Oven Roasted Dijon Potatoes….

These remind me of my Mom’s pan fried potatoes kicked up a bit.   Enjoy these crispy oven roasted potatoes with Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze, a perfect flavor combination.  All ingredients go into a bowl and get tossed together, then into the oven, super easy.

Here we go…..

Preheat oven to 375′.  Cut about 2 pounds of red potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme.

Add 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard….

Add 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder….

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 5 grinds of fresh ground pepper.  Toss to thoroughly coat.  Place on a non stick foil lined cookie sheet, try not to crowd.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until nicely browned.  Give the potatoes a turn after about 20 minutes of baking.  Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Dijon Potatoes

2 lbs. red potatoes cut into bite size pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1)  Preheat oven to 375′.  Non stick foil line a cookie sheet, set aside.

2)  Place cut potatoes, thyme, dijon mustard, garlic powder, olive oil, salt, and black pepper into a large mixing bowl.  Toss to thoroughly coat.  Spread over the foil lined cookie sheet.  Place in the oven.  After 20 minutes, give them a turn.  Bake another 20 minutes or until nicely browned.  Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Asparagus…..

Did you know that there are male and female asparagus?  Of course, as luck would have it, the chubby spears are the female and the very thin spears are male.  As it turns out, the chubby ones have always been my favorite.  Girls have to stick together, right?    Anyway, I believe asparagus to be the most elegant of all vegetables.    Preparation is very simple and it is best grilled or oven roasted.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  Here I’ve roasted the elegant spears in the oven and topped them with a little fresh grated Romano cheese.  Perfect and simple enough for any occasion.  Enjoy!

Here we go….

Start by thoroughly rinsing as it can be a bit sandy.

Sometimes the thicker asparagus can be tough.  Bend each piece of asparagus at the ends and it will break at the point that it’s tender. 

With a vegetable peeler, peel the asparagus about three inches from the bottom.

Once all of the asparagus is peeled, we’re ready for the oven.  Preheat to 400′.

Place the asparagus onto a baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Season with a couple of pinches of kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper.

Toss the asparagus to evenly coat.  Roast in the oven for 6 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with fresh grated Romano cheese.  Place back into the oven for an additional 3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

1-2 bunches fresh asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pinches kosher salt
1 pinch black pepper
1-2 tablespoons fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

1)  Preheat the oven to 400′.

2)  Rinse asparagus well and snap off the tough ends.  Peel the ends 3″ from the bottom.  Place on a cookie sheet with sides.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and top with fresh grated cheese.   Bake an additional 3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Simple Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes…..

I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like.  What’s not to love about a cheesy, scalloped potato that’s really easy??  They go together in about 15 minutes and bake for about an hour.  These are especially delicious the next day.  Make a day ahead and serve at your next barbeque or potluck.  Simply rewarm in the microwave or oven before serving.

Here we go….

Start by generously buttering a large casserole dish.  Add a couple of crushed cloves of garlic, set aside.  Preheat the oven to 375′.  Peel 5 medium size potatoes or 4 large and cut into thin slices.

We begin to layer.  First a layer of potatoes and season with salt and pepper….

Next the cheeses.  I’ve used sharp cheddar, gruyere swiss and….

Cream cheese.  I like the creaminess it adds to the dish.

Then flour for thickening.  You’ll want to repeat the layers at least one more time.  Now for the liquid.

Pour the milk over the top of the potatoes and cheese moistening any flour you may see.  Bake for about an hour or until the cheese is nicely browned and bubbly.  If you’re serving right away, allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Simple Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
 
5 medium size baking or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter for greasing the baking dish
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded gruyere swiss cheese or regular swiss cheese
4 ounces softened cream cheese
3 cups room temperature milk, microwave until you take the chill off (for richer potatoes, use whole milk)
1) Preheat the oven to 375’. Grease an oven safe 2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Crush the garlic and spread over the bottom of the dish.

2) Layer the potatoes, salt and pepper, half of the cheeses, and half of the flour, repeat with the remaining potatoes, salt and pepper, and cheeses.

3) Pour the milk over the potatoes and cheese. Be sure to moisten any flour you may see.

4) Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

*Use any combination of cheeses you like. 

**To rewarm in the oven, 350′ uncovered for 25 minutes.  In the microwave-on high for about 10-15 minutes.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower…..

I think this is the most delicious way to enjoy cauliflower.  As you can see, roasting gives the otherwise bland looking vegetable nice color or caramelization.  Use only 5 ingredients…cauliflower, olive oil, salt, pepper and a little water.  Foil line your cookie sheet for easy clean up.  Enjoy hot or cold.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pinches salt
2 pinches pepper
1 tablespoon water

1)  Preheat oven to 375′.  Foil line a cookie sheet.

2)  Cut cauliflower and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to evenly coat.  Spread over cookie sheet and drizzle with the water.

3)  Roast for 25 minutes, give a turn and roast another 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Angie

Caramelized Onion Pasta with Toasted Panko and Cheese

This pasta is incredibly flavorful and made with simple ingredients.  Serve as a delicious side dish or vegetarian main.  Add whatever you like.  I think it would be outstanding with chopped leftover chicken and petite frozen peas…YUM!

I take an additional step in the process because my guys wouldn’t appreciate identifiable onions and garlic chunks.  I give the mixture a whirl in the blender before adding it to the cooked pasta.  Skip this step if you wish.

Here we go….

We’ll start by toasting the panko.  Preheat the oven to 375′ and give the crumbs a drizzle of olive oil, mix well to coat and spread over a cookie sheet.  Bake for 5-6 minutes. 

They should be golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the toasted panko, grated parmesan cheese, and dried parsley, mix well.  Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Caramelize onions until they are golden brown as seen above.  This should take about 25-30 minutes.   Add garlic and 1/2 cup each chicken broth and wine.  Cook for 4 minutes.

Omit this step if you wish.  I blend the onion/wine/broth mixture to a smooth sauce so my guys will eat it.  They love the taste of onions and garlic but don’t much appreciate visible onions or garlic chunks.

It will look like this.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain well and toss the pasta with the sauce.  Top with the panko/cheese/parsley mixture.  The sweetness of the onions and garlic combined with the sharpness of the parmesan and the crunch of the panko will cause a party in your mouth!  Enjoy!

Rotelle Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Panko

 For the Crumbs:
½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley

 For the Pasta:

2 ½ cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth (or use ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon with ½ cup water)
½ pound cooked whole wheat curly pasta (or your favorite kind)

 1)  Preheat oven to 375’.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over bread crumbs and stir to evenly coat.  Spread over cookie sheet and bake 5-6 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Once cool put into a small mixing bowl with the parmesan and the parsley, mix well.  Set aside

2)  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often until they turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Add the garlic, wine and the chicken broth, cook for about 4 minutes.

3)  You may omit this step if you wish.  I put the onion/wine/garlic mixture into the blender so that my people will eat it.  They love the taste of onions and garlic but not necessarily the stringy pieces of onion and chunks of garlic.  It’s a texture thing.

4)  Cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water.  Drain well and gently toss with the onion mixture and top with the panko/cheese/parsley mixture.  Serves 4.

*if you’d like to make this vegetarian, simply substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Accompaniments….

Irish Soda Bread.  This soda bread is not of the dry variety.  This bread is moist, slightly sweet, and quite pleasing to the eye.  I make mini loaves as they take about half the baking time.   The shorter the baking time the less dried out it may become.  You can buy mini aluminum loaf pans at most any grocery store.  Serve alongside your traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner.  If you have any leftovers, use it for french toast…OH  BOY!

Sauteed Cabbage.  I know this isn’t the traditional “boiled” cabbage but come on!  Who wouldn’t prefer delicious caramelized cabbage over boring boiled cabbage!  Trust me, you’ll LOVE this!  So simple.  Slice the cabbage into quarters and remove the core.  Thinly slice the entire head.    In a heavy large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the cabbage.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.  Cook for 40-50 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often,  until the cabbage is caramelized. 

Homemade horseradish.  Wow!  If you like the sensation horseradish gives your sinuses, look out!  There is nothing like homemade horseradish to go with your corned beef and potatoes.  It’s quite simple.  Fresh horseradish root can be found in the produce section at most any grocery store.  Make your own cocktail sauce with one cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.  Add horseradish to taste.  So good!

I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

Angie

Skillet Potatoes….

Ever have leftover baked potatoes and don’t know what to do with them?  Well, this is the most delicious solution I can think of!   The next time you make baked potatoes, make a few extra.  (ALWAYS refrigerate leftover potatoes!)  Simply remove the skins and coarsely slice them up.  Enjoy as a side dish to most any roasted or grilled meats or make your own breakfast skillet.

Skillet Potatoes

2-3 large baking potatoes, skin removed and sliced

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with green onions

1)  Heat non stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Add the oil and the onion,  cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes.  Resist the temptation to stir often.  You want to let them sit in the pan long enough to get brown before turning.  Use a large spatula to give them a flip.  Cook until they get nicely browned.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

*Add peppers and mushrooms if you like.

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes….

I am elated that one of my recipes was featured on The Pioneer Woman.  Ree Drummond’s site is a treat to visit!  Click on Tasty Kitchen to view thousands of recipes!  Speaking of recipes, I adore this one!

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes.  What is a latke?  It’s a potato pancake.  I gave it a little twist by using sweet potatoes and parsnips in lieu of white potatoes.  In addition to being incredibly delicious, they’re also good for you!  At this time of year I feel the need to change up recipes in the starch rotation. I especially love serving them with a nice piece of grilled or baked fish, alternatively, they would be excellent with roasted chicken.  Traditional latkes are fried in quite a bit of oil.   I bake them on high heat with a little oil, resulting in a lighter, yet crispy result.

I recommend using a food processor to shred the vegetables, they’re done in minutes.  If you do not have a food processor, you can grate the vegetables on a box grater.  You may want to get out the head and wrist bands, it’s quite a work out!

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 large parsnips, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, peeled and shredded
½ cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
Sour cream
Green onions, thinly sliced

1) Preheat oven to 375’. Non stick foil line a cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spread with your hand to coat pan well. Set aside.
2) Shred the sweet potato, parsnips, and onion in a food processor or on a box grater. Place into a large mixing bowl. Add parsley.
3) Sprinkle all dry ingredients over sweet potato mixture. Add eggs and mix all ingredients together well combined.
4) Shape into 12 three inch patties and place on prepared cookie sheet. Pat the tops flat with a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, carefully flip and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serves 6, two patties per person.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions.

*To lighten sour cream, measure equal parts sour cream and non fat Greek yogurt, whisk to blend.   Ever read the ingredient list on light sour cream compared to regular??

DE-LISH!

Angie

Caramelized Cabbage….

This is a delicious side dish with a vegetable that is readily available at any time of year.  When you cook the cabbage this way it caramelizes.  Caramelizing brings out the natural sugars in foods so there is a natural sweetness to the dish.  Try tossing with cooked linguine and fresh grated parmesan cheese for a delicious vegetarian main dish.

Caramelized Cabbage

1 small head of cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
Dried parsley flakes

1)  In a large heavy deep pot, add oil and butter and heat over medium heat.
2)  Add cabbage all at once.  It will seem like a lot of cabbage, don’t worry, it really cooks down.  Season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.  Stir often.  It will take 20-30 minutes to cook down and get caramelized.  Be careful towards the end of cooking as the sugars will burn easily.  Garnish with a sprinkle of parsely flakes if you wish.  Enjoy!

Perfect Scalloped Potatoes…..

If you’re serving a ham for Christmas dinner, I would like to recommend the perfect potato accompaniment.  I got this recipe from my friend Mickey so I’ve always called them “Mickey Potatoes.”  They’re the perfect combination of Gruyere Swiss cheese, heavy cream, and yukon gold potatoes…absolutely the best potato I’ve ever had!  The beauty of this dish is they’re actually better the next day so you could prepare them completely ahead and simply warm in the oven before serving.

Ah, what else to serve with ham.  Well, you need something green.  Have you tried my Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts?  Omit the bacon if you wish and substitute a tablespoon of olive oil in lieu of the bacon fat.   Brussel sprouts hold up nicely when rewarming, so you could certainly make these ahead as well and simply microwave before serving.

I am ready to decompress with a relaxing and delicious Christmas dinner, how about you?

Have a great week!
Angie