Now that I live off campus and no longer have dining dollars, it’s necessary for me to meal prep every night before class. My strategy for this is simply to double or triple whatever I’m whipping up for dinner. The other day I went to visit a family friend, a retired English professor from Seattle University, and returned with a generous amount of pantry items. Among these items were black beans, garlic and potatoes. Potatoes are a beloved staple food, but recently I realized I had no idea how to make them. It became my mission to learn to make the crispy cubed potatoes my mom makes. Luckily, it proved to be a very simple mission. This recipe is extremely adaptable, as you can really pop whatever seasoning you like on them, from fresh rosemary to my favorite flavor and today’s recipe: curry.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes 
• Olive Oil
• Curry Powder
• Cumin
• Onion and/or Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper

Tools:

• Large Pot
• Streigner 
• Baking Tray
• Oven and Oven Mitts
• Spatula 

Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Celsius. 
2. Place a large pot of water on the stove, turning it on medium high to reach a rolling boil.
3. Cube as many potatoes as you’d like, I did three. For small cubes, cut each potato into thirds both on its side and down its front. Chop each long, thin stick of potato into your desired cube size. The larger the cube, the longer you’ll boil them. 
4. Once your water has come to a boil, add a dash of salt and plop your cubed potatoes into the water. Set a timer for 5 minutes if you’re doing small pieces like I am. I ended up cooking mine for 7 minutes, and they came out super soft. 
5. Once your potatoes have been going for 5-10 minutes and are fork-tender, gently dump them over a strainer, draining the water into the sink. Immediately run cold water over them until steam no longer rises. This is half-assed ‘blanching,’ stopping the potatoes from cooking further in their residual heat. 
6. Once your potatoes are completely drained, gently pour them onto a baking tray. 
7. Drizzle a hefty amount of olive oil over your cubes before seasoning with whatever you like! Evenly sprinkle the pan with your seasonings. This batch I used curry powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Gently move the cubes around the pan to mix the seasoning around. Potatoes on the softer side will be more delicate and less easy to handle.) 
8. Pop your potatoes into the preheated oven and bake them until they start to brown. (This is where the crispness happens y’all.) I ended up baking mine for 30 minutes, rotating them with a spatula every ten. 
9. After your potatoes are at your desired crisp and toast, take them out of the oven and you’re set!

Roasted potatoes are great alongside a classic breakfast spread, but today I featured mine in a rice bowl paired with sauteed veggies and black beans. Ooh! Ahh! Dormiliciouse.