Jan wanted comfort food after her family’s visit and she requested pot roast. I have made more complex versions of this dish, but I wanted this to be a home-y version. A hearty “meat and potatoes,” closer to what my mother, Claudia, would have made.
Category Archives: Potatoes
Karl’s Maafe II (West African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup)
Jan’s friend needed a soft soup after her oral surgery and Jan’s family is descending upon us. Blended soups are the order of the day. In addition to Ezo Gelin and Avgolemono, I will be making Maafe. Maafe, at its simplest, is a sauce made with peanuts and tomatoes with onions and sweet potatoes being a frequent additions. After that, the variations for this soup/stew are near endless. Traditionally, this dish is probably served “chunky,” but I will blend it into a smooth creamy soup for people with problems chewing.
Filed under Main Dishes, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Karl’s Maafe Minus (West African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup)
Jan’s friend is coming to join Jan in a visit to Santa Barbara—the yearly gathering of women who went through UCSB’s Anthropology Program in the late ‘70’s. I decided to make the sweet potato and peanut butter soup I made earlier this week for their lunch, but she is allergic to both tomatoes and milk.
Filed under Main Dishes, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian MD
Karl’s Maafe, Mafé or Groundnut Chop (West African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup)
Jan had a temporary crown put in on Monday and she wanted a soft creamy soup for dinner. In times past this would mean some variation of vichyssoise, potato and leek soup. I am always looking for something new, so I started thinking about an African sweet potato and peanut soup/stew.
Filed under Main Dishes, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian MD
Karl’s Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole
Our Sunday paper has a supplement, the USA Weekend, which usually includes one of those recipes for people who do not really cook—you know the add “can A” to “can B” kind. This week they actually had a recipe for Thanksgiving that Jan thought looked pretty good. Not being one to follow any recipe, I had to make some changes.
Filed under Potatoes, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
Karl’s Honey Lemon & Herb Chicken and Roasties
Jan wanted “roasties” for dinner. I had thought that Eilene was going to eat out with her friends. Two hours before dinner, she announced that she was bringing two friends over for dinner. Roasties for two had suddenly become dinner for five. Time to get creative.
Filed under Chicken, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Poultry, Vegetables
Karl’s Roasted Italian Potatoes
I am making “chicken under brick” and a ciambotta. The ciambotta usually contains potatoes, but I have one diner who is on a diet that excludes potatoes. When Eilene heard that there was going to be no potatoes in the meal she said, “No Potatoes!!” To try and please everyone, I decided to make a separate potato dish.
Filed under Potatoes, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
Karl’s Portuguese Salt Cod and Potato Casserole
Adapted from a chef Manuel Azevedo recipe
Traditionally this dish is serves as a casserole. Chef Azevedo, born on the island of São Jorge in the Azores, turns this Portuguese dish upside down. This allows the exposed codfish to brown slightly and the layer of potatoes on the bottom to crisp.
Filed under Casseroles, Fish, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Seafood
Karl’s Sweet Potato Biscuits with PB&J
Last week Jan had a work lunch that had Sweet Potato Biscuits with PB&J. She brought some leftovers home for us to try. She suggested that this would be a good thing to serve the teenagers on their Thursday movie night.
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Karl’s Asian Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping
Eilene’s friends are coming over again for Game of Thrones and this week’s theme is “marshmallows.” [Teenagers—what can I say.] Eilene has requested sweet potato casserole.
Filed under California Fusion, Chinese-American, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Steaming, Vegan, Vegetarian









