Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Roasting potatoes is a quick way to prepare a side dish for that rushed, weekday dinner. It doesn’t involve a lot of steps or prep time, and you can season them however you like. I used rosemary on these, but feel free to switch that out with thyme or another favorite flavor. Of course fresh herbs taste better, but not too many of us have them there for everyday use.

Start by cutting your potatoes. I slice them lengthwise in half, then each half into 3 or 4 wedges. If you have time, put them in a bowl of ice water for about 30 minutes. This step isn’t necessary, but with help give you a crispier potato. Either way, as you are slicing them, put them in ice water.

It’s probably time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Drying your potatoes before seasoning and cooking is an important step. This also helps give you a nice, crispy potato. Make sure to drain and dry them really well.

Dry the bowl you had the potatoes in, put them back in the bowl and add the olive oil, rosemary, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss and lay out on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Try to space them out so they aren’t touching (this time around I used red potatoes).

I recommend using fresh herbs for this recipe. 1 teaspoon dry herbs equals 1 tablespoon fresh. However, they are expensive and usually go bad before you can use them up. So, if using dry herbs, make sure to muddle them with a mortar and pestle or crush them up in your hand to release the flavor of the dry herb.

Bake them for 30 minutes, flip them over and return to the oven.

After I bake them for 25 minutes more, I like to push them together on the pan and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Of course if there are dairy allergies, just cook for another 30 minutes after flipping them over.

This time around, I served them with my Breaded Pork Bites that I made in my air fryer and some steamed chard.

Whatever you serve them with, I hope you enjoy!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

This is a very easy side dish that can be quickly prepped for small or large groups.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 102kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Bowl with Ice Water
  • Sheet Pan
  • Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

  • 4 each russet potatoes small to medium
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp rosemary fresh, chopped
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan optional
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, optional

Instructions

  • Clean and then slice potatoes lengthwise into wedges and put them in a bowl filled with ice water. Let sit for 30 minutes, drain and pat dry with a clean towel. Put back into a dry bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil over and sprinkle in the rosemary and some salt and pepper – do not add too much salt as the parmesan will add more salty-ness. Toss this to get the potatoes evenly coated and place in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and bake another 25 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan over the potatoes and bake another 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle on the chives or parsley
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg

Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Garlic Balsamic Reduction

Asparagus is a very versatile vegetable that pairs well with a wide variety of main courses and meats. It cooks within a couple of minutes and can be as fast as doing a quick steam or sauteed with butter, salt, and pepper, or fancied up a bit with some sauteed mushrooms and a balsamic reduction.

As usual, start by gathering and prepping your ingredients. To trim the asparagus, I grab a hold of the bottom of the asparagus in one hand and the other hand I grab on the stem about 2 inches from my first hand. Then bend the asparagus and it will snap where the “woody” part stops and the stem becomes tender. Most of the rest of the bunch of asparagus will match up to the same length, so line up the one you snapped off with the rest and cut off the ends. Or you can snap each individually.

Slice your mushrooms, chop your garlic – if you don’t have a jar of minced garlic in your refrigerator, and make sure you have shredded Parmesan and bacon bits. I chop up a package of raw bacon and cook it, drain the grease, put it in a resealable bag in my freezer so it is ready any time I want bacon bits. I also buy large bags or tubs of shredded Parmesan cheese and keep it in my freezer for when I need it.

Heat a large stainless steel pan and add the oil and mushrooms. You can certainly use a non-stick pan, but the mushrooms won’t brown as well. Saute until the mushrooms are brown.

Then add garlic and balsamic vinegar and a few turns of your pepper grinder. Simmer until the vinegar is reduced in half – this will only take about 5 minutes.

Add the asparagus, cover with a lid and simmer for another 2 minutes, tops. If you wanted you could cut the asparagus into bite size pieces before adding it to the mushrooms and vinegar. When you add cut asparagus, stir it into the sauce for a minute or 2.

It is ready to eat. Top it with bacon bits, shredded Parmesan cheese, even some chives or toasted walnuts taste great too.

Enjoy!

Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Garlic Balsamic Reduction

I love the time of year when asparagus is in season. Add some sauteed mushrooms, balsamic, little bacon and parmesan cheese and you have a great vegetable side dish to go with about any meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asparagus
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 153kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Large stainless steel saute pan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus trimmed
  • 4 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 tsp garlic fresh, minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Black pepper
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp bacon bits
  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, stainless steel sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and saute until brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and give it a stir, then add the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of black pepper. Simmer the vinegar until reduced in half, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the asparagus, cover with a lid and simmer for another 2 minutes.
  • Put it on a plate and top with the bacon bits and parmesan cheese. You can also add some fresh chopped parsley or chives.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 877IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg

Sweet Orange Sriracha Glazed Wings

These spicy, yet slightly sweet and tangy are a must try for anyone who loves sriracha sauce.

They are quite simple to make and don’t require a deep fryer. I bake them most of the time, but they do turn out great in an air fryer if you have that option.

First toss your wings in some vegetable or canola oil, sea salt, and black pepper. You can do this in a bowl or in a closable bag. It can be done the day before or right before you are ready to bake them.

Then lay them out flat on a parchment-lined sheet tray.

Silicone baking mats work great, but for things that are going to produce some liquid, like grease, I use parchment paper to keep it from oozing onto my pan.

I happened to be making my Firecracker Wings at the same time so I used the same sheet tray.

In a 400 degree oven, bake the wings for 30 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until they are crispy.

If you have an air fryer, cook at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, flip them over and cook at 400 degrees for another 8 to 12 minutes, until crispy.

While your wings are cooking, put the orange juice, honey, and sriracha in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Mix your cornstarch with the water and whisk into sauce. Simmer until thickened. (Sorry, no fun pictures for this step.)

When the wings are crispy, toss in the sauce or put wings on a plate and pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle some chives or green onions on top.

Enjoy!

Sweet Orange Sriracha Glazed Wings

I love wings of all kinds and they are very easy to make at home without a deep fat fryer, and a tad healthier too. The sweetness of the honey and tanginess of the orange juice pairs well with the spicy sriracha sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Drummies, Wings
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 61kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Sheet tray lined with parchment paper
  • Sauce pan and whisk

Ingredients

  • 12 each wings and/or drummies
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup OJ I prefer freshly squeezed oranges
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 - 3 tbsp Sriracha*
  • 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Instructions

  • Toss wings in the oil, sea salt and black pepper. Lay flat on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 400° oven for 30 minutes. Flip over and bake another 15 – 20 minutes until crispy.
  • While baking, combine the OJ, honey and Sriracha in a sauce pan and melt the honey. Thoroughly mix the arrowroot or cornstarch in the water. While whisking the OJ sauce, slowly drizzle the cornstarch water into the sauce. Simmer until thickened.
  • When the wings are crispy, remove from oven and add them to the sauce. Toss well. Garnish with some sliced green onion and/or some orange zest.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*If you don’t like a lot of spiciness, reduce the amount of Sriracha to 1 or 2 tablespoons. You can start with 1 and taste, add more until it is hot enough for your tastes.
If you have an air fryer and want to use it instead of the oven, put your wings in at 400 degrees, cook for 12 minutes. Flip them over and cook at 400 degrees for another 8 to 12 minutes - it all depends on how big are your wings and drummies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

Jalapeno Popper Bites

The regular season of the NFL is over and playoffs will be underway, then the Superbowl finale. While I won’t have the parties this year like in years past, there is no reason not to enjoy some of the more traditional Superbowl food.

Jalapeno poppers are good any way you make them. Most of the time I stick to the more traditional home method of hollowing out a jalpeno pepper, stuffing it with cream cheese and wrapping it in bacon. In restaurants you will get a cream cheese stuffed jalapeno, breaded and deep fried. These Popper Bites combine the 2 methods, and they hold up in the freezer so you can enjoy them when you have the popper craving.

Start by chopping up 2 slices of bacon and crisping in a pan. Drain off grease, and pat dry.

Or, if you’re like me, I cook up an entire package of bacon at a time and freeze the cooked, leftover slices to use at a future date. If this is the case, all you need to do is pull 2 slices out of the freezer and chop them up.

A note for my vegetarian friends and followers: as long as you eat cheese, omit the bacon or use vegetarian bacon bits so vegetarians and non-vegetarians can enjoy these! The vegetarian bacon bits have come a long way in flavor over the years and are probably healthier for you anyway.

In a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, shredded cheese, crispy bacon bits, a minced jalapeno (remove seeds and ribs or keep them in, whatever your spice level can handle), and a dash of chili powder.

Mix this all together using the back of a firm spoon or a firm rubber spatula.

Now it’s time to get ready to build your popper bites.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spray it with cooking oil.

Beat your eggs or put the milk in a bowl. Put your bread crumbs in another bowl.

Get a small dish and add some cold water to it.

Open your package of wonton wrappers.

Lay out 4 to 6 wraps at a time, with 1 corner pointing toward you. Wet all around the edges with water. I use the tips of a finger or 2, works better for me than a pastry brush.

Put a dollop or cheese mixture (about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons) in the center of each wrap.

Get ready to roll!

Fold the corner that is pointing toward you in over the cheese mixture.

Now fold the 2 side corners in over each other.

For the final roll, you may need to brush some more water on the flap before rolling it over. This will make sure all edges stick and you will be less likely to have your poppers ooze out while you are baking them.

Put these on your lined sheet tray and continue rolling until cheese mixture is used up. You’ll get about 35 bites, give or take a few.

Now, let’s add the breading. You can certainly skip this step, but it adds texture, flavor, and makes them a little more like restaurant quality.

Roll a bite in the milk, or egg, then in the bread crumbs and return to the sheet tray.

Continue until they are all breaded.

Now put them in the freezer for at least an hour. This is key. If you cook them before they are frozen, you will end up with a pile poppers that have all oozed and lost their cheese.

Once your popper bites are frozen, you can bag them up and cook them later, cook them all, or cook just a few.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Pull your popper bites from the freezer, spray them all around with cooking spray, and put them directly into the oven. Cook for 5 minutes, flip them over and cook another 5 – 7 minutes. They should be golden brown at this point. If you cook much longer you run a greater risk of cheese oozing out.

I like to serve these as an appetizer with some veggie stick and ranch dressing.

I also freeze any leftovers and heat them up in my toaster oven.

Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Bites

Jalapeno poppers are very popular and fairly easy to make at home. This recipe takes all the ingredients and puts them into a wonton wrapper that you bread (like the poppers you get in a restaurant). They are the perfect, slightly spicy bite. Goes well with veggie sticks and ranch or bleu cheese dressing and they freeze well too.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Jalapeno Poppers
Servings: 35 bites
Calories: 31kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup shredded cheese co-jack, cheddar, or mozzarella
  • 1 each jalapeno no seeds or ribs, minced
  • 2 slices bacon cooked, cut into bits (optional or use vegetarian bacon bits)
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • 35 each Wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers cut into 4ths with a pizza cutter
  • ½ cup milk or 2 eggs*
  • 1//2 cup bread crumbs Italian seasoned tastes great

Instructions

  • Combine cheeses, jalapeno, bacon bits if using, and chili powder. I use the back of a spoon to mash it all together.
  • Beat the egg, if using, or put the milk in a bowl. Put the bread crumbs (they can be seasoned bread crumbs) on a plate or a bowl. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Put some water in a small container.
  • Spread out wonton wrappers (4 – 6 at a time). Dampen edges with water. Put about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the wrapper.
  • Fold 1 corner over the cream cheese mixture. Then fold over the 2 opposite sides, and roll it up. Make sure all edges are sealed against the wonton wrapper – you may need to brush more water on the wonton for the last fold to adhere. Place on a parchment-lined sheet tray (spray parchment first). Finish the rest of the cream cheese mixture.
  • Roll a jalapeno popper bite in the milk or egg then in the bread crumbs and return to the sheet tray. Continue until all are done. Freeze flat for at least 1 hour, until frozen through.**
  • Heat oven to 400°F. Spray each popper bite evenly with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes, flip over and cook another 5 to 7 minutes, no more or they tend to explode.
  • Serve with veggie sticks, ranch, and bleu cheese dressing.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*I personally liked the texture of the finished bites with the milk instead of the egg, but both work. The egg seemed to make them a little more chewy.
** They need to be cooked frozen or they will be more likely to ooze. You still may get 1 or 2 that oozes. Once frozen you can bag them up and cook later. Make a big batch and pull out a few at a time when you want some.

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg