Perfect Roasted Potatoes

June 27, 2011 by · 2 Comments

 

Hi everyone!

My new site is up and I am very excited for this new adventure into the blogging world!  I am realizing that I have lots to say to the world because I keep catching myself going “I need to write that down for the blog.”  I need to decide whether or not I am going to split out my career/job searching posts from my family/food type posts.  I will figure it out, but for now they will all fall under Becki’s Whole Life….because, well, they are both big parts of my life!

And by the way, the name “Becki’s Whole Life” was my 7 year old daughter’s idea.  She said it and I just liked it so I went with it.

So on to these potatoes.  This is really more of a technique than a recipe and once you have it down you can do almost anything with these potatoes.  We like them best with reds, but we have also used Russets and Yukon Golds.  Can I just say that potatoes get a bad rap nutritionally?  They are a complex carbohydrate and they are nutrient dense so really they are a great food.  Just be careful what you put on them.

There is a great farm stand in Apex that has wonderful little red potatoes dug up fresh from the field each morning.  Let me tell you, if you have never had a fresh potato you need to find some…NOW:-)  So good.  This is very much my husband’s technique…he has it perfected, but I think that I have gotten pretty good at it as well….so here we go.

Becki and Jim’s Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Cut up your cleaned potatoes – skin on.  I usually cut them into 1 inch wedges.  Once you get the technique down you can really cut them into any size/shape you want.

Toss the cut potatoes onto a cookie sheet with enough oil to cover all of the potatoes liberally (but not so much oil that they are drowning in it.)  Season and toss potatoes until everything is covered evenly.  Typically we just use kosher or sea salt and black pepper to season.  If I am feeling the love I will walk outside to my herb garden and get some thyme or rosemary to toss in.  I have also roasted them with seasoned salt or some chopped onions or garlic.  Have fun, play around, go crazy:-)

Spread the potatoes out on the cookie sheet so that they aren’t touching.

Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes checking periodically towards the end to see if they are done (depending on their size and your oven.)  You can turn them halfway through, but I find that you don’t need to because they crisp up all over.  Its up to you.

You may want to sprinkle on a little more seasoning when they are fully cooked.  Enjoy with some malt vinegar and you won’t know what hit you…it almost doesn’t get any better than this:-)

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Green Beans and New Potatoes

June 17, 2011 by · 3 Comments

I ran outside last night for the first time since its gotten real warm. Ok, so there is a huge difference between running outside when its 40 degrees in the AM and when its still 80 degrees in the evening. Its not even humid yet and it was still quite a workout. Today at lunch I was back at the gym running on the treadmill and I really appreciated the fans blowing on me! I’m also going to have to figure out a better solution for running with my iPod. I can’t stand having the bands around my arm when they are bare, and I just can’t get comfortable with it anywhere. So I am going to loo around for a new carrier. It would be nice if I could find something that attaches to my waistband? Not sure, maybe that would end up being uncomfortable as well. If I do some research I will post my findings on here. I also need some new songs for my iPod. I guess I will add both to my list:-).

These green beans have become a weekend dinner staple. They are pretty southern and this is actually a Paula Deen recipe. Before I made them I didn’t think that I would like beans and potatoes together, but its really a great combo! I have used different types of fats in this from salt pork to bacon to pancetta and they all work quite well. I have also used fresh as well as frozen green beans and quite honestly, although I probably prefer the fresh, the frozen didn’t taste all that much different! I get Trader Joe’s frozen hericot verts. Enjoy these with chicken barbeque on a hot Sunday…..and don’t forget the deviled eggs and sweet tea!

 

Green Beans and New Potatoes
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 pounds fresh green beans
  • ¼ pound salt pork, sliced
  • ¼ cup bacon grease
  • 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
  • 12 small red potatoes
  • 1 onion, cut into slivers
  • ½ stick unsalted butter, sliced
  • Ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Remove the ends from the beans. Snap the beans in 2 pieces, place into a colander, wash, and set aside to drain.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven, lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over medium heat, turning often, for approximately 10 minutes. Toss the green beans into the pot, stirring them with a wooden spoon to coat well with the pork fat. Add the broth and House Seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat, covered tightly, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beans are half done.
  3. While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler. At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add ¼ cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, periodically checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are wilted, approximately 15 minutes. While cooking, add the butter and season with pepper.
  4. House Seasoning:
  5. cup salt
  6. /4 cup black pepper
  7. /4 cup garlic powder
  8. Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

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