Baked Potatoes with a twist

This recipe was sent to my by a friend in France. I am not sure where he got it from so if you know please let me know (he has no idea where he got it from either but it was among his recipe collection!) These potatoes are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside!

Ingredients:
(serves 4-6 )

60g (1/4 cup) butter, melted
1kg (2 pounds) baking potatoes. wash well but do not peel
80g (2/3 cup) flour
60g (2 ounces) parmesan cheese, grated. Or try Pecorino
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tbs paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground red pepper(or cayenne pepper)
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). 
Grease a baking sheet  with the melted butter, and put in the oven to preheat.
Mix the flour, cheese, and seasonings in a large plastic bag.
Cut the potatoes lengthwise in wedges, 4 or 6 wedges per potato as evenly as possible. Do not rinse. the starch needs to be there!
Add the potatoes to the bag, close the bag , and shake well to coat the potatoes on all sides.
Place the potatoes, flesh side down, on the preheated baking sheet. 
Bake for 30 minutes, turn the potatoes, and bake for another 30 minutes, until cooked and are dark golden in colour. 
Sprinkle with a some sea salt and serve.

Dandelion Greens pasta with Parmesan Lemon Sauce

Another Foodie Fights submission...seems I am a glutton for punishment!
This was a rather original combination, and most of the recipes I checked out on line were for salads or fritters so I decided to make..PASTA!
Now go vote at Foodie Flights!

No pasta machine needed!
Serves 4

Pasta

2 cups dandelion greens 

(cleaned, stems removed and blanched to remove the bitterness)

2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon Salt (I used my truffle salt!)

Method

Mix cooked dandelion greens and eggs in a blender until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl, add salt and start adding flour while beating with a spoon.
Keep adding flour until dough is firm. (you may need more flour)

Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.

Roll out with rolling pin to 1/8"-1/4" thickness or thinner.

Let stand and dry for about 1 hour, then cut into strips.

(while waiting, you can start making the Parmesan sauce)
When the sauce is ready, cook pasta in  boiling water for about  1-2 minutes.

Strain and put back in the pot

Sauce
2 tbs  olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped finely
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup chicken/vegetable broth

Method
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 8 minutes. Add lemon peel. Mix well

Pour contents of pan over pasta in pot, scraping sides well.
Add Parmesan cheese, cream, lemon juice, and 1 cup broth.(you may need some more broth so keep some on hand)

Place over medium-high heat and toss until heated and sauce coats pasta. Or else, just pour on the plated pasta, whatever you prefer!Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve,sprinkled with some more Parmesan, lemon julienne and parsley

 

Some info about dandelion greens:
As a general rule, dandelion greens are best when they have just emerged. The longer they are allowed to mature, the more bitter they get, and some consumers also prefer late summer and early fall greens to summer greens, which tend to be fiercely bitter. When used raw, dandelion greens complement salads in the same way that chicory and endive do, introducing a new layer of complexity and flavor. Cooked, dandelion greens may be lightly steamed or sautéed with other vegetables. Light cooking is generally the way to go with dandelion greens. If the greens are simply too bitter to eat, boil them in several changes of fresh water to leech out the bitterness.

Guest Blogger

For the month of June, my guest blogger is Janet from Pantry Bites, a Health conscious foodie who started to cook to satisfy a very fussy palate. She focuses on eating real whole foods based on the primal/paleolithic method of eating.
This is her recipe!

Grain-free Gluten-free Mussel Fritters

Ingredients:

2 tbs coconut flour sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 eggs
2 tbs coconut milk
1 tbs coconut oil melted
1/2 cup smoked mussels chopped
2 tbs ghee for frying

Method:

1. Mix the coconut flour, salt, baking soda, onion powder and smoked paprika.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and add in the coconut milk and coconut oil.
3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and stir until the batter is smooth.
4. Add in the smoked mussels.
5. Heat the ghee over medium heat and add in heaped tablespoons of batter.
6. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Makes 6 small fritters (Serves 2).