german potatoes, a la ryan

Last week I slacked on my kitchen duties. I neglected the grocery store, but thanks to my efforts to make sure our pantry is stocked, that didn't pose much of a problem. More so, though, when I wanted to relax after work one night in the hammock, I asked Ryan to pour me a glass of wine and bring me the potato cookbook. 

He obliged, and while I was thumbing through recipe after recipe for potatoes, he offered to make dinner. 

And I took him up on the offer. 

No more than one pound of potatoes and fifteen minutes later, dinner was served. 

He's big on eating small dinners, but having had a tiny lunch, I needed a little something extra--a one-egg spinach and cheddar omelet that took less than three minutes to whip up did the trick. 

German Potatoes, a la Ryan

1 pound potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes (peels on is fine)

1/2 of a medium onion, diced

water for boiling

oil or butter for the pan (about 2 tablespoons)

Prep the potatoes, and boil them in water for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, ready a saute pan with oil or butter. Add the onions and begin to cook. Once the potatoes fork-tender, drain them and add them to the pan with the onions and oil. Cook until onions are almost caramelized and potatoes are nice and browned. 

Serve hot, with or without ketchup. 

One-egg Spinach Cheddar Omelet

1 teaspoon butter

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup fresh spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk egg and milk together with a fork.  Melt the butter in a nonstick pan, and when bubbles form, pour in the egg mixture. Cook for about one minute, and add cheddar, salt, and pepper. Fold the omelet. Add the fresh spinach to the pan and let it wilt while the omelet continues to cook. 

After a total of two or three minutes, slide the omelet onto a plate and enjoy.

Here's another great thing about this dinner: we got to use our newest kitchen tool. For my birthday last year, my dad gave me a set of stainless steel Cuisinart cookware--and it's wonderful. We tossed everything else we had, especially after we heard that nonstick Teflon can begin to emit toxic fumes after years of use (being fresh out of college, our kitchen was stocked with decade-old cookware that was surely emitting those nasty toxins). 

So Ryan and I agreed that we would phase in one or two nonstick pans of the green variety. While scouring for a great deal on a Dutch oven at TJ Maxx, we came across a ceramic nonstick 7-inch pan for just $8. What a steal! Needless to say, the red one came home with us, and passed its first test with flying colors. Even better, it's oven-safe to 400, so that means we may be whipping up some frittatas this summer!