Argentinian Potato Pie

Well, I wrote this and finished this recipe start of May, why I did not publish it, I do not know. In the last few days, when it was certain that Germany was playing Argentina in the World Cup for the coveted Trophy, I decided in honour of Argentina, I would put it up, whether they would win or  loose.

Today they lost, but they were formidable opponents. As the French say, "chapeau"! This is for Argentina!

There is an interesting story attached to this recipe. A recipe which has been in the family for 32 years and every so often, when simple delicious food is called for, I think of this particular pie.

I got the recipe from an Argentinian called Jorge. We met him and his friend Wym in Lisbon on the Munipal camp site. They had pitched their tent beside ours. We shared some wine and before they left, they invited us to visit them in Den Haag, Holland, where Wym, a Dutchman, taught Piano and Jorge worked as a hairdresser. A year later, we did what we called the Grand Tour d'Europe, and visited Wym and Jorge in Den Haag. It turned out that Jorge was not only an exceptional swimmer and diver, he taught our gang how to dive, but also a great cook.

The following is a family recipe from Jorge. I hope you enjoy it as much as we still do.

Ingredients 

1 kg potatoes 

3 to 4 hardboiled eggs

150 g cooked ham

150 g grated cheddar or Emmenthal cheese

Some grated Parmesan cheese

50g butter

Enough milk to cream the potatoes

Salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Method

1. Peel and boil the potatoes

2. In the meantime prepare the eggs, ham and cheese.

3. In an ovenproof dish cover the bottom with creamed potatoes

4. Layer the eggs, ham and top with the cheese

5. Finish with a layer of creamed potatoes

6. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the pie for approx. 30min at 175 C.

Serve with any salad of your choice , although a simple green lettuce salad with the basic Vinaigrette suits the pie best ( my humble opinion)

The finished result!

Old reliables baked a different way

Another month is gone and I have not written another blog, what I have done though is experimenting with some old reliables, preparing and baking  them in a new tasty way.
We eat quite a lot of dishes which do not contain any meat, although we are not Vegetarians, simply because we like vegetables.

The two recipes I am sharing with you, I have tried out in the last weeks and they are simply a twist on old reliables! like the humble potato.

Potatoes are underrated and have been given a bad time by some "diets" as being the culprit of piling on the pounds. Nothing is further from the truth. One of the best balanced meal is the simple baked potato with cottage cheese. The following recipe is a more "up market" version of this and it tastes absolutely delicious

New potato bake

Ingredients.

Take 2 medium potatoes per Person

Cheese Mixture

1 pot of cottage cheese

100 ml single cream

3 eggs ( as free range as you can get)

50 g finely grated Parmesan cheese

Some fresh thyme and/or oregano

Some salt and pepper

Some grated Parmesan to put over the potatoes

A dozen approx. of cherry tomatoes

Method 

1. Peel the potatoes and cut the top into a fan. Do not cut the potato through.

2. Put potatoes into a  greased oven dish and sprinkle lightly with some olive oil.

3. Put potatoes into oven and bake at 175 C for approx. 20 tp 25 min, depending on your oven.

4. During that time prepare the cheese mixture,  put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly 

5. Take the potatoes out of the oven and pour the cheese mixture slowly into the tin, being careful not to pour it over the potatoes. 

6. Place the tomatoes between the potatoes and sprinkle the potatoes with the grated Parmesan .

7. Then put the dish back into the oven and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes. If the top looks too brown, reduce the heat and bake until the mixture is set.

Serve with a green Salad. I use a cream dressing with Parmesan to compliment the potatoes.

( 3 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp cider or white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup of single cream, 1 clove of garlic, 2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan )

Note: this recipe for the dressing can be used also for  Caesar Salad.

If you are cooking for a larger crowd you can add to the above the following Ratatouille .

Ratatouille with a difference

Usually the vegetables for the Ratatouille are quickly fried and then put into an ovenproof dish and baked for approx. 30 min. This recipe is different in that you prepare a base of onions and tomato puree and then layer the vegetables in an ovenproof dish on top of it. See the pictures. The amount and type of vegetables is up to your own personal choice. I like to use aubergine, gourgette, red and/or yellow pepper and mushrooms.

These are the ingredients


Fry the inions lightly in a little oil and put a tablespoon of tomato puree in and mix thoroughly around add the crushed garlic

This is the base for the Ratatouille


Layer the base of an ovenproof dish with the onion mix and layer the vegetables, which are cut into thick slices, upright on top of the onion. Sprinkle with olive oil, black pepper and some salt. 

 

Arrange some cherry tomatoes and some Mozzarella slices on top.
Bake for approx. 30 to 40 min depending on your oven at 175C

Serve with crusty bread or as accompaniment to the above potato pie. It tastes equally delicious with any grilled meat or roasts.