Roasted Italian Potatoes

Tender Roasted Italian Potatoes served over a bed of crispy greens, topped with pine nuts and fresh lemon juice is what I like to call my solution to wanting a hot meal with almost as little effort as possible.

As I’m typing this, my Zo-girl Fresh (that’d be my dog Zoey by the way), is snoring up a storm while flopped on the couch next to me. I swear that girl sleeps more than she’s awake, and snores louder than most humans. And now that I’ve given in to her sneaky ways of climbing on the living room couch and into our bed in the past several days, she’s becoming quite the spoiled princess. Not that she hasn’t always been one, but she acts so distraught when I don’t let her up.

She’s all, “What? You think I’m going to lay on this shaggy rug when I know perfectly well there’s a cushy couch or bed filled with blankets to keep me warm?”

And I’m like, “Zoey, I know you’re fricking adorable and I want to snuggle but you’re too big and it’s just not going to….” (as she nuzzles her head into me)…”Ok, come on. Get up here.”

She’s just a dog. I won’t be so easily persuaded with my children one day, I swear.

Okay so all of that dog talk was just a completely random side note to the main focus of this post. POTATOES! These potatoes are the star of the show today.  Just thinking about the generously seasoned potato chunks has me craving them all over again right this very minute. That’s saying a lot considering I just ate a tiny piece of homemade brownie and trying my best to resist going back for another piece. With the taste of chocolate still lingering in my mouth, it’s not often I would also have a desire for real food. But these potatoes, both crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, are oh so savory and simply perfection.

Roasted Italian Potatoes

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
10 small red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, for serving
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add potatoes and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat potatoes evenly with the oil.
3. In a small bowl, combine oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary and salt. Stir well to combine and add to potato bowl. Mix well to evenly coat potatoes with the seasonings. Gently shake potatoes onto the foil-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Cover the entire pan with a sheet of foil and place in oven.
4. Let cook for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender, removing pan from oven about halfway through to gently shake/turn potatoes. Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Divid potatoes among plates of lettuce, then top with a squeeze of lemon juice and a heaping tablespoon of pine nuts.

Coconut Fried Green Tomatoes

I remember staying home from school sick one day in sixth or seventh grade and my mom rented the movie Fried Green Tomatoes for me to watch. I didn’t have high expectations at first. It seemed like an “old” movie (came out in 1991, ha!). Wouldn’t you know, I watched every minute and loved it. 

If you’ve seen the movie, you know there’s a whole lot more to the story than fried green tomatoes. It’s a story of best friends, an abusive relationship, illness and even a murder. Lots of drama, but lots of love that warms your heart. The perfect sick-day movie if you ask me. 

At the time I first saw this movie, I was a picky adolescent girl living in the Midwest. I hadn’t heard of fried green tomatoes, let alone have any interest in tasting one. Fast forward a few years and I found myself not only in the South, but living in one of the most culinary rich cities in the country. My taste buds quickly expanded and fried green tomatoes became my friend…along with shrimp and grits, scallops and pralines.

There are many foods that define the South, and I’m fairly certain fried green tomatoes are one of them.

This weekend when I was picking up some produce from Boone Hall Farms, I spotted an entire bin full of the bright green fruit. I eagerly snagged a few for my basket and dreamed of some crispy tomato medallions the whole way home.  

These aren’t your typical fried green tomatoes though. The secret (not really a secret when it’s in the title), is shredded coconut. The sweet flakes add something special to this dish and only goat cheese could make it better. Of course the man in the house was disgusted with “the white stuff on top” so leave it off if you must, but I wouldn’t condone it. 

Coconut Fried Green Tomatoes

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 medium/large green tomatoes

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup shredded coconut flakes

1 large egg

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese 

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. 

2. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. In one small bowl, add the flour. In another small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and coconut flakes. In a third bowl, gently whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Dip each tomato slice first in the flour, followed by the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure the entire slice is coated in each mixture before dipping in the next. 

3. When oil is hot, add tomato slices to the pan. Let cook about 2-3 minutes on each side or until slices are golden brown. Remove from pan and gently pat with paper towels to soak up extra oil. Top each slice with about one tablespoon of goat cheese and serve immediately. 

Thanksgiving Weekend: The Food

I spent the past five days soaking in quality time with family and friends. It was fabulous. We had the best Thanksgiving, with Greg and I hosting for the first time as a married couple in our new home. I didn’t take many photos at all, but here are a few that I have of the food. Since after all, besides family and friends, it is alllllll about the food.

Triple Layer Coconut Cake

Joey Bag-a-Donuts

Turkey turkey!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Aged Cheddar Mac and Cheese from Crave

Modified version of this Brussels Sprouts Saute from Bev Cooks

I am so blessed for the gifts God has given my family and me. Thankful doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling. Praise the Lord for times like these, food this delicious, and big wins by OSU and Auburn this weekend 😉 Go Bucks and War Eagle!!

Spicy Peach Salsa

I love salsa. I have already proclaimed my love here. But homemade salsa is even better than any store bought salsa. It is so quick and easy to make too. Literally you just throw everything in a bowl and stir to combine. You can make it hot and spicy, or sweet and fruity. Or, as I have done, you can do both.

I wouldn’t call myself a peach person. I don’t not like them, but they are not ever my first fruit of choice. I don’t think I have ever even bought peaches for myself. 

Last week, the owner of my company brought in boxes and boxes of peaches that a friend of him had given for us. We were allowed to help ourselves so I fill a bag with the juicy orange fruit and sought out to make something new and delicious. 

You know I wasn’t going to let these peaches get by without being put into a dessert. This salsa is not it. I made a sweet peach treat too, but those are for another day. 

Today I bring you Spicy Peach Salsa. 

This was enjoyed with a bag of chips on the Fourth of July during a little cookout with our friends. A friend at work mentioned it would have been great on some fish tacos too. Now there’s a great idea!

Spicy Peach Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 peaches, peeled and chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons Tabasco

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl. Stir well and serve. 

Goat Cheese Vegetable Medley

I have a thing for cupcakes and all sweets in general. But I also have a thing for vegetables, especially vegetable medleys as I like to call them. Some people may have a hard time calling a plateful of vegetables “dinner,” but this particular recipes makes one filling meal with such a variety of flavors that I don’t miss a thing. It proved itself to my three times last week and it’s safe to say I’ll be eating it a couple more times this week too. Hey, that’s what local farmers markets will do to you! 

Top it off with a Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Burger drizzled with ketchup (salsa would be ideal, but I didn’t have any) for a little more substance if you need it. Tortilla chips and salsa would also pair well with this (very similar to my Veggie Nachos). 

Recently I have been struggling to be satisfied trying to keep a semi-vegetarian diet, but this dinner reassured me that I don’t need meat in my life to enjoy a flavorful meal. 

Goat Cheese Vegetable Medley

Makes 1 serving 

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoon butter or margarine 

1/2 cup diced sweet potato

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped zucchini

1 cup spring mix greens

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter/margarine in large skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add sweet potato chunks. Let sit for about a minute, then flip with spatula. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover skillet with lid. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and stir around sweet potato chunks. 

2. Add pepper, onion and zucchini to skillet. Stir all veggies together and add second tablespoon of butter. Toss all veggies to coat with butter as it melts. Let cook about 1-2 more minutes.

3. Add mixed greens and continue to gently toss all veggies. Add seasonings and about half of the goat cheese while stirring. 

4. Remove from heat and pour onto plate. Top with remaining goat cheese.

Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Potatoes

Hey Friends. My Monday flewwww by and I’m counting on the same for today, and the rest of this week for that matter!

I’m really proud of this recipe today. It’s so versatile, which is one of my favorite qualities in a dish. Plus, and more importantly, it’s healthy and delicious. Winner, winner…potato dinner!

I’m trying to eat as much of the food in my fridge and cabinets as possible before going grocery shopping again. It’s impossible for me to go to Publix to just grab an item or two. I always coming out spending more than I intended. To avoid this problem, I’m trying to ignore the lack of meat or fresh produce for just a couple of days longer. If only I can make use of what I already have on hand…

Like a bag of redskin potatoes! And a random container of ricotta cheese! (Well, not so random actually. I bought the container to make these pancakes last week, but now I’m desperate to cook with the rest of it.)

It was quite the successful experiment if you ask me. Go ahead and try for yourself. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Potatoes

Makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

2 small-medium redskin potatoes, washed and sliced

1/2 tablespoon margarine or butter

1/4 of a whole green bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup water

3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon dry basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat margarine in large skillet over medium heat. 

2. Add sliced potatoes and cover skillet. Allow to cook about four minutes. Remove lid and flip potatoes. Add water and shake skillet so potatoes are constantly moving and evenly cooking. Add green pepper sliced. Re-cover skillet and allow to cook about three to four more minutes. 

3. Remove lid and turn off heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese and spices to the skillet. Stir to evenly coat potatoes.  Serve immediately.

Cheesy Coconut Bean Dip

Hey there friends.

Are you still recovering from a post-Valentine’s Day sugar overdose like I am? This is what I was surprised with on Tuesday:

B-e-a-utiful flowers, but more importantly, half a dozen cupcakes from Cupcake! AH! I was so excited. And a little overwhelmed with where to begin. So many choices! 

“They’re alllll yours,” Greg says as I hold the box in my hands, shaking my head saying, “I really shouldn’t eat all of these myself. I really shouldn’t……but I will if I have to!” 

And I am going to have to. Greg won’t even eat one. Not even half of one. 

So that’s what I have been working on for the past couple of days…eating cupcakes. And I still have two and some crumbs left. It’s like a magical never-ending cupcake box. (I can’t eat these cupcakes quite as quickly I can eat others. They have so much delicious, but rich, frosting that I fill-up more quickly than usual.)

If you had a sugar-filled Valentine’s like I did, you might just need something, well, not so sugary. 

After making the coconut cake last week, followed by the coconut cupcakes, I was left with an open can of coconut milk in the fridge (that’s a lot of ‘coconut’ in one sentence, huh?). 

When I saw Jessica’s recipe for Coconut and Citrus White Bean Spread, I was thrilled to have a reason to use the rest of that milk. 

I loved the dip with whole wheat Ritz crackers, but I found another use for it as well. The past couple of days for lunch I have spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the dip on a hamburger bun with turkey and/or avocado. 

Well, here I am again, about to go spread this dip on a sandwich for lunch today! I am all out of avocado, so maybe I’ll throw on some extra turkey.

Tonight Greg and I are going on our Valentine’s Day date. We never did get a reservation on Tuesday, so we agreed we were just fine with waiting for a special dinner until today (the only reservation they had available for the rest of the week!). I still don’t know where we’re going, but I have a good guess. I’ll let you know if I was right tomorrow.

Meanwhile, have some coconut bean dip. Or, just keep on eating those Valentine’s chocolates 🙂

Cheesy Coconut Bean Dip

(Adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Makes about 1 cup of dip

Ingredients:

1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic, roasted

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine beans and roasted garlic. Blend until smooth. Add orange juice and coconut milk. Pulse until well-combined. Add salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Pour into small bowl and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, melt shredded cheese over medium-low heat. Stir cheese continuously until completely melted, about 3-4 minutes. 

3. Pour melted cheese into bowl with bean mixture. Stir with spoon to combine. Serve immediately. 

Creamy Fried Corn

BAM! 

Take a look at that gorgeous meal! I hate to brag, but isn’t it just so pretty?

I found this recipe for “Fried Confetti Corn” in Southern Living’s Thanksgiving issue. At the time, I didn’t need another side dish, but there was no way I could forget about it. I love corn, and with salty bacon crumbled on top, I knew it would be as amazing as it looked. 

I baked some pork chops for the main course (recipe to come another day) and couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. 

The real name for this dish given by Southern Living is Fried Confetti Corn, as the recipe included red and green bell peppers to brighten it up even more. Peppers weren’t on sale and I was feeling cheap so had to go on without them. 

I think it would have been great with the peppers, but honestly it was delicious without them too. 

Since it was lacking a wide variety of color, I felt it was appropriate to rename it. Hence: Creamy Fried Corn. 

Enjoy 🙂

Creamy Fried Corn
(Adapted from Southern Living, November 2011)

Makes about 3 servings

Ingredients:
3 bacon slices
1 can sweet golden corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 1/2 ounces cream cheese (I used ‘light’ for reduced cals)
2 tablespoons milk
Dash of sugar
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper

Directions:
1. Fry bacon in large skillet until crispy. Remove from pan and soak grease on paper towels. Coarsely chop bacon.
2. Drain all of bacon grease from skillet except about one tablespoon. Add corn and onion to skillet. Saute about 6-7 minutes, or until onions become tender.
3. Add cream cheese and milk. Stir until cream cheese is completely melted.
4. Remove from heat and add final 3 ingredients. Stir well and pour into bowl or other serving dish. Top with chopped bacon.

CBR Quesadillas

CBR= Chicken.Bacon.Ranch.

Only one of the best flavor combinations out there. Am I right or am I right?

While I would love to provide you all with some ideas for Thanksgiving dishes, I honestly don’t have many to share. I have contributed to making food for Thanksgiving before, but don’t really have much documentation of that. So, until the end of the week when I really start getting my T-Day cooking going, quesadillas it is. Besides, I am sure you are seeing plenty of other festive recipes to keep you busy. So this is a little something different. 

Quesadillas are great, because they are so simple and can be made with just about any ingredients you want. (Have you figured out yet that this is a common theme with my favorite meals?)

I made these for more of an appetizer rather than an entire meal, but they could go either way. If you need an easy weeknight meal, this is it. If you need a quick appetizer to throw together for a gathering, this is also it! 

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Quesadillas

Makes 4 quesadillas

Ingredients:

4 10-inch flour tortillas

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 1/4 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or diced

8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup ranch dressing’

Directions:

1. Heat medium-large skillet over medium heat. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon butter on one side of each tortilla.

2. When skillet is hot, add one tortilla, butter-side down. Fill half of the tortilla with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese, some of the chicken and bacon, and finally another couple tablespoons of cheese (putting cheese on both bottom and top layers help to hold it together). Fold other half of tortilla on top of the layered ingredients and lightly press down with spatula. 

3. Let cook 2-3 minutes then flip. Let cook about 1 minute on the other side and remove from heat. Tortilla should be golden brown on both sides.

4. Repeat steps 2-3 with remaining tortillas.

5. Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

Boyfriend-Approved Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Do you like vegetables? I like vegetables. As much as I love my cupcakes and dessert in general, I can definitely appreciate a plateful of sauteed or roasted veggies any day of the week. As long as it’s not too big of a plate 😉 

Sometimes I think I could be a vegetarian. But then I realize that is just crazy. What am I thinking? Especially with Thanksgiving coming up. I need that turkey in my belly! And honey-glazed ham. Any chicken is one of my favorite things to cook. But seriously, there are plenty of vegetarian meals that are just as satisfying as meat-filled meals. Veggies, beans, eggs and potatoes can make great dishes. Something like this without the chicken would still be delicious. But I think it’s only natural, and healthy, that humans eat meat. And I’m not going to mess with nature. 

The other night I had to skip the meat and stick with the veggies. I did have chicken in the freezer, but for some reason I despise thawing meat. I don’t know what bothers me so much about it, but I really hate that task. With fresh brussel sprouts in the fridge and a sweet potato calling my name, I came up with a great meal.

After getting the potato in the oven to bake, I got to work with the brussel sprouts. I love the texture of brussel sprouts. When cooked, they are crunchy, yet tender and dense (I think that accurately describes them??). 

They say vegetables are best in their raw state. Who is “they” anyway? Health experts, I guess. That might be true, but I like to think that by adding a healthy amount of olive oil, onions and garlic, my brussel sprouts are even healthier! Who would eat a raw brussel sprout anyway? This is one vegetable that I would not want to eat raw.

The sprouts went perfectly with my baked sweet potato. Greg originally gave me a look of disgust when he saw me cooking the veggies, but after forcing him to try a bite, he actually approved! Since he hadn’t trusted me to begin with, he made himself something else for dinner. But I think in the future he will be joining me here.

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

2. When hot, add onion and garlic. Stir and cook for about one minute. Add brussel sprouts and stir to evenly mix with onions and garlic. Let cook 3-4 minutes without stirring. 

3. As sprouts being to brown, add salt and pepper and stir frequently for another 5-6 minutes for even cooking.

4. Remove from heat and serve hot.