Showing posts with label baking potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking potatoes. Show all posts

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Potatoes of Love

Photo via What's Cooking America
If you're participating in Valerie's Valentine's Day program, one of the items is some potatoes to bake. The easiest way to do that is with the microwave. Poke fork holes in them, coat them in a thin layer of peanut oil, sprinkle some garlic powder on, nuke for 10 minutes (a little more if they're big).

Of course, that is the simplest option. There are ways to dress it up. You can feel free to use the old standby, loaded potatoes. That means after you bake them, add butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, chives, and onion (or any subset thereof) on top.  You can also make them into potato salad with pretty much the same effect.

Photo via Food & Wine
Do you have some mushrooms left over? If so, make a simple ragú. This goes great on baked potatoes, along with a little butter.

Twice baked potatoes are also very easy. Bake is you normally would, halve, and scoop the flesh out leaving the skins intact.  Mix the flesh with some butter, salt, and pepper.  Add shredded cheese of your choice, using about 1 part cheese to 3 parts potato.  Spoon the mixture back in the skins, compacting it down, and sprinkle a little more cheese over the top.  Place under a low broiler until slightly browned on top, about 10 minutes.
Photo via Food Network
Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, January 12, 2015

Past posts

As it now stands, this is the 448th article for Nall's Kitchen.  There are lots and lots and lots of goodies in our archive.  Let's take a look back at what the top 3 posts are for each of the items in this week's box.  Maybe we'll find some goodies!

Broccoli

3. Pattypan Pasta has quite a bit of broccoli, too.


1. Broccoli Blitz was a listing of top broccoli recipes.  The Spicy Chicken With Broccoli looks very promising!

Oranges

3. This year's New Years post has that wonderful Brandy Orange Cake!

2. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp uses this week's strawberries too!

1. Pomegranate and Citrus Salad (mmm... pomegranates!)

Baking Potatoes

3. Potato Skins -- because, after all, the Superbowl will be here shortly!



Strawberries

3. Strawberry Baby Cakes would be really good about now, wouldn't they?

2. Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle sounds quite amazing too.

1.  Fresh Strawberry Cake is one of the most popular posts of all time!

Parsley

3. Baked Spaghetti Squash With Garlic & Butter in case you haven't used your spaghetti squash yet.

2. Bacheofe is a classic Alsatian dish.  Alsatian cuisine is a perfect blend of French and southern German influences.  If you've never tried Alsatian cooking, Lyon Hall in Arlington is a wonderful place to start!

1. Mushrooms Sautéed With Sherry Vinegar  The Store has some wonderful mushrooms right now!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Curried Chickpeas, Potatoes & Collards

As local comedian Remy once rapped, "Hit me, hit me, with a little chickpea!"  While he was talking about hummus, I can pretty much agree, all chickpeas should come my way in any shape or form.  They do look like cute little elf butts, which actually is disturbing if I ponder it too long.  Anywho!  I found myself in yet another raid on my pantry to try and concoct something from the random ingredients I had on hand.  I refused to make a grocery run just so I could make lunch for myself, and there was that lonely can of chickpeas in the pantry that had been let down so many times lately when I didn't reach for it.  Not today, today chickpeas you will be chosen!  I grabbed some Dizzy Pig Curry-ish seasoning (snag some in the store at Nalls!), a small can of tomato paste, and wishes and hopes for a yummy dish.  Then it dawned on me...use...the...collards!  Collards are hands down my favorite greens.  That's right kale, you've been replaced!  Soon I had a simmering curry on my stove, chock full of chickpeas, collards and potatoes, and oh it did not disappoint.  Can of chickpeas, your sacrifice was acceptable!


Curried Chickpeas, Potatoes & Collards




















Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 baking potato, cubed
1 bundle collards, removed from stem and torn
15 oz can chickpeas
3 Tbsp Dizzy Pig's Curry-ish seasoning or other curry blend
6 oz can tomato paste
3 cups water

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add in potatoes and cook for about 4 minutes until you start to get just a little golden brown on some of the potatoes.  Toss in collards in batches and allow to wilt down, and be careful as they love to snap, crackle and pop in the oil, so you may want to grab a lid for the skillet just for safety (SHIELD WALL!!!).

Once collards are fully wilted, stir in chickpeas and cook for about 2 minutes.  Then add in your curry powder and tomato paste, stirring to fully coat everything and allow it to brown just slightly on the bottom of the pan.

Stir in water, making sure to scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Bring to a slight boil, cover,  lower heat and allow to continue simmering for at least 30 minutes.  Add more water if sauce seems to thick or allow to simmer longer if sauce seems to watery.  Remove from heat and serve as is or serve over top of quinoa, with naan, or over rice.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Veggie & Chicken Sausage Stuffed Potatoes

During my time in Ireland I became obsessed with stuffed potatoes.  No, not just the broccoli & cheese or "loaded" baked potatoes we have here, these were stuffed potatoes on a whole other level.  The Irish call them jacket potatoes, and think huge puffy winter jacket kind of jacket, because they are stuffed to the gills and then some with all sorts of yumminess.  Basically what we'd normally reserve for an elaborate salad bar, they will shove into a fresh baked potato.  So when I stumbled upon this recipe in the fall, it was love at first sight.  A stuffed potato that would make the biggest jacket potato blush!  Being chock full of veggies, this will be a great recipe to come back to through all seasons, and the perfect way to use the zucchini we're giving you this week.  I've even made it with baked sweet potatoes, so if you still have some leftover from last week, stuff them up!

Veggie & Chicken Sausage Stuffed Potatoes


























Ingredients:

4 baking potatoes or sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp, divided use
4 links of apple chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4 rounds
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
1 cup crimini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 yellow squash, sliced thin
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, some juice drained off but not all
1/2 tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rub potatoes with olive oil, stab a few times with a fork to allow for ventilation when baking, and place in middle rack of oven to bake for 50-60 minutes.  While potatoes bake, prepare all the sausage and veggies.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken sausage and onions, gently tossing and cook until the sausage begins to brown.  Then add the mushrooms and garlic, and allow for mushrooms to begin to brown.  Add in red pepper, zucchini and yellow squash, and cook for about 2 minutes.  Then add in the tomatoes with a little bit of the juice from the can, the dill and your seasoning.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes and then remove from heat while you wait for the potatoes to finish baking.

Once potatoes are done, carefully remove them from the oven (wooo hot potato!!) and allow them to cool slightly.  Then slice lengthwise down the potato and fluff the the inside with a fork to loosen everything from the skin.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with a dash of salt & pepper.  Then generously top with the sausage and veggies.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream if you so desire.


Recipe adapted from The Cozy Apron (http://thecozyapron.com/reminiscing-a-little-over-vegetable-stuffed-potatoes/)


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Potato Skins

I've had potato skins many ways. I've had them cut in thin slices with pancetta and parsley, which was amazing! Everyone has a favorite way of making potato skins, but sometimes you just have to go classic. This recipe from Brown Eyed Baker is one that won't disappoint. 

Ingredients: 
4 large baking potatoes
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
1 green onion, thinly sliced