Roasted Rosemary Red Potoates

I love roasting vegetables for so many reasons. It's so easy. Basically you just have to chop your favorite veggies, toss them in olive oil and some seasoning, and put them in the oven at around 400-450 until they are cooked to your desired tenderness. Easy peasy!

I also love that it really brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables and the herbs that you choose to use. The vegetables aren't smothered in a rich sauce that overpowers them. Now don't get me wrong... I'm a HUGE fan of thick, creamy, cheesy sauces but we're trying to keep it light for summer, remember? Rosemary has a wonderful aroma. I got mine straight from my grandfather's garden, which makes it even better because it's completely fresh. And free :)

Roasted. Rosemary. Red potatoes. I love alliteration almost as much as I love roasting ridiculously remarkable raw red potatoes.

Ok, I'm done.

This recipe is so simple. The combination of fresh rosemary and potatoes is a classic combination for a side dish to accompany meat main dishes. The leftovers would be reheated in a skillet to make home fries and covered with drippy eggs.

I'll be sharing the other two dishes that I made with these potatoes for my grandmother's birthday later in the week so stay tuned!

Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes (8 servings) 

• 3 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Toss the red potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. 
3. Place the potatoes the prepared pan in a single layer to ensure even roasting. Roast for 30-40 minutes (I did around 40 because I had other items in the oven and we like our potatoes a little browned on the outside.)

Pesto Potato Salad

Hi there! I've been a little absent due to Hurricane Irene and Labor Day weekend festivities. Hurricane Irene left me with sporadic phone and internet service for about a week.  With all of the inconveniences that this caused my life, I figured that it was safest to not update my blog because I just couldn't force myself to be my usual witty, charming, and friendly self (...ha).  But now that most of my technological devices are up and running and I had a job interview today, I'm feeling much better so I can put some positive energy into the blog :)

Also, THE PACKERS WON LAST NIGHT!  This green potato salad is the closest I have for a festive recipe right now.  But be on the lookout for some great appetizers during this season!

I love barbecues. Grilled meat, fattening dips, fruity desserts, creative salads, and (best of all) CONSTANT SNACKING!  Right up my alley.  When I got back from Costa Rica, my grandmother had a huge family barbecue to celebrate my homecoming.  I asked my mom what supplies she had to make a dish and she pointed to a sack of red potatoes and celery.  She said that she figured we could just make potato salad.  An overwhelming feeling of disappointment set in...

I do NOT like potato salad.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'll eat it if it's all that's around.  But with all the food at a barbecue, potato salad is the one thing I skip on to make room for everything else.  There's a couple reasons for this.  I don't particularly like mayo.  Maybe a little on a sandwich if it has a special flavor (pesto, chipotle, cranberry, garlic, etc) and if there's no mustard around. I really don't like mayo on a hot day.  For some reason it just doesn't sit well in my stomach.  Also, I generally think potato salad is really boring. Most of the time it's pretty flavor- and colorless and you can't really eat it any other way but by itself.  Lame.

Well I was not going to be caught dead bringing a lifeless potato salad to a party meant to celebrate me.  So I hunted through my mom's cabinets and found some goodies.  I found: pine nuts, pesto, red pepper, onions, and eggs.  And those became the additional ingredients.  I think that my creation turned out pretty darn good! It was definitely more flavorful than a traditional potato salad and had a variety of textures.  The only two negatives were: I did have to use some mayo because the potatoes were a little dry and some people were initially freaked out by the green color.  I just stood by the bowl and hassled people to try it until they put a little scoop on their plate. Even the pickiest eaters went back for seconds!  Give this new twist on an old favorite a try!

NOTE: This recipe makes a TON! Good thing it turned out well because my mom and I were eating it for a week straight.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of red skinned potatoes, quartered and boiled until tender
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 bundle of celery, chopped
• 6 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
• 1 cup of pine nuts (or however much you like)
• 1 1/2 jars of pesto 
• mayo (add until it's at your desired consistency) 

          **POSSIBLE ADDITIONS: black olives, feta, sun-dried tomatoes

1.  Start a large pot of water to boil.  When boiling, add potatoes and cook until tender (about 30 minutes).
2. While potatoes are cooking, chop red pepper, onion, celery, and hard boiled eggs and put in a large serving bowl.  Add pine nuts. 
3. Drain potatoes. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl.
4. Add the jars of pesto.  Mix.  Add mayo a little at a time until the salad is at the desired consistency.