Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Society Culinaria on behalf of The Idaho Potato Commission. The recipe and opinions are 100% my own.

Even though we are experiencing June gloom here in California… the truth is 4th of July is creeping up on us. Which in my world means lots of parties and family gatherings sprinkled with friends and food. But we couldn’t have a gathering without POTATO SALAD, now could we? I decided to get a jump start on my (more…)

Dia de los muertos couldn’t be celebrated without the age old tradition of pan de muerto. I am thrilled to make a beautiful potato version of this “bread of the dead” in honor of my beloved departed uncle. I will make two loafs…. one to eat, and one to decorate my home alter with. How will you celebrate Day of the dead? Watch my video below to see how easy it is to make this delicious bread. 

Ingredients for Potato Pan De Muerto:

• 1 – package active yeast
• 1/2 – cup luke warm water
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 1 – cup mashed Idaho potatoes ( leftovers work best)
• 1/2 – cup butter (softened)
• 2 – eggs (beaten)
• 3 – cups bread flour plus more for kneading
• olive oil
• Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water whisked together)

Directions:

1. Add yeast and water to a mixer, and allow yeast to activate for 10 minutes.
2. Pour salt and sugar to the yeast mixture. Give it a good mix.
3. Spoon in the mashed potatoes and break them up with a spoon if you need to. Then add in the butter and eggs. Mix to combine to hook attachment.
4. Add in the bread flour, one cup at a time until the dough comes together and no longer sticks to the mixer about 5 minutes.
5. Generously flour a clean work surface then knead dough until smooth.
6. Grease a bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Place dough in greased bowl and turn it once inside to ensure the entire dough is well greased.
7. Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours.
8. Remove towel and punch down the dough.
9. Generously flour a clean work surface then knead dough again until smooth.
10. Grease two 8 -inch cake pans and set to the side.
11. Divide the dough into equal 3 parts.
12. Place two of the parts in each cake pan, and reserve the additional part for decorating.
13. Allow the dough to sit for an additional hour before decorating.
14. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
15. With the extra part, roll the dough out to make bone decorations for the top of the loaf.
16. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash.
17. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
18. Enjoy!

I would like to give a special THANK YOU to the Idaho Potato Commission for sponsoring this video. It is my absolute honor to work with you. 

I would also love to Thank my amazing crew.

Mando Lopez: Director/Editor

Tony Molina: Director of Photography

Jeshua Viveiros: Sound and the awesome calaca make-up artist – he used the Crafty Chica make-up line.

Earrings by ilaments Jewlery – Lisa Rocha!

I’ve got it!  The perfect dish to serve at your Halloween party, Mexican Poutine Smashers are everything you ever wanted in a finger food and more.  I am proud to present this special Halloween webisode using Idaho Fingerling Potatoes as my base and topping them with barbacoa and Oaxaca cheese.  Watch the webisode for further instruction, and lots of tricks and treats!  Stick around until the ugly witch flies away…..

Ingredients for Mexican Poutine Smashers:

• Idaho Fingerling Potatoes
• olive oil
• sea salt
• barbacoa
• shredded Oaxaca cheese

Ingredients for barbacoa:

• 1 – can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 – onion
• 5 – cloves galic
• 6 – limes (juiced)
• 1/3 – cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 – cups beef broth
• 5 – pounds chuck beef roast
• 4 – bay leaves

Directions:

1. Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, onion, garlic cloves, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and 1 – cup beef broth to blender. Blend until smooth. Set to the side.
2. Pour additional 1 cup beef broth to slow cooker, place the chuck beef roast to the broth, and add in the bay leaves. Pour the chipotle pepper blend over the meat.
3. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 10 hours.
4. When meat is done, shred with two forks for the perfect batch of barbacoa.

THANK YOU to Idaho Potato Commission for your support.  A HUGE, grateful thank you to the most wonderful crew EVER! This one was a lot of fun to make!

• Mando Lopez: Director
• Tony Molina: Director of Photography
• James Ford: Editor
• Leeann Chavez: SPFX Make-Up
• Janine Presley: Sound
• Kristen Warren: Wardrobe and Positivity Ambassador
• Suki Ewers: AC
• Jeshua Viveiros: Set Assistant and “Mummy”

Disclosure: This video was sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission.

I love the crunch of crispy potatoes especially when used as a topper on a piece of alaskan cod.  This is one of the recipes I developed for a new e-book that I had the pleasure of co-creating with my pal Ericka Sanchez from Nibbles and Feasts. We teamed up with Idaho Potatoes to bring a delicious latin inspired Spring menu to life. Waste no time reading this post when you could be looking at our E-book! You will find this recipe along with 9 other in the book! Enjoy!

       This video is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. However all opinions and the recipe are 100% my own.

Welcome to MARCH!  I love the month of March not only because it’s my birthday          month, but it is also National Nutrition Month.  As I slip into another year of age, I am happy to be more aware of what I feed my body.  Good nutrition = healthy living = great energy = baked fries.  Yes, baked fries are king!  Make them, bake them, watch my video and EAT THEM NOW!

Ingredients for Lemon Lime Chipotle French Fries:

• 4 –  Idaho Potatoes (russet)
• 1 1/2 – tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 – lemon (juiced)
• 1/2 – lime (juiced)
• 1 – tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 1/2 – teaspoon black pepper
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s
• 1/2 to 1 – teaspoon chipotle pepper (depending on how spicy you like your fries)

Watch the video for directions!

A special THANK YOU to the Idaho Potato Commission, Mando Lopez and Tony Molina!

I hold my love for Idaho Potatoes in a special place. I hold it there all year long and at certain times it needs to burst out of it’s cozy snuggly place in my heart and show it’s true colors. February is always a great time to let my potato affection reveal itself in the light of  Potato Lover’s Month.

I have a growing boy in my house who requests potatoes with every meal. I usually make a batch of baked potatoes at the head of the week and as we get into the middle of it I find other ways to enjoy them. One of my favorite is the mojo potato. It puts the spunk back into my step and makes me fall in love.

Watch the video below to see how to make mojo’s out of leftover baked Idaho Potatoes:

Ingredients for mojos:

• 3 to 4 – leftover baked Idaho Potatoes (cold)
• 1 – egg (whisked in a bowl)
• 1 – pouch fried chicken coating mix
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s
• 1 – teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 – teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 – teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 – teaspoon garlic powder
• vegetable oil

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. The recipe and all opinions are 100% my own. 

Thank you to my crew of two for this shoot! Mando Lopez and Tony Molina you guys ROCK!!!!!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. However; All opinions and recipe are 100% my own. Thank you to my Latina blogueras for their suggestions.

A few weeks ago, I was in New York as one of the top 100 blogueras of Latism. I was chosen along with 99 other Latina bloggers as one of the best Latina bloggers in the nation. We (all 100 0f us) were invited to the United Nations as part of our conference. We were there covering issues about education, health, business, and gender equality with top officials of the secretariat. While I was there I thought about potatoes and how they are so affordable and feed so many people. I remembered my trip to Idaho a year ago and decided to ask a few of my fellow Latina blogueras (Maura of The Other Side Of The Tortilla, Yoly of Savvy Mujer and Cuponeando, and Melissa of Hungry Food Love)  what they make with potatoes? I took what they said , then came home and made one of the suggested dishes. Check out the video below. Super fun, easy, and delicious…. three of my favorite things.

Ingredients for Papas Gratinadas:

• 7 – Idaho Potatoes (peeled and boiled for 20 minutes)
• 7 – anaheim chiles (roasted, peeled, and deseeded) (timesaver tip: buy them canned)
• 7 – 1/2 inch slices of pepper jack cheese
• 1 3/4 – cups of Mexican crema
• 1 – onion (sliced)
• 1 1/2 – cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1/2 – teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 – cups pepper jack cheese (grated)
• 10 x 8 casserole dish (spray sides with non stick spray)

Directions:

1. Peel and boil potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain and set to the side.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. It’s okay of it becomes crumbly, you will use the crumbs too. Set to the side.
3. Slice chiles down the middle and stuff with pepper jack cheese slices. Set to the side.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of crema on the bottom of the casserole dish. Smooth it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
6. Next place down a layer of potato slices.
7. Top with stuffed anaheim chiles.
8. Sprinkle the top of stuffed chiles with sliced onions.
9. Pour in a 1/2 cup of Mexican crema over the top of onions.
10. Generously sprinkle the top of the crema and onions with cheddar cheese.
11. Next srinkle in chili flakes, Lawry’s, and ground pepper.
12. Add another layer of Idaho potatoes.
13. Then add in another 1/2 cup of crema.
14. Top with remaining potatoes and another 1/2 cup of crema.
15. Finish the whole casserole layering with a 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese.
16.  Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, then place the casserole dish on the top shelf of oven under the broiler (on high) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden crisp.
17. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
18. Enjoy!