Lunch is not my favorite meal. Often limited to frozen microwavable entrees, or a sandwich, lunch is a forgettable large snack between breakfast and dinner. When I am home for lunch, I sometimes just have a collection of small items: apple slices, a few chunks of cheese, and a salad, or whatever we have around.
Enter the toaster oven. I love using my toaster oven to make single servings of roasted veggies. No need to heat up the whole oven or dirty a lot of dishes. Cover the tray with foil, chop up some root vegetables, toss with oil and spices, and in about half an hour, you have a warm bowl of caramelized goodness. Or oven fries.
Preheat the (toaster) oven to 450F. Scrub up a decent-sized potato (this was a Russet “baking” potato, though any type will do). Slice in half the long way, then cut each half into quarters. Toss the wedges in a bowl, trying to avoid the sides sticking together too much. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the potato and toss to coat evenly. Add salt, pepper, and another spice if you’re feeling frisky (I would limit it to one other as it’s a simple dish – paprika, cumin, or rosemary would be my choices), tossing again to coat each wedge of potato.
Spread potatoes in an even layer on the tray. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip the wedges over and cook for 15-20 more minutes. Potatoes should be brown and sizzling. Serve hot with ketchup, salsa, cheddar cheese, or sour cream.
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This method also works with most root vegetables. My favorite “winter mix” is a parsnip, two turnips, and a small onion, diced and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I toss them in a glass baking dish or pie plate, stir a few times while baking, then deglaze the dish with water (or whiskey) before serving. Yum.
