Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

As mentioned in yesterday's entry, these potato wedges are super yummy and easy to make.  They are a bit on the salty side, so you may wish to cut the salt amount down a bit.  I didn't have shredded Parmesan on hand, so I shredded some Parmesan-Reggiano.  I also did not have the patience to shred it by hand, so I used my food processor.  While these did turn out very yummy, I think a finer shred would have been better.  The original recipe includes a recipe for a dip to go with them, but they are quite wonderful on their own :)

Original recipe:
http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2015/04/baked-garlic-parmesan-potato-wedges.html

Ingredients:

3-4 large Russet potatoes, sliced into wedges (I peeled mine; original leaves skins on)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese (finely shredded, if possible)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  (I used my toaster oven and it worked very well for this.)  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with baking spray.

2. Place potato wedges in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.

4. Add shredded cheese to bowl and toss to coat.

5. Add seasoning mixture to bowl and toss to coat.

6. Spread potatoes over prepared baking sheet in single layer and bake for 30-35 minutes, until fork-tender.  Serve up and enjoy!

 (yeah, I forgot to get the pic before we all started serving ourselves...)

Garlicky Chicken Thighs

This recipe is great because not only is it very tasty, it is also easy and quick to prepare--great weeknight option.  The potatoes I made with it will be posted tomorrow; they are quick and easy, too!

Original recipe:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/garlicky-chicken-thighs.html

Ingredients:

2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste
4 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. finely chopped yellow onion (I didn't measure, just used a small one that looked about right)
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. dry white wine (I used Barefoot Chardonnay)
2 tsp. white wine vinegar

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.

2. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

3. In an ovenproof large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, skin side down, and sear until golden brown--about 4 minutes.  Do not turn pieces.  Transfer to paper towel lines plate to drain. (Sorry about the blurry pic--didn't know it was until checked later.)

4. Pour off most of the fat from pan and return to medium-high heat (I would guess that I left around 1-2 T. in pan).  Add onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.  Sauté for 4 minutes.

5. Add wine and vinegar.  Stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.

6. Return chicken thighs to pan, skin side up.  Cover and transfer to oven.  Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken reaches correct temperature.

7. Serve with desired side and spoon sauce over chicken thighs.  Enjoy!

Baked Leeks with Bread Crumbs

Final of the series of side dishes at Easter with my mom: Baked Leeks with Bread Crumbs.  This is a somewhat rich dish that will delight leek lovers.  If you've never had leeks, you really should--especially if you enjoy green onions.  These are like green onions' sweeter cousin.  The pepper in the dish gives it a nice kick, not overpowering.

Original recipe:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/baked-leeks-with-bread-crumbs.html

Ingredients:

6 T. unsalted butter, divided; leave 1 T. in fridge or freezer
2 T. minced shallots
3 lb. leeks, dark green parts removed; light green and white portion chopped
1 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper, divided
2 c. milk, plus more as needed
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 T. of the butter.  Add shallots, leeks, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and 1/2 tsp. of the white pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until leeks are translucent and very soft, about 10 min.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.  Cover and remove from heat.

4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 T. of the butter.  Remove from the heat and whisk in flour, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 1/4 tsp. white pepper, and cayenne.

5. Set pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

6. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.  (If sauce is too thin, increase the heat; if too thick, add a little more milk.)

7. Stir in the leek mixture.

8.  Pour the mixture into a baking dish or gratin dish.  Sprinkle evenly with the cheese and bread crumbs.

9.  Cut remaining 1 T. of cold butter into small 'dots' to sprinkle over bread crumbs. (We didn't cut into 'dots' as we should have.)

10. Bake until cheese and bread crumbs are golden, 20-30 minutes (we went 30).  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Herbed Potatoes Anna

Next side dish in the Easter meal series!  Love these potatoes, especially the presentation.  They are a bit of work, though, so plan accordingly :)

Original recipe:
http://neighborfoodblog.com/2015/03/herbed-potatoes-anna-recipe.html

Ingredients:

6-7 medium russet potatoes, peeled (I weighed them at the time, but have now forgotten how much), sliced into 1/8" thick rounds
6 T. butter, melted
leaves from 3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme, chopped
6 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F.  Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit bottom of a round baking dish (with sides at least 3" tall; original recipe called for 4", but there was plenty of room leftover, so I think 3" would work and is easier to come by).  Brush the bottom of baking dish with melted butter, then press parchment on top.  Brush with additional butter and set aside.

2. Prepare assembly line of potatoes, melted butter, salt, pepper, chopped herbs (together), and shredded cheese.  Start by making a layer of potatoes in the dish, beginning from the center and spiraling outward to edge.

3. Brush layer of potatoes with butter, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Follow with sprinkle of herbs, then cheese.  Go easy on each so that you will have enough to last through the layers.

4. Repeat layers with remaining potatoes.

5. Cover dish with aluminum foil (butter if it is touching the potatoes) and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Uncover the dish and bake for additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden/done.

7. Remove pan from oven and let set for 5 minutes.

8. Run a knife around the outside edge of pan, making sure that all potatoes are free from pan edge.

9. Place desired serving plate over top of pan to prepare to invert.  You will want to do this over a sink or towel, as there may be liquid that escapes out the side when you turn it over--be careful!

10. Cut in wedges like a pie to serve; enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus With Feta

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I was at my mother's for Easter this year and we made a 'big' dinner together.  Thus, these posts are "dans la cuisine de ma mère" (in my mother's kitchen).  This side dish is so very tasty; if someone has never had asparagus before, this could be a great intro (provided the person likes feta :)).  Super easy to prepare as well!  This pic is the whole meal, obviously:

Original recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/roasted-asparagus-with-feta-88880

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 lbs. fresh crisp asparagus
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
kosher salt, to taste
coarse ground pepper, to taste
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. In a small pan over low heat, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until garlic becomes golden.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Bend asparagus gently until it breaks at a natural point and discard ends.

4. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus pieces with infused olive oil and distribute in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Crumble feta cheese over top of asparagus.

7. Bake/roast in oven for 12 minutes (or until desired doneness; 12 minutes was just right for us.)

8. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Like nearly every cookie lover, chocolate chip cookies are among my favorites.  I wanted something slightly different, though, so I decided on seeking out a recipe for ones with oatmeal in them (you know, to give them that 'healthy' feel lol!)  And oh, what treasure I found!  These. are. incredible.  Seriously.  And very chocolatey.  Mmmm.  I could eat more right now...

Original recipe:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies-recipe

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened/room temperature
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
1 T. vanilla
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (not sure if the unbleached is essential)
1 c. quick oats (or old-fashioned)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt (or 3/4 tsp. regular salt; I used the kosher and recommend it)
3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter and all sugars together until fluffy and smooth.

3. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Beat well.

4. Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until well combined.

5. Mix in chocolate chips by hand.

6. Scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheet.  (I used a medium cookie scoop, which holds 1 1/2 T. of dough.  The cookies came out about the size of my palm.  You can make smaller or larger ones, too, according to original recipe.)

7. Bake cookies 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown at edges.  They will still look slightly shiny in centers--this is ok.  (I went 14 minutes.)

8. After removing from oven, leave cookies on sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to rack.

9. Grab some milk and enjoy a lot!

Garlic-Braised Chicken Legs with Potatoes

Oof, I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on after a fantastic Easter dinner at my mom's house this past weekend!  Before I get to that, trying to catch up the ones I made prior.  This one was a fairly easy meal dish that my brother helped cook (he did the finishing touches while I was working).  Due to the help, I don't have pictures for the last steps, and the picture I have of the dish doesn't do it justice according to the rest of the family (who got to eat it as soon as it was done, unlike me who had to wait 30 minutes).  Anyhow, I will make this again (eventually) and hopefully post more/better pictures :)

Original recipe here:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/garlic-braised-chicken-legs-with-potatoes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 lbs. whole chicken legs
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" wedges (I will do chunks next time; potato was probably 8" long)
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper.

2. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering.

3. Add chicken, potatoes, and garlic.  Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is browned all over (about 10 minutes).

4. Add wine to skillet and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes (I think I went a little longer).

5. Add chicken broth and bay leaf.  Cover and reduce heat to keep at simmering (I used medium to medium-low).  Cook for 25 minutes.

6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and potatoes to a platter.  Simmer sauce for additional 4 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.

7. Return chicken and potatoes to skillet to warm.  Stir together and serve!