Herb Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a nice hearty side dish, super easy, and a fantastic way to make a meal a bit more substantial.  These potatoes have great flavor and are really light on prep work - this is a dump-and-run kind of side dish.  Hmm, that doesn't sound all that delicious....but it is!

6 large potatoes, washed and quartered
6 onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp dry basil or 1 Tbsp fresh, coarsely chopped basil
1/4 tsp dry thyme
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, and garlic; drizzle oil over mixture.  Toss to coat well.  Add herbs, salt and pepper; toss to combine.  Pour potato mixture into shallow, foil-lined baking tray.  Bake on center rack for 1 hour, or until fork-tender, stirring twice to keep potatoes from sticking to the tray.

Makes 6 servings.

NOTES:
(a)  If you aren't digging the herb thing (and, despite what the British seem to think, the 'h' IS silent), omit and replace with 1/4 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp cayenne, or season only with salt and pepper.  To make rosemary potatoes, replace all other herbs with rosemary.  Easy, eh?
(b)  Leave the skins on the potatoes!  Without them, they can get mushy really quickly.  Just make sure you give your potatoes a good scrub before quartering them, especially if you're using Idahos (Yukons or reds require less scrubbing).

Pistachio Pesto

Okay, I have a new favorite TV show and a new hero: Giada de Laurentiis and "Everyday Italian" on the Food Network (this is a slightly adapted pesto recipe from her show).  I've only recently discovered that pesto is the sauce of the gods - great on pasta, on crostini, or in a veggie slaw (I used it in a fennel slaw - SO good!).  And since pesto seems to be on the expensive side when you buy it in the store, this seems like a much better option to me!

1 cup (lightly packed) flat-leaf parsley
1 cup (lightly packed) basil
3/4 cup shelled and toasted pistachios
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup shredded parmigiano reggiano
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Combine parsley, basil, pistachios, thyme, parmagiano reggiano and garlic in a blender; pulse several times to blend.  With blender on lowest setting, slowly pour olive oil into the mixture.  Add lemon juice and pepper; blend another 10-15 seconds.

Makes 3 cups.

NOTES:
(a)  The lemon juice makes the strong taste of olive oil a little less overwhelming.  You can add up to another 1/2 Tbsp if the lemon juice is still too strong.
(b)  Raw garlic can be a bit overwhelming too.  Use 3 cloves if they're normal to small-ish.  If the cloves are big, only use 2!  You can always toss in another later if you feel the pesto needs it.
(c)  Adding salt isn't really necessary, depending on personal preference and the type of pistachios you use.  I could only find pre-salted and grilled pistachios at the ol' Carrefour, so I didn't add any salt.  You can add 1/4-1/2 tsp if you feel it really needs it, though.
(d)  Pesto is strong and a little goes a long way.  Since this recipe yields alot, try pouring half of it into 2 ice trays and freezing it.  Once frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a resealable plastic bag and keep them in the freezer for easy pasta-sauce later.  1-2 cubes would be plenty for a single portion of pasta!

Thai Meatball Curry

Curry is usually a safe dish for my mostly-British employers (because, as we all know, Britain is known for its curry -- thank you, imperialism!).  Meatball curry is a good way to ease the hesitant among us into this delicious Indian dish.  The flavor of this dish isn't overly spicy, and serving it over steamed rice keeps it on the healthy side.  The sauce is warm and delicious and does a great job of sneaking veggies onto the plates of young'uns.  Gotta love that.

Meatballs:
1 lb (500 kg) ground beef
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp garam masala
2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
Curry:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coconut mil
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced 1/4" diagonally
2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed to a paste with 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Makes 4 servings

For meatballs, preheat oven to 375 F.  Combine all ingredients except oil in large bowl and mix well.  Form the mixture into 1-1 1/2 Tbsp-sized balls.  Heat oil in a large skillet; add meatballs and cook over med-hi heat for 7-8 min, turning occasionally to evenly brown on all sides.  Transfer meatballs to foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 min, or until inside is no longer pink.  Set aside on paper towel-lined plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

For curry, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onion for 5 min. until soft.  Add curry paste and garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute.  Add coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sugar and salt, then bring to a boil.  Add carrots and green beans and simmer covered for 12 min.  Add cornstarch mixture; stir continuously until curry thickens.  Gently fold in meatballs and green onion and cook covered for 2 min.  Add lemon juice and stir once; serve over rice.

NOTES:
(a)  You want to almost completely cook the meatballs before adding them to the curry, but make sure they aren't overdone.  They'll continue to cook a bit while tented under the foil, and they'll cook a bit more once you add them to the curry. 
(b)  If you want to serve one pot 'o' curry to both meateaters and vegetarians, leave out the meatballs and add them individually to each plate, spooning some of the curry sauce over them once they're on the plate. 

Mediterranean Falafel

If you can make meatballs, you can make a falafel.  It's a nice vegetarian kebab alternative, full of festive, middle eastern flare.  This is an adapted recipe, but I dig it more than the standard old falafel.  Good times for all!

2 eggs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (Panko work best)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped Greek olives (kalamata, for example)
4 sprigs fresh cilantro (or 1/2 Tbsp dry, if fresh isn't available)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 can (15 oz/425 g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup dry bread crumbs for dredging
1 Tbsp almond powder
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
pinch each salt and pepper
6 pitas

Makes 5-6 servings

In a food processor or blender, combine the first 11 ingredients; cover and pulse 4 times.  Add chickpeas; pulse until chopped.  Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

In a bowl, combine 1 cup bread crumbs, almond powder, cornmeal, cumin, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Form chickpea mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and dredge in bread crumb/cornmeal mixture, covering the balls completely in the dry ingredients.  Place breaded balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet until all of the chickpea mixture has been rolled.  Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add half the falafel balls and cook for 5-6 min, turning balls through out for even cooking.  Place cooked falafel balls back on the cookie sheet.  Cook the second batch of falafel balls in the skillet, adding 1 Tbsp olive oil, if needed; place second batch on cookie sheet once completed.  Cook falafel balls for 8-12 min, checking to make sure they don't burn.

Toast pitas; slice halfway along seam of toasted pitas and fill with tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onion, and 3 falafel balls. 

Notes:
(a)  Yes, this is essentially the same recipe as the chickpea and walnut burgers (except I use fresh cilantro instead of parsley).  In a pita, the balls are easier than a pattie -- plus, telling people you're having falafels at your next picnic just sounds cooler than burgers.
(b)  Like homemade meatballs, these can be made and frozen for later use.  In this format it's easier to end up with extras, so let any extras cool down, seal them in a ziplock, and pop in the freezer.  (Reheat by baking for 10 min in a 375 F oven.....or until they aren't frozen anymore)