Lemon Maple Roasted Potatoes

Who else loves potatoes?

When I came back from my time in Europe, I could not eat potatoes for the longest time. I think I overdid it. When I finally got over, though, I remembered quite quickly why I used to love them! Potatoes are healthy, inexpensive, and tasty! Great source of vitamin C, potassium, B6, and are fat free (well, before you may choose to add any anyway)! Yay!

There are so many different ways to enjoy them too - hashed, scalloped, mashed, boiled, fried...you can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The possibilities are endless, really.

I am sharing a roasted variety today!

These tasty roasted potatoes are a great side to pretty much anything. I especially love them with marinated tofu steaks (sharing that recipe soon!) and some greenery. 

The best part is that they are so quick to bake, and are very tasty. After a long day at work, I certainly don't want to be slaving in the kitchen. These are also fantastic when you have last-minute guests. They seem fancy, but aren't!

They make the perfect holiday side - I bet gravy would be groovy on these little guys. If you go that route, you may want to double this recipe since this recipe is for a small batch.

This is just a simple, delicious way to enjoy some potatoes. I love using the mini ones and a variety so that it looks extra pretty, but you don't have to. You don't even have to slice them hasselback style if you are in a rush! Totally up to you. I used pink himalayan salt in mine, but you can use regular sea salt in yours. I kind of like the large grain texture, but you may not.

Enjoy it however you want to!

Lemon Maple Roasted Potatoes

what you need:

• 24 oz. small potatoes (I used a variety to get the different colours) 

• 1 TBSP maple syrup

• Juice from half a lemon

• 4 cloves garlic

• ½ -1 tsp pink himalayan salt or sea salt

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1 tsp fresh or dried parsley

what to do:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Wash potatoes and prepare them hasselback style - slicing the potato but leaving the bottom in tact (you don't have to, but I like to because the flavour really gets infused into them that way!)

3) Place potatoes in a medium sized bowl, and add olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice and salt, mixing well until the potatoes are well coated.

4) Spread potatoes on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender all the way through.

5) Once potatoes are cooked, mix in the parsley and serve.

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How do you like your potatoes?

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Vegan Potato & Spinach Pierogies

Can I just start off by saying that July is almost over? I will just let that sink in for a bit. I do not know where the time has gone! Perhaps it's a getting older thing, but days and weeks, months and years are just flying by lately!

Alright, back to right now. After working on this recipe a few times, I finally deemed it ready to share with all of you. Ready for a really good pierogi? 

One thing I was concerned about giving up once becoming vegan was pierogies. I love a good buttery pierogie. The kind filled with potato and cheese and topped with sour cream. Oh my. Yum! I have seriously alway loved them, and who wouldn't? Seriously?

My fears quickly vanished once I whipped up these puppies though!

To be honest, once I popped one into my mouth, I didn't even realize the cheese was missing - these were so flavourful, and the texture was really great, even though there was no sour cream or butter in the dough. To make it even better, I didn't even feel guilty as I munched on these! Granted, I don't eat much, but still!

Related: Vegan Sour Cream

Sure, they were quite the process, but they didn't take eternally long to make, and it really was worth it. The best part is that these freeze extremely well, so making a lot at one time is possible and saves you time and energy on a rainy day (not to mention, gives added joy). Of course, if your family eats as many as mine does, you may not have any left to offer to the freezing process. They're super good with vegan sour cream - whether you make it (recipe here), or buy it. And don't forget the caramelized onions. Mushroom lovers can add those, but I personally stay as far away from mushrooms as I can.

Vegan Spinach & Potato Filled Pierogies

For the Filling:

• 3 cups Russet Potatoes, diced

• 2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast Flakes

• 1 TBSP Earth Balance (optional)

• 2 TBSP Non Dairy Milk (I used almond)

• Sprig of Rosemary, finely chopped (optional)

• ¼ cup Fresh Spinach, chopped

• ½ tsp Sea Salt

For the Dough:

• 3 C All-Purpose Flour (plus some for dusting)

• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• 1 Cup Water

• 2 TBSP Olive Oil

what to do:

1) Bring pot of water to boil and put potatoes in to cook for about ten minutes

2) While potatoes are cooking, make the dough by mixing the flour and salt together. Then add water and olive oil and fold until combined

3) Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough becomes slightly sticky (not too sticky) and elastic. Divide the dough in two pieces, wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator. 

4) Once potatoes are tender, drain, and add all ingredients to pot. Mash until smooth. Set aside.

5) On a very lightly floured surface roll out one ball of dough until it is about 1/16” thick. Use a 3 ½" - 4” round cookie cutter and cut out rounds of dough.

6) Place a good amount (a bit less than a TBSP) of filling in the center of cut dough. wet the tip of your finger with water and dab along half of the circle. Fold dough over, gently pressing and sealing the pierogie. 

7) Place on lightly floured cookie sheet. If you wish to freeze them put them between sheets of wax paper to avoid sticking.

8) If cooking right away, place finished pierogie in boiling water. Cook until floating (about 3 minutes) and remove. Do not overcook or else they will fall apart. 

Optional: After boiling, fry pierogies in pan with a little bit of oil or earth balance till brown.  

Serve with vegan sour cream and caramelized onions - whatever your heart desires!

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Are you as much a pierogi fan as I am? How is your favourite way of eating pierogies? Let me know!

Trying these out? I want to know how it turns out! I will always find you when you use #MapleAlps!

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