Golden Potatoes

There was a story I intended to tell you today, about a girl who seems to never be able to find the right bowl of porridge. No, this isn't about Goldy Locks, but it may as well be, for if I were her it would be all: "Too hot!" "Too cold!" "Not soft enough." 

As a creative soul, perfection isn't worth chasing... or rather, there is no room for it. I've never been a perfectionist. What is perfection, anyways? But in the kitchen lately I've been seeing flaw after flaw. Not because mistakes are more prevalent than usual, but because I've honed in on details that no one else would otherwise notice, leaving "great" in the dust and searching for "best ever," when in reality there is no "best ever" or "perfect" to be found (think of cookies: some like them chewy, some crispy, some nutty, some chocolatey, etc etc etc). This I know, yet it is hard not to push yourself to find "best ever." 

When I realized that this was happening, I knew I must write. Putting pen to paper--or in this case, finger to key- has always been therapeutic for me. Nonsense becomes understandable when it is written. Trapped feelings become weightless, released into paper form. And this perfection-seeking thing? I knew it had to go. But first, I had to understand it, or at the very least come to terms with it. 

Anyways, what is "best ever" when you are inventing something new? You get to decide. Right now, today, in this hour, best ever for me is this potatoes. Golden Potatoes, AKA Curry & Turmeric Roasted Potatoes.  

If you love breakfast potatoes or home fries or spice blends or exotic twists, this one is for you. I hope you are nodding along. I think Goldy Locks might even like them (we haven't met, I'm just guessing. But it seems she'd be into anything Golden, given the name). 

Golden Potatoes

Published June 1, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Potatoes are tossed with turmeric, ginger, and curry powder given them a golden glow and spicy bite.

Serves: 2-3   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium yukon gold potatoes (sweet potatoes will also work if you prefer) 
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon oil (olive or avocado)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a Silicone Baking Mat).
2. Wash potatoes, and dice them into 1/2-inch or 1-centimeter cubes. Place in a mixing bowl, and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for 5 minuntes. This step hepls the potatoes become crispy in the oven! After five minutes, drain the water from the potatoes and toss in oil.
3. In a small bowl, combine spices and mix until well combined. Pour spice blend in with the potatoes, and toss until the potatoes are all coated.
4. Spread potatoes out on prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until potatoes are tender through and crisping on the edges. Allow to cool 5 minutes and serve.

Rainbow Spring Rolls

If you are looking for something healthy, full of veggies, and fun to make, try these out. They're also great for a party: put out sliced veggies, cooked and sliced chicken or steamed shrimp if you like, and let everyone make their own rolls. Traditional spring rolls also have rice noodles inside, but I usually skip them... that's just me. Peanut sauce makes for the perfect condiment! Make plenty, everyone will want their fair share. 

Rainbow Spring Rolls

Published May 30, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

These spring rolls have every color of the rainbow, and are perfect for summertime!

Yields: 15   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the rolls:
• 15 Rice paper wrappers
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup cucumber, julienned
• 5 pieces of lettuce, thick stem pieces removed
• 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• Optional: chicken (cooked and sliced) or shrimp (steamed), avocado


For the sauce:
• 1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned, full-fat) 

Directions:

1. Prepare your workspace: set all of your sliced veggies out where they are easy to access (I put them all in small bowls around my cutting board).
2. Heat 1 centimeter of water until it’s just ready to simmer, but not bubbling yet. Place 1 rice paper wrapper in the hot water, just until it becomes soft and pliable. Then, carefully remove it from the water with out tearing it and place it flat on your cutting board (this may take a bit of practice! If you tear one or two, you can try to use it still or just start over with a new rice paper wrapper). While the wrapper is still pliable and warm, make a small row of veggies on one side of the rice paper (1-2 cucumber slices, a few tablespoons each of cabbage and carrots, 1-2 shrimp or slices of chicken, etc.) All together, you want about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling for each roll. Then, roll everything up like a burrito.
3. Repeat step 2 until you’ve used up all of your rice paper wrappers.
4. Make the sauce: stir together all of the ingredients until a uniform, creamy sauce comes together.
5. Serve spring rolls with a side of sauce for dipping. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Fresh Mint & Fresno Chile Broccoli Salad

This recipe is a copycat recipe from Mod Market, a quick serve restaurant in my area. I go there for lunch meetings (otherwise I usually bring my own lunch) and get whatever they have on their seasonal menu. One day, their seasonal item was this Fresno Mint Broccoli Salad. By bite three I was already thinking about how I would recreate the recipe to share with you all! It's perfect as a hearty salad for lunch but also great as a pot luck dish or side at a dinner party. It also stays fresh in a tupperware in the fridge for a week, so you could make a huge batch and eat deliciously all week.

The base of the salad is arugula. Everything else that goes in is big on flavor: start with fresh broccoli florets, then roasted sweet potatoes, slivered almonds, pickled red onions, minced mint leaves and finally thinly sliced fresno peppers. They are all bold, but none so bold that it out shadows the rest. You get these hearty bites of broccoli and roasted sweet potato, touches of clean mint, and then sweet and bright peppers popping through. The almonds lend crunch. Every bite is slightly different, every bite is delicious.

Drizzle with any dressing you like--I have used both a White Balsamic Vinaigrette and the Bacon Vinaigrette from Trader Joe's and both were fantastic.

Fresh Mint & Fresno Chile Broccoli Salad

Published May 11, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

With bold ingredients, this salad is sure to make any meal bright!

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 5 cups baby arugula
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted lightly
• 1/2 a red onion, sliced thin and quick pickled
• 1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 red fresno peppers, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced or cut chiffonade-style
• 1 cup diced sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 1/8 teaspoon each salt & pepper
• Dressing of choice (I used a white balsamic vinaigrette)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss cubed sweet potato in avocado oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet, and place in oven. Bake until tender through, 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool
2. While the sweet potatoes cook, prep the rest of your salad: Place arugula in a large serving bowl. Top with broccoli florets, thinly sliced fresno peppers, mint, and toasted almonds. When the potatoes are cool, add them to the salad and toss everything with your dressing of choice. Serve!