Potato and Arugula Torta

I went a few days there without cooking anything blog-worthy, so you'll have to accept my apology. It comes in the form of a delicious vegetarian meal that is so cheap to make and so fun to eat that you'll be sure to forgive me. This meal is bound to become a staple at family gatherings - it just screams "pot luck" and "Thanksgiving" and "mmmm, potato!"

This meal does require a bit of work, but nothing too difficult to manage. Turn on some good music, or the Food Network (my personal choice) while you make it, and the time will go by before you know it. While the torta is baking, you can make a side salad to go with it - we had a baby spinach and strawberry salad with a home made balsamic dressing.

We had company for dinner tonight, and I'm proud to say that this is the "after" shot of the torta:




We should have people over more often!




Potato and Arugula Torta
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs. small Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
salt
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
one bag of baby arugula, washed (about 5 cups packed)
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
cooking spray
3 tablespoons panko (or other dry) bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. If potatoes are not uniform in size, cut the bigger ones so that all pieces are relatively even. Put in a medium pot with a generous amount of salt and fill with water up to about an inch over the tops of the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Heat EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Add arugula and toss with tongs to coat with the oil and garlic. Cook, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute, until leaves are wilted down. Turn off the heat and give the wilted arugula a rough chop.

3. Turn on oven to preheat to 375. Press the cooked potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, discarding the peels. Stir in the greens, milk, about 1/2 cup of the fontina, and eggs until combined.

4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs. Add potato mixture. Top with remaining fontina and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Eat up and enjoy!