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Posts Tagged ‘potatoes’

  1. Garlic Salted, Beer Baked French Fries

    May 16, 2013 by erinRD

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    Beer and potatoes. Can I get an amen?

    You’d think Wholesome Husband were Irish, the way that man loves potatoes. Sometimes I make a pound of potatoes and he eats 3/4th of that pound by himself. He’s also a huge beer lover.

    So a recipe with beer and potatoes made into french fries. It’s like a perfection on a plate.

    Garlic Salted, Beer Baked French Fries
    Adapted from Edible Perspective

    1 bottle IPA beer
    3 russet potatoes
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 Tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 teaspoons salt
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
    2. Scrub potatoes and leave the skins on.
    3. Cut the potato in half, lengthwise. Turn one half on its side.
    4. Depending on how thick you want the fries, make 2-3 lengthwise cuts.
    5. Turn the half flat side down, so the cut pieces are stacked parallel with your cutting board.
    6. Cut 3-4 lengthwise cuts, perpendicular to the previous cuts. Repeat with the other half.
    7. In a large bowl, soak the cut fries, in 1 bottle of beer. Let soak for 15 minutes, tossing a few times


    8. Drain beer and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt + pepper, until well coated.
    9. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and spread the fries, in a single layer on the pan.
    10. Bake for about an hour, depending on how crispy you like them, tossing 3-4 times. Add more salt + pepper to your liking. Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: Beer. Yes it’s filled with calories but it’s also good for you too. Just don’t tell your husband – he may think it’s ok to indulge more! ;) According to this study: “Studies evaluating the relative benefits of wine versus beer versus spirits suggest that moderate consumption of any alcoholic beverage is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. From a nutritional standpoint, beer contains more protein and B vitamins than wine. The antioxidant content of beer is equivalent to that of wine, but the specific antioxidants are different because the barley and hops used in the production of beer contain flavonoids different from those in the grapes used in the production of wine.”

    Beer is also rich in B-vitamins and folates, which are found in leafy green vegetables, both of which help keep homocysteine blood levels in check. High levels of the chemical homocysteine have been linked to increased risk of heart disease.

    Bottoms Up! ;)

    Taste Test: Wholesome Husband said he couldn’t even tell that they were baked…he said they were “awesome” and thought it was cool that beer was in them. Husband Approved. I thought they were delicious too. The pictures show them to be more black in color than they were. The garlic burnt a little bit so maybe that’s why but they were still amazing!

     

    Category Appetizer, Bar | Tags: ,,,, | 1 Comment

  2. Meyer Lemon Chicken

    February 28, 2013 by erinRD

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    Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

    Meyer Lemon Chicken
     
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    Author:
    Serves: 6

    Ingredients
    • 2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breast halves, halved crosswise
    • 2 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    • ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided
    • Cooking spray
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
    • 1 Meyer lemon, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices and seeded
    • ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
    • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
    • 1 cup unsalted chicken stock, divided
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 400°.
    2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; coat with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, skin side down; cook 6 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn chicken over. Place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 165°.
    3. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Discard pan drippings (do not wipe pan clean). Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add potatoes to pan; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook potatoes 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove potatoes from pan. Add lemon slices to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Remove lemon from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and chopped fresh thyme; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
    4. Return potatoes and lemon slices to pan. Add ⅔ cup stock, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Combine remaining ⅓ cup stock and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and olives to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat; sprinkle with parsley.

    Nutrition Information
    Serving size: 6 Calories: 327 Fat: 19.5 Unsaturated fat: 5.8 Carbohydrates: 16 Fiber: 1.8 Protein: 18

     

    I usually don’t use chicken thighs, but they gave this dish so much flavor!

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    Category Chicken | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  3. Pot Roast Dinner

    October 20, 2011 by erinRD

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    Adapted from Pioneer Woman

    I love making a big Sunday dinner. The boys watch the football games and I listen to them in the kitchen while making dinner. This is one of the reasons I love Fall so much. My Mom also made big Sunday dinners and so I feel like it’s kind of a tradition. She would make a lot of roast dinners – pot roast, beef roast, pork roast – sometimes lamb. This one hit the spot!

    Ingredients

    1 whole (2-3 pounds) chuck roast
    2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
    3 whole onions
    6 whole carrots
    3-4 turnips, cut
    salt to taste
    pepper to taste
    1 cup red wine
    2-3 cups low sodium beef stock
    3 sprigs fresh thyme, or more to taste
    3 sprigs fresh rosemary, or more to taste

    Mashed Potatoes
    6 potatoes
    ½ stick butter
    ½ cup half & half
    1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
    pepper, to taste

    Directions

    1. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

    2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
    3. Cut two onions in half and cut the carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

    4. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

    5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

    6. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
    7. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups).

    8. Add in the onion, cut up turnips and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.


    9. Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours or until internal temperature is around 140°
    10. While the roast is cooking, make the mashed potatoes. Start a pot of water on the stove big enough to cover all of the potatoes. Wash the potatoes well and cut them into chunks. Throw them into the water and bring to a boil.
    11. Cook until soft (time will vary depending on how many potatoes and how small you cut them) around 20-30 minutes.
    12. Drain potato water and keep potatoes in the pot. Turn the heat on low and mash them until smooth.

    13. Add in your butter and half & half and mix until creamy. Add seasoned salt and pepper to taste. Dinner serves 8.

    Nutrition Notes

    Turnip is a root vegetable has one third the amount of calories as an equal amount of potatoes. Turnips provide an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese, pantothenic acid, and copper.  They are also a very good source of thiamine, potassium, niacin, and magnesium.  In addition, they are a good source of vitamin B6 and E, folic acid, and riboflavin.

    Taste Test

    Delicious! Classic and one of those cook all day dinners that is so worth it when you get to eat it at the end of the day!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,,, | 3 Comments

  4. Easy Sweet Potato Fries

    August 19, 2011 by erinRD

    Oh magical sweet potatoes.

    When I was growing up, my Dad was the only one who liked sweet potatoes in my family. My Mom is not a fan of them at all so I adopted her feelings on sweet potatoes without ever really trying them. What a shame. All those lost years of not having sweet potatoes.

    Easy Sweet Potato Fries

    2 large sweet potatoes
    1 Tablespoon olive oil
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 teaspoon paprika

    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
    2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut potatoes into sticks about 1/2-inch in diameter.


    3. Bake about 20 minutes or until brown. Flip fries halfway through.

    Nutrition Notes: Sweet potatoes have more soluble fiber and vitamin C than regular potatoes. There is also significant difference in the glycemic index, and beta-carotene content that make a sweet potato a better option! They aren’t just for your Thanksgiving meal – eat them year round!

    Taste Test: The pictures look like the fries are a little burnt but they weren’t – just a nice brown color. These weren’t as crispy as white potatoes but the result was so delicious! They were simple to make and we quickly devoured them! Yum!

    Happy Weekend!!

     

     

    Random Thought of the Day:

    Express your talents. Because the forests would be quiet if only the best birds sang.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  5. Shepherd’s Pie

    March 15, 2011 by erinRD

    There are not that many foods that can claim that a historical event centered around them but the potato can. By the early 19th century, potatoes were being grown extensively throughout Northern Europe. Potatoes were one of the only sources of food in Ireland during this time because of the potato’s inexpensive production and the poor economy of this country. Yet during 1845 and 1846, the Irish Potato Famine occurred where most of the potato crop in Ireland was ruined and this caused almost three-quarters of a million people died, and hundreds of thousands emigrated to other countries, including the United States, in search of sustenance. Pretty interesting!

    Now that the History less is completed, let’s talk about another one of my favorite Irish dishes. Although it originated in England, the Irish make this dish a lot and it can also be made with ground beef instead of ground lamb but it’s always topped with those yummy potatoes!

    Shepherd’s Pie
    Inspired by Alton Brown

    4 large potatoes, cubed (skins on!)
    1 Tablespoon butter
    1/4 cup skim milk
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 pound bag mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans) frozen
    1 Tablespoon canola oil
    1 onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 pound lean ground lamb
    2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1 Tablespoon ketchup
    1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme
    1 can (15 ounces) beef broth
    1/2 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

    Directions:
    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.


    2. Mix in butter and milk and mix until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
    3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add mixed veggies, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, spices and beef broth.


    5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Spread the ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

    7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: After the low carb craze a few years back, potatoes got such a bad rap but they really are very good for you! Potatoes belong to the same family as eggplant, tomatoes and peppers and they are the number one vegetable crop in the entire world. Unfortunately this is because of the consumption of french fries and what usually makes the potato unhealthy is what people put on it. Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Make sure to leave the skins on for extra fiber and vitamins!

    Taste Test: Shepard’s Pie is comfort food at its best. It reheats well and The Husband is crazy about it. It takes a little bit of time to make, especially making the homemade mashed potatoes but the result is so delicious!

    How do you make your potatoes?

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment