potatoes | Rosie's Riveting Recipes

Southern Chicken Pie

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes — Cover photo by Rob Resetar

The other day I was looking for a chicken and dumplings recipe, and this gem, from the Rosies Riveting Recipes historic cookbook, can be easily adapted for making chicken and dumplings. It’s also an easy way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken, or holiday turkey. Best of all, it’s delicious.

SOUTHERN CHICKEN PIE

1¹/₂ cups chopped celery
¹/₂ cup chopped green pepper
¹/₂ cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
6 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons enriched flour
4 cups milk (or half chicken broth and half milk)
3 cups cooked, sliced chicken

Pan-fry celery, green pepper, and mushrooms in butter until tender. Remove from butter; add flour; mix well. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add celery mixture and chicken; blend well. Season to taste. Turn into 2¹/₂ quart casserole or baking dish. Top with the following:

Baking Powder Biscuit Crust

2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (or 2 teaspoons double-acting)*
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
¹/₄ cup shortening
³/₄ milk

Sift flour once, measure; add baking powder and salt; sift together. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk all at once, mixing until all flour is dampened. Turn out on floured board; knead lightly for a few seconds to smooth out dough. Roll out to fit over casserole. Place over chicken mixture. Bake in hot oven (425 F) about 25 to 30 minutes until crust is done. Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

Modern adaptation: Carrots can also be used. Dough can also be placed over chicken mixture dumpling style.

* Most modern baking powder is double-acting.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Twice Baked Red Potato Soup

Someone gave me a big bag of red potatoes. Yummy! I love red potatoes. In fact, red potatoes are my favorite potato. So, with such a big bag, I decided to do some experimenting. After all, you can’t go wrong with red potatoes. I started with my basic potato soup recipe, from the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook. From there I came up with something amazing. This dish is economical, easy to prepare, and delicious.

Gayle Martin

TWICE BAKED RED POTATO SOUP

4 to 6 medium to large red potatoes
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 quart milk
2 to 3 slices cooked bacon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Peel red potatoes and slice into small cubes. Set aside. Drop butter into a small stock pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, add the milk and potatoes. Break bacon into small pieces and drop into soup. Add seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Add cheeses, stir and simmer until melted. Serve with warm bread.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes invites readers to take a trip back in time in their own kitchen. With over 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II era ration recipes, historic posters, and tales of life on the American homefront, Rosie’s Riveting Recipes truly is an interactive history book.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.

Mediterranean Style Clam Chowder

The following is one of my all time favorite recipes, but it’s not part of the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook. It’s a recipe I’ve created myself with love and a lot of trial and error as a tasty alternative clam chowder for those with milk allergies or who may be lactose intolerant. It’s like a cross between New England and Manhattan style clam chowder, and I added some Italian seasonings to give it a little extra zing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Gayle Martin

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE CLAM CHOWDER

1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups water
2 to 3 medium sized red potatoes, diced into small cubes
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can diced, peeled tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
1 can baby clams (10 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon basil, bay leaves and Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Wondra flour or cornstarch

Chop onion and place in small stockpot with olive oil and melted butter. Add minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and the garlic turns light brown. Add water, diced potatoes, salt (if desired), and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes. Strain the clam juice into a small mixing bowl and add the clams to the soup mixture. Add Wondra flour or cornstarch to the clam juice and stir until all flour is dissolved and juice mixture is free of lumps. Add the juice mixture to the soup and stir thoroughly. Add garlic powder, (if not using minced garlic), basil, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. Stir and bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for an additional ten minutes. Serve with rolls or garlic bread.

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Hungarian Goulash

from Rosie’s Riveting Recipes

This historic recipe, included in Rosie’s Riveting Recipes, is great for using up leftovers. However, it includes potatoes as an option. I personally wouldn’t consider it a real Hungarian goulash without the potatoes, or a can of tomatoes for that matter. And if you have any leftover vegetables in the refrigerator you can certainly toss them in as well. Some people like to use ground beef and pasta instead of potatoes, but that would be an American goulash, not a Hungarian goulash. That said, I love American goulash as well.

Gayle Martin

Hungarian Goulash

2 lbs beef chuck, neck or flank meat
2 tablespoons butter, margarine or drippings
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon caraway seed (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
paprika

Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. Let onion brown in butter, then add meat and let it brown lightly. Add caraway seed, marjoram, salt, chopped garlic and enough paprika to create a noticeable red color. Add 1 cup water, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Add more water if necessary. Whole potatoes may be added to the goulash 1/2 hour before done. Some goulash recipes call for the addition of tomatoes. Strained tomatoes may be substituted for water in this recipe. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Serve over noodles or your favorite pasta.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Historic Potato Soup

From the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day, and who doesn’t love potatoes?

This classic dish comes from the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook. It’s easy to prepare and delicious. Many of you may have similar versions in your own family recipe boxes as it’s a popular dish.

Gayle Martin

POTATO SOUP

2 cups raw potatoes
2 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 quart milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pepper

Chop potatoes fine or grate them. Add potatoes, margarine, and onion to the milk. Cook the mixture over low heat until the potatoes are tender, stirring regularly. By that time the starch from the potatoes will have thickened the milk slightly. Add salt and pepper.

Modern Variation: To give this soup some extra zing try adding bacon, ham, or corn. Butter or olive oil may be used instead of margarine.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

The Cure for Mashed Potato Phobia

I’ll bet if I were to take a poll and ask Americans what is their favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, the answer would mostly likely be mashed potatoes.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the turkey and stuffing too, but Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without the mashed potatoes. Amazingly enough, there are people out there who don’t serve mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving because they’re “unhealthy” or “too fattening.” Sorry, but that’s just wrong in so many ways! I’m also thankful I’m not having my Thanksgiving dinner of their houses. If I found out my host or hostess wasn’t serving mashed potatoes I’d bring my own.

No one needs to be phobic about mashed potatoes. Especially on a special day like Thanksgiving. There are some really simple ways to make them healthier, so you don’t have to deprive other people of their favorite part of the meal. So, here are my suggestions for dealing with Mashed Potato Phobia.

Keep the skin on the potato

Remember when we were kids and our parents told us that the skin was the best part of the potato? Well, they were right. Potato skins are high in vitamins and a good source of fiber. The skin also has the most flavor. So I leave some of the skin on when I peel my potatoes. Along with being healthier, it adds a wonderful flavor and texture to the finished mashed potatoes.

Use skim milk, 2% milk, chicken stock, or a combination thereof

Chicken stock, along with the skins, adds even more flavor while cutting back on fat and calories. I would, however, recommend using at least little bit of milk along with it just to add creaminess and thickness.

Skip the margarine

I think we all know by now that margarine is a trans fat, and trans fats are extremely unhealthy. I no longer allow margarine in my home. In fact, I consider trans fats to be poison. Nowadays I only use real butter. However, if you’re worried about cutting fat and calories, you can also skip the butter and use the chickenstock.

See? How simple was that? With just a few easy steps everyone can enjoy healthier, and more flavorful, mashed potatoes.

Gayle Martin

The Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook includes many delicious historic potato recipes. Available Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and other online book sellers.