Crispy Seasoned Potato Skins

As I was about to throw away a bunch of potato skins (sadly, I still haven’t started a compost bin here in Mississippi), I thought, “I’d bet these would bake well.” Turns out, I was right.

Note: Potato skins have a lot of phytonutrients, a natural source of antioxidants that help detoxify the body. However, pesticdes are easily absorbed into potato skins, so make sure that you buy organic.

I improvised on this recipe, which also sounds awesome but requires intact potato skin shells and a few other delicious ingredients.

Ingredients:

Peelings of 2 potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Optional: 1/2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Grease a baking sheet lightly and place peelings on it. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and brush all over potato skins. I recommend using a spatula to toss the peelings around in the pan.

Bake at 475° for 6-8 minutes and flip peelings over with a spatula as best you can. Bake for another 6-8 minutes or so and then turn right side up. Watch to make sure the skins aren’t burning.

Serves 2 as a light side dish (pictured above with two chunks of hearty bread).

Potato Broccoli Soup

With winter coming, I’ve been getting a craving for soup. Tonight I wanted something thick and hearty but not too heavy, so I made Potato Broccoli Soup. It was delicious — filling, but not too rich. If you do want rich, add cream or whole milk as a final step. I adapted the recipe from Cooks.com.

I’d recommend conserving the potato peels, assuming you buy organic, and baking them with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 med. white or yellow onion, chopped
2-3 tsp. butter
3 cups broth
2 large potatoes (around 3 1/2 to 4 cups diced potatoes)
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 1/4 cup whole milk (optional)
1 to 2 tsp. finely chopped chives for garnish (optional)

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 cup of broth and cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes until onions are tender but not browned. If liquid begins to evaporate, lower heat slightly and add more broth. Add remaining broth, potatoes, broccoli, and pepper.

Lower heat, cover, and simmer about 11 to 14 minutes or until potatoes and broccoli are tender. Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly. In batches, puree mixture in a blender on low speed for 10 seconds, or use a hand blender. Raise speed to high and puree until completely smooth. Return puree to the pot. Add milk, if desired, and stir to mix well. Simmer an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and stir well.

Garnish individual servings with sprinkling of chopped chives, if desired. (Chives make the soup prettier and give it a little kick.) Makes 6 to 8 servings and keeps 2-3 days when refrigerated.

Spiced Creamed Chicken

I was going to call this recipe “No Spring Chicken” because it contains the spices of fall (get it?), but it didn’t sound quite as appetizing.

I’ve had to get creative with my dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, fun-free diet of undetermined length (as part of my own cleanse), because I’m getting tired of straight-up stir fry. I’m happy to report that this experiment turned out well. I rarely think to use spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in savory dishes, but they gave the dish a sweet nuttiness, and the celery provided a subtle crunch. The dish tasted nice and light because I used almond milk, and you can give it more heartiness by using cow’s milk and/or real cream.

Important note on leeks: use the white part and discard the green, the opposite of the way you’d use a green onion. Make sure to wash the leeks thoroughly, as they usually have silt inside their layers. I like to slice them and separate the rings into a bowl full of water, swish them around, drain, and repeat. Leeks are super nutritious and have a sweetness to them when cooked well.

Note that the recipe serves two, but you can easily double it.

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
1 leek, chopped (the white part; discard the green)
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
2 cups milk or substitute (I used unsweetened plain almond milk)
Thickening agent (1/2 tbsp. cornstarch or 1 tbsp. flour)
Minced garlic (around 1/2 tsp., to taste)
Minced ginger (around 1/4 tsp., to taste)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Optional: chopped or slivered almonds
Grain of your choice (quinoa, couscous, rice, etc.)

Serves 2.

Set your grain to boil in a small pot. In a large frying pan, saute garlic and ginger in olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped leeks and celery and saute until tender (celery will still be a bit crunchy). Add chicken and continue to saute, adding more olive oil if necessary. When the chicken cooks about halfway, liberally sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg (I made two passes over the saucepan with each spice) and stir to distribute spices over the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you will be using flour to thicken the sauce, heat milk in separate saucepan to almost boiling and gradually add flour, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, and then add the thickened milk to the frying pan. If you’re using cornstarch, you can add the milk directly to the frying pan once the chicken is cooked. Mix the cornstarch with enough water to liquefy it, and stir into the saucepan once the milk is just at a boil. Add a bit more salt and pepper to the sauce.

Let the sauce simmer for five minutes or so, letting it thicken, and serve over your grain of choice. If you like, top with pieces of almond. I served steamed broccoli on the side.

Thai Baked Curry Fish

I have a weakness for Thai food. I love the flavors of coconut milk, lemongrass, basil and curry, and I wanted to find a way to combine them in an easy baked fish dish.

I used this recipe as a jumping off point and adapted it to my liking. I was able to find almost all the ingredients at our tiny little local farmers’ market, and the final product was flavorful, creamy and spicy.

Ingredients:

2 filets of fresh fish
3 cloves of garlic
1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
2 small red Thai chili peppers
1 stalk of lemongrass
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2-3 kaffir lime leaves
1 can coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons of green curry paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

Set aside the fish filets in a bowl. Coarsely chop the garlic, ginger, chili peppers, basil, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass and add to a food processor. (For the lemongrass, cut off the top green leaves and use the lower yellowish-green part of the stalk. Peel off the hard outer covering to get to the pale yellow layer beneath and chop.) Add the coconut milk, curry paste, coriander and lime juice to the food processor and blend well for about a minute.

Pour the mixture over the fish filets, coating both sides well. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wrap each piece of fish in a piece of tin foil, creating a small sealed packet for each. Place the fish in a shallow baking dish and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through in the middle. Heat the remainder of the marinade in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Serve the fish and sauce immediately with whole wheat couscous, salad and a dry white wine.

Baked French Toast

This morning I had a craving for french toast, but I wanted to dress it up a bit an add a serving of fruit. Enter Baked French Toast. My grandma makes a similar dish for company, and it’s a total crowd-pleaser. I used two kinds of bread: banana walnut and blueberry, both from the bakery, sliced and frozen. I defrosted them for five minutes in the microwave before using them. I also cut the recipe in half because I was cooking for two, and I used an 8×8 baking dish.

The french toast made the house smell of cinnamon and baking bread, and the cream cheese and egg mixture moistened it (I know y’all love the word “moist”). Top it with real maple syrup.

4 apples (Granny Smith recommended, but any kind is fine)
1 stick (1/2 cup butter)
1/2 cup (or more) brown sugar
12 ounces cream cheese
12 slices firm bread (up to you; some type of French bread is awesome)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
Cinnamon

Put the baking rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter a 13×9 baking dish. Slice the apples thinly; no need to remove the skins.

In a skillet, melt butter with brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon water. Add the apples and stir to coat them with the sugar mixture, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a splash more water if the sugar mixture begins to stick. Transfer coated apples to the baking dish and let cool.

Cut cream cheese into cubes, or spoon dollops, arranging it evenly over the apples. Cut the slices of bread in half diagonally and layer over the apples to cover the whole dish.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Use a flat spatula to press the bread down so it’s completely covered with egg mixture as it bakes. Otherwise, the tops will toast and come out dry. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden and puffed. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8 and reheats well.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

Butternut squash seriously makes the perfect fall meal.  I just tried out another recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.  This one was in her cookbook Giada’s Kitchen.   But you can also find it online at FoodNetwork.com.

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth
1 large vanilla bean
3 cups peeled cubed (1-inch wide) butternut squash
2 tablespoon butter, plus 1 tablespoon
3/4 cups finely chopped onion (about ½ of a large onion)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

In a saucepan, heat up the vegetable broth.  While that’s heating up, slice up

the vanilla bean.  Scrape the seeds into the broth and add drop in the bean. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.  Meanwhile, cut and peel the butternut squash into one inch cubes.  Add the squash to the broth and simmer until tender (about 5 minutes).  Remove the cooked squash from the broth and turn heat to low.

In a separate sauté pan, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add chopped onion and cook until clear. Add in the rice, stir to coat.  Once edges of rice are clear, add in the wine. Stirring continually until liquid is soaked up.  Begin adding the broth half a cup at a time. Stir continually until liquid is gone and then add more broth.  Once all of the broth is almost completely absorbed, lower heat and add the squash and parmesan and salt. Slowly stir into the mixture.  Top with fresh chives and serve.

*photo from foodnetwork.com

Tortellini Soup

This soup is perfect for chilly days. It’s spicy, rich and savory. It’s also inexpensive to make and very customizable. I’ve made it vegetarian-style by leaving out the sausage and using vegetable stock, and sometimes I skip the mirepoix altogether (especially in the winter, when I’m using up odds and ends and it can be sort of difficult to get to the store). You can throw in any filled pasta; I’ve tried it with ravioli and that worked fairly well. I usually use a small bag of frozen mixed vegetables in this soup, but fresh vegetables of almost any variety are also great if you can get them.

Ingredients:
1 package of hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
12 to 16 ounces of mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen
Small pack of fresh or frozen tortellini (9 or 12 ounces)

Remove the sausage from its casing by slitting it up the side with a sharp knife and squeezing it into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Discard the sausage casings. Cook the meat over medium heat, chopping it into small bits as it cooks, until no pink remains. Drain at least 75 percent of the grease from the pan, but leave a bit behind to cook the mirepoix and flavor the soup.

Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery to the pot and saute until soft and translucent. Pour in the stock and diced tomatoes (in the juice) and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add the vegetables to the pot. If using frozen vegetables, allow the broth to reach at least a simmer again before adding the tortellini. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and/or Tony Chachere’s seasoning to taste.

Lil’ Laverne’s Congo Cookie Bars

Tonight, friends were coming over and I had a craving for Snickerdoodles for dessert, but alas, I didn’t have much white sugar. Fortunately, I had a recipe for cookies that used only brown sugar. My mom, Lil’ Laverne, had  sent me a recipe for the Congo Bars she had made during my visit last week. Don’t ask me why they’re called that. All I know is that they’re delicious and simple.

These cookies are quick and easy because there’s no shaping little dollops of dough onto baking sheets, or transferring the freshly baked cookies elsewhere to cool. You simply mix up all the ingredients, pour the batter into a baking dish, and put the dish in the oven. I halved the recipe and baked the dough in a medium-sized, rectangular Pyrex container. The result? Tempting smells and thick squares of gooey chocolate chip cookie goodness. I ended up using more egg than called for (I figured that halving an egg would be a bit ridiculous) and the bars came out extra fluffy and cakey.

Ingredients:

¾ c. butter
2 ¼ cup (1 package) brown sugar
3 eggs

2 ¾ c. sifted flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt

1 cup broken walnuts
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and place in a large bowl.  Add brown sugar, stir until well-mixed, and allow to cool slightly.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, then nuts, chocolate chips, and vanilla.

Bake in a greased 13 x 9 pan at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cool in pan and cut into squares.  Yield:  2 ½ dozen.

Shrimp and Veggie Quinoa

I think I’m going to start doing experiment Mondays.  Basically take a bunch of randoms from the fridge and pantry and see if I can make something tasty.  I’m on week number two and still going strong.

This week, we’ll call it Shrimp and Veggie Quinoa.

Ingredients:

Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Onion, chopped
Garlic, minced
Tomatoes, diced and seeded
Broccoli, steamed
Quinoa
Chicken Broth
Olive Oil
Teriyaki Sauce
Red Pepper Flakes
Tony Chacheres

First, start cooking the quinoa.  I cooked it in the rice cooker instead of on the stovetop, so easy.  And I used chicken broth instead of water to give it some added flavor.

While that is going, chop up the onion and garlic.  You can use however much you want really.  I was cooking for two, and used half an onion, two garlic cloves, two roma tomatoes, about a cup and a half of broccoli, and about 12 or so shrimp.  You could really use any and all vegetables you have though.  Just use what you got.

Anyways, in a wok or sauté pan, heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss in the onions and garlic.   Once that is just about done, add a couple tablespoons of teriyaki sauce.  Sprinkle the shrimp with some Tony’s and add that to the pot.   Once the shrimp is almost pink, add in the tomatoes and broccoli.  Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.  Finish cooking through and serve over the quinoa.

Et voila… dinner.

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall has firmly arrived here in Chicago, and that means that the offerings at the farmers market have radically changed in the past couple weeks. Right now, the choices pretty much consist of apples, winter squash, root vegetables and leafy greens. Luckily, all these fruits and veggies are pretty solid soup ingredients. I made a big pot of butternut squash soup today. I love this recipe because it freezes so well; if anything, the flavors get better. I try to double (or even triple) the ingredients, then divide it into one- or two-serving containers and have it on hand into the winter months.

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon of butter or 2 strips of bacon, diced
2-4 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:
Peel the butternut squash and scrape the seeds from the center with a spoon. Cut it into 1-inch cubes. (You need anywhere from four to six cups of butternut squash for the soup.) Grease a glass baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the cubed squash in a single layer in the bottom. Spray the top of the squash with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45 minutes (or until the squash is fork-tender).

Melt the butter or cook the diced bacon over medium heat in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and saute for about three minutes. If you’re using bacon, add these ingredients before the bacon is totally cooked so that it won’t burn.

Pour in the vegetable stock and the roasted butternut squash. Bring the mixture to a boil; let it boil for two to three minutes. Drop the heat to low and pour the buttermilk into the soup. Cook the soup, stirring constantly, for about two minutes, then remove it from the heat.

Use a food processor to puree the soup in three or four batches. Make sure to remove the spout cover from the hole in the lid so steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while the processor is on.