Sautéed Broccoli Florets

Ok, so I love broccoli. I was one of those weird kids that liked vegetables more than candy--even chocolate! I know, I know. I grew up eating broccoli with cheese or with butter and salt, but this recipe is different and fabulous. I never thought to add Parmesan cheese and brown sugar! When I saw this on allrecipes.com, I had to make it. Needless to say, the two vegetable-lovers (me and my husband) in the house loved it! I didn't change anything, which is weird because I always change about half the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl or pot with half ice and half water. When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli florets using a strainer with a handle if possible. Allow the broccoli to cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender. Immediately remove from the boiling water, using the strainer or draining, and transfer to bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. Immerse the broccoli completely in the ice water for a minute or two. Remove and place in a dish that has been lined with paper towels. This part can be done up to two days in advance.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese and brown sugar; set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the broccoli and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the broccoli, then cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and dust with the Parmesan cheese mixture

Serves 6

So, this recipe takes about 25 minutes to make, which I know is a long time to make a side dish. This is what a reviewer on allrecipes.com said (paraphrasing): You could also sauté the broccoli with the spices over medium heat with the saucepan lid on--stirring occasionally, then add the cheese and brown sugar mixture, then turn the heat off and keep covered until steamed. It will be done in about 5 minutes, with no need to pre-steam.

I like pre-steaming, though, because it keeps the bright green color.

Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths

Feel free to adjust spices as needed. Sometimes instead of garlic powder and salt, I just use garlic salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Or you can use seasoning salt and omit the salt and powders in the recipe.

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, then shake to coat the potatoes with the seasoning. Spread the potatoes over a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, take out, turn over potatoes (or just mix them around a bit), put back into oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 more minutes.

These are easy to make and a lot cheaper than the bagged french fries that you can buy at the store. We serve them with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, etc. They are really good. 

If you don't have a whole 30 minutes, you can boil the potato wedges for a little while (5 to 7 minutes), season them, then bake them in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com