Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you like roast potatoes, chances are you'll love this version which has a slightly Southwestern twist. The potatoes are topped with a medley of herbs and absorb additional flavor from three types of fresh peppers that roast along side them. There are a couple of tricks to making this dish work, but I assure you they are simple. To prevent the peppers and onions from releasing juices that would braise, rather than roast, the potatoes, hot becomes the operative word. The oven must be hot and the pan on which the vegetables roast must be hot enough to sizzle when the vegetables are dumped onto it. To assure a hot pan, place it in the oven as it preheats. Spray it with a nonstick vegetable spray or olive oil just before you place vegetables in it. Resist the temptation to oil the pan while it preheats. You'll end up with enough smoke to set off your alarms. This lesson comes from the been there, done that school of life which I've completed with high honors. These potatoes are a wonderful accompaniment to steaks and roasts and can make a plain meal sparkle with flavor. If I can get you to make them, I know they'll become a favorite of yours as well. While I make this with baby Yukon Gold, any small potato, including fingerlings, can be used with similar result. Leftovers can be warmed the following day and served with poached or fried eggs for a quick and easy feast. Here's the recipe for roast potatoes made new again.

Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 to 3 pounds small new potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large poblano pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 large jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in very thin crosswise slices
1 large sweet onion cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon

Directions:
1) Place a large baking sheet into oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Place potatoes, red pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, sweet onion, basil, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss well to coat all ingredients. Quickly spray hot pan with nonstick spray. Dump potato mixture in a single layer onto pan. Return to oven.
3) Bake, turning mixture every 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft and brown, about 50 minutes. Yield 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Savory Roasted Potatoes for a Crowd - One Perfect Bite
Mustard Glazed Potatoes - One Perfect Bite
Caramelized Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler )- One Perfect Bite

Christmas Pasta

I know it's happened to you. Folks invited for a drink stretch cocktails into the dinner hour, leaving you to puzzle how a meatloaf will feed ten people. I'm a pro in the "loaves and fishes" department. I might deconstruct the meatloaf and turn it into chili mac, but I'd be even more likely to make a dish we call Christmas pasta. My pantry and refrigerator are stocked with the few staples required to pull this off because unplanned dinner guests are no strangers at our table - especially at Christmas time. The pasta is simple to make and the colors give it a holiday feeling. It's a great addition to a buffet table or covered dish supper. There's only so much that can be said about peppers, peas and cream, so, rather than embroider something so basic, I'll simply say it's delicious and move on. I'm sending my recipe to Mary of Baking Delights who is hosting this week's Presto Pasta Nights a blogging event sponsored by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast. This is a nice recipe to have on file.

Christmas Pasta

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
2 large red bell peppers, julienned
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 cups half-and-half or light cream
3 large eggs, beaten
1 pound penne pasta
1 to 2 cups frozen petite peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Bring 6-quarts of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley. Set aside.
3) Heat half-and-half in a microwave on HIGH power for 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add to eggs. Set aside.
4) Cook pasta in boiling, salted water per package instructions. Drain in a colander. Add pasta, peas and basil to sauteed vegetables. Toss to combine. Add egg-cream mixture and Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Penne with Sausage and Peppers

On the day we delivered our youngest to her college dorm I dried my tears and made a promise to myself - I swore I'd never again sit in a moving vehicle with anyone who was under voting age. No more bickering or piercing music. No stray socks or eau de young athlete. Just Bach, van Morrison and me. I was, of course, infirm of purpose and as the grandbabies arrived I reneged. Well, I'm going to try the promise thing again. When the polls close tomorrow, I plan to swear off the telephone. You know how your right hip protrudes more than the left from hefting babies on that side? Well, my neck is beginning to skew right. For better or worse, I'm a political junkie and I've been on the phone - for 10 months now - trying to persuade folks to support my candidate. I am philosophically bound to the professor and while I admire the courage of the warrior I could not vote for him. I shared that and my reasons with all the folks I talked to. The best part of these past ten months has been the people, particularly the young people, I've met. I'm a product of the movements of the sixties; heady, special times when people felt empowered and believed they could change the world. And we did - a little - but the promise of that time was never fully realized and many of us were left with the feeling that our generation had the last of the wine. We were wrong. Something is happening; the air is charged and you can feel the static as the torch is finally passed to those who, hopefully, will finish the work that was left undone and take up that which has yet to be addressed. That whispered Yes We Can has become a roar, so, I'll be on the phone for two more days and because those with whom I share the phone bank have to eat I won't come empty handed. This casserole x 4 will feed the multitudes and make them smile. It's easy, cheap and delicious. Give it a try!

Penne with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 large red bell pepper cut in 1/2 x 2-inch strips
1 large yellow bell pepper cut in 1/2 x 2-inch strips
1 large green bell pepper cut in 1/2 x 2-inch strips
3 cloves minced garlic
1 can (15-oz.) Italian stewed tomatoes, pureed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried fennel seed
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound penne
About 1 cup pasta water
Chopped parsley or basil

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a very large skillet until it shimmers. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Return to skillet. Stir in onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red, yellow and green peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer or until fragrant. Add pureed stewed tomatoes , oregano, and fennel seeds. Bring to a simmer; cook for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
2) Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Stir in 3 tablespoons salt and the penne. Cook until tender but firm, about 9 to 11 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
3) Add the pasta to the skillet containing the sausage and peppers. Toss to coat penne with sauce. If the pasta appears dry add pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, to create a smooth, clinging sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.