Potato Cilantro Wontons

Imagine a cross between a pierogi and a wonton, and that's pretty much what these are.  They are hearty and delicious, yet come in a small enough package that you could serve them as appetizers if you so choose.  We had ours as a main course, along with a spicy salad. 

The wontons get crispy around the edges, but stay tender in the middle.  The potato filling is piping hot and filled with delicious flavor.  These are probably unlike anything you've had before, and yet the flavor is familiar and delightful.  These also make me realize I definitely need to experiment with wonton wrappers more - they are so easy to use, and make something as mundane as a potato very exciting!

If you want to live on the edge, put a little Sriracha on the side for dunking.  Yum.

Potato Cilantro Wontons

adapted from Cooking Light magazine

makes 16

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium-large baking potato, peeled and chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

16 wonton wrappers

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cook potato in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.  Drain.  Mash the potato and stir in the scallions, cilantro, oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

3.  One by one, spoon about 1 tablespoon of potato filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with water, and fold it into a triangle shape (one corner across to another).  Press the edges to seal into a triangle.

4.  Place the wontons on the prepared cookie sheet and lightly spray the tops with cooking spray.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crispy around the edges and golden on top.  

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

I have baked many a banana bread in my lifetime, and it's safe to say that this is the best one yet.  The crust is crisp, the innards are soft and tender.  It's loaded with natural banana flavor without being overly intense.  It is, in a word, perfection.

I do a lot of baking with whole wheat flour - in fact, all my baking these days is with whole wheat flour.  My two personal favorites are King Arthur Flour's white whole wheat and their whole wheat pastry flour.  I took a regular white-flour recipe for banana bread and decided to try using half white whole wheat, and half whole wheat pastry flour.  It came out absolutely magnificent.  Now, I'm sure it would be just as good with all of one or the other, so if you don't feel like investing in two different types of whole wheat flour, fear not.

This is a banana bread you can feel pretty good about eating - low fat, whole grains, loads of bananas.  But I promise that if you give it to someone, they won't taste it and say "Oh is this some fancy healthy kind of banana bread?"  It's got that same down-home goodness of traditional banana bread, only even tastier.  It is the mecca of banana bread, people.  Please try it and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

adapted from Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

makes one loaf

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

3 medium sized ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt or sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3.  In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.  Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just moist.

4.  Spoon batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Every year my office has a holiday party.  There are many avid bakers in our office, so each year we have a potluck dessert situation.  The past couple of years, it has been declared a "bake-off celebration"  (read:  competitive and intimidating).  Still, I have participated each time, without trying too hard to knock anyone's socks off.  I make simple and yummy things that I think people will eat but not necessarily vote for.

Well this year, I might have broken that tradition.  Yes, they're cookies, and not a big fancy cake or cheesecake or giant cupcake.  But they are special. You see, they feature nutella.  They also feature quality cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.  They are decadent and delicious and beautiful.

Still, I won't hold my breath for a win.  There are some veteran bakers in our office and I wouldn't presume that I'm even in their league.  Either way, these are wonderful little holiday treats and they made our house smell terrific.

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

makes 28 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (lightly spooned into cup) whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

1/3 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment or silpat liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk.

3.  Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Whisk egg yolks with instant coffee and add to the butter along with vanilla.  Beat well.   Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.  The batter will have a thick, fudgy texture.

4.  Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper.  Knead a few times until smooth and shiny.  Shape dough into 28 1-inch balls.  Roll sides of balls in the chopped hazelnuts, pressing gently.  (Not a lot of nuts will stick - don't stress over it).

5.  Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets.  Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation.  (The indentations will be less intense after baking - you might need to recreate them with the back of a spoon while cookies are still hot).  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove cookies from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

6.  Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into the center of each cookie.  Use a toothpick to swirl the Nutella into a pretty pattern (see picture above). 

Enjoy!

Tuscan Potato-Kale Stew

Today I did something questionable in the kitchen, and it actually turned out pretty great.  I took a fairly elegant soup recipe and turned it into a chunky, hearty stew.  It doesn't look gorgeous, admittedly, but it tasted wonderful, and it was a remarkably satisfying bowl of yumminess.

This is a healthy, easy way to get a load of flavor into a bowl.  Potatoes, kale, and sausage are the three musketeers of soup, and everything that is good about them joins together to form a wonderful meal.  A little spicy, a little creamy, with earthy dark greens throughout - this is a winner.  And perfect for a cold evening.

Tuscan Potato-Kale Stew

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

handful of sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

1 bunch of kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in a medium-large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add sausage and sage leaves, and use a wooden implement to break up the sausage as it cooks.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage browns and sage leaves get slightly crispy, about 4 minutes.  Scoop out the sausage and sage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2.  Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and garlic becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Saute for about 2 minutes, then add chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

3.  Puree the mixture carefully, using a food mill or immersion blender, or your preferred method.  Be sure to leave a good deal of texture - we don't want completely whipped potatoes here.   The mixture will be quite thick.  Return to low heat and stir in the milk and parmesan.

4.  Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the kale until bright green and somewhat tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain well, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Add the kale to the soup pot and stir.  If the soup is too thick, add the reserved kale cooking water.  Stir in reserved sausage and sage, and serve.

Enjoy!

White Chili

Yes, there is a lot going on in that bowl.  But it is all delicious and lovely.  I am far from being a chili connoisseur,  but I think from now on, I will only like so-called "white" chili.  What makes it white?  Chicken breast and cannellini beans.  It's a beautiful big pot of comforting spicy deliciousness.

And then there are the garnishes.  This chili is beautiful alone, but I highly recommend including the garnishes.  This recipe doesn't just stop at jack cheese and cilantro; no.  We also put green onions, avocado, tomatoes, and lime.  It's a party in your bowl, folks.  And of course, I served it with cornbread.

Bring on the cool weather, because with meals like this I am happy to have a long fall and winter.

White Chili

adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 poblano or Anaheim chile, seeded and chopped

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

handful cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 tomato, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and chile, and cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add broth, salt, and chicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  If chicken breasts are not fully submerged, flip them over about halfway through simmering time to make sure they cook through.

3.  Remove chicken from pot and set aside.  Whisk in the cornmeal and beans to the broth.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, and add back to the pot.  Simmer 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently.  Top individual servings with desired garnishes from:  scallions, cilantro, cheese, lime, avocado, and tomato.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Biryani

When I was a child, my mother occasionally made a biryani side dish from Trader Joe's. It was mysterious to me at the time - who wants raisins in their rice? And funny spices that they don't recognize? Not me, I thought.

I thought wrong. The trick is the "little bit of this, little bit of that" mentality. I found this incredibly simple version of chicken biryani in an issue of Cooking Light, and it was like the light bulb flicked on. So that's why this whole raisins in your rice thing actually works! With delicately exotic garam masala and ground cumin, a hint of garlic, a whisper of cilantro, onion and tomato, it's like a family reunion of gentle flavors. And they all add up, thanks to the help of a minced jalapeno, to be quite powerful indeed. (And really, you skeptics out there, there are very few raisins here. You'll barely notice them.)

If you're looking for a more fun twist on the same-old chicken and rice, here it is. This is a one pot wonder that will whip up in about 40 minutes, and keep everyone happy. Even if they think they don't want raisins in their rice.

A note: this needs some kind of refreshing side dish. I served it with chopped cucumber drizzled with a little lime juice. Some kind of raita would be lovely as well.

Chicken Biryani
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large (or 1 small) onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon garam masala*
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of salt
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked basmati (or similar) rice
small handful of raisins
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
handful chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and saute for 3 minutes. Add onion and jalapeno and saute for another 3 minutes, until onion is starting to soften.

2. Add ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, and garlic, and stir. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.

3. Stir in cilantro and almonds. Serve with lime wedges.

* garam masala is available in most markets. It is an Indian spice mix made up of peppers, cloves, bay, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, mace, star anise, and coriander in varying combinations. Try it. You'll like it.

Enjoy!

No-Cook Pizza Sauce

"No-cook" is a slight misnomer, since of course when you bake the pizza that this sauce graces with its presence, there will inevitably be some cooking. But a sauce that looks this gorgeous, tastes this vibrant, without simmering on the stove even in the slightest? Yes, please.

If you like your pizza really saucy, you will like this sauce. If you're secretly disappointed when you go to one of those "gourmet" pizza joints and the slice you order has tomato rounds instead of sauce, you'll like this sauce. Come to think of it, whoever you are, you'll like this sauce. It's rich, it's tomato-laden, it's zesty - look no further.

Grab one of those whole wheat pizza doughs from your market, slather on this sauce and some fresh mozzarella, and you've got dinner.

No-Cook Pizza Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
makes 2 12" pizzas worth (or 1 extremely saucy one)

INGREDIENTS:

5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, mostly drained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk. Put on a pizza, bake it, and eat!

Enjoy!

Spicy Vegetarian Mulligatawny

Even people who never really watched Seinfeld probably know about the soup nazi episode. And I'll admit that I, like most people, heard about the magical spicy and sweet soup called mulligatawny for the first time from watching that episode. Of course I went on to try it myself at many an Indian restaurant, and it is pretty amazing, to say the least.

There is a reason Elaine pined for this soup. It has an intense flavor of curry and other Indian spices, along with a distinct sweetness from the apples and vegetables. The texture is chunky and fantastic. It's just good, people. Really.

Here is a healthy, vegetarian version that is not exactly traditional Indian fare, but it certainly gets the job done. Keep a glass of water handy, and serve with some whole wheat naan or pita bread to complete the meal.

Please note that the quantities are somewhat variable, depending on the size of each fruit or vegetable that you happen to use. Plan the ratios to emphasize the ingredients you like most (i.e. bigger apple, smaller bell pepper, if you so choose).

Spicy Vegetarian Mulligatawny
adapted from Cooking Light Complete Cookbook
serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium-large Gala apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt to taste
14 oz. low sodium vegetable broth
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons good quality mango chutney
2 tablespoons tomato paste
chopped fresh parsley for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add apple, onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in flour, curry powder, ginger, crushed red pepper, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomato, chutney, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 8 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

That's right, it's that easy. Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Apricots

If anyone ever accused salad of being boring, they obviously hadn't tried yesterday's or today's recipes. This is another fantastic salad with slightly unusual combinations of flavor that just works. Peppery arugula, tangy sweet apricots, and well-seasoned grilled chicken work together in concert for a fantastic meal. This is a salad for serving to company. Add in some yummy bread and you have a great dinner.

This one doesn't require much more commentary than that. It's healthy, flavorful, and delicious - the holy trinity of salads.

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Apricots
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
cooking spray
3 tablespoons EVOO
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 cups loosely packed baby arugula
4 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
3 apricots, pitted and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and parsley. Spray pan with cooking spray and cook chicken, about 4-5 minutes per side, until done. Set aside to cool slightly, then cut cross-wise into thin slices.

2. Whisk together oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Combine arugula, greens, and apricot slices in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the mixture and toss well to coat. Divide evenly among four plates. Top with the chicken slices and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chicken Scaloppine with Snap Pea Asparagus Salad

This recipe takes advantage of some beautiful seasonal flavors. It's another for the easy and healthy file. I don't think it requires a lot of comment, other than an incredibly strong recommendation that you do NOT skip the mint in the dressing. It makes the dish much more exotic and interesting than a simple chicken-and-veg. Make this on a weeknight in a matter of about 20 minutes, and do your family and yourself some good.

Chicken Scaloppine with Snap Pea Asparagus Salad
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup trimmed sugar snap peas
1 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, butterflied & halved
salt and freshly ground pepper
cooking spray
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
splash of white wine
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon (+) chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons EVOO
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Steam the peas and asparagus slices for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Rinse with cold water, drain, and put in the refrigerator.

2. Pound the chicken breast cutlets (under wax paper or plastic wrap) with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until about 1/4-inch thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and then cook the chicken breasts, about 2-3 minutes each side, until cooked through.

3. Remove chicken from pan. Pour in broth and wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, until sauce is reduced by about half. Stir in the butter until melted. Return chicken to the pan and coat in the sauce. Turn off the heat.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the mint, EVOO, zest, and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Drizzle evenly over the chilled veggie mixture. Serve the salad with the chicken and sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

This is almost as easy as lather, rinse, repeat. Enjoy!

Potato and Arugula Torta

I went a few days there without cooking anything blog-worthy, so you'll have to accept my apology. It comes in the form of a delicious vegetarian meal that is so cheap to make and so fun to eat that you'll be sure to forgive me. This meal is bound to become a staple at family gatherings - it just screams "pot luck" and "Thanksgiving" and "mmmm, potato!"

This meal does require a bit of work, but nothing too difficult to manage. Turn on some good music, or the Food Network (my personal choice) while you make it, and the time will go by before you know it. While the torta is baking, you can make a side salad to go with it - we had a baby spinach and strawberry salad with a home made balsamic dressing.

We had company for dinner tonight, and I'm proud to say that this is the "after" shot of the torta:




We should have people over more often!




Potato and Arugula Torta
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs. small Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
salt
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
one bag of baby arugula, washed (about 5 cups packed)
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
cooking spray
3 tablespoons panko (or other dry) bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. If potatoes are not uniform in size, cut the bigger ones so that all pieces are relatively even. Put in a medium pot with a generous amount of salt and fill with water up to about an inch over the tops of the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Heat EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Add arugula and toss with tongs to coat with the oil and garlic. Cook, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute, until leaves are wilted down. Turn off the heat and give the wilted arugula a rough chop.

3. Turn on oven to preheat to 375. Press the cooked potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, discarding the peels. Stir in the greens, milk, about 1/2 cup of the fontina, and eggs until combined.

4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs. Add potato mixture. Top with remaining fontina and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Eat up and enjoy!

Cheddar-Bacon Drop Biscuits

What many Americans don't seem to realize is that a real English scone is exactly the same thing as an American biscuit. The scones you find in coffee shops in the US are not real English scones by any stretch of the imagination. But look at a recipe for a real English scone and a recipe for a real American biscuit and, well, they are virtually identical.

My point is this: the biscuit is American comfort food, the scone is English comfort food. Some might disagree with me, but I think a warm-from-the-oven, golden-brown on the outside, soft on in the inside biscuit and/or scone is about as comforting as it gets. And if we're going to go all out with savory flavors for our biscuit/scone, why not throw in some cheddar and bacon and make it extra comforting?

Before you scoff at the bacon and the cheddar, thinking "oh no, that will be far too fattening and rich for me," check out the actual ingredients. There is very little cheese and only two slices of bacon in the entire recipe. These biscuits end up being quite subtle and lovely. If you don't believe me, how about the fact that the recipe came straight from the pages of Cooking Light magazine? And that they are under 100 calories per biscuit?

I made these as an afternoon snack as soon as I got off work. I had to put them away after a while so there would actually be some left for my husband when he gets home. As my mother would say, they are very more-ish.

So make them, enjoy them, be comforted. And if you don't eat pork products feel free to substitute turkey or vegan bacon. If you're lazy you could even buy bacon bits (you'll only need about three tablespoons). But if you're not opposed to real bacon, go for it.

Cheddar-Bacon Drop Biscuits
from Cooking Light magazine
makes 16-18

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat (or other all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/4 cup water
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk.

3. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers (but if you use your fingers, try not to over-handle it as you don't want the mixture to get warm) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheddar and bacon. Add milk and 1/4 cup water, stirring just until moist.

4. Drop dough by 2 level tablespoonfuls or ice cream scoop 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Enjoy! We'll be having ours with our dinner tonight, if I don't eat them all first.

Spicy Twice-Baked Potatoes

We are back in Los Angeles, and back to work (or at least some of us are). And I am back in the kitchen, which for me is the silver lining on this cloud we call reality. Tonight my husband is fighting off some kind of flu-ish horribleness, so I decided it was time for comfort food. Namely, twice-baked potatoes with yummy things mixed in, and a green salad.

I found the inspiration for this recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few months ago, and tweaked it to my liking. The flavors are bold, both a little bit spicy and a little bit salty. If you abstain from bacon, feel free to leave it out. It will be missing a little something (umami, as I have recently learned in one of my favorite Christmas gifts, The Flavor Bible). But it will still be tasty. Absolutely do not leave out the chipotle, as it is the best part. I have recently discovered the joy of chipotle chiles in adobo and I can't stay away from them. You can find cans of them in the "ethnic" aisle of your grocery store, and if you refrigerate the part you don't use in tupperware, it will last for months.

Spicy Twice-Baked Potatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
Serves at least 2, up to 4 (depending on how hungry you are)

INGREDIENTS:





(look at the potato trifecta! just waiting to be twice-baked and eaten!)

3 large baking potatoes
Olive Oil spray
2/3 cup skim buttermilk (or 2/3 cups skim milk whisked with 2 tbsp lemon juice)
3/4 cup shredded extra sharp white cheddar, divided
3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo
a pinch of ground sea salt
2 bacon slices, cooked, drained and crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven (or toaster oven, which I would recommend for energy-saving purposes) to 450. Pierce potatoes with a fork, spray lightly with olive oil spray, and pop them in the oven for 50 minutes. Turn once about halfway through.

2. While the potatoes are baking, combine the buttermilk, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

3. When the potatoes are done, let them cool for a few minutes. Cut them completely in half when they are cool enough to handle. Scoop the potato pulp out of all three potatoes, leaving about a 1/4 inch thick shell. Discard two of the six shells (or save for a later use - potato skins tomorrow, anyone?). Add the potato pulp to the mixture you made in step 2, and mash with a potato masher until everything is combined.

4. Spoon potato pulp mixture evenly into the four remaining shells. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup cheese evenly over the potatoes. Bake at 450 for an additional 10 minutes, or until you can't stand the delicious smell any longer.


Serve alongside a simple green salad for a balanced meal. I made mine with mixed baby greens, sliced grape tomatoes, and topped it with a home-made red wine vinaigrette (3 parts EVOO + 1 part red wine vinegar + a splash of lemon juice + salt + pepper). Enjoy!