Vegetables

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

May 17, 2018 by laurenpacek 5 Comments

These Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes provide so much reward in return for very little effort. They make a wonderful side dish–we love to eat them alongside grilled flank steak. Although I’ve also been known to whip some up for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch. Please trust me when I tell you that they’re excellent when topped with a runny egg!

These potatoes really require very little effort or skill in the kitchen. They’re so easy! Just chop some small potatoes, toss them with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, and roast them in a very hot oven.

Then all you’ll have to do is toss them around a few times during their cooking time to make sure that they get lovely and brown all over. Before you know it, you’ll have a delicious, versatile side dish that the entire family will love.

5 from 1 vote

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
small red or fingerling potatoes, quartered
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray it lightly with cooking spray, and set it aside.
Mince the garlic and rosemary and place them in a gallon zip top bag.
Chop the potatoes and add them to the bag, as well.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bag. Zip it closed and toss everything around until the potatoes are well-coated with oil, rosemary, and garlic.
Put the potatoes on the baking sheet in an even layer.
Roast for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and slightly browned. Use a spatula to toss potatoes around on the baking sheet every 15 minutes or so, to ensure even browning.

Recipe Notes

Notes: These potatoes are also lovely when using a mixture of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Dried herbs can also be substituted, but you will want to use a smaller amount of dried herbs than fresh.

Roasted Beets

August 10, 2015 by laurenpacek 6 Comments

Let’s take a walk on the healthier side with these simple roasted beets, shall we?

I’ve been having a real love affair with beets of late. They’re kinda sweet, and very earthy. They taste a little like dirt. In the very best way, of course.

And much like basically all vegetables, they’re great when roasted.

Roasted Beets

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

6-8 medium-sized beets, peeled and cut into roughly bite-sized pieces
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs honey
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
Put the cut beets, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper into a zip top bag. Toss everything around until the beets are well-coated.
Spread the beets on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender.

Recipe Notes

Note: You may want to consider wearing latex gloves while peeling and chopping the beets. They can stain your skin, even if you wash up right after handling them.

Skinny Green Bean Casserole

December 8, 2014 by laurenpacek 10 Comments

This Skinny Green Bean Casserole it is a lightened up version of the traditional green bean casserole that often gets served at Thanksgiving and Christmastime.

Despite it being “skinny”, this recipe tastes so much better than the original. It’s so worth it to spend a little extra time and make everything from scratch. This dish can also be made vegetarian if you opt for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

This recipe originally comes from the blog Skinnytaste.

Skinny Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the bread crumb topping

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup shallots, finely diced
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbs parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Green Beans & Sauce

2 lbs fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and halved
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, finely diced
16 oz. cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the topping

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until they are softened.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the bread crumbs, cheese, and thyme. Sauté for 5-6 additional minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the green beans

Boil a large pot of water. Add the green beans and blanche for 2-4 minutes. Drain them into a colander and set aside.

To make the sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of shallots and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms, stirring to coat them with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, stirring to coat. Continue stirring for about a minute. Slowly add the broth and milk. Bring it to a low boil, and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until it starts to thicken up, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the grated cheese.

To assemble the dish

Add the blanched green beans and mix well. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Pour everything into the prepared baking dish.
Top the beans and sauce with the toasted bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes.

Need more Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes? Take a peek at this Herbed Kale and Sausage Dressing and my Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce!

Spicy Roasted Pineapple Sweet Potatoes

May 6, 2013 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

I hope you enjoyed all of the festive recipes leading up to Cinco de Mayo! Now it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming…

This recipe came from the blog Mix it Up. To be honest, I was initially a little skeptical about this. But it ended up being pretty good! I usually eat pineapple cold, so having it hot and on the spicy side was different. But different in a good way! Give it a shot; I think you’ll like it.

You’ll need:

3 large/5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained (but reserve the juice)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1-2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn’t have any on hand so I subbed 3/4 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp cumin)
Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a zip top bag and slosh it around until everything is coated. On a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray, bake the sweet potatoes and pineapple for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the oven to toss everything on the baking sheet around every 10 minutes.

Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn

May 3, 2013 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

It’s day #5 of Fiesta Week at A Nerd Cooks. This recipe coms from Little Leopard Book. I made it as a side dish to the Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers that we ate a couple of nights ago. Before we were even done eating, Sean requested that I make it again sometime. It’s a definite keeper. The cayenne pepper makes it pretty hot, so if you aren’t a fan of spice, maybe use a little less.

You’ll need:

5 ears of corn (or 3 3/4-4 cups frozen corn*, defrosted)
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
3 limes, juiced
1/2 tbs cayenne pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste

If you’re using corn on the cob, start by pulling the husks off the kernels, yet keeping them attached to the cob for easy handling. Grill the ears of corn over medium heat for 15 minutes, rotating ever 2-3 minutes. Remove them from the grill and allow to cool a bit. Remove the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.

If you’re using thawed, frozen corn, like me, use a grilling basket to allow the corn to char a bit. Place the kernels in the grilling basket, and place the basket on the grill. Toss the kernels around every 2-3 minutes, allowing for a total grilling time of about 15 minutes.

Add the corn kernels to a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sour cream/Greek yogurt, lime juice, and cayenne pepper and mix well.

Heat for 5-7 minutes, then put in a serving bowl. Top with cheese and chopped cilantro.

*I used this site as a reference.

Rosemary Roasted Carrots + Spring Things

April 8, 2013 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar opened for the season on Sunday! I know I’ve written about it before, but I love when this time of year rolls around. The produce is beautiful and the prepared food is delicious.

As we often do, Sean, friends, and I got a crepe from Ruben’s Crepes (if they have a website, I couldn’t find it). They were delicious, as always. I also picked up some hummus from The Wild Pea. If you’re into hummus, check them out. They have all kinds of flavors, some common, others kind of crazy. I’ve had a few, and they have all been really good.

We also went to D.C. on Saturday to check out the cherry blossoms. Even though they weren’t in full bloom yet, it was still pretty.

We can always try to time it a little better next year! Now for the food…

I made this simple, yet delicious side dish for the Easter dinner that Sean and I shared with his sister and her husband. Though you could use any old kind of carrot, I’d recommend trying to find the ones with the green tops still attached. It just adds something to the presentation.

You’ll need:

Several bunches of carrots, peeled and green tops trimmed
1 tbs olive oil
1-2 tsp rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or two with foil. Set aside.

In a large zip top bag, combine the carrots, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the carrots evenly.

Place carrots on foil-lined baking sheets. Roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the carrots are tender.

Skinny Green Bean Casserole

December 26, 2012 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

I made this casserole for Christmas Eve dinner at Sean’s grandparents’ house, and then we ate the leftovers on Christmas day at my parents’ place.

This recipe comes from the blog Skinnytaste.

You’ll need:

For the topping
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup shallots, finely diced
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbs grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme

For the green beans
2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed, halved, and washed
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, finely diced
16 oz. sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Boil a large pot of water. Add the green beans and blanche for 2-4 minutes (you can do this for 6-8 minutes if you like softer beans). Drain them into a colander and run cold water over the to stop the cooking.

To make the topping, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for 3-5 minuts, or until they are golden. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the bread crumbs, cheese, and thyme. Saute for 5-6 additional minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of shallots and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms, stirring to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms, stir to coat. Continue stirring for about a minute. Slowly add the chicken stock and milk. Bring it to a low boil, and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until it starts to thicken up. Stir occasionally. Stir in the rest of the grated cheese.

Add the blanched green beans and mix well. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Pour everything into the prepared baking dish.

Top with the toasted bread crumbs and bake for 30 minute.

Now eat it!

I’ll definitely be making this again. Though the traditional green bean casserole with condensed soup is good, this recipe blows it away.

Roasted Sugar Snap Peas

August 2, 2012 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

I’ve recently discovered how delicious roasted vegetables can be, either as a component of the main dish or as a side. Moreover, they’re very convenient, as you just put them in the oven and maybe toss them around from time to time, leaving you free to work on other aspects of the meal.

This recipe comes from the blog Clean Green Simple.

You’ll need:

1/2 pound sugar snap peas
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Toss the peas, oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder around in a zip top bag until everything is well-coated. Spread the peas on the baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Mine were pretty much perfect at the 10 minute mark.

Roasted Broccoli

July 5, 2012 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

Need an easy, healthy side dish? Here you go!

You’ll need:

1 lb fresh broccoli, cut into florets
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lemon
soy sauce (just a little bit!!)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and consider giving it a good spray with cooking spray.

Toss the broccoli, olive oil, salt, and pepper around in a zip top bag until everything is well coated. Spread this out on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or so, tossing the broccoli around midway through. Once it’s done, squeeze the lemon and pour the smidge of soy sauce over the broccoli. Toss it all up, and it’s time to eat!

This was so simple to prepare, and was excellent. My only word of caution is to use the soy sauce very sparingly. Things get overpoweringly salty pretty quickly. You could always cut way back on the salt that you initially season the broccoli with, or omit it entirely, as well as consider using the low sodium soy sauce if you need to watch your sodium intake. Enjoy!

Easy Sauteed Kale

April 16, 2012 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

I think I’ve told you about my love of kale before. I’ve found that it’s good in main dishes (see this recipe, and this recipe for examples), as well as when prepared as a side. Though there are countless ways to prepare kale, this is my favorite.

You’ll need:

1-2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
kale, chopped and hard stems removed
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth or water
red wine vinegar
salt

Start by heating the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and heat until it just becomes fragrant. Add your kale and stir it around to coat with the olive oil. At this point, it’s going to look like you have entirely too much kale in there, but fear not.

Add your liquid, and put a lid on the pan. Allow things to steam for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir things around again. Your kale should have wilted down significantly. Add your desired amount of red wine vinegar and a generous sprinkling of salt. How much vinegar you add is up to you. I’m sort of a fiend for red wine vinegar, so I add a lot. If you’re unsure, just add a little at first. Then taste, and adjust accordingly. I like to let the kale continue to saute for a while after adding the vinegar. It will continue to wilt.

Then serve alongside a tasty main course and enjoy!