Twice-baked Potatoes

Fresh Market was selling 15lb bags of potatoes for $1.99 last week and I couldn't help myself - I had to buy a bag. You know what you do when you have a 15lb bag of potatoes sitting in your pantry? You make a lot of potato recipes! I've never had twice-baked potatoes before so it was a good chance for me to try a new dish. Turns out they are easy to make and taste surprisingly good.

Tip: My grandfather taught me to clean potatoes by taking a BRAND NEW scotch brite pad and using it to gently clean the potatoes. Save that pad and use it only to clean potatoes. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 large potatoes
• 1/3 cup sour cream (I went for the lite kind)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese
• chives and bacon bits (optional)

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Gently clean potatoes and pierce each potato twice with either a sharp knife or fork. 
3. Bake potatoes on center oven rack for 65 minutes.
4. Remove potatoes from oven using an oven mitt. Cut the top of each potato off so that the remaining potato is in the shape of a canoe.
5. Scoop out inside of potatoes and put into a medium sized bowl. (Be gently because you need the shell of the potato.)
6. Add butter, sour cream and cayenne pepper to potatoes. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place potato mixture back into potato shells. You can top with chives and bacon bits and then add the cheese or just add cheese.
8. Put potatoes into the oven at 375 for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are warm again.

Easy Roasted Asparagus

It's the week of vegetables. Why? Because I don't eat enough of them and I watched this documentary about a guy who put himself on a juice/vegetable fast and it made me feel really guilty about all the Oreos I've consumed in my life. Turns out there are plenty of easy recipes to make vegetables as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Asparagus, trimmed
• 8 ounces of whole mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (I only had cooked ones on hand)
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Arrange asparagus and mushrooms in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with rosemary, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Toss gently to coat bake until asparagus is crisp. (approximately 10 minutes)

Artichokes with Butter Sauce

I'm beginning to think the best vegetables are the ones that come with a super easy recipe that can be made while a baby sits on your hip and screams in your ear. Seriously, my kid doesn't cry much but he sure does yell at the worst times. Like at the checkout counter when everyone in the grocery store has suddenly gone quiet...I actually think it'll be a relief when he can form words. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes (Artichokes aren't cheap so I didn't buy more than 2)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or tarragon or oregano), crushed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparations:

1. Wash artichokes, trim stems and remove loose outer leaves.
2. Cut off 1 inch from each top, snip off the sharp leaf tips.
3. Brush the cut off tips with lemon juice
4. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of salted water to a boil. Add artichokes.
5. Reduce heat, simmer with cover for 20 -30 minutes or until leaf pulls out easily. 
6. Drain artichokes upside down on a paper towel.
7. Melt butter, add herb and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. 
8. Turn artichokes right side up. Serve with butter.

Spicy Summer Vegetables

This recipe comes courtesy of the very nice lady that Ken works with. If you like spicy and you want to add flavor to your vegetables, using Creole seasoning is an easy way to do it. I made this as a side dish to go with my easy beef enchiladas.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup summer squash, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 small bag of frozen broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
• Creole seasoning (Zatarain's makes it)

Preparations:

1. Cook broccoli in large skillet or electric fry pan until no longer frozen. (I'm a huge fan of electric fry pan's because they are deeper than any skillet I own and contain the mess I make - better.)
2. Add oil and sliced vegetables.
3. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
4. Season with Creole spice. The more you add, the spicier it will be so test first and then add more seasoning.

Pesto Party Dip

Need an easy dip to take to a party or barbeque? Want your kids to eat some raw vegetables instead of throwing them at you in disgust?

Here's an easy dip with just three ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 package pesto mix

Preparations:

1. Mix all ingredients well. Chill before serving.
2. Serve with potato chips or raw sliced vegetables.

Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad is one of those dishes that's hard to mess up. (Which makes it a good dish for college kids everywhere!) It's relatively cheap to make and you add whatever kind of cheese or meat you like. I paid $.49 for a box of this pasta and used ingredients I already had on hand. This recipe is open to being creative so I'm going to give suggestions for ingredients versus a strict outline.

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked pasta (Can be penne, bow tie or the corkscrew kind.)
1/2 cup of Italian or Creamy Caesar Dressing
1 cup of cubed cheese (Can be cheddar or feta cheese)
1/2 cup of chopped peppers (Green, Red, Yellow or Orange) or chopped broccoli and/or olives
1 cup of cooked meat (I used chicken.)

Preparations:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
2. Let pasta cool in covered dished. (If you leave it uncovered, the pasta dries out)
3. Combine pasta with salad dressing, vegetables, meat and cheese. Mix well.
4. Best served cold. If you need to, add more dressing. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cranberry, Feta and Roasted Walnut Salad

I first had this salad at a restaurant in Salt Lake. My husband liked it so much that we looked up the recipe and made it at home. It's really good. I'm not a salad person but this is very yummy and easy to make. It's a little expensive with the walnuts and cheese so I won't make it daily but I would serve it for a nice dinner with friends. 


Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) spinach salad leaves
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I used Balsamic Vinegarette from Newman's Own)
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Layer spinach greens, cranberries, cheese and walnuts in shallow salad bowl or on large serving platter.
2. Whisk vinegar, honey, mustard and pepper in small bowl. Slowly add oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended. 
3. Pour over salad. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Ham Fried Rice

Saturdays are a time for grocery shopping and leftovers. This recipe is great if you have leftover meat and/or rice.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, scrambled

2 cups rice, cooked and cold

1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Olive oil

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 packet Fried Rice seasoning

Preparations:

1. Over medium heat in oil, cook onions until soft.
2. Add ham and rice. Mix with onions.
3. Add soy sauce and packet seasoning.
4. Add eggs. Cook until mixture is thoroughly warm and mixed.
5. Add more Soy sauce if needed!
6. Salt to taste.

Veggie Mash aka Mashed Potatoes

A while back, I tried making the Biggest Loser's version of mashed potatoes where you substitute cauliflower for potatoes. My husband said it was okay, but neither of us were really impressed with the texture or taste of that recipe. So when I came across this recipe for "Veggie Mash" in my latest cookbook, I thought it seemed like a good compromise between regular mashed potatoes and the Biggest Loser version. And surprisingly enough - it is. There are just a couple of caveats....

(This recipe is supposed to serve 6 but I think it's more like 4 and there aren't seconds so if you have a crowd - make more!)
 
Ingredients:

1lb potatoes, cubed and peeled (supposed to be 3 medium sized potatoes)
1 cup coarsely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparations:

1. In medium saucepan, boil potatoes, cauliflower and carrot for 15-20 minutes. (Cover with lid)
2. Drain water.
3. Mash by hand or with electric mixer.
4. Add sour cream and salt.
5. Mix until well blended.
6. Top each serving with cheese.

Now here's the "but" if you aren't worried about calories or water retention - add some salt and butter! This dish is actually pretty tasty with plenty of salt, but without it - it's way too bland for you to serve at dinner and not get some "Um, mom? this kind of sucks" looks. (Or maybe they'll wait until company is over and raving about your dinner to chime in with "Hey, remember that time you made veggie mash and it had as much flavor as paste?" - Gotta love teenagers!)

Here's the cookbook this recipe came from. :)

The Joy of Cooking's Scalloped Potatoes

If you're having ham for Christmas this year like we are ('cause I'm sick of turkey) then this is an easy-to-make, good-tasting side dish to go with it.

This recipe is so easy in fact that I made it for the very first time when I was ten years old. (In case any one's wondering - that was 24 very long years ago! :)

Ingredients:

3 cups pared, thinly sliced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
3 to 6 tablespoons butter
3 pieces of cooked bacon crumbled
1 1/4 cups milk or cream
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional as in not in the actual recipe but still very tasty to add!)

Preparations:

1. Parboil the sliced potatoes with the salt for 8 minutes. Drain well.
2. Grease or line a 10 inch baking dish
3. Layer in the potatoes by sprinkling the flour and butter over them evenly. (Use the 2 tablespoons of flour and between 3-6 tablespoons of butter)
4. Sprinkle the crumbled cooked bacon over the potatoes.
5. In a saucepan, heat the milk, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and the paprika.
6. Pour this mixture over the potatoes.
7. Topping with cheese is optional. The potatoes are good without too.
8. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until potatoes seem tender.

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice

How about some rice to go with the enchilada casserole! Here's a recipe from Paige at Recipezaar.

Ingredients:

4 cups water
2 cups white rice
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large lime
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine

Paige's Directions:

1. Chop onion and garlic small. In a food processor, chop cilantro (I remove stems). Set aside.
2. In a 4 cup measuring cup, squeeze lime so that all of the juice is extracted. Fill the container with water until it equals 4 cups. (you only want 4 cups liquid total). Place liquid in a sauce pan, add bullion and bring to a boil.
   
3. When liquid comes to a boil, add onion, garlic, cilantro and rice. Cover and cook 25 minutes, or as long as instructed on the rice package.

Where I went wrong:

Mr. "I said I'd clean the shower so my best friend can visit for a week" (not that I'm passive aggressive or anything) didn't try this recipe so you're left with just my feedback. I used a big lime and it was overpowering. I also used Japanese sticky rice and then dumped extra bullion on it in order to make it less sticky and less lime flavored neither of which actually worked. Don't repeat my mistakes! Stick the recipe and enjoy!

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

If you're cooking a big meal for a bunch of people, one of the best things you can do is make dishes ahead of time. Make Ahead mashed potatoes are easy, tasty and will lessen stress!

Ingredients:

• 5lbs peeled potatoes
• 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat for less calories)
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 stick of butter, divided
  

Preparations:

1. Boil potatoes on medium heat for approximately 45 minutes or until they fall apart.

2. Drain potatoes.

3. Mash potatoes and add half of your stick of butter. (I used my Kitchen Aid to do the mashing which is a huge time saver)

4. Add sour cream, cream cheese and remaining butter. Mix well.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Store in refrigerator

7. Heat at 400 for 30 minutes before serving

Ken's 7 Layer Dip

Ken has this habit of getting us invited to parties at his co-worker's house. Since I'm lousy at meeting new people, I always dread these events. As payback, I generally tell him that he has to make the food we take. The last couple of times he's made this awesome 7 layer dip that he found on youtube. The recipe is really easy and the instructions are simple. Check it out -

Green Bean Casserole

The holidays are just around the corner and who doesn't love a good green bean casserole?

Here's my take on the casserole without the casserole dish.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of green beans (drained)
1/4 cup crushed Lay's potato chips
1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Mix cream of mushroom soup with half a can of water. Add drained green beans and salt. Cook on medium for about ten minutes. Top with potato chips and mozzarella cheese.

It's yummy!

Easy Spanish Rice from AllRecipes

This is a super easy recipe. So easy in fact that I drafted my husband to make it last week when we had company for dinner. He was a little confused about frying the rice rather than boiling it but it all worked out and it was really good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup chunky salsa

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.
   

Fried Rice

Fried rice is considered a "leftover" dish meaning you can take left over rice from dinner the night before and add left ingredients to it to make for a very tasty dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup instant white rice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup of onion (can be red, green, yellow)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup green peppers
1/2 cup corn

Preparations:

Cook white rice and let stand until cool. In a large skillet over medium heat, scramble both eggs. Add white rice, olive oil, onions, peppers, and corn. Saute until onion is soft. Add salt, pepper and soy sauce.

The great thing about this dish is that you can add other vegetables if you prefer and if you have leftover steak, ham or chicken - toss it in and cook until warm. It's an easy meal in about 20 minutes.

Servings: 4

Eggplant Parmigiana

From Epicurious -

Ingredients:

all-purpose flour for dredging
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper
a 1-pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
vegetable oil for frying
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

Preparations:

Have ready in 3 separate bowls flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. Dredge eggplant in flour and coat with egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge eggplant in bread crumbs.

In a large heavy skillet heat 1/4 inch oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and fry eggplant rounds in batches 3 minutes on each side, transferring them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Preheat the broiler.

Arrange rounds on a baking sheet and top with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Broil rounds about 2 inches from heat until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Ken's Las Vegas Salad (Low Carb)

Ken recently took a trip to Las Vegas and came back with a hankering for a salad he had while he was there. Based on his description of this salad, I recreated it.

Ingredients:

1 head of lettuce
4 strips of bacon
1 cup of blue cheese crumbles
1 cup of sliced avocado
Ranch Salad Dressing

Preparation:

1. Microwave the bacon on a paper towel and plate for 6 minutes. (This will make the bacon crispy.) Let it cool for 5 minutes.

2. Chop or shred the entire head of lettuce.

3. Take one avocado and cut into small pieces.

4. Crumble bacon.

5. Mix lettuce, bacon, avocado and blue cheese.

6. Top with dressing. (It doesn't have to be Ranch.)

Servings: 6

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is a very popular dish around our house. Ken likes to grow it every year and it's quite yummy.

Recipe:

1 acorn squash split in half and the insides scooped out
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

Melt brown sugar and butter together. Pour evenly into both sides of squash. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes.

Let cool and serve.

Catfish a la Chris

I always wondered what would happen if you showed up the grocery store right before closing time. Turns out there's no secret party or Kevin Smith-esque type people wandering around. Instead there's a fundamental lack of whatever you're looking for and the clerks are putting the rest of the good stuff away. (But hey you can wear your sweats cause no one else is there!)

I had planned to cook salmon for Senor Whiny Pants but alas there was none insight. He started eating an Atkins diet this week so baked salmon would have been an easy dinner. Instead, he had to settle for "Catfish a la Chris". (The funny part here is that I've never actually cooked catfish before :) Note: There are tons of recipes out there for breaded catfish but they aren't necessarily Atkin's friendly.

Here's what I did:

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon and herb seasoning
3 squirts of Lime juice (optional)
Two shakes of salt and pepper

Cook catfish for approximately 15 minutes on a high temperature. I used my electric fry pan because I have a cover that fits and it helps me keep the smoke detectors from going off....