Potato Wedges

Okay, today I learned that I have been doing potato wedges wrong this whole time.   Maybe you have, too?  I usually toss them in oil, season them, and bake them at like 375 degrees and hope they brown nicely.   Not anymore my friend, not anymore.  The secret?  Not oil....butter. 

Want to really kick it up a notch?  Add about 1 t. of harissa to 1/4 c. or so of ketchup.  Wowsa good.

Potato Wedges

2 lbs. russet potatoes, cleaned and cut in wedges.  I left the skin on mine.

3 T. salt

Water

Ice

3 T. butter, melted

salt and fresh cracked pepper

Dissolve the salt in a large bowl of water.   Add 1 c. ice and the potatoes.  Soak the potatoes for 20 minutes and then drain and pat them dry.

Preheat the oven at 450 degree and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Melt the butter and toss with the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper, either on the baking sheet or in a bowl. 

(I added my butter to a bowl with the potatoes to toss everything and the butter solidified some when they came in contact with the cold potatoes.  But, I tossed them anyway and then popped then in the oven to re-melt the butter and tossed them again with the salt and pepper. I'd do this again just to insure the potatoes get well coated)

Bake for about 20-30 minutes and flip the wedges.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes until they are the crispy brown-ness you're going for.

--------------------------------------

lbs = pounds

T = tablespoon

c = cup

Friends Salad

 So, I read a story recently that the gals from the cast of Friends ate the same salad every day for 10 years. Do I really believe that?  No.  Was I intrigued to try it?  Yes.  I mean, they were all super healthy looking, so maybe they knew something?   Update:  I saw a follow-up article on this recently and it turns out Jennifer Aniston has never had this salad.  It was a viral tiktok!  Oh well. 

Turns out this is a pretty good lunch and really low in calories, which I kinda suspected would be the case.  I've made it a few times now and it is quite filling.  This recipe makes four really big servings.  I've gone heavier on the fresh herbs than the original recipe called for for flavor max.

This keeps for up to a week in the fridge.

Friends Salad

1 c. bulgur (Note: I only had 1/2 c. left in a bag once and I actually preferred it a bit less bulgur-y)

2 cucumbers, diced

1/4 c. red onion, finely diced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. crumbled feta

1/2 c. pistachios

2-3 T. fresh parsley, chopped

2-3 T. fresh mint, chopped

Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I usually add chopped tomatoes as well.

Cook the bulgur according to the package.  Mine was to add 1 c. bulgur to 2 c. water, bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.  Let it cool completely.

Combine all of the ingredients and enjoy.

Variation:  I swapped out the chickpeas for shelled edamame and added thinly sliced leftover beef tenderloin.  Delish!

Variation Version

--------------------------------

c = cup

T = tablespoon

Garlic Butter Skillet Flank Steak

 We usually grill our flank steak, but when the weather wasn't cooperating, it was time to look at other cooking methods.  A bit of googling led me to one that I tweaked a bit by adding mushrooms.  It's really quick and satisfying.  This will be on repeat.

Garlic Butter Skillet Flank Steak

1 lb. flank steak

kosher salt and ground pepper

2 t. vegetable oil

3 T. butter, divided

3 cloves minced garlic

6 -8 oz. mushrooms

1/3 c. dry white wine

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

The day before, generously salt the flank steak and set it in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mince the garlic and parsley and set aside.

Cut the flank steak in 4 squares, pat dry and season with the salt and pepper.  In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until the pan is very hot.  Add 1 T. of butter to the pan and let it melt.  Sear the steaks on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and cook for another 3 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees. 

Remove the skillet from the oven and put the steaks on a plate to rest. 

With the skillet back on the stove, over medium low heat, add 1 T. of butter and the mushrooms to the pan.  Saute the mushrooms and then add the garlic.  Add the wine and any juices from the resting steaks and increase the heat to medium high to let the sauce thicken for a few minutes.

Add the last tablespoon of butter and parsley.  

Slice the flank stead thinly against the grain.

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

When my daughter got married, the soup course was a delightful lemon chicken rice.  It's been on my to-make list for quite some time and I finally got around to it.  Bright and comforting all at the same time.

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

1 T. olive oil

3 carrots, diced small

1/2 of an onion, diced small

2-3 celery ribs, diced small

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried parsley

8-10 c. chicken broth

2/3 c. long grain white rice

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

3 t. kosher salt

3/4 t. black pepper

2 c. shredded chicken

In a big pot, add the olive oil and saute the carrots, onion, and celery until softened, about 7 minutes.

Then stir in the oregano, parsley and chicken broth.  Cover it and bring it to a boil.  

Once boiling, stir in the rice and cover.  Lower the heat and let the rice cook for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice as the rice likes to stick to the bottom.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the lemon juice.

When the rice is cooked, remove the lid and ladle in a bit of the hot broth into the egg and lemon mixture, very slowly and while stirring to temper the eggs so they don't turn to scrambled eggs.  Once tempered, slowly add it to the pot while stirring.  

Add the chicken, salt and pepper, and the zest of about 1/2 a lemon.