Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mustard Aioli & Onion Jam

White baby potatoes. Cut an "X" in the top of each potato. Do not cut all the way through the potato, just enough to make a small crown-like opening. You can also cut a small slice off the bottom of the potatoes if they are really round and roll too much. Drizzle the potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 425◦F until tender. They can be prepared ahead of time up to this point.
Fill the centers of the potatoes with onion jam and pop back in the oven to heat through. Remove from oven and top with a dollop of mustard aioli and two thin slices of chives.

Citrus Crema

Citrus Crema
1 kg sour cream, strained of excess liquid if necessary
juice and zest of 4 oranges
juice and zest of 6 lemons
juice and zest of 6 limes
1 bunch chives, finely cut

Fold all ingredients together - season to taste with some salt if necessary. This crema is a good consistency to smear, pipe, or spread.
Pairs well with salty, fatty items such as fish cakes.

Breaded Rice Balls

I wanted to make a different kind of starch dish for a side. I was growing tired of potatoes (of any shape, flavor or form) and I didn't want a sauced pasta. Rice sounded good, however I didn't want to go with the typical risotto, pilaf, or steamed rice. So I came up with this rice ball recipe, sort of based off a pommes duchesse recipe that is breaded and fried. They are quite flavorful and crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside, and fun and easy to eat. For more flavor, stir some grated cheese such as Parmesan in with the rice or place a small cube of cheese such as mozzarella in the middle. Variations are endless of course, type of rice (brown, wild), type of liquid (broth, coconut milk), herbs and spices, and type of coating (panko, sesame seeds cracker crumbs), and type of cheese or other add-ins (bacon, anyone?). 
I had a little extra rice at the end and breadcrumbs that would not hold in balls, so I placed it in a casserole dish and baked it along with the balls for a more flavorful pilaf-style rice dish.

Breaded Rice Balls
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, small dice
2 cups white rice
4 1/2 cups water
salt
garlic powder
ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced chives
2 large eggs
dry breadcrumbs

In a large saucepan, sweat the onion in the oil until translucent. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until coated with oil. Add in the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Remove lid and allow any excess moisture to evaporate, set aside to cool slightly.
Stir in the garlic, pepper, chives, and eggs, mix well.
Roll the rice into small balls, then coat in the breadcrumbs.
Place rice balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400◦F for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. They can be spritzed lightly with oil before baking for an extra crispy coating. Alternately, they can be deep-fried. Makes 30-40 golf-ball sized.