Cheddar Garlic Twice Baked Potatoes

Let's be honest and just call this "comfort food week". :-) I really don't eat or make potatoes a lot much to mrboilermakers dislike. I just really don't think of adding a starch to the meal often, I am normally focused on protein and veggie.

For this recipe I started out old school. I have in my possession a very old copy of the "red and white bible"--you know the one. The Betty Crocker Red and White checked cookbook. This one was my mothers that I remember her head always being in when I was little. After she passed away, I made sure that it came home with me. Much to my dismay, this recipe that I remember from childhood sounded nasty. It had hardly any seasoning and you were supposed to put american cheese slices on top? EWWW. It also was going to take almost 2 hours to cook!!! Not in this kitchen.

I basically had to scratch my old school plan and make my own. I did use the general idea to get started (that counts for something). I microwaved the potatoes to cook them through (saving 30 minutes) and I added lots of sharp cheddar and garlic to give these potatoes some flavor!

On a side note: do you ever get nervous spelling potato? I always feel I am one step away from a Dan Quayle moment. Must be the Indiana girl in me. :-)



Garlic Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

3-4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 80z. container of sour cream
1 16 oz. package of shredded sharp cheddar--or your favorite cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Poke the potatoes with a fork and cook according to your microwave directions. I cooked three and it took 14 minutes on high power. Let sit for 5 minutes afterward--they will continue cooking as they cool. There is NO reason to bake the potatoes in the oven for this recipe. They will be baked later and get all the same flavor.

Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon.




Make sure to leave some flesh on the sides to hold the shape of the potato and create a boat type shape as pictured below.



In an electric mixer combine: insides of potatoes, sour cream, 1 cup of the sharp cheddar, minced garlic and a healthy dose of salt and pepper.



Mix on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes--until all lumps are gone and mix is fully combined. Remember these are white potatoes--you will need a good amount of S&P to provide good flavor. Taste for seasoning.



Line a baking pan with the potato shells. Scoop the filling into each shell. They will be heaping and that is good. I do not use a pastry bag and tip for this step. This is rustic home cooking and I feel like the piping tip makes these look like you took them out of the freezer section and turns this simple dish into a messy process. (To each his own though and feel free to pipe away if you so desire) Liberally sprinkle the potatoes with the remainder of the cheddar.



Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and potatoes have some golden brown color.



The garlic gives these potatoes such a delicious flavor and adds so much. The sharp cheddar really adds a bite and the sour cream just finishes it off. I love these things.

Alternative: If you are a meat eater--make these "loaded" like a potato skin by sprinkling with crip bacon crumbles and chives. You could even add a small dollop of sour cream. ENJOY!

The BEST Chocolate Turtle Brownies

I KNOW, I KNOW...this blog is about healthy eating with less fat. In my defense, I am pregnant and I haven't made these brownies the entire time (that is over 23 weeks people) and I gave in to the craving.
I am also divulging one of my best kept secret recipes. This is by far my most requested recipe by family and friends. It is my "go to" recipe when I have to bring a dessert to anything. Homemade brownies seem so special and only you and I will know how easy they really are! The best part...only ONE bowl to clean up. You heard me correctly...homemade brownies while only dirtying one bowl!

If you are not a fan of turtle brownies: This is a great base for any favorite brownie. They are great plain sprinkled with powdered sugar, frosted, you name it. Get creative!



Chocolate Turtle Brownies

1 12 oz. package of Ghiardelli semi-sweet chips (bittersweet are great too), divided in half
1 stick of real butter, cut into small pieces
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla extract (I usually am very generous with this and go for a full TBSP)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 small jar of Caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350 and spray 9x13 baking pan

Melt 1 cup of the chocolate and butter in a heavy sauce pan over low heat. Stir until melted.


Remove from heat and stir in the eggs. Add: flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla extract. Stir all ingredients until fully blended.

Spread batter in pan and sprinkle with walnuts and remaining chips.


Bake 20 minutes--tooth pick will be a little sticky

Drizzle with caramel sauce and let cool in pan. I typically drizzle with a little more sauce when serving.





To make this better than any brownie dessert you have had at a restaurant--serve warm topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. You will thank me for this recipe!

"Black" and Blue Salad

One of my favorite restaurant salads is the Black and Blue salad. It is the worst one for you by far! Beef, high fat creamy dressing all the cheese plus blue cheese. I knew I had to make a better for you version and I have succeeded. You will not miss the meat when you bite into these warm and hearty portabellos!

"Black" and Blue Salad

Ingredients
Portabello mushroom, sliced in strips (one bello per person)
Romaine hearts, chopped (4-5 full leaves per person)
tomato, diced (1/2 tomato per person)
avocado, diced (1/2 per person)
Blue cheese
Grill seasoning
Cooking spray
Your favorite low fat or fat free vinaigrette (I am using my fav: Whole Foods Brand Organic Blueberry vinaigrette)

Spray the bellos with cooking spray and grill seasoning and saute until reduced and a nice dark brown color. The grill seasoning is key. It gives the hearty bellos more of the steak flavor. I promise--you will not miss the beef!

While cooking load up plates with greens, avocado, tomato, and a sprinkle of blue cheese.


Top with the hot bellos and your favorite dressing. Serve immediately. You want the bellos to be hot and steamy!


It is just that simple to make a restaurant quality dinner salad in minutes that is delicious and so much better for you! Enjoy!

It is Nacho Time!

Just in time for the Sweet 16! We ate these nachos watching the games last weekend. They were really good and the best part is that I didn't feel "bad" after eating them. No greasy bar food for us! My husband enjoyed them with a Goose Island 312 (his fav Chicago beer) and I of course had water. Bailey had seconds so you know they were tasty!

I love the contrast of flavors, colors and textures here and the fact that these nachos were put together in roughly 10 minutes. Who doesn't have 10 minutes to make a healthy dinner or snack?

Game Day Veggie Nachos

Ingredients
Tortilla chips of your choosing, I used Guiltless Gourmet Black Bean
1 can of black beans, drained rinsed and microwaved for about 2 minutes
1 can of whole kernel corn, micro'd from about 2 minutes
1 avocado, chopped
1 head of romaine hearts chopped (or lettuce of choice)
1 lime cut in 8ths for squeezing on top and garnish
handful of cilantro, chopped for garnish

Pico de Gallo
2 tomatos, diced
1/2 small white onion
1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
handful of cilantro, chopped

Cheese Sauce
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour (I used whole wheat)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1. Chop and get all ingredients ready. I serve them in bowls so everyone can make their own
nachos.

2. For the pico--prep each ingredient as stated above and simply mix together in a bowl. This can be done ahead of time to let the flavors meld, but is also good straight away.
You could take help from the store and purchase pico for this.

3. To make the cheese sauce--Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and cayenne (leave out the cayenne if you want this sauce mild). After mixed well add in the milk all at once and keep stirring until thick and bubbly. Cook for one minute after mixed. Add in the cheese and stir until melted thoroughly. Cheese sauce will start to thicken as it cools so make right before serving. If it seems to thick, put back on the stove and slowly add small amounts of milk until desired consistency. You can definitely use a pre-made cheese sauce from the market but this is a healthier alternative.

4. Get ready to layer them up! I did chips, cheese sauce, black beans, corn, lettuce, avocado, pico and then I garnished with some left over cilantro and lime. Squeeze the lime over the top for some great citrus flavor!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

I have been trying to find a way to make one of my favorite dishes healthier. I knew I needed to remove the breading and the frying for sure. I also wanted to make this a quick dish for dinner during the week so I took some advantages from the store.

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients
1 eggplant sliced into rounds and then quartered
1 box of whole wheat rigatoni, cooked and drained
1 cup of shredded organic mozzarella
2 TBSP of olive oil
Sauce
1 jar of store bought marinara
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
4 leaves of basil

1. Place 2 TBSP of olive oil in a skillet. Heat and add in the eggplant. Turn eggplant quickly to lightly coat with olive oil. Eggplant acts like a sponge and soaks up the olive oil and gets mushy if you let it sit so make sure all pieces get coated as soon as they go in the pan.
   Cook until translucent and lightly browned.
2. In a blender mix all of the ingredients for the sauce until garlic and basil are thoroughly mixed in.
   
3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Mix one ladle full of the sauce into the pasta to keep it moist. Place the pasta on the bottom of the pan.
4. Layer with the eggplant and then the sauce.
   
5. Top the dish with the shredded cheese.
   
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes--making sure cheese is golden and bubbly.
   

Alternative:
Use cooked lasagna noodles. Cut the eggplant lengthwise to fit the noodles and layer the dish as follows: noodles, eggplant, sauce, noodles, eggplant, sauce, cheese. Same baking time. Enjoy!

Easy Entertaining with Caprese Salad Crostini

Need something fast to put together for company? Try this! It looks gourmet and takes a few minutes to toss together. My husband loves caprese salad and I am not a big fan. It is a texture thing--soft cheese, soft tomato--I need some crunch. Serving it on a crostini gives the texture and transforms it into finger food for your next party. Make sure to make these right before serving since the tomato is sitting right on the bread.

Caprese "Salad" Crostini

Ingredients (makes six crostinis)
1 red vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 fresh mozzarella ball, sliced length wise
6 basil leaves, ribbon sliced
6 small ciabatta slices
olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper

1. Brush both sides of the ciabatta bread with olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper. Rub the garlic clove over each slice. Grill in frying pan until toasted on each side. (as if you were making grilled cheese)
   
2. Prepare your toppings so that assembly is quick and easy when you are ready.
   
3. Top in this order--crostini, tomato slice, mozzarella slice, salt and pepper to taste preference, basil ribbons and a drizzle of olive oil.
   

PRODUCT RAVE--Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme

YUM! If you remember marshmallow fluff from your childhood, you will love this as much as my family does. It is vegan and gluten free made from brown rice syrup. I could eat this on everything! My husbands favorite way to eat it is a peanut butter fluff sandwich. I have been enjoying it as a topping for fruit. It was delicious on those Vegan Banana Muffins I posted yesterday!

I found it at my local South Loop Whole Foods in the Baking section--with the pie crusts and regular marshmallows. Hope you enjoy!