Roasted Potatoes with Lemon Parsley and Scallions

   It is increasingly difficult for me to not eat all 1.5lbs of potatoes in one sitting when I make these. Thankfully I stick to a small batch when I make these because otherwise I would have a zero chance of any type of self control and would burst at the seam full o' taters.  It's probably because I love the combination of saltiness with the acid of the lemon and the pop of flavor from the scallions and parsley. I simply cannot get enough of this recipe. 

   When buying potatoes it is important to make sure you buy organic potatoes as they are on the "Dirty Dozen" list and are loaded with pesticides. Of equal importance to note as well are the presence of acrylamides, a known carcinogen, when baking or frying foods that contain starches. You can counteract these harmful side effects by soaking potatoes in water for half an hour to two hours to help release some of the starch before putting them in the oven. This will require you to use less oil than you normally would because they create a softer potato which I find is more full of moisture. And using less oil is never a bad thing.... just don't expect these to get too crunchy. That browning, crunchy effect is actually the presence of acrylamides and that is just not worth it! (Yes, I use a higher temp. than recommended in this recipe but I'm not trying to wait around an hour for these bad boys to be done!)

   So feel free to enjoy this recipe in it's more natural state without the crisp. It's like a classy version of home fries without that gross "I haven't cleaned the diner grill in days and I can taste everyone else's meals" version.

Recipe: 

1.5 lb. organic potatoes (6 small), cubed

3 tbsp EVOO

2 tsp. sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 scallion, green and white parts chopped

Directions:

1.) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dice potatoes into small chunks. Place into large bowl and cover with water for 1/2 hour. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with a towel.

2.) Transfer to a cookie sheet. Toss with 2 tbsp. EVOO, 1 tsp. sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

3.) In a measuring cup, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, scallion, parsley, 1 tbsp. EVOO, and 1 tsp. sea salt. Set aside until potatoes are soft.

4.) Remove potatoes from oven, toss with lemon zest mixture and place back into the oven for another 5 minutes until scallions are lightly cooked. ENJOY!