Oven Roasted Red Potatoes

When I make meatloaf, I love to have mashed potatoes & gravy with it for a total "comfort food" meal.  Oven roasted, red potatoes are still pretty awesome and as much of a "comfort food" with meatloaf or any meal, when you know that you really should not indulge in the calories of mashed potatoes & gravy!

If using very small potatoes, cut them in half instead of in wedges and flip them cut-side up during the final 10 minutes of roasting.

2 pounds red potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed and cut into 3/4" wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and coarsely ground or fresh ground pepper
any mixture of herbs -- like minced fresh rosemary, oregano, and/or thyme.
optional minced fresh shallot, grated fresh lemon zest.
minced garlic or make a garlic paste to toss with the potatoes after roasting and before serving


Toss the potatoes with whatever combination of herbs, minced shallot and/or lemon zest and/or garlic..  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet with one of the cut sides facing down.  Cover with foil and roast for about 20 minutes in a pre-heated 425 degree oven -- the oven rack shouold be adjusted to the middle position.

Remove the foil and continue to roast until the sides of the potatoes touching the pan are crusty and golden -- about 15 minutes.  Flip the wedges over with a spatula and continue to roast until they are crispy and golden on both sides, about 8 minutes longer.


You could then toss with a paste made from mashed, minced garlic & a bit of lemon juice, if you did not roast with garlic.  The flavor of raw garlic is substantially mellowed and the taste can be more easily incorporated, although I love the flavor of roasted garlic as well.

 

Rice Pilaf - Donna Style

This rice pilaf recipe is one that a friend and I came up with one day -- almost 15 years ago.  It is very versatile and you can add whatever ingredients that you want -- depending on your mood or what you have on hand.  This recipe is enough to more than feed 25 people, so just downsize it or up-size according to your needs.  So here is the basic recipe with some suggested ideas:

1/4 - 1/2 cup butter (I have used part butter and part olive oil, or you can use 100% olive oil)
2 medium sized onions. chopped
2-3 or more stalks celery, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 - 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 cup whole cashews (or pieces) can be raw or roasted.  You could also use almonds or pecans too. I generally use whole cashews, that I roast or toast.
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
6 cups white or brown basmati (you could substitute 1 cup of the basmati rice with wild rice or any combination of types of rice -- if I have some wild rice on hand, this is what I do).
9-10 cups of liquid -- you can use just plain water, but that's boring.  I generally use canned coconut milk that is diluted with water. You could use orange juice and also use a combination of orange juice and coconut milk and water.  You could also use either good quality organic chicken (if not for vegetarian) or vegetable broth. Make it yourself or buy it or you could use a good bouillon one with out msg and other chemicals -- I have even used meatless chicken flavored bouillon).
2-3 cinnamon bark sticks
1 tsp ground cardemom
1/2 - 1 tsp ground coriander
2-3 whole bay leaves
1 cup dried currants or chopped dried fruit like apricots or even dried cranberries or cherries (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste -- I often used freshly ground pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large skillet, melt the butter or heat the oil and saute the onions, celery, garlic, cashews, whole cumin seeds & cinnamon sticks. Stir in the parsley, cardamom, coriander, bay leaves dried fruit (if using) and rice and stir together.  Pour this mixture into a large roasting pan.  Bring the liquid to a boil and then pour over the rice mixture in the roasting pan -- Stir & mix it well.  Cover the roasting pan with a fitted lid or with aluminum foil and place in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on what types of rice that you use). -- basically bake until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is not chewy or crunchy.  You can add more liquid if needed, during cooking.  I would check on it periodically and even give it a stir or too.  When the rice is cooked, take out of the oven and remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and stir it up to mix everything up and serve.