Joanne's Easy Bake: Easy Roasted Lavender Herbs de Provence Potatoes S...

Joanne's Easy Bake: Easy Roasted Lavender Herbs de Provence Potatoes S...: I love lavenders, not just for culinary use but also for its fragrance. My friend, Suk Ying, planted some French laven...

Easy Roasted Lavender Herbs de Provence Potatoes Side Dish

I love lavenders, not just for culinary use but also for its fragrance. My friend, Suk Ying, planted some French lavenders in her garden and when it came to Fall, she cut and dried them. It was very sweet of her to ask if I wanted some and gave me a whole fragrant bunch! But for cooking, since I still have some culinary ones (English lavenders) which I bought from the lavender farm, I have come up with many uses for them because they compliment so well with meat and root vegetables. And if you eat everything made with lavender, you will also smell like lavender because it is so fragrant! :))) This easy roasted potato side dish which can be prepared overnight and baked just before dinner is among the favorites of my boys. The best thing with this side dish is that you may vary the herbs to suit your taste and the availability. Note: If you cannot get lavender or the herbs mentioned here, you may substitute with dried rosemary and substitute chives with cilantro. It will be just as good!

Utensils needed:-

Stainless steel pot for boiling potatoes

Soft brush for cleaning the skins of the potatoes

Knife

Cutting board

Measuring spoons

A large mixing bowl

A wooden spoon

A slotted spoon

A large flat baking tray or a stoneware for baking

Ingredients:-

950 g baking or Russet potatoes (choose them to be about the same size)

1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1-1/2 teaspoons Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons Lavender Herbs de Provence or dried rosemary (gently crushed)

2 teaspoons onion powder (not onion salt)

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper powder (optional)

4 tablespoons fresh chives or 3 tablespoons cilantro (parsley)

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

Method:-

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C and line baking sheet with parchment paper (if using baking tray). You do not need to line if you are using your stoneware to bake. Set aside for use when potatoes are ready.

2. Wash and scrub the potatoes under cold running water.

3. Place them in a good sized pot and fill it with cold water just covering the potatoes.

4. Cover pot with lid, place on burner and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to low to keep it simmering for about 25 minutes. Insert a skewer or chopstick into the largest potato in the pot. If skewer is able to go through, then turn off heat and remove potatoes from the pot using a slotted spoon or drain off the hot water (be careful and do not scald yourself!).

5. Leave potatoes to cool and dry out in a large mixing bowl for about 20 minutes. 

6. While waiting for the potatoes to cool, wash and finely chop fresh chives or cilantro and set aside.

7. When potatoes are cool to the touch, cut potatoes into bite size or long wedges (choice is yours). Do not remove potato skins!

8. Add all the dry ingredients - sea salt, Spanish paprika, Lavender Herbs de Provence or dried rosemary, cayenne pepper and onion powder into the bowl of potatoes. Then add chopped chives or cilantro and olive or canola oil. Gently toss potatoes with wooden spoon to ensure each wedge is coated with the rest of the ingredients.

9. Then place them onto the baking tray or stoneware in one layer and pop them into the oven to bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve piping hot and dig in!

I served mine with baked salmon in alfredo sauce with leek and fresh cucumber side dish (photo).

Note: You may prepare everything before hand and refrigerate them. Bake the next day before dinner. Enjoy! 

Joanne's Easy Bake: Slow Cooked Five-Spice Beef Shanks (Chinese 'Lo Su...

Joanne's Easy Bake: Slow Cooked Five-Spice Beef Shanks (Chinese 'Lo Su...: I have always wanted to make my own five-spice gravy (the Chinese call it 'lo sui'). Sometime ago, my friend, Grace, shared this ...

Slow Cooked Five-Spice Beef Shanks (Chinese 'Lo Sui')

I have always wanted to make my own five-spice gravy (the Chinese call it 'lo sui'). Sometime ago, my friend, Grace, shared this easy recipe with me and I tried it twice; once during one of our Family gatherings with my Fellowship members and another time for my two boys and better half. I must admit it is really easy and convenient to whip up and it tastes better than any five-spice marinades that you get in a bottle from the supermarkets. This is really authentic!

Utensils:-

Slow Cooker
A large container or bowl
Measuring spoons
Serving plate and knife
1 small bowl for dipping sauce
1 spice bag

Ingredients:-

Ingredients for marinating beef shanks:-

1 1/2 pounds beef shanks
2 tablespoons iodized sea salt
1/2 cup cold water

Ingredients for cooking beef shanks:-

2 thick slices of fresh ginger (skins removed)
2 stalks of fresh green onions (clean of dirt; may leave roots on)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
30 g cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppers (fa jiu)
30 g aged orange peel (guo pei)
2 whole pieces star anise
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (optional)
1/2 cup cold water

Ingredients for the dipping sauce:-

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
3 pips minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Several drops of hot chilli oil (optional)
Mix all the above together in a small bowl and set aside to serve as dipping sauce when beef shanks are ready.

Method:-

1.  To marinade shanks - place 2 tablespoons iodized sea salt and 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl to make a very salty solution. Rinse beef shanks and immerse them in the bowl of salt solution. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

2. After 12 hours, bring out the bowl from the fridge and rinse off all the salty water from the beef shanks.

3. Place the rinsed beef shanks in a slow cooker.

4. Rinse cinnamon sticks, Sichuan peppers, aged orange peel and star anise to remove dirt and place them in a spice bag and then into the slow cooker together with the beef shanks.

5. Place the rest of the ingredients: ginger slices, green onions, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine and cold water into the slow cooker and cover with lid.

6. Turn slow cooker on to 'high' until contents come to a boil. Then turn the heat down to 'low' and let it simmer. (Depending on the wattage of your slow cooker, you may have to cook it for 3 hours until the shanks are tender). I usually cook mine for 2 hours because I don't like the meat to fall apart.

7. Once the shanks are tender, turn off slow cooker. Remove shanks and place on a plate to cool, then slice and serve with dipping sauce.

**Note - Do not throw out the broth after you have removed the shanks. Strain the broth and use it as a marinade or for making gravies for your roasts. It is the Chinese 'lo sui' gravy. You may keep it covered in a bowl in the fridge for several days.

Enjoy!