Twice-Baked Potatoes

This is definitely one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. It's simple, but... quite delicious, if I say so myself. I made this a few days ago and tried to pay attention to the quantities I used. Use these quantities as a rough guideline and adjust accordingly.

3 baking potatoes
Coarse ground or kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper
Season salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder

Wash the potatoes well, pat dry. Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together the salt, pepper, season salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drizzle olive oil onto the potatoes and coat evenly, then sprinkle on the seasoning mixture. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet. (FYI in case you usually zap-fry your potatoes: you do not need to stab and kill them with a fork before they go in the oven like you do before they go in the microwave. Just rub them with seasoning love and put them on the baking sheet.)

Bake the potatoes at 350 for... something like an hour. I think I let mine bake for 40 minutes on one side and then flipped them for the last 20 minutes or so. For this, you want them ALMOST done, but not completely. You don't want them to fall apart on you.

When you can stick a fork in the potatoes or grab them and feel them squish a little, take them out and let cool for a few minutes. Then, one at a time, take them off, turn them on their side, and slice length-ways. Personally, I use a spoon and start from the edges and scoop the insides out... I leave about 1/4 inch or so, maybe less. Depends on my mood. You want them to sit upright. Scoop out the innards and place in a big bowl.

Into the bowl goes:
Potato guts
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I prefer margarine in this), softened
3/4 of a package (the 8oz package, I believe) of light cream cheese, softened
1 cup (maybe more? Probably a little more...) light sour cream. Or regular, whatever. Sour cream.
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Salt
Pepper
Season salt

Put it in, mix it up. With a spoon! No electric mixers. It's just wrong. If it's dry, add more sour cream until it is not dry. Then lovingly scoop the happy potato mixture back into the potato skins. You can do it with a spoon or sometimes I pipe it if I want it to be pretty. Load 'em up, don't be afraid. Shred more cheddar cheese to put on top, then stick them back in the oven until the cheese is happy and melty and good looking. Then eat them and enjoy it.

Shipwreck Dinner

So this is a recipe I found in the
Kraft Foods Magazine.
(Which is FREE by the way!)
It's one of our favorites.
Sounds weird, but it's good and filling.

1lb. ground beef
1 box Macaroni & Cheese
1 can (16oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen peas (or whatever veggie you prefer)
1 cup milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese (or more if you want)

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet.
Drain fat, if necessary.
Stir in macaroni, cheese sauce mix,
tomatoes, peas and milk. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cover.
Simmer 12 minutes, or until macaroni is tender.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

RRrrRRrrRRrr!

Easy Sausage Casserole

Taylor & I Made 2 Of These Casseroles This Past Saturday

For Our Ward Christmas Breakfast. I'm All About Easy &

That Is The Perfect Word For This Recipe! Easy!

This Would Be A Quick & Nice Christmas Breakfast

If You're Not Headed Anywhere Christmas Morning.

1 Can Crescent Rolls

1lb Sausage

2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella

4 Eggs

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

Cook Sausage & Drain. Line Greased 13 x 9 Pan With

Crescent Rolls & Sprinkle Cooked Sausage On Rolls &

Then Sprinkle Cheese. Beat Eggs With Salt & Pepper.

Pour Egg Mixture On Top.

Bake @ 425 For 15 Minutes

Sweet Yam Panzanella

I made this up tonight, it is technically still a work in progress, but he overall quality is there.  It can be used as both a side and a main dish. 

Sweet Yam Panzanella

1 large yam

4 large stalk celery

½ medium yellow onion

1 15 ounce can kernel corn

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons of turmeric

½ teaspoon cinnamon

6 slices of bread

2 green apples

1 ½ pound chicken breast

6 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

Filling:           

1 large Yam diced into dime sized pieces, celery sliced along the cross-section, onion diced.  Begin cooling yams first, they will take the longest.  Use the olive oil in the pan to cook the veggies.  Cook all veggies until they are well done and soft.  Add corn, brown sugar, turmeric, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix well and continue to cook for additional 3-5 minutes.           

 Dice bread into nickel sized cubes, place on cookie sheet and  broil until toasted about 3 minutes.  Dice chicken and cook until done, dice green apples to be about the same size as bread.  

To finish:           

Layer the ingredients in an 8.5 inche pyrex.  Bread and apples, filling, bread, apples, filling, top off with cooked chicken.  Miz eggs and pour evenly over the pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serves about 4.

After making it I decided that it needs a sauce to go with it, I can't decide if it should be a cream or tart sauce.  I did try lightly pouring evaporated milk over it, which gave it a nice flavor.  I suggest a basic cream sauce: 

1 pint whipping cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons flour tempered into the cream

2 bay leaves.  

Stir continuously while boiling for 1-2 minutes, cool and use as sauce.  

I was unable to try this, but it should work.  If anyone has other suggestions please let me know.

Pumpkin Muffins

Hey, ya'll. I think I'm here to be the resident Southerner, so I'll try and make good on that one. My family always makes pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins this time of year, and it's one of my favorite breakfasts.

In a large bowl, sift together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
some cinnamon (like a couple teaspoons? I never measure anything.)
some nutmeg (teaspoonish)
some allspice (teaspoonish)

Blend in:
1 cup packed pumpkin puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk (I use 1% because it's in my fridge. You can also use buttermilk. Or 2%.)
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, softened.

Mix all that together with an electric mixer. Or beat it silly with a wooden spoon, whatever floats your boat. Spray a 12-muffin pan and fill them about 2/3 of the way. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes... ish. If you'd like a bread loaf instead, it'll take about an hour.

For extra-amazing goodness:
Sift together powdered sugar and some pumpkin pie spice and add water to make a glaze. Spoon over the top of the semi-cool muffins.

That's that. I hardly ever measure anything, so I'll try to pay attention so I can tell ya'll what to put in. I do things the way my grandmother taught me... "just do whatever feels right." If you ever need real measurements, let me know and I'll try to find them for you. Have fun!

Yummy Soup.

2 Cans Stewed Tomatoes
5 Cups Water
5 Bouillon Chicken Cubes
1/2 cup small Macaroni (can add more if you want)
add veggies you enjoy having in a soup (Carrots, peas, celery, corn, cauliflower, broccoli...)
1 tsp. Basil
1 tbsp. Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Onion Powder if you don't have a real onion in your soup
Hamburger Meat
Cabbage
1 can Kidney beans (I rinsed off with water and then added them)

First, get a large pot. Bring your water to a boil and then add the chicken cubes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook hamburger meat and set aside. For 10 minutes, saute your raw veggies and some onion (if you have an onion) over medium heat with oil. To soften up the veggies. Cut up your cabbage and add directly to soup. No need to saute before hand. Then add the Macaroni noodles and everything else. Let it heat through until the pasta is done. Then enjoy! Yummy soup! I don't know the real name of it. Serve nice warm rolls with it!

Holiday Cooking Tips

Okay, so here are some simple ideas to make your food turn out a little nicer this holiday season.  

Turkey:

  If you like cooking the stuffing inside, well move along this part isn't for you.

The secret to a nice moist turkey is NOT basting every 15 minutes like some people would have you believe.  The secrets are:  Before backing stuff the turkey with 5 -8 ice cubes.  Along with placing a small pan in the oven full of water this will allow the turkey to remain moist all through the cooking process.  Also cover the bird with aluminum foil, for two reasons - 1: the moisture is kept inside and the meat doesn't dry out, and 2: the skin doesn't brown quickly so that there can be an ample flow of liquid in and out.  The only problem with this method is it often adds about 30 - 45 minutes of cook time, but I think it is well worth it.  Also don't forget to remove the tin foil for the last 30 minutes to 1 hour and baste the turkey with a butter and egg white mixture about 1:2 by volume.  

 

Pie:

  The thickener for fruit pies that I prefer is quick cooking tapiocca, it adds texture and firmness without the starchy result which can come from flour or corn starch.  

  When brushing egg onto the pie crust, sprinkle sugar over the top to enhance the beauty.  

Gravy:

  Perhaps the source of much frustration gravy, when made fresh can be delicious, is sometimes hard to prepare.  The best trick is to remove a small portion, maybe 4 -10 Tablespoons depending on how much gravy you are making, of the drippings and allow it to cool.  Mix the flour with this cooled portion into a thick paste.  Usually a 1:1 ratio works well for me but I recommend experiementing a little.  You want it to have a consistency like unto heavy cream.  

Then just mix in to the already warm drippings and you have a nice gravy without lumps to wow everyone.  

That is all for now, I will try and add some more tomorrow.  If any of you have tips, hints, thoughts or ideas.  Post away!