Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Apple Mashed Potatoes: Thanksgiving in...May?




As I've mentioned before, potatoes are a big part of our diet here. I was getting sick of just boiling them, and I didn't want to use all the grease in frying them, so that's why I started thinking about new creative ways to make them tasty. First came the potato salads, and now has come Apple Mashed Potatoes.

This is a recipe I found on the Taste of Home website, and with a few original twists, they are right - it did make me think of home.

The aroma of the apples cooking made me think of how much I loved the cinnamon-cooked apples from Shoney's when I was little. The combination of scents together - allspice, potatoes, apples - reminded me think of Thanksgiving, when we ate together in a restaurant with all the delicacies that we would never make at home! And finally, mashed potatoes in general made me think of the delicious microwaveable bowls of creamy potatoes that my mom always bought as a side for dinner - pre-cooked and a handful of preservatives did not stop them from melting in my mouth. Hmmm.....delish.



Recipe


Apple Mashed Potatoes


4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 apples, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt
4 turkey bacon strips, diced
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup of butter (I never use real butter. Use whatever butter substitute you have - look for the heart-healthy kind!)
1 dollop of light sour cream
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 teaspoons allspice or nutmeg


First, boil the cubed potatoes and quartered apples in enough water so that it covers them both. Then, when the potatoes and apples are tender (after about 10-12 minutes), add the allspice.

While the potatoes and apples are boiling, cook the turkey bacon in oil until it is crispy. Place the bacon on paper towels to drain. Save 1 teaspoon of turkey bacon drippings and use it to sauté the onions.

After the allspice has been added, wait about 5 minutes, and then drain the potatoes and apples. Remove the allspice. Add the butter substitute, light sour cream, cider vinegar, and sugar. Mash it all together until it is smooth. Add a dash of nutmeg, and top it all off with turkey bacon and onions! Serves 4-6.


a buen tiempo!

1 comment:

  1. Actually, I think of grits and breakfast buffet when I hear "Shoneys" but mashed potatoes . . .
    only 1 place "Delta"!

    ReplyDelete