‘Tis the Season, Part 2: Smoked Paprika

In my previous post, I shared with you one of my favorite go-to seasonings, Everything Bagel Spice. Many of you offered up a lot of great tips and suggestions on the Dom’s Kitchen social media pages, and I thank you all for the comments! For today’s post, we’re going a little bit deeper into the flavor profile as I share with you another favorite seasoning of mine, smoked paprika.

Before we get into my recipe suggestions using smoked paprika, I’ll quickly explain the difference between smoked and traditional paprika. Paprika is a spice made of ground chili peppers, which has a bit of a ‘sweet-heat’ taste to it. Specialty spice shops offer different varieties of paprika, some being more sweet, and some bringing more heat. If you purchase paprika at a supermarket, it’s going to be a mild heat, semi-sweet version. It is a perfect accent to a variety of foods, such as soups, stews, poultry, fish, vegetables and sauces. It is a nice addition to dried rubs, and is often used as a garnish, sprinkled over potato salad and deviled eggs.

Smoked paprika is made with chili peppers that have been smoked before being ground. Smoked paprika offers up a bold and more outdoorsy flavor, reminiscent of a campfire. There is a lot more depth and flavor in smoked paprika, which also allows it to work well in recipes similar to the ones I mentioned above for traditional paprika…only on a more bold level. Make no mistake, there is a lot of difference between smoked and traditional paprika, and one should never be substituted for the other without expecting a different result in taste. Fore more in-depth reading on the comparisons between traditional and smoked paprika, visit www.pepperscale.com.

A lot of times when I use smoked paprika in a recipe, it is often a last minute decision. I’ll give my recipe a taste, and it’ll hit me that “oh yeah, smoked paprika will boost this up nicely!” However, two of my stand-by recipes that I used smoked paprika with are breakfast hash brown potatoes and Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes. We’ll start with the hash browns. 

Seasoned Hash Brown Potatoes

Whenever I make hash brown potatoes (I prefer the Ore-Ida frozen diced hash browns), I go with four basic seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika. The salt and pepper I add to taste, but I load up on the onion powder and smoked paprika. Sounds simple enough, right? But here’s the trick that I learned to really get the flavor cooked into the potato. I start by heating up a few tablespoons of canola oil in a pan (vegetable oil will work as well). Before I add the potatoes, I sprinkle some onion powder and smoked paprika onto the oil. As the oil heats up, it becomes infused with the flavors of the onion powder and smoked paprika. Once you add the potatoes, the flavor starts to cook into the potatoes immediately. I then add more seasoning to the top of the potatoes and let it cook over medium heat for a good 6-8 minutes, until the bottom starts to brown. As you flip the potatoes, the flavor will be well incorporated . You can adjust the seasoning to your liking until the potatoes are crips and golden brown.

Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes

If you cook with ground turkey, you know that it usually needs a little help in the flavor department. Even if you go with 93/7 mixture (meaning 93% lean and 7% fat), flavor enhancements are usually necessary. Not only does this recipe incorporate smoked paprika to help boost the flavor, it also includes fresh peppers, onions and garlic, along with some additional seasonings and spices. While I do enjoy a little bit of spice, my kids have a low heat tolerance. My workaround is to simply spice up my own serving with a few dashes of hot sauce. As always, I encourage you to adjust the flavor to your liking. Although it may be traditional to serve Sloppy Joes as a sandwich, we actually enjoy this meal topped with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and a plate full of tortilla chips for dipping!

1lb ground turkey (93/7 mixture)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped (you can also use a hotter variety of pepper if you like)
salt and pepper to taste 
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chili pepper (my preference is ancho chili pepper)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
(you can add additional seasonings or flavoring of your choice) 

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the diced onion, sauté until onions start to soften. Add garlic and chopped bell pepper, stir together. Once the mixture starts to become fragrant, add the ground turkey. Stir together, let cook until the ground turkey browns. Drain liquid from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Next, add the ground cumin, ground chili pepper and smoked paprika. Add the tomato sauce, stir together. Once the sauce starts to heat, stir in the barbecue sauce. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.

You can serve it as a sandwich, as a dip with tortilla chips, or even over pasta!

Mini Stuffed Potatoes

Mini potatoes have always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. While they may not be the best choice for practical, everyday use (a five pound bag of russet potatoes often costs less than a bag of minis), they are a great choice when the timing is right. Mini potatoes are very versatile. They are easy to prep, easy to cook, tasty, and they come in a variety of colors. Really, what’s not to like about them?

This particular recipe is a perfect example of how well their miniature size comes in to play. I put this recipe together as an appetizer for a recent get together with friends. The dish is very similar to stuffed mini button mushrooms, only we are using the mini potatoes in place of the mushrooms. Being that I’m not so much of a mushroom fan, this recipe is a good alternative for me.

You can adjust the serving amount to your need, so I decided to make enough to use with two different fillings: a traditional bacon and cheddar filling, and Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto, which happens to be one of my favorite condiments. A pepperoni pizza filling would be a fun option, and a crab filling that you would use with stuffed mushrooms would also work really well with this recipe – and I plan on giving both a try some day. I also chose the multi-color mini potatoes for a bit of variety. You can also go with all red or all white…whatever you prefer. Because this recipe can be adjusted according to how many you need and what filling you would like to use, I am only going to share the basic steps. You can easily adjust measurements and ingredients according to how much you prefer to make. I encourage you to get as creative as you like!

1. The first step is to slightly soften the potatoes so that they can be easily sliced in half and the filling scooped out, leaving a thin layer of potato in tact (in other words, do not scoop it out all the way to the skin). Start by poking the potatoes with a fork a few times. Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave for 2 minutes. Move the potatoes around a bit, and microwave for another 2 minutes. Remove the potatoes, slice in half and scoop out most of the filling.

2. Place the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly brush the potato skins with olive oil, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the skin starts to brown. Remove from oven and carefully flip the potatoes so they are cut side up.

3. You are now going to add your filling to the potatoes. As mentioned earlier, I chose to sprinkle some shredded cheddar topped with bacon pieces, and I also used a dollop of Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasto. Whatever filling you prefer will work well. Place the stuffed potatoes back into the oven for another 8-10 minutes, until your fillings are heated and melted to your liking. Carefully remove from oven, plate, serve and enjoy!

Crock Pot Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes

As we get ready to nestle into the crisp fall season, I start getting geared up to do some hearty, rustic seasonal cooking. Because our weekends quickly get filled with leaf clean-up, hayrides, football games and back to school activities, it’s often hard to find the time needed to put together a big meal. This is when a crock pot, or a slow cooker, comes in handy.

Last weekend I put together a slow cooker version of an Italian-American favorite, the classic sausage and peppers. By simply adding some key ingredients to the crock pot for about 6 hours (I also added potatoes for extra heartiness), we were able to enjoy one of our favorite meals while still being able to take advantage of the day. This recipe will work well for a small party, game day grub, or a weekday meal.

Crock Pot Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes

1 lb. sausage (your choice of hot, sweet or gourmet stuffed – I used a chicken sausage stuffed with spinach and feta)
3 small-to-medium potatoes, cubed
3 bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips (you can use green, red, yellow or orange, or any combination for mixed color)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional – 1 bouillon cube (chicken, beef or vegetable) for extra flavor

Cook the sausage by either frying on the stove top or baking in the oven, until browned. Slice the cooked sausage into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Place into the crock pot the diced tomatoes and their juices, the sausage, potatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, water and wine. Any red wine that you have opened will work (although we were fortunate enough to have a bottle of home made red given to us by our good friend Jessica’s dad..NICE!). Stir all of the ingredients together. You can add additional water later on if needed. Place the lid on the crock pot and heat it on the slow setting for 6 to 6-1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over, pasta, rice, shredded spaghetti squash, or serve it with crusty bread for dipping.

Italian Potato Salad

Potato salad could arguably be one of the most popular salads served this time of year. From roast beef, chicken and pulled pork sandwiches, to grill-outs and picnics, potato salad is hands-down the side dish staple. The combination of potatoes and mayonnaise (often with the addition of carrots, celery, eggs, and even bacon bits) is both classic and comforting.

Now, I’m not always a big fan of the often too creamy, too gloppy texture of potato salad, especially during the dog days of summer. Also, I tend to find that the potato itself tends to get lost in the mix when too many other ingredients are included. Italian style potato salad, however, is much lighter in texture, and the key ingredients all work together and help enhance the taste of the potato, rather than disguise it. There are four key ingredients to Italian style potato salad: potatoes, olive oil, white vinegar and garlic. You can serve as is, or enhance the salad by using a number of additional ingredients, depending on the taste that you are going for. 

• For a fresh accent, add some fresh chopped parsley.

• If you’re looking for a zesty punch, add some Italian seasoning, and jack it up a bit more with some crushed red pepper.

• For a more earthy taste, add some fresh chopped rosemary and sage.

• And for a little extra texture, toss in some bacon or pancetta!  

ITALIAN POTATO SALAD
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Boil salted water in a large pot. Add potatoes, boil until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

Mix together olive oil, vinegar and garlic.*

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil/vinegar/garlic mixture to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate over night.

*Adjust taste with additional flavors and seasonings.