These Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Dip were a big hit at our tapas party and Belle asked me to make it the next day since she didn’t get a chance to try any at the party the night before – that’s how fast they went (and I made two batches!).

I think these potatoes will become a standard in our home just like Classic Thai Rice, Thai Pineapple Rice or Crazy Rice. They are dead simple to make but they do require the roasting time.

For the party I made them with regular white potatoes, cut in half and then quartered, but the next day I decided to use the small round new potatoes (red and white) cut in half – these were, I think better. Try it with any type of potato you like. For the standard white potatoes I peeled them first but for the new potatoes I didn’t, although I gave them a good scrub when I washed them.

The Garlic Dip

Belle’s note: These potatoes were simply delicious. Great on their own, of course, but the garlic dip turned them into a dish to rave about. Ward’s been having a great time lately playing around with ingredients and coming up with his own creations, and this one will become one of our own classics, I think!

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Dip

3 lb potatoes, peeled, halved and quartered or 3 lb new potatoes, halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp sea salt

Garlic Dip
10 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp paprika or more to taste
sea salt to taste

1. Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C.)
2. Place the potato pieces in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil.
3. Add the garlic and salt and toss to combine.
4. Coat a large baking pan (or 2 medium pans) with non-stick vegetable spray.
5. Add the potatoes and roast for approximately 1-1/4 hours. You want them soft on the inside and crisp and light brown on the outside.
6. Meanwhile the dip: Whisk the garlic, olive oil, sour cream, mayonnaise together.
7. Add the paprika and adjust the amount to taste.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
10. Transfer potatoes to serving dish.

This is a straight forward and very easy recipe. I strongly suggest using a deep fryer rather then a pot of oil on the stove top, because it is safer and far simpler.

For our Tapas Party I made deep-fried green chilies and then the next night I made deep-fried Thai red chilies, Jalapenos and green chilies. They were all delicious.

The following recipe was adapted from Tapas. It’s out of print, but here’s the funny thing – Belle and I own TWO copies of this book. One is a regular sized cookbook, and the other looks like one of those small, chunky cookbooks. Fortunately, we bought both at bargain book prices – they look completely different but have the exact same recipes.

Belle’s note: I didn’t dare brave these deep-fried chilies, but some of the other guests just loved them! I’ve learned that when Ward says, “It’s not that hot,” it means it’s too hot for me. It’s only when he says, “This doesn’t taste spicy at all” that I will brave it, because that means it’s just hot enough for me!

Deep-Fried Chilies

vegetable oil
green chilies, red chilies or jalapenos

Special equipment: Electric deep fryer.

1. Place the oil in the deep fryer according the manufacturers instructions.
2. Heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
3. Place the chilies in the basket and deep fry for 1-2 minutes , depending on the size of the chilies.
4. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
5. Serve.

Brazilian Crazy Rice is a real favourite around this house. I make it quite often, as it’s a good way to get more vegetables on the table.

It’s so good, several of my daughter’s friends have asked for copies of this recipe for their parents to make at home – my daughter likes to bring leftover Crazy Rice to school for lunch, and everyone has had a taste of it and likes it very much.

I said it was Caribbean in a previous post but in fact it’s from Brazil. My daughter is vegetarian so I leave out the bacon – you can add it in for a bit of smoky, meaty flavour if you like.

Since I am also against the cruelty to fruits, I leave out the raisins. I mean, aren’t they really just tortured grapes left out in the hot, hot, sun? Okay, so I guess it’s clear I’m not particularly fond of raisins!

I have made a few other changes to the recipe (which is originally from The Barbecue! Bible, by Steven Raichlen) and it seems to have worked. The original is obviously worth making too.

I use a rice cooker which allows me to make perfect rice every time – well not actually me, but the machine certainly makes it perfectly every time. If you don’t have a rice cooker, I have included instructions for making the rice.

The original recipe serves four but we always want leftovers of this rice, so I usually start with 2-3 cups of rice instead of 1-1/2 cups. Sometimes we make even more, like we did for our November Saturday Open House dinner.

I was just browsing our cookbook shelves the other day, and discovered we have another book by Steven Raichlen, The Big Flavor Cookbook, in which he takes recipes from around the world much like he does in The Barbeque! Bible, but he adapts them to be more healthy and low fat. We picked this up as a “bargain book” at a local big bookstore chain.

We have such great luck with the bargain bins when it comes to cookbooks! Many of our favourite recipes have come from the bargain books section, so check out those bins or shelves next time you are out.

Belle’s note: This is one of my favourite rice recipes, too. I love that every mouthful contains loads of vegetables. This is always a big hit with children (well, except for our little one, who is always suspicious of any colourful things in food). It’s very colourful and always brightens up the table!

Crazy Rice (Arroz Loco)

1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
2-1/2 cups water (plus more if needed)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or put through a garlic press
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
341mL (12 fl oz) can peaches and cream corn
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking the Rice

1. Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear, using your fingers to stir up the rice in the water.
2. Add to rice cooker with enough water so that there’s a depth of about 3/4” of water sitting above the rice. Cook until rice cooker indicates rice is done OR (if you don’t have a rice cooker):
3. Place rice and water in a large pot, stir in butter and salt and bring to the boil over high heat.
4. Put a lid on the pot and reduce to low heat and cook until tender, about 18 minutes.*
5. Remove pot from stove and let stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork and set aside.

* Check after 15 minutes and if rice is too wet, set lid ajar so some of the liquid will evaporate. If it looks too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Making the Crazy Rice

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, corn and parsley.
3. Cook until the onions are soft and start to brown (about 5-8 minutes).
4. Add the rice, mix together thoroughly and cook until everything is hot.
5. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper.

This salad was a big hit at our November 14th Open House dinner but even more of a hit with Belle. She loves it. She has been eating the leftovers all week – I made a lot, and she even loves the way it smells.

At first I thought about going for skinless, boneless chicken breasts but Belle suggested (and quite rightly) that bone-in and skin-on chicken wouldl add more flavour to the meat. To help convince me, she even offered to remove the skin and bones for me and shred the meat. Who am I to refuse help?

So I went with the bone-in and skin on breasts. Obviously, this was the right choice. The salad was simply delicious.

The stock in which I simmered the chicken

I made the chicken the night before and after Belle shredded it, I put it in the fridge. The next afternoon, I brought the chicken out to come to room temperature. This is a great party dish because you serve it at room temperature – one of the reasons we picked it.

I should also mention I used two pots to accommodate the six breasts I used, rather than the three in the recipe below, but that was necessary only because we were having so many people over. If you follow the recipe below, you will only need one pot.

Belle’s note: I was indeed happy to offer my services as sous chef for this dish; the chicken turned out to be very flavourful, and yes, it had the most wonderful chicken salad-y smell. I’m not kidding. I had a bowl of it at my desk the day after, and the scent of the dish was just divine! Ward was hesitant about adding the raisins (he isn’t a big fan of raisins himself), but I think they’re essential to the dish.

The following recipe is adapted from Oranges and Olives (a really splendid book about Mediterranean cooking).

Chicken Salad with Tarragon, Toasted Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins

2 carrots, chopped coarsely
2 celery stalks, chopped coarsely
1 medium onions, peeled and cut into eighths
4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1 lemon, sliced in half
6 sprigs of fresh parsley
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1-1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
1-1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1-1/2 cups dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 bone-in, skin on free-range chicken breasts
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted over medium heat
3 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
1/3 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, coarse

Chicken

1. Put 8 cups of water into a large pot and start bringing to the boil.
2. Put carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, salt, wine and vinegar and allow to come to a boil.
3. Add the chicken breasts and reduce heat to simmer and cover.
4. Cook for 30 minutes, remove chicken and allow to cool (you can discard the poaching liquid at this point – I know, it seems a shame. By all means, reserve it if you think you can use it for something else)
5. Remove the skin and bones from the meat, shredding the chicken as you go.

Salad

1. Mix the raisins, pine nuts, scallions, tarragon, parsley, chives, oil, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken to the mixture. Toss well, so that the chicken is well-coated.
2. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Serve at room temperature.

The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible is a great book. Back before I started cooking, I actually tried being vegetarian for a year; unfortunately, all that meant was I did not eat meat. I was not vegan and I ate cheese like there was no tomorrow. It didn’t help that at the time, I didn’t like many vegetables.

I’m not a vegetarian these days, but I have a great respect for vegetarians, especially vegans. I still will not eat veal, although I am told veal is not raised like it use to be but still … But I just love all foods too much to give up meat and seafood. So I will stay a carnivore for now.

Native people, the traditional ones anyway, make a habit of using the entire animal if it has been killed. They also make an offering before preparing it, to appease the spirit of the animal and to thank the animal for its offering of its body. I believe this to be proper and in my own way I do the same thing.

But in the case of this Vegetable Pie with Sweet Potato Topping, there is no meat involved. It’s vegetarian. Delicious and for meat lovers, it tastes like it has meat. Very substantial.

You start out with roasted vegetables

The sweet potato topping

Belle’s note: This vegetable pie is definitely substantial. It smells great while cooking, and delivers a flavor that’s sweet and very different from a meat pie. The shiitake mushrooms are a great addition, giving a different texture that’s a nice contrast to the softness of the rest of the pie.

The following recipe is adapted from The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible.

Vegetable Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

1 cup boiling water
8 larger dried shiitake mushrooms
3 cups rutabaga, cut into 1″ pieces
3 carrots cut into 1″ pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 1″ pieces
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
2 onions, cut into eighths
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 leek, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme leaves, picked
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup tomato juice, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine

Topping
2 – 19 fl oz cans cut sweet potatoes (get organic if you can)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1. Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let sit 20-30 minutes.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
3. Squeeze dry the mushrooms, remove stems and roughly chop mushrooms
   Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Combine rutabaga, carrots and parsnips with 2 tbsp oil (toss to coat) and bake in a baking dish for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, leek, sage, thyme and 2 tbsp oil, toss to combine.
6. Return to oven and roast for another 45 minutes
7. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F.
8. Prepare topping by heating sweet potatoes, add butter, yogurt, salt and nutmeg. Pureé with immersion blender until smooth.
9. Add mushrooms, broccoli and peas to vegetables. Stir stir and mix.
10. In a small sauce pan, mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup tomato juice. Heat over medium heat and whisk.
11. Whisk in an additional 3/4 cup tomato juice, the red wine and the reserved mushroom juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6-8 minutes until liquid has thickened.
12. Pour sauce over vegetables.
13. Ladle Sweet potato topping over vegetables and smooth over.
14. Bake for 50 minutes, until vegetable mixture is bubbling under topping. Llet stand 5 minutes before serving

One of the best parts of this dish is the dish. You hollow out the pineapple and serve the rice inside. It’s a very attractive way to serve it.

Making this reminded me of a curried shrimp dish I made last year that was also served in a pineapple … I will have to dig that recipe out and make it again soon. It was good. And there’s also a French onion soup I’ve made before that’s served in large hollowed out onions, which was also memorable (not the same recipe as The Ultimate Onion Soup, which is still hands down my favourite French onion soup recipe).

But on to the Pineapple Fried Rice. This is one of Thailand’s signature dishes, and for good reason. My oldest son, who does not like rice, ate two helpings at dinner the night I made it, and then had it for breakfast the next day too! And up until then, I didn’t even know he liked pineapples.

Give this a try even if you don’t want to go to the trouble of hollowing out the pineapple. The recipe here does give you lots of leftovers, but in our family that’s a requirement. Everyone likes leftovers for late night snacks and breakfast. Since my wife is Asian, she’s used to savory breakfasts. We are definitely not toast and cereal people!

Feel free to reduce the quantity of rice, but I’m sure if your family likes rice, the leftovers will not last long.

Belle’s note: This rice was so delicious! I know Ward was surprised that our son had so many helpings, since he doesn’t really like rice, but what surprised me was that Ward himself enjoyed this dish so much – he doesn’t like pineapples. I think this dish might have changed his perspective on pineapples somewhat.

The following recipe is adapted from The Best Barbecue on Earth, by Rick Browne.

Pineapple Fried Rice

1 whole pineapple
4 tbsp peanut oil
4 cups cooked rice (I use a rice cooker: so fast and easy)
3 shallots, sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp organic vegetable stock
1 free-range egg
2-1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp Thai curry powder
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 medium size carrot, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 scallions, finely chopped for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. Slice off the top quarter of the pineapple, leaving the top intact.
2. Using a melon ball or tablespoon, begin scooping out the pineapple to a bowl (don’t keep the hard center core).
3. Place plastic wrap over pineapple bottom and top and place in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Cut the pineapple flesh into bite size pieces. You will need about 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups. The quantity of pineapple pieces you have will vary based on the size of your pineapple.
5. Reserve the rest of the pineapple pieces for something else.
6. Put a wok on high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and chili, and stir-fry 3 minutes.
7. Add the water and stock, then stir. Add the egg and stir it into the rice quickly.
8. Add the fish sauce, curry powder, peas and carrot, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the rice and pineapple and mix well. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Fill the pineapple shell with the rice. There will be a lot left over, which you can save for the next day’s breakfast or lunch, or for a late night snack.
12. Garnish with scallions and cilantro

I made this Mexican rice to go along with the Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Holy Mole Sauce as the author of The Wine Lover’s Cookbook suggests, and wow! It’s a very nice rice.

I really enjoyed this one and so did the whole family (okay, so maybe not our little one, Dylan, because “It has flavours in it!”. Maybe one day I will get him to try some of my cooking other than the homemade pasta.)

Simmering on stove top

I used free-range chicken stock this time, but for a vegetarian version, just substitute a flavourful vegetable stock.

Belle’s note: I have a fondness for Mexican rice, and this one is very tasty. It went very well with the Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Holy Mole Sauce, and because it has the feta cheese in it, it’s really substantial enough as a light entree for lunch all on its own.

The following recipe is adapted from The Wine Lover’s Cookbook.

Mexican Rice

1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 cup onions chopped
2 cups basmati rice
2-1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
3 cups free-range chicken stock
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
8 oz feta cheese with tomato and basil, crumbled
2 large cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish

1. Heat butter and oil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add shallots and onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add rice, cumin, oregano and the fennel seeds and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes (or until most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice).
5. Add the peppers and feta cheese, stirring it in. Cover and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
6. Take the rice off the heat but allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Fluff with fork just before serving.

One of my favourite grocery stores is T.Phat, a small chain store in Ontario which caters to the Asian, Jamaican, Mexican, Filipino, Indian and Western markets. I always have a fantastic time when I shop there. I wander each and every aisle thinking, What can I make with that? and What is that? Just fantastic!

I discovered chayote squash a little over a year ago and just love it. It is a cross between a pear and an apple but as the recipes say, cooks more like a squash. You can also just cut it and eat it raw.

Jicama is another little gem I discovered at T.Phat. There is just so much out there in the world of food and not enough days to cook them all. I have to be patient!

Belle loved this dish. As for me, I would have liked a lot more cayenne – I’d suggest you add the cayenne to your taste. Still, it was delicious.

Belle notes: I’ve fallen in love with chayote. It’s wonderful raw in a salad, lending a delightful taste of pear but without pear’s mushiness. Eaten raw, it’s crisp and refreshing. Roasted, as in this recipe, it’s incredibly good, with a slight sweetness and just enough firmness. This is now my favourite roasted veg!

Roasted Chayote Squash
Adapted from The New Steak

2 chayote squash, cut into 8 pieces (just like you would cut up an apple)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (Adjust according to your taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the chayote pieces in olive oil to coat, then sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper. Place chayote on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Flip the chayote pieces over and roast for an additional 15 minutes.

So I thought, how about sesame oil, a little hot chilli oil, salt and pepper? You fire up the barbecue and you’re done in minutes. I must admit I don’t time how long to cook it – I just look at it and figure it is wilted enough, flip it, and when it is starting to look good I take it off.

(Sorry the pictures leave a lot to be desired but it does taste a lot better then it looks!)

Belle says: This is one of those dishes that are so tasty, yet so simple. I love when Ward prepares this as the side dish to a meal, and if we have any  leftovers, they never last long. It’s even good cold!

Grilled Sesame Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients:

baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise and washed
sesame oil, to taste
hot chilli oil, to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Start the BBQ on high. Clean the grill after 10 –15 minutes.
2. Toss the bok choy with the oils in a large bowl, and add salt and pepper.
3. Turn BBQ down to medium, add bok choy
4. After 5- 10 minutes, flip the bok choy with tongs. Remove after an additional 5 minutes.
5. Serve.

In case you had not figured this out yet, our family loves garlic. Whenever we get a chance we add garlic, we do, so for the mashed potatoes I made for our Thanksgiving Feast, I added garlic of course!

Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

10 med Yukon gold potatoes
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp milk
4 tbsp butter
10 cloves garlic mashed
2 tbsp chopped chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel and cut potatoes into 1/4 inch pieces and place in large pot filled with water (this will prevent potatoes from browning). Add 1 tsp sea salt.
2. Boil potatoes until easily pierced with a fork (about 20-30 minutes).
3. Drain potatoes and mash.
4. Add  1-2 tbsp milk (depending on the volume of potatoes you cooked you may need more or less) and the butter. Mash butter and milk into potatoes.
5. Add 8-10 cloves garlic finely chopped (2-3 tbsp of bottled chopped garlic works well too and is very convenient).
6. Add chopped cloves and  mash everything together, correcting taste if necessary with salt and pepper.
7. Transfer to serving bowl and serve.