Swiss Chard and Potatoes

Do you want to know what I think is a beautiful thing?  Heading out to my own backyard grocery store to choose what to have for dinner.

And do you know what I think is even prettier?

The price.

Not much is ready yet other than the leafy goods, but I am so happy about it all (except for the critters munching my goods; I just replanted both the corn and the peas...Grrr.).  It's really not just the price that I think is pretty, even though that is a very, very nice thing.  It's a little bit of pride, a little bit of independence, a little bit of personal choice about what we eat and the quality of the food.  And I dig it.

Last night was one of those nights where there was little in the pantry and freezer because I did not have time to shop today, yet somehow dinner for six needed to appear.  Between the potatoes, garlic, and spices in the pantry and what was in the garden, this Swiss Chard and Potato dish made a perfect side to accompany some steamed garden peas and our main dish.

And it made me very happy to go out and harvest it.

Now, I just need to get rid of those not-so-cute-anymore bunnies that like my garden as much as I do. They ate my corn, peas, lettuce, bean leaves...and I didn't get any.  They don't seem to mess with the onions and garlic, so next year, instead of marigolds (which they don't even notice - or maybe they do and they are just laughing at those silly humans as they munch right past them), I am going to plant a garlic and onion barrier around everything.  A thick one.

Soon, dear bunnies.  Soon, I will take all measures necessary to ensure you eat from the neighbor's garden rather than mine. Between the fence and the pepper spray I mixed up just last night, with the dogs in the middle, you'd better run, and run quickly.
 

A quick note about "stickage" in this dish - the moisture in the potatoes and chard mixture may cause a little sticking.  You can either gently press the moisture out of the mixture as it is draining in the colander, or use an acid (I suggest beer or white wine vinegar in the recipe) to deglaze the pan with the potatoes still in it, or you can serve the dish and deglaze the pan later with plain white vinegar gently warmed when it's time to wash the dishes (anything stuck on in any pan usually cleans up very easily with this method!). Regardless of how you make clean up easier, you're going to love this Swiss chard and Potatoes recipe!

Swiss Chard and Potatoes
serves 6

• 1 lb Swiss chard, washed
• 2 lbs potatoes (red, white, or otherwise), peeled and cut into a 1 inch dice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs butter or olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tbs beer, white wine vinegar - if necessary, to deglaze the pan, optional

Trim the Swiss chard: run a sharp knife along the both sides of the stem to remove the leaves. (Suggestion: stack 3-4 like-sized stems together and run the knife through all at once to speed things along)

Chop the stems into 1/2 inch pieces.  Stack and slice the leaves into 1/4 -1/2 inch ribbons.

Place potatoes in a large pot.  Cover by two inches with water.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil.  Partially cover and reduce heat to medum. Simmer for 3 minutes.  Add chard leaves and stems.

Bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and partially cover again for about 10 min, or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes and chard.

Melt butter or heat olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook 1-2 minutes, or garlic is fragrant.

Toss in the potatoes and chard (be careful for any sizzle due to the moisture in the potato mixture).  Stir in the green onions.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook untouched 4-5 minutes.  Stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan.

Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until everything is well cooked.

If some of your potatoes have cooked to the bottom of the pan (heat varies between electric and gas, and when you add the moisture of the potatoes and chard, sometimes things get...sticky.  That's all fine in this dish, though - that's extra added flavor), add the optional beer or white wine vinegar now.  Stir to scrape any yummy flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.  If your potatoes release well, you can skip this part if you'd like. Taste, and season again with salt and pepper, if necessary.

White Bean Salad

Originally this post was going to be about making various vinaigrettes. I had made three different vinaigrettes and had big plans to photograph them and offer several recipes along with a tutorial about how to make and customize them.

Then, I ate them in various dishes and forgot to take the pictures.

I'm sorry.

But the salads were good.

I will do it soon, though, because the basic formula for The Vinaigrette is indispensable for the summer salads, regardless of whether the salads are full of greens, beans, potatoes, vegetables, pastas, or a combination. 

For most of the people for whom I cooked Saturday evening, the main course was a white kidney bean salad marinated in a lovely red wine vinaigrette (with a side of tomato basil focaccia).  For the two of my family who don't like beans so much, a salad topped with sauteed chicken marinated in the same vinaigrette was the main show.  Both were easy, fresh, and summery, and both were delicious.

In this salad, I suggest de-seeded cucumbers.  To do this, peel your cucumber (if needed), and slice it in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scrape out the seeds.

Slice it and dice it accordingly.

The longer this salad marinates, the better it tastes.  At least 30 minutes is necessary, and leftovers only get better.  If you do have leftovers, store the bean mixture by itself (not with the greens) in the fridge.


White Bean Salad
serves 4-5 as a main course

• 2 c cooked cannellini beans
• 1 c chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1/2 cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (or a handful of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered)
• 5-6 cups fresh greens (to include plenty of arugula)
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• garlic croutons, preferably homemade (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes.

In a 1/2 pint jar or other small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Tighten the lid and shake like crazy.

Pour over the bean mixture and mix well.

Allow to marinate at room temperature at least 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Arrange the greens among the plates.  Top evenly with the bean mixture, spooning extra marinade from the bottom of the bean bowl over the beans and greens.  Top each plate with crumbled feta cheese and garlic croutons, if using.

Mashed Potatoes with Kale (Colcannon)

Colcannon, a traditional Irish potato dish, is a simple, filling, creamy bowl of comforting goodness. It is made with potatoes, either cabbage or kale, lots of butter, and lots of cream or milk.  Sometimes ham or bacon, and/or cooked leeks or onions can be incorporated for some extra flavor.  In this version, I use kale, and add some garlic, too (because I like it like that).

I am an unashamed potato lover; I have yet to meet a potato I don't like. I'll take them mashed, fried, roasted, baked, steamed, plain, buttered, seasoned...I really don't care - potatoes are just good.  The humble potato has been around for thousands of years, is easy to grow in the back yard, and a lack of them wreaked havoc on an entire nation.  That's pretty impressive, if you ask me.

Most people familiar with Colcannon associate it with cabbage, but it is traditionally made with either cabbage or kale.  I  find it easiest to make this dish using a pasta pot (a big pot with a removable strainer); the potatoes boil in the water on the bottom while the greens steam in the strainer on the top.  If you don't have a pasta pot, you may either want to use two pots and cook each separately, or you could still use one large pot; use just enough water to cover the potatoes and then toss the kale on top before covering, but be sure to strain well.  If you want to add the onions or leeks, melt some butter in a pan and saute until tender; stir them into the dish after mashing.

Mashed Potatoes with Kale (Colcannon)
serves 4-6

• 2 lbs potatoes (russets are ideal), peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 lb kale, stems removed and roughly chopped or torn 
• 4 Tbs butter, divided
• 1/2 c whole milk or cream
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of mace or freshly ground nutmeg

Place the potatoes and whole garlic cloves in the bottom of a pasta pot; cover with water.  Insert the strainer; place the chopped kale in the strainer.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 11-13 minutes, or until potatoes and kale are tender.

Remove the kale and set aside.  Drain the water from potatoes and place the potatoes back into the pot.  Add 3 Tbs butter, milk or cream, salt, pepper, and mace or nutmeg.  With a hand held mixer, beat potatoes until creamy, about a minute.  Add the kale and mix until blended.

Remove to a large serving bowl.  Make an indentation with the back of the spoon and add the remaining 1 Tbs butter.

March is #greenslove month!

Please join in the #greenslove fun by linking up any leafy green recipe from the month of March 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to come by the #greenslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #greenslove.

Check out the #greenslove co-hosts!

Al Dente Gourmet ~ Aldy ~ @AlDenteGourmet

ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~  @astigvegan

Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl

Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cheap Ethnic Eatz ~ Evelyne ~ @cethniceatz

Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica ~ @kbelleicious

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

My Twisted Recipe ~ Dudot ~ @mytwistedrecipe  

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Queen's Notebook ~ Elizabeth ~ @Mango_Queen  

Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna ~ @tspbasil 

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~@TAofCRF

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd 

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

Ginger Veggie Stir Fry

I especially love to make this side dish on the grill during the summer because the cast iron grill griddle is well seasoned, all of the vegetables can fit on it at once, and any smoke can float away on the wind.  Naturally, stir fries are equally tasty during the winter months made in a wok or skillet on the stove top, too. The trick is to get the heat hot enough, but not too hot, and saute in batches small enough to fit the wok or skillet without crowding the vegetables and steaming them instead of charring them (and to open a window and turn on the fan - or is that just for me?). Since the whole thing goes fairly quickly (about two to three minutes per batch), it's really not that big of a deal because it all comes together in the pan again at the end to steam and finish cooking for another couple of minutes. In my 12 inch skillet (a wok is a gadget I haven't yet decided to purchase), this recipe was sauteed in three batches; if you are more patient than I, four might be ideal.

During the winter months I use thinly sliced carrots instead of the zucchini.  Even with the ginger and garlic, the flavors in this easy side dish are subtle enough to compliment all manner of main courses; pasta, burgers, chicken, steaks, etc.  It is also not a "saucy" stir fry - it is kept simple because it is intended to be an accompaniment to a main course.  In the picture above, Ginger Veggie Stir Fry was fantastic along with some spicy Asian noodles. However, by simply adding some cooked chickpeas during the steaming, or topping it with chopped peanuts, and serving the lot over cooked brown rice, this versatile side dish can easily be transformed into a great one bowl main course to serve four to five.

Ginger Veggie Stir Fry
serves 6 as side dish

• 1 lb broccoli florets
• 1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 thick or 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks (seasonal)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like it
• few grinds of black pepper
• 2 Tbs sesame oil, divided
• 3 Tbs tamari (soy sauce)

In a large bowl, toss broccoli, onion, bell pepper, zucchini or carrot, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and 1 Tbs sesame oil.

Heat wok, or large skillet over medium-high heat (if using the grill, use high flame or hot coals). Determine how many batches you will saute, taking care not to crowd the vegetables, and divide the remaining sesame oil accordingly (example: if sauteing 3 batches, divide the remaining oil into thirds).  Saute veggies in sesame oil 2-3 minutes, or until nicely charred and vegetables are crisp tender.  Remove to a plate, and continue the process until all the vegetables are done.

Combine all vegetables back into the skillet or wok.  Stir in tamari and simmer uncovered*, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
*If you prefer very tender vegetables, you may cover the pan during this process.

Serve hot.

Grilled Mushrooms and Onions

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope the beginning of 2012 found you safe and happy.

The weather here has been pretty forgiving, so last night it was warm enough (32 degrees Fahrenheit!) to use our grill to make dinner.  Tim grilled some fish and these lovely mushrooms and onions, which we served over a long grain and wild rice blend, and I used our new camera to take the pictures.

This morning, however, we awoke to large, fluffy snow flakes, slippery roads and the world looked and felt like this:

Now that the snow is tapering off, the temperature is dropping and the wind is supposed to reach 60mph.  I'm so glad it waited until today to come because I much prefer the flavor of anything grilled to anything cooked indoors; our cast iron griddle is so well seasoned that it is literally impossible for anything cooked on it to turn out badly.  If you don't have a cast iron griddle, you can always make the mushrooms on any sort of griddle, but a cast iron one is definitely worth the investment.

By using Herbes de Provence and then just before serving, fresh lemon juice, these mushrooms were a perfect accompaniment to the grilled fish and rice.  If you want to serve them with beef, simply swap the Herbes de Provence for thyme or rosemary and replace the lemon at the end with just a little more balsamic vinegar or a splash of red wine instead (but do that while they are still on the grill instead of in the serving bowl).

Grilled Mushrooms and Onions
serves 2-3

• 1 lb assorted mushrooms (cremini, button, shitake, oyster), cleaned
• 1/2 c roughly chopped white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter, cut into 9 small chunks
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried Herbes de Provence
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lemon
• chopped fresh parsley

Oil griddle and heat on grill over hot coals or high flame.

Cut any larger mushrooms in half or quarters, depending on size.  Combine all ingredients (except lemon wedges) together in a large bowl, and mix well.

Add mushroom mixture to griddle; give it a stir.

  Grill 8-10 minutes, or until done, stirring occasionally.

Remove to serving bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over all, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.  Serve as a side by itself, or over hot rice.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Rutabagas

The cornbread has been made and is waiting to be turned into stuffing, the pies are in the oven, the sides are being prepped.  And now I'm taking a small break to share Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Rutabagas with you.  I haven't made them ahead of time before, but there is only so much room in my oven, on my stove top, and in my tiny kitchen on Thanksgiving morning, so I'm giving it a shot.  I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

I like to add the rutabagas and garlic to what would otherwise just be mashed sweet potatoes because the spiciness of the rutabaga and the depth of the garlic work so well to counter the sweetness of the sweet potato.  My children don't usually like sweet potatoes very much, but they gobble these like mad.

Today I am thankful for my family, my friends, my dogs, my cat, my home, and all this wonderful food we will be sharing tomorrow.

I'm also thankful that the farm from which I ordered my turkey drove to town so we didn't have to drive the 30 minutes to them to pick it up.  Wonderful, thoughtful people.

I'm extremely thankful that no dog has stolen any of my prepared food (yet).

I'm thankful that it is cold enough outside to store some the food out there because my fridge is practically bursting (another thing for which I'm thankful).

And I'm thankful for all of my readers - you give me a reason to keep sharing recipes and that makes me very, very happy.  Thank you.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Rutabagas
serves 6

• 2lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
• 1lb rutabagas (about 1 medium/large)
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop vegetables into 1 inch chunks.  Combine potatoes, rutabaga, and garlic in a large pot.

 Add water to cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10-12 minutes).

Strain and return to the pot (or a large bowl).  Add butter, broth, thyme, salt and pepper.

For a little texture: whip with a hand held mixer for several minutes or until it has reached your desired consistancy.

For puree:  transfer in batches to a food processor and puree.

Happy Thanksgiving

Decidedly Not Green Bean Casserole

I have a confession to make.

I hate green bean casserole.

My whole family hates green bean casserole.

There.



Are you still here?



Good.  Whew! (Because I know those are fightin' words.)

This year, though, I've been inspired to devise a green bean casserole that my family does like just because, well, everyone eats a green bean casserole at Thanksgiving, and I just want to be cool, too.

The one I came up with is a make-ahead version that I can whip up the day before. It includes both green beans and Brussels sprouts, roasted along with some red onions and fresh seasonings, and topped with mushrooms sauteed in wine and broth.  The next day, simply sprinkle it with bacon and parmesan cheese and reheat in the oven with whatever is already cooking.  The result is a delicious side dish, full of roasted, earthy flavors, without any sog or cream (which, I think, is what throws me off about the traditional green bean casserole - at least, the ones I've tasted).

I tested it out on my sometimes painfully honest family tonight.  Even my mushroom-hating son (who picked the mushrooms off and gave them to me) liked it. We all even went back for seconds, and everyone agreed it would be a fantastic addition to our Thanksgiving table.  Feeling pretty good tonight, ladies and gentlemen, because having everyone simultaneously like something is no small feat in my family.

*Oh, and remember, especially if you are using a glass or ceramic casserole dish, to take the dish out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven so the casserole dish doesn't explode or crack from the temperature change.

Decidedly Not Green Bean Casserole
serves 8

• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, loose leaves removed
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 12 wedges
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 strips bacon
• 12 oz mixed mushrooms such as cremini, shitake, oyster, sliced (I used cremini and shitake)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
• 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine green beans, Brussels sprouts, onions, pressed garlic, olive oil, 1 tsp fresh thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Turn out onto two (2) jelly roll pans.  Roast in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, turning once half way through.

Meanwhile, in a 12" skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat until crispy, turning once.  Remove to a paper towel.

Drain all but 2 Tbs bacon fat from pan.  Add the mushrooms, minced garlic, and remaining 1/2 tsp freshly chopped thyme to the hot pan and bacon drippings.

Saute 8-10 minutes, or until tender and juice has evaporated.

Pour in the wine.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has nearly evaporated - 1-2 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has nearly evaporated - 2-3 minutes.

Place the roasted green beans, Brussels sprouts and onion mixture into a 2 quart baking dish.

Top evenly with mushroom mixture.

To make ahead:  Cool and cover with foil.  Crumble bacon and place in a Ziploc sandwich bag.  Place the Parmesan cheese in a separate Ziploc bag. Tape bags to casserole.

To reheat:  Place, covered, into an oven at least 325 F.  Heat until warm (I tested this at 350F and it took 25 minutes - adjust your time accordingly based on the oven temperature.  Remember, you only need to warm it, not cook it).  Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon.  Cook 10 min longer, or until cheese is melted.

Roasted Squash and Cauliflower

November, when did you get here?  Cold, windy, rainy, shorter days...thanks a bunch, November.  East Coasters - you have my sympathy.  I hope you've all dug yourselves out and the sun is beginning to melt your cold, white blanket.

This mildly sweet and somewhat savory dish is an easy side that comes together easily and compliments just about any main course; we had it with a chicken/cabbage/beer concoction, and it was perfect.  I baked the chicken/cabbage/beer concoction (which will be posted just as soon as I come up a decent name) at 400 degrees, so this roasted squash and cauliflower went into my oven at a lower temperature than what I recommend in the recipe, but it didn't affect the final outcome at all.

Roasted Squash and Cauliflower
serves 6

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs), broken into florets
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 - 2 1/2 lbs) , peeled, seeded, and diced into 1 chunks
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 5-6 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs butter, cut into small chunks
• 1 tsp sea salt
• few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
• several sprigs fresh thyme (about 10 - 12)

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine cauliflower, squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a 13x9 baking pan.  Arrange butter pieces over the top.  Tuck the thyme into the vegetables.

Bake 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring once about half way through the baking time.

Easy Steakhouse Oven Fries

Potatoes rank right up there with pizza on my list of favorite foods.  Baked, fried, sauteed, grilled, boiled, mashed, whipped, scalloped - it doesn't matter; potatoes are just good.

Making your own potato wedges or french fries is ridiculously easy, and by doing so, you can customize the flavors, use a quality oil, and eliminate the ingredients no one ever needs on their potatoes (such as modified food starch, dextrin, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate...you know, things like that).  Yes, it takes a little more time than tearing open a bag and pouring them onto a pan, but not much.  And they taste better.  A lot better.

These potatoes are similar to some of my favorite "fries" available at a local steakhouse.  For this picture, I used small red potatoes because I have an abundance of them, but medium reds or russets (and even sweet potatoes, although sweet potatoes will cook faster, so if you use them, adjust your time) work extremely well, too.

Smoked paprika is essential to create a delicately smokey flavor, reminiscent of a steakhouse.  If you've not used smoked paprika before, now would be the perfect time to get some - it is amazing on these potatoes.  Likely you'll find yourself putting some of this spice in a lot of other dishes that might benefit from a little smoke flavor.

This recipe calls for "shredded onion".  Use a regular old box grater and grate the onion on the shredding side.  Like this:

Easy Steakhouse Oven Fries

serves 6

• 2lbs potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs shredded onion
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil 2 15x10 jelly roll pans.

Cut the potatoes into quarters (or into eighths if using larger potatoes - just be sure all the wedges are of similar thickness; about 1/2"-3/4").  Place the potatoes on a towel or paper towel and pat dry.

Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to coat.

Divide the potatoes evenly between the two pans.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until golden, turning halfway through baking time.