Mustard Roasted Potatoes

This is another fave recipe at the Red household. We love red potatoes, and always in the look for a new delicious way to prepare them. Here's a recipe from Ina Garten which we go back to over and over again! Please don't skimp on the salt, they really bring out the potatoes flavor.

I hope you enjoy this!

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 TBS good olive oil
2 TBS whole-grain mustard
Kosher Salt
1 TSP freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degree.

Cut the potatoes in halves, or quarters, depending on their size, and place them on a sheet pan. Remove the ends of the onions, peel them, and cut them in half. Slice them crosswide in 1/4-thick slices to make half rounds. Toss the onions and potatoes together on the sheet pan.

Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 tsp salt, and pepper and toss them together.
Bake for 50 mins to an hour, until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside, but tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes from time to time with metal spatula so they brow evenly.

Serve hot sprinkled with the chopped parsley and a little extra salt.

Baby Bok Choy

Believe it or not, I had never cooked anything with bok-choy before! Red and I were walking in the vegetable area of our grocery store, when I voiced disappointment with the quality of the napa cabbage available, which is one of my fave vegetables.

Then, out of nowhere, Red pointed at these gorgeous baby bok choys on the rack. "What about those? Can you make something with those?" I was like, Eeek... ehm, I never made them before. But of course, I said, "Yes, you're right, I am sure I can whip something with these." And I quickly grabbed two big bundles of bok choy. Later on that evening, I wondered why it took me so long before I tried these delicate vegetables. Hmm... yum!


Ingredients

• 2 bundles of baby bok choy, sliced lengthwise
  
• 2 cups of chicken broth
  
• 1 firm tofu, chopped into 1-inch cube
• 1/2 cup of coarsely deveined shrimp
• 1 tbsp of canola oil
• 1 generous tbsp of chopped garlic
• 3 tbsp of fish sauce
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 1 tsp of ground white pepper
• Chopped green onions
• Fried shallot for garnish

Directions

• Saute the chopped garlic in canola oil until soft and slightly browned in medium heat.
• Add the sliced bok choy, and add 2 cups of chicken broth. Turn up the heat to HIGH. Leave covered for about 2 mins.
  
• Flip vegetables to the other side. Keep covered for another 2 mins.
• Turn heat to medium.
  
• Add shrimp, tofu, fish sauce, salt, and white pepper. Let it sit for about 10 mins, covered. Turn down the heat.
• Fold in the green onions.
• Sprinkle fried shallots before serving.

Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings

We made these delightful rings to go with our Filet Mignon steakhouses. After this fantastic dinner -our house will never be the same. P.S. And my dad will be so proud of me... Yum! Yum! Yum!


Ingredients

• 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
• 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

Serve hot.