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There should be a button on the right column below the ad. You can also do so here:
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One of my dear friends, Noa, introduced me to the market in Grand Central Station. Prior to that, I didn’t think shopping for fresh goods in a train station was rational, but boy was I wrong! She introduced me to the market a few months ago and I wrote about it here. This time, I went back to Koglin Royal Hams and got the same delicious veal brats as last time as well as the Swiss cheese filled hot dogs. As we were exiting I decided I had to have a pluot(cross between a plum and an apricot) and noticed that this stand had beautiful looking purple potatoes. I thought these would be a lovely compliment to falic looking meat so I went with it. I tasked Mike to pick up whatever veggie he wanted to complete the meal.
I decided to go with roasted purple potatoes with roasted garlic. It was a good decision. They were easy, amazing, and I highly recommend them.
Going into the oven:
Coming out of the oven:
Mike’s selection was broccoli with parmesan cheese. I steamed it first, then put the shaved parm over it and put it in the oven with the potatoes for 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and melty.
I was much more careful not to explode my brats this time and went with a slightly different preparation method. I put them into a pan with about 1/2 inch of water and let it simmer slightly for 10 minutes (no boiling… except when I left the heat on too much).
I still preferred the veal brats over the Swiss cheese dogs, but the dogs would be great on a grill. The Swiss cheese filling was quite yummy.
It made for a colorful (and delicious) plate:
I’m not the biggest broccoli fan but with melted cheese it is absolutely delicious. The potatoes were, by far, the stand out on this plate. I want to eat more right now just looking at the pictures.
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RECIPE
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Roasted Purple Potatoes
Ingredients:
Directions:
It’s that easy!
The first time I ever cooked something (baking doesn’t count) that made someone say “Wow! This is good! What on earth is this and how do you make it?” was when I made Kasha Varnishkas for my roommate, Kim, in college. Now I think I managed to screw that one up by adding about 6 cloves are garlic (I learned), but I think Kim saw the hope. She has since begun cooking this dish for herself (and her husband) and it makes me proud to hear. I have actually been trying to make it lately, however, the grocery store near my apartment doesn’t carry Kasha (boo!) When Kim heard of this problem, she sent me a surprise package of Kasha all the way from the Pittsburgh suburbs. Thanks Kim! It arrived on Monday morning and I cooked it Monday night.
Now I don’t make kasha in the way that Jewish delis make kasha. This was the first recipe I ever really experimented with. Rather than follow the directions on the box, I decided first to add garlic. Then the next round I added onions. Then next time it was mushrooms. It was slowly getting there. Then I did an experiment that revolutionized kasha (to me and the family anyway). I added cream of mushroom soup. V’oila! Sara’s Kasha was born.
The pictures look pretty bland, but it’s delicious. I like it alone as a meal, but some people would probably prefer it as a side dish. Added benefit: Kasha is pretty healthy! It’s a whole grain (buckwheat), low in fat, and gluten free. You can add other veggies into the browning process or grilled chicken, but I like it pretty basic. Maybe it’s nostalgia…
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Recipe:
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Kasha Varnishkas:
Ingredients:
Directions: