For dinner one night I made potatoes.... oooo, aahhh, yes I know ground breaking. But I was really proud of myself with this one. They weren't just any ole potatoes, they were au gratin! That's a fancy way of saying ooey, gooey, cheese smothered potatoes. Now you're really oooing and aahhing. Hold the ooo's until you see them after they come out of the oven.
The recipe called for about 6 medium potatoes. I used red skins, I like how they taste, and peeled them and then cut them into thin slices... as thin as I could it was a tedious job. By the end of it I was about ready to throw them in a deep fryer, make potato chips, and call it a day. But I don't have a deep fryer...that would be silly... I have Crohn's, so I didn't make chips.
After all the potatoes were sliced it was time for the layering. I don't have any pictures of the layering process (it's a shame I know) but I can tell you about it... don't get too excited.
potatoes+onion slices+small bits of butter+sprinkled flour/salt&pepper mixture+cheese= bottom layer, then... repeat for second layer, then... repeat for top layer expect no flour or onions.
Oh, and then I bathed the whole thing in milk. At this point I go to the recipe book and see what the next step is, cover with foil, check, put in the oven, check, bake for 1 hour covered and 30 minutes uncovered... and then let sit for 20 minutes before eating... and after putting it on the table circle the table 15 times... and then sing a brief melody on why you love the potatoes so much... those last 2 steps were my own but it seemed like I would never get to eat the potatoes! Goodness that's a long time for these little guys. And it was already late... but I have no one to blame but myself. Lesson learned, read the whole recipe before cooking it.
Since I had a minute or two to spare before the potatoes would be done I cooked breaded chicken (I used panko bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese, herbs and salt&pepper) in a skillet. I call it, and all chicken made in a skillet, pan chicken, because you cook it in a pan... brilliant.
Now, this chicken does not take 2 hours to make so I made sure to start it when there was about 20 minutes left on the clock.
And now for the unveiling of the au gratin potatoes, the moment we've all been waiting for, really we were getting hungry...
Cue the ooooo's and aahhh's... I have to say the wait was well worth it after seeing this beaut come out of the oven.
I thought the plate needed a little color so I made broccoli and sprinkled some sharp cheddar cheese to melt all over it. I guess I like cheese. And yes, to be truthful the thought of needing color was the first to come to my mind, not the fact that there were no veggie nutrients in this dinner.
Usually when I eat foods heavy with cheese I feel really full and bloated afterward. Not this time though, I felt great and was even hungry a few hours later, which gives me the all clear that dinner was ok. I think so much about the dinner I eat and when I feel good and even hungry it's very assuring that my body is doing what it should. Good job body, keep doin your thing!
This recipe was in "How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis" Hey, if it's in this cookbook it must be good for me, right?
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