salt 'n vinegar roasted smashed potatoes

Salt 'n' Vinegar Roasted Smashed Potatoes
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. small round or fingerling potatoes (I bought the assorted mix at Trader Joe's - small baby reds, whites and blues)
coarse sea salt
cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. malt vinegar (I didn't have, so substituted apple cider vinegar.)

You can make these potatoes ahead of time. Boil and smash them, cover and refrigerate overnight, then finish them in the oven the next day.

In medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high in salted water. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes; drain. Place a folded dish towel on a work surface and place a potato inside. Gently smash potato so that it is flattened but still in one piece (edges will be split). Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tbsp. oil. Place potatoes on sheet and brush tops with 1 tbsp. oil. Bake until crisp and golden, 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

haricot verts with bacon and onion

Haricot Verts with Bacon and Onion

1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans (haricot verts / french green beans)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces bacon, diced (raw)
4 ounces diced onions

Using a colander, thoroughly drain green beans. Set aside.

Mix water, sugar and pepper until well incorporated. Set aside.

Preheat your cooking pan to Medium High heat.

Raw Bacon Method.

Using a cutting board and a knife, dice the raw bacon into equal size pieces. Place diced bacon into preheated cooking pan. Continually stir bacon with large spoon to keep the bacon from burning.

Once bacon is cooked add the onions and cook until they are tender and light brown.

Now that the onions are tender add the liquid mixture and the beans.

Using the rubber spatula stir the mixture until incorporated.

Bring mixture to a boil and turn heat to simmer. Serve beans as soon as you are ready.

brown basmati rice pilaf

I found this recipe on Whole Foods website - it's amazing and so much healthier than traditional rice pilafs.

Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf
adapted from Whole Foods

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced shallots
1 c. brown basmati rice (washed & drained)
2 c. chicken broth
sea salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and shallots and saute for one minute. Add the rice and saute for another two minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 40-45 minutes until broth absorbed. Serve with tamari chicken.

Serves 4-6.

penne with parmesan cream and prosciutto

Borrowed from one of my favorite recipe sites - gourmet.com. Served this a few times for our family and once for a dinner party. My husband prefers white sauce over red, so he really likes this recipe. It's definitely rich and full of flavor, so I would recommend serving as a side dish and adding a meat and vegetable to round out the meal.

Penne with Parmesan Cream and Prosciutto
Gourmet | December 2006
photo courtesy of gourmet.com

Yield: Makes 6 (main course) or 8 (side dish) servings

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 ounces)
1 pound penne
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Bring cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, until al dente, then drain in a colander. Return pasta to pot, then stir in parmesan cream and prosciutto, tossing to coat. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart shallow flameproof gratin or baking dish (about 11 by 8 by 2 inches; not glass) and bake 15 minutes.

Stir pasta well to coat evenly with sauce, then sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.

Turn on broiler and broil pasta 4 to 5 inches from heat until top is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

braised brussels sprouts with bacon & thyme

My family has been making these for years. If you don't love brussels sprouts, you will after you eat these. My kids even eat them. Anything tastes better with bacon and shallots. mmmm.

I think these are best finished a "little crunchy" or more on the "raw" side. My sister and I discovered that the flavor changes if they're overdone. We prefer the brussels sprouts to look fresh and green rather than dark and army green when done.

brussels sprouts with bacon & thyme
(adapted from Williams Sonoma)

2 lb. brussels sprouts (fresh)
5 oz. bacon, diced
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups chicken or turkey stock
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 tsp. salt - (we like to use kosher or sea salt)

Cut or pull off any dry outer leaves from the brussels sprouts. Trim away any brown spots and slice off the dry stem end. Cut the brussels sprouts into halves. Set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Pour off the fat in the pan and discard.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the shallots and thyme and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shallot mixture to the bowl with the bacon. Pour 1/4 cup of the stock into the pan and, using a wooden spoon, stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour the stock over the bacon mixture.

Using paper towels, wipe out the pan and place over medium-high heat. Melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the brussels sprouts and salt and stir to coat evenly. Cook until the brussels sprouts begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. (Make sure you get the brussels sprouts to brown.) Stir again, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup of the stock.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more stock as needed, until the brussels sprouts are soft, about 15 minutes more. (Cook the brussels sprouts to your liking - we modify the cooking time to achieve our desired doneness.)

Add the bacon mixture and any remaining stock and stir to incorporate. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10.

Enjoy!

creamed spinach

My sister Kortney's boyfriend, Kai and his recipe for creamed spinach. I trust my sister's recipe recommendations, hands down. Made this tonight and was instantly in love. It all started with the aroma of sauteed bacon, onion & garlic. Amazing flavors infused into otherwise ordinary spinach.

Spinach has many health benefits, some are:

1. low in calories, high in vitamins
2. cancer-reducing antioxidants
3. improves cardiovascular health
4. improves brain function, protects against aging

I'm always looking for ways to add color to my plate - or more importantly, vegetables. And, my husband absolutely loves spinach, so must add to my blog.

Enjoy.

Creamed Spinach
makes 4 - 6 servings

2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) frozen, chopped spinach (thawed & drained) - I used fresh spinach
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 cups milk

Drain spinach well and squeeze out excess moisture with hands; chop finely (or leave spinach leaves whole) and set aside.

Fry bacon in heavy skillet until crisp; remove from heat. (I used a wok to accommodate the quantity of fresh spinach.)

Saute onion and garlic in bacon drippings; add flour, seasoned salt and pepper and blend thoroughly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add spinach and bacon.

Stir occasionally and heat through. Serve.

roasted cauliflower

cauliflower recreated...

Typically, I've had cauliflower one of two ways:

1. steamed (served with melted Velveeta cheese - or not.)
2. raw (served with some sort of vegetable dip)

I've discovered a new love for cauliflower. My husband and I happened upon this amazing Minneapolis restaurant and ordered a side from their menu - roasted cauliflower. I was inspired by this delicious creation and wanted to recreate the same from my own kitchen, so I did.

Here's my own version:

Roasted Cauliflower

Whole head of cauliflower (washed and sliced into whole headed wedges, about an inch thick)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper

Place cauliflower wedges on a prepared cookie or baking sheet (with edges). Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle kosher salt and cracked pepper all over. Roast in oven at 400-450 degrees until cauliflower starts to brown and becomes a little tender. Enjoy.