Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes

This recipe is a favorite in my house - potatoes roasted with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano! They're pungent and wonderful and pair nicely with almost everything. They take a little bit of time but they're worth it!

• 3-4 large russet potatoes (start with 3 and add one more if they don't fill your baking dish)
• a glass baking dish (mine is 13 x 9)
• salt and pepper
• dried oregano
• one lemon (maybe two if you really like lemon!)
• 1/3 cup olive oil (good quality!)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic
• cutting board, knife and peeler
• measuring cup
• a 400 F oven
• about 1 1/2 hours, total

Keep in mind that this is just a basic recipe - it's great to add more vegetables (carrots, green beans, onions, brussels sprouts!) and try different seasonings (a little vinegar, some paprika, fresh herbs).

First of all, set your oven to 400 F. You want it to be nice and toasty when the potatoes are ready to go in!

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, 1 1/2 inches at least.

I don't worry about getting all the skin off because this is not a beauty contest. :D

Place them in your baking dish to see if you've got the right amount - if you need a little more, cut up the fourth potato.

Mince your garlic and add it to the pan with the potatoes.

Then, add a couple of pinches of salt, enough pepper to suit your tastes, and about a teaspoon of dried oregano.

Roll your lemon on the countertop or zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it super juicy.

If you have a glass juicer, I'd use that so you avoid seeds. :)

You need at least 1/4 cup lemon juice - a little more is even better!

Put 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup water and your 1/4 cup+ or lemon juice into the pan with the potatoes and seasonings and mix well with clean hands.

Put them in a 400 F oven for 30 minutes.

Once the 30 minutes is up, pull them out and stir them. You should see some browned tips! Hooray! Check the liquid level in the pan at this point, if it's less than half of what it was, add 1/4 cup more water. If they dry out completely you can end up with burnt garlic, which is noooooooo good.

Put them back in for 30 minutes.

At the end of this, they should be crisping nicely. If you'd like them a little more brown, or if there's still a little liquid left in the pan, put them in for ten more minutes.

The first three photos are how they look after the first thirty minutes, the last three are how they'll look when they're done!

Great with sour cream, sriracha, ketchup... most any condiment you like will go with these! I like them with the oil from the pan... they don't need much to make them tasty.

We had these tonight with a roast chicken and a salad... and they were so good. :D