potatoes – Oven Love

Rosemary Roasted Fingerlings and Brussel Sprouts

Natalie — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:40:08 +0000

This new blog feels like a giant, open room that I can’t wait to furnish. I am excited to fill this blog with new, fresh recipes.. maybe some old favorites, too.. I am loving it!

This recipe is a little bit old and a little bit new. I’ve always (I mean, since I’ve been a grown adult and learned how to roast vegetables) loved brussel sprouts and potatoes, but adding in fresh herbs takes it up a notch in sophistication. Luckily, it doesn’t increase the work much. What is it about fresh herbs that seems so fancy?

I’m planning on fashioning a special herb garden for myself this season- I’ll keep you updated on how that goes (or if it goes at all- I’m notorious for not keeping up with plants). My little man is eager to help me- maybe he’ll be the key to keeping things green this year. (Lord knows he loves a watering can.)

Sometimes the easiest recipes are the most satisfying. (Thank goodness!!) What are your favorite ways to use fresh herbs?

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

Ingredients

1 small bag brussel sprouts, rinsed and halved
1 small bag fingerling potatoes, rinsed and halved (or quartered)
melted butter or olive oil to coat
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a 9x13inch baking dish, combine brussel sprouts, potatoes and butter or olive oil and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, rosemary, thyme and pepper and crush together with your fingers. Sprinkle over the vegetables and toss again.
Roast for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and the brussel sprouts are starting to caramelize and turn brown.
Let cool a bit and serve along side your favorite main dish.

Baked Potato Casserole

Natalie — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:53:00 +0000

We planted potatoes in our garden again this year.

A LOT of potatoes.

Anyone want some potatoes??

I feel like I’m saying “this-is-what-we-are-doing-with-our-garden-surplus” over and over again on this blog, but it’s usually when we have giant piles of produce on our counter that I have to be creative and come up with new recipes.

With a big pile of spuds staring me down, I got a craving for some baked potatoes. We planted Yukon golds in our garden, which are lovely in taste and texture but not excellent for baking, so I had to come up with another plan.

Here’s the procedure: steam the potatoes and broccoli, fry the bacon, cook the onion and garlic, combine it all with some spices and cheese and bake until nice and bubbly. Pretty straight forward. Don’t forget the smoked paprika- it takes the dish to another level, trust me.

This would be a great side dish, but we actually ate it as our main meal. We should have added a salad to make it a more balanced dinner, but let’s face it: we just wanted to stuff our face with gooey, cheesy, bacon-covered potatoes. And hey! The broccoli’s in there- that’s good for you. You can leave it out if you want, but then you should definitely eat a salad. I mean, really.

This isn’t exactly health food, but it’s way better for you than say, a baked potato from Wendy’s. So I think you can still feel good about it. I mean, I do. I’m all about some good fat. I better end this post before I go on a grass-fed, pastured meat tangent or talk about how you need lots of good fat to make better breast milk. You guys are just here for good food.

And this stuff is good.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets (about 2-3 cups chopped)
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Place a steaming basket in a large pot and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Place pot on to boil. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and steam (covered) for 5-6 minutes. Add broccoli to the potatoes and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking dish. (You can butter/spray it now, but I like to use the paper towel with the bacon fat later.)
Meanwhile, fry the bacon until just crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel and chop into small pieces, setting 2 tablespoons aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in your frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the mixture begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and broccoli, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Mix in half of the cheeses and the bacon (except for the 2 tablespoons you set aside). Pour the mixture into your baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and serve hot.

Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Natalie — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Did you guys know you can freeze mashed potatoes??

Pretty awesome revelation.

I usually don’t make mashed potatoes on a week night because it seems like too much effort. It’s not really that difficult, but boiling pots of potatoes (that often boil over) and needy children don’t mix. So I save it for a time where I’ve got a ton of potatoes or a ton of people to feed. This time, I had a ton of potatoes but no people, so I decided to try freezing them. I actually like the reheated version just as much as the original potatoes! And I love that there is virtually no work involved on the day you serve them.

Don’t you just love those beautiful pools of butter?

Freezer recipes are awesome!

Freezer Mashed Potatoes
by Oven Love

If you don’t already have a favorite mashed potato recipe, here’s my basic mashed potato procedure: You can make mashed potatoes with any amount of potatoes and whatever you have in your pantry. Start by peeling your potatoes and cutting them into cubes. Pour cold water over them in a stock pot until they are just covered. Add salt and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender (check them at 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes after until they reach that point). Drain and mash the potatoes. Add your liquid- milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt, stock, etc– and your fat- butter, olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat, whatever– until you get to your desired consistency. You can also add some cheese- cream cheese, parmesan, goat cheese, brie, cheddar, I could go on– and some seasoning- herbs, minced garlic– make them what you want.

To freeze, let them cool and then freeze flat in zipped freezer bags. Then you’re ready to reheat!

Ingredients

1 batch of your favorite mashed potatoes from frozen, thawed (place in the refrigerator the night before for best results)
1-2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the mashed potatoes into a baking dish with a spatula. Dot the top of the potatoes with the cubes of butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven until butter is melted and the potatoes are just turning golden around the edges (cover with foil if they start browning too quick). Serve warm.

Turnip and Potato Soup with Smoky Cheese Toasts

Natalie — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:49:00 +0000

We are experiencing a crazy March heat wave down here. I am not ready for summer.

I mean, come on.. I’m not done making soup yet!

We got a big bunch of turnips last week from our farmer. At that time, it wasn’t 85 degrees, so this was the perfect lunch. I used my typical method for making smooth vegetable soups- saute some onion, add the veggies with broth and any seasonings, simmer until the veggies are tender and then puree with a stick blender. Works every time.

The soup is simple in flavor- make sure you season it well with salt and pepper or it could turn out quite bland. I made the cheese toasts on a whim- the smoky taste goes great with the simple soup.

I hope you get to try this out before it’s too hot! Or just bookmark it for next year.. it seems weird to eat turnip soup with a tank top on.

Turnip and Potato Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 medium/large turnips, peeled and cubed
3 medium/large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
a few sprigs fresh thyme
a few sprigs fresh rosemary
5 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a stockpot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, 1-2 minutes. Add turnips, potatoes, thyme, rosemary (tie them together with twine if you want the removal to be easier) and stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove the thyme and rosemary stalks. Turn off the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Smoky Cheese Toasts

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Turn the broiler on high. Mix butter, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Spread the butter mixture onto the bread. Broil for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Serve warm.