Southwestern Potatoes

This was another recipe from The Minimalist in the NYT.
I omitted all of the oil (and also skipped the cheese on my serving) to lighten things up a bit.
Pan-roasting the potatoes without burning them was a little tricky in the absence of all that oil (I ended up sticking them in the oven to bake for about 30min so that they cooked all the way through) but all in all this still turned out really well -- the fresh jalapenos and hefty dose of chili powder definitely jazzed up an otherwise fairly ordinary recipe.

Pam or olive oil, as desired/needed

2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño, or to taste

1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Salt and black pepper

2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1 14-ounce can black beans, well drained

3/4 to 1 cup grated Cheddar, jack (or black pepper white cheddar!) cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish.

1. Oil a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add jalapeño and corn, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; let sit for a moment. When corn begins to brown, shake pan to distribute for even browning. Remove corn.

2. Re-oil pan. When hot, add potatoes. Cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown around edges and release from pan, about 10 minutes. Continue, at least 15 more minutes, turning potatoes to brown all sides without stirring too often. Add oil if needed to prevent sticking, and lower heat if needed to prevent scorching. When potatoes are tender and golden, add chili powder, corn and beans.

3. Turn on broiler. Place rack about 4 inches below. Transfer potatoes to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and run under broiler until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.