Gratin, scalloped or lyonnaise - the allure of a potato casserole

It is cold, very cold, outside.  My body is begging for warm, stick to your ribs, comfort food.  

When it comes to side dishes involving potatoes I've been in a definite rut - mashed or oven roasted.  I really want a potato dish combining the best attributes of both preparations, the "bite" of oven roasted with the creaminess of mashed.  I had vague memories of my mom's "scalloped" potatoes.  A casserole of sliced potatoes and  Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup.  A start, but I knew better options were out there.  

So, what is the difference between a gratin, lyonnaise and scalloped potatoes?  A gratin has a lightly browned crust of cheese.  Lyonnaise must have onions and usually white wine, no cheese required.  Scalloped potatoes, are a little harder to define.  I think it is any creamy casserole of sliced potatoes:  cheese and onions are optional.

So after a little research I produced the following potato gratin to rave reviews.  Most of the recipes I found were heavy handed with fat, using a cup of heavy cream, a cup of grated Gruyere cheese, and generous dabs of butter on the top.   As delicious as that sounded I wanted something a little heart healthier so settled on 1/2 cup of half 'n half combined with 1/2 cup of water, and omitted the butter on the top.  My cheese was limited to what I had on hand, that day only three slices of Swiss and some grated Parmesan.  Next time I'll experiment with blue cheese or chevre, two staples of my refrigerator

Gratin of Potatoes - serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

4 to 5  medium size Yukon Gold Potatoes

1/2 cup half 'n half

1/2 cup water

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1/2 c. grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1 medium shallot, finely minced

butter

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 1.5 to 2 quart casserole. I used a 8" by 8" Pyrex dish.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/8"  slices.  

Layer the potatoes in the baking dish, sprinkling shallot, and cheeses between each layer.  The final dish should be 3 or 4 layers thick.

Combine water and half and half.  Add dashes of salt & pepper. Mix and pour over potatoes.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle generously with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until there is a light brown crust and the potatoes  are tender to the fork.

My New Year's Resolution - Eat More Veggies!

For the past few years I've been trying to broaden the variety of vegetables in my diet, and also learn new ways to prepare those vegetables I'm already eating.  To help me achieve my goal, I regularly borrow vegetable cookbooks from the library.  If I fall in love with the book, I may buy it for my collection.  If not, I learn what I can and try a few recipes before the book's due date.

Last week I checked out "Vegetable Love" by Barbara Kafka.  I loved the way the book is organized, a separate chapter for each vegetable, with lots of background information.  I don't always agree with some of her pronouncements, such as you cannot roast cauliflower ( this happens to be my favorite way to make cauliflower!)  but overall, I found the book a great source for ideas and how to information.

The following recipe for Lamb Stuffed Delicata Squash, has its origins in Barbara's Lamb Curry Stuffing.  I've modified the stuffing recipe slightly, and also substituted the delicata squash for her suggestion of zucchini, eggplant or peppers.  The result:  a great balance between the spicy lamb mixture and sweet squash.  Enjoy.

LAMB STUFFED DELICATA SQUASH (4 servings)

2 delicata squash - sliced lengthwise and seeded

1 lb. ground lamb

1/4 c. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic - smashed and minced

1 tbsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. cinammon

1/4 c. yellow raisins

1/4 c. white rice

1 c.  chicken broth.

Preheat oven to 425 degress

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add rice and cook for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool for 15 or 20 minutes.  The rice will absorb more liquid as it cools, and still be watery at the end of the cooling time.

In a large bowl combine the ground lamb and all of the remaining ingredients except for the squash.  Using your hands, thoroughly mix.  Add the rice/broth mixture and again mix until the rice is evenly distributed throughout the meat mixture.

Place the 4 squash halves in a shallow baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.  Distribute the meat mixture evenly among the 4 squash halves, patting gently to remove any air pockets. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until squash is tender to the fork.