Baked spiced potato wedges

This recipe is about the most delicious yet also healthy way I know of to prepare potatoes.  It's a modified version of a recipe found in one of my mom's cookbooks. This recipe is dairy and gluten free. 

What you'll need:
4 small golden potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp hot sauce (I use Vermont Pepper Works Peach-Ginger Habanero)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme

First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Then chop your potatoes into wedges, about 6-8 wedges per potato.  My mom taught me to cut them thinner than just quarters so that they'll cook more thoroughly and it's a great tip.

Next, get out a large mixing bowl.  Pour in the olive oil and the hot sauce and mix them together.  Then pour in the spices and mix thoroughly.  Proceed to dump in your potato wedges and stir until all of the potatoes are coated in the mixture.

Get out a baking pan of some sort (sheet, dish, whatever) and put the potatoes on it.  The baking pan can be of any size or depth, just make sure every wedge has one side completely on the bottom of the pan.  Put them in the oven and bake them for 30 minutes.  After that, they'll be done!

I eat these with a little salt and pepper on them and dipped in a little ketchup.  Enjoy!

The recipe for the chicken on this plate can be found here.

Italian meat sauce with pasta

So, this recipe is not an original like the last one.  I got this one from a friend from Columbia who was studying abroad in France.  She is a big fan of Italian food (especially pasta) and she made this for me the first time I went to her apartment.  I adored it and we made it together several more times that semester.  Whenever I make it I think of her. 

This recipe is dairy free and can be gluten free if you use gluten-free pasta.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 box spaghetti
3 slices of large sweet onion
1 small package (about 1.25-1.5lbs) of ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce (like Prego)
1 tsp Maggi sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar
Garlic powder (at least 1 tbsp)
Salt
Pepper

I cook for 4-5 people, so this makes 4-5 servings. 

To start off, chop up the onion and put it into a saucepan on medium heat (or a little hotter if you like your meat caramelized).  Then, once the pan is hot, add the ground beef, break it into smaller pieces, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. 

You don't need to add any oil because the ground beef will release enough fat to keep the onion from burning.  Continue to break the meat into smaller and smaller pieces so that it will cook faster.

As the meat is cooking, start the pasta.  Cook according to the instructions on the box.  However, I would advise that you always check the pasta to make sure it is cooked to your liking before taking it off the heat and draining it. 

Once the meat is cooked through, add the tomato sauce and the Maggi sauce and stir thoroughly.  The Maggi sauce is very important.  It's kind of like soy sauce only without soy.  It is very hard to find, but it is important to the flavors in this dish.  I only use it in two recipes, but I feel that it is very important to both of them.  I've never tried substituting actual soy sauce - try at your own risk. 

Now add in all other ingredients to the sauce.  The amounts above are guidelines - I've never actually measured the amounts, so you can vary them to suit your taste.  I love adding a lot of garlic powder, but I'm a huge garlic fan.  And yes, add the sugar.  It makes a huge difference.  Also, don't go light on the salt in this dish, especially if you skip the Maggi sauce.  It naturally has almost no salt, so adding some to the sauce improves the flavor.  After combining everything, stir it and let it simmer for a few minutes.  You don't need to cover it, but it's fine if you do. 

Your pasta should be done by now, so put some pasta on a plate, cover it in sauce, and go ahead and eat!  I serve this coated in Parmesan cheese with garlic bread and maybe a small salad on the side.  If you like it, thank Laura. 

Simple garlic and onion chicken tenders

Alright, let's get to the recipes!  I thought I would start with something simple that is a family favorite.  This recipe is also gluten and dairy free, so it is something pretty much everyone can enjoy!

What you'll need:
Olive oil
1 medium head of garlic
2 slices of a large, sweet onion
8-10 chicken tenders
Salt and pepper to taste


First, take the garlic head and peel the cloves.  This is a time consuming process.  Everyone who has done this before knows it is a real pain in the butt to get all of the skin off effectively.  However, this difficult process results in garlic that tastes so much better than pre-minced, pre-packaged garlic.  I believe the flavor is worth it, but if you disagree, then use what you will!  I have found that either cutting the ends off first or smashing them with a stone (or both) increases the speed with which the skin is peeled off (though with smashing them it can be hard to see the fine skin that might be left).  Once the garlic is peeled, chop it up into bits about the size of your pinky's fingernail.  You don't want it too small or it will cook really fast and will probably burn later on. 

Now find a medium saucepan and put it on the burner at medium-high heat.  I have numbers on my cooking dials, so somewhere around 6 or 7 is where I like to put it.  Put enough olive oil in the pan to coat the bottom thoroughly. 

Next, get your onion and chop off the two slices.  Here I typically remove the outer layer of onion because it can be much less crisp than the rest of the onion.  Cut the slices up into the same size pieces as the garlic or a little larger.

Once the pan is hot, dump both garlic and onion into the pan.  You can safely learn to tell the temperature of a pan by holding the palm of your hand about an inch from the center.  After a little trial and error, you will know when a pan is sufficiently hot and when it is not.  Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and saute these guys for a minute or two.

After the garlic and onions have cooked a little, put the chicken into the same pan.  Try to have as few pieces of garlic and onion underneath each piece as possible.  This allows the chicken to cook better and prevents the onions and garlic from burning.  Salt and pepper the chicken as well and let it cook for several minutes.  If you can barely see any olive oil at this point, put a little more in to make sure everything isn't sticking to the pan.

After 4-6 minutes, flip the chicken.  It should be golden on top now.  Sprinkle it with a little more salt and pepper.  I cannot stress how much difference a little seasoning can make.  After both sides are golden brown, remove the chicken from the heat and serve it!

This meal makes about 4-5 servings, so it's enough for a fair amount of people.  I served this last night with seasoned potato wedges (recipe found here) and steamed broccoli topped with a little cheddar cheese, but you can have it with whatever you want!  Enjoy!

Hello there!  Welcome to my corner of the internet!

First, I guess you should know a little about me.  I am 22 years old and I have two great passions - stories and food.  Now, although I have always loved hearing and creating stories, I have not always loved food.  In fact, before I was 12 years old, I refused to do more in the kitchen than cook a piece of toast. 

But college especially opened my eyes to how awful most fast food is, whether it's from McD's or the cafeteria.  Not only does it not taste very good, but almost everything is horrible for you.  So, I learned how to cook for myself on weekends in college and I've never looked back.  It went from being a chore to a pastime to a passion. 

Now I live with my parents and little brothers, I'm unemployed, and cooking dinner is usually a high point of my day.  Especially when it's something new.  So, I have created this blog to share the joys of cooking with the world!