My family loves oven fries. They are really great with a sandwich or burger and make any meal kid-friendly.

I know a lot of people would question whether or not making fries from scratch is really worth the effort. After all, you can get a bag of frozen fries for a couple of bucks in every grocery store. Not only are home fries way better tasting, but they are also a lot healthier and cheaper.

Well, sometimes I like to make my oven fries over-the-top good. Leave it to Emeril to “kick them up a notch” in his children’s cookbook, There’s a Chef in my Kitchen. He turned the classic oven fries into Oven Crispy Cheese Fries. And they are so good.

I don’t bother to follow the recipe exactly, the idea is brilliant and although they certainly aren’t low-fat, they aren’t deep fried so they are a tad healthier. And they are cheesy, but not greasy. Gotta love that.

Emeril coats his oven fries in egg whites before baking, something most recipes don’t do. And it does produce really crispy fries. If you prefer a less crispy fry you might want to make a more traditional recipe like this one I posted few months ago. Whatever you choose, oven fries coated in cheese and green onions are unbelievably good. We have even topped them with chili for a nice dish of chili-cheese fries. Yummy.

We prefer our potatoes peeled before slicing into fries, but you could just scrub the potatoes really well.

Cheese Fries sizzling hot on the baking sheet.

Cheese fries with some slow cooker ribs!

Cheese Fries

If you add chili, this can be a main dish!

• 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
• about 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (that’s about 2 really large potatoes or 4 smaller ones) peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp of seasoning salt like Emeril’s Baby Bam
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
• 2 scallions thinly sliced

1. Position oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425 or 400 on convection.
2. Grease a nonstick baking sheet with the oil
3. Pat the potatoes dry.
4. In a medium bowl lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork. Add potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with half of the seasoning. With a spatula flip potatoes and sprinkle with remaining seasoning.
6. Return to oven and continue baking for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Return to oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
8. Serve immediately.

Cooking With Kids, Sides, Snacks Cheese homefries

My family loves dill pickles. So I decided I should give homemade pickles a try. WOW! They are so good, almost beyond words good. They are crunchy, spicy, and full of flavor. Truly so much better than anything you can get a the grocery store. They remind me of fancy deli-style pickles, only better.

I have tried several different recipes, and our favorites are the refrigerator dill pickles. I have found that the recipes that just require refrigeration, as opposed to processing, stay crisp and fresh tasting.

This particular version is our family’s absolute favorite, we think it has just the right amount of dill, garlic and spice, but feel free to add or reduce the garlic, red pepper flakes or dill to suit your tastes.

Although I am sure you’ll enjoy these, maybe even too much to share, they make great gifts for friends and family.

Making pickles is rather easy and a fun summertime activity to do with the kids or grandkids, even my three year old likes to help. But of course, there are few tips that will help you create the best pickles possible.

Hints for the perfect pickles:

• Always use the freshest cucumbers possible. If you don’t have a garden, use the farmer’s market, local produce stand, etc to get the freshest pickling cucumbers possible.
• Use pickling salt. It’s cheap, has a long shelf life, and is available at regular grocery stores.
• Most stores with bulk foods have dill seed, pickling spice and red pepper flakes at bargain prices. You’ll only need a very small amount of each, probably less than $1 altogether.
• Cut thin slices off both ends of the cucumbers before pickling. Technically, it is the blossom end that has an enzyme that may cause the pickles to soften, but it can be difficult to tell which end had the blossom, so I just make a small slice off both ends.
• Refrigerator pickles need refrigerated These aren’t the processed variety, so they have to be stored in the refrigerator.
• Wait 10 days before eating. I know, this is the hardest tip to follow.

Refrigerator Pickles in the jar.

Ten days later....Can you see the spices? So yummy.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

I prefer to slice mine into spears and I tightly pack them into jars; if I find that this recipe makes the perfect amount of brine if I do it this way. When I sliced them into rounds I needed to double the brine in order to adequately cover the pickles.

• 12 3-4 inch long pickling cucumbers whole, speared, or sliced into rounds
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 1 /2 cups roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, chopping is optional
• 1 1 /2 TB pickling salt
• 1 TB pickling spice
• 1 1/2 tsp dill seed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• approximately 4 clean jars and lids, I find that wide mouth pint size jars work the best

1. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine water and salt; stir until salt is dissolved. add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Remove the cucumbers from the bowl and place, tightly packed, into clean jars. Make sure each jar has at least a sprig of dill and a clove of garlic. Ladle the liquid over the pickles, making sure to cover them entirely. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 10 days before eating.

Cooking With Kids, Make ahead, Sides, Snacks, Uncategorized easy pickles, garlic dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, spicy dill pickles

Risotto is one of those dishes that people typically only eat at restaurants. Not only is it time consuming, but it requires almost constant attention. Although I have been known to make it at home on occasion, especially with my teenager manning the stove top, it really isn’t a practical weeknight side dish.

Well, this all changed when I tried a recipe for risotto that bakes in the oven. So simple, so easy and still, so delicious. It has the same creamy texture and wonderful flavor of a traditional risotto, but is so much less labor intensive. And unlike so many shortcut recipes, this one really works.

This particular version is my adaptation of Oven-Baked Risotto published in Everyday Foods years ago. It really is a basic, great tasting risotto, but if you wanted it to add a bit more excitement mushrooms or peas would be a great addition.

Warm Oven Risotto with Chicken Under Bricks

Oven Risotto

• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional (I typically leave it out)
• 2-2 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TB butter
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 TB freshly chopped parsley, optional (I usually just add a dash or dried parsley unless I happen to have fresh on hand)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In an ovenproof saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; add onions and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly tender and translucent.
2. Add rice and stir to coat completely in oil. Cook for about 1 minute or until rice is slightly browned.
3. Stir in wine if using and cook until is evaporate entirely. Sir in 1 1/2 cups of the water, the broth, pepper (I add the salt just before serving). Bring to a boil.
4. Cover and transfer to preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until water has been absorbed.
5. Remove from oven and stir in 1/2-3/4 cups water to create a creamy consistency; add Parmesan cheese, butter, parsley and salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Sides easy risotto

As much as I love scalloped potatoes, with all of fattening cream, butter and gooey cheese, sometimes a lighter, healthier version is nice too.

Martha Stewart has a Lemon and Thyme Potato Gratin in her Comfort Foods cookbook. It isn’t nearly as rich and heavy as tradition potato gratin dishes, but it is still very good and very flavorful.

I am especially impressed that this cooks up nicely in under an hour; if you are familiar with these types of dishes you probably are aware that many require 1.5 hours or more in the oven, making them quite impractical for the busy home cook.

I use my slicing attachment on the food processor to make the potato slices even, not to mention it gets the job done very quickly. If you don’t own a food processor of mandolin, use a sharp knife, and do cut the potatoes into very thin slices or it will be in the oven a very long time.

You are supposed to arrange the top layer of potatoes neatly. I am guessing that is Martha speak for beautiful and worthy or company. I, however, just threw the potatoes in the dish. I believe cooking is an art, but your food doesn’t need to look like it. Feel free to be more elaborate with your potato designs, I am sure Martha would be proud. And although you are supposed to use Yukon gold potatoes, I just used regular old Russet potatoes. Again, not sure Martha would really approve, but it works.

Hot Lemon and Thyme Potato Gratin

Lemon and Thyme Potato Gratin

• 2 Tb butter, plus more to butter pan
• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• zest of one lemon (about 2 tsp)
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 400 with oven rack in center position. Place a baking sheet below to catch any drips.
2. Brush a casserole dish with butter and add 1/3 of the potato slices. Sprinkle with thyme and lemon and season with salt and pepper. Dot with butter.
3. Add a second layer of potatoes and season. Dot with butter.
4. Add remaining potatoes. Pour milk over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining lemon and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Dot with remaining butter. Cover with foil or oven-proof lid and bake for 40 minutes.
5. Remove cover and bake 10-20 minutes more, or until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. If potatoes do not have the desired browness, you can place under broiler for several minutes.
6. Serve gratin hot.

Sides gluten free scalloped potatoes

We eat a lot of rice at our house, so I am always on the lookout for new and creative ways to cook it.

I have tried a couple Caribbean inspired recipes and they were alright, but not really worth the extra trouble. Finally, I made a version that we really enjoy.

Slightly sweet and creamy, this is a nice change of pace from plain old white rice. Who says gluten free has to be boring?

I like to use coconut milk rather than shredded coconut. Children often like the sweetness and flavor of coconut, but typically not the texture.

We like to serve it with grilled Tequila-Lime Chicken and Watermelon Salsa for a Caribbean inspired feast.

Coconut Mango Rice

Coconut Mango Rice

I typically use light coconut milk in recipes like this. I know it has less flavor than the full-fat variety, but it also has fewer calories. It’s really a matter of personal taste, so use what you prefer.

• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
2. Add rice, broth, and coconut milk. Stir in thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the beans and mango and return cover and cook and additional 5 minutes or until heated through.

Sides caribbean rice

If you are like me, you are trying to find ways to get more vegetables in your family’s diet. And somehow a bowl of steamed vegetables sitting on the table just isn’t that exciting.

One of my favorite ways to cook vegetable is to roast them. So how does this differ from baking?

By definition roasting is cooking in a dry heat, typically at a high temperature with a fat involved. Baking is generally at a lower temperature, often with liquid or other juices. Baking is the term used to cook a cake, pastry, or casserole type dish.

Roasting is a simple and quick way to cook many vegetables. I have read that the food retains more of it’s nutrients this way, as opposed to boiling or steaming.

Roasting really mellows the bitterness in many vegetables and instead, imparts a sweet, slightly nutty flavor, which most people, especially kids, prefer. Not to mention roasting gives the food a really nice browned appearance and if allowed to roast long enough they’ll get crisp on the outside like in oven fries.

Some of my favorite roasted vegetables are: potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots and squash. This week I saw orange cauliflower at the produce stand and it was perfect roasted.

If you have never roasted vegetables before, you might want to start with something you know your family will enjoy, like red potatoes or carrots.

Roasted Orange Cauliflower with Garlic

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic

Although the directions are for cauliflower almost any vegetable could be used here. The cooking time may vary slightly though depending on the variety and the size of the pieces being roasted.

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into 2 inch chunks and washed and trimmed
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 (you could also use convection, but your veggies will get browned and crisp quick, so make sure and watch them closely).
2. Toss cauliflower pieces in oil (I do this directly on a rimmed baking dish, but you could use a bowl) to coat evenly.
3. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork-tender,turning the baking sheet halfway through the baking time.

Sides roasted vegetables

Nothing says summer quite like grilling. And what better to grill than corn on the cob?

And I don’t mean the soak it for an hour in the husk method, I mean shuck the corn, remove the silk and slather it in some herb butter and grill it.

It is so simple, quick, and tasty to cook corn on your grill. No baskets, skewers or special equipment required.

Personally, I don’t wrap my corn in foil because I like the flavor and the grill marks that you get with the direct heat method; not to mention it reduces the cooking time substantially.

We like the flavor butter imparts, but if you prefer not to use butter, you can simply spray or coat the corn in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grilling corn couldn’t get much simpler than this and it makes a great summer side dish. Enjoy.

Shucked corn on the cob slathered in herb butter

Corn on the cob hot off the grill

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Although we like this combination, almost any herb butter would work. I did a post on flavored butters if you need some additional ideas.

• 4 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed
• about 4 Tb butter, softened
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley

1. Place the corn directly on the grill grate over medium-high to high heat and grill about 10 minutes, turning as necessary to evenly brown. You don’t want to overcook it or it will get mushy, I carefully touch it or pierce a kernel with a fork to test for doneness.

BBQ, Sides grilled corn on the cob

Sweet, flavorful, and beautifully browned, how could you not like caramelized onions?

Seriously. Well, unless you hate onions. Even my kids love caramelized onions.

The caramelizing process really brings out the sweetness of the onion. You can use any type of onion, but be aware that some varieties might brown faster than others.

We like caramelized onions on our pizza and focaccia, but we LOVE to caramelize onions in some bacon fat (I know, I know….how unhealthy) and use them as a topping for bacon cheeseburgers. Talk about seriously good burgers.

You could also use them for sandwiches, omelets, or to garnish soups or salads.

Onions browning in some bacon fat. Yum!

Caramelized onions as a flat bread topping.

Caramelized Onions

You need about 2 tablespoons fat per onion; this could be all oil or bacon drippings or a combination of butter and oil (You won’t want to use all butter or it might burn).

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB butter
• 1 medium onion

1. Peel onion and cut off ends. Cut in half and then slice very thinly, you should end up with crescent shaped pieces. (If this part isn’t perfect, no problem, they’ll still taste great)
2. Heat a skillet (I use a cast iron skillet) over medium high heat and add oil and butter. Add sliced onions and stir to coat. Turn down heat to low and stir occasionally.
3. The onions will brown and might stick to the pan a little, this is okay. If you feel they are sticking a lot add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan and loosen the onions with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until onions are desired soft and well-browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Sides carmelized onions

Take the humble potato and peel it, slice it, fry it and season it and you have the American fast food favorite- the French Fry.

I love fries, but not the kind that come frozen at the grocery store. I mean the fresh from the oven type. They need to be browned, crispy, and well-seasoned on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. I am getting hungry just thinking about them.

Oven fries are a fabulous treat to make at home. They are super inexpensive and naturally gluten free!

Okay, so they aren’t exactly healthy, but the oven variety are better for you than the traditionally fried kind I am sure. And they are a treat. We can’t live on rice alone

I have a neat little french fry cutter that my mom gave me, but for years I just cut off one side of the potato, so it will rest flat against the cutting board without rolling, and then cut the potato into even slices then into strips. You don’t really need a special gadget to make fries at home.

Do use a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet, sometimes called a jelly-roll or rimmed cookie sheet, for this recipe because the high heat can cause lightweight pans to warp. If you have convection setting on your oven do use it, it makes the fries cook faster and really gives them a crisp, browned exterior.

I actually think french fries are a great way to get your older kids or teens to help in the kitchen. What kid doesn’t love french fries? And it teaches them some knife skills and might even inspire them to be creative in the kitchen; my daughter made us chili cheese fries once.

Speaking of being creative, you could use almost any herb or seasoning here. Don’t feel like you just have to use salt and pepper; onion, garlic, paprika and so many others all taste good here.

Perfectly browned and cripsy. Gotta love oven fries.

Oven Fries

Although I have used olive oil and butter to make oven fries, I really think that canola or vegetable oil is the best choice as it doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the potatoes.

• 5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and and cut into 10-12 evenly sized wedges
• 2 Tb vegetable or canola oil
• seasoning salt (I use McCormicks) or salt to taste
• pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400 or 375 on convection (you actually can cook these at a higher or lower temperature, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time accordingly).
2. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with oil. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, move the potatoes around to evenly coat with the oil. Generously season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake in oven about 30 minutes, or until browned and soft when pierced with a knife. You can turn the fries if you want once during baking, but I find this usually just breaks them.
4. With a spatula, loosen fries from pan and enjoy!

Cooking With Kids, Sides gluten free french fries, oven fries

We eat a lot of rice. It seems like it is one of the easiest and cheapest things to cook since going gluten free.

I have a favorite Spanish rice recipe, but I was looking for another way to cook rice that would compliment Mexican food.

I was flipping through my latest Everyday Foods issue when I saw Green Rice. I took the idea and created my own version of “green rice,” however, I prefer to call mine cilantro rice. It is mildly green and has excellent flavor.

Although we eat this with Mexican food, I think it would also be great with grilled chicken.

Cilantro rice

Cilantro Rice

• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 Tb fresh lime juice

1. In a blender or food processor, combine cilantro, onion, garlic, water and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, about 15 seconds.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup rice and stir to coat. Add herb mixture and and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
3. Remove pan from heat and and let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Add lime juice and fluff with a fork.

Sides cilantro rice, green rice