Garlic Fries and Greek Dressing

Since the new year has started, I've been trying to find some healthier recipes online. I ran across this one by Ellie Krieger today on the Food Network website. I make roasted potatoes all the time, usually with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder or italian seasoning. But this recipe calls for minced garlic. So I decided to make these fries tonight to go with the chicken and green beans I was already making. These are definitely better than my regular roasted potatoes. The slightly crunchy bits of garlic are a nice surprise when you bite into the fries.

Garlic "Fries"

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 large baking potatoes, 12 ounces each
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used 1 tsp dried parsley since I didn't have fresh on hand.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks. In a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.

Remove potatoes from the tray with a metal spatula. Toss with parsley, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

I also had some greek dressing in the fridge that I made the other day. I found the recipe in a cookbook I received for Christmas, Christmas with Paula Deen. I thought it would be great as a marinade for chicken breasts also. I marinated the chicken for about an hour in the dressing and then pan seared it for a few minutes in a skillet with some olive oil. Then I finished cooking it in the oven for about 15 minutes. It turned out so good!! I highly recommend this dressing for a salad or as a marinade. It was delicious both ways.

Greek Salad Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp sugar (I added a bit more because the lemon juice was a little too acidic)

Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow the dressing to come to room temperature and shake well. Makes a little more than 1 cup.