Hassleback Potatoes

Do you ever get bored making the same side dishes over and over and over again? I do! I tend to start not wanting to cook and have noticed that my kids tend to stop eating meals they almost always love when they crop up on our menu repeatedly. It's not that they don't love the meal, they're just bored with always eating the same thing. And while I like to keep our menu pretty varied and fresh, sometimes I go into default and make the same side dishes for that meal every time it pops up. Shake it up!!! It's what makes food so interesting!

The other day, we were grilling out. I had a tri tip out and ready to go, but since we just had one a few weeks before with a smoky chipotle rub, I decided to go just a bit simpler with this one. Just a sprinkle of salt and some herbs and on the grill it went. But, when I started to prep the same side dishes, I got bored with even trying to make dinner at all. That definitely calls for some side dish intervention!

I headed to pinterest and the first thing I saw that screamed, "MAKE ME!" was Hassleback potatoes. Accordian cut and pretty on the eyes, I found countless versions to try. But, to keep it simple and to compliment our meal, I went with just a bit of butter and Herbs de Provence and got a mouthwatering side dish that I seriously could have eaten all on it's own and been perfectly content. They're crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Practically perfect in every way.

Here's my method:

4 medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed very clean
2 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence

Preheat your oven to 425 and line a pan with foil or parchment (makes for easier clean up!)

Take a moment to slice a small bit off the bottom of your potatoes, for stability. Then slice them across almost all the way through, so it opens up like an accordion when you pull on it. Take the time to rub in the oil between each slice and add a bit of butter, too. Then rub the skins with the remaining butter and oil, so they'll crisp up while baking. Sprinkle on the salt and herbs and pop them in the oven for about 40-45 minutes.

You will NOT be disappointed!

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

I have a not-so-secret love of salads. They're bright, fresh, and easy to make. My husband, on the other hand, really is more of a "Meat and Potatoes" sort of man. It isn't that he won't eat them, they just aren't something he asks for regularly. So, often, it's impractical for me to keep bottles of salad dressing on hand, because, though I could eat a salad every day and be very happy, I can hardly go through 1 bottle of salad dressing, which sort of kills any attempt at variety.

My solution to this issue is that I just make my own dressing in small quantities. This way, I can have a different dressing whenever the mood strikes. I'm really more of a ranch dressing sort of girl. Shocking, I know! Seems like ranch is the official dressing of California. We put it on everything, salad, carrots, fries, etc. I've even heard some people put it on pizza, which I find revolting. But, if that's what gets you clucking, have at it, little chicken.

But, sometimes, I just don't have any ranch on hand and have to improvise and last night was one of those nights. I came up short on time to make dinner for our family of six and defaulted to "rabbit food" and threw together a salad. Only issue was, I had no ranch and found some Gorgonzola in the fridge that cried out, "USE ME!". And, that's just what I did.

Here's my method:

2 oz of Gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp rice vinegar (sherry vinegar is more traditional, but I never have it on hand)
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper

Chuck it all in your blender and flip that sucker to liquefy! Give it a taste and add more pepper if you like or stir in an extra ounce of cheese crumbles if you like it chunky. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

For those die hard fans of a certain Mexican food chain, this post is for you. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of said food chain, you should pay attention, too, because this dish will rock your socks. Being from Southern California, we eat a lot of Mexican food, both when we're out and at home. It's simple to prepare, crowd pleasing, and allows me to indulge in my love of limes and cumin. It has quickly become one of my most favorite go-to side dish recipes.

When I first started making this dish, I used white rice, because I had it on hand. I loved it and so did my family, but my preference really lies more with using brown rice. Sure, it takes longer to cook, but my idol, Alton Brown, has an awesome method of baking brown rice and I've been a die hard convert ever since. Besides, baking has proven, in this house, to yield far more consistent results than sitting around babysitting a pot of boiling rice on the stove.

So, enough of my blathering, this is my method:

1 1/2 cup brown rice, medium or long grain
2 1/2 cup boiling water
1 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
The zest of one lime
The juice of one lime

Preheat your oven to 375. In an oven safe casserole dish, add the rice, salt, butter, and boiling water. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Immediately after it bakes, fluff with a fork and add the cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice and toss to incorporate it well. Serve and devour.

Yes, it's really that simple! I hope you enjoy it, we sure do.