Parsnip, Carrot, and Potato Soup

A bowl of Parsnip, Carrot, and Potato Soup

 I subscribed to a food coop program this spring and am learning how to cook some vegetables I've not worked with as much before. This week is a little cool and rainy (hello, April.) I modified this recipe from Vegan Blueberry to use up more of the vegetables I had this week. 

Ingredients:

1/2-1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1# (1 pound) parsnips, chopped 

1# (1 pound) carrots, chopped

1# (1 pound) potatoes,chopped

64 oz low sodium veg broth

fresh herbs to preference: sage, rosemary, thyme (sometimes these come in a pack together called "poultry blend")

salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil on Saute setting on Instant Pot. Add onion and garlic, stirring until the onion has turned translucent. Do not let onion and garlic burn.

2. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, chopped vegetables, and herbs.

3. Set Instant Pot to "soup" setting and close valve.

4. Once instant pot is complete, vent.

5. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into a creamy texture.

6. Serve hot, salt & pepper to taste.

Notes:

• Makes 8 servings.
• This recipe uses my Instant Pot, which I don't use all that often. However, you can easily do this on the stove or in a crockpot. Just cook until veggies are fork tender.

Vegetable Korma

Vegetable Korma is a wonderful winter dish. It's good in the summer, too, but I love its heartiness.

Ingredients:
oil

½ onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
4-oz green beans, trimmed
1 potato, diced
½ can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup peas
¼ tsp garam masala
dash cayenne pepper
rice

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil until translucent.
2. Add carrots, green beans, and potatoes, and cook 3-5 minutes more.
3. Stir in coriander, cumin, and turmeric to coat.
4. Add tomato sauce, cover, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are fork tender, adding water as needed. (You want to
6. keep a thin layer of liquid along the bottom).
7. Stir in chickpeas and peas and heat over low until thoroughly warm.
8. Add garam masala and stir to combine.
9. Rest 5 minutes then taste, adding salt or more garam masala if desired. You can also add cayenne
10. pepper for a spicy dish. 
11. Serve with rice (or on warmed pita) 

Notes:

• Serves 2
• Per serving: 394 calories, 3.5g fat, 78.2g carbohydrates, 17.6g fiber, 13.8g sugars, 17.3g protein
• You can add ¼-cup coconut milk for a creamy curry version.

Slow-cooker Moroccan Chili

It's still chili season, so here is another slow-cooker chili for you. Here's a hint, I have a few of these slow-cooker chili recipes and I hope to get them all up this fall.

Ingredients:
2 baking potatoes
1 onion, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 cans (15-oz ea) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout
2 cans (14-oz) diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Throw everything except the potatoes together in a 6-8 quart crock pot.
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours until veggies are soft, the chili is warm and tasty.
3. Meanwhile, bake your potatoes.
4. Serve chili over potato.

Notes:

• Serves 4
• You can make this stove-top by sauteing the onion and garlic until translucent, adding the veggies and cooking until tender, stirring in spices to coast, then adding beans and tomatoes plus some water, cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring as needed, until warm and tasty.

Cauliflower Samosa Tacos

... not to be confused with the previous Cauliflower Samosa Burrito, which was made slightly differently.

Ingredients
1 tomato, diced 
½” fresh ginger root, peeled 
1 garlic clove 
½ small red onion, diced 
½ tsp ground cumin 
¼ tsp paprika 
½ tsp mild curry powder 
3 cups (11-oz) cauliflower florets 
1 cooked potato, diced 
½ cup green peas
6 corn tortillas 
3 tbsp raw cashews

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, puree tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Set aside. 
2. Line a skillet with ¼-cup water. 
3. Sauté onions until translucent. 
4. Stir in blended tomato mixture, ground cumin, paprika, and curry powder. 
5. Add cauliflower and sauté until cauliflower is cooked but not mushy, about 10 minutes. 
6. Add potatoes and peas and cook until very warm. 
7. Taste and adjust seasonings. 
8. Scoop cauliflower mixture onto tortillas and top with cashews.

Notes:

• Serves 2
• Per serving: 383 calories, 8.7g fat, 68.6g carbs, 13.5g fiber, 9.3g sugars, 13.5g protein
• Total time: 20 min
• Active time: 10 min

Anti-Vampire Soup

This served two VERY LARGE portions for me.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained)
garlic powder (optional)
1 head garlic
2 cups (16-oz) veg broth
½ diced small onion
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 diced potato
¾ cup (6-oz) soy or almond milk
crackers {60 calories per serving}

Directions:
To Roast Chickpeas:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. Spread chickpeas in an even layer and sprinkle with garlic powder. 
4. Bake until crispy and golden, about 10-15 minutes.

To Roast Garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Peel away all loose, papery, outer layers, leaving the head intact and cloves connected. 
3. Trim ¼-inch off the top of the head to expose cloves. 
4. Wrap entire bulb in foil and bake 20-35 mins, or until center clove is completely soft. 
5. Let cool.

To Prepare Soup:

1. Peel and mince roasted garlic. Set aside. 
2. Sauté onions until translucent. 
3. Add broth, cauliflower, and potatoes. 
4. Cover and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 15-20 minutes. 
6. Transfer half of the soup to a blender with roasted garlic and puree until creamy OR use an immersion blender. 
7. Add milk as necessary to thin out. 
8. Season with salt and pepper. 
9. Spoon into bowls and top with garlic roasted chickpeas.
10. Serve warm with crackers.

Paradise Breakfast Burritos

I decided to make my own breakfast burritos based upon the Sin City Breakfast Tacos. We still make "crispies" and our own fried potatoes for other things on occasion. Paradise Breakfast Burritos have fresh-made tortillas and are vegan. Paradise would also be someone else making them for you and cleaning them up, or at least it's paradise when you share them.

Ingredients:
Tortillas
1 cup whole wheat flour + additional to form

2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup water
salt
Crispies
corn tortillas, sliced into strips

Filling
canola oil
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium white onion, diced
30 oz tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 tsp turmeric
2-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
salt
pepper


Directions:
Tortillas

1. Mix all the tortilla ingredients together in a bowl until combined in a large ball. Add a tad more water if the dough is too dry. 
2. Divide into 4 smaller balls. Use additional flour on your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them.
3. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and place the first ball on it.
4. Flatten the ball using your hand.
5. Then use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a thin circle, about 6-8" in diameter.
6. Heat a large pan over high heat. Once hot, place first tortilla in the pan. Watch for it to puff up, about a minute or so. Using tongs or heat-resistant fingers, flip the tortilla. Watch for more puffing.
7. Remove from pan.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 for all balls.

Crispies

1. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat.
2. Fry the corn tortilla strips until crispy. 
3. Put aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. 

Filling

1. To the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and heat (if necessary).
2. Fry the potatoes until soft but not crispy.
3. Add salt and pepper. 
4. Scoop the potatoes to a plate lined with a paper towel. 
5. If necessary, add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the same pan and heat.
6. Add onion and tomato, and cook until onions are translucent.
7. Add crumbled tofu, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Stir to combine well, then continue to cook over medium-high heat until thoroughly warm.

Paradise Burritos

1. Combine crispies, 1/4 fried potatoes, and 1/4 tofu mixture on a fresh tortilla. 
2. Fold in half for a soft taco or wrap for a burrito.

Notes:

• Serves 4.
• Approximately, 370 calories per serving.
• Tortilla recipe adapted from Hurry the Food Up.
• For the filling, you can make any Tofu Scramble you like. 

Fajita-topped Baked Potato

Honestly, this could be served on a tortilla, but a baked potato is a fun base. 

Ingredients:
4 potatoes
16-oz frozen peppers & onions 
1 fajita seasoning packet 
2 cups prepared black beans (1 can)
1 cup corn 
8-oz guacamole

Directions:

1. Bake potatoes.
2. Place frozen peppers and onions in a skillet and start cooking, stirring constantly to defrost the vegetables. 
3. After a few minutes of stirring, whisk seasoning packet with 1 cup water (or as directed) and pour over vegetables. 
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring every so often, until peppers and onions are warm (but still crisp) and liquid has thickened.  (Stir in water to thin if it gets too thick.) 
5. Mix in beans and corn. 
6. Top with fajita mixture and guacamole.

Notes:

• Per serving: 432 calories, 11.2g fat, 71.9g carbs, 14g fiber, 12.1g sugars, 11.1g protein
• Serves 4 

Chana Aloo over Rice

This is another omnivore approved meal. My photo is a little lacking, but it will be made again, so hopefully I can update the image.

Ingredients:
2 cups (16-oz) vegetable broth 
oil
1 onion, diced 
2 garlic cloves,  minced 
1 tsp ground cumin 
2 carrots, dice 
2 potatoes, diced 
¼ cup raisins 
1 tsp garam masala
dash ground coriander 
15-oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed 
4 cups fresh spinach 
3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute. 
2. Stir in cumin to coat, then add carrots and potatoes. 
3. Sauté 5 minutes, or until just tender. 
4. Add raisins and broth. 
5. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables reach desired tenderness. 
6. Stir in 1 tsp garam masala plus a few dashes of ground coriander. 
7. Turn off heat and rest 5 minutes. 
8. Stir in chickpeas and spinach until spinach softens and folds in. 
9. Add more broth or water to thin, if desired. 
10. Heat over low until thoroughly warm. 
11. Serve over cooked brown rice. 

Notes:

Serves 4

Butternut Home Fries

This is a single serving as posted. I don't see why you couldn't scale this up, but it's already a lot of chopping. 

Ingredients:
2 cups butternut squash, cubed 
1 potato, cubed 
½ onion, sliced 
½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. 
3. Rinse butternut & potato cubes under cool water and shake off excess. 
4. Toss cubes with onion, Old Bay, plus salt & pepper until well coated. 
5. Arrange in a single layer and roast until cooked through, stirring and flipping a few times (about 20-25 minutes).

Notes:

• Serves 1
• Approximately 280 calories

Samosa Pizza

I really enjoy the "samosa" things that Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor does. This one is supposed to be pizza-like, but I never do the potato quite right to make it like a spread, so it ended up as a wrap. 

Ingredients:
¼ small onion, diced 
dash of ground cumin 
¼ tsp garam masala 
¼ tsp mild curry powder 
dash of turmeric 
1 carrot, diced 
½ cup frozen green peas 
1 cooked potato, mashed

Directions:

1. Sauté onion until translucent. 
2. Add spices, stirring to coat. 
3. Add carrots and cook until carrots are just forktender. 
4. Stir in peas and cook until warm. 
5. Spread warmed potatoes on tortilla. 
6. Top with vegetable mixture and serve, or roll up and eat as a burrito.

Notes:

• Serves 1
• Per serving: 338 calories, 1.6g fat, 71.2g carbs, 12.8g fiber, 9.6g sugars, 12.3g protein

Green Bean-Potato Salad

If you do Meatless Mondays, how about Salad Mondays? I am such a fan of Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor salads. I put salads as sides, because that's how many folks think of them, but this could be eaten as an entree, which is what I did.

Ingredients:
½ cup corn 
1½ cups fresh green beans, cut into 1” pieces 
½ cup dry couscous or 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cooked potatoes, diced 
1 tomato, diced 
½ cup fresh basil, chopped 
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped 

Lemon Dressing 
2 tbsp vegetable broth 
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 
1 tbsp red wine vinegar 
garlic powder 
½ tsp agave nectar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Make Dressing: Whisk ingredients together. Taste, adding more garlic as desired plus salt and black pepper.
2. Warm or thaw corn if frozen. Set aside. 
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 5 minutes or until tender but still crisp. 
4. Pour ⅔-cup of the hot water over couscous in a mixing bowl and set aside. 
5. Drain green beans and immediately rinse under cold water, until they're cool.
6. After 5 minutes of soaking couscous in hot water, fluff couscous. 
7. In a large bowl, toss fluffed couscous with potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, corn, basil, and oregano. Toss with dressing until well mixed.

Notes:

• If serving as entree, serves 2.
• Per serving: 380 calories, 1.4g fat, 81.9g carbs, 11.3g fiber, 6.3g sugars, 12.8g protein
• Can add white beans or chickpeas. 

Potato Verde Tacos

This is a meal from the Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. It is one serving pictured. I make changes to the original recipes to fit my tastebuds.

Ingredients:
olive oil
up to 1 cup vegetable broth 
½ small onion, diced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
½ tsp ground cumin 
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced 
1 cooked potato, diced 
5-oz fresh spinach 
½-1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
¾ cup refried beans (warmed) 
6 corn tortillas 
½ cup salsa 

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent. 
2. Add cumin, stirring to coat.
3. Add bell peppers and cook until almost tender, adding broth as needed. 
4. Add potato pieces, cover and simmer, cooking until potatoes and peppers are very tender and potatoes have taken on broth coloring. (Add more broth as needed during cooking). 
5. Turn off heat and add spinach, stirring to cook down and incorporate. 
6. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with nutritional yeast. 
7. Mash potatoes partially (optional). 9
8. Stir to combine and set aside.  
9. Spread warm refried beans on tortillas and top with potato mixture. 
10. Spoon salsa on top or on the side.

Notes:

• Serves 2
• Per serving: 412 calories, 4.5g fat, 79.8g carbs, 17.7g fiber, 7.6g sugars, 19g protein
• Add corn or guacamole

Cauliflower Samosa Burrito

This is another dinner from the Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor, altered a bit (because raisins ruin everything). I really, really enjoyed this particular meal. This is one serving. Just one. This photo is my leftovers at lunch at work.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 onion, diced 
2 tsp mild curry powder 
1 tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp turmeric 
3 cups (11-oz) riced cauliflower 
4 carrots, diced 
2 cups frozen green peas (thawed) 
4 cooked potatoes mashed (or diced)
4 flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Sauté onion in oil until translucent. 
2. Add spices, stirring to coat. 
3. Add  ¼-cup HOT water. 
4. Cover and turn off heat. Set aside. 
5. Add carrots to onion mixture plus more water if necessary and cook until carrots are just fork-tender. 
6. Stir in peas and riced cauliflower. 
7. Cook until cauliflower rice is soft and crumbly, stirring every minute and adding tiny amounts of water if necessary (You want to “dry fry” as much as possible).
8. Set aside and spread warmed mashed potatoes on tortillas (eat rest as a side). 
9. Top with vegetable mixture and roll-up.

Notes:

• Serves 4.
• Per serving: 388 calories, 1.9g fat, 82.9g carbs, 15.2g fiber, 16.8g sugars, 14.2g protein
• You can add on cashews if you like.

Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes

This is another recipe I grew up eating. When my kids were growing up, I probably made it about once per week. 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½  teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons flour

1 can (10.5 oz) chicken broth

6 pork chops

6 cups thinly sliced potatoes

1 dash paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. 
2. In a sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Add salt, pepper, and flour.  Pour in chicken broth.  Cook and stir until mixture boils.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a skillet, brown pork chops in 1 tablespoon butter.  Grease a cooking dish with remaining butter and layer potatoes.  Pour mixture over potatoes and place browned chops on top.  Sprinkle with paprika.
4. Cover and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover and bake for an additional 30 min.

Notes:

• Serves 6.
• You can half this recipe for 3 servings. 
• Prep: 30 min.  Cook 1 hr 30 min. 
• You can use thick-cut, regular, bone-in, or boneless pork chops. Cut does not make a difference.

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Bacon

These are a lot of work. They are really good, but a lot of work. For a small gathering, they are worth it. Pick your cheese of choice for the filling - we've done a couple different ones and haven't been disappointed yet.

Ingredients:

4    russet potatoes (7 to 8 ounces each), scrubbed, dried, and rubbed lightly with vegetable oil

8   strips  bacon , cut cross-wise into 1/4-inch pieces

4    ounces  cheese of your choice (Pepperjack and cheddar both work well) , shredded  (about 1 cup)

1/2    cup  sour cream

1/2    cup  buttermilk

2    tablespoons  unsalted butter , room temperature

3    medium scallions , white and green parts sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)

1/2  teaspoon  table salt

Ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet until skin is crisp and deep brown and skewer easily pierces flesh, about 1 hour.
2.  Setting baking sheet aside, transfer potatoes to wire rack and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
3. Fry bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon to paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
4. Using an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel to handle hot potatoes, cut each potato in half so that blunt sides will rest on work surface. Using a small dinner spoon, scoop flesh from each half into medium bowl, leaving a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Arrange shells on lined sheet and return to oven until dry and slightly crisped, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with fork until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients, including bacon and pepper to taste, until well combined.
5. Remove shells from oven and increase oven setting to broil. Holding shells steady on pan with oven mitt or towel-protected hand, spoon mixture into crisped shells, mounding slightly at the center, and return to oven. Broil until spotty brown and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes:

• Serves 6-8

Traditional Mashed Potatoes

Because this blog is hopefully a resource for my kids when they move out of the house, I'm including things that are standard fare that we make so often we hardly think of a recipe or how to make them. So here is a pretty basic mashed potato recipe.

Ingredients:
2 - 2.5 medium potatoes per person (5 for 2 people, 10 for 4 people, etc.)
1 - 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
a few Tablespoons up to 1/4 cup of: heavy cream, 2% dairy milk, or almond milk
Seasonings: roasted garlic or garlic powder

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch cubes, and place into pot. Cover with water.
2. Heat over high heat until boiling.
3. Reduce heat to keep a boil without boiling over. Cook about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender with a fork.
4. Drain potatoes and move to a bowl. Add butter and milk. Add any seasonings you would like.
5. Using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or hand masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy.

Notes:

• Using vegan butter and almond milk makes this a yummy vegan side. 

• Adding some roasted garlic cloves (1 - 3) gives it a nice flavor. Use garlic powder instead if you need.

• We used to add shredded cheddar cheese to make cheesy mashed potatoes, which guests just loved. Use maybe 1/2 cup of shredded cheese if making a dozen potatoes.

Onion Roasted Potatoes

This is something I've been making since I was a kid and cooking when I got home from school to make dinner for the family. This is so easy.If you are a new cook, this is about as easy as it gets.

Ingredients: 
1 envelope dry onion soup mix 
4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2 lb.) 
1/3 cup olive oil 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Combine ingredients in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Shake. 
3. Pour into a 13 x 9” baking or roasting pan. 
4. Bake, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. 

Notes:

• Vegan if you use a vegan onion soup mix.
• Since I was a little girl, we used Lipton onion soup mix. Probably someone is going to tell me that one isn't vegan but it looked like it upon review when I made it tonight.
• Serves 4.
• Prep Time: 10 Min. Cook Time: 40 Min.

Baked Potato Soup

One of my favorite meals was Baked Potato Soup. I've adapted that recipe to make Baked Potato Soup I can and will eat. It doesn't taste quite the same, but it's within the limits of thickness of the previous soup, and it's still very good.

Onions and Butter

Onions, Butter, and Flour

Water, Stock, Flakes, and Spices

Stock Added to Onion Mixture

Potato-Loving Dog

All Together and Simmered

 Ingredients:

1 ½ lb baking potatoes (more if you have a potato loving dog, as I do)

1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other vegan butter)

1 yellow onion, diced

1/3 cups flour

5 cups water

¼ cup vegetable stock

1 cup instant potato flakes

¾ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 cup soy cream

1 cup almond milk

1 can whole kernal corn, drained

salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bake baking potatoes. Allow to fully cool. Remove skin & cut potatoes into 1/2” cubes. Set aside. (The baking can be done a day in advance to reduce total cook time on the day.)
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions & sauté over medium-low heat for 10 min or until onions are translucent. Don’t allow onions to burn. 
3. Add flour to onions & butter and cook 4-5 min, stirring well until flour is absorbed. 
4. In a separate container, combine water, vegetable stock, potato flakes & seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to eliminate lumps. 
5. Add stock mixture slowly to onion mixture, stirring constantly so no lumps form. 
6. Increase to medium heat & continue cooking until the soup begins to gently simmer. Add milk & cream, stirring until smooth & lightly thickened. 
7. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil. Soup should just simmer lightly. 
8. Add cubed baked potatoes & corn, and stir to combine.
9. Remove from heat & serve with sliced scallions.

 Notes:

Do not use coconut cream instead of soy cream, it will add too strong of a flavor. I used Silk soy cream, original.
 Some potato flakes have milk, so find a brand that does not have any animal products.
If you want this to be as similar to the non-vegan version, add cheddar style shreds and bac'un bits  (all vegan) to your bowl of soup.
Makes somewhere around 10 cups. Each 2-cup serving is about 350 calories, according to My Fitness Pal.

Homemade Potato Chips

These are a quick and easy go-to for some yummy chips. I don't think they are really any healthier than eating processed potato chips out of a bag, but they are fresh and once you get the knack of frying them, terrific! We make them all the time.

Ingredients:
1-4 Potatoes (depending on how many people you are feeding and how long you want to cook)
salt
canola oil for frying

Directions:

1. Peel and slice your potatoes thinly. You can leave the skins on if you like. You can hand cut or use a food processor to cut your potatoes. Since you fry in batches, you can have slightly uneven cuts.
2. Add an inch or so of canola oil to a Dutch oven or deep cast iron pan.
3. Heat oil to about 375ºF. 
4. Add the potatoes so that they are a single layer in the fryer. Flip after a few minutes. Fry until you see a nice golden brown and the chips are at your preferred crispy level.

Other details:
I eat these as is and the child puts ketchup on them.

Side of Garlic Fries

I am loving The Minimalist Baker! If you have someone in your house who likes garlic fries, these are a fairly easy home version. You are flipping them frequently for half an hour, so not exactly leave and forget. But worth the effort.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, roughly peeled and cut into even wedges or strips
2-3 Tbsp canola or olive oil to rim pan
1 Tbsp olive oil (for coating fries)
sea salt and pepper to taste (~ 1/4 tsp each)
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475º.
2. Soak potatoes in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels or clean dish towels.
3. Dry the bowl they were in and then place them back in. Drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and add 1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper and minced garlic. Toss.
4. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil and drain off any excess. Transfer fries to baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from oven to turn over with a spatula. Make sure to keep them in a single layer to ensure even baking. Place back in oven to cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, flipping once more. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy.
7. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plate. Serve warm.

Other Details:

• Original Recipe