twice-baked potatoes

This recipe is half BHG cookbook and half me. I got the basic directions for twice-baked potatoes from that excellent cookbook, and then improvised. Here's the basic recipe, and it's well-worth making:

1) Bake three potatoes. Allow to cool slightly.
2) Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 minced head of garlic, and a few chopped carrots till bright and soft. Puree in food processor.
3) Cut baked potatoes in half, scoop out the insides, taking care not to puncture the skins. Place skins on a cookie sheet, and set aside.
4) Add potato insides to carrot puree; puree it all together. Add about a cup of light sour cream, puree some more. Add some chopped-up ham, blend till mixed. If you need to, add a bit of milk to get a good consistency.
5) Preheat oven to 425. Scoop potato-carrot-ham puree back into reserved potato skins. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Enjoy!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

p.s. This recipe is very open to alterations. You can add cheese or some other kind of meat at the pureeing point. You can sautee different kinds of veggies and add them in. It's a nice, versitile dish. And very filling. And very tasty. :D

Menu Plan Monday: Back to Normal Life

That picture shows you the kind of cooking I did this weekend; my husband and I got to camping (just the two of us! thanks Mom and Dad!) for our anniversary, and I rediscovered the truth that all you really need for a good meal is bacon, a cast iron skillet, and a good fire. Oh, and maybe some eggs and bread. :)

But it's back to normal life, and here's what we're eating this week:
Monday: Twice-Baked Potatoes
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Corn-Sausage Chowder
Thursday: cauliflower curry w/ pita bread
Friday: dinner @ folks
Saturday: frittata with tomatoes and feta (I might make this on Tuesday, and do a freezer meal on Friday, I'm not sure)

I got the link to the cauliflower curry from someone else's blog a Monday or two ago, and I'm sorry I don't remember who, because I'd like to credit you for the link! But I'm really looking forward to making it, it looks just splendid.

For more great menus, visit Organizing Junkie

Have a great week, and remember to check back here to see how the recipes turn out!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

rosemary foccacia sandwiches

Oh yum. The recipe for this foccacia is from the vegetarian cookbook that Amber recommended: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Sooooooo good. And thick enough that it can be split into sandwiches, as in the picture. Our sandwiches fillings were greens tossed with caesar dressing, mozzerella cheese, tomatoes and cucumber. Yum, yum, yum.

And the next day, I toasted a bit of this bread with butter for a snack. Oh, I just about melted. So good. So very, very good. Warm, savoury goodness.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Coconut-milk Pudding Rolls: Sunset

I'm gonna have to give a mixed reviews on these. While the sweet yeast rolls themselves were absolutely scrumptious, and I could have eaten the whole pan of THOSE, the coconut icing part was too much for me. Too rich, too cloying, too . . . coconutty.

However, my husband thought I should make them for the next ten weeks straight, every night of the week.

Or something like that. From me, two stars. From the rest of the family, five.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Tortellini with Spinach Pesto: Better Homes and Gardens

This one didn't make it onto Menu Plan Monday, 'cause I was too eager, and made it before I meant to. Especially given that it contained fresh spinach, I wanted to make it while the spinach (and everything else) was still fresh.

And the conclusion: what a great way to use fresh spinach! As my husband raved, "You can't even taste it!" :) This, despite almost four cups of the stuff in the recipe.

While he didn't like the baby pattypan squash in the dish, I did, which expands my toleration of squash a millimeter more. (You can feed me butternut, but oh zucchini, come not near me!) Also? The kids loved it. Especially our one-year old, who shoveled it all in and squawked for more.

We're definitely making this one again.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

alterations:
-I used dry mini cheese tortellini instead of fresh ravioli. This might have contributed to my one-year old's approval of the dish.
-I used just plain ol' Caesar instead of Caesar Parmesan vinaigrette.

Menu Plan Monday

Today I have a few fewer magazine recipes, because I'm trying out a cookbook recommended to me by Amber: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison.

So, here's the menu for this week:

Monday: Rosemary Focaccia sandwiches with ricotta, tomato, cucumber and dressed greens
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Coconut Milk Pudding Rolls, with sausage and fruit
Thursday: Spicy Chickpeas with Ginger, over rice
Friday: dinner @ folks'
Saturday: Frittata with Tomatoes and Feta, with toast.


Last week's Cheesy Spinach Bake was a hit: warm and satisfying food, that.

And here's a recipe I cooked up last night, riffing on Vegetarian Times' Linguine with Black Bean Sauce:

1) Cook about a pound of whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2) In a blender, puree one can drained black beans, one cup broth and about 1/2 cup rinsed fresh basil leaves.
3) In a large skillet, sautee one chopped onion and half a head minced garlic in olive oil. Add about 2 cups chopped bell pepper (frozen, if desired) and saute for a minute. Add pureed bean mixture and 1 1/2 cups frozen peas to skillet, heat through. Turn off heat and mix in cooked spaghetti noodles. Serve with parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired.

Enjoy! and check back here to see how it all turns out.

For more great menus, visit Org Junkie's site.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

cheesy spinach bake: Cooking Light

Last night I made this dish from Cooking Light (see my Menu Plan Monday post for the link to the recipe). It turned out a bit like an upside-down quiche. You make it by pouring a bit of melted butter in the baking dish, then lining it with a huge pile of spinach, sprinkling the spinach with cheese, and then pouring something like a spiced pancake batter over the whole thing, and baking it. The batter sinks down to fill all the crevices, and you end up with a cheesy-spinachy-pastry-like thing. Pretty good!

I used eggs instead of egg substitute, and full-fat cheddar cheese, and part-skim mozzarella, so I don't think it quite fit Cooking Light's idea of a low-calorie dish, but we were quite happy with it. Oh, and I used a bit more cheese than they called for. Mmmmm.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell