Mashed Potatoes

For those of you who don't know me, I have strange eating habits. I'm an environmentally conscious eater but I love meat, so I'm almost always a vegetarian and then occasionally I'll pick up some locally grown, grass-fed beef and make fajitas.

On top of that, I'm trying to limit my dairy intake because I think it's causing my sinus allergies. Apparently it is a common problem among Mediterranean peoples. I went without dairy for two weeks and it my sinuses totally cleared up. I seriously wasted hours and dollars visiting doctors and specialists and none of them could tell me what was wrong. Then I read something somewhere and cured myself! Amazing.

That being said, I have a serious weakness for dairy. And meat. And desserts. Any kind of food, really. So you will see recipes on here from time to time that include meat or dairy (or both!) but I promote environmentally friendly and locally sourced food, always and that's always what I use.

With that disclaimer out of the way....
MASHED POTATOES!
I love red potatoes and I love mashed potatoes. This is hands down the best recipe I've ever made. Ever.

Ingredients
2.5 pounds mashed potatoes, quartered (it's like 4-6 medium-large potatoes)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated


Directions
1. Put potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with water
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 25 minutes
3. Drain potatoes and garlic.
4. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and mash.
5. Enjoy!

Note: If you use an immersion blender or food processor to blend it, it becomes this thick and creamy sauce. You can puree half and mix it in with the rest for a smoother mashed potatoes, or puree all of it and serve it as a base underneath some steaks or pork chops.

P.s. I love mashed potatoes with fresh cranberry sauce. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it! The Cranberry Sauce at Trader Joe's is excellent, but it's seasonal so get it while they still have it. Only, I recommend excluding the cheese if you're going to eat it with the cranberry sauce. They do not go well together.