Two Ways with Potato Skins

Not long ago, I posted a recipe for Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes. While enjoying our dinner, my clever husband was inspired by a brilliant idea: prepare the potatoes per the recipe linked above, but change the filling ingredients from dinner to breakfast foods. John’s brain child simmered on the back burner for a few weeks, and finally became a tangible reality a few evenings ago.

Scrambled Eggs & Bacon Potato Skin

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 large russet potato
• extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices center cut bacon
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/4 cup finely shredded cheese (I used a cheddar/monterey jack blend)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Scrub and dry potato.  Drizzle about 1/2 tsp of olive oil over potato, 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 minutes. Crumble and set aside.
4. When the potato is cooked through, allow it to cool on a cutting board for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut just the very top off of the potato and chop the “top” into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
5. Scoop out most of the potato flesh from the skin, leaving enough so that the potato “boat” retains its shape, and reserve the flesh for another use.
6. Sprinkle in 1/2 of the shredded cheese.
7. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl.
8. Add the eggs to the skillet, and scramble until the eggs are almost set. Add in the bacon and potato pieces. Stir gently to mix the ingredients together and to finish cooking the eggs.
9. Spoon the egg/bacon/potato mixture into the potato skin. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

John’s creative concept and my exceptional cooking skills, (note the sarcasm… this recipe is super simple and requires very little effort), combined to make a tasty meal.

Although I loved John’s idea for a breakfast-themed potato skin, I was in the mood for a jazzed-up sweet potato skin. Instead of eggs and bacon, I filled my sweet potato skin with tangy goat cheese, buttery walnut pieces, and tart dried cherries.

I could easily eat this simple meal once a week!

Sweet Potato Skin with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and Dried Cherries

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
• 2 Tbsp toasted walnut pieces
• 2 Tbsp dried cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Scrub and dry potato.  Drizzle about 1/2 tsp of olive oil over potato, and rub over the entire surface. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place directly onto the oven rack, and bake for 40 minutes.
3. When the potato is cooked through, allow it to cool on a cutting board for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut just the very top off of the potato. Set aside.
4. Scoop out most of the potato flesh from the skin, and reserve the flesh for another use. [Sweet potato skins don't retain their shape as well as russet potato skins, so it might be a bit floppy].
5. Add on the goat cheese, walnut pieces, and dried cherries.

Baked Stuffed Apples

Weather-wise, today was the quintessential New England autumn day.  The impeccable blue sky provided a pristine canvas for the vibrant flames of foliage, which are just about at their seasonal peak. The cool and crisp breeze was the perfect partner for the warm sunshine. I want to bottle up days like today to open whenever I please.

As a gustatory celebration of the glorious weather, I consulted my list of collected fall-inspired meals. The one that immediately caught my eye was Nicole’s baked apples. I loved her idea of adding a dollop of creamy peanut butter atop the stuffed apples, and set out to make my own version based on the ingredients we had on hand.

Initially, I had no intention of posting my version of this recipe… so the following measurements are approximations. I basically tossed the ingredients together, tasting along the way. The baked apple turned out so beautifully, however, that I couldn’t help but snap a few photos of it. After tasting the first delectable bite, it was obvious that I needed to share this version with the blog world.

A big THANK YOU to Nicole for inspiring this recipe!

Baked Stuffed Apple

inspired by Nicole of Healthy Chow

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 large apple (I used a Honey Crisp, which stood up very well to the baking process)
• 3 Tbsp rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1-2 Tbsp dried cranberries or raisins
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin butter or apple butter
• drizzle of canola oil
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375* F.
2. Using either an apple corer or a sharp knife, remove the core and seeds of the apple, making sure you leave the base of the apple intact.
3. Use a spoon to scoop out a bit of the apple flesh, so that you have a decent-sized cavity to fill.
4. Mix together the rolled oats through canola oil, and stuff snugly into the hollowed-out apple. It’s fine to mound some of the filling mixture on top of the apple.
5. Place stuffed apple into a pan filled with about 2 inches of water, and bake for 25-30 minutes (25 for a crisper apple, 30 for a softer apple).
6. Cut the baked apple in half, and top with the peanut butter.

Pumpkin & Apple Butter Pie with Maple Cookie Crust

If asked to name my favorite kind of pie, it would be a toss-up between apple and pumpkin. Two classic fall favorites, I have a tough time choosing one over the other. Given this predicament, I decided to combine flavors of both into one flavorful and aromatic pie.

My hope was that, with the addition of a crust comprised of crushed maple sandwich cookies, this pie would be good enough to put smiles on apple and pumpkin lovers alike.  I must admit that I was a tad disappointed with certain aspects of the pie; namely, I could barely discern any apple flavor and the cookie crust turned a bit mushy.  Regardless, the positive qualities outweigh the negative. The cookie crust is a sweet canvas for the autumn-spiced filling. The combination of apple and pumpkin butters with pumpkin puree yields a velvety smooth filling that would also be delicious sans crust.

This recipe needs a little tweaking, but I wanted to share my “rough draft” with you.  I would recommend nixing the cookie crust, and either baking the filling alone or pouring it into a traditional pie crust.  I’m not giving up on the idea of using sandwich cookies as a pie crust… any tips would be greatly appreciated!

*Edited to Add* ~ I stole a quick bite of the pie this morning, after having chilled in the fridge overnight. The crust hardened and was much closer to a traditional crust consistency.

Pumpkin & Apple Butter Pie with Maple Cookie Crust

Pie filling loosely adapted from this recipe

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup evaporated skim milk

Crust Ingredients:

• 10 maple sandwich cookies (I used Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Cookies… if you can’t find these, vanilla sandwich cookies will suffice)
• 3 Tbsp melted butter or margarine
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin butter

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Remove to a medium bowl. To the cookie crumbs, add the melted butter and pumpkin butter. Mix with a fork until the ingredients are fully combined. Spoon the crust mixture into a pie pan, and smooth evenly using a rubber spatula (the mixture may be a bit sticky, but with a little patience, it will spread). Bake the crust for 8 minutes, and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 filling ingredients (through the pumpkin pie spice). Stir in the lightly beaten eggs and evaporated skim milk. Pour mixture over the cooled crust and bake the pie for 40 minutes, or until set. Let cool before cutting and serving.

*Edited to Add* ~ Chill the pie completely for a sturdier/crispier crust consistency.

Pumpkin Oat Pudding

I had planned to make a comforting pot of pumpkin rice pudding on this dreary Sunday afternoon, but changed directions a bit when I remembered a recent culinary discovery. A few weeks ago, I made Hannah’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream from her ecookbook entitled “A La Mode“.  After whisking together on the stovetop a mixture of ground rolled oats, soymilk, brown sugar, and a few other ingredients, this vegan ice “cream” base took on a thick pudding-like consistency. It was delicious straight from the pot, but I went ahead and followed the steps for churning it into a tasty frozen treat. I tucked the idea of making the recipe again, (minus the freezing directions), into the back of my mind, and just recalled today how wonderful the oat “pudding” tasted.

I played around with the ingredients of the original recipe, adding pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to the mix as well as cutting down a bit on the margarine. The resulting spice-flecked, orange-hued oat pudding ended up just as I imagined it would: creamy, sweet, and comforting. If you like oatmeal for breakfast and pudding for dessert, you’ll love this hybrid of the two!

Pumpkin Oat Pudding

inspired by Hannah’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream, as linked above

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk of choice (I used plain soymilk)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, measured first then pulsed in a food processor until finely ground (but not quite to flour consistency – you want some texture)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together the milk, ground oats, pumpkin puree, salt, spices, and sugar.
2. Set over medium heat, and slowly whisk until a thick consistency is reached and bubbles begin to break on the surface.
3. Remove from heat and stir in butter or margarine and vanilla extract.
4. Serve warm, or proceed to step 5.
5. Pour mixture into a large bowl, lay a piece of waxed paper directly onto the pudding (in order to keep a “skin” from forming), and let cool. Refrigerate and serve.

Apple Streusel Muffins

The word “streusel” automatically conjures an image of a sugar- & fat-laden baked good that of course tastes wonderful, but is certainly not the healthiest choice for breakfast. That being said, don’t let the name of these muffins deter you from enjoying them with your morning cup of coffee or tea. The streusel that tops these moist little muffins is comprised of two whole grains and a mere two tablespoons each of brown sugar and canola oil, rather than the typical white flour and hefty amount of white sugar and butter.

Although these muffins have only a negligible amount of sugar and fat, they are full of flavor.  Pieces of fresh apple are nestled into a lightly sweetened cinnamon- and nutmeg-scented batter.  The combination of oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour yields muffins with both a tender consistency and a stellar nutritional profile. Homemade spiced apple butter and pure maple syrup infuse these muffins with an inarguably autumn-worthy taste.

Perfect as a light breakfast or afternoon snack, these Apple Streusel Muffins are also a satisfying after-dinner treat. Gently heat a muffin in the microwave or toaster oven and serve with a dollop of TRUwhip or frozen yogurt for a healthy & tasty dessert.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients for the muffins:

• 1/2 cup oat flour (grind/process rolled oats first, then measure out 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup apple butter (I used my Maple Apple Butter)
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 cups chopped peeled apples

Ingredients for the Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup whole rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tbsp canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375* F. Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the first 8 ingredients (through cloves).
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the next 4 ingredients (through canola oil).
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until the dry ingredients are fully moistened. Stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
5. In a small bowl, combine all of the streusel topping ingredients. Mix with your fingertips until fully combined. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the filled muffin cups.
6. Bake at 375* F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Maple Apple Butter

Most recipes for apple butter call for a hefty amount of added refined sugar, which leaves me feeling perplexed. Autumn’s bountiful fruit boasts such a delightful natural sweetness, that adding mounds of sugar seems unnecessary. For this recipe, fresh apples are first slowly simmered in apple cider until they break down into a luscious sauce, and then later accompanied by a harmony of warm fragrant spices, a bit of pure maple syrup,  and a touch of maple extract. Whether enjoyed warm or cold, as a dip for crisp apple slices or as the finishing touch to a steaming bowl of oatmeal, this maple apple butter will have you reaching for your coziest sweater and a mug of hot mulled cider.

Maple Apple Butter

loosely adapted from Cooking Light’s Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups peeled and diced apples, about 4 medium (I used a variety from my apple picking trip)
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (use the good stuff)
• 1/2 tsp maple extract

Directions:

1. Combine the diced apples and cider in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the apples begin to break down.
2. Puree mixture using either an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.
3. Return apple puree to dutch oven or saucepan, and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apple butter has thickened and smells absolutely divine.

Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Butter, and Apple Sandwich

The latest products I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program were two loaves of Nature’s Pride Bread; one 100% whole wheat loaf, and one 12 grain loaf.  I opted to sample the whole wheat bread first, and enjoyed it with my current favorite sandwich filling.

Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Butter, and Apple Sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 – 3 Tbsp goat cheese, at room temperature for easier mixing and spreading
• 1 tsp pumpkin butter
• ground cinnamon to taste
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 Tbsp chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 of a crisp apple, cored and sliced thin

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the softened goat cheese, pumpkin butter, and cinnamon.
2. Stir in the dried cranberries and walnuts.
3. Spread on one piece of bread, top with apple slices and the other piece of bread.

There are so many variations you could make on this sandwich filling… any combination of dried fruit, fresh fruit, and nuts would be delicious.

This soft whole wheat bread was the perfect vehicle to carry this particular sandwich filling.  Nature’s Pride 100% Whole Wheat bread is a bread that even non-whole wheat bread fans would enjoy.  It is light in texture and mild in taste, making it ideal for certain preparations (nut butter sandwiches, french toast, grilled cheese etc.).

That being said, I do prefer a denser whole wheat bread when making a hearty turkey or chicken sandwich. The bread falls a bit short with its fiber content, at 3 grams per 110 calorie slice (I try to aim for at least 4 grams per slice), so it may not satiate hunger for as long as other brands of whole wheat bread.

Overall, I’d recommend Nature’s Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bread for lighter sandwiches and applications. I know I’ll be enjoying many more slices slathered with the goat cheese/pumpkin butter spread!

Apples

This post marks the first of what are sure to be many devoted to apples. I managed to bypass the glossy red and green orbs at the grocery store all summer long, preferring to wait for my favorite fall fruit to be in season.  I don’t have my own recipe to share with you quite yet, but I have included some photos from a recent apple picking outing with friends, as well as a few pictures of a crustless Apple Streusel Pie I made with part of my bounty (recipe by one of my favorite bloggers).

This past weekend, my friend and fellow apple enthusiast Shannon arranged a Boston blogger + friends event at Smolak Farms, a scenic “pick your own” farm about 45 minutes north of the city. Other blogger attendees included Elina, Nicole, Kerstin and Kelly.  Shannon’s friend Rebecca, Elina’s friend Katy, Kelly’s boyfriend, and Kerstin’s husband joined in on the festivities.

Despite an overcast sky and an irritating sore throat/cough, I had a great time searching for and picking about 10 pounds of Macoun, Cortland, Macintosh, and Granny Smith apples.

There were plenty of taste tests…

…which instantly transported me back to childhood when my family used to go apple picking. Some of my favorite family photos are of the four us (my mom, dad, older brother, and myself) crouched beneath the low-hanging branches, apples in hand and grinning in the dappled sunshine dribbling through the lush leaves. Although the trees appear much smaller now that I’m grown, the excitement of filling a bag with freshly picked apples has not dwindled.

I inquired about the farm’s growing practices, and though the apples from Smolak aren’t organic, they are sprayed with 25% less pesticides than those at most orchards. Apples are typically on the top of my list of produce to buy organically, but I made a concession for these locally grown beauties.

I picked just enough Granny Smiths to make…

Hannah’s crustless Apple Streusel Pie from her ecookbook Mission: Impossible Pies, which I baked just a few hours after returning home from the orchard.

This scrumptious and comforting dessert was a perfect hybrid of apple pie and apple crisp.

Slightly tart Granny Smiths are ideal in pies, and these incredibly fresh green apples paired beautifully with the thick applesauce batter and crumbly brown sugar streusel topping.

I couldn’t have chosen a better first dish to make with my stash of apples.  What to make next?

No-Recipe Autumn Quesadillas

You might be asking yourself what I mean by “no-recipe”… quite simply, this meal doesn’t rely on specific measurements for any of the ingredients. You have the flexibility to go heavy on the goat cheese or heavy on the roasted vegetables. Or, like I did, you can go heavy on both. In terms of the yogurt-pumpkin dip, I recommend starting with 1/4 cup of yogurt per person and adding enough of the additional ingredients until you are satisfied with the resulting taste.

Regardless of the amounts you decide to use, the combination of flavors in these quesadillas are sure to put you in the mood for autumn. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin puree are three ingredients I heavily rely upon this time of year for a variety of dishes. When combined together in one meal, these three orange vegetables create an incredible flavor sensation.

Caramelized Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Pumpkin-Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

• cubed peeled butternut squash and sweet potato
• extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• whole wheat tortillas
• goat cheese, at room temperature for easier spreading
• 2% plain greek yogurt
• pumpkin puree
• pumpkin butter
• ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss the squash and potato cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Roast for 40 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring once mid-way through. Let cool slightly.
2. Spread the softened goat cheese onto the entire surface of the tortilla(s), and top 1/2 of the tortilla(s) with the caramelized vegetables.
3. Close the tortilla(s) like a book, and cook over medium-high heat (in a skillet or an indoor grill) for 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Meanwhile, combine the greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, pumpkin butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
5. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges, and serve with the pumpkin-yogurt dip.