Continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.Reserve 1/2 cup of the potato cooking water, then drain the peas and add them to the skillet.. Add the potatoes and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring.

Add the mint, chives and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the watercress.Transfer the vegetables to a warmed bowl and serve..

Originally appeared: April 2004.Credit: Bridget Hallinan.or a. hand mixer.

can definitely come in handy when you're making cakes, cookies, or other desserts, but if you don't own one or it isn't handy, don't worry.

There are plenty of recipes that don't require anything more than a bowl, a spoon, and some elbow grease.Nestle the sweet potatoes into the coals, and use a sturdy metal spatula to scoop the remaining embers over and around the sweet potatoes to completely bury them.

Cook, undisturbed, about 20 minutes.. Use the spatula to scrape away the embers.Insert a cake tester or paring knife into 1 sweet potato to test for doneness.

(Likely the bottom part of the sweet potato that was resting on the bed of coals will be more cooked and charred than the top.)Use tongs to flip sweet potatoes over and bury them again in embers.