Twice Baked Potatoes

My mother used to make these "fancy" potatoes every now and then when we'd have company. She said they were too much bother for just family. Ha!

2 medium baking potatoes
some butter
some plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
chopped green onion
salt and pepper
shredded cheddar

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour (longer if using large potatoes)

When potatoes are done, carefully remove a large oval from potato and with a teaspoon, spoon out the potato into a bowl leaving the shell intact. Mash the potato with fork adding butter and yogurt, salt and pepper and onion. Spoon mashed potato back into shells, sprinkle on cheese and put back in the oven to heat and melt topping.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

I have a very large cast iron skillet which I love. You can cook on the stove top and then finish dishes in the oven. I also just like how it looks :-)

Tonight's dinner was pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself.

whole chicken, cut-up
bunch of Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved length-wise
package of sliced mushrooms
1 shallot sliced
1/4 cider vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven 350

Rub olive oil on chicken and season with salt and pepper
Brown chicken in 1 T olive oil in oven proof skillet in batches--about six minutes per side or until brown enough for your tastes
Remove chicken and brown Brussels sprouts, shallots, and mushrooms--don't cook too long--just long enough to give hem some color
Mix water, vinegar and mustard and pour over vegetables. Place chicken pieces on top of veggies and slide into oven and bake 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Quick Fish!

Here's a dinner that you can put together in 20 minutes flat. Especially if you cheat with your rice and use a package of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice that you nuke for 90 seconds. I used the Brown Basamti Rice and served this with peas. The sauce is good with the rice--yum and quick!

Moroccan Fish With Tomatoes, Capers And Cinnamon

3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped

1 1⁄2 tablespoons drained capers

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pieces firm white fish (I used Tilapia)

Directions:
Heat cumin in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, capers, cinnamon, and 1⁄4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Pat fish dry and sprinkle with 1⁄4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then add to skillet. Cover and simmer until fish is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

When the temperatures go below zero, I think SOUP! This one is really easy to throw together and it's mighty tasty, too.

Spicy Sausage Soup

1 pkg of turkey kielbasa, sliced into bite size pieces
some olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1 bunch broccoli rabe chopped
1 pkg. butternut squash cubes (you can peel and chop your own but I'm a wimp and buy it already prepared)
1 can white beans, rinsed
1 T rubbed sage
2 t red pepper flakes

Sauté the onions and chopped turkey sausage in the olive oil in a large soup pot and then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour. It's that easy and that good.

Pasta with Asian Twist

Pasta with an Asian Twist

This is the kind of dish that you can make depending on what you find in your refrigerator. The key is the sauce. If you have those ingredients then you're good to go. You can then combine any veggies, pasta, and/or protein and you've got a tasty dish!

Here's the sauce: 

•1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 
•2 T brown sugar  
•1/2 t kosher salt  
•1 t fish sauce  
•1/2 t  Sriracha spicy chili sauce 
•3 T sherry cooking wine  
•1 T cornstarch
Combine all these ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

8 oz of pasta--I used whole wheat Udon noodles

For protein I used 10 large cooked shrimp that I thawed and threw into the sauce while I cooked the pasta and veggies. 

Pkg of sliced mushrooms
1 red pepper sliced
1 yellow pepper sliced
1 bunch of broccoli (just the tops) I microwaved them for two minutes before adding to the stir fry.
Sesame oil

Boil the noodles according to pkg directions--drain and put back in pot and toss with a couple T of sesame oil

Sauté the mushrooms and peppers in large skillet or wok until well cooked (ten minutes or so) add the broccoli and continue to stir fry for five minute more. Add the sauce and shrimp and turn heat down as you combine ingredients. Add noodles and combine--and enjoy!