Rosemary-Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

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I’ve had these potatoes bookmarked to try for-ever. A new way to prepare potatoes is always welcome in my repertoire! I kept on putting it off, because surely they had to be a pain to make – right? Wrong. It took only a few minutes to get them prepped and into the oven. So glad I finally got around to trying them! They were delicious. Nice and crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

I’m looking forward to switching up the flavor combinations. I think they’d be wonderful with a cajun spice mix, or a bunch of fresh chopped dill in the olive oil. Or even plain, then topped with the classic sour cream and chopped scallions. Yum! These will definitely be gracing our table every now and again, as everyone loved them, and they really are a little more special than your standard roasted potato. Perfect for Christmas dinner t0 go with that gorgeous “roast beast”!

Also, thanks to all who entered the giveaway. The winner was Ellen, with comment #10 – “I love using canned tomatoes to make homemade black bean and corn salsa. It is always a hit!”

Hope everyone is making merry and finishing up things for the Holidays. I’m so looking forward to Christmas morning with my boys! This is the first year our oldest has really been “into it”, we’ve been having the best time with him this year. Happy Holidays everyone!

Garlic-Rosemary Hasselback Potatoes

4 medium sized Russet potatoes, washed and dried
½ cup olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and black pepper

Place oil, garlic, and rosemary in a small saucepan and heat on medium-low for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place one potato on a cutting board. Starting from one end of the potato, make slits about 1/8 inch apart but do not cut all the way through the bottom. You can also place the potato in a wooden spoon before you make the slices. The spoon will act as a “guard” to help you not slice all the way through the bottom. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and brush them all over with the garlic-rosemary infused oil, making sure to get down in the crevices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Bake the potatoes for 30-40 minutes, depending on size. Interior should be soft and exterior should be slightly crisp.

Serve warm.

Source: adapted from The Culinary Chronicles

Pizza Sauce

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I’m embarrassed to admit it, but in the past I’d always bought my pizza sauce in a jar. I had tried a couple of times to make a version at home, but it always tended to turn out a bit watery. A couple of weeks ago, the good people at Red Pack offered to send me an assortment of their products. While I love fresh tomatoes with all of my heart, a cook always needs a stash of good quality canned tomatoes in their pantry. I’ve long been a fan of Red Pack products, ever since Cook’s Illustrated named their canned whole tomatoes #1 in it’s category.  Needless to say, I was much obliged!

The first thing I made when my package arrived was this pizza sauce. It is definitely a winner! It only takes 5 minutes, and the flavor is unparalleled. I used a can of pureed tomatoes, which I think is the key. Before I had used diced tomatoes, and pureed them myself…which, is what I think what led to the water-logged sauce. Less water content from the “get go” is a good thing. I add a bit of chili pepper flakes to my sauce, as we like a little kick of heat. This makes enough for 2-3 large pizzas, depending on how saucy you like your pies. It’s also a great simple tomato sauce for something like meatballs.

Thanks to Red Pack, I have a lovely canned tomato assortment to pass along to one of my lucky readers! Who couldn’t use some staples for the winter months ahead? Read on for the fine print.

Pizza Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14 ounce) can pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon oregano

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

The Rules:

– To enter, leave a comment answering this question:  What is your favorite way to use canned tomatoes?

–  One entry per person.  The winner will be chosen by a random number generator.

–  Must leave a valid email address with your entry.

– Giveaway is open until Wednesday 12/21 at 10 pm EST.

Fresh Flour Tortillas

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We blow through A LOT of tortillas in this house. Flour, whole wheat, corn – we love them all! I’ve heard stories of how much better fresh tortillas are, versus the ones you buy pre-packaged in the store. Big surprise there, right? Unfortunately, we don’t live anywhere in the vicinity of one of those big, fancy-pants grocery stores that sell tortillas made in house. I have found one brand that I adore, but it’s only available at our local restaurant supply store. However, they are HUGE. Like 14″ tortillas. Great for burritos, for everything else – not so much. Leave it to my homegirl Annie, to provide the inspiration to try my hand making them at home.

They turned out wonderful! The dough was a breeze to bring together in the food processor, and a dream to work with when rolling out. My rolling skills aren’t the best, so I was nervous about rolling something as thin as a tortilla. I had no problem whatsoever. Also, they were quick to make! From start to finish, it was about 40 minutes. Super easy! Next time I’ll probably do a double batch, and freeze half to have on hand. They are heartier, yet fluffier than the ones you buy at the mega mart. Not to mention the fact that they actually taste like something. They’re wonderful. Make these!

Flour Tortillas

Yields 12 (8-inch) tortillas

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp salt
5 tablespoons shortening, lard, or softened butter
3/4 – 1 cup warm water

Pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt a few times in your food processor fitted with the dough blade. Add the fat and process until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.

With the food processor on, slowly stream in the water, just until the dry ingredients form a ball and starts traveling around the bowl (you might not use all of the water or you might need a little more).

Let the dough knead for ~30 seconds. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl, be soft and not overly sticky. (You can most certainly do this by hand with a pastry cutter, a wooden spoon, and your hands.)

Turn out onto a flour-dusted surface and divide dough into golf-ball sized portions (I weighed mine out to 2 oz each). Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a large, dry frying pan over medium high heat. With a rolling pin, roll the dough balls into thin rounds, dusting the top with just enough flour to keep the tortilla from sticking to the rolling pin. Lay tortilla flat in the heated pan and cook on each side for ~20 seconds, until the bubbled areas brown. Keep covered with a kitchen towel to keep warm and pliable. Serve warm.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, via Annie’s Eats and Pennies on a Platter

Pico de Gallo

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I hate to admit it, but I used to dislike cilantro. I thought it tasted like soap. Thankfully, I’ve since come around and now I can’t get enough of the stuff. One of my favorite uses for it, which I find myself making often around here, is pico de gallo. Obviously, it’s a great condiment for any Mexican dish. But, it is also a wonderful accompaniment to serve on top of broiled fish or grilled chicken. Not to mention it’s totally figure friendly.

I’ve found that I get pretty decent results year-round with Roma tomatoes. Of course this summer is at it’s prime with summer tomatoes, but it’s nice to be able to have a fresh tomato salsa in these dreary winter months that is edible! I like a more predominant onion flavor in my salsa, so I use white onions. If you like a milder onion flavor, try using red onion or scallions instead. If you don’t like things spicy, remove the “ribs” and seeds from the jalapeno before chopping. Or, if you want to kick the heat up a notch, try using a serrano or habenero pepper in place of the jalapeno.

Pico de Gallo

5 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Let sit 20 minutes to let flavors meld before serving.