Garlic Parmesan White Beans

 

• ▢3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• olive oil
• ▢
• ▢2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
• ▢1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢Kosher salt and black pepper
• ▢1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢¼ to 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• ▢1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• ▢Juice of half a lemon

• 
  
• In a large pan, warm 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly, tossing regularly, until just golden.
• Add the cannellini beans and ½ cup water. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and the spices. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until warmed through (about 10 minutes)
• Stir in the parsley, cheese, and lemon juice.
• Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately with pita or your favorite crusty bread.

Source: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/white-beans-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-44714

Roasted Butternut Squash

 

• 1 large butternut squash (3 lbs) peeled, cut into 1″ cubes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, dried thyme, dried rosemary, garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp EACH pepper, paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add squash to prepared pan.
• Melt butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Drizzle 2/3 butter mixture over squash then mix until evenly coated.
• Spread squash in a single layer so it isn’t touching.
• Roast for 15 minutes, stir and spread back into an even layer. Continue to roast an additional 10-15 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. Broil 1-2 minutes if desired. Remove from oven and toss with remaining butter mixture.

(Source: https://carlsbadcravings.com/roasted-butternut-squash/#wprm-recipe-container-34315)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• ▢2 pounds (~3 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ▢2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• ▢1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
• ▢1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to your largest sheet pan and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder on top. Toss to coat all the sweet potatoes and then spread out to arrange in an even layer. You don't want any potatoes overlapping or you'll end up with steamed potatoes instead of roasted potatoes. Flip every 10-15 minutes cooking for a total of 27-35 minutes. (I flip every 10 minutes and bake around 30 minutes)

(Source: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes/)

Roasted Red Potatoes

 

• 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes halved

• ▢

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• ▢

• 2 teaspoons garlic minced

• ▢

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• ▢

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• ▢

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ▢

• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

• ▢

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• ▢

• cooking spray

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.
• Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.
• Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

(Source: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/roasted-red-potatoes/)

Easy Smashed Potatoes

 

• 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes (yellow or red), scrubbed and rinsed
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• optional toppings: chopped fresh herbs, flaky sea salt, and/or Parmesan cheese

1. Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes and 1 tablespoon fine sea salt to a large stockpot.  Fill the pot with cold water so that the water line sits about 1 inch above the potatoes.  Heat over high heat until the water comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high (or whatever temperature is needed to maintain the boil) and continue boiling the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes, or until a fork can be easily inserted in the center of the potatoes. (Cooking time will vary, so rely on the fork test to double-check when done.)  Transfer the potatoes to a strainer to drain completely.
2. Prepare oven and baking sheet. Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C).  Brush a large baking sheet evenly with the olive oil.
3. Smash the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer them to the baking sheet.  Then use either the bottom of a glass, a fork or a potato masher to gently “smash” each potato down until it is around 1/2-inch thick.  Brush or drizzle the potatoes evenly with the melted butter.  Sprinkle evenly with the garlic powder and smoked paprika.*  Then sprinkle evenly with however much fine sea salt and black pepper you prefer.  
4. Bake. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and golden around the edges.  Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle the potatoes with your desired toppings, serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/smashed-potatoes/#tasty-recipes-75258)

Air Fryer Potato Wedges

2 medium Russet potatoes, cut into wedges
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.

Place potato wedges in a large bowl. Add olive oil, paprika, parsley, chili, salt, and pepper and mix well to combine.

Place 8 wedges in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.

Flip wedges with tongs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining 8 wedges.

(Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/266826/air-fryer-potato-wedges/)

Butter Rice

1/3 cup butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups good quality chicken stock*
salt & pepper, to taste
2-3 bay leaves

Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan. Add in onion and saute gently for 5-6 minutes. Stir in rice grains to coat in butter.

Pour in remaining ingredients. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes less than what is listed on rice package directions {should be about 15 minutes.}

Turn heat off rice, but keep on hot burner for 10 minutes to steam and prevent scorching. Fluff rice with fork, remove bay leaves and serve as desired.

(source: https://laurenslatest.com/laurens-famous-butter-rice/)

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4″ thin strips, or to your desired thickness and length. Mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with the potatoes until they are evenly coated.

Transfer the potatoes to a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer. Try not to overcrowd or have multiple layers of fries — you want them to be roasted, not steamed.

Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, turning the fries once or twice during that time to cook evenly. May take more or less time, depending on the size and thickness you cut the fries.

Remove once the edges slightly begin to brown and fries begin to crisp. Sprinkle course salt on top when they are hot out of the oven.

(Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/oven-roasted-sweet-potato-fries-497715)

Rice Pilaf

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups chicken broth

Melt the butter in a lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Cook and stir orzo pasta until golden brown. Stir in onion and cook until onion becomes translucent, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the rice and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

(Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sarahs-rice-pilaf/)

Green Chile Chicken & Rice

24 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (I used chicken breasts)
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 ounces green enchilada sauce (I like Herdez Mexican Cooking sauces, which is in a jar)
1 cup water (high elevations should add an additional 1/4 cup)
1 cup long-grain rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy on one side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow to heat for about a minute. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for about 1 more minute. Add the enchilada sauce, water, and rice and bring to a boil. Place the chicken, brown side up, on top of the rice. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to prevent the rice from scorching. When the rice and chicken are cooked through, it’s done (higher elevations will take longer, maybe even twice as long, so plan accordingly.) Add the cilantro and stir to combine. Serves 4-6.

(adapted slightly. Source: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2014/09/green-chile-chicken-rice/)

Chickpea, Tomato, & Feta Salad

This is a light and delicious salad - perfect for lunch, a snack, or a side dish. Really quick to make, and super yummy!

1/4 cup canned chickpeas
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper


Rinse and drain chickpeas. In a bowl, combine chickpeas with tomatoes, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

(Source: Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/316344/chickpea-cherry-tomato-and-feta-salad)

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

I made these for Thanksgiving dinner, and they were a HUGE hit. They were devoured by all - both kids and adults, and everyone requested the recipe. They tasted more like candy than vegetables. They could have been eaten for dessert. They were amazing.

4 C mashed Sweet potatoes (4 med sweet potatoes or abt 2 large sized cans)
6 Tbs Sugar
6 Tbs butter (no margarine), softened or melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (eyeball it)
1 t vanilla
Topping:
If you’re feeling naughty you can double this part :)
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C sweetened coconut flakes
6 Tbs melted butter

Note: You can make these up to a day or two ahead of time, just keep them well covered in the fridge and don’t put the topping on until just before baking.If using fresh sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and place on foil in the oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until tender.

Once they’ve cooled enough to handle, slice in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl. To the mixing bowl add in sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Your butter should be soft enough to blend up easily so nuke it in the microwave before you add it to the bowl if you need to.

You could mash it all up by hand, but an electric mixer works great. I don’t like it completely pureed, so I mix it just until everything is incorporated but there are still some sweet potatoes in larger chunks.

Spread this mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.

For the topping, combine brown sugar and coconut and then pour melted butter over and combine. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potatoes in the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes. It will be more or less depending on the size of dish you use, whether you double the topping, etc. But the top should be nice and browned and bubbly so just keep an eye on it.

(Source: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/candied-coconut-sweet-potatoes/)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/Honey & Cinnamon

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until tender. 

(Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-honey-butter-recipe/index.html)

Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples

I found this recipe on the inside wrapper of the butternut squash package from Costco (they sell it already peeled, seeded and cubed, and it's amazing). I made it on a whim because the squash needed to be used that day, before it went bad, and I didn't have any great ideas. Dickson, Jada, and I ate ALL of it. It was that good.

1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (1" chunks)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cubed (1" chunks)
2 Tbls water
3 Tbls butter, melted
3 Tbls honey
1/4 cup pecans, diced
cinnamon, to taste
nutmeg, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put squash and apple in an 8x8 baking dish. Add 2 Tbls water, and put in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While it is roasting, melt the butter in the microwave; add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans.

After the squash has roasted for 20 minutes, pour the butter/honey mixture over the squash and apples and stir to coat. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Dijon Roasted Potatoes

6-8 medium red potatoes, unpeeled
2 Tbls Dijon mustard
4 Tbls olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut potatoes into one inch pieces.

Whisk remainder of ingredients together in large bowl, Add potatoes and toss.

Roast in greased pan (line with foil and grease for easy clean up) for 30 minutes.

(Source: adapted slightly from food.com -- http://www.food.com/recipe/dijon-roasted-potatoes-431601)

Grilled Red Potato Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Don't let the name fool you. This is the. best. potato salad I've ever made or eaten. Seriously. So good!

It's found on one of my faves, food network.com (here):

Ingredients

• 4 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked until almost tender, drained, and halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• Salt and freshly ground black
• 3/4 pound hickory smoked bacon
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese

Directions

Preheat grill. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill cut side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl.

Place medium skillet on the side burner or the grill and heat until almost smoking. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool and crumble.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and parsley and toss to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese.

Note: I didn't have red potatoes (they're pretty hard to find here in Germany for some reason) so I used small butter potatoes. It was fine. I also didn't have white wine vinegar but I did have white wine. Don't ask. I just used regular vinegar and some of the white wine I had. I'm sure if you're more religious than me, you can use something else. I'd use the wine again. I did let it cook a little longer so as to make the alcohol content a little less than Robitussin. :) 

Roasted Vegetables

I made this as a side dish for dinner last night, and it turned out great. I didn't have all the vegetables listed on hand, so substituted some with others, and it was still delicous. I don't think there's any normal combination of vegetables that wouldn't work!

1 small butternut squash, cubed

2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

1 red onion, quartered

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preahet oven to 475 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters inot pieces, and add them to the mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly in a large roasting pan.

Roast for 35-40 minutes in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-vegetables/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=roasted%20vegetables&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page