Recipe Box, No Hassle Hasslebacks

This painting is after Elizabeth Blaylock’s, “Three Surf Fishermen” [elizabethblaylock.blogspot.com] I used watercolor and pastel. Check out her amazing gallery.
It is always entertaining to watch Hungry Husband and the guys, [my son, Hungry husband jr & Nicest Guy, my son-in-law] go fishing. I like to call them the “fisherboys,” they get so excited, make such a production out of it, like girls getting ready for Prom! They eventually get the coolers loaded, the reels ready, the bait on board and they head out. Us girls generally breathe a sigh of relief and smile knowing we have the next 2-3 hours to ourselves in peace! Once they return we will have to oooh and ahh and be properly respectful of their manly exploits, then watch as a whole new drama of activity commences as they clean the fish, wash the boat, put up gear and generally make a big to do about nothing. But we love them and they do catch dinner! Alas, but not today…
They caught these Red Snapper over the 4th of July
Fresh Red Snapper from the Gulf of Mexico, how perfect for the 4th of July! The Fisherboys had stories to tell all day! They grilled the fish fillets with a little OO, S&P and lemon. Simple, perfect fish.
Unfortunately we won’t be down on the pier taking photos because there won’t be a fishing trip today. We are recovering from Hurricane Isaac and are grateful that it wasn’t worse. We will just have to grill some meat for dinner and wait for things to get back to normal around here.
To go with the steak, I decided to just do some simple veggies, no hassle hassle back potatoes and roasted squash. Sun, sand, sea, and simple fresh food.
Traditional hassleback potatoes are made by making thin slices through the potato but not quite all the way through the bottom, so it forms an accordian. This method is just a little easier and guests don’t have to take a whole potato.
Wash potatoes and cut into fairly thin slices
and lay in rows in 1/2 of a large, well greased casserole dish.
Make a foil tray sized to fit in other 1/2 of dish and set it aside. Spray it with cooking oil spray and fill it with halved squash and zucchini slices. The foil tray will prevent the vegetable juices from making the potato slices soggy.
Drizzle the potatoes liberally with Olive Oil, season and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, then add the vegetable tray to the empty end of the dish. Bake for 30 more minutes
Ready to serve!
Here’s the recipe:
NO HASSLE HASSLEBACKS & ROASTED VEGETABLES
Ingredients
- 3 baking potatoes
- olive oil
- Mediterranean Sea Salt Mix [McCormick’s]
- fresh grated Parmesan
- salt & pepper
- 2 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 2 yellow squash, halved and sliced
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and slice into fairly thin slices
- Grease baking dish. Place a piece of foil in one end of the dish for adding squash later
- Make rows of raw potatoes in a greased baking dish. Drizzle with OO and season. Top with cheese. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes
- Add zucchini and squash after 30 minutes, putting it on the foil square so the juices wouldn’t make the potatoes soggy.
- Return to oven and bake 30 more minutes or until potatoes are golden