Roasted Garlic Potatoes: When the mundane routine of life just wears at you

As a barely working, stay at home mom, the routine of my life is hectic, but pretty mundane.  Generally my day revolves around getting the kids ready for their next activity, whether it be school, a lesson, lunch or playtime and the rest of the time is trying to make sure that fights get broken up before someone loses an eye and tears are only shed for the most SERIOUS of reasons.    There can be moments of action, like the time Daughters found a dead mouse in the backyard and I had to dispose of it. I donned some gloves, got some disposable chopsticks, a plastic bag and used my serious chopstick skills to lift it into the bag.  THAT is the exciting stuff of my life.  Or perhaps the more exciting days are when I barely make it to Daughter #1's school on time, by pushing the stroller at a mad pace, all the while yelling at Daughter #2 to keep up with me and the wildly careening stroller as we dodge students, balls and playground equipment in an effort to get Daughter #1 to school on time.  Okay, so I have some excitement.  It's just not the kind I'm necessarily looking for.

And then there are those days when just the routine of exact sameness just wears at me.  I wake up, get breakfast, madly dash to two different schools, rush home, grab a quick workout, rush back out to two different pickups, teach in the afternoon, try to throw something together for dinner, and homework, and piano practice, sometimes swimming - and suddenly the day is over.  And I'm not sure where all those hours went.  And many many many such days repeat as such, over and over and over.  The same dishes get cooked, the same fights ensue between children, the same arguments occur between Daughter #1 and me.  Suddenly a month has gone by and I can't even remember all the things I've done.  I need some sort of way to mark the passage of time, the change of the season, or even the movement of days.  I mark it with a new dish. 

This time, it is a new potato dish as potatoes are Son and Daughters absolute favorite starch.  I usually do the Korean Roasted Potatoes or the Simple Roasted Potatoes as our standby.  But I felt that even THAT was getting boring and too repetitious, so I decided on these Roasted Garlic Potatoes I found in my America's Test Kitchen Best Ever Recipes magazine.  (Thanks CA for the gift!)  They are crispy and definitely reminiscent of garlic french fries, only these are roasted in the oven.  They only they really require is the discipline of time, but aside from that these are really simple and lovely.

I made my version dairy and corn free as Son's allergies seem to be more prone to flareups than ever before.  I put the original ingredients in parenthesis.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes
adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves 4

NOTE: Do NOT turn the potatoes more often. You are trying to create a wonderfully brown and crispy crust on the potatoes.

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1 inch wedges
2 tablespoons mochiko/sweet rice flour (they use 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon softened butter)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh green chives, parsley, or thyme (they used parsley)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to highest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450. (preheating the cookie sheet)

Toss potatoes, sweet rice flour, garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Carefully remove preheated baking sheet form the oven add oil, til evenly to coat sheet with oil. Place potatoes cut side down in a single layer on the baking sheet. There should be a nice sizzling sound. Roast until browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.

While potatoes are baking, mix oil, garlic, parsley and zest together in a medium bowl. Remove baking sheet from the oven and using spatula, turn the potatoes skin side down. Roast until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer potatoes to the bowl with oil/herb mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Printable recipe

Not a bad way to mark the week of craziness.

The sheet pans that America's Test Kitchen recommends.