Potato Skins Recipe

potato skins are one of the tastiest things. i decided to make them yesterday for supper as a side dish for bbq chicken. took a little longer than, say, making rice in the rice cooker, but they were SO good, that it was worth it.

here is the recipe I found online:

INGREDIENTS

• 6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes (total 3 pounds)
• Olive oil
• Canola oil or grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 strips of bacon
• 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions

METHOD

1 Scrub the potatoes clean then bake the potatoes using your favorite method, either oven or microwave. If using an oven, rub with olive oil and bake in a 400°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed. If using a microwave, rub all over with olive oil and cook on the high setting for about 5 minutes per potato. I have found that baking the potatoes in a conventional oven yields potatoes that are easier to work with (cut and scoop out), the potato seems to adhere to the skins a little better, but there is hardly a discernible difference in the final product.

2 While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble.

 

3 Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.

Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F. Brush or rub grapeseed oil or canola oil (or another high smoke point oil) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.

 

4 Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with freshly ground black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream to each skin, sprinkle with green onions.

Serve immediately. 

Note: If you have a potato whose skin or flesh has turned green, cut out those parts, do not use them. The green indicates the presence of a toxin that develops when potatoes are exposed to sunlight.

enjoy!

ham & pea soup with white beans

after our thanksgiving dinners I decided to try making some post-thanksgiving soups. always a good idea!

the first soup I made was "ham & pea soup with white beans"
I didn't use a recipe, but rather just went on some advice from my mom and some experimenting.

directions:
take the ham bones and any leftover ham meat and place in a large pot. cover with water. place on the stove at about medium-high heat. stir and allow to come to a gentle boil. at that point, lower the heat to a simmer and allow to simmer (uncovered) for about 5-6 hours. stirring occasionally.

after the 6 hours, remove all of the bones and meat. throw out the bones, but keep the meat in a container to use later. strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, to get rid of any unwanted "extras". Put in the fridge to cool. When it cools through, the fat will rise to the top of the broth, and harden in a layer that you can (literally) peel/roll off (gross, but nice to get rid of it!) If you won't be making the soup within a few days, freeze so that it keeps. Otherwise put in a large pot again (once it has cooled, it will be quite gelatinous and thick. as you heat it back up it will liquify.

At this point, I cooked about 3-4 cups of frozen peas, then put them about a cup at time into a blender with a bit of the broth. Puree it completely, and then put into the pot. continue until all of the peas are completely pureed.

i used dry white beans, so I cooked them according to the recipe on the bag. then I pureed them with the same method, adding some broth to the beans until it was completely pureed. continue to keep on the stove at medium-high heat. add pepper to taste (it shouldn't really need any salt since ham is a fairly salty meat.) add in the meat that you reserved previously. at this point, it is ready to eat!

serve with some cornbread (click here for the cornbread recipe), hot out of the oven. and enjoy on a cool autumn day.

Thai Chicken Pasta

mmm thai, mmm chicken and mmm pasta!
this recipe is delicious.

it yields quite a bit, so this is good thing to make for guests, or for a lot of leftovers.

ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water & 1/8 cup cornstarch, dissolved
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/8 cup hoisin sauce
1/8 cup garlic chile sauce
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1 box thai pasta (i've used vermicelli rice noodles, regular rice noodles, spaghettini.. any kind of fine pasta. the vermicelli rice noodles have been my favourite so far. don't be afraid to make A LOT of noodles, since there will be quite a bit of sauce)
1 pepper, sliced julienne
chicken (about 2-3 chicken breasts. this can also be left out)

direction:

place all ingredients, except the pasta, pepper & chicken into a pot. turn on medium-high heat. whisk and boil until thick. the sauce splatters and burns easily, so make sure to stir it a lot. (it also freezes well)

cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.**If using rice noodles - Put them in a bowl and boil some water. pour the boiling water over the noodles in the bowl and cover (i normally place a plate over the bowl) and let sit for about 7 minutes. check it at that point, if it's not cooked yet, recover and leave it for a few more minutes **
drain.

add pepper to the pasta. add sauce gradually, so that you won't make it too soupy. If you use chicken, I like to bake it in the oven, then slice it up and add it to the pasta just before serving.

enjoy!

white chocolate chip craisin cookies

i found this recipe on the mennonite girls can cook blog
and they are DELICIOUS
for whatever reason (i'm guessing the craisins) they seem like a christmas cookie - i plan to make them again at christmas (or maybe sooner!) * Another idea for Christmas is that you can make these a "cookie jar" gift. layer all the ingredients in a glass jar. include a tag with the recipe. all they (the gift receiver) need to add is the margarine, eggs and vanilla.
they are easy and delicious

ingredients:
2/3 cup margarine, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking poder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup craisins
1 cup white chocolate chips

method:
mix together margarine, brown sugar and eggs until smooth. add remaining ingredients and mix.

place onto cookie sheets by the tablespoon.
bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. allow to rest on pan for 1 minute and then remove to cooling racks.

yields approximately 2 dozen cookies.
cookies freeze well.


enjoy!

emily & ashley's amazing bowen island scones

last Spring michael and i were able to spend time visiting with our wonderful BC friends - Thomas & Emily. they took us up to this beautiful little cabin on bowen island and we spent time enjoying the scenery and one another's company.

we made these scones while we were there, and they were so delicious that I asked em to send me the recipe. makes me think of her while I enjoy them. can't wait to see them again!! (my friends, not the scones... although they are that good! ha!)

ingredients:** I found everything I needed that was a bit more "obscure" at Bulk Barn
1 1/2 cup spelt flour (you can use a mix of whole wheat and white if you don't have spelt)
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp (scant) salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup canola or grape seed oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup yogurt or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup frozen berries (optional)

other additions (whatever amounts you would like. i used about a tablespoon or so of each, to make it extra tasty)
flax seeds
hemp seeds
millet
sliced almonds (or another nut)
sesame seeds
cinnamon

Set the oven to 375 degrees

mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

add in oil and mix with your hands until all crumbly. stir in chocolate chips and all additions you would like (except frozen berries).

add in yogurt/buttermilk and vanilla. on a floured surface turn out dough in a circle so it's about 7 inches across and 3/4 inch thick (if dough is dry, add in a little more buttermilk or yogurt. it should be slightly wet, but not overly sticky
cut circle into either 6 or 8 scones (depending on how big you want them)

take frozen berries and smooth them into the scones wherever you want them (you can mix the berries into the batter sooner, but then the dough is very cold on your hands, so it's a bit easier to put them in after)
line a baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer the scones to the sheet.

lightly brush the tops of the scones with milk and then sprinkle with sugar.
bake 19-22 minutes until tops are lightly golden and scones are firm to the touch. put on a cooling rack.

eat with a big smile on your face, and maybe a fruit smoothie :)

enjoy!

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

classic, delicious... yum!

found this recipe online, and they were a hit

ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar. beat in eggs and vanilla. combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. stir in oats and chocolate chips.

drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes. cool on wire racks.

share & enjoy!

Punch

I was asked to bring punch to our family gathering this weekend, and had a hard time finding a good punch recipe online. so many of them were complicated or had all kinds of weird ingredients.

basically i improvised from one that i found online, and everyone at the gathering seemed to really like it, so I thought I'd share it:

Punch:

ingredients:
1 can lemonade
1 can cranberry juice
1 can orange juice
1 can pineapple juice
2L of gingerale

directions:
allow cans to warm up slightly from frozen so that they are easier to mix in, even just running them under some hot water after they have been sitting on the counter for about 15 minutes (or more). Empty cans into punch bowl, and fill each can with water once, and adding that to the punch bowl. Mix so that all frozen chunks of juice are dissolved. Slowly add 2L of ginger ale.

I was thinking of adding some frozen raspberry sherbet, but actually just forgot to.. I did have an ice ring that we added to help keep the punch cool, and it didn't dilute it too much at all, since the juice is still pretty strong.

enjoy!

(was enough for my family of 19)

Thanksgiving Dinner

I have officially made my first thanksgiving dinner

with a lot of guidance from my wise mom (thank you mom!!)
and a lot of help from my sister phoebe

the hardest part of a dinner that big is the timing. once i had the turkey in the oven we had a lot of sitting around time, but within the last 1/2 hour before you serve dinner, there are a million things to get done! but it went off with a success.

For our meal we had: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, cooked carrots, garlic green beans, corn, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, and "relax" red & white wines. delicious.

Thanksgiving Turkey:

I bought a frozen turkey.. next time I think I would buy FRESH as it takes away the task of defrosting the bird. For defrosting, there are 2 methods:

• the refrigerator method: place turkey on a tray on the bottom shelf of refrigerator. allow 10 hours per kg
• cold water method: place turkey (keep the plastic wrapping on) in a large container and cover completely with cold water. change water every hour (annoying i know - trust me, i was up in the night changing the water) but necessary to avoid salmonella  - although, to be honest, in the night I only changed it every 2 hours.. but so far we're all ok!!

Once it is fully thawed, refrigerate immediately and cook within 48 hours.

Use this chart to determine roasting times for your turkey, so you know when to put it into the oven in the morning:

• 6-8lbs (3.0-3.5 kg) - 3-3 1/4 hrs (stuffed); 2 1/2-2 3/4 hrs (unstuffed)
• 8-10lbs (3.5-4.5 kg) - 3 1/4-3 1/2 hrs (stuffed); 2 3/4- 3 hrs (unstuffed)
• 10-12lbs (4.5-5.5 kg) - 3 1/2-3 3/4 hrs (stuffed); 3 -3 1/4 hrs (unstuffed)
• 12-16lbs (5.5-7.0 kg) - 3 3/4-4 hrs (stuffed); 3 1/4- 3 1/2 hrs (unstuffed)
• 16-22lbs (7.0-310.0 kg) - 4-4 1/2 hrs (stuffed); 3 1/2-4 hrs (unstuffed)

Once you have figured out when to start cooking your bird, you should start "prepping" it about 45 minutes before, to allow time to figure out what you're doing!
Put the turkey in your sink, and remove the plastic wrapping. remove any of the "extra" parts (often they come in a bag - the heart, liver, etc) and the neck. I threw these away, but other people use them to make a broth later, or some people eat them. rinse the bird both inside and out, and then hold the bird up so that any extra water in the cavity will drip out. if the turkey is quite wet, pat it dry with a paper towel.

At this point you should have the stuffing made. I just used the "stove top" stuffing that comes in a box. I bought the "seasoned" kind, and chopped up 2 onions, quite fine, and added it to the stuffing. Empty out the contents of the box into a bowl, add the onions and 2 tbsp of butter or margarine. Boil some water, and add the amount that is called for on the box. stir everything together

then spoon into the cavity of the turkey. Put a lot of stuffing in, but don't pack it extremely tight as it will expand. Once you have all the stuffing in, place an end piece of a loaf of bread at the opening and close up the bird. This can be done by poking the legs through a piece of skin (often the turkey comes with the legs tucked into the skin, you can also make a slit in the skin to do this) I also used tooth picks (or skewers if you have) to hold the skin together over the opening, it helps the stuffing to stay in the turkey.

Place the turkey into a roaster, breast side up. pour some water into the roaster, about 2-3 fingers worth - not half of the pan, about an inch or so. The more water, the more you have to use for gravy later, but if you have too much water the flavour of the gravy will be diluted.

sprinkle the turkey generously with seasoning salt and garlic powder.

place lid on the roaster and put into the oven (have the oven rack on the bottom rung) Cook first at 450, for the first 1 1/2 hours, then reduce the oven heat to 350 for the rest of the cooking time. At the 3 hour mark (or with about 45 minutes to go, depending on your cooking time) take the lid off to check that the turkey is browning. If it isn't, take the lid off for the rest of the cooking time. To check if the turkey is done, put a knife into the meatiest part, away from the bone. When you pull it out the juices should be clear. if they are red or pink at all, it is not done yet.

If it is done, put the lid back on, and leave in the oven, but turn the oven off. Take it out once you are ready to carve and eat.

Mashed potatoes:

Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut up into small pieces. Place in a pot, and cover the potatoes completely with cold water. Put on the stove and bring the potatoes to a boil. Add a bit of butter if the water starts boiling over, it will help stop that. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce to medium heat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes). Drain the potatoes, and place in a bowl to mash. Add butter and milk as you go to get your desired consistency. At the end it helps to use a hand mixer to really get the lumps out of the potatoes. Place in an oven safe bowl and keep in the oven (still turned off) to keep warm with the turkey until you are ready to eat.

Gravy:

Take the drippings from the bottom of the roaster and place in a pot on the stove. In a separate container (like a tall plastic sour cream container) place 1 cup flour and fill the container 2/3 full of water. Cover and shake until well blended and no lumps. Set aside. Bring the drippings to a boil, once boiling, begin to add the flour/water mixture slowly, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Add the flour/water mixture until you get the consistency you want. If it's too thick, add more drippings. If too thin, add more flour/water mixture.

Cooked carrots:

Place carrots in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover. Boil about 10 minutes, checking that they don't get too soft. Once they are soft, with still a slight crisp to the middle, drain and serve.

Garlic Green Beans:

I used frozen green beans, place beans in a pot with a small amount of water (normally there is a ratio of beans to water on the package). Once cooked through, drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt about 2 tbsp of butter and add 2-3 tsp (or more) of minced garlic, and allow to sauté for about a minute. Add the green beans and stir on the stove until evening coated and nicely warmed. Remove from heat and serve.

Both the cranberry sauce, and the corn were from cans. So, I take no credit for that, other than opening the cranberry sauce and putting in a bowl, and heating the corn in the microwave :)

Get everything on the table, have everyone sit down, pour yourself a glass of red or white, sit back, enjoy and give thanks.

oh, and have a slice of pie or two after, just so you're really full :)

pumpkin pie

my goal was to make a traditional thanksgiving meal this year

which included a pumpkin pie, especially for my father in law (i'm more of a chocolate pie kinda girl)

Pumpkin pie is actually quite simple, especially if you use some handy products that are out there!

Here is my recipe:

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust

1 Can of Pumpkin Pie Filling (different than just pumpkin puree)

1 egg

1/3 cup (75 mL) evaporated milk

Directions:

Let the pie crust sit on the counter for 15 minutes before rolling out and placing in pie plate (glass is recommended) Go around the edges with both index fingers, pinching the dough together between your fingers. Poke the sides and bottom of the crust with a fork.

In a medium bowl, beat one egg lightly. Add the pumpkin pie filling and the evaporated milk. Blend everything together. Pour filling into the pie shell.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue baking 35 to 45 minutes longer, until a knife inserted in centre comes out clean. 

Cool.

Top with whip cream, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and... enjoy!!

beef samosas with dipping sauce

samosas are one of my favourite treats
i like to get a few and eat them for supper - so i thought i should take the time to try and make them myself :)
first try is pretty successful if i do say so myself!

ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled & chopped into small pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf, crushed
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (i omitted this, because i had a cilantro overdose in guatemala, and don't love it much now)
2 tbsp chopped green chill peppers (i forgot to buy this.. so omitted it but I think it would've added some needed spice!)

dough:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp water

Directions:
Dough:
Mix all ingredients together with your fingers until it forms a dough. Add tiny bit more water if needed (i needed quite a bit more water)
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until smooth.
Wrap in plastic and put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes

Filling:
bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. stir in potatoes and peas. cook until potatoes are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. drain and set aside

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil. brown cumin seeds and bay leaf. mix in onions and ground beef. cook until beef is evenly brown and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. mix in garlic.

Add all the seasonins (ginger, paper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chill powder, cinnamon and cardamom) and stir.

add the potatoes and peas.

Roll out the dough and cut into squares. place a spoonful (or two) into the middle of the dough

then pull the corners into the middle, pinch so that all 4 corners are tight together. then press the sides of the dough together to close them tightly. place on a greased pan, and then brush the samosas with melted butter.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or more, until lightly golden brown.

serve with this sauce:

The Dipping Sauce*:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Heat to boiling, then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. it will reduce slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with hot samosas.

*I'm not convinced this is the best, or right sauce, but it'll do :)