CHICKEN AND PARSNIP “FRIES” WITH SPICY VINEGAR

SERVES4

• ACTIVE TIME:10 MIN
• START TO FINISH:30 MIN

• 1 1/2 lb parsnips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (3 1/2 lb)
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Peel parsnips and quarter lengthwise. (If large, cut lengthwise into eighths and cut out cores.) Toss with 1 tablespoon oil in a large shallow baking pan and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, while preparing chicken (about 5 minutes).
• Pat chicken dry, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then brown skin side of chicken, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer chicken, skin side up, to pan with parsnips, reserving skillet, and roast until chicken is cooked through and parsnips are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• While chicken roasts, reheat fat in skillet with remaining tablespoon oil, then add vinegar and red-pepper flakes and boil, stirring, 30 seconds. Pour into a cup and keep warm, covered.
• Serve chicken and fries drizzled with spicy vinegar.

Baked Parmesan Basil Fries

I hate deep frying. Not only is it unhealthy, but I hate emptying entire bottles of oil just to fry a few pieces of something. Plus oil spatters and makes me uncomfortable. So there.

While I have yet to replicate a true “twice-fried” french fry in the oven (they never seem to get quite as crispy as you’d like), they do come pretty darn close. So if you don’t mind softer fries, baking them is definitely the way to go. You only need a few tablespoons of oil rather than a few cups, and you can just sit back and wait for them to cook, rather than having to constantly watch as they sizzle (and burn) in hot oil.

If you had a fancy slicer/cutter thing, these would be super quick. But even cutting them by hand they’re still a breeze to make, tasty too!

Baked Parmesan Basil Fries

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 medium red potatoes

DIRECTIONS
In bowl, combine parmesan cheese, oil, basil, and garlic powder. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks; add to cheese mixture and toss to coat.

Spread evenly on a large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, trying to keep all the fries in a single level. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then flip. Bake 20 more minutes or until crisp and tender. Sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired.