Accounting for Taste

Paprika-Parmesan Smashed Potatoes with Garlic Aioli: the ultimate roasted potato side dish. Incredibly crispy, superbly spiced, and served with a downright addictive dipping sauce; although we opted to forego the aioli this time around.

The combination of bold spices and a garlicky dipping sauce really brings the humble potato to life. While this method involves boiling, smashing, and then roasting, you won’t believe how crispy the potatoes get for being roasted rather than deep-fried. Smashed potatoes are the perfect alternative when you’re craving crispy potatoes, but want something a bit more wholesome than French fries.

They paired beautifully with our Crispy Chicken Under a Brick, and a side of silky Braised Asparagus.

Paprika-Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Servings: 4
Time: 1 hr, 5 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
1.5 lbs baby yellow potatoes
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (sub avocado oil)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or avocado oil mayo)
2 Tbsp. plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place garlic cloves in a piece of a foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and place in the oven while it preheats. Continue roasting garlic while you boil the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a large pot, and cover with one inch of cold water. Add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, set the timer for 15 minutes. At this point, the potatoes should be just past fork-tender. Drain potatoes in a colander and let sit for 5 minutes to allow water to completely drain off. Remove garlic from the oven and set aside. (Keep oven temperature at 450ºF)
In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix well. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on your largest baking sheet, making sure to coat all corners. Arrange potatoes on baking sheet, making sure to leave about 2 inches of space in between each one.
Use the bottom of a measuring cup or a potato masher to gently “smash” each potato down until it is around 1/2-inch thick. Brush remaining 2 tablespoons oil over tops of potatoes and sprinkle with spice mixture. Roast potatoes for 20 minutes.
Remove garlic from foil and roughly chop. Use the flat side of your knife blade (preferably a chef’s knife) to mash the garlic until it forms a paste. Add garlic to a bowl, along with mayonnaise, yogurt, 1 tablespoon. chopped chives, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Remove potatoes from the oven and sprinkle each one evenly with Parmesan. Place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.Transfer potatoes to a platter and garnish with extra chopped chives. Serve with garlic aioli.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe found on dishingouthealth.com

Occasionally, when grocery shopping, we come across great meat prices, so we buy what strikes our fancy with the intention of vacuum-sealing and storing in one of our freezers until a future date. It dawned on us we could never remember exactly what we bought and where it was stored, so we started writing a list. Well, that hand-written list became messy and hard to decipher so then we had the brilliant idea to keep an Excel spreadsheet and share it on One Drive so that it can be accessed from any of our devices.

For the most part, it’s been a tremendous aid, until we neglect to delete items that we’ve already used. I’m telling you this because that’s exactly what happened for this meal. The day before we planned on cooking it, I went to retrieve the flank steak from the downstairs freezer, which is where the Excel file said it was, and couldn’t find it, nor could The Hubs.

But Excel also indicated we had two packages of flap meat, which actually happens to be more to our liking than flank steak. So yes, you guessed it, we did use the flap meat for this recipe—and removed it from the Freezer Inventory database.

Here, the steak and sweet potatoes share a spice rub, but they are cooked separately. The steak is sear-roasted in a screaming-hot skillet, then finished in a moderate oven. Molly Stevens author of the original recipe, suggests leaving the skin on the sweet potatoes to obtain a textural contrast with the smooth insides and rugged skin. We chose otherwise.

Rubbing the steak ahead of time and leaving uncovered in the fridge for 2-12 hours, allows the the spice rub to works its magic in keeping the meat juicy, and it also gives the flavors time to penetrate and enhance the taste of the steak.

The smoky-spicy aioli is fabulous when drizzled over both the potatoes and steak bringing it all together. We made a note in the cookbook to double the aioli next time—it’s that good! A simple side salad completed the meal and added that fresh component.

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak and Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Aioli

Servings: 4
Time: 50 min + refrigeration
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 tsp. paprika, sweet or hot
2 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄2 tsp. ancho chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1⁄2 to 2 lb. flank steak or flap meat
3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled
3 Tbsp. grapeseed or peanut oil

The Aioli

1⁄2 tsp. canned chipotle in adobo, minced; plus 1⁄2 tsp. adobo sauce from can
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Salt
1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine paprika, cumin, chili powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper in a small bowl. Divide the mixture in half.
With the steak on a platter, sprinkle half of the spice mixture all over the steak, rubbing it into the meat. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, and up to 12 hours.
Combine the chipotle, adobo sauce, garlic and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and mash to a paste with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the mayonnaise and olive oil. Add the lime juice, stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the oven to 400°.
Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise in half and then into wedges that are about 1-inch across at their widest part. If any of them are 6 inches or more, cut them in half. Put them on a rimed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, and toss to coat. Season with the remaining spice rub and toss again. Spread out in a single layer.
Roast in preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
After the sweet potatoes have roasted for about 20 minutes, heat a large ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron, until very hot. Coat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sear the steak until well-browned on the first side, about 1 1⁄2 minutes. Flip and brown the second side for another 2 minutes.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare (120° to 125°); 7 to 9 minutes for medium (125° to 130°).
If the potatoes are done before the steak, let them sit at room temperature, or leave them in the oven with the temperature turned off. Do not cover with foil or they will steam and turn soggy.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain (if using flap meat, serves in large chunks). Serve the sweet potatoes along side, spooning a little aioli over everything. Pass any extra aioli around the table.