Having kids doesn’t have to mean the end of candle lit dinners!
Let’s face it…having kids changes things. Its hard to go out as often as we used to because babysitting is so expensive, not to mention the logistics of getting out of the house alone! But having kids doesn’t mean the end of candle lit dinners, sweet wine, and delicious food. Friday night always seems like date night to me, even if now it means a date with my two favorite guys. Tonight all three of us feasted on roasted potatoes, fresh salad, and quickly seared Field Roast Italian sausage. Have you tried these? Amazing! I try not to rely on meat substitutes very often (when I first became vegetarian this was easy to do, but now I have more tricks up my sleeve!), but every once in a while they are an great way to round out a meal. The real show stopper tonight was my Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes. Roasted potatoes are often a bit soft, without much bite. Adding a simple coating of polenta gives these potatoes a nice crunch, while a quick parboil makes the insides tender. You’ve gotta try these!
Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
1/4 c polenta
1.5 pounds red potatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried oregano
waiting to be transformed
Mix polenta, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, and oregano together in a small bowl. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and coat with olive oil. Dice up potatoes…I cut my medium sized red potatoes into 16 pieces each. Place cut potatoes into a pot of cold water and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, until outer edges can be pierced with a fork. Drain in a strainer and then shake in strainer to “roughen up” potato surface. The more rough surface, the more crispy edges! You can scratch potatoes with a fork to provide more rough edges. Put potatoes in a separate bowl and toss with 1 T olive oil. Add polenta mix and toss. Spread potatoes onto prepared baking sheet and place in preheated oven. After 20 minutes toss potatoes. Toss again after 20 more minutes. Once potatoes have roasted for 40 minutes total increase heat to 450. Cook for 10 minutes more and remove from oven. Enjoy!
Let’s just say there weren’t any leftovers tonight!
