RECIPE: Simple Potato Wedges

There's nothing simpler than making your own potato wedges.  In fact, baked potato wedges are a fast and dead-easy way of introducing a healthy dose of starch into your diet, with none of the grease and MSG and other additives that make fast food a documentary-worthy vice.

You also have to hold this recipe fairly loosely in terms of proportions--every potato is a different size, and only you know how many wedges will satisfy you (and your family or guests), and how much seasoning you like.

The basic ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes, sliced

Herbs, to taste

Salt & pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

As for my own personal preferences:

I like russet potatoes well enough, but Aldi was selling butter golds for cheap when I was last there, and I've discovered a new love in life.  Butter golds are really and truly--and naturally--buttery tasting.  They don't crisp up as much as your russet, but the flavor is delightful.

As far as seasonings go, I'm a fan of adding a little garlic (powder or fresh), a little paprika, summer savory or thyme, and rosemary.  There are endless ways you can spice up your wedges, but I have found the combination that works for me (for 6 of my little butter golds, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon savory, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary).

DIRECTIONS

The trick to good wedges is to get your oven well and truly hot--between 400 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Throw all of the ingredients into a ziploc bag.  (For my six butter golds, I add a 1/3 cup parmesan and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.)  Zip the bag shut and shake it around until the seasonings are evenly distributed, then pour the contents out onto a foil-covered baking sheet, making sure they're not crowded together.

Bake until tender and golden-brown, somewhere between 25 and 40 minutes depending on the type of potato and oven temperature.  I recommend checking the wedges at around 25 minutes, and if they're not done, flipping them and adding another 10 minutes to the clock. 

Baked wedges things are always a bit unpredictable, but they are always delicious.  So long as they don't burn and they're not over-seasoned in jalapeno flakes, it's almost impossible to ruin them.  Enjoy!

RECIPE: Scalloped Turnips

Turnips are one of those vegetables I never felt tempted to try.  That being said, I kind of made a promise to myself on starting this new diet that I would be adventurous--and try everything listed on the "best veggies" list.  I haven't yet found a use for kale that I think I can tolerate, but here's one way to make turnips palatable!

RECIPE: Scalloped Turnips

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 medium-large turnips, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons cornstarch

freshly ground salt & black pepper, to taste

1 cup milk (or cream, or [preferably] a mixture of the two)

1 cup shredded cheese*

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a 8" by 8" glass casserole dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan and sauté the sliced onions until they begin to wilt.

Layer the sliced turnips in the casserole dish and top with a third of the onions.  Sprinkle liberally with cornstarch, salt and pepper, and pat with dollops from 1 tablespoon of butter.  Repeat until you have run out of ingredients.

Pour the milk/cream over the turnips, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole. 

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes--or until the cheese is turning a nice golden brown, and bubbling.

* NOTE: I used a fiesta mix, but cheddar or even parmesan would work, depending on your tastes.

VERDICT: This is actually a fairly tasty dish.  Now, I tend to think anything cooked with cheese is pretty excellent, but this is actually quite good.  The turnips are a milder flavor once cooked, so add to rather than detract from the cheese-loving extravaganza.



 

 

 

 

 

RECIPE: Roasted Veggies (& Tomatoes)

I used to think that roasting vegetables was a gourmet thing to do, or at the very least a dangerous proposition.  Vegetables?  They catch on fire!  Little did I know how truly easy it is to oven-roast a pan of veggies.  So, here's how I did it:

INGREDIENTS

 
1 pie pumpkin, skinned, seeded, and cubed
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cubed
1 large green bell pepper, yaddayadda
4 roma tomatoes, cubed
3 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped fine
2 large sprigs of parsley, chopped fine
4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped fine
Salt & fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin (or squash), bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Drizzle in olive oil, about 3-4 Tablespoons' worth, tossing until vegetables are evenly coated.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish.  Sprinkle half of the parmesan over the top of the vegetables (and tomatoes, which are a fruit as everyone knows).

Roast, stirring twice, until the squash is tender and beginning to brown at the edges (around 45 minutes).  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the vegetables and serve hot.