Steak & Potatoes

Occasionally, I like to treat my other half to a nice steak dinner. I'm learning to cook steak in the house without completely smoking up the entire apartment and setting off the smoke alarm - but I am impressed with how this actually turned out. Mainly because of the mashed potatoes - possibly my favorite food.

Regarding the steak, I just seasoned a pair of ribeyes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and seared them in bacon fat. (mmm) Save the bacon for crumbling on top of mashed potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

• 5-7 medium sized yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 c. Sour cream
• 1/2-3/4 c milk, depending on the consistency you like
• salt & pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into 1/2" pieces, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, then smash with a wooden spoon or masher. Add all other ingredients and even some cheese if you desire. Top with crumbled bacon - enjoy!

Warm Potato Salad

Yesterday, having been invited to a fantastic cookout, I went on the search for a potato salad recipe that did not involve the use of mayonnaise. I found one that was loosely based on Warm German Potato Salad, and then I tweaked it a little based on the ingredients I had laying around. It is definitely sweeter than your typical potato salad, but I think I ended up liking it. Here's how:

Ingredients

• 1 package tiny potatoes - I used a bag of the mini golden potatoes from the produce dept.
• 3 slices bacon
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Place the whole potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool. (Note: the potatoes I used were the tiny variety - they did not need to be cut before boiling, but yours might.)               
2. Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Keep on heat until sauce thickens a little. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.               

As a side note: if you don't eat pork, this probably isn't the recipe for you. I feel like you'd probably have to do a lot of changing to make up for the loss of the smoky saltiness that the bacon adds here. Try it!