~Jack Johnson
It's Monday and there are only 9 days 'til Christmas! With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we are all wishing for just one more weekend day. Tonight's dinner won't give you a month of Sundays, but will give you a satisfying meal that will leave you feeling as calm as a Jack Johnson song. And who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? Instead of banana pancakes, though, we are cooking up savory potato pancakes, carmelized apples and scrambled eggs. Now if only we could sleep in...
35 minutes
Makes 10 pancakes
Ingredients:
4 apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
5 cups mashed potatoes (Leftover mashed potatoes work well, but if making from scratch, see Recipe Below.)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Make Dinner:
Begin making the Carmelized Apples as they have a slightly longer cooking time than the pork. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple slices. Saute apples in butter for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and sugar. Mix well. Continue to saute apples, stirring often for 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add water. Continue to saute apples another 5 minutes until golden and carmelized.
While apples are cooking, combine mashed potatoes and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Use hands to combine, creating a soft dough. Form potatoes into pancakes 3-4 inches in diameter. Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Fry pancakes 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
Mashed Potatoes
4 large russet potatoes (Chef's Note: Russet potatoes mash the best and are the least sticky.)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup nonfat milk
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Peel potatoes and chop each into 2 inch pieces. Boil potatoes and whole garlic cloves in water for 15 minutes. Drain water and use a hand mixer to mash potatoes and garlic while still very hot. Add butter, nonfat milk, salt and pepper. Whip potatoes until creamy. Allow potatoes to cool for 10 minutes. Add flour to whipped potatoes and mix well.