Vegetarian Potato and Cauliflower Burritos

1 jar of salsa verde (I liked Trader Joes)
1 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 small onion halved and sliced
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 medium Yukon Gold or russet potato cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 Tbs chopped cilantro
4 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup shredded cheese

Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion and oregano about 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, potato and salsa verde. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes more until cauliflower and potato are tender. Stir in cilantro. Divide cauliflower mixture among tortillas. Top with rice and cheese.

Spinach and Swiss Quiche with Potato Crust

1/2 pound (Depending on the size of potatoes, 2-4) Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded**
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, diced
1 10 oz package of frozen, chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish** with cooking spray. Toss potatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Press into an even layer in pie dish, up the sides like a crust. Bake until golden brown at the edges and dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Lower the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, garlic, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until any water from the spinach evaporates; 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Spread the spinach mixture in an even layer in the pie dish, and top with an even layer of the cheese. Carefully pour in egg mixture. Bake until firm around the edges and egg is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Let cool, and serve warm or at room temperature.

**Note-you can use whatever potatoes you like-I used regular baking potatoes (Russet) and they worked perfectly.
**Note-You can also use an 8x8 square baking dish.
**Note-although this recipe seems complicated, it is fairly simple and very very tasty. It is nice that the crust is made out of potatoes, which are a vegetable. So you are still getting a "carb" crust but it's a vegetable also!

Cheddar Baked Potato Slices

1 can cream soup
4 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Oven at 400. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Arrange potatoes in overlapping rows. Pour soup on top and then cover with cheese. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until potatoes are fork tender.

**Note-again, this isn't the healthiest dish, but sometimes when you buy a big 10lb bag of potatoes and have exhausted every other recipe, this is a good one to have on hand. It's also perfect for a potluck or gathering as what's not to like about potatoes, creaminess and cheese?

Tex-Mex Bean and Potatoes

1 can beans (Red Kidney, Pinto, or black bean are preferred)
1 tablespoon oil
1 pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
4 cup cubed potatoes
1 (10oz) package of frozen corn (about 2 cups)
2 cup shredded cheese

Oven at 350. Bring chopped potatoes and enough water to cover them to a boil in a shallow saute pan. Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside. Cook onion and pepper in oil for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add taco seasoning and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add water, corn, potatoes, and beans and mix to combine. Put into a greased baking dish and bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes more.

Potato Hash and Cheddar Omlet

1 cup shredded potatoes
4 eggs. scrambled
2 cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mist a pan with cooking spray. Add potatoes and cook 5-10 minutes (until tender), turning once (do not stir so that the potatoes develop and "crust" like hash browns). Add eggs, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until egg is done and spinach wilted. Top with cheese. Serves 2.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 16oz. package ground breakfast sausage (or if you are feeling really time crunched precooked sausage links or patties, equal to 16oz)
12 eggs
1 can your favorite condensed cream soup
1 soup can of milk
1 green pepper chopped
1-32oz bag frozen tater tots
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Oven at 350. Brown the sausage and green peppers in a skillet and then drain the fat and set aside. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Beat together in a large bowl the eggs, cream of mushroom soup and milk. Stir in the sausage and peppers. Pour mixture into the baking dish.
Add tater tots and lightly mix in so tots are covered in egg mixture. They will naturally float to the top and brake apart during cooking. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50min. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 10min to melt the cheese.

**Note-this is not a traditional "healthy" meal or vegetarian. I added it, however, because it's a very fast and tasty dish. Perfect for a holiday meal with the family or brining to a breakfast or brunch potluck.

Italian Onion and Potato Omlet

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion diced
1 potato grated
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
4 eggs

Saute potato, onion and seasoning in oil for 5 minutes. Add eggs and cook 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired or serve with ketchup. Serves 2.

Four Seasons of Potato Salad

WINTER
4 cups large storage potatoes, coarsely diced and boiled until firmly tender
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
¾ cup last summer’s dill pickles, finely chopped
2 tbsp dill
salt to taste
Mayonnaise to consistency

Combine potatoes, eggs, and pickles, being careful not to mash anything. Add dill and salt to mixture and combine thoroughly. Add just enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together.

SPRING
4 cups storage potatoes, coarsely diced
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1-2 cups new peas
1 cup crumbled feta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Boil diced potatoes as above. Combine ingredients.

SUMMER
2 lbs red or golden new potatoes, cut in 1 inch chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt
2 yellow or red bell peppers, cut in chunks
2 cups green beans (stringed and broken in 1-inch lengths)
1-2 ears sweet corn on cob

Toss potatoes with salt and oil and spread on baking sheet. Place ears of corn, lightly oiled, with potatoes to roast as well. Roast in 450° oven until tender (20-30 minutes). Add peppers and green beans to roast for last 10 minutes. When done, loosen the vegetables with a spatula, cut corn kernels off cob, and combine in a large, shallow bowl.

2 cups tomatoes cut in wedges
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil whipped together with 1 tbsp balsamic or other mellow vinegar
Toss tomatoes, basil and dressing with roasted vegetables, salt to taste.

FALL
2 lbs fingerling potatoes (Russian Banana, Rose-Finn, La Ratte)
seasonal vegetables
4 tbsp dried basil
¼ cup olive oil whipped with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Prepare roasted potatoes as in “Summer” recipe, combining with late-season peppers and green beans, shelly beans, or limas, roasted along with the potatoes. Toss with fresh tomato wedges, basil and the dressing. As the season progresses and different things become available, you can mix and match other vegetables with the potatoes to your heart’s content, keeping proportions roughly the same. Cubed winter squash and sweet potatoes are wonderful in this roasted dish, requiring about the same amount of time in the oven. Don’t hesitate to combine sweet and regular potatoes – they are unrelated, and marry well!

Healthy Potato Skins

Serves 2

2 medium potatoes (baking or sweet-your choice)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bag baby spinach (or about one cup frozen, thawed and squeezed out)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Oven at 350 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and onto an oven rack. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. (You can also microwave them until they are tender. Whichever way you choose, make sure the potato is tender otherwise it will be very difficult to make the rest of the recipe.) Meanwhile, in a deep saute pan heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the entire bag of spinach and scallions, cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. When the potatoes are cooked, let them cool for 5 minutes. Carefully slice each one in half and scoop out inside of potato into a bowl. Add cream cheese, buttermilk, salt and pepper, and mash together until smooth. Mix the potato mash with the reserved, cooked veggies. Using a pastry brush, coat the outside of each potato skin with the vegetable oil. Fill each of the shells with the filling and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Transfer each skin back to the baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the skins are crispy.

**Note-this was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had. I couldn't believe how tasty it was! It is a bit of work, but the end result is so worth it. I recommend doubling the recipe so that you can have extras for later in the week.

Asparagus and Potato Fritata

Makes 3 entrees, 4-6 servings each

2 lbs fresh asparagus, cleaned, ends snapped off, and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 lbs potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces and boiled til soft (about 10 minutes)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

On hand for each entree:

6 eggs
½ c cream or milk
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
½ c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Boil asparagus 2-3 minutes in water (You can add it the last few minutes with the potatoes)
2. Cook onion in skillet about 5 minutes, until soft, adding garlic last minute or two.
3. Divide mixture among 3 freezer bags, freeze. (If not freezing, skip this step and jump down to step 2 below)

To cook one entree:

1. Thaw completely.
2. Oven at 425.
3. Pour filling into a greased 8x8 dish.
4. Mix egg mixture and pour over top. Bake 30 minutes or until cooked through and top is golden brown.

**Note-you may substitute any variety of veggies for the asparagus