I was surprised to hear one of the trainers at my gym say that he prefers instant mashed potatoes from a box rather than the real thing! I thought to myself - he needs a few tips on how to make perfect (real) mashed potatoes!

At the grocery store, you will notice that there is an incredible variety of potatoes to choose from. There are usually signs above the potatoes that will tell you which ones are great for baking versus which ones are better for mashing. If there are no signs, just ask someone who works in the Produce section for some guidance.

To make 4-6 servings of mashed potatoes you will need approximately:

• 2 pounds of potatoes
• ½ to ¾ cup of milk
• Salt and pepper (to your taste)
• 2-6 tablespoons of butter

You can make mashed potatoes in just a few easy steps.

Step 1: Wash the potatoes

Step 2: Peel the potatoes

Step 3: Cut the potatoes into 1 ½ inch chunks

Step 4: Put the potatoes in sauce pan and cover with water

(adding 1 teaspoon of salt to the water is optional)

Step 5: Bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes

Step 6: Drain the potatoes

Step 7: Add milk, butter, salt and pepper

Step 8: Start mashing!

Keep mashing until the potatoes are creamy and lump free.  You can garnish your mashed potatoes with some chopped parsley if you like.

Aaahhhh! Perfection

The Equipment you'll need:

• Sauce pan with a cover
• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Potato masher
• Timer
• Colander (optional)

Tempted as you might be to try using a blender or a food processor to mash potatoes...DON'T! Believe me, years ago I tried that. You end up with a gluey, uneatable, awful mess. If you are mashing for a crowd, an electric hand mixer will work beautifully!

Here are just a few more ways to cook potatoes from startcooking.com:

Potatoes - Baked Potato with Salsa

Potatoes - Microwave Baked

Potatoes - Microwave Baked (video)

Potatoes - Oven Baked

Potatoes - Roasted

Potatoes - Sweet Potato Casserole

Potatoes, How to Choose and Use

Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.

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This is one of those meals where everything gets cooked in the same pot. So get out your largest non-stick frying pan and lets startcooking!

This recipe is from my friend Cristen, a registered dietician who also has a blog at Self magazine. I’ve adapted the recipe just a bit for the startcooking crowd.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 2 cups of bow tie pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 2 cups of broccoli

The beef, onion and broccoli are the only fresh ingredients you need for this recipe. Buy the rest of the ingredients in advance and just stick them in your food cupboard. Then when you are stuck thinking about what to make for dinner, you can have that “Ah Ha” moment and just pick up some ground beef, broccoli, and an onion!

Get all your ingredients prepared and measured in advance.

1. Rinse and drain the beans

2. Chop the onion

3. Wash and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces also known as florets

4. Measure out the spices

5. Reconstitute the bullion cubes-you will need 2 cups of broth

With the stove set to medium, add the beef and the onions to the pan. (If you froze your ground beef when you got home from the grocery store, you can defrost the beef really quickly in the microwave.)

Brown the meat until the beef is no longer pink-about 6-8 minutes.

Be sure to drain off any excess fat. I used VERY lean beef for this recipe so there really was very little fat to drain off.

Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the broccoli.

Mix everything together.

Cover the pot and turn the heat up to medium high. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer. And cover the pot.

Simmer everything for about 10-12 minutes.

Lay the broccoli on top and re-cover the pot.

In about 3-5 minutes your broccoli will be nice and tender. Be sure not to over cook the broccoli as it will turn a nasty shade of green if you do!

Give it a taste. You may want to add more salt and some freshly ground pepper. You could also add some freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like.

As this dish sits, almost all of the liquid gets absorbed.

If you are making recipe the day before you plan on eating it, be sure to steam the broccoli just before you serve it.

Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.

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The following is from the United States Department of Agriculture:

For safety, the USDA recommends cooking ground pork patties and ground pork mixtures such as meat loaf to 160°F (70°C).

Whole muscle meats such as chops and roasts should be cooked to

• 160 °F (70°C) medium
• 170 °F (75°C) well done

For approximate cooking times for use in meal planning, see the attached chart compiled from various resources. Times are based on starting with pork at refrigerator temperature (40 °F - 4.5 °C).

Remember that appliances and outdoor grills can vary in heat. Use a meat thermometer to check for safe cooking and "doneness" of pork.

If fresh pork has reached 160 °F (70°C) throughout, it should be safe, even though it may still be pink in the center. The pink color can be due to the cooking method or added ingredients.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Pork_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp

Safe Cooking Chart for Pork

ROASTING:

• Set oven at 350 °F (180° C, Gas Mark 4).
• Roast in a shallow pan, uncovered.
• Internal temperature: 160° F (70°C) - medium; 170°F (75°C) - well done.

Or try Startcooking.com's photo-tutorial on Pork Roast

BROILING 4 inches from heat or GRILLING

IN SKILLET ON STOVE

BRAISING: Cover and simmer with a liquid.

STEWING: Cover pan; simmer, covered with liquid.

NOTE: Cooking times compiled from various resources. Source: USDA Last modified - February 2003

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