat at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TplfK-dweMo

Today I am cooking them in a casserole type dish. Another good meatball casserole type dish https://recipesatmytable.com/drunken-turkey-meatballs/

Ingredients

2 lbs Kafta
3 medium sliced onions
6 medium sliced potatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 tbsp Italian seasoning ( anything with oregano, anise, red pepper chilli flakes)
2 tbsp olive oil ( grease the casserole with it and pour some over the casserole before placing it into the oven.

The Process

My Kafta is frozen and I remove it from the freezer.

I peel and slice the onions and place them in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Peel and slice the potatoes. I used the mandolin, but they are about 1/4 inch thick. Ensure that you season each layer.

In a casserole dish, place the onions, followed by the potatoes and then place the Kafta on top. Season each layer with salt and pepper.

Mix the stock with the tomato paste and pour over the sides. Today I used 1/2 vegetable stock and 1/2 marinara. You can vary your sauce.

Place a piece of parchment paper and then a piece of aluminium foil over the casserole dish.Bake at 375F for 50 minutes.Remove cover and bake for another 20-30 minutes.

You can serve this with rice or pitas. Today I served it with falafel and cucumber salad.

April 30, 2020

Tuna Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli

Tuna Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli don’t taste fishy. They come to the table with sophistication and easily turn into a meal for entertaining. The kids love them and your company will want this recipe. Use real mashed potatoes or cheat and used boxed. Either way, the fresh herbs and crispy coating makes this recipe a keeper.

Fish cakes first appeared in England where leftover fish mixed with mashed potatoes made another meal. It probably was part of what we Italians call “the cucina povera”. Families trying to make ends meet or feed a large number of people added the fish to mashed potatoes and got a hearty meal. Today fish cakes appear as appetizers or mains in many restaurants, but you can make them in your home for a fraction of the price. A good Article : https://newengland.com/yankee-magazine/food/fish-cakes/

I used canned tuna, but I have made these with fresh fish such as cod, basa and crab. Try your favourite. Always use fresh herbs from your garden. Tarragon, thyme and fennel also pair nicely with this recipe.

Mashed potatoes are one of my favourites in recipes. Don’t forget to check out my best mashed potato dish: https://recipesatmytable.com/polpette-di-patate/

Fresh ingredients are the stars of this recipe.

I gather the tuna, herbs, garlic and eggs.

The spices go in.

Everything gets mixed For These Tuna Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli.

The potatoes go into the tuna.

All mixed-up!!

Tuna Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aiolimeet the breadcrumbs.

The tuna cakes ready for the pan.

This Aioli is simple.

A couple of minutes on each sides makes them golden.

On a pretty bed of greens with the Aioli.

Tuna Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli

An easy recipe for family or entertaining

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 36 minutes

Servings 2

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Tuna Cakes

2 potatoes 1 cup mashed
2 green onions thinly sliced
1 egg
3 basil leaves finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a small lemon
lemon zest of half a lemon
1 tsp hot sauce optional
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp Canola Oil

The Roasted Garlic Aioli

2 tbsp Greek Yogurt
2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

The Tuna Cakes

In you use real potatoes they need to be bpiled, drained and mashed until smooth.
If using potato flakes, prepare as per box direction.
Ensure that the potato mixture is cool.
In another bowl mix the tuna, basil, lemon zest,minced garlic, Italian seasoning, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Now add in the potatoes.
Mix well and divide into 4.
Make the patties and coat with the bread crumbs.
Place a pan on the stove with 2 tbsp canola oil.
Fry the patties for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Place on a bed of greens.
Drizzle with the Aioli Sauce.

The Roasted Garli Aioli

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the tuna cakes. Start with 1 tbsp lemon juic and add more to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency.

Recipe Notes

This recipe may be doubled.

June 20, 2019June 21, 2019

Four Cheese Italian Scalloped Potatoes

Before I discovered scalloped potatoes at my friends’ homes, we had our own version. We often fried potatoes in the shape of a pie and it was the cheese that acted like glue. Four Cheese Italian Scalloped Potatoes brings together my favourite cheese and olive oil to make this crispy layered potato dish. Another name for scalloped potatoes in cooking is Gratin and this refers to the type of dish used to cook the potatoes. Prepared in a shallow casserole dish, these types of potatoes consist of eggs, butter and milk for a sauce.

My nonna Emilia was the queen of cooking potatoes. Her fried potatoes would fill the streets in Little Italy with irresistible aroma. Even in her little town of Figline Vegliaturo in Calabria Italy, friends were drawn to her house by the aroma. They often thought that she made an elaborate meal; however, she simply fried potatoes adding garlic and oregano. Like nonna Emilia, I like simple, but good ingredients. This recipe will not disappoint you.

This dish could also serve as a main. I would serve it with a salad. If you like this dish, don’t forget to check out this previous recipe: https://recipesatmytable.com/tiella-with-zucchini-and-potatoes/

Slice the potatoes lengthwise on a mandolin.

Olive oil and seasoning go in next.

All the goodness of cheese in a bowl.

Place some parchment paper on the bottom of a springform pan.

Half the potatoes go in with a little drizzle of olive oil.

The rest of the potatoes go in and then the last layer of cheese.

All golden and out of the oven.

The rim comes off the pan and the layers are all browned.

Four Cheese Italian Scalloped Potatoes

These potatoes will be a hit at your table!!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada

Keyword Four Cheese Italian Scalloped Potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes cut on mandolin
1/4 cup olive oil tossing
11/4 cup four cheese Italiano ( reserve 1/4 for top) parmesan, provolone, emmental, mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Instructions

Set oven to 400 F.
Prepare a 9 inch springform pan. Place a parchment paper round on the bottom. Grease sides with a little butter or olive oil.
Use a mandolin to slice the peeled and washed potatoes.
Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, cheese, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
Put half the potatoes into the pan and drizzle a little olive oil over them.
Place the remainder of the potatoes in the pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the remainder 1/4 cup of cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and place into oven for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and lift off foil.
Place back into the oven for another 15 minutes, reducing heat to 375.
Remove and I topped it with caramelized onions today.

March 7, 2019March 7, 2019