Spicy Potatoes

In August of 2010, my aunt called my mom and invited us up to her boss' cabin in Almont, Colorado.  My mom asked if I was availbale to go.  Lucky me, my current job is PRN (for those of you not in the medical field, this means "as needed.")  Back to my mom asking me if I could go to Colorado.  I believe my exact response was, "Why yes, Mom, I would love to leave the 109 degree Texas heat and adventure to Colorado for a week with my family.  What's that? The high today was 79 with a low of 38? Excuse me, I have to go pack."  So the very next week, there we were in Almont, Colorado.  Oh, and the boss' "cabin?"  More like a small hunting lodge.  Holy. Moly.  This gorgeous home slept 16 people.   And did I mention that the part of my family we went with are the most loving, carefree, amazing people I have ever met?  Seriously- ever.

Our gorgeous cabin, thank you, Estes Family!

Quick Bios:  My uncle, Richard, is my mom's younger brother.  Richard is married to Rhonda who is like my other mom.  Richard and Rhonda have a daughter named Ashlea who is, by fate, my little sister.  No, we aren't some weird, intertwined hillbilly family (although my mom did go to prom with her cousin... weird...)  Ashlea has just always been the closest thing I ever had to a little sister, and she is also my sorority sister.  We say we are "twice sisters."  She's my favorite girl in the world.  Rhonda and Richard also have a daughter-in-law, Tiffany.  Although Tiff is my cousin by marriage, I call her my cousin.  Tiff's daughter, Kami, is four.  Kami is potentially the cutest little girl I have ever seen, and I can only hope to someday have a daughter half as precious as her.  Not to be even more confusing, but Kami calls me, "Aunt Kate."  I'm cool with that- I love it, actually, because I have no nieces or nephews.  Also at the cabin was my cousin, Kyle.  My mom and Richard also have a sister named Judy, and Kyle is Judy's son.  Kyle's girlfriend, Jess, joined us, too.  If you know me, you know our family truly needed this time together and away from the hustle and bustle that is life, and the timing was impeccable.

Kami, Tiff, Ashlea, me

So there we were- me, my mom, my dad, Uncle Richard, Aunt Rhonda, Ashlea, Tiff, Kami, Kyle, and Jess.  One night, my mom and Uncle Richard cooked a fabulous dinner of nilgai (an antelope meat), and what I call "spicy potatoes."  Tiff and I probably would have helped, but we were busy having girl chat with wine and Ashlea (and her Mike's Hard Lemonade).  Potatoes, you will soon pick up, are my favorite food item.  These spicy potatoes were fan-tastic.  I made them the other night for some of my closest friends, and they loved them, too.  They go great with nilgai, but if you don't have any antelope meat on hand, they make a great side to chicken or roast, too.  They are spicy, they are filling, and they remind me of the resounding love that echoed through the rooms in the cabin on that night in Colorado.

Dinner at Garlic Joe's

Spicy Potatoes
Uncle Richard Poirot & Carolyn Poirot
(Servings: 5)

Spicy Potatoes

• 6 small potatoes
• 4 fresh jalapenos
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil    
• Salt & pepper as needed (PRN?)

1. Wash potatoes
2. Slice potatoes (the thinner the better)
3. Slice jalapenos (smaller is better, especially because these can get so hot! Our mouths were on fire the other night!!)
4. Slice onions thin
5. Heat large pan on stovetop
6. Pour vegetable oil in pan and allow to warm up, turn pan this way and that to coat pan
7. Put potatoes in pan alone to begin cooking
8. Add salt & pepper to tast
9. After appr. 5 min, add onions and jalapenos
10. Cook until potatoes and onions are browned

*Notes:

• If potatoes are still not done, but onions and jalapenos are browning too fast, add some water to pan and cover with lid.  This will slow the onions and jalapenos' cooking and speed up the potatoes' cooking.

Thanks for trying them, Brynne!