Garlicy Spinach

Until high school, I was an avid hater of spinach. My mother made it on a regular basis and I would rather starve than eat that nasty stuff from the box. All that changed in high school when I was invited over for dinner to my friend's house. There was an intoxicating smell coming from the kitchen so I went to check it out. What the heck was it? I asked what it was and she told me spinach. But it wasn't like the spinach my mom made; it was heaping, overflowing out of the skillet. After I explained to her my concern about not being normal spinach, she told me after eating this, I would never want spinach another way. I watched her for the few minutes; the spinach that had tried to escape the skillet had now melted into this little mound of green. It went against my whole will, I had to try it. One bite and I was hooked. You know what? She was right. That was almost eleven years ago and I have never prepared my spinach any other way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! (There's one way thing to know, you can NEVER have too much garlic. I used almost a whole head this time!)

Yes, that white is garlic. I didn't mince mine enough this time but it was still good!

4 T. olive oil (just a guess)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bags spinach (9 oz each)

In a LARGE skillet, heat up oil and sautee garlic. Make sure garlic is completely cooked and soft. (When you add the spinach, it is more the heat from the oil that will wilt and cook it than the heat from the burner.) Once garlic is browned, add all the spinach. Keep turning spinach until all is cooked and wilted.

Roasted Potatoes

Ohmygoodness, these were yummy and so easy. I had a hankering for roasted potatoes but I had never made them. To speed up the process, I put them in the microwave for 3 minutes to partially cook them first and then it only took 20 minutes in the oven.

6 small red potatoes
1/4 white onion, frenched
3 T. evoo
3 tsp. garlic, chopped
kosher salt
coarse ground or fresh black pepper
2 tsp. italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes (because they will be hot!). Cube into bite size pieces. On a foil-lined cookie sheet, lay potatoes and onions in a single layer. Drizzle evoo on top and make sure the potatoes are evenly coated. Add garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning on top of potatoes. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes. Stir to turn potatoes, roast an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately!

Sweet Potato Fries

It's Tuesday and I've already strayed from my menu planning. BUT I'm a thrifty shopper AND a sucker for a deal, so that's my excuse. ;) I went to an HEB Market, which is similar to a Central Market, only they carry name-brand foods and not as extensive in the organic line. BUT they had a cafe on the run, which I had to check to see if they had pimento cheese. (If you haven't had HEB's Pam's Pimento Cheese, go find yourself some now. It is absolutely NOTHING like they overly orange gooey stuff in the tub. It is simply fabulous!) While I was there, they had crab cakes on sale for $3 each! Then the girl told me they froze well, so I got four. Yum-o. I spent the hour driving "home" to figure out what side I could easily make and that would complement crab cakes. Corn relish?! Yes! However, my fellow dinner partner doesn't like corn. (Who doesn't like corn?! Crazy people, that's who.) That's out. Cole slaw. Possibly, if only they made a decent cole slaw dressing in a bottle. So what do I do turn? Turn to google. :) After a few posts, FINALLY someone recommended sweet potato fries. A-HA! I used to make sweet potato chips all the time. Easy peasy. Except, BOTH mandolines that I own are at my aunt's house...in San Antonio.

I decided to go the old-fashion route and make actual fries. I normally make chips in the microwave but since these would be thicker, I decided to use the oven. I made the mistake of adding too much oil. I thought it would help them cook faster, but it just made them soggy. So I then took a paper towel and wiped up the excess oil and popped them back in the oven, no problem. Also, I LOVE a sprinkle of cayenne on my sweet potatoes. (And I do mean a sprinkle.) It gives it just a little kick that makes you wonder where it came from. You could always go with the standard salt and pepper. Or brown sugar and cinnamon. Whatever suits your fancy.



2 small-medium sweet potatoes (one for each person)
Oil (you can use canola or evoo, just enough to barely coat the fries)
Kosher salt
Cayenne

Preheat oven to 400. Peel the sweet potatoes and remove any bad spots. Uniformly, slice them into fries. (Uniformity is the key or else parts will skinny fries will start to burn before the fat fries get crunchy.) Line a cookie sheet with foil and lay fries in a single layer. DRIZZLE oil onto potatoes and toss with fingers to coat. Use a lot less than you think you will need, it goes a long way. Redistribute so the fries are in a single layer again. Sprinkle with salt and a hint of cayenne. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the fries if you wish. Turn the heat up to 425 and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until desired doneness/crispiness.