Crispy, Spicy Baked Potato Wedges

I love to cook with potatoes and I plan to use them a lot in the coming months. They can be used in so many ways, and with the price of food going through the roof these days, a potato is one of the cheapest foods you can buy.
These potato wedges are simple to make and they can be a side dish to just about any food you can imagine. It takes a lot of self control on my part to keep from eating them before I put them on the table for everyone else.
I can even serve these to my vegetarian/vegan friends. I like to leave the skin on the potatoes; it adds a lot of texture to the wedges and since the potato skins have a lot of vitamins, they’re also healthier. Double the amount of cayenne pepper if you want these wedges really really spicy (my sister would probably want me to triple the amount).

Ingredients: ( 3 servings)
3 large russet potatoes (1 per person)

Spicy Marinade:
2 1/2 tbs canola oil (vegetable oil)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp crushed cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried crushed oregano
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the oil and all the spices. Whisk constantly with a fork while adding each spice, to keep them from forming clumps in the marinade.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F while you scrub and rinse potatoes, until all the dirt is washed away (they will get several shades lighter when you’re done).
Cut the potatoes lengthwise in as many wedges as you want (if you cut them into 4 wedges try to do the same with all the potatoes; different sized wedges will not cook evenly).
Place the raw potato wedges into a large ziploc bag, then pour the marinade in. Seal, removing as much of the air as possible and work the marinade into all the potatoes with your hands. Keep the potatoes in the bag until just before cooking.
Place all the potato wedges onto a greased shallow baking pan.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through. You can test the potatoes with a sharp knife while in the oven to see if they are cooked all the way.

Prepared on 2011-06-05 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Quick and Easy Nachos

This is one of those super easy and tasty quick snacks, that will have you munching in less than 10 minutes. 

I learned to make these nachos from a friend many years ago when I lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This was her favorite midnight munchies snack. She sometimes used taco meat and refried beans. Although I like both, I’m usually in a hurry to eat, and prefer the quick version with just salsa and cheese — and when you use fresh, homemade salsa it’s even better.
If you keep a mix of shredded cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, and you’ve already made (or bought) your salsa, you’ll be taking your first bite in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup homemade fresh salsa (store bought chunky salsa will also work)
tortilla chips

Preparation:
Lay a layer of tortilla chips on a microwave safe plate.
Spoon salsa on top of the chips (you don’t need much).
Sprinkle mixed cheese over the salsa.

Add more layers of chips, salsa and cheese.

Microwave on high until cheese is completely melted.
Eat right away before the chips get soggy.

Ideas:
In addition to taco meat and refried beans, shredded lettuce, jalapeno slices and guacamole are also great additions.

Prepared on 2011-05-19 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

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Fresh Salsa with roasted garlic and green chilies (Pico De Gallo)

When I lived in Colorado, I had a hiking and camping buddy who created gourmet meals for us to eat after a long day’s hike. He wanted us to start a tour guide business. We would take tourists on a tour of the San Juan Mountains (part of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado) and show them all the interesting sites. He wanted to set us apart from all the other tour guides in the area by providing the tourists with a custom shot video of their adventures and a gourmet meal.
He was a great cook and had some pretty awesome ideas for different meals to prepare. Among his creations were an excellent potato salad, various cold sandwiches, and garden-fresh salsa served with tortilla chips.
The tour guide business never really took off, but out of it came one of my favorite vegetables recipes — his garden-fresh salsa. I love to eat it with tortilla chips, on top of toasted garlic bread and in quick nachos. It’s also great on turkey sandwiches; I like to spread it between turkey slices. This salsa should keep for about 4 to 5 days (although its so delicious I really doubt you’ll have to worry about it lasting that long). In Mexico this salsa is also known as “Pico De Gallo”. Feel free to experiment with any vegetables you like. Use this recipe as a base and add diced bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, or any others you like. Add finely diced jalapeno and/or habanero peppers to make it spicy. Please leave me a comment on what variations you've tried.

Ingredients:
3 cups diced white onion
4 cups diced tomatoes
4 tbs roasted garlic, mashed
1 large jalapeno, seeded, deveined and finely diced (optional)
1 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 4 oz can of chopped green chilies
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
salt to taste

Preparation:
Add onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and green chilies to a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, mash the roasted garlic with a fork, then add the lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk this dressing while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Dump the dressing onto the bowl of vegetables and mix until everything is well combined.
Pour the salsa mixture into an airtight container and set in the refrigerator overnight. Every now and then, stir it a bit since the juices tend to settle in the bottom of the container.

Prepared on 2011-05-14 (Tulsa, OK), Photographs by Michael Findley

Chunky Hummus with Roasted Garlic

Instead of the same old mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich, I love to spread hummus on the bread instead.
l also use it as a dip with crackers, chips and vegetables. This time I used baked pita triangles. Hummus should keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, but feel free to add more if you like your hummus really spicy.
I also made this batch of hummus chunkier than usual, and I think it worked out great, but I’m still not sure if I prefer it this way or creamy smooth.

Ingredients: (makes about two cups)
2 cups garbanzo beans, soaked overnight or 1 15 oz can
1/4 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
3 tbs roasted garlic cloves or 1 mashed clove
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
pita bread (cut into triangles, see below for instructions)
water
salt

Preparation:
Hummus:
Cook garbanzo beans in about 5 cups of water for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
Add to a food processor, along with tahini, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
Process in a food processor until it’s smooth. If it becomes too thick add 1 tbs of water at a time until it gets smooth again. (The picture above is chunkier than normal.)
Pita triangles:
Cut pita bread into 8 triangles, open triangles up and cut the two halves — you should now have 16 triangles.
Rub roasted garlic over each triangle, then brush on a bit of olive oil.
Sprinkle pepper and salt on each triangle and toast in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Presentation:
Empty the food processor into a small serving bowl. Sprinkle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on top. If you like, garnish with paprika and/or cumin and add parsley to the center of the dish.

Prepared on 2011-05-14 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Crispy Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic

While surfing for good recipes online, I came across this recipe for Hasselback Potatoes. They looked not only different and interesting, but crispy too. And when I read the recipe, it mentioned that sliced garlic was stuffed in each of the potato slits. This did it for me, and I had to try these. I’m glad I did, they turned out very good and were in fact crispy, but not as crispy as a potato chip.
I will definitely make these again, but I have some ideas for how I might change them a bit — stay tuned.

Ingredients:
4 or 5 large cloves of garlic (depends on how many potato slits you end up with)
2 large russet potatoes
olive oil
around 1/4 stick of butter
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Slice your potatoes crossways from one end to the other, but make sure you don’t cut all the way through, so the slices are held together at the bottom. Make your slices about ⅛ inch thick.
Slice the cloves of garlic as thin as you can, and put a slice between each of the potato slits.
Place potatoes into an oven baking dish.
Drizzle some olive oil over the potatoes, making sure oil works its way in between each of the potato slices.
Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt over the potatoes.
Cut eight ⅛-inch-thick slices of butter, and spread four on top of each potato.
Cover the baking dish with foil, and place in a 425 degree F oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes, covered. Remove the foil, and brush some of the oil and butter in the bottom of the dish back on the potatoes. Bake another 30 minutes. (If you don’t have much butter and oil dripping in the bottom of the baking dish, add 2 or 3 more butter slices on top of each potato.)

Prepared on 2011-05-15 (Tulsa, OK), Photograph by Michael Findley

Torrejas de Espinaca (Spinach Fritters)

Torrejas are a very Peruvian dish.
You can throw in just about any vegetable you have in your fridge, as long as you include a larger proportion of spinach. In fact, spinach here is not really optional; it helps hold the torreja together while frying, and later while eating. In this particular recipe I used lettuce, parsley, onions and tomatoes because that’s what I had in the refrigerator at the time.
I love to just eat these with my hands; they’re so crunchy and full of flavor. They can also be used as sides to most of the dishes in this blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 medium habanero, seeded, deveined and diced
1 cup lettuce, only the greener parts of leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes
1/3 cup parsley, chopped (no stems)

Preparation:
Steam the spinach for about 5 minutes.
Finely chop all the vegetables, including the steamed spinach, and place in a bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the water, flour and eggs; use a fork to blend well.
Add the flour-egg-water mixture to the chopped vegetables and mix well.
Use a large serving spoon to scoop a dollop of the mix onto a hot frying pan that was sprayed with nonstick oil. Fry, pancake-style. When the bottom has golden-brown spots, turn and fry on the other side.

Prepared on 2011-04-06 (Tulsa, OK), Pictures by Michael Findley

Crispy Flavorful Falafels

The falafels pictured above are the first ones I’ve made on my own. Many years ago I watched my late friend Bob make them. Actually, he taught me many cooking basics, and he was also quite a character, so someday I’ll tell you more about him.

Even though I used many spices, these falafels were not all that spicy, just full of wonderful flavor. Mom liked them so much, that she asked me to make them as often as possible.

Half were fried and the other half baked (the greener ones you see above were baked and they tasted great, but were not as crispy as the fried ones). I found that frying them was difficult. At first my oil was too hot and the outside would crisp too quickly, leaving the center raw. Perhaps in the future I’ll bake them for a bit first, then finish them by frying.
There are so many ways you can use falafels. Put them in salads, falafel-humus sandwiches or just eat them as snacks.
This is my first vegetarian recipe on the blog, and if you’re vegan you can skip the breadcrumbs (or use vegan-friendly bread).

Ingredients:
4 cups raw (soaked overnight) garbanzo beans
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp dill
2 tbs flour
1 tbs bread crumbs
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed coriander seed
canola oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
In a food processor, chop the garbanzo beans until you get a crumbled mixture with pieces about the size of sesame seeds.
Move this mixture to a bowl. In the food processor place the parsley, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, onions, garlic and 1 cup of the crumbled garbanzo beans. Chop until well combined.
Spoon the blended mixture into the bowl with crumbled garbanzo beans along with the flour, cumin, crushed coriander seeds, baking soda, and about 1 tbs of salt. If you chose to use cayenne pepper add it at this time too. Finally add some black pepper to taste.
Combine everything thoroughly with a spoon. Squeeze a small amount of the mixture in your hand. If it falls apart, add a few drops of water.
Form the mixture into 25 to 30 balls. If you’ll be baking, place them on a baking tray covered with olive oil.
To fry: In a deep frying pan, on medium heat, add enough oil to cover the falafels.
When the oil is hot, fry them 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
To bake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the falafels on the center rack of your oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning the falafels over halfway through.

Prepared on 2011-04-13 (Tulsa, OK), photograph by Michael Findley

Chifles (plantain chips)

Chifles are snacks I grew up eating. Whenever someone in my family would visit my grandmother in Peru, they’d always come back with 2 or 3 bags of chifles in their suitcases. Chifles are slices of plantain which are set on paper towels to dry, and then fried. As soon as they come out of the pot they’re lightly dusted with salt and laid on paper towels again to drain.
A plantain has a similar shape to a banana, but its skin only turns yellow for a short period, just before ripening. A fully ripe plantain has a black skin. It’s starchier and firmer than a banana, and not as sweet.
We usually eat chifles by themselves like you’d eat potato chips, but it’s also customary to serve them with certain Peruvian dishes like ceviche and soups. In Peru, plantains are available year-round, so you can always find them in my grandma's kitchen.
I’ve never made these myself here in the U.S. — not because I can't find the ingredients, but because (thanks to whoever goes to visit my grandma in Peru) we always have some laying around our house.

Ingredients:
3 or 4 plantains
vegetable oil
salt

Preparation:
Cut the plantains into 1/16- to 1/8-inch-thick slices. If you want to speed up this process, you can use a mandolin. Lay a single layer of slices on paper towels to dry for about 30 minutes.
Add 1/2 inch of oil to a pot (deep enough to prevent splatter) and heat to medium high. Toss in a handful of the plantain slices and turn them until they become a gold color. Remove the fried plantain chips into a bowl, sprinkle a pinch of salt and toss to evenly spread. Empty the chips onto paper towels to drain. Repeat this process until all the plantain slices have been fried, salted and drained. The plantain chips will absorb some of the oil, so add more as needed.

Storage:
Store the plantains in air-free containers or plastic bags.

Photograph by Michael Findley

Sausage Meatballs

This recipe was actually simpler to make than I had envisioned. Despite the fact that I slightly overcooked them, these were the best-tasting sausage meatballs I’d ever had, even my sister thought so. Every bite brought a taste of both cheese and onions.
You could use these meatballs as side dishes, incorporate them into spaghetti, or do what I did -- stick toothpicks in and eat them like snacks.

Ingredients:
1 pound of mild Italian sausage
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion (finely diced)
3/4 cup plain pancake mix
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If your sausage came in links, remove the casing. Put the meat into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and work it with your hands. Once all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the meat, start forming the balls. I recommend a diameter slightly smaller than a quarter but bigger than a nickel. Roll them tightly so they don’t fall apart when they’re cooking. Spray nonstick oil into a large frying pan and set it on medium-high heat. Barely sear the outside of the meatballs, then turn the pan over onto a large baking tray and spread the meatballs out so they don’t touch. Bake about 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
These can be frozen in a Ziploc bag.

Recipe prepared on 2011-03-25 (Tulsa, OK). Photograph by Michael Findley.