Oven Baked Fries

We have been making sweet potato fries for quite awhile but have never really taken the time to work out a technique for classic french fries.  Frozen fries and tater tots are hard to find because almost all of them involve soybean oil.  We used to buy some great frozen fries from Alexia, but our usual source (Costco) hasn't had them in lately.  Plus they're not cheap...this is certainly MUCH cheaper.

We've tried frying a few times, but it's such a mess and I hate the smell of grease.  Blech!  So the oven it is and with a french fry cutter and a rimmed baking sheet with a rack it's pretty easy.

Oven Baked Fries (serves 3-4)
4 small russet potatoes* (4-6" long), peeled
1 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
herbs/seasoning salt (opt)
*the size that comes in the 5lb bags not the big baking potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.  
2. Cut the potatoes using a french fry cutter (smaller sized squares work better) and place them in a large microwave safe dish.  I usually use an 8" square pyrex.
3. Microwave the potatoes for 5-7 min (depending on the strength of your microwave).  Ours is fairly wimpy so I went with 7.
4. While they're still in the pyrex add the olive oil and seasonings and turn them to coat. 
5. Place a baking rack on a large (9x13+) rimmed baking sheet.
6. Using tongs place the fries on the baking rack in a single layer.  This is a little tedious, but if you do it now you won't have to do any turning later.
7. Bake for 15-20 min. til done.  

That's it.  They're soft on the inside and reasonably crispy on the outside.  It's not like deep-frying but it is a passable substitute.

Carrot Souffle

I based my recipe on this recipe from Recipezaar.  Then I started making modifications to it.  So here's my version.

Carrot Souffle (Serves 4)
1.5 lb carrots, peeled & cut into a few pieces
1/2 c coconut milk
2 egg yolks or egg replacer
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 c non-dairy milk alternative (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)

1. Steam or boil your carrots til soft.  Then roughly mash them with a fork or potato masher.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
   
3. Place coconut milk, vanilla, carrots, eggs, and bron sugar in a blender.  Blend til very smooth.  This is going to take a bit.  I usually have to stop and move things around a bit.  It works best too if the liquids are on the bottom.
4. Pour your carrot puree into a glass casserole dish (I use an 8x8 square or smaller with this amount).  
5. Mix in the baking powder.  You can also add in a couple of tablespoons of flour at this point to make a stiffer souffle if you like. 
6. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  

My younger child loves this.  My husbands says it tastes like pie! 

You can vary the seasoning -- ginger or nutmeg would be a natural fit with carrot.  I was also thinking that some orange flavor would go nicely, so maybe using some orange juice (and less sugar, I bet) or orange extract instead of vanilla.  This is a great holiday recipe too.

Posted to  Our Krazy Kitchen's Fall Recipe Roundup

Apple-Pecan Pancakes

Apple-Pecan Pancakes
by 3KillerBs

The Verdict:  A+
I found this recipe on recipezaar last week.  It was fabulous!  Definitely more involved prep time than my usual pancake recipe, but really delicious. I loved the hint of lemon, the crunch of the pecans, the crisp bits of apple....

The only modification I made to the recipe was using rice milk in place of regular milk and the So Delicious Coconut Milk beverage in place of the heavy cream. 

The recipe says it makes 3 doz pancakes....I got about 8, but I made mine really big (like almost plate sized). 

I wish I'd taken a picture, but we were too busy eating.  The kids were totally silent if that gives you an indication of their opinion.  Even picky DD ate around the bits she was suspicious of without comment. 

Vegetarian Samosas

Vegetarian Samosas (12 samosas)
1/2 package fillo dough, thawed (I used Athens brand)
2 T oil
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garam masala
1/2 t ground ginger
pinch turmeric
3 sm-med potatoes, diced
1-2 c other veggies (I used peas & carrots)

oil for frying

1. Heat oil in a deep, heavy skillet.  Once hot, add in the garlic and spices.  Cook 1 minute. 
2. Add potatoes and stir.  Cook til they're about 1/2 done (you want them to be pretty tender).
3. Add in other veggies and cook the rest of the way.  You might want to try mashing some of the potatoes to help the mixture hold together a bit better.  I didn't do that this time and it was a little hard to handle.
4. Start heating your frying oil.  You want it at 350F.
5. Unroll your fillo dough on a clean piece of parchment paper/wax paper.  Lay out a sheet of dough and fold it over length-wise (you want a long narrow rectangle).  Place about 2 T of filling at one end of the dough and fold the side of the fillo dough over the filling to form a triangle.  Then fold your dough up in triangles up the rest of the length of fillo. 
6. You'll need to seal the loose edge of the samosa with a little bit of water.  Be careful not to overdo it or you'll get the rest of the fillo soggy. 
7. Fry at 350F for 1-2 minutes. Drain well.

Serve with plain yogurt, chutney, etc.  I used plain cultured coconut milk yogurt (from So Delicious) and apricot preserves. 

The Verdict:  A-
They were tasty and the spice mixture is just right.  I would likely do more of a mashed potato mixture next time.  The fillo was pretty easy to work with.  The frying was a pain though because we don't have a real deep-frying setup.  I'm wondering if you could bake them?  Not something I'd make very often unless I could figure out an easier way to cook/crisp them.

Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad (serves 2-4)
1 medium yellow/sweet onion, diced
1 bell peppers, diced (any color is fine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 T olive oil
1 c dry French green lentils/dry brown lentils (rinsed and picked over)
enough water/stock/broth to cover the lentils (1.5 - 2 c)
1-2T balsamic vinegar
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 oz chevre, crumbled
salad greens
vinaigrette

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat and sautee vegetables til softened.
2. Add in the lentils and cover with water/broth/stock (just enough to go over the top of them.  Increase heat a bit to get them going.  Add bay leaf and thyme and balsamic vinegar. 
3. Cook coveredover medium/medium-low heat.  Simmer the lentils for 15 minutes depending on how soft you like your lentils.  15 minutes will leave them still pretty crunchy/toothy.  If they're still a little too soupy and/or you like your lentils softer, remove the lid and let them cook for another 5-10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning.
4. Serve over salad greens with a dollop of chevre on the top.  Drizzle vinaigrette over the top. 

I also served this with the Artisan Bread from An Oregon Cottage.  It was VERY easy and the flavors are great.  I think my dough was probably still a touch wet since it spread more than hers did.  Loved the dutch oven cooking method.

Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is a wonderful simple dish that you can embellish with all sorts of different ingredients.  Try different vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, or peas.  Or add in a small amount of bacon or better yet pancetta or seafood.  It can be a main dish or side dish. 

Mushroom Risotto (serves 2-4 as a main/ 6-8 as a side)

1 T olive oil
1/2 mild onion, diced
1 c arborio rice
1/2 c white wine
1 c chopped mushrooms
~4 c chicken broth (hot)
pinch of saffron threads (bloom in hot water)

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook til translucent.
2. Heat broth and keep at a simmer.
3. Add in the rice stirring to coat all the rice with olive oil.  Cook for several minutes until the rice starts to become a little translucent.
4. Stir in the white wine and mushrooms.  Let the rice absorb the liquid, stirring frequently.  Don't let the heat get too high.
5. Now begin adding the broth 1/2c at a time, stirring almost constantly until the liquid is absorbed.  Keep adding broth in this fashion until the risotto has a creamy consistency and the rice is tender. 
6. Mix in the saffron.  Adjust seasoning.  If you eat dairy, you can mix in a 1/4-1/2c of parmesan cheese at the very end before serving.

Chickpea Curry

I used this recipe from Recipezaar but made a few changes. I left out the tomatoes & tomato sauce/ketchup. I was unexpectedly out of curry paste, so I used several T of curry powder and a healthy dose of garlic powder, onion powder, and a generous shake of red pepper flakes. I used frozen cauliflower and peas and threw in 1/2 c of golden raisins. I didn't use the fresh onion/garlic because I didn't feel like doing extra chopping tonight.

We served it with roti that I found at Costco (RotiLand...looks like the same people who make the TortillaLand uncooked tortillas that are soy-free). They were alright. Roti's not my favorite Indian bread though. I think I'm going to need to find my own naan recipe or something.