Category Archives: SIDE DISH RECIPES

BAKED CHEDDAR CHEESE AND FRESH CHIVE POLENTA

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Now some evenings I have more energy for cooking than others. Sound familiar? And late yesterday afternoon after I had already slapped meat loaf together and cut up zucchini for one of my favorite simple veggie dishes (Quick Zucchini Stir-Fry with Slivered Almonds), I had frankly run out of steam. So the thought of spending any more time on a complicated side dish was not very appealing. But I was really in the mood for polenta. (I absolutely love polenta!) I just wanted to fix it without having to continuously stir or check on it in any way. I wanted to be able to put my feet up and get back to my book. (You see, the protagonist in my book was in terrible trouble. I just knew he needed me to be with him to achieve his goal. Saving Canada from dishonest government officials isn’t easy, especially if one of your greatest fans isn’t right there by your side. So I surreptitiously assisted Armand while this fantastic and easy polenta I found on the dinnerthendessert.com site happily baked away in my oven.) (OK, I did add an ingredient, change an amount here and there, and the method of cooking a wee bit, but the basic gist was all Sabina’s.) To be truthful, I wasn’t sure this cooking method was actually going to work. But the results were perfect. Creamy and luscious, just like polenta should taste.

So dinner was a success. Armand saved the day. And I now have a great new way to prepare polenta. I call that a winning combination.

And if you are wondering about my deep concern for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec, you need go no further than to your local library or favorite book store to get your answer. Check out Louise Penny’s wonderful series mainly set in Three Pines, a fictional rural village in lower Québec. Ms. Penny is an absolutely fantastic writer. All of her characters are so real you feel like they are dear friends. Or enemies, as the case may be. But start at the very beginning of the series with Still Life. You may thank me later.

And try this game changing way to prepare a lovely cheesy polenta next time you want an elegant side dish. You will not believe how quick and easy it is to fix.  And you want to change it up a bit – add some garlic, or exotic spices, fresh herbs, or go completely wild and crazy. Substitute Pepper Jack cheese in place of the sharp cheddar. That will have your whole family questioning your culinary aptitude. And won’t that be fun!

So as always, peace, love, and creative kitchen adventures to all.

6 c. water  

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1½ c. polenta or yellow cornmeal

¼ c. heavy cream or whole milk

1½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

¼ c. chopped fresh chives, plus a bit more as garnish

paprika

Place water, salt, pepper, and butter in a Dutch oven or stove top/oven-proof pan. Heat on the stove top just until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the polenta.

Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes stir in the cream, 1¼ cups of the cheese, and chives. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup cheese and lightly dust with paprika.

Bake for an additional ten minutes. Remove from oven and decorate with additional chopped chives. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

LEMON PEPPER RICE

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I made this rice dish the other evening to go with fried cod. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fish. And it was easy to prepare and really, really tasty. Along with steamed broccoli, we dined royally at Chez Carr. So give it a try. You’ll be hooked too.

Now I don’t know about you, but having now been grounded for a month, and having been the sole person in charge of all things kitchen (except for washing the dishes which Mr. C. gladly handles), I’m getting a bit tired of cooking. Oh not so much the actual preparation aspect, I can handle that. I’m talking about the menu planning part. And my greatest passion is trying new recipes and passing them on to you! So if I’m getting tired, imagine what others are experiencing.

Actually I was contemplating what it must be like to not particularly enjoy cooking in the first place. But really having no other choice but to continue cooking or face family members not really sympathetic to enforced weight loss! Yikes. Could get ugly real fast.

With that concern in mind, I want to offer the following suggestion to all cooks who are struggling with the “what in the heck should I fix for dinner tonight” dilemma? Use the KISS principal. KISS – Keep It Selfish Sister/Sir. Prepare your favorite dishes. If you are preparing and eating what you like best, then it’s reasonable to assume that the dish is probably pretty darn delicious! And it is always easier to cook something that you yourself are hungry for. And – well here goes the really tricky part – you are the one who is doing yeoman’s duty, so don’t give in to pressure from your family. Sure they are stressed too. And of course their well-being is of concern. But it’s like with face masks in an airplane when the pressure drops, we are always reminded to put our own mask on first so that we are able to help those around us. First and foremost you need to take care of yourself. And if that means that you bake oatmeal cookies rather than chocolate chip cookies, so be it. Believe me, if you are doing well, your family will be close behind.

So dear readers, keep cooking. Keep smiling too. If nothing else, your smile will be infectious. I mean really. Who can stay grumpy when there’s a happy cook in the kitchen? No one, that’s who!  

½ c. water

1 c. chicken broth

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. lemon zest

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice   

1 T. unsalted butter

1 c. medium grain rice, uncooked (I use Sunluck Niko Niko Calrose white rice grown in California)

Place everything in your rice cooker and place on “GO”. If you don’t have a rice cooker, bring water, broth, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter to a boil in a medium sized covered sauce pan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork just before serving.

SAVORY WILD RICE, BROWN RICE, AND MUSHROOM PILAF

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It’s funny how much the types of food I eat and the recipes I prepare have evolved from when I was a child. I basically grew up on a chicken farm. My dad wasn’t a farmer, but my grandfather was. And my grandparent’s home and the chicken coupes were on the same piece of property as my parent’s home. My grandad raised the chickens for the eggs he sold to the local coop. So I ate eggs practically every day as a child and still do as a mature adult. (Mature in years that is!)

Also, my grandparents had the largest vegetable garden I have ever seen. They also had every type of berry imaginable, as well as apples, peaches, plums, grapes, rhubarb, and mint. They grew everything. And my grandmother canned every single vegetable and fruit she could get her hands on. In retrospect it was truly amazing.

And of course there were usually a couple of cows around both for the milk/cream (think home churned butter) and to keep the meat locker well stocked. And yes in those days, we rented a meat locker a few miles from our home. (Freezers in private homes came along in the 1940s. But they were usually very small and would never have accommodated a large amount of beef.) Grandpa would visit the locker about once a week to retrieve meat for grandma and mom to cook throughout the following week. Often in the summer I would ride along, and I can still remember the cold air and the unique smell (not bad) associated with opening the big exterior door that led to our own private cage of meat. Wonderful memory.

But what has all this to do with this recipe. Well as I was looking over the ingredients, I realized that my mother and grandmother wouldn’t have had the faintest notion what to do with 2/3rds of the ingredients listed in this recipe. The only ones they would have cooked with routinely would have been the onion, celery, salt, and pepper. I don’t even think they knew about sage unless they used poultry seasoning, which frankly I doubt! Of course, as we all grew older, more products were introduced and my mom especially would have used some of them. But I doubt she ever bought wild rice, brown rice, olive oil, fresh garlic, marjoram, or fresh parsley. She just was not that inventive a cook. For her cooking was a necessity rather than a pleasure.

Yet this is such a simple recipe. And it includes ingredients that are readily available in most of the grocery stores in America. So why am I telling you this. Well, not to overstate the obvious, but this recipe includes ingredients that are readily available in most of the grocery stores in America! Also this dish is easy to prepare and is really tasty. Pretty healthy too.

So even though my own mother would never have looked twice at this recipe from The Spruce Eats web site, I’m hoping you will give it a try. And who doesn’t need a healthy, delicious side dish recipe that everyone in the family will love. Just sayin’!

2¾ c. vegetable broth

½ c. wild rice

¾ c. brown rice

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

8-10 mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced  

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. dried marjoram

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1/3 c. slivered or sliced almonds

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large covered saucepan and add the wild rice. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir a couple of times while wild rice cooks. Add the brown rice. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Again, give the rice a stir or two during the cooking process.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until it is very soft and just starting to brown, about 20-25 minutes. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. Add the garlic, sage, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the rice is done, add the onion mixture along with the fresh parsley and almonds; stir well to combine. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until all of the ingredients are just heated through. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning.

Set aside for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork just before serving.

MEXICAN RICE PILAF

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I really hate it when I have to eat my words. (I enjoy eating almost everything else, but eating my own words causes me anxiety and hives.) But sometimes there is just nothing for it except to get it over with and start chewing. So – in full disclosure, in a previous post for Mexican rice, I stated that “with the exception of a particularly delicious paella I once enjoyed in Spain and a fine recipe I have for cabbage rolls, I don’t like rice and tomatoes cooked together”.

But when researching recipes for a recent Mexican food themed meal I found this recipe from Once Upon a Chef. And since I love and trust this site, I bit the bullet. I did make a couple very minor changes, but I don’t mess with the bones of a Jenn Segal recipe, because she is a remarkable chef. So I left in the tomato paste.

And of course, you know what I have to say next. The rice was wonderful, and one of the main reasons was because the (damn) tomato paste was one of the ingredients! Gurrr!

Now this is important so pay attention. Sometimes, actually quite often, I am wrong about food combinations. It’s all a matter of taste anyway. So as I have previously stated, any recipe for something like this rice dish, is simply a guide. If you wanted to add peas (as Jenn originally included), add peas. Or you like a more pronounced garlic influence, up the number of garlic cloves. Or you feel chopped celery would add a nice base flavor, chop away. Or if you are like me, and still on the fence about cilantro, decrease the amount in any given recipe and add a bit of fresh parsley. That’s the joy of cooking. You make it your own by simply being creative and adding your own special touch.

So make this wonderful rice. It turned out that one of the enchilada dishes I served was quite runny. So what my guests did was top their rice with the enchilada. It was great! So don’t hesitate to use this as a base for other Mexican dishes. Have fun in the kitchen. That’s what this is all about.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. finely chopped yellow onion

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely minced (or more or less to taste)

2 lg. cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ c. long grain white rice

2 T. tomato paste (preferably Italian tomato paste)

3 c. vegetable broth

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

2 T. finely chopped cilantro

2 T. finely chopped parsley

4 tsp. fresh lime juice, or more to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large covered pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and rice; cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin; turn up the heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir periodically. When done, remove from heat.

Add the cilantro, parsley, and lime juice; fluff the rice with a fork to mix. Let the rice sit for a few moments for the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning, add additional lime juice if desired.

To make ahead, do not add the cilantro, parsley, and lime until you have re-heated the rice and just before you plan to serve. To reheat the rice, heat in a covered container in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is good and warm. Stir in the cilantro, parsley, and lime. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

MEXICAN BLACK BEANS

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OK, so I recently told you that I was on yet another of my healthy kicks, so here goes a new recipe using dried beans. Now before you close down this post or jump out of your bedroom window, I want you to know that these are the best black beans I have ever tasted. And I have been on this strange planet for quite a number of decades now. And, I have made more recipes using dried beans than I can count. And I am good with numbers!

This recipe is straight out of the little recipe book that came with my Cosori Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. (Thanks again Paula and Mark.)

I am truly not exaggerating when I say these beans could not be more delicious. Or nutritious! They are tender, savory, and juicy. (You need to serve them in a bowl.) But OMG (oh-my-goodness), they make for a very happy mouth. And if I’m not mistaken, my digestive track is probably giving me a “high-five” for providing it with the total and soluble fiber it so richly deserves. Not to mention the important micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc that come with the whole package.

So if you are trying to eat healthier and still enjoy food that tastes like it’s been prepared by a world class chef, give these beans a try. And if you can find a restaurant that serves beans that are this delicious, please let me know. If they can turn out beans like this, imagine what their chiles rellenos would taste like. The mind boggles at just the thought of a chiles rellenos that good.

Anyway, make some of these beans. And not just because they’re good for you. But out of the sheer pleasure of tasting something so delicious it will almost make you weep. Thank you Cosori for this wonderful recipe. And good health to you all.

2 c. dry black beans, rinsed 

1 onion, chopped 

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

1 T. chili powder 

1 tsp. paprika 

½ tsp. ground cumin 

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 

3½ c. water 

juice of 1 lime, or more to taste

Place the beans, onion, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, and water in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Secure the lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the locked position.

Select Beans/Chili then add additional time to read 45 minutes.

Press start.

Allow the cooker to naturally release for 15-20 minutes when done cooking. Add the lime juice and adjust seasoning.

 

QUINOA, KALE, AND SHALLOT PILAF

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Now I know what you’re thinking. Patti is trying to sneak kale into our diet again in order to help us eat healthier. And by golly, you’d be absolutely spot on! But it’s not just for your sake that I came up with this recipe. It’s for our sake too!

Mr. C. and I need to remain ever steadfast in our pursuit of good health. And since I do most of the meal planning in our wonderful partnership, it’s up to me to help him stay healthy too. (See how that works!)

Fact: Mr. C. likes quinoa. Fact:  Mr. C. is never, ever going to beg me to fix a cruciferous veggie for dinner. But, if I sneak in a bit of cruciferous (in this case kale) with other ingredients that he admires, I usually can get away with upping his consumption of this healthy group of vegetables.

And indeed he thought this pilaf was just fine! (He’s a big fan of shallots, garlic, and slivered almonds.)

So next time you want to serve a healthier side dish to your family, get out the box or bag of quinoa, chop up a few veggies, and sit down to dinner with a smile on your face. You might even forget to mention the “H” (healthy) word when you describe this dish’s many virtues. I know I forgot to mention the “K” (kale) word to Mr. C. the other evening, and in doing so it didn’t seem to harm him one bit. Oh who am I kidding? He knew exactly what was in this recipe. He’d glanced at the ingredient list as it came off the printer.

But we’re not so old that we don’t still appreciate a little harmless “detail omission” in the name of marital bliss. And speaking of marital happiness, it’s after 5:00 pm. It’s martini time. And my dear husband has just delivered a coupe glass containing the requisite amount of gin, vermouth, and ice to my desk.

So here’s to marital harmony, delicious and healthy food, and to our family, friends (and spouses) who eat kale without making a fuss!

1½ c. quinoa, well rinsed and drained

3 c. water

3 tsp. vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. extra virgin olive oil   

1 lg. shallot, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 c. chopped kale leaves, massaged

¼ c. slivered almonds

In a medium pot over high heat, bring the quinoa, water, veggie base, seasoned salt, and pepper to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa has fully absorbed the water, about 20 minutes. Stir periodically while cooking. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot to the pan. When the shallot become translucent, after about 4 minutes, add the garlic and the kale. As the kale begins to wilt and reduce, continue to stir. It should take about 2 minutes for the kale to wilt.  

Stir in the cooked quinoa, taste, and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in the slivered almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

INSTANT POT AND OVEN OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

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before the beans went in the oven

So call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think a BBQ picnic is complete without baked beans. And not the kind of baked beans containing fancy new ingredients like quinoa, agave nectar, or stevia. I’m talking about the kind of baked beans I’ve been preparing since my early 20s. Dry beans rehydrated with lots of ketchup, brown sugar, bacon, onion, rum, Dijon mustard, etc. (OK, I didn’t use rum or Dijon mustard when I first started making baked beans. But a few concessions for the sake of flavor simply had to be made as I developed as a cook. And I’m sure my father, the baked bean maker in our family would agree with each of my respective inclusions.)

So, because I consider myself to be am open minded person, and my daughter Paula just happened to have gifted me with an Instant Pot a couple of Christmas’s ago, I decided to make this recipe for baked beans a generational mash up.

First and foremost, baked beans have to be made from scratch. (And yes I have cheated over the years and purchased a big old can of baked beans and doctored them up to my liking. But in my defense, that was when I was much younger, still working, and had kidlets littered about the house. However, now that I am retired with virtually nothing stopping me from spending hours in the kitchen, I no longer go that route.)

Anyway, this recipe contains all of the ingredients I used when I began preparing baked beans decades ago, except for of course the aforementioned rum and Dijon mustard.

So if you too love baked beans, give this recipe a try. And yes it still takes a good deal of time to bake beans from scratch. But most of the time you are free to pursue other activities. Very little prep time is involved. The rest of the time your Instant Pot and oven are doing the heavy work.   

So host a picnic before the summer is over. There is just no better way to spend quality time with your family and friends than by getting your faces totally smeared with BBQ sauce, or having your arms and elbows become sodden from the juices dripping out of a luscious hamburger. Good times my friends. Good times!

And for a recipe for Vegetarian Baked Beans – check out the recipe already on this site.

2 lbs. Great Northern beans, picked over and washed (about 4½ cups dry beans)

8 c. water, plus more as needed

1 lg. yellow onion, chopped, divided

2 tsp. paprika

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

¾ lb. lean thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces

2/3 c. molasses (not blackstrap – too strong)

2 c. ketchup, or more to taste

½ dark rum, opt.

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried savory

1-2 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ c. Dijon mustard

1½ c. brown sugar

Place half of the beans, water, half of the chopped onion, paprika, garlic, and bay leaves in the Instant Pot. Note the water level for future reference. Set on high and cook for 35 minutes. (See guide below if not using Great Northern dry beans.) Once machine is done cooking, allow it to naturally release pressure for about 20 minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid. Using a large slotted spoon, lift the beans into a container. Save the water.

Add the remaining half of the dry beans and enough water to bring the level in the pot up to where it was for the first set of beans.

Please note: If you have a large Instant Pot, you may be able to pressure cook all the dry beans at once. If so, lucky you! I only have a 6 quart pot so I had to cook the beans in 2 batches.

While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large fry-pan until crisp. Add the remaining onion and sauté just until translucent. (And no, you don’t drain off the bacon fat unless there is quite a bit. But with lean bacon you shouldn’t have too much.) Remove pan from heat and stir in the molasses, ketchup, rum, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, savory, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar.

When the beans are all cooked, drain off all the water. (Save a couple cups of the water just in case additional liquid is needed during the baking process.) After the beans are drained, add them to the fry pan. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as required.

Pour into an oven proof covered casserole. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 275 degree oven for about 2 hours. Remove the lid and continue baking for another hour so that the top can brown nicely. (During the baking time, check the beans periodically to make sure they aren’t drying out too much. Add reserved Instant Pot water as needed.)

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Can be made ahead, refrigerated, and warmed just before serving.  

Instant Pot Cooking Time for Dried Beans:

Black Beans–30 Minutes on High Pressure

Chickpeas–40 Minutes on High Pressure

Kidney Beans–35 Minutes on High Pressure

Pinto Beans–25 Minutes on High Pressure

Navy Beans–30 Minutes on High Pressure

HOT BUTTERED NOODLES

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OK, I know what you are thinking. Believe me, I was thinking it too! This will never work. The noodles won’t get done, or I will be left with a gloppy gelatinous mess that I will have to throw away. Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! These are the best side dish noodles I have ever served. No worry at all about them sticking together. And the flavor! OMG (Oh my goodness!) Fabulous!

So I am not going to say anything more about this recipe except – you must try this method of cooking egg noodles. Until you do, you simply will not know what you are missing. Thank you so much South Your Mouth cooking site. You are the bomb! I will never, ever worry about how to serve “noodles on the side” again. Happy me!

1 32-oz. carton chicken, vegetable or beef broth

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

12 oz. thick (home style) egg noodles (I use Homemade Style, Country Pasta (Egg Pasta) found at Costco)

1 T. chopped parsley, opt.

In a large pot, bring broth, butter, salt and pepper to a full, rolling boil. Add noodles and boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally. Taste for salt and add more if desired.

Turn off heat, cover and let noodles set for 20-25 minutes or until tender and most of the broth has been absorbed. Stir once after about 10 minutes to make sure the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir again just before serving, scoop into a serving dish, and top with parsley.  

SIMPLE BAKED RICE PILAF

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I am always looking for fairly plain, easy to prepare, but still tasty starchy side dishes to serve with what I call “fussy food”. You know, like meaty casseroles, meat loaf, meats with a sauce – that type of food. Especially when I am entertaining guests. (If it’s just Mr. C. and me, I often don’t serve a starchy dish, because we simply don’t need it. I serve 2 veggies, or a simple veggie and a salad.)

But the other night I planned to serve Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (recipe coming soon) to our dear friends Tim & Suzie, Todd & Cindy. The guys had been golfing at our local golf course, and the ladies joined the fun for a rather impromptu après golfing gathering. I didn’t want to serve potatoes or pasta, but knew that I wanted a little something starchy on the side. (Company coming after all!) So I went on line and found this very simple recipe from Emeril Lagasse.

And it was perfect. A nice mellow flavor. And the fact that I could bake the dish right along with the casserole was an added incentive to give this dish a try. (And yes I know. I could have made simple steamed rice in one of my 3 rice cookers. But I wanted to include sautéed onions in with the rice, because I thought the essence of onion would be a nice compliment to the ingredients in the chicken dish. (And yes I chose to use the word “essence” in deference to Emeril’s fabulous creole seasoning combination. See recipe below.)

So next time you need a simple but delicious side dish and don’t want to go to too much trouble, give this recipe a try. Try it, you’ll like it! (Been said before but it still bears repeating.)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. chopped yellow onion

1½ c. long-grain white rice

1½ c. water

1¼ c. chicken broth

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (just a bit)

In a medium-sized, heavy lidded saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the water, chicken broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and transfer to the middle rack of a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff the rice just before serving.

Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning

2½ T. paprika

2 T. kosher salt

2 T. granulated garlic

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. onion powder

1 T. cayenne pepper

1 T. dried leaf oregano

1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

And I know. This recipe has nothing to do with the rice dish above. I just think it is a recipe that everyone should have because it is just plain wonderful.

CRISPY OVEN BAKED RED & GOLD POTAOTOES

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I believe in making my life easier every chance I get. And this recipe is the very essence of that affirmation. Just a few dried herbs, dehydrated onion, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, a glug or two of olive oil, and some chunks of potato and you have the makings for a wonderfully simple and delicious vegetable side dish. And relatively healthy to boot! And these potatoes go with just about any simple meat dish. Roast chicken, pork tenderloin, grilled flank steak, grilled hamburgers, etc. etc. Just a lovely combination of crispy and tender. Completely yum!

So next time you want a delicious side dish that everyone will enjoy, throw a batch of these in your oven. Your kids will love them. You can of course serve them with ketchup, but they can just as easily stand on their own. They are just that flavorful. Enjoy

2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1½ tsp.  dried minced onion*

1 tsp. dried oregano*

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves*

½ tsp. dried marjoram*

½ tsp. dried basil*

½ tsp. granulated garlic  

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

healthy pinch paprika  

3 lbs. unpeeled baby Yukon gold or baby red potatoes (or a mixture of the two)

cooking spray

Whisk the olive oil, onion, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a medium sized bowl.

Place extra-large low-sided baking sheet in oven on the middle rack.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees with the baking sheet inside.  

Slice the potatoes in half (quartering any unusually large ones). Dry thoroughly with either paper towels or a clean kitchen tea towel.  Stir the potatoes into the olive oil mixture making sure every surface is coated with the seasoned oil. 

Remove baking sheet from oven and quickly cover the bottom of the hot pan with cooking spray. Scoop the potatoes onto the hot baking sheet and spread carefully into an even layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, then flip each potato over and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown, crispy, and fork tender. Serve hot.

*if the dried minced onion, or dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, or basil leaves are particularly large, you probably should reduce the size a bit before mixing them in with the olive oil. I use my small mortar and pestle for this purpose. (You don’t need to pulverize the herbs. You just don’t want the dried herbs or dehydrated onion pieces to be so large that they might burn during the roasting process.)

Note: I make up a large batch of the seasoning mixture while I’m at it. Then when I make these potatoes, I use 2 tablespoons for 3 pounds of potatoes.