SPICY OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES (tonytantillo.com)
When this is done right, the potatoes come out crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The key is to have them at just the right size, coated with just enough oil, and roasted in a hot oven. Makes 4 servings

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound small potatoes, about the size of golf balls
11/2 tablespoon hot pepper oil (you can substitute plain oil—if so, use hot paprika instead of regular and/or add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to seasoning mix)
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 500°F.
Combine paprika, turmeric, cumin, and salt in a small dish. Set aside.
Cut the potatoes in half and put in a mixing bowl.
Add oil and toss well to coat.
Add seasonings and toss again.
Spray a shallow roasting pan or cooking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Spread out potatoes evenly on the pan and put in the oven.
Cook 15 to 18 minutes or until easily pierced with a paring knife.
Shake once or twice during cooking to cook evenly.

BABY GREENS WITH ROASTED BEETS & FINGERLING POTATOES (epicurious.com)

For vinaigrette

1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For salad

2 medium beets (1 lb with greens; 14 oz without greens), stems trimmed to 2 inches
1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed well
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
4-5 C Salad Mix, or combo of baby greens, spinach etc.

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. • Roast beets and potatoes: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. •Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins.•Assemble salad: Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with all greens Add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Season, if desired, with favorite herbs.  

ROASTED POTATOES WITH LIME AND BASIL  (epicurious.com)

3/4 pound small potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), halved
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well, spun dry, and chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 450° F. In a baking dish large enough to hold potatoes in one layer toss them with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast potatoes in middle of oven until tender, about 15 minutes. In a bowl toss potatoes with basil and lime juice.  

MASHED POTATOES WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BASIL
Makes 8 servings.
Bon Appétit March 1998

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Return to pot. Mix in cheese and butter. Mash until smooth. Add half and half, basil and garlic and stir over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

EASY ROASTED POTATOES
From Better Homes & Gardens cookbook (Serves 4)

1 pound potatoes, washed & quartered if large
2 Tbs olive oil or butter, melted
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place potatoes in a 9x9x2-inch baking dish. Combine oil & seasonings. Drizzle over potatoes, tossing to coat. Bake, covered, in a 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. Stir potatoes. Bake, uncovered 10-20 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and brown on edges. (To speed it up, roast potatoes uncovered in a 450-degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.)  

  NEW RECIPES FOR 2009

HOT POTATO SALAD WITH BACON   nancyskitchen.com

Approx. 3 lb. boiling potatoes
1/2 lb. finely diced bacon
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Boil unpeeled potatoes until they show only very slight resistance when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook. Peel potatoes and cut into small slices. Set aside in tightly covered bowl. Cook bacon in skillet until brown and crisp. Scoop out the bacon pieces and drain on paper towel. Cook onions in remaining fat until transparent. Stir in the vinegar, water, salt and pepper, cook while stirring for about a minute. Pour the hot sauce over the potatoes; mix gently. Gently stir the bacon pieces into salad. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

GREEK POTATOES (OVEN-ROASTED AND DELICIOUS!)  Recipe #87782 recipezaar.com
1½ hours   SERVES 6 -8

8 large potatoes, peeled, cut into large wedges (about 6-7 wedges per potato)
4 garlic cloves, minced (more garlic is a good thing, less garlic is a no-no for this recipe)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano 
1-1 1/2 lemons, juice of
Sea salt
Fresh coarse ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 440°F A reviewer has suggested spraying the baking pan with Pam - that sounds like a great idea! Put all the ingredients into a baking pan large enough to hold them. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Make sure your hands are very clean and put them in the pan and give everything a toss to distribute. The garlic will drop into the water/oil solution but its flavor will permeate the potatoes, and this way, it won't burn. Bake for 40 minutes. When a nice golden-brown crust has formed on the potatoes, give them a stir to bring the white underside up, season lightly with a bit more sea salt and pepper and just a light sprinkling of oregano. Add 1/2 cup more water if pan appears to be getting dry, and pop back into oven to brown other side of potatoes. This will take about another 40 minutes. Do not be afraid of overcooking the potatoes- they will be delicious. Note: I often melt a bouillon cube in the water; if you do, make sure to cut back some on the salt.

OLIVE GARDEN COPYCAT ZUPPA TOSCANA Recipe #38298
This is a clone of the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana. Tried and true.
1½ hours | 20 min prep   SERVES 4 -6

1 lb Italian sausage 
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 can Real bacon bits (or 3 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or Swiss chard, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes. Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat. Add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

POTATOES AND ONIONS
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, Food Network
4 servings

1 1/2 pounds (about 3 potatoes) round, white thin skinned potatoes
1 large sweet onion
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter

Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat. Slice potatoes and onions very thin. Salt potatoes and onions. Add oil and butter to the pan. When the butter foams, add potatoes and onions to the skillet. Place a dinner plate on top of potatoes and weight it with any heavy object: a sack of flour, heavy canned goods, etc. Let the potatoes and onions crust, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn, replace weights, and let them crust again. Keep turning the potatoes and onions over for about 20 minutes, until they are evenly golden and crusted.

SMASHED POTATOES AND CREAM CHEESE
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, Food Network
6 servings

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
8 ounces plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces
10 chives or 2 scallions, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. While the water boils and when the potatoes are cooking, you can be working on the meatloaf recipe. When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Then add chives and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

GRILLED POTATO SALAD
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, Food Network
4 servings

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, 2 palms full (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates)
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, 3 sprigs, stripped and chopped
2 navel oranges, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4-5 cups arugula, chopped, 2 bunches
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Place potatoes in large bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons grill seasoning and rosemary. Grill potatoes 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine oranges and red onion and dress with red wine vinegar and some extra-virgin olive oil.  Remove the potatoes from the grill to the dressed oranges and onions, toss to coat. When you grill potatoes they will be slightly drier than when you use other methods of cooking. By adding the potatoes to the dressing while they are hot, they really will soak in the dressing. When ready to serve, add the arugula to the potatoes and toss to distribute.

MCALISTER POTATOES
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri, Food Network
6 to 8 servings

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup peppadew peppers, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
3 pounds baby yellow fleshed potatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
3/4 pound bacon, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

In small mixing bowl combine sour cream, peppadew peppers, and white wine. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 hour. In large stock pot cover potatoes with water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Set heat on high and boil until fork tender. In a large sauté pan over medium heat cook bacon and sauté onions until caramelized. Transfer bacon and onions from pan on to a paper towel to absorb grease. Distribute evenly on a platter and keep warm. Leave remaining fat in pan. When potatoes are fork tender, drain, and with a clean kitchen towel, palm smash the hot potatoes to approximately 1/3-inch thick. Reheat fat in sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat to oil medium heat and place potatoes in oil. Season with salt and pepper and brown on both sides, then transfer to onion and bacon platter. Repeat, adding more oil, until all potatoes are cooked crispy. Top potatoes with Parmesan and then with sour cream mixture.

FINGERLING POTATOES WITH AIOLI
Courtesy Ina Garten, Food Network
6 servings

2 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, unpeeled
Kosher salt

For the Aioli:
1(1/2-inch thick) slice white bread, crust removed
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
Chives, chopped

Rinse the potatoes and put them in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold water, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and place a kitchen towel on top, allowing them to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. For the aioli, tear the slice of bread into pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the vinegar over the bread, and set aside for 5 minutes. Place the garlic cloves, egg yolks, zest, juice, saffron, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the bread, and puree into a paste. With the processor running, slowly pour the oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until it is the consistency of thick sour cream. Place in a serving bowl. Slice the potatoes in half and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and decorate with the chopped chives. Serve with the aioli.

POTATO-FENNEL GRATIN
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
10 servings

2 small fennel bulbs
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Sauté the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sautéed fennel and onion and mix well. Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.