Chocolate Guinness Floats

This is an amazing dessert beverage. I wish I could take credit for the idea, but yet again it was a bon appetit idea. When I saw this in the February 2011 issue, I knew I had to try it. I was pregnant at the time, but I finally tried making these about a month ago. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but if I drink beer, I tend to prefer darker, smoother beers and I've liked the beers with chocolate in them. However, my mother doesn't like Guinness at all and she really liked these, so if you're at all intrigued, just try making them!

Since the recipe is available online, I'm sharing it here.

Float

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Kahlua

cocoa syrup

chocolate ice cream

3 bottles Guinness or other stout

Whip the cream and vanilla extract using an electric mixer. For each float, place one scoop of chocolate ice cream in a glass. Pour 1 tablespoon cocoa syrup and 1 tablespoon Kahlua over the ice cream. (Alternative: I prefer 2 tablespoons cocoa syrup and 2 tablespoons Kahlua per float.) Add half a bottle of stout to the glass, pouring gently down the side of the tilted glass to prevent too much head from forming. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top and drizzle cocoa syrup over the whipped cream. Serve with a straw. Makes 6 floats.

Cocoa Syrup

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt together in a small saucepan. Pour 2/3 cup boiling water into a heat-resistant measuring cup. Whisk just enough boiling water from the cup into the cocoa mixture in saucepan to form a smooth paste, then whisk in the remaining water. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. (I get impatient and use medium heat and it has come out fine.) Simmer syrup 1 1/2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature. Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Cover and chill.

Black Bean Casserole

I really wish this dish looked prettier than it does. It's really delicious, basically healthy, vegetarian, and quite filling. The original recipe was from a 1999 Cooking Light issue. I'd say it is pretty light if you use half the cheese that I use and fat-free sour cream. I love cheese and I don't worry much about how much fat is in our food, so I use a nice amount of cheese.

I vary this dish a little depending on what I have available. The corn tortillas that I like best come in packages of 8, so I usually just throw 4 extra tortillas in. Last night when I made this, I didn't have enough cilantro and forgot to buy a jalapeno, so I used what cilantro I had and didn't worry about the jalapeno. It was still good because there are so many flavors. I vary the salsa also. I usually use a 24 ounce jar of Tostitos mild salsa, but last night I used the leftover roasted verde salsa that I made the night before.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded colby jack cheese

1 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 cups (24 ounces) salsa

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the brown rice in 1 1/4 cups water for about 40-45 minutes, until soft and water is fully absorbed. Combine the rice, 1 cup of the cheese, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Spread a couple spoonfuls of salsa on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish. Dip 6 tortillas in the salsa to coat them and arrange them on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread about half the black bean mixture over the tortillas. Dip the remaining 6 tortillas in the salsa and arrange them over the black bean mixture. Spread a few spoonfuls of salsa over the tortillas. Spread the remaining black bean mixture over the tortillas. Pour and spread the remaining salsa over the black bean mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Blueberry Crisp

This blueberry crisp is based on a recipe from Cooking Light from back in 2000. One of my changes was to make it less light. Shame on me. Oh well. The original recipe was good, but I wanted more lemon flavor, more cinnamon, and more crisp. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is a wonderful summer dessert.

3 pints blueberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

zest from one large lemon

1 1/3 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons cinnamon

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Spoon into a 9-inch square baking dish. Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut butter in with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or even with your hands (my preferred method, though it is messy) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Makes about 8 servings.

Roasted Corn Salad with Manchego

I modified a bon appetit recipe from this month's issue. I was actually especially excited for the farmers' market on Friday so I could get more corn and try this recipe. It was perfect with the beer-brined grilled pork chops and roasted verde salsa. The original recipe is online. Here's my adaptation:

6-7 ears of sweet corn, unhusked

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unslated butter

coarsely ground sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup finely grated Manchego cheese

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

zest from one lime

Preheat oven to 450. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Shuck the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and saute until heated through and light-golden in spots, about 3-4 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer corn to a large wide bowl. Add the jalapeno, crushed red pepper, Manchego cheese, cilantro, and lime zest. Stir until blended. Makes about 4 large servings.

Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops with Roasted Verde Salsa

I got two pork chops at the farmers' market on Friday and wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them. So I did a search on the bon appetit website and modified two recipes I found. The pork chops recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from the July 2001 issue. The salsa is from a recipe in the August 2007 issue. I could really taste the beer in the meat and it was delicious.

I served this with a roasted corn salad with manchego and a whole grain bread boule.

Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops

1 cup water

1 cup lager beer

1/8 cup coarse kosher salt

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup ice cubes

2 pork chops (about 1 1/4 pounds total weight)

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Combine the water, beer, salt, and brown sugar in a bowl and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the ice cubes. Place the pork chops in a resealable plastic bag and pour the brine mixture over the pork chops. Refrigerate for about 4 hours turning the bag occasionally.

Mix the garlic, black pepper, and salt. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry. Spread the garlic mixture over both sides of each pork chop. Grill over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes on each side. Makes 2 servings.

Roasted Verde Salsa

about 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 jalapeno peppers

1 small white onion, chopped

3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon was good to me)

Place the tomatillos, garlic cloves, and jalapenos on a baking sheet and broil until tender and vegetables are slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool until they can be handled. Stem and deseed the jalapenos. Put the onions, cilantro, tomatillos, garlic, and jalapenos in a food processor and puree until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt. Makes 3-4 cups.

Spicy Grilled Tofu and Roasted Carrots

I'm very pleasantly surprised by how well this grilled tofu came out. I experimented a bit last night coming up with this marinade and it was very tasty. This was my first attempt at grilling tofu and it was definitely a success.

I served the tofu with brown rice, roasted green beans, and roasted baby carrots. Here are the recipes for the grilled tofu and the roasted carrots:

Spicy Grilled Tofu

14 ounce package of extra firm tofu

3 scallions, white part only, thickly sliced

4 cloves garlic

3/4 cup less sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Drain the tofu. Slice crosswise into 8 slices. Let the tofu slices drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, put the sliced scallions and garlic cloves in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Whisk together the scallions, garlic, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients. Pour out 1/2 cup to use as a sauce.

Arrange the tofu slices in a single layer in a dish and pour the remaining marinade over the tofu slices. Cover dish and marinate overnight.

Discard the marinade. Brush grill rack with oil and grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Carrots

1 pound baby carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil

coarsely ground sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Arrange carrots on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over carrots and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat the carrots with the oil, salt, and pepper. (I generally use my hands) Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, using tongs to toss the carrots after 20 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.

Green Chile and Red Onion Quiche

This is one of the quickest dinners I make as far as hands-on time goes. I think today I started it and then had it in the oven eight minutes later. That's pretty great when you have two young kids that need oh so much of my time for one thing or another. I got this recipe from a bon appetit issue shortly after Camille was born. I found the heavy cream in it a little too rich for my liking, so I first used half-and-half instead and now I just use whole milk.

For many years I was such a purist about cooking. I hated making anything from a mix or using anything that was already prepared, such as a pie crust. It will be hard to convince me that any purchased frozen pie crust is as good as my homemade pie crust, but by being so rigid I almost never made quiche, something I really like that is otherwise fast to make. I also found that my grocery store sells organic pie crusts and the organic aspect doesn't matter too much to me. What I like is that it doesn't have any lard in it. So now that I have relaxed about not making every bit of a dinner and I found a frozen pie crust I feel okay about, I get to enjoy quiche way more often.

The original recipe is online. Here's my version:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

3/4 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 7-ounce can diced mild green chiles

1 purchased frozen 9-inch diameter pie crust (do not thaw)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until just tender. Cool briefly.

Whisk milk and next 4 ingredients in a bowl to blend. mix in cheese, chiles, and onions. Pour filling into frozen crust. Bake until golden brown and set in the center, about 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Olive Oil Cake with Candied Orange Slices

Another bon appetit recipe... Yes, I do get recipes elsewhere, but so many from bon appetit have looked or sounded really good lately. Aside from the time it takes to candy the oranges, this is a relatively easy and quick cake. I actually got the candied orange going and then made the cake batter while the orange slices candied. I just made sure to stir the orange slices every few minutes.

The flavor of the cake sounds a little strange, but it's a very moist and delicious cake. I can't even taste the olive oil in it. I mostly tasted the cardamom and orange flavors. The only significant change I made to the recipe was using ground cardamom instead of the cardamom pods for the candied oranges. We were out of the pods but had plenty of ground cardamom.

The recipe is available on the bon appetit website. Here's how I made it with that slight change in the form of cardamom for the candied orange:

candied orange and syrup

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup orange blossom honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 small orange, thinly sliced

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring sugar, honey, cardamom, and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add orange slices. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, turning orange slices occasionally, until tender and syrup is reduced to about 3 cups, about 40 minutes. Arrange orange slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Strain syrup.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover syrup and orange slices separately; chill. Return orange slices to room temperature and rewarm syrup slightly before using.

cake

1/2 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
zest from 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped pistachios, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°. Brush 9-inch springform pan with oil. Whisk both flours and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup oil in a large bowl for 1 minute. Beat in egg yolks, then flour mixture. Beat in yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla. Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until firm peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter just to blend in 2 additions. Transfer to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Pierce hot cake all over with a skewer. Slowly drizzle 3/4 cup warm syrup all over. When syrup is absorbed, slowly pour 3/4 cup more syrup over. Reserve remaining syrup for serving (optional). Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake. Remove pan sides. Arrange candied orange slices over. Sprinkle pistachios over. Cut into wedges and serve.

We found that the cake was so moist that it didn't need more syrup, so I added optional in parentheses above. The syrup is tasty and I did save it. We'll probably use it on vanilla ice cream.

Chimichurri Marinade/Sauce

I totally forgot to take a picture of this meal until I had already cut up all of my meat in preparation to nurse Adeline while eating, so this is definitely not the best picture. So, now that I've explained the less than beautiful picture, tonight's dinner was grilled flank steak with a chimichurri marinade and sauce, roasted potatoes with sage, and roasted green beans with onions. We've been eating a fair amount of beef lately partly because of the wonderful grilling issue of bon appetit and partly because I can get free-range grass-fed beef at the farmers' market. Anyway, the chimichurri sauce is amazing! As usual, I made some changes. For the first time ever I opted to use less fresh herbs rather than more. I almost always add extra herbs and spices to recipes because I love a lot of flavor. However, the original recipe called for such an enormous quantity of cilantro that I could not justify the cost of purchasing all of what the recipe called for -- and I hate picking so many leaves off the stalks. I don't think my chimichurri sauce was lacking in flavor at all. It was delicious.

Here's my version:

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

9 cloves garlic, minced

3 shallots, minced

2 fresno chiles, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh oregano, chopped

1 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, salt, garlic, shallots, and chiles in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in the oil. Remove about 1 cup of the marinade to use as a sauce on the cooked meat. Put the meat in a glass, stainless steel, or ceramic dish. Toss with the remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Remove meat from marinade and less it come to room temperature for about an hour before grilling. Pat meat dry, sprinkle with salt, and grill. Spoon the reserved sauce over the grilled meat. Makes enough marinade for 3-4 pounds of beef.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

I just made this cake for a family picnic on Saturday, but I forgot to take a picture of it, so I'm using a picture from the first time I made it. I really couldn't get my act together and plan something to make to bring. I was actually planning to try an olive oil cake with candied oranges, which I still plan to make soon, but I was really tired on Friday night and was trying to take good care of myself because I had another plugged milk duct (a recurring problem I'm having with Adeline), so I went to bed and figured I come up with something on Saturday morning. By some miracle I thought of this cake and actually had all the ingredients I needed to make the cake and glaze. I didn't bother with the blueberry sauce this time. I really like the blueberry sauce, but I don't think the cake needs it to be really good.

The recipe for this cake came from bon appetit. The recipe is online. It struck me on Saturday morning that this is a really easy cake to make. Not only did I not need my mixer, but it bakes in one pan and you glaze it while it's hot, so no need to let it cool before frosting it like with most cakes.

I followed the recipe just as it was written, so just follow the link above if you decide to try it. I figured I would just add some thoughts about baking/cooking in general.

First is the fastest, easiest way I've found to get lemon (or other citrus) zest. I use a microplane (Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater). It is fantastic. I've also used the small shredding side of a cheese grater and the traditional hand held zesters. The microplane is by far the best I've used. I got mine as a gift from my mother-in-law, but it would so definitely be worth the money if I'd bought it myself. Considering how much I use mine, I don't even think $10-$15 is much to spend on one.

Another thing I thought I'd share is the order in which I whisk liquids together. I also start with eggs in a bowl and whisk them. Then I add the melted butter while I'm whisking. I never worry about the butter being completely cooled. I just melt it as the first thing I do when I start a recipe and then add it when it's time. Next I add the milk and vanilla extract slowly while whisking. I find that I end up with better blended liquids by doing this. Basically, I start with the thicker, fattier liquids and work towards the milk and vanilla extract. When a recipe calls for brown sugar, I always whisk that in with the egg before adding other liquids.

Vegetarian Chili

This is one of those quick, easy, cheap dinners that I make over and over again. I love it with shredded colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. If I have more time available, I make cornbread or corn muffins to go with it. When I have less time, we eat it with tortilla chips. Tonight was one of those nights that I had less time. I actually prefer tortilla chips because of the crunchiness, but I'm pretty sure that the cornbread or corn muffins are healthier. Anyway, here's how I make the chili:

1/2 cup dried lentils, picked over

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 16-ounce cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Put the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan (I use a 5 quart pan) over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and red pepper for about 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and lower heat to medium-low. Drain the cooking liquid from the lentils when they are tender. Add the lentils to the rest of the chili and simmer about 10 minutes. Makes about 6 servings.

Cacio e Pepe

This recipe is from the May 2011 bon appetit. I basically followed the original recipe except that I found I needed much more of the pasta water than the recipe called for and I couldn't get Grana Padano at my grocery store, so I used parmesan instead. I also added 2 ounces of pasta so it was half the package (easier to measure) and so we could give some to Camille, who actually ate some.

Here's how I made it:

8 ounces bucatini pasta (it's a thick spaghetti)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Bring about 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the cooking time specified on the package. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and cook swirling pan until toasted, about 1 minute.

Add about 1 cup of the pasta water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Reduce heat to low and add the parmesan cheese, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove from heat. Add pecorino romano cheese stirring and tossing until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the pasta. Add more pasta water if the sauce seems dry. Makes 2 large servings.

Sauteed Summer Vegetables

I made these vegetables tonight to go with our dinner. I've been making this basic vegetable dish for years and I vary what goes in it based on what I have or what I'm in the mood for. Tonight's version had onions, red pepper, summer squash, and zucchini. I've added a little minced garlic other times and I've also added a chopped tomato. I just tend to try to balance the colors of vegetables.

Here's how I made tonight's version:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 summer squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pan and saute, stirring often, for about 3-4 minutes until slightly softened. Add the red pepper, summer squash, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and thyme. Saute, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes until vegetables are soft but not falling apart. About 3 large servings.

Farmers' Market Dinner

Friday was the first farmers' market of the year Lowell and I am already excited to go back this coming Friday. Not only did I get fresh, locally grown vegetables, I got mozzarella cheese and free-range, grass-fed beef tenderloin steaks. I was too pooped on Friday night from a week with Camille and Adeline to cook dinner and then we had other plans on Saturday night, so tonight I got to make a delicious dinner from some of my farmers' market food. Dinner included: corn on the cob, roasted green beans, roasted potatoes with sage, and grilled beef tenderloin steaks. All of the ingredients came from the farmers' market except the fresh sage, which came from my garden.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin (Filet Mignon) Steaks

It's hard to give specific instructions for cooking steaks since the cooking time depends on the size and thickness of the steaks, but I will share some things I learned recently from bon appetit.

First, take the steaks out of the refrigerator at least about an hour before you're going to cook them so they can come to room temperature. About 30 minutes before I grill them, I sprinkle both sides with coarse kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat up the grill so it's good and hot before the steaks go on. The amount of time depends on the grill. Last year, I decided that I wanted to take advantage of the natural gas that we use for our heat, hot water, and clothes dryer for a grill. We had a plumber run a line that goes out to our patio. I sold my old propane Weber grill on craigslist and bought a used natural gas Weber grill on craigslist. Anyway, now I no longer have to worry about how much propane we have, but the best advantage is that I am quite sure the natural gas grill heats up faster than the propane grill did. I don't know that it's a difference between the two fuels as much as that the natural gas grill might just be a better grill. So, the point of all this rambling is that 10 minutes is usually long enough to heat up my natural gas grill, but I think I used to have to heat up the propane grill about 20 minutes before I was ready to grill.

The total time on the grill depends on the size and thickness of the steaks. The steaks I grilled tonight were really thick and I had them on the grill for about 20 minutes total. I started on high heat and then lowered the heat to medium for roughly the last five minutes. For steaks, leave the grill open the entire grilling time. I have an inexpensive, but accurate thermometer that I've been using and for medium-rare steak, I leave it on the grill until the inside reads 120 degrees.

Let the steak rest after it is cooked for ten minutes. The inside temperature rises while it's resting, which is why it only needs to be at 120 degrees for medium-rare.

Roasted Green

Beans

1 pound green beans

olive oil

coarsely ground sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

Wash the green beans and cut the stem end of the bean off. Put the green beans on a rimmed baking sheet and toss them with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, coarsely ground sea salt, and black pepper. Spread them pretty evenly on the baking sheet. Roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 14 minutes. Makes about 4-6 servings.

Roasted Potatoes with Fresh Sage

1 pound red potatoes, washed and cut into chunks with the skins on

2-3 tablespoons minced fresh sage

olive oil

coarsely ground sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with the sage, 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt,

and pepper to evenly coat the potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Stir the potatoes after 20 minutes, scraping up any potatoes that are stuck to the baking sheet. Makes 4-6 servings