Sorry for not having a picture of these delicious roasted potatoes. But I served them Christmas Eve along with a new recipe for herb roasted pork tenderloin which was OK but not magnificent and therefore not worthy of being repeated. So, I’m sure you can understand that I was simply too busy entertaining to even think about taking a picture.
But I gotta tell ya, even though the pork tenderloin recipe didn’t work out as planned, these potatoes saved the meal. They are simply some of the best tasting roasted potatoes I have ever prepared. And the best part; they were so very easy to fix.
So, next time you need a quick and easy way to serve potatoes, I would suggest that you give this recipe a try. And the potatoes don’t have to be fancy, multicolored little gems. This recipe would work just as well with any potato, be it russet, yellow, or red potatoes. Just cut the potatoes into small chunks, and Bob’s your uncle!
And if you don’t know the term, or don’t know what it means – your history lesson for today:
“Bob’s your uncle” means that everything is taken care of for you, you’re all set, you’ve got it made. The expression apparently dates to 1887 when the original “Uncle Bob” was British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. It was he, Lord Salisbury, who installed his nephew (Arthur Balfour) as the Irish Secretary in a move that reeked of nepotism.
Now, “Bob’s your uncle” is a well-known idiom that simply means something is easy to do and will probably be successful. The same as saying “and there you have it” or “piece of cake” or “it’s as simple as that”.
Well, that’s it for today. The sun is shining, and Mt. Baker is out in all its glory after many days of enforced seclusion. If it weren’t for the fact that it is January 6th, which brings back so many negative memories of the day, I would be perfectly content.
But I will never be able to understand how we as a nation can forgive or forget how January 6th happened. Who was ultimately responsible for this travesty of justice. And that many Americans saw fit to bring him back as the top representative of our nation. This I will never be able to fathom.
But I am going to try my best to keep a positive attitude. I have a wonderful life. I have a fabulous family and the best of friends. And I know we will help each other get through this difficult time. We will simply persevere.
May you too surround yourself with people from whom you can draw strength. We all need each other more than ever.
My fondest hope for myself this year is to embrace inclusiveness rather than exclusivity. Not to dwell on one side over the other. But to help bridge the gap and make us truly a great nation again where we can agree to disagree. And it starts with me. And never again witness our nation taking physical action against those who have a different opinion. Or where one man felt he was cheated and therefore had the right to call on others who were obviously unable to think for themselves or know right from wrong to commit an illegal action. To my mind, that was truly an abuse of power. Not only for the action itself, but for taking advantage of people with a lesser ability to reason for themselves. Or for whom violence is the only way to solve a problem. There was no lesson here on how to resolve an issue peacefully. January 6th was a full-on lesson on brutality. And how to be a bully. The very last thing our nation needed.
So, it starts with me as I stated above. I must keep a positive attitude. I must resolve to accept that others think differently. I must learn to forgive.
And as always, peace and love to all.
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary (use fresh if you can)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 lb. mixed baby potatoes, quartered and patted dry
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes together. Stir in the potatoes and scoop onto a parchment paper lined large baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
Bake the potatoes in a pre-heated 425-degree oven until golden brown and fork-tender, 35 to 40 minutes.