Friday, June 26, 2009

Psites Patates kai Piperies -- Roasted Potatoes and Peppers

Simplicity is best more often than not, especially when it comes to cooking. Even though I am extremely detail-oriented and a stickler for getting things just right, I'm not a big fan of elaborate dishes, eccentrically plated with extreme care -- dinner parties at this household are pretty much always served "family-style," just like our everyday meals.

These potatoes and peppers are characteristic of the type of dish I might serve. It couldn't be a simpler dish, but believe me there is no loss of flavor. I use some white potatoes, fairly small in size, which I quarter or cut in thirds and leave unpeeled. The potato skins--in my humble opinion--add a great amount of flavor. I toss the potatoes with large chunks of red and green peppers, plenty of Greek olive oil, coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika and a dash of cayenne. Toss the baking dish into the oven and let the potatoes crisp up until nice and golden on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. The peppers roast quite nicely alongside their starchy counterparts. Generously season with another pinch of sea salt once done and this simple side dish goes a long way; the other night I paired it with some freshly caught Porgies I grilled with olive oil, Greek oregano and lemon.

And I can attest to the fact that this side dish is just as good the next day, even better with just a small twist--spoon some into individual ramekins, heat through in the oven, sprinkle with crumbled Feta and set under the broiler until bubbly and browned. I could eat such a dish alone and be extremely satisfied ... but you can easily serve it up alongside roasted chicken, a juicy steak or a succulent pork chop.



Psites Patates kai Piperies -- Roasted Potatoes and Peppers
Makes 6 to 8 servings

8 to 10 small to medium white potatoes, washed well, left unpeeled and cut into quarters or thirds
3 large green peppers, thickly sliced
3 large red peppers, thickly sliced
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Feta (optional)


Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large baking dish combine the potatoes, peppers, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat all the vegetables and stir everything around to thoroughly mix.

Roast for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden on the outside and fork-tender. Season with additional sea salt and serve hot.

Variation: Spoon the roasted potatoes and peppers into individual dishes and top with crumbled Feta and a spoonful of the oil from the baking dish. Place under the broiler and cook until the Feta is bubbly and slightly browned.

15 comments:

Maria Verivaki said...

i am 100 percent with you on simplicity - in my house, our dinner party food is also what we would eat ourselves.

this would make great dinner party food with some roast meat

Konstantina said...

Excuse me Maria but feta CANNOT be an optional in this one;)) It's a MUST;)

Kiki (Run Kiki Run) said...

yum yum yum!!!

Hopie said...

I'm definitely with you on simple dishes, especially when it comes to roast veggies. Just a little olive oil and salt and it's magic! The feta crumbled on top sounds like a great idea. Would you still put salt then? Because feta's pretty salty...

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

I echo your thoughts on simplicity. This dish really personifies this. I can imagine the aroma as this bakes away...

Anonymous said...

I love the variation with feta especially! Yum!

Nora said...

Mmmmm, roasted vegetables - so simple, so delicious. Just reading this is making my tummy rumble! And with the feta just looks great.

Betty's Cuisine said...

Mmmmmm, unpealed potatoes and peppers with feta! full of aroma! just delicious!

Unknown said...

This is just what i want to eat on summer days. A simple dish. I always leave the skins on the potatoes too. I agree agree about the flavor.

tobias cooks! said...

love those. and the feta on top...great.

Anonymous said...

Bravo NOT peeling the potatoes! Years ago I went to a farmers' market in Salonica. I needed potatoes; one guy had a box of little ones UNDER his bench. I asked if I could take from those; he said "Please, of course. The Greek women don't want them; they're too much trouble to peel." I said, "Just wash them off a bit; the peel is delicious and full of vitamins." He said, "Yeah, YOU know that."

FoodJunkie said...

What a great dish! I love simple food too, based on good ingredients and smart combinations of flavour. The next day trick is as delicious!

elly said...

Looks fabulous, Maria, especially with the bubbling feta on top. I agree with you, simplicity is the best especially if you are starting with good, fresh ingredients. I love using leftovers like this in frittatas/omelets, too.

Peter M said...

Oh yeah...those potatoes crisped-up beautifully! When one chooses fresh and seasonal ingredients - little needs to be done to coax great flavours. Throw another spoonful on my plate, parakalo!

♥Rosie♥ said...

I agree fully with you on simplicity - and this is one great looking dish. Perfect for summer ;0)