Roasted Red Potatoes

Potatoes are an excellent staple to complete almost any meal. They are quite versatile in preparation and flavor. I like to keep a couple of different varieties on hand and add a different type of potato each week to the rotation. Red potatoes are one of my favorites. They absorb flavors nicely and hold up well roasted or boiled. I like to season them to match or complement the flavor of the main course. This recipe includes my go to seasoning for roasted red potatoes as the marinade I most often use for meats feature fresh rosemary sprigs and olive oil.

Taste in Bloom Original Photo

Difficulty: Easy; Serves: 4; Total time: 30 mins

Taste in Bloom Original
Ingredients:

• 1 lb red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat your oven broiler on low. Line a baking sheet with foil, lightly sprayed with cooking oil or a sheet of parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl or gallon sized plastic bag, combine all ingredients and toss to coat potatoes. Spread potatoes evenly on lined baking sheet.

Place baking sheet on top rack of oven and broil on low for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tinged with gold.

Brussels Sprouts

My husband does not like Brussels sprouts, at least he didn't. Actually he really doesn't like any vegetable in the cabbage family unless it's hidden in an egg roll. But I found a couple of ways to make Brussels sprouts that makes him look forward to eating them. I found that the real trick to making them more enjoyable to his palate was to cut them in half before cooking them. This also made their preparation easier as whole sprouts tend to be difficult to manage. So what is it that makes these sprouts so enjoyable to a picky eater? Bacon and heavy cream of course.

Taste in Bloom Original Photo

Difficulty: Easy; Serves: 4; Total time: 30 mins

Adapted from French Farmhouse Cookbook
Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, sliced in half
• 3 strips of raw bacon, diced
• a little heavy cream or crème fraîche
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Steam the Brussels sprouts in a steamer basket placed over lightly boiling water until tender, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until just done, about 10 minutes.

Add a small amount of cream to the bacon and stir to combine. Allow to cook for about a minute. 

Add the Brussels sprouts and stir until the sprouts are coated with the cream.

Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Fried Apples

In 2011, my husband and I decided to try the Paleo Diet. We both enjoyed it and had great success. At first, it seemed like a daunting task to plan even one meal that is entirely grain-, dairy- and even sugar-free. But we stuck to it and did a lot of research online and used cookbooks specializing in the diet and managed to follow it, strictly, for six weeks. We both felt great as a result. Our friends still ask us for information on how they can get started.

Though we are no longer following the diet strictly, we still use many of the same recipes we found. I will be posting them here as I continue my food blog journey. This recipe is one of our all time favorites. It's incredibly simple and tasty. You can adjust the flavor of this dish from tart to sweet by the apples you choose to use. We started with Granny Smith, then started mixing in some Cortland apples. Now we are using Empire apples and it tastes like a dessert. Fried Apples are especially good as a side dish for pork. Each year, I make them as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

Taste in Bloom Original Photo

Difficulty: Easy; Serves: 4; Prep time: 10 minutes + approximately 18 minutes cooking time

Adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle
Ingredients:

• 4 apples (Granny Smith if you like tart; Empire, Cortland, Braeburn or Jonathan if you prefer sweet)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preparation:

Peel, core and slice apples evenly into 1/4" slices. 

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan or skillet with a lid. Once the butter is hot, add the apple slices to the bottom of the pan, careful not to overlap the slices.

Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 18-20 minutes or until the apples are tender enough that a fork slides through them easily.