I found this at Target the last time I was there. I love lemongrass anything an this definitely doesn't disappoint. I let myself have one cup of green tea and then the rest is all herbal. It's hard for me to believe that I used to drink at least two pots of coffee a day! I even drank energy drinks for awhile! Who was I??
I got a Cajun spice mix in the bulk bins at Sprouts so I decided to use it on some roasted potatoes. I have to look at the jar the next time I'm there to see what's in the mix. It made these potatoes so, so savory and delicious! If I know I want potatoes for dinner, I like to peel and prep them, and then keep them in a bowl of water until I'm ready to cook them. You can leave them in the water for two days, maybe even longer. They don't turn brown as long as they're submerged! I think the water even helps them crisp up, it does something to the starch? I remember reading some restaurant chef's tips or something an soaking fries was mentioned. Either way it's nice to have prepped potatoes waiting for you!
That's a great tip to peel and prep the potatoes ahead of time. I usually roast mine ahead too but they are always best fresh out of the oven. I'll have to keep this in mind! The tea sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteYay for bulk bin spices! I actually finally finally found a (limited) selection of bulk spices here in nyc, this one location of whole foods that is nowhere near me but I don’t need to restock spices often. No good spice mixes though, just the usual plain basics but they’re fresh and potent.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to prep the potatoes earlier! I thought of you the other night i had some chopped steamed potatoes topped with earth balance and some warmed chickpeas in vinegrette- it was so filling!
Ttrockwood
Soaking removes excess starch from the surface whicch can help prevent sticking and help crisp the surface. But to achieve even better roast potatoes boil them in salted, vinegared water and drain, roughing the surface before roasting. Best roast potatoes of your life. I normally roast them with fresh thyme and garlic. Kenji from Serious Eats has a great article here explaining it:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.seriouseats.com/2016/12/the-food-lab-the-best-roast-potatoes-ever.html
Spritzing with your favourite vinegar (infused specialty versions are a plus) while baking and as they come out the oven adds a little je ne c’est quoi (tip via Jamie Oliver) but some lemon slices thrown into the potatoes on the are a great alternative.
If you want another great read of a food science article, Kenji’s french fry article is very interesting and indepth:
https://aht.seriouseats.com/2010/05/the-burger-lab-how-to-make-perfect-mcdonalds-style-french-fries.html
Excellent tip about soaking the potatoes. Makes dinner a much quicker prospect if the prep work is already done.
ReplyDeletePotatoes for dinner is always a good idea.
ReplyDeleteMy current cookbook "superiority burger" makes that water suggestion too, but it was for a potato salad. I forget why exactly, I think so they hold their shape better when being cooked?
ReplyDelete