We don't do a lot of potatoes in my house, not for lack of love because my daughter and husband both love potatoes any which way. My son only likes potatoes as french fries so I think that's why I don't cook them as much as I do rice. But my Dad was coming to visit from Nova Scotia and his "favourite vegetable" is potatoes. So I bought a big bag and did them up my favourite way. Roasting potatoes is pretty standard but the garlicky brown butter added after the roasting is the "piece de resistance," sooooooo delicious. Dangerously so.

Making brown butter is not difficult. I wanted to provide pics for those who are newbies to this process as you can burn the butter quite easily and that's no good. This brown butter is amazing over fish as well. My mother in law's first food request when she visits is pan fried haddock with sage brown butter. 

Dangerously Delicious Potatoes

about 6 medium potatoes (4 cups of diced potatoes) peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes **
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of paprika
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of thyme
salt and pepper

1/4 cup of butter
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley

Turn your oven to 400 and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place your potatoes in the middle and pour the oil over them. Then add the spices and toss well. Spread the potatoes evenly over the sheet trying to make sure none are overlapping so they all get crispy. Place in the oven for 20 minutes then flip and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place your butter in a small sauce pan on a low heat and melt. Once melted, turn the heat up just a tad and you will see the butter begin to foam. Give a little stir and add the parsley and garlic and turn the heat to low again. After a few minutes you will see the butter begin to brown. Remove from the heat until the potatoes are ready. 

Place potatoes in a serving dish and pour the warm brown butter over them. Toss well and top with a little parsley for garnish. Serves as a side dish for 4. 

*** If I use russet potatoes, I peel them. If I use yellow or white potatoes, I often wash them well and leave the peels on. 

It's hard not to lick the plate.

This is not one of those dishes I make all the time but something I make when I feel like something special. It takes a little time and a little love. It is requested by both my daughter and husband because once you have it, you crave it. This recipe is out of Jamie Oliver's Italy, my favourite cookbook, with just a little variation.

White Risotto with Pesto 
In Italian: Risotto Bianco con Pesto (which
obviously sounds more delcious and fancy)

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
1 small clove of garlic peeled and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
~ 2 cups of basil leaves
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
extra virgin olive oil

This is Jamie's pesto recipe although he uses "handfuls" as measurements. Throw everything, except the parmesan,  into a little food processor or blender and whaz, adding enough olive oil to get everything moving. Stir in the parm and taste. Add more salt, pepper and/or olive oil depending on taste and consisitency. It should be a tad runny. 
I often use Thai basil pesto or Kale Basil Pesto that I have thawed from my freezer.

4 cups of chicken stock (I use one carton and then refill it with water and add that as well.)
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of butter
1 large onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 cups of arborio rice
2 wine glasses of a nice white wine (I literally use a wine glass to measure this)
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
juice of 1/2 a lemon
​basil leaves for garnish

Heat the stock in a saucepan. In a different large pan or dutch oven, add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. When hot, add the onion, garlic and celery. Cook over a low heat slowly and lovingly. That's right. When the veg have softened, add the rice and turn the heat to medium heat. Continue stirring and you will see the rice begin to turn translucent. Add the wine and continue stirring. 

Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add a good pinch of salt and begin adding the broth one ladleful at a time. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice cooks slowly. Continue adding stock after the rice absorbs it and continue stirring. This process is what takes some time and work - but it's worth it. Continue adding the stock and stirring, about 15 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is cooked. If not, continue to add ladles of stock until the rice is soft. You can add water if necessary. 

Once the rice is soft, remove from the heat and add the last 2 tbsp of butter, parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and put the lid on. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Jamie says this part is very important and so I never skip this step. Eat straight away, risotto doesn't like to wait. Spoon onto serving plates and top with a dollop of pesto, a few basil leaves and a little olive oil. Life will never be the same.

Coconut Cashew Dressing (link to original recipe)
1 cup of roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of lime juice
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour the water over them. Let them stand for 20 minutes. Pour both the water and the cashews into a blender along with the coconut milk, lime juice and zest, salt and garlic. Process until silky. Add the cilantro and pepper and pulse until finely chopped. It can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days in advance.