rosemary roasted potatoes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (mixed fingerling potatoes would be great here)
1/8 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters (focus on keeping the pieces more or less the same size for even cooking) and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

*Adapted from Ina Garten

best roasted potatos ever

These are delicious and I promise worth the work-
better than french fries!

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes - rinse and cut 1/2 inch slices
Salt
5 Tbsp olive oil
Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F with a half sheet in the lowest rack. Rinse and cut the potatoes to 1/2 inch slices
2. Place potatoes in a large dutch oven and add enough cold water to cover by an inch. Add 1 Tbsp salt and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, keeping a simmer for about 5 minutes. The potatoes should be almost cooked (soft on the outside, providing some resistance to a knife on the inside)
4. Drain and place potatoes in a large bowl. Add a 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp olive oil. Combine with a spatula. Repeat once more with the same amounts of salt and oil. Let sit for 2 minutes. The end product should have a soft coating of starch on the outside.
5. Add 1 tbsp oil to the heated half sheet and place potato slices (they should sizzle immediately).
6. Cook for 10 minutes.
7. Rotate and cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Take out and carefully flip. Cook for 10 minutes.
9. Rotate and cook for another 10 minutes.
10. Season with pepper.

* From America's Test Kitchen

Guinness lamb stew

This is a delicious recipe, but it takes a while on the stove so leave plenty of time or save it for the weekend.

Ingredients

8 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 lb. boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups Guinness Stout
1 tbsp. tomato paste
3 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potatos
2 cups 1-inch-thick diagonally sliced carrot
8 oz. baby turnips, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and rosemary; saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place onion mixture in a large bowl. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle lamb evenly with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Dredge lamb in flour, and shake off excess. Return pan to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add lamb mixture to pan; saute for 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add browned lamb to onion mixture.
2. Add beer to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return onion mixture and lamb to pan. Stir in the tomato paste; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Uncover and stir in potato, carrot, and turnips. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, the remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1 tbsp. mustard.
4. Sprinkle fresh parsley over each bowl.

*adapted from Cooking Light

slow cooker beef stew

Ingredients

1 (5 lb.) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 lbs. red potatoes (6 medium), scrubbed
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Dry the beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half the beef, about 10 minutes. Then add to slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and repeat with 2 more tsp. of oil and the remaining beef.
2. Add the remaining 2 tsp of oil to the empty skillet and return to medium-heat until shimmering. Add the onions and the 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine and tomato paste, scrapping up any brown bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Then pour into the slow cooker.
3. Add the chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups of beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker around the edges, leaving the meat in the center. Cover and cook either on low or high until the meat is tender, 9-10 hours on low or 6-7 hours on high.
4. When the meat is tender remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour with the reaming 1/2 cup of beef broth until smooth. Then stir into the slow cooker. Quarter the potatoes and return them to the slow cooker. Stir in the peas. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes like flour, about 15-30 minutes longer. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: To make ahead, the night before or day in advance prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them. Be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the liquid and vegetables in another container.

* From America's Test Kitchen

carrot and ginger soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 lb. carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 large potato, diced
6 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute over low heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and curry powder and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables and stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. On low heat, stir in the honey, salt, and pepper. If desired, garnish with shredded mint, grated carrot, toasted sesame seeds and/or honey.

*From the cookbook Soup!