Taters and Broccoli

 I love roasted potatoes. Really I just love any carb in general, but definitely potatoes. It has taken me forever to figure out how to make them just the way I like them--crispy on the outside, and tender in the inside. I figured out it's not rocket science, you just have to cook them at the right temp and cook them for longer than 20 minutes =) Usually when I try to make roasted potatoes, I don't time it out right with whatever else I am making, so I end up being impatient and taking them out early. This time I actually planned ahead and gave them plenty of time. I have made these about 5 times now, each time a little different than before.  I love these potatoes, and they have even been approved by Trav. He is just like my dad; whenever I make something and ask him how he likes it, his response is always "Uh, it's ok" or "uh, it's alright". Come on!! It's kills me.

There are a million ways to do these, just like any other vegetable, but I'll share the way we like them. I do not use exact measurements for this recipe. It's one of those you just kind of get a "feel" for how much you want to sprinkle on. 

Roasted  Potatoes

_____________________________________

Ingredients:

5 Red Potatoes

extra virgin olive oil

seasoned salt

dried rosemary

pepper

1.

   

3.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice and quarter some red potatoes. I use about 5 potatoes for just me and Travis (the portions though are enough for about 4 people, lol). 

2. Spray pam on a baking sheet and drizzle some oil on it as well. Place the potatoes evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle some more olive oil over the potatoes and then sprinkle with seasoned salt, rosemary, and pepper.

3. Pop them in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Every 10-15 minutes, move the potatoes around because they tend to get stuck to the bottom. You do not have to worry about flipping them, but it wouldn't hurt. When they look nice and crispy and golden brown, they are done.

**If you do not like the outsides crispy and crunchy, you can wrap them up in ten foil for 15 minutes. They will definitely stay hot and and as they are sitting in the steam, the outsides will soften up. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Travis also came home with some fresh broccoli from the garden, so we decided to have that with our meal as well. I put him in charge of making it because I don't mess with fresh broccoli; I just always have frozen broccoli in the freezer and throw it in the microwave with some water for a few minutes. 

Travis usually nails whatever he makes, it infuriates me sometimes. I'm passionate about cooking and try really hard and I still suck. He, on the other hand, just whips stuff up and I swear it could be served in a restaurant. But whatever, I always win in rock, paper, scissors….

I love broccoli, but now I think I might be addicted to it. This turned out really yummy. 

Baked Broccoli

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 heads fresh broccoli, separated into florets

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 

2. In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet/dish.

3. Bake until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.