Oven Fries with Rosemary and Sea Salt

Herb-iforous heaven lol!

So summer doesn't officially start until next week but I'm well on my way to integrating lighter recipes into my cooking repertoire for the summer season. I usually make oven fries at home since deep frying is such a task having to pull out a large pot and so much oil. I also believe oven fries are so much healthier for you and its easier to integrate different flavors with this method in my opinion. For this particular recipe I used Idaho potatoes but russets, yukon golds, and red potatoes should work just fine. This recipe also gives you so much leeway in the variety of herbs and spices you can use, the possibilities are endless. These fries are really quick and tasty, I paired it with a salmon burger but you can let these flavorful fries accompany your favorite steak, bbq chicken, burgers, or grilled fish.

Crappy pic...Tasty fries!

Oven Roasted Fries with Rosemary and Sea Salt

Serves 2

1lb idaho potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh rosemary 

cooking spray

- Heat Oven to 400 degrees

- Wash and scrub potatoes

- After washing cut potatoes into french fry shape. Heres a great tutorial on how to make perfect french fries.

- Rinse potatoes and pat dry.

- In a large bowl toss the potatoes along with sea salt, olive oil, red pepper, and rosemary.

- Take a large sheet pan and coat it with cooking spray. 

- Proceed to spread seasoned potatoes on the sheet pan in a single layer.

- Place fries into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender and crisp.

- Remove from oven and enjoy!

Homemade Flaky Layer Biscuits

Flaky Buttery Goodness!

I always liked the grands flaky layer biscuits that are available in the supermarket. Since I have been trying to make all of my store bought favorites at home I decided to attempt these flaky layer biscuits. Well not really I just had some buttermilk I needed to use. This recipe from food.com looked really delicious with all the individual buttery layers so I decided I would give it a try. The first few steps are pretty easy but when it comes time to make the folds that is when things get serious. Unlike regular biscuit making this particular recipe is like making puff pastry with all the folds involved. I recommend using a silpat or any silicone baking sheet to roll out the biscuits instead of a table top along with a bench knife to remove the dough easier. These biscuits bake up with a crispy bottom and top and buttery flaky layers in between. This recipe is  just really tasty, and makes for a wonderful treat during a special dinner.

Homemade Flaky Layer Biscuits

Adapted from Food.com

4 1/2 cups white lily all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter or 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup shortening, cut into pieces
1 3/4-2 cups cold buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature,cut into 1 tablespoon portions
2 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted,for brushing tops
 

- Preheat oven to 450° (500° if using a convection oven).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
- Cut cold butter or shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
(Mixture will resemble coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.) If butter gets very soft at this point, refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
- Add 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, stirring just to moisten all ingredients.
Dough should be soft and moist; add remaining 1/4 cup as needed.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, or just until dough holds together.
- Roll or pat dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.
- With short side nearest you, spread top two-thirds of dough with 3 tablespoons soft butter, leaving bottom third, closest to you, un-buttered.
- Fold dough into thirds (like you would fold a letter) by pulling bottom third up over center and then pulling top third over middle.

- Turn dough so short side faces you.
- Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.
- In same manner, spread again with 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold letter style.
- Turn once more in the same manner.
- Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with remaining 3 tablespoons soft butter and fold up.
- Work quickly and gently so as not to overwork dough.
- Pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick on floured surface.
- Cut into squares with a sharp chef's knife.
- Place on pan, 1 inch apart.
- Lightly brush tops with melted butter.
- Bake in center of hot oven about 15-20 minutes (about 12 minutes in convection), until golden brown and firm.
- Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Brussel Sprouts with Vinegar Glazed Red Onions

Brussel Sprouts often get a bad rap from people even before they try the actual vegetable. I thank kid shows and movies for that! I had it in my head that brussel sprouts was the worst tasting thing in the world thanks to the countless jokes that I heard on  TV.  I tasted brussel sprouts for the first time a few years ago in my culinary one class. To my surprise they were good similar in flavor to cabbage. I have been cooking brussel sprouts at home ever since. Brussel sprouts  can be cooked in a variety of ways like most vegetables but my favorite is to steam them and then saute them quickly. Along with being a quick meal brussel sprouts are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. I'm thinking its time you all get with me and try them out, and to make this even better...its their peak season until February! For my Brooklyn readers Brussel Sprouts are available at most Asian/Caribbean markets for under $1.50 a pack(which serves two people). Here is my take on the popular martha stewart recipe:

Brussel Sprouts with Vinegar Glazed Red Onions

1 lb Brussel Sprouts, cored and cut in half

1tbsp unsalted butter 

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, cut in medium dice

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- Set Bamboo Steam over boiling hot water**.

- Place Brussel sprouts in Steam baskets, cover and let cook until brussel sprouts turn bright green and soften.

- Remove sprouts from steam basket and set in bowl.

- In large saute pan over medium heat  melt butter and olive oil.

- Add onions and balsamic vinegar to oil and cook until onions soften and vinegar is reduced.

- Toss brussel sprouts into onion mixture. 

- Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.

- Serve immediately.

** I like to steam my veggies to retain maximum nutrients but if you don't own a steamer you can flash cook your sprouts by cooking them in boiling water for a few minutes until they turn bright green, and then placing in a pan filled with with cold water to cool.

Makin the switch: White Rice to Brown Rice

Cooked Brown Basmati Rice from Trader Joe's

Growing up in my house we usually used parboiled long grain rice....in fact that was the only rice I remember using. My mom was firmly against cooking plain white rice, her explanation was that it was to hard to digest and that that it didn't have any real nutrients. As a kid I just said whatever and ate what I was given but now that I am grown I realize she was completely right. White rice is brown rice on a starvation diet. White rice may be satisfying to some people but it completely lacks any true nutritional value as its stripped of  most anything good for you in the refining process. Not to say I haven't used white rice before...I have some on hand when I want to make traditional Spanish yellow rice but that is all I use it for. Now back to the brown rice...so I have had this long lasting love/hate journey with brown rice, either its taste like something I should use as compost or it cooked up way to mushy. I tried brown rice from every brand I saw in the supermarket or even the Asian grocer but it always left me disappointed and I would go running back to my parboiled rice. In an continuing effort to eat the healthiest that I can I have been trying to switch out many of the luxuriously rich, fatty food that I love for more waistline friendly versions, so even though parboiled ice isn't that bad for you I still wanted to get the most out of rice if I had to eat it which meant switching to brown rice. I know I know..I'm hearing your "blechs/yucks/ughhhs" from here but I want to tell you about another great Trader Joes find! I started using Trader Joes brand brown basmati rice, its easy to cook and fluffs up perfectly every time. TJ's brown basmati smells similar to their white variety and has the best taste of any brown rice I have eaten thus far.  I wont give you all a recipe because it depends on what amount you will be cooking and the instructions is on the package, but I will leave you with a few tips:

- You may need to add additional water to the pot to get your desired texture, only add in 1/4 cup intervals
- Keep your stove low after your initial boiling, boiling it straight through will result in a gooey texture
- add in bouillon cubes, olive oil, grapeseed oil, garlic, onions, thyme, and any variation of aromatics you like to enhance the flavor but keep an eye on the salt your adding in( I use rapunzel no salt Bouillin cubes from whole foods)

rightbynaturemarket.com

 

Mango Salsa

Sometimes in the winter you need a tropical escape, and since not all of us can book an ocean view cabin on a Carnival cruise ship on a whim maybe something tropically delicious can suffice. My mango salsa is usually a treat that I only make for Christmas as a dressing for fried fish but it was so popular this year that I decided to write a post on it to share with everyone. This salsa can be made any number of ways with any kind of fruit that's in season or you could even create your own combo of vegetables. My family also uses it as a dressing for salad in lieu of traditional salad dressing. This is one of the easiest, tastiest things anyone could make. I think this can be a great recipe addition to any healthy new years resolution eating plan. From my home to yours...Enjoy!

Mango Salsa

1 mango (just ripened), cut small dice

3 tomatoes, peeled and cut small dice

1 red onion, cut small dice

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

3 bell peppers, small dice

juice of one lemon or lime

2 Tbsp grapeseed or canola oil

- Place large saute pan under medium heat and when hot add in oil.

- When oil shimmers place garlic and onion in the pan and simmer until onion is no longer opaque.

- Now add in peppers and saute for 2 minutes.

- Immediately add in tomatoes and saute for another 1-2 minutes,  finally add in mangoes and lemon juice.

- Finish with salt and pepper.

English Roast Potatoes

Growing up I always loved family dinners on Sundays. In my Granny's house there was always an abundance of food, a mix of Caribbean, English, and American. One of my favorite side dishes from Sunday "lunch" as Caribbean people say was English roast potatoes. My aunt used to prepare it and she always had me help her with the preparations. I'm not sure how my aunt came into making this recipe but it more than likely has something to do with her having family in England. Back to the good stuff...when they came out the oven,those little quarters of potatoes bronzed and glistening I couldn't help but sneak a couple before dinner..they were soooo yummy! Today I'm all grown up but still love making these little roasted gems and yes I still sneak a few as soon as they come out the oven.

* this recipe makes alot so cut down if you don't have a large amount to feed.

English Roast Potatoes

5lb bag of red potatoes, quartered and boil till fork tender

1 packet of onion soup mix

1/2 cup olive oil

black pepper to taste

- Heat oven at 400 degrees

- When your potatoes finish boiling, strain them and add into a large bowl

- Pour olive oil over potatoes along with soup mix and black pepper, toss

- Spread on sheet pan and baked until golden about 45 minutes

This is before it bakes

This is how it looks on a dinner plate