Boiled Baby Red Potatoes

I remember once having the most amazing baby potatoes in my life - creamy on the inside, deliciously seasoned on the outside - and I've spent years trying to chase that high.  Baked, broiled, parboiled, grilled, roasted, etc. etc. etc., and I could never get it quite right.  One day I grabbed a bag of baby reds, and the bag recommended boiling them.  I'd tried everything else, so I thought why not... O. M. G.  My life will never be the same again.

Boiled Baby Red Potatoes

Ingredients

Baby red potatoes

Melted butter

Kosher salt

Dried parsley

Directions

Pre-wash potatoes, if needed.

Boil a pot of water with a pinch of salt.  Add potatoes and boil for 10-20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.

Remove potatoes from water and place in a serving bowl.  Add melted butter and dried parsley for seasoning.  Serve warm.

Baked Zucchini Fries

 I've tried this recipe a couple times and it always comes out amazing.  Even when I had super huge zucchinis from my garden that were over a foot long.  

I like to dip these in a sweet mustard aioli: yellow mustard, mayonnaise, and a little bit of sugar. (This same aioli is delicious with chicken cordon bleu).

Baked Zucchini Fries

Ingredients

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Working in batches, dredge zucchini in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.

Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Original link: https://damndelicious.net/2015/04/18/baked-zucchini-fries/

Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Just another great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.  These make large, delicious, savory, sorta kinda tater tot balls.  Anyway, it was a big hit.

I seem to recall adding an egg or two to the mashed potato mixture to help keep hold it together better (not listed in the recipe below).

 Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Ingredients

3 c. leftover mashed potatoes

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp. thinly sliced chives

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 egg, beaten

1 1/3 c. panko bread crumbs

Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes with cooked bacon, cheddar, chives, and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

Place eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls.  Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 1" to 2" balls of mashed potato mixture.  Roll into a ball in your hands, then dredged first in egg then in panko.  Repeat until all mashed potatoes are used.

Heat 3" of oil in large cast iron skillet until candy thermometer reads 375.  Fry potato balls in batches until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel lined plate and season immediately with more salt.

Original link:  https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a22566735/fried-mashed-potato-balls-recipe/

Baked Chicken Breasts

I'm usually not a fan of chicken breasts, but my kids love them.  And I was admittedly skeptical about this recipe because it looked too easy.  But, I tried it out and it worked like a charm.  15 minutes in the oven was plenty of time for some tasty chicken.

Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Brine the chicken. To brine your chicken breasts, fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes. Or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with some paper towels. (However, if the chicken breasts you purchased have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, skip this step.)

2. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.

3. Season the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish*. Brush on both sides evenly with the melted butter or olive oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.

4. Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. The thickest part of the breast, it should be 165°F. (If you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and golden on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken so that it does not overcook and/or burn.)

5. Rest the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.

6. Serve. Serve warm. Or, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Baking Dish: Use a metal or ceramic (porcelain) heat-safe baking dish or a rimmed metal baking sheet.  A glass baking dish is not recommended for this recipe.


Original Link: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-chicken-breast/ 

Easy Seasoned Frozen Corn

I don't usually like frozen corn, but when a bag ended up in my freezer I had to find a way to make it edible.  This worked out quite nicely.  The original link has other seasoning variations worth trying.

Easy Seasoned Frozen Corn

Ingredients

1 lb frozen corn
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Directions

Place corn in a colander and rinse with cold water until ice is no longer present.  Shake off excess water over the sink.

Heat medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and saute garlic until fragrant (30 seconds - 1 minute).  Add corn and butter to skillet.

Sprinkle sugar over corn and stir until butter is melted and corn is hot (about 5-6 minutes).  Do not over cook.

Remove from heat.  Add fresh thyme.  Season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper.

Serve immediately.

Original link:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/how-to-cook-frozen-corn/

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

This was a great weeknight meal.  Very tasty and easy to put together.  You can even start the process the night before to make things even easier.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, plus 2 whole heads
5 sprigs rosemary
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
4 slices bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and finely chop 4 garlic cloves. Cut 2 whole heads of garlic in half crosswise. Strip leaves off 1 rosemary sprig, discard stem, and finely chop leaves. Finely chop 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds. (Note: I found it easier to crush the fennel using a mortar and pestle)

Mix chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped fennel seeds, salt, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season with pepper.

Rub garlic mixture all over 1½ lb. pork tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet (if you have time to do this in the morning, great; chill pork until dinner).

Scatter remaining 4 rosemary sprigs in a large baking dish and set tenderloin on top. Wrap 4 bacon slices around tenderloin, tucking ends underneath so bacon stays put.

Nestle halved heads of garlic around tenderloin and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 145° for medium, 30–40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Do Ahead: Pork can be rubbed with garlic mixture 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Original link:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/weeknight-porchetta

Cheese Ball

This super simple recipe is a family holiday tradition.  Very easy to make, tastes best with Wheat Thins.

Cheese Ball

Ingredients

2 8 oz cream cheese (slightly softened)
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 tbsp boiling water
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

Melt the bouillon cubes in water until dissolved.  Mix into cheese until fully blended.

Form two balls.  Roll in finely chopped walnuts until completely covered.

Chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.