Today we had a nice quiet start to the day. A little sleeping in, a little cooking and blogging, some house work, and a Christmas movie…I can’t seem to tire of that Will Ferrel in Elf. He cracks me up every time. “Son of a Nutcracker!” Although we had things to do, it felt a little more relaxed than than rest of the week.
We also had a quick visit with my cousins to wish them a safe trip back to Portugal. It’s always sad to see friends or family leave, but we’re happy that they had a good time visiting and seeing a little bit of Canada. We do have a pretty awesome country, eh?! 😉
After breakfast I headed over to the grocery story to pickup some pork tenderloin (don’t forget to visit our roasted pork tenderloin post!), to make for lunch. While I was walking though the produce section, I spotted the small potatoes and immediately knew what I should make as a side for the pork tenderloin. We all love roasted potatoes. During lunch today, our older guy told us that roasted potatoes might actually be his favourite side… even more than fries. What!?! I couldn’t agree more.
This recipe is fool-proof. When I first started spending more time in the kitchen, roasted potatoes were a hit and miss for me. Sometimes they were too crispy and sometimes under cooked. Over time I learned that the trick is to boil or steam them for just a little bit before roasting them in the oven. Basically, the time in the oven is just to let them finish cooking on the inside and add those perfect crispy edges. If you’re looking for a new and improved side for your meals, look no further. This is bound to become a new family favourite! Roast those little spuds, and eat well friends!
- 3½ lbs small white potatoes (red are fine also)
- 1 tsp salt (for boiling)
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 500 ºF
- Wash and cut the small potatoes in halves. Larger potatoes can be cut into more piece to insure consistent sizes.
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, add 1 tsp salt and cover with water (a couple of inches above the potatoes).
- Turn on the stove to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cover and pierce one of the larger potatoes with a fork.
- If the fork can easily pierce through the outer edge of the potato, shut off the stove.
- If the potato is still very hard, cover and let simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. Test again.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl.
- Add the oregano, salt, rosemary, black pepper, garlic and olive oil.
- Using a large slotted spoon, mix all the ingredients to coat the potatoes.
- Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
- Pour the potatoes and oil onto the roasting pan and distribute evenly.
- Place the roasting pan in the oven on the middle rack.
- Roast for 13 minutes.
- Open the oven to check the status. The potatoes should have crispy golden edges and you should be able to easily pierce the potatoes with a fork.
- If you like them crispier, leave them in for another 2 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve with your favourite protein or even on their own. Enjoy!
[…] having a nice home-cooked meal with the family. I decided to make a roasted pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes. The family seemed so relaxed and happy to have a little down time around the table. This dish is […]