Despite working around fish all day, we actually love eating it! Here are a few quick cooking tips we have developed over the years:

o Salmon is a rich, fleshy fish, so figure on only 4-6 ounces per person.

o Make sure you buy only glistening, clean, moist fish with a firm appearance and intact scales. The color will vary by species and time of season fish was harvested.

o Remove fish from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to its preparation. It should be at room temperature before cooking.

o Salmon steaks are ideal for baking, poaching and grilling (the backbone holds the fish together while it cooks).

o Fillets are suited to smoking, curing and slicing into escalopes, but small pin bones must be removed.

ASMI has an wonderful website with hundreds of great recipes as well. Each month we will be highlighting a recipe and discounting the necessary seafood as in internet only special.

And now some of our personal favorites from our friends and families:

Cream Cheese Eggs with Smoked Salmon

8 large eggs
2 green onions (root trimmed), thinly sliced,
including tops
1 can Tonka smoked salmon, drained & flaked
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces

In a bowl, beat eggs until blended, then stir in half the onion and all the salmon. Melt butter in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir frequently with a wide spatula until eggs begin to set but are still quite moist. Scatter cheese pieces over eggs and continue to cook, stirring often, until eggs are set as you like. Spoon eggs onto plates and garnish with remaining onion. Serves 4.

Definitely Atkins friendly, this is a versatile recipe that works well for brunch or for a light dinner. Any of our salmon species will work well in this dish. You can use canned smoked product, foil pouched product, or even fresh hot smoked if you happen to have it! For brunch in the winter we like to serve this with fruit cup, hot muffins and sparkling cider. For dinner we substitute a green salad and crusty French bread. The recipe is easy to increase or decrease, depending on the number of people dining, and their level of hunger!

Holiday Salmon Rice Salad

Having guests for a big holiday buffet? This salad is simple, colorful, flavorful, and very nutritious. We like to have it as one of a number of salads for a make-ahead brunch. It is super as a dinner salad with just a few veggie sticks. If you happen to be on the Atkins diet you can vary the amount or type of rice in the salad to suit where you are in the program. This recipe is delicious with any of our canned salmon products. Serves 4-6.

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
12 oz. green beans
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped chives
12 ounces cherry tomatoes
2 cans (6.5 oz) skinless/boneless Tonka salmon,
drained and flaked into large pieces.

1. Cook rice according to package directions (or use left-over take-out rice?) You should have about 5 cups of finished rice. Let rice cool to room temperature.
2. Lightly cook fresh or frozen green beans. They are best in this salad if 2 to 3 ì long, and they should still be slightly crisp. Drain, chill.
3. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard and garlic until smooth. Add oil and whisk until thick and well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste, and 3 Tablespoons each of the parsley and chives.
4. Place rice into a large bowl. Pour dressing over rice and mix to coat. Gently stir in beans, tomatoes, and salmon. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining herbs.

An easy salad that can be served at many holiday gatherings throughout the year. Try it in the spring for Motherís Day brunch with sides of baguettes, cheese, and vegetable sticks. For Fourth of July Picnics serve in addition to grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. For Labor Day add this to a huge batch of grilled chicken with garlic bread.

Leek & Fennel Chowder with Smoked Salmon

1.5# leeks
1 head fennel
1/4 c chopped chives
1 T butter
2.5 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1.5 pound yukon gold potatoes
2.5 cups milk
2 T flour
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 can Tonka smoked salmon, drained & flaked

-Trim, cut lengthwise, and rinse leeks. Slice thinly crosswise.
-Trim and rinse fennel. Reserve springs of feathery top for garnish. Chop more of the feathery tops to make 11/2 tablespoons, then chop the chives and combine with chopped tops, these items will be your garnish. Dice fennel bulb.
-Melt butter in a heavy pan, add sliced leeks and diced fennel. Cook until vegetables are limp, about 10 minutes.
-Add broth and bay leaf to pan. While that is coming up to a boil scrub potatoes and cube them.
-Add potatoes to broth, and simmer covered until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
-In a small bowl, whisk milk, flour, about 1/2 t salt, pepper. Add this to potato-broth mixture and stir over medium high heat until thickened. (In this step you can add quite a bit more flour if you really like your chowder thick. Wondra flour works great for this.)
-Put soup in bowls, place flaked smoked salmon in middle on top, then sprinkle with reserved fennel garnish.
Serves 4 for lunch, or two very hungry athletes for dinner. Add corn muffins, French bread or home-made rye bread for an extremely satisfying winter meal!

Smoked King Salmon Pasta Shells with Lemon Sauce

6 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 6.5oz cans Smoked King Salmon, well drained and flaked
1 pound medium pasta shells, freshly cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, lemon peel, basil and dried parsley. Cook until aromatic, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Gradually mix wine into flour and add to butter mixture. Season with salt/pepper. Stir until sauce thickens, maybe a minute. Gently mix in flaked smoked salmon, and turn burner heat to low. Place drained pasta in serving bowl, pour sauce over and toss. Garnish with Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve hot.

This dish is very rich and should be served with a light fruit salad or very basic green salad with a light dressing.

Salmon Pasta Salad with Salsa

This is the perfect salad for a summer BBQ. If you need to you can do some preparation the night before and spend a couple minutes mixing just before serving. Try the recipe as-is, or look in your refrigerator and substitute your favorite fresh vegetables! The last time Shari made this she added some left-over cooked corn and a chopped fresh jalapeno pepper. It got great reviews.

12 oz spiral noodles, cooked
Large tomato
3 green onions
Green pepper
Red pepper
4 large mushrooms
Prepared Italian Dressing
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
3.8 oz can sliced olives
1 can Tonka Skinless/Boneless salmon (any flavor)

Coarsely chop vegetables and place in medium bowl: cover with Italian dressing. Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Cook noodles, drain, rinse and cool. Set aside (this can be done the night before serving).

Assemble just before serving. Drain vegetables. Mix sour cream and salsa. Add the vegetables and sour cream dressing to noodles. If you like a more moist salad, add more sour cream and/or salsa. Open and drain olives, and the salmon. Flake salmon. Mix all together gently. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Mexican Appetizer Roll-ups

1 can Tonka skinless/boneless salmon, drained and flaked
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T salsa
pinch of ground cumin
1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
5 8-inch flour tortillas at room temperature

Mix salmon, cream cheese, salsa, cumin and cilantro. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of salmon mixture on each tortilla. Spread over the surface close to the edges and roll up. You can serve as-is, or refrigerate and cut into slices with a serrated knife and serve as an appetizer. Makes 5 roll-ups or 2 dozen appetizers.

Notes: Mixed by hand you maintain the salmon flakes and tomato chunks in the salsa. You can also mix this in a food processor, which makes it very smooth and easy to spread. We like texture contrasts so when you do this, consider adding a crunchy garnish. For the larger sandwich-style roll-ups some of us add sprouts or very crisp lettuce if they are to be eaten immediately.

Smoked Salmon Corn Bread

Moist and crusty, with tasty flecks of smoked salmon and some zippy peppers, this is a distinctive cornbread. Serve it warm along with soups or stews. Shari especially likes to serve this instead of garlic bread at a BBQ. If you like milder pepper flavors, substitute a small can of mild green chilies for the jalapenos.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 c vegetable oil, divided
1 to 2 medium jalapeno peppers, minced
2 cups cornmeal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can (14 æ oz) cream-style corn
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cups sliced green onions
1 6.5oz can smoked salmon, drained & flaked

Grease a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, saute onion and green pepper in 1 tablespoon of the oil until tender. Remove from the heat stir in jalapenos; set aside. In a bowl, combine cornmeal, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk and remaining oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until blended. Stir in the corn, cheese, green onions, smoked salmon and reserved jalapeno mixture. Pour into a greased baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 15 squares

Smoked Salmon Dip

One 8 oz. light cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup lowfat yogurt
1 1/2 Tablespoon minced fresh dill or 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoon minced green onion
1/2 to 1 can Tonka Smoked Salmon, flaked

Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until smooth. Add green onion and flaked smoked salmon. Process gently. Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate to blend flavors. To make a firmer product to mold or shape, delete yogurt and add 1/3 cup more cream cheese.

This dip is GREAT on a fresh vegetable tray for dipping, as well as with a wide variety of crackers. If any should be left over it is stupendous on bagels or as a topper for baked potatoes.

The above recipe was created several years ago by Shari. She needed to take great quantities of smoked salmon to the wedding of a nephew, and this was one of the ways it was prepared. It was well received, and has become a favorite of many in Petersburg. If you have gone through Tonka Seafoods on tour – this is the dip we gave you as a sample.

Baked Potato Grande
This is a great EGM (Emergency Gourmet Meal)

We use these potatoes as:
a stand-alone entrée with a green salad for a light meal,
a great buffet item,
and as an accompaniment for grilled chicken or meats.

Bake potatoes normally, slice them in half and scoop out the insides, leaving a potato shell for stuffing. Mash the scooped-out potato innards, adding butter, sour cream, and finely chopped chives or green onions. Gently fold in flaked smoked salmon, and mound the mixture back into the shells. Top with grated cheese and warm in a slow oven until the cheese is melted and the potato mixture is thoroughly reheated.

The amount of smoked salmon you use will depend on: personal taste, and how many unexpected people show up for dinner compared to your available stash of smoked salmon! We like one can of Tonka smoked salmon to 4 whole large potatoes, yielding 8 servings. Any of the species is very tasty in this recipe.

Smoked Salmon Club

1 recipe Veggie Confetti Spread
12 slices sesame sourdough bread
2 Tbsp dairy sour cream
5 oz smoked salmon retort pouch
1 1/2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

1. Prepare Veggie Confetti Spread

2. Spread 4 slices of bread with some of the sour cream. Arrange drained, flaked smoked salmon on the sour cream. Add spinach. Spread 4 more bread slices with Veggie Confetti Spread. Set on the spinach layer, spread-side up. Arrange cucumber on top.

3. Spread 4 more bread slices with remaining sour cream. Stack on the cucumber layer, sour-cream side down. Secure each sandwich with toothpicks. Cut into quarters. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Veggie Confetti Spread: In a small mixing bowl stir together one 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened; 1 small zucchini, seeded and very finely chopped (about 2/3 cup); 1 small carrot, very finely chopped (about 1/3 cup); 1 small red sweet pepper, seeded and very finely chopped (about 1/3 cup) and 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives.

A great recipe for luncheon guests. This is a quick recipe (30 minutes tops), but you can save a little time by preparing the Veggie Confetti Spread the day before: just cover and refrigerate until needed.

As the weather gets colder, our thoughts turn to warm soups. This recipe is one of Shari’s favorites, and it is good with either smoked salmon or plain salmon. One can of Tonka salmon will make a tasty chowder for 4-6 people. Make some biscuits or homemade bread, toss up a small green salad and you have a real feast for dinner!

Harvest Salmon Chowder

1 - (6.5 oz) can salmon (smoked or plain)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup diced potatoes
1 (8 oz) can cream style corn
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups chicken broth (or fish stock) 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 (13 oz) can evaporated milk (heavy cream)
Parsley for garnish

Drain and flake salmon, reserving liquid. Saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in butter until vegetables are translucent. Add potatoes, carrots, chicken broth and seasonings. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. Add flaked salmon and reserved liquid, evaporated milk and corn. Heat through. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley. Makes 4-6 servings.

Layered Smoked Salmon Salad

1 head lettuce, shredded
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
6 green onions, chopped
4 oz alfalfa sprouts
1/2 lb. Tonka flaked fresh smoked salmon,
or one 6.5oz can smoked salmon, flaked
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. dried lemon peel
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place half the lettuce in large glass bowl. Reserve small amount of onions and egg for garnish. Layer green onions, eggs, sprouts, smoked salmon, remaining lettuce, and peas. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, dill and lemon peel. Spread evenly over salad. Top with cheese and reserved onions and eggs. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. This salad can be very adaptable: try chopped water chestnuts in the dressing, or substitute other cheeses and seasonal vegetables.

This recipe is wonderful to include on those summer BBQ buffet tables. Make it the night before, or in the morning when it is cool, and you will have a colorful and tasty salad to share with friends and family in the heat of the day. It is so great looking that everyone will know you didn’t buy it at the grocery store on the way to the party!!!

Salmon Patties

2 cans of Tonka brand salmon (any species)
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 eggs, separated
10-15 soda crackers

Place salmon in a medium bowl and break up with a fork. Add onion and egg yolks and mix well. Lightly beat egg whites, but not too stiff, then add to the fish mixture. Crumble crackers with fingers so they aren’t too fine, and add only what is needed to absorb most of the moisture. Form into patties and cook in lightly oiled skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning only once. Serves Four.

One of the secrets to these is not to mix everything too vigorously. If you do you loose all the texture. We like boiled red potatoes and a white sauce with these, sometimes adding a touch of lemon juice to the white sauce.

Smoked Salmon Quiche

Bake a 9 inch pie shell, then fill with the following and bake again.

3 large eggs
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup light cream
2-4 drops Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Swiss or Jack cheese
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 can Tonka brand Smoked Salmon

Beat eggs; add next 5 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Lay flakes of fish on bottom of baked pie shell. Distribute broccoli over salmon. Spoon egg/cheese mixture over them. Bake on bottom rack of 350 degree oven until filling is lightly browned and knife "comes out clean" when tested near middle of quiche – about 50 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

This is a great way to stretch one can of smoked salmon to feed 6- 8 people. This can be served with a green salad and crusty French bread for dinner, or it can be a beautiful main dish on a brunch buffet table. If you like the flavor combination you can also use this as an appetizer by baking pie crusts in two fluted tart pans and dividing all other ingredients between them. The baking time will be shorter, as the filling is thinner. The result is a delicious appetizer that is easy to cut into wedges or decorative shapes.

Salmon Bagel Bake

Prep:15 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes – in preheated 350 oven
Yield: 6-8 servings
This recipe can be served as a hearty breakfast, or as a light supper when you have company. It can be assembled ahead and baked later. We know that it has gone out on boats to be eaten WHILE fishing – since people tend to get up very early and fish ALLLLLLLLL day, and they need to keep up their strength!

4 eggs
One 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh dillweed
(or 3/4 tsp dried dill)
4 Onion bagels, split
(or 10 mini-bagels, split)
One can Tonka Skinless/boneless Silver Salmon
4 oz. Havarti (or other white) cheese,shredded (1 cup)

Beat together eggs and broth. Stir in green onion, garlic, and dill, set aside.
Grease a 2 qt baking dish, place bagel bottom pieces (cut side up). Crumble salmon over bagels and sprinkle with cheese. Place tops on bagels, as in a sandwich. Gently pour egg mixture over all.

Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 min until knife comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

To make ahead: assemble mixture and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake 40-45 minutes.

This recipe can be made with plain bagels and smoked salmon for a different taste: the combinations of flavors with different fish products and different bagels is mind-boggling! Left-over baked or BBQ salmon can also be used. Salsa is a nice accompaniment with this recipe.

Smoked Salmon Melts

1 can Tonka smoked salmon (6.5 oz)
4 T cream cheese
1/2 c Mayonnaise
2 T Minced Onion
1 t Lemon Juice
1 t dried dill
4 English Muffins, split
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 slices tomato

Toast split muffins on a baking sheet in 450 degree oven. Blend the salmon, cream cheese, mayo, onion, lemon juice and dill. Spread the mix on toasted muffins, then return to the oven for about 10 minutes – check frequently after 5 minutes. Place slices of cheese on top of each muffin. Return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top with sliced tomato. Serve at once. Yield: 8

Variations on this recipe have been around Petersburg for years. We like it with left-over crab, and if you don’t have cream cheese just use tartar sauce and put a little green onion in it. Left over baked salmon or a can of our skinless/boneless plain fish works well also.

This recipe is so flexible, and so easy, it was difficult to write it down. It is just something we “do” when heading out for a picnic on a cool day, or out on the boat fishing (especially if the boat has an oven of some sort), or if you want something different for that soup/sandwich dinner we all do at times! The last time Shari made this was in April, when a group of 18 went for a clam digging extravaganza. One six pack of salmon (some smoked, some plain) 3 loaves of French bread, whatever vegetables were in the fridge, the favorite fine herbs mix, some mayo and that was it! Paired with lots of hot tomato soup it was a big hit. NO leftovers.

Try this with any of the species of salmon, all smoked salmon, all skinless/boneless salmon, or a mixture. Vary the spice mix, vary the vegetables. It is VERY hard to mess this up, people always love it, so use your creativity and have fun!

Stuffed French Loaf

1 loaf French Bread
2 6.5 oz cans Smoked Tonka Salmon, drained
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 Red Pepper, chopped
1/2 Green Pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
2 t seasoning (your favorite blend)
Mayonnaise

In a medium bowl mix the salmon, chopped vegetables, and spice mix. Add enough mayonnaise to make the texture of sandwich filling you prefer. Put aside while you prepare the bread.

Prepare loaf by cutting in half horizontally, then tear out a hollow in both top and bottom (leaving at least 1” all around edges). Judge how deep to make your hollow by the amount of mixture above! Fill loaf, wrap in aluminum foil.

Bake immediately at 300 for about 20-25 minutes, or refrigerate to bake later. If cold when placed in the oven, it will obviously take longer to heat up, but if you just crank up the heat, you get a real crusty outside and a cold inside. Slower warming works better.
Serve in thick slices.

Alaska Salmon and Chipotle Dip

Serves: 5 Prep Time: 10 Ingredients: 2 cans (7.5 oz. each) Tonka Seafoods skinless boneless salmon 2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 Tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 Tablespoons chopped red bell pepper 1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped red onion 1 teaspoon chopped garlic ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper Tortilla chips, as needed Directions: Drain and flake salmon. In bowl, mix lime juice, chiles, cilantro, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Gently stir in salmon until blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with tortilla chips. Variations: - Add minced fresh jalapeño peppers for more flavor. - Makes a great sandwich filling! - Make a Latino Salmon Salad by adding a tablespoon mayonnaise, minced celery and corn with fresh sliced avocado over fresh greens. - For a pasta salad, toss with cooked macaroni pasta, drained black beans, corn and canned green chiles with a splash of olive oil. Nutrients per serving: 123 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 38% calories from fat, 46mg cholesterol, 17g protein, 2g carbohydrate, .3g fiber, 583mg sodium, 182mg calcium, and 1.4g omega-3 fatty acids. Smoked Salmon Pizza: Dough 1 scant tablespoon yeast (1 package fresh or active dry) ¼ cup warm water 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for the bowl ¾ cup cool water 3 cups all-purpose flour (approximately) Topping 3 to 4 ounces smoked salmon, sliced paper-thin ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ medium red onion, sliced thin ¼ cup minced fresh dill 1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream Freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 heaping tablespoons salmon caviar 4 sprigs fresh dill for garnish 1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water; stir in ½ teaspoon of the honey and set aside for 10 minutes. 2. Mix the remaining 2½ teaspoons honey with the salt, olive oil, and cool water and set aside. 3. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, slowly pour the honey-oil mixture in through the feed tube. Then pour in the dissolved yeast. Process until the dough forms a ball on the blade. If it is too sticky, sprinkle on a little more flour. 4. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rest, covered, for 30 minutes. 5. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a smooth, tight ball. Put on a flat sheet or dish, cover with a damp towel and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. 6. One hour before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before rolling and shaping. 7. Preheat the oven, preferably with a pizza stone inside, to 500 degrees while getting the pizza ready. 8. Cut the salmon into 2-inch squares and reserve. 9. Roll or stretch each ball of dough into four 9-inch circles. Put the circles on an oiled, floured baking sheet. 10. Brush each pizza with olive oil to within one inch of the edge and sprinkle with red onion. Put the pizzas in the oven and bake 8 to 12 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown. 11. While the pizzas are baking, mix the dill with the crème fraîche or sour cream and season with pepper. 12. When the pizzas are done, transfer to warm dinner plates and spread with the crème Salmon Soup This recipe is really easy to prepare and tastes like a rainbow dancing on your tongue Well, if you use Tonka’s smoked salmon. 7.5 oz canned salmon skinless boneless or smoked 1 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 T olive oil 2 red potatoes diced 2 cups milk regular or lowfat salt and pepper butter (optional) Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. saute the onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the salmon and potatoes. Cover with the milk and simmer until the potatoes are soft, around 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and toss a scoop of butter in if desired. Brag to your friends about what a good cook you are.