I’ve recently become enamoured with parchment paper. Before, I thought parchment paper and wax paper were the same. Growing up we hardly used wax paper and I had never even seen parchment paper so somehow I got the idea that they were just different names for the same thing. While attempting to follow a recipe that ask
ed for parchment paper, I did some uh… research that demonstrated this not to be the case.
Wax paper and parchment paper are both used because of their nonstick surface. I had just used wax paper to make something in the microwave (which is totally okay and often better than saran wrap) and I think I even said to my husband as I put the wax paper in the oven, “There shouldn’t be a problem with this, if it’s okay in the microwave it should be okay in the oven right?” Now why this seemed reasonable, I’m n
ot sure. There are many plastic dishes that do just fine in the microwave but wouldn’t last very long in the oven, but that’s what I was thinking at the time.
So here’s the thing, wax paper is coated in – wait for it – wax, which smokes if it is exposed in the oven. You can use it in baking, for instance to line a cake pan as long as it is completely covered by the food. Otherwise, smoke, smoke, smoke.
If you’re looking for something to line a baking tray, parchment paper is your best bet. I’ve used for the three dishes you can see on this page
, just in the last week. It’s perfect for anything that you want to bake or roast on a nonstick pan that may otherwise gunk up and stick to it (even though it’s supposed to be a nonstick pan). It has really improved my roasted butternut squash since I started using it. Anyway, if you haven’t before, give it a try!
Food
Baby Smashed Potatoes
I’m starting to think that just about every vegetable should be roasted at 400F for 30-60 minutes with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. This is now my third recipe in a row that follows this logic. You’d have to really hate potatoes to not like these. I liked these so much I made them for Christmas dinner last year – there wasn’t a single one left over!. They also provide a lot more nutrients than a lot of potato dishes because you leave the skins on. They take a little bit more time than some methods, because they are boiled and then baked but the result is amazing. If you want, you can boil and smash the potatoes ahead of time just refrigerate until you are ready to use them.
Baby Smashed Potatoes
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lbs baby potatoes
- 2 TBSP oilve oil
- salt, pepper and rosemary (I use dried but I’m sure fresh would be lovely)
- 2 garlic cloves minced (shortcut – buy pre-minced, look in the refrigerated section by the salads as they are much better than the shelf stable variety you get by the spices)
- ore it hits the heat. Squishing the potatoes is also pretty fun.
- The kids can:
- put the potatoes in the pot
- squash the cooled potatoes
- .paint the potatoes with olive oil
- flip the potatoes
- sprinkle the salt, pepper and rosemary
- Directions
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, drain the pot and let the potatoes cool (if you are in a hurry you can grab the potatoes with a tea towel and smash them while they are still hot).
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Get a (clean!) tea towel and put it on the counter. Place the potato on top. Fold the tea towel over and press down on the potato with your palm.
- Place the smashed potatoes on a baking tray.
- Brush each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Flip the potatoes and repeat on the other side.
- Add a couple pieces of minced garlic to each potato and sprinkle with rosemary.
- Put the tray in the over and flip the potatoes after 15 minutes. Continue to bake for 15-20 minutes more. When they are done the skins of the potatoes will be brown and crispy but the centre will be soft.
Leftovers can be eaten cold straight from the fridge or reheated in the oven or toaster oven.
Roasted Butternut Squash
I took another crack at the butternut squash today. It turned out quite a bit better than the last time. I think the problem before was that the squash wasn’t as fresh as it needed to be. Not that it was bad, it just didn’t have the right consistency anymore – it was a little too mushy around the edges. So if you (like I usually do) buy pre-cut cubes (Costco’s are great) make sure you get the furthest away best before date and check to make sure they are nice and firm when you go to cook them. If they’re not, maybe make soup instead.
This isn’t the lowest calorie vegetable dish you can make but it’s a crowd pleaser and makes a nice side dish for special occasion dinners (or just for snacking!) Unless your kids are going through a really picky stage, they’ll like this dish. And you will like making it! The prep work is minimal and once it’s in the oven you don’t have to do a thing.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 2 lbs butternut squash cubes (shortcut – buy pre-cubed)
- 2 TBSP oilve oil
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese (or white cheese blend)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced and 2 Tbsp parsley chopped (both optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Put all ingredients into a large resealable plastic bag and combine (you can also mix in a bowl).
- Spread evenly on a single layer on a shallow baking dish. I've found that lining a cookie tray with parchment paper works really well. The cubes pop right off. Whatever you do, don't put them directly on the cookie tray – trust me it will never be the same.
- Cook for 40-50 minutes. The edges should be carmelized and golden. You can flip one of the cubes over to check the bottom, but otherwise leave them alone.
Notes
Based on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlicky-Baked-Butternut-Squash/Detail.aspx">Garlicky Baked Butternut Sqush</a>
I completely forgot the garlic, but they were still great. Adding the parsley makes for a nicer presentation, but I was all out.
If you have leftovers, you can mash up the cooked squash with some pasta water to thin it out and use it as a pasta sauce.
Making Icky Food Good: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
My mother-in-law is a big fan of Brussels sprouts and they are chalk full of vitamins but she wasn’t making any converts at home. I figure that just about anything can be appealing if you cook it the right way, so I set out to find something that everyone would enjoy. This is what I came up with.
Making Icky Food Good: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Recipe type: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts (shortcut - buy prewashed and bagged)
- 1.5 tablespoons oilve oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (do not skip the salt, you need it to counteract the bitterness of the sprouts)
- 0.5 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (you can do 400 if you are in a hurry but you'll need to watch it near the end)
- Wash and trim the Brussels Sprouts if necessary. Cut each Brussels sprout in half.
- Place the Brussels Sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Seal it up and mix well. (Obviously you could also use a bowl if you'd rather).
- Put the Brussels spouts on a baking tray and bake for 40-50 minutes. Turn them every 7-10 minutes so they cook evenly and don't char.
- When they are finished they should have a nice brown color but still have some green visible. The loose leaves may be blackened but nothing else should be.
If you have leftovers you can put them in a container in the fridge and eat then reheated in the oven/toaster oven or I actually like the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge. They store best if you let them cool down to room temperature first.
You could lighten the recipe up by using a cooking spray or olive oil mister to coat the Brussels Sprouts instead of the olive oil.
Hard Boiled/Devilled Eggs
I used to be able to cook a hard boiled egg properly. Then one day I couldn’t. I’m not sure what happened. I was using the same recipe I have used since I was 12.
Whatever the reason, after much frustration I finally figured out how to prevent them from being a disgusting ooey mess. The key was just turning up the heat a little when it was simmering.
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
1. Fill a pot with cold water to just cover the eggs. Bring to a boil. If you manage to remember that you are cooking and notice when they first start to boil you can avoid getting that grey skunge around the yolk by turning the heat down right away (make sure it is just above low).
2. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on and then run cold water over the eggs. Its best to peel them while they are still a little warm and if you roll them in your hands before you start to peel, it’s even easier to get the peel off nicely.
Since we’re talking about Hard Boiled Eggs I might as well share my Devilled Egg Recipe too. My family loves them. I’m pretty sure if I showed up to a family function without them I would be asked how long it was going to take me to go pick up the eggs that I obviously forgot at home.
Devilled Eggs
Recipe type: Appetizer
Ingredients
- Devilled Eggs
- 12 Hard Boiled Eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 tsp vinegar
- paprika
Instructions
- Scoop the yolk out of each egg and put into a bowl. Mash up with a fork.
- Add the mayo, mustard and vinegar and mix well.
- Put a big scoop of the egg mixture into each egg half and sprinkle with paprika.
In case you were wondering, no I do not own a deviled egg tray. I own four. Seriously. I typically have to bring 3 or 4 full trays to a family party – they are that good.