Don't Forget the Potatoes!

Even before I starting following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I didn't cook potatoes very often. Now, I don't eat potatoes at all, but for reasons I can't fully explain, I chose not to add them to the "never" list for our Boston Organics deliveries. So every couple of weeks a potato or two might appear on our porch along with much produce I'm more likely to eat.

We had company coming for dinner, and the existence of potatoes and lemons in my pantry reminded me of an old favorite. I have no idea where I copied this recipe from, but I know that I was introduced to Greek Potatoes by my college friend Marianne who taught me a great deal about cooking flavorful food. So even though I couldn't eat them, digging up this recipe reminded me of fun times in Ann Arbor in my first post-college apartment.

Greek Potatoes

If cooking ever sets off your smoke detectors, this recipe is certain to make your house noisy unless you do whatever is necessary to avoid that. Be sure that you reinstall batteries or uncover them before you sit down to dinner!

6 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped into approximately 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2.5 lemons---just make it 3)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp dried oregano
3 cups hot water
(parsley for garnish, if you're so inclined)

Toss together the potato, lemon, oils, spices and garlic in a deep flat pan. (I used a deep cookie sheet when I used to make this. This time I used a roasting pan, which had a decided advantage in not spilling over the edge.) Add water. Bake uncovered 1.5 hours at 475°. Stir every 20 minutes, adding more water as needed to prevent sticking. Don't let them burn! In the last 15-20 minutes, let the water evaporate. Garnish with parsley.