This month - the Many Faces of Potatoes campaign is offering a £50 Love2Shop voucher to MNers offering a tip or spin on the November recipes - see this link for recipes and info
This thread is for the 15 MNers who are trying out potato recipes for the "Many Faces of Potatoes campaign" over the next few months. Each month they will be sent a new family favourite recipe which can be prepped and on the plate in under 30 minutes. The MNers will add their feedback to this thread.
Below are some questions for the Councillor's to answer each month - please feel free to add additional comments.
If you're not a tester but have any queries feel free to ask and maybe a Councillor will answer, or if not one of the MNet campaign team will.
Please state recipe name (if possible add a link from the above website):
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
~ Will you be cooking it again?
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
Two more general questions -
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
~ Any other general comments about potatoes?
Thanks
MNHQ
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AnnMumsnet · 03/10/2011 11:43
Recipe: salmon and potato parcel I can't find it on the website (
), but it is as follows:
thinly sliced new potatoes
salmon fillet
sundried tomato paste
cherry tomatoes
broccoli florets
lemon juice.
you put the salmon on some foil, spread a teaspoon of tomato paste on top, pop on some cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets and potato slices. parcel up the foil and pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at Gas mark 5/190C apparently (have an AGA, so it's a case of bung it in for about 20 minutes here 
)
so, to the questions:
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
it took me about 20 minutes to get this ready. but i had dd2 helping me (she is 4), so obviously it was slower than normal. it was simple and quick to prepare (if you ignore the extra 'help' I had ) - a case of a bit of quick chopping/slicing, and then piling it all up. I gave it 20 minutes in the middle-bottom of the top oven (AGA), and the salmon was done nicely. the broccoli was still a bit crunchy for the dc, (well dd2!) but I thought it was good.
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
it was a hit. dd1 (7, has severe ASD and has had food issues in the past) absolutely hoovered it up, and then had some bits off myplate, and ate a lot of dd2's as well.
dd2 did really well - she was very interested in helping to prepare it (this is common - she isa fussy eater and we try to involve her in the preparation as this helps a bit), and to her credit (she is not a fish fan) she sat down and tried a bit of everything (broccoli not her favourite either, and she prefers tomatoes raw to cooked!). she was not keen, btu then I didn't think she would be. she enjoyed feeding it to dd1 though .
dh really liked it - he likes salmon anyway, and thought it was a nice change. thumbs up from him.
my step daughter (an adult) was visiting, and she is not normally a fish fan either, but she ate the lot (she was under instruction to not put off the younger girls!) and said it was actually ok. probably the nicest salmon she has had.
I thoguht it was a nice change to have a tomato-based salmon recipe, as I normally just bung a bit of lemon on it, season, and put in the oven. served with green veg and either new potatoes or mash. so it was good to try something different. but I thought it was a bit sweet overall. I think if I do it again (and there is no reason why I would not) I would put the lemon juice on first, rather than on top of it all jsut before the parcel gets sealed, as that might add a bit of bite to it. it was nice though
~ Will you be cooking it again?
yes, probably, as long as I remember to (it is easy to get stuck into a rut with recipes). dd1 loved it, and I was surprised by how easily she ate it. I think with repetition dd2 might eat a bit more of it (or with eg different veg). and I would definitely do it again for dh and me - quick to prepare and tasty enough, but I would try varying the lemon juice as above (or maybe a different sundried tomato paste? something to lessen the sweetness and add a bit of bite, anyway)
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
see above re: sweetness.
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
um, I suppose I hadn't considered thinly slicing the potatoes and putting in the parcel before - whilst this is not new and surprising ti is not somehting I had odne, iyswim? which is why I wanted to take part - to highlight what else I could be doing with familiar ingredients.
I enjoyed trying this, and look forward to my next recipe (will have a browse of the website in the meantime)
Recipe: Salmon and Potato Parcel
I also couldn'y find it on the website, recipe above! 
Silverfrog!
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
The recipe took about fifteen minutes to prepare, and was very simple for a dish that looked quite impressive. It took 30 minutes to cook in a gas oven. Personally I would perhaps blanch the broccoli first, partly to keep it's colour, partly to soften it just a wee bit more, was quite hard for the kids, and not the most appetising colour for them either. Everything else was cooked perfectly though.
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
All four of us loved the recipe, even fusspot DD1, who actually asked if we could have it again tomorrow night, and this is the child who will normally not touch potatoes with a barge pole! I think the tomato flavour absorbed by the potatoes during cooking helped a lot with that. DH and I thought the dish was lovely, it looked very attractive on the plate, and had a great balance of flavours, nothing overpowered anything else, and it all worked very well together. The kids loved opening their little parcels too! We had to wait for a while for the cherry tomatoes to cool for the dd's though, they are both small, and the tomatoes were tiny thermonuclear bombs! All in all delicious.
~ Will you be cooking it again?
Definitely. Although being honest, salmon is a bit of a treat as it is very expensive. The next time it's on offer i will definitely cook this dish again! I would also be quite happy to try it with other fish/meat combinations, e.g. we get a lot of trout, which I think would go very well, and possily also with chicken if you're not a fishy person!
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
All in all a simple, very effective recipe that we were all happy to eat and which we would all happily eat again, barring the prohibitive cost of salmon. can't wait for the next recipe!
Two more general questions -
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
Obviously its a bit premature for this, but I was quite surprised how quickly this cooked in the oven, I tend to think of oven cooked potatoes as being either baked or roasties, which can take a fair old while.
Recipe : Salmon and potato parcel (which sorry i could not find on the webby either)
How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
It took about 15 mins to prepare which seemed really easy - in hindsight i would have used bigger pieces of foil and i would ensure that there was enough to properly seal the ingredients in the parce and i would also slice my potatoes more thinly. There were tiny gaps in 2 of my foil packages so 2 parcels had a few potatoes in it which where not thoroughly cooked even after i left them in for 40 mins - lesson learnt
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
Yes - the dc said when it came out of the oven how yummy it smelt and even dh commented 10/10 for presentation. He did moan that the brocoli was a bit tough but i think that might be operator error as he had the slightly unsealed parcel. I thought it was really nice and we discovered fussy pants ds who is 4 loves salmon, he also ate a few of the potatoes which he doesnt normally eat and not eatign potato products in our house does cause me a major headache when cooking for ds , dc aged 8 hoovered it all up as did i (apart form a few raw potatoes
~ Will you be cooking it again?
Definitly when salmon is on offer though i would like to try a variation of the recipe with chicken or turkey or even cod/ seabass.
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
The hardest bit was finding the ingredients in our local Asda.
Two more general questions -
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
Not yet
~ Any other general comments about potatoes?
I did not peel mine.
We also had Chinese Chicken and Potatoes, like EttiKetti above.
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
It took me 10 minutes to prepare everything (I actually looked at the clock) but I did it on Sunday when i was quite laid back - I might have done it a bit faster on a weekday when I was in more of a hurry. Cooking time was about right - I sliced my potatoes, so they were done in time, and the chicken was really nicely cooked.
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
DH, I and DS loved it; DD wasn't so keen, but she's the picky one in any case. The use of sauce put her off but when she was persuaded to eat a whole chunk of chicken / potato rather than nibbling it round the edges, she liked it better because she wasn't just getting the sauce taste. She thought she might like it better if Id cooked the potatoes in cubes 
~ Will you be cooking it again?
I'll definitely be cooking it again! The kids both loved the baby corn which I rarely use (it doesn't come in our veg box and I rarely buy other veg!). I think I might try putting other veg in it too - perhaps some kale or carrot sticks, or the children thought carrot would go into it nicely.
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
Unlike Ettiketti, I didn't think this was dry at all! In fact there was a fair bit of sauce and chicken juices in the bottom of the tray. I wonder if that has anything to do with using a gas oven as opposed to an electric fan oven?
Two more general questions -
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before? I too had never thought of using potatoes with Chinese sauces / spices, and I really loved it!
~ Any other general comments about potatoes?
Not really. Writing this post has made me hungry though.
Oh, one other comment, but it's not potato related
Picky DD actually tried everything on her plate because I told her it was a MN product test and she had to try everything because that was her job as a tester! (Does that make me a mean mummy ?)
I may use this methodology again . . .
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i used that methodology too and stated if we do a good job we might get more ftesting jobs and eventually be able to afford to go to Florida - i realise i took my bribery perhaps a tadge to far
Salmon & Potato Parcel.
How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
Very simple to prepare - only took 10 minutes.
Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
I loved it! DH is not usually a fish person but even he said he'd have a go and eat it. He really enjoyed it and would welcome it again (amazed!!) DD#2 (3) ate it but would probably put less tomato paste on hers. DSS (11) had a go but wasn't keen. He has Aspergers and isn't fond of 'mixed up foods' 
Will you be cooking it again?
Yes I will. I'll do it for the 3 of us. It's on our food planner as a regular item 
Any other general comments about the recipe?
Very quick and easy to do. Could do with a bit of seasoning (not mentioned in recipe) before cooking. Great that it all goes in the oven and no other pans needed.
I've also passed this recipe on to my older daughter as she thought it sounding yum.
Would be a quick and easy recipe for a student.
Two more general questions -
Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
Never thought about slicing them and including them in a recipe before. They cooked very quickly.
Any other general comments about potatoes?
Apart from we're eating them more often? No. 
the salmon recipe is in my post down the thread - if you've any questions, just ask .
salmon one from my head - elec 190 - slap salmon in middle of foil, smooth on sundried tomatot paste layer, pile on cherry toms, slice a load of new potaties and lay on top with 3 or 4 sprigs of tendercut broccoli, squeeze over a lemon and close the foil around it so it is sealed with no gaps, whack in oven for 25 mins ish . job done - do this for each person
Oops, yes, saw the salmon one
Anyone want to type up the chicken one, plus instructions?
Ta :)
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We did the Chinese Chicken and Potatoes recipe like EttiKetti and IronGirders.
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
Probably took about 5-8 mins to chop everything up, mix it with the hoisin sauce and put it on the tray into the oven. I also zapped the potatoes in the microwave for 5 mins to give them a head start as 30 mins didn't seem like long for cooking potato chunks in the oven. I tried to follow the recipe precisely rather than tweak it like I normally would when doing a recipe like this, in order to report back on the recipe more accurately.
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
Mixed reactions... DH was very impressed when it came out of the oven but disappointed by first bite. Even though I'd left it in for 10 mins longer than the recipe said, cooked it at gas mark 7 instead of 6 and given the potatoes a head start, lots of the potatoes weren't cooked properly to the point that I had to spit a couple out, they were just too raw.
Chicken was beginning to be on the dry side. Some of the peppers were cooked, others weren't. None had gone nice and roasty like they can do and I would normally aim for if oven cooking them. Splitting the baby sweetcorn in 2 made them much the smallest thing on the baking tray and they were all done well and beginning to burn.
Hoisin sauce amount was enough to make everything look brown but to not really taste of anything, would need more to make it actually taste chinese-y.
DS1 (fussy!) didn't like it - DS2 was asleep and had eaten at nursery so didn't try any of it.
The spring onions were really out of place and not needed, would have been nicer with some onions cooked in it.
I ended up serving it with green beans as it all looked so brown - needed the green for the freshness. It was also quite dry so they were needed for some moistness.
~ Will you be cooking it again?
I already do something similar to this using assorted veg and pork fillet that I'll continue to do. For a change I'll now add hoisin into the mix for the meat sometimes but not the veg, would use a lot more hoisin to keep the meat moist. I'd also consider putting a bit of foil over the meat for at least half the cooking time to help keep it moist. And I'll use chicken as well as pork.
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
The recipe wasn't very detailed and just didn't work. sorry. It didn't say what sort of potatoes to use other than medium sized. It said to cut into small chunks which is fairly ambiguous - would have been better to have given a typical size example.
It said to mix the 2 tablespoons of sauce into everything on the baking tray - which would have been pretty difficult as it was very full and there wasn't enough sauce to spread easily. I did it in a pot which made it much easier and did the veg first, then the chicken. Having everything mixed into the same sauce would have made it all very same-y if you had been able to taste it - would have been better to concentrate more of the sauce on the chicken and then the potatoes but not to worry about the peppers and sweetcorn. Using a roasting tin would have been easier but I guess might have made the potatoes less likely to go all crunchy on the outside.
I also sprayed the baking tray with a little light olive oil so it didn't all stick - even so round the corners there was baked on hoisin sauce that took lots of elbow grease to get off and still isn't off properly. If the dish had the amount of sauce it needed and was baked for the right amount of time it would potentially ruin the baking sheet or at least be a nasty job for dh someone to tackle afterwards.
I used one big baking sheet - it just about spread out into a single layer but with everything close together. If the potatoes had been cut even smaller then they would have needed even more space and I would have been forced to use 2 large baking sheets. However if the potatoes had been much smaller then it wouldn't have been so good for dh to eat as they would have looked more like kiddie food than grown up food.
The picture supplied with the recipe showed the potatoes as thinly sliced (on a mandolin?) rather than in chunks. They may have cooked better like this (in which case why not say 'slice thinly' in the recipe?) but would have needed several ovens to spread across if they also needed to be cooked in a single layer.
DH is a real potato lover and ate a good third of the overall amount. he would have eaten more if the potatoes had been cooked properly. I don't think allowing one medium potato per person is really enough, especially if you have anybody with a good appetite and/or who is a real potato lover.
As already mentioned, the potatoes weren't cooked - even with extra zapping in the microwave beforehand (while the oven heated up and other stuff was being chopped). Starting potatoes in the microwave is great - economical way to get the cooking process started and shortened. Plus it acts like double cooking chips - makes them nice and fluffy on the inside ready to be cooked nice and crunchy on the outside.
If I were doing it again, I would:
*chop up the potatoes into bite size pieces and cook in in a vented covered pot in the microwave with just a tablespoon of water for about 7-10 mins until almost soft, while the oven was heating up and other veg and chicken were being prepared.
*drain the water out and add enough hoisin sauce to cover potato pieces reasonably well when all mixed together - maybe 4-6 tablespoons.
*spread the potato pieces across the lightly oiled baking tray(s) in a single layer. Sprinkle the red pepper pieces, halved (width not lengthways!) baby sweetcorn and chunked spring onions across the potatoes.
*pop the chicken into the now-empty potato pot and mix it with a good couple of tablespoons of hoisin sauce and add to the top of the baking tray(s) keeping everything as well spread out as possible.
*cook for half an hour at gas mark 6/7, checking half way through to turn everything over and give it a mix (will help to even out the browning of the potatoes and put the chicken to the bottom, thereby keeping it more moist)
*check everything is cooked before serving. Cook for a little longer if necessary. removing the chicken or covering it with bits of foil to prevent it overcooking and drying out.
*serve with green beans (and soy sauce?). (Or additional hoisin sauce if you have found one that can be eaten without needing cooking - it just needs something to give it a bit of moisture - )
Two more general questions -
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
Not yet... other that I can't quite believe it is possible to write such a long post about a single potato recipe, sorry!
~ Any other general comments about potatoes?
I was wondering just how green potatoes have to be before they are bad to eat. I know they are toxic if they are really green - but a couple of the potatoes must have just had a bit of light on them and so had just a tinge of green that could almost have been my eyes or the light. I peeled off the bit of skin that had the hint of green and they were absolutely fine below but it did make me wonder at what point to you ignore the green? and does peeling or cutting the green bit out work or do the toxins go into the entire potato?
Chinese Chicken and Potatoes
~ How long did it take you to cook the recipe?
It took 10 minutes to prepare and then 30 minutes cooking time.
~ Did you and your family enjoy the recipe?
Me, DH and my DS(6) enjoyed it but my DS3(3) wouldn't so much as pick up his fork. But he is beyond fussy and barely eats meat, veg or fruit. He lives on toast basically.
~ Will you be cooking it again?
Yes, definitely. Though the recipe needs a few tweaks. And no-one was very fond of the baby sweetcorn so I'd put different veg in next time.
~ Any other general comments about the recipe?
The picture of the meal on the recipe sheet didn't match what the description said. The pic had everything sliced but the recipe said to cut into chunks. I was dithering which to do! But I'm easily confused like that.
I put in extra sauce as it didn't seem a lot that the recipe asked for. But it still turned out pretty dry. I had to heat more sauce to pour over at the end as it would have been horrible to eat otherwise. Once it was more saucy it was lovely. I don't know why it was so dry when others had plenty of sauce.
The potatoes came out perfectly which was a surprise. I would always parboil before putting tatties in the oven so was pleased they came out so well, every single one was cooked through and a little crispy around the edges. Lovely.
I loved this recipe as it was all just 'chuck it in and and go'. No faffing about having to part cook anything beforehand.
~ Since taking part in this activity have you found anything surprising about potatoes that you were unaware of before?
That they will still cook perfectly in the oven even if you don't parboil them first.
~ Any other general comments about potatoes?
If someone could just invent a potato that was shaped like a dinosaur then that would be great. My 3 year old would be much more likely to eat them.
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