Quick Roasted Red Potatoes

I make oven roasted potatoes at least once a week. I have found that it is a great way to use up that last tablespoon or two of bread dipping or infused oil. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper, or a complimentary sea salt seasoning blend, toss, then pop into a hot oven. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious, side dish that is perfect for roasted, sautéed, or grilled meat, fish, or poultry. As a bonus, leftover roasted potatoes are a tasty addition to Sunday breakfast.

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F. You can use any thin skinned potato that you like, though I usually use small red potatoes - the smaller the better. Baby Yukon Gold or White Rose potatoes are equally delicious. Because the size of the potatoes determines the roasting time, try to select potatoes that are similar in size and shape. This makes cutting easier as well.

To make 4 - 6 servings, you'll need about 2 pound of potatoes, some bread dipping oil, infused olive oil or grapeseed oil, sea salt seasoning, and fresh ground pepper. A few tablespoons of minced parsley or sliced green onions make a flavorful garnish.

Wash the potatoes, scrubbing the skins clean with a small brush. Dry with paper towels or allow to air dry. The idea is to end up with 1- 1/2 inch cubes. If your potato isn't round, it is easy to cut into quarters lengthwise, and then cut each quarter into 1- 1/2 inch pieces. You don't have to be exact on the size or the shape but it is best to keep the pieces about the same size. Just remember that the larger the cubes, the longer the roasting time.

Put the cubed potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of bread dipping oil , sprinkle with sea salt, and ground pepper and toss until all of the potatoes are coated with oil. Spread in a baking dish or pan and roast until tender and golden brown. Turn the potatoes, to keep from sticking, several times while roasting.

Roasting time depends upon the size and shape of your potato cubes and the accuracy of your oven temperature but in my experience, 1-1/2 inch cubes will take between 25 - 30 minutes to cook to fork tender.

Drizzle the hot potatoes with a bit of bread dipping oil, adjust seasonings, add a couple of tablespoons of minced parsley or thinly sliced green onion, and serve.

Parmesan-Garlic Corn on the Cob

Roy loves fresh corn on the cob so when one of my niece’s favorite celebrity chefs made this dish on TV, his ears perked up. The preparation was simple and the finished dish looked delish but I wasn’t ready to use up the last little bit of my $17 a pound imported Parmesan Reggiano as a topping for corn on the cob.

A quick look in my fridge revealed a few tablespoons of leftover Parmesan Garlic ‘Pesto’. Since this unique concoction included most of the ingredients called for in the celebrity chef’s original recipe, I decided to give my version a try.

The directions are super easy. If you are using leftover Parmesan Garlic ‘Pesto’, pull it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before preparing the corn in order to ‘take the chill off’.

3 fresh ears of corn, with husks and silk removed
2 tablespoons Parmesan Garlic ‘Pesto’
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
Sea Salt

Fill a large pot about 3/4 full of cold fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add about 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cut or break the ears of corn in half and add to the boiling water. Cook, in boiling water, for about 5 minutes or until done.

Remove cooked corn from water with tongs and pat dry with paper towels. Place dried ears of corn on a platter. Spoon or brush a small amount of Parmesan Garlic ‘Pesto’ (both the oil and the cheese) and a sprinkle of parsley over an ear of corn, turning to coat well. Repeat with remaining ears. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, parsley and a bit of pesto to the top of each ear of corn and serve.

You don’t need a lot of Parmesan Garlic ‘Pesto’ to coat the ears of corn. An alternative method would be to brush the oil from the pesto on the corn first, then top with the cheese mixture and a sprinkle of sea salt and parsley.