Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

During a recent trip to visit John’s parents in Connecticut, my in-laws put together an impressive steak house-inspired dinner. Amongst the delicious offerings were twice baked potatoes… one of my favorite cool-weather comfort foods. A few uncooked potatoes made their way home with us, and I set to work creating my own recipe.

I decided to showcase my twice baked potatoes as the main event at tonight’s dinner, rather than as a side dish. Therefore, I loaded the potato skins with broccoli and bacon to give them more sustenance. The generously seasoned crispy skins were every bit as delicious as the flavorful creamy filling, and the gooey melted cheese topped with tangy greek yogurt was the ideal finishing touch.

Served with a light salad, these loaded twice baked potatoes proved to be a fantastic evening meal!

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium/large russet potatoes
• extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices center cut bacon
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 – 7 oz container plain 2% greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or monterey jack

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Scrub and dry potatoes. Pierce each potato in a few places with the tines of a fork. Drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil over both potatoes, and rub over the entire surface. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place directly onto the oven rack, and bake for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the bacon slices between layers of paper towel for 2 1/2 minutes. Crumble and set aside.
4. Steam the broccoli florets until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Chop and set aside.
5. When the potatoes are cooked through, allow them to cool on a cutting board for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut just the very top off of each potato and reserve the “tops”. Scoop out most of the potato flesh from the skin, leaving enough so that the potato “boat” retains its shape, and mash the flesh in a large bowl.
6. Season the inside of the hollowed-out potato skin with salt and pepper to taste.
7. To the mashed potatoes, add the butter or margarine, 3/4 of the yogurt, the chopped broccoli florets, and the crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the potato skins on the lined baking sheet.
9. Scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins and top with the shredded cheese. Add the reserved potato tops to the sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the potato mixture is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Top with the remaining yogurt.

Tex Mex “Jambalaya”

One of the obvious perks of being employed by a school is being able to relish the work-free days of summer vacation.  Of particular interest to me during these past summer months was planning, shopping for, and preparing meals with no time constraints to dictate the types of dishes I made.  Now that I’m back at work, I have to fit meal planning and cooking into my budgeted time.

This meal came together on a mid-week night for which I had no set dinner plan (unusual for me).  While standing in front of our pantry, the first item to catch my eye was a pouch of microwaveable Kashi whole grain rice pilaf. A quick inventory of the fridge and freezer contents revealed numerous Tex Mex ingredients, and the culinary wheels in my brain began to turn.

I love meals that come together by tossing a melange of ingredients together in one pot. Although this spicy and flavorful rice dish doesn’t exactly fit the traditional definition of Jambalaya, it contains some of the key components of the Creole classic… and is every bit as tasty.

Tex Mex “Jambalaya”

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch microwaveable whole grain rice (such as Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 links pre-cooked jalapeno chicken sausage, chopped
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 seeded jalapeno, minced
• 1/2 large beefsteak tomato, chopped, plus any accumulated tomato juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp salsa of choice
• guacamole*
• 2% greek yogurt, or sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add in the chicken sausage, corn, and jalapeno, and saute until the sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the tomato and juice, and reduce heat to medium.
5. Add in the microwaved rice, cumin, salsa, and salt & pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.
6. Serve topped with guacamole and greek yogurt.

*Guacamole

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 Tbsp minced red onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• 1/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

I enjoy sweet potatoes throughout all four seasons, but find myself craving the orange-fleshed root vegetable with particular intensity during autumn. If you ask me, roasting is the ideal cooking method for achieving perfectly sweet, slightly caramelized pieces of sweet potato.

Another food I seek during cool evenings is warm, creamy, and comforting risotto. A bit time-consuming, but not as labor-intensive as it’s reputation suggests, risotto is an impressive one-pot meal that is sure to satisfy everyone at your dinner table. I love to experiment with various ingredient additions, and the combination of flavors in this recipe was a definite success.

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• olive oil cooking spray
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 – 14 ounce can vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 ounce goat cheese
• 1 fresh sage leaf, minced (or more if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat the sweet potato pieces with olive oil cooking spray and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
2. Roast sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, stirring once. Set aside.
3. Combine the broth and water in a small saucepan over low heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to saucepan, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add rice and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the onion and garlic, and saute for 1 minute.
6. Pour in the wine, and cook until it is absorbed into the rice, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add in 1/2 cup of the broth/water mixture, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Lower heat to medium/medium-high.
8. Add remaining broth/water, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of liquid is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total).
9. Add the roasted sweet potato, goat cheese, and minced sage. Stir to combine and serve.

Pumpkin Date Yeast Bread

About a month ago I made Hannah Kaminsky’s Cinnamon-Swirled Banana Sandwich Bread from her ecookbook entitled “Lunch Box Bites” (available for affordable purchase on her blog BitterSweet).  I was blown away by how wonderful this vegan yeast bread turned out: flavorful, soft, and light; the perfect vehicle for all varieties of nut butter! Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, and this bread conveniently has the sweet banana flavor baked right into it.

I was so impressed by the outcome of the banana yeast bread that I brainstormed what other traditional quick breads could be adapted into a yeast version. Given my current preoccupation with pumpkin, making a pumpkin yeast bread seemed to be an appropriate venture. I used Hannah’s recipe as a starting point, and made the necessary substitutions and additions to create my own recipe for pumpkin date yeast bread.

The aroma of the freshly baked bread was nothing short of tantalizing, which made it difficult to be patient while the bread cooled on the countertop. Upon cutting the first slice, I was greeted by a bright yellowy-orange hued bread studded with pieces of dried dates and swirled with a spiced sugar mixture. The bread turned out moist and flavorful, with a triple hint of sweetness from the maple syrup, dates, and sugar swirl.

Hearty enough to spread with your favorite nut butter (or with the goat cheese, date, and pecan mixture from this recipe) as a portable lunch, this bread is also sweet enough to morph into french toast for a special breakfast or to enjoy toasted as a comforting snack.

Pumpkin Date Yeast Bread

yields 15 servings

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup skim (or soy) milk
• 2 1/4 tsp (or 1 packet) active dry yeast
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp butter (or margarine), melted
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp pure maple extract
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 – 2 cups bread flour
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates
• canola oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until warm but not hot. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until frothy.
2. Pour the  yeast-milk mixture into a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), along with the pumpkin puree, melted butter (or margarine), both extracts, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
3. With the dough hook attached to the stand mixer, add in the salt, and then the flour – about 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until each addition is incorporated before adding in the next. Start by using all of the whole wheat pastry flour and a total of 1 cup bread flour, and then add the remaining bread flour, 1/4 cup at a time, if the dough is too sticky (I used a total of 1 1/2 cups bread flour). Allow the mixer to knead the dough (or manually knead the dough) at the lowest speed for about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped dates and knead for an additional 2 minutes or so.
4. Lightly coat a large, clean bowl with the cooking spray. Shape the dough by hand into a smooth ball, and place it into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm area for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick, ensuring that the short ends don’t exceed 8 1/2 inches in length.
6. Combine the evaporated cane juice, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Starting with a short end, roll the dough up tightly. Place the loaf seam-side down into a greased 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. Coat the top of the loaf with cooking spray, cover, and let it rise for about an hour.
7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the bread for 35 – 40 minutes, until it turns golden brown and is cooked all the way through. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, and cut into 15 slices.

Warm Fruited Quinoa and Spinach Salad

I have a bit of a split personality when it comes to food cravings during the last days of summer and the first days of fall.  At the first sign of a brisk chill in the air, I seek out warm and satisfying – yet still light and healthy – meals. It can be tough to find a recipe that fulfills all of those qualities simultaneously, so I set out to come up with one of my own.  My aim was to strike a balance between satisfying my desire for hearty autumn fare and my unwillingness to veer away from fresh summer produce.  The result was a delicious and comforting combination of healthful ingredients that quickly came together in one pot. Easy, simple, filling, and tasty!

Another perk of this recipe is the flexibility of ingredients it offers.  Sub in an apple for the nectarine, dried cranberries or raisins for the dried apricots, and walnuts or pecans for the almonds.

Warm Fruited Quinoa and Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 3 big handfuls baby spinach (about 5 cups)
• 1 nectarine, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup leftover roasted sweet potato pieces, optional
• 3 Tbsp slivered almonds
• 3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, divided

Directions:

1. Combine quinoa with 1 cup of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, and 1/2 tsp of the Kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. When the quinoa is done, (the water should be fully absorbed), add the rest of the ingredients – including the remaining 1/2 tsp salt – into the pot. Keeping the pot on the burner, stir the salad contents together until the spinach just begins to wilt, the fruit is warmed through, and the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, drizzle on the dressing, and toss to combine.
5. Serve warm.

Pumpkin-Spiced Fig & Date Bars

Although we’re still a couple of weeks away from the official start of fall, I find myself craving foods with autumnal flavors. One of my all-time favorite fall-inspired ingredients is pumpkin. Nothing screams autumn to me like this seasonal vegetable, and I look for any excuse to incorporate it into a recipe this time of year.

These snack bars blend the flavors of naturally sweet dried fruit with warm spices typically paired with pumpkin (i.e. cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg).  The chewy oatmeal crust offers a hearty canvas for the spiced pumpkin and dried fruit filling. Both components are lightly sweetened with agave nectar, although pure maple syrup would make a delicious substitution. They make for a healthful dessert when slightly warmed and paired with vanilla frozen yogurt, and are perfect served unadorned for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.

Pumpkin-Spiced Fig & Date Bars

adapted from FatFree Vegan Kitchen’s Skinny Figgy Bars

Ingredients for the crust:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup oat flour (toss a bunch of rolled oats into your food processor, pulse until a flour texture has formed, then measure out 3/4 cup)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce*
• 3 Tbsp. agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp water

*For a crispier crust, reduce the amount of applesauce to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of canola oil. This substitution will obviously increase the calorie content, but will also result in a more rich & dessert-like bar.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 8-10 (depending on size) dried Turkish figs, stems removed
• 8-10 (depending on size) soft medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Combine the dry crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
3. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking pan with canola oil cooking spray.
4. Spoon the crust mixture into the prepared pan, and spread it out evenly over the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan to form a crust. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes, or until just barely browned and crisp. Let cool for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the dried figs and dates into a food processor. Pulse until a sticky paste forms. Add in the remaining filling ingredients and process until well mixed.
6. Spread the filling mixture evenly into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Building A Healthier Burger

Happy Labor Day! Although I’ve been back at work (in the special education department at a suburban high school) for a week already, this weekend marks the last official “hurrah” of summer. The mornings up here in Boston have turned cool and fall is right around the corner, but the afternoons and early evenings are full of bright, warm sunshine.

What better way to take advantage of the gorgeous weather than to grill a couple of burgers while soaking up the rays? I don’t often crave red meat, and we rarely have it in the house, but Labor Day weekend just begs to be celebrated with a juicy burger in one hand and a cold beer in the other (or, as was the case for the monstrosity in the photo, with two hands wrapped around a burger). I have a few tips to offer in terms of building a healthier, yet still delicious, burger for an occasion such as this:

1. Start with lean(er) meat. Lean ground turkey and chicken breast meat make for a great burger, but if you’re not willing to deviate from red meat, pick up some bison patties. Bison meat has a decadent flavor, but is leaner than beef (just be advised that they require a shorter amount of grilling time).
2. Buy 100% whole wheat burger buns rather than regular white flour ones. They boast more fiber (which keeps you full for longer), as well as better flavor and texture (in my opinion). I’ve also been known to omit the top of the bun to simultaneously save a few calories and be able to better taste the meat and toppings.
3. If, like me, you think a cheeseburger outshines a regular burger, opt for 50% reduced fat cheese. Choosing a reduced fat sharp cheese, such as cheddar, allows you to enjoy the rich taste with less calories and fat.
4. When it comes to condiments, choose wisely:

• Even just a little glob of mayonnaise is loaded with calories and saturated fat. Avocados are a wonderful stand-in, with healthy fat and a creamy consistency.
• Top your burger with organic ketchup without HFCS. Or, better yet, opt for a juicy slice of ripe tomato for a dose of lycopene without any added sugar.
• This one isn’t quite as important, but dark green lettuce (such as romaine) always beats watery iceberg. Always.

And there you have it… a few suggestions for “beefing up” your burger with healthier ingredients.

Now, get grillin’!

An Old Favorite, Revamped

Rice crispy treats. Crispy and gooey at the same time. Sweet, but not overly so.  A childhood favorite of mine despite (or maybe due to) the fact that my health-minded parents never had them in our house. Of course, I’m thanking them now for instilling in me their healthy eating habits.

Although my food philosophy has changed since I used to enjoy those crispy treats, my taste for cereal-based, marshmallowy bars has not. I decided to swap the traditional Rice Krispies, butter, refined sugar and marshmallows with an all-natural whole grain cinnamon cereal, all-natural marshmallow cream, and vegan margarine; as well as adding in the non-traditional ingredients of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Not exactly health food, these bars are more of an occasional indulgent treat; however, the ingredients surpass those of traditional rice crispy treats both in quality and taste. I dare you to try them and not be instantly transported back to childhood!

Cinnamon Crispy Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-natural whole grain cinnamon cereal (such as Cascadian Farm Organic Kids Cinnamon Crunch or Three Sisters Cinnamon Sweets)
• generous 1 cup all-natural marshmallow cream (such as Ricemellow Creme)
• 2 tsp butter or Earth Balance margarine
• optional add-ins: (1 cup total) chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, nuts, etc.

Directions:

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in the butter or margarine, and heat until just melted.
2. Spoon in the marshmallow cream, and stir until fully incorporated.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the cereal as well as any optional add-ins.
4. Using a rubber spatula, spread the mixture into a 9-inch square pan (or 8-inch pan for thicker bars), pressing down to create an even top.
5. Refrigerate until firm and cut into bars.

Banana Date Walnut Bread

A few months ago I made an impulse purchase at Whole Foods, (this guilty pleasure happens more often than I care to admit), while perusing the baking aisle. I had heard about date sugar before, but did not have a specific recipe in mind for putting it to use. Thus, the package sat in our cupboard, waiting for inspiration to strike… and strike it did!

At the end of a weekend trip to Connecticut, my mother-in-law sent us home with a goody bag of various healthy fare – including a couple of overripe bananas. Add to that the browning bananas waiting at home on our banana hanger, and I had the perfect amount to make banana bread. I wanted to perk up a basic loaf of bread with some yummy add-ins, and medjool dates and walnuts seemed to fit the bill. I figured this was an opportune time to finally open the date sugar gathering dust behind the rest of our baking ingredients. Upon cutting open the bag, I realized that the sugar had clumped together to form one large block (apparently, this happens frequently with date sugar). A quick ride in the food processor solved that snafu in no time!

I was more than pleased with the deliciously sweet flavor that the date sugar lent to the banana bread – the taste is similar to that of brown sugar. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I rarely bake or cook with refined sugar, opting instead for sweeteners such as evaporated cane juice, honey, agave nectar, and pure maple syrup.  I’m thrilled to add date sugar, which is literally very finely chopped and dried dates, to my repertoire of unrefined sweeteners.

The soft medjool dates, crunchy walnuts, and fluffy banana chunks definitely added the “perk” to basic banana bread that I was seeking!

Banana Date Walnut Bread

10-12 servings

loosely adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen’s Blueberry Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 medium overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 medium overripe banana, chopped
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup granulated date sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted medjool dates (about 4 large dates)
• 1 cup oat flour (toss a bunch of rolled oats into a food processor, pulse until a flour texture is achieved, THEN measure out 1 cup)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the 3 mashed bananas with the applesauce and date sugar. Stir until well-mixed. Gently fold in the chopped banana and chopped dates.
3. In a separate medium bowl, mix both types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients in one bowl, stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently fold in the walnut pieces.
5. Spread the thick batter into the the prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before cutting into 10-12 slices.

Have you used date sugar in any recipes?