Broccoli & Cheese Potato Skins

Another Friday night in Trolley = another fun night with the neighbors!  I made these potato skins this past Friday and I think they were really good!  They take a little bit of time between cooking the potatoes; scooping out most of the potatoes and re-stuffing but it's worth it!  I added some bacon to these and decided to saute the broccoli, garlic and red onion before stuffing the potatoes.  The end flavor was really tasty!

(Not a great picture but by the time I remembered to take 1 - they were already half gone!)

Ingredients:
6 whole Russet potatoes
4 tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 red onion, minced
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
5-6 bacon slices
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.  Pierce potatoes a few times with a fork & cook in oven for about 1 hour.  Remove from oven and place on cutting board to cool for about 15 mintues
Meanwhile, cook bacon and place on paper towels to drain excess grease.
Leave about 2-3 tbsp bacon grease in pan and saute red onion.  Add in broccoli and garlic and saute for about 4 - 5 minutes
Once potatoes are cool, use a serrated knife and cut in half.  Scoop out about 80% of the potatoes - leaving a little in the potato skin
Melt butter then brush insides and outsides of potatoes.  Place potatoes on cookie tray and broil them for about 8-10 minutes until the insides of the potatoes get a little brown
Add some of the scooped out potato to the broccoli; onion mixture.  Chop bacon into smaller pieces and add into broccoli mixture.  Stir to combine everything.
Scoop broccoli mixture into potato skin.  Top with shredded cheese & bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Soppressata & Cheese Pastry Bake

If you've read the blog, you know that my neighbors and I have "Friday Appetizers for Dinner" most Friday nights.  This past Friday was no exception, so we held it again!  I made a puff pastry dish that I found here.  While I think it was good, it could use a little more "kick" next time.  I'm thinking of adding a sauce that we found at a restaurant on the Sassafras River (Rockfish Johnnie's Spice Sauce) and I think that will do the trick!  I wish I had a good picture of the appetizer but that will have to be posted next time I make it!

The one thing I'll mention is to be sure you thaw the puff pastry sheets in advance of when you actually want to start cooking!  :-)  (I obviously failed to notice that part of the instructions the first time!)


Ingredients:

• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 12 thin (not paper thin) slices soppressata salami (3 1/2 inches in diameter)
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and lightly roll into a 10-inch square. Place it on the sheet pan and brush the pastry with all the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the soppressata in overlapping layers on the mustard and sprinkle the grated cheese evenly on the soppressata, also avoiding the border. Brush the border with the egg wash.

Lightly roll the second piece of puff pastry into a 10-inch square. Lay the pastry directly on top of the first square, lining up the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash, cut three large slits for steam to escape, and chill for 15 minutes.

When the pastry is cold, trim the edges with a very sharp knife to make a clean edge. Bake the pastry in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once while baking, until puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut in squares, and serve hot or warm

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in a Creamy Avocado Sauce

M bought a big bag of avocados at Costco and a few days later turns to me and asks what we can make with them.  :-)  I started googling recipes and sent him a few to choose from.  He ended up choosing this one and it was fantastic!  They were very filling and would be great to serve when you're having guests!  I wouldn't add the green onion next time but that's just a personal taste thing.

Before the oven

Bubbling and ready to eat

M being creative for a pic of his food

Ingredients:
1 c chicken broth
1 c salsa verde
1/2 c sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 jalapeno, coursely chopped (seeds removed)
1 clove garlice, chopped
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
1 handful cilantro
1/2 lime juice
4 c cooked shredded chicken
2 avocados, diced
2 green onions (I would omit this next time but only because I don't like green onion)
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 c shredded monterey jack cheese
8 (7") tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Puree the chicken broth; salsa verde; sour cream; avocados; jalapeno; garlic; cumin; salt; pepper; cilantro & lime juice in a blender or food processor

Mix half the sauce with the chicken; avocado; green onions & half the cheese

Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with some of the sauce; wrap the chicken and avocado mixture in tortillas and place them in the dish

Top the enchiladas with remaining sauce & cheese.  Bake until the cheese has melted and sides are bubbling - about 15-20 minutes.

Quick Chicken Divan

I was in the mood for a casserole type of dish for B and me last weekend.  I have done this meal before and it always comes out nicely.  It's pretty easy to throw together too.  I made a few changes to the original recipe that I found here:
 - all ingredients were low-fat
 - used fresh broccoli instead of frozen
 - used 1/4 cup low fat sour cream and 1/4 cup low fat mayo instead of all mayo
 - used shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses instead of just cheddar
 - mix all ingredients (except the cheese) in a big bowl then spread in the pan (original recipe calls for layering the ingredients)

Before the oven

All done & ready to eat

Ingredients:
1 medium - large head of broccoli, florets cut into bite sized pieces
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (10.75 oz) can of low fat cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 oz) can of low fat cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c low fat mayo
1/4 c low fat sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese (I mixed in mozzerella cheese too)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix first 7 ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.  Pour into baking dish (coated with Pam).
Top with grated cheese & bake for 35-40 minute over buttered noodles

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I saw these on this site and was waiting for an opportunity to try them. I had a few neighbors over on Sunday evening and thought I'd give these a try.  These have a ton of potential but need a few changes.  They were very soft (mushy) but the flavor was really good.  These would also be good as a meal all on their own (although I served them as an appetizer).

The next time I try them, I won't put them in the boiling water and I would probably add a little Italian bread crumbs to the mixture to avoid the mushy consistency. 

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats (original recipe below...not including my proposed changes)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups quick marinara sauce
4 (31 oz total) medium zucchini
1 tsp oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I replaced this with baby bella mushrooms)
14 oz lean Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing (Al Fresco)
1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella (Polly-O)
8 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute.Remove from water. (I would omit this step next time)

Place 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12" baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up.

In a large saute pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks into smaller pieces until browned; set aside. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes. Combine with sausage and cook a few more minutes.

Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup cooked sausage, pressing firmly. Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce, 1 tablespoon each of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

Mashed Cheesy Cauliflower

I LOVE mashed potatoes...but I realize I shouldn't be eating them in mass quantities.  So, I wanted to try mashed cauliflower.  This recipe calls for adding cheese to thicken up the consistency but eventually I'd like to see if I can cut the calories in this.  It's to die for and honestly, I crave it!!  I've made them 2x in less than a week.  (UGH...better figure out the less calorie version soon!)

I "eye-ball" the amounts of cheese, margarine and milk but I end up with a similar consistency to mashed potatoes.

(the pic doesn't do it justice!)

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets
1 can chicken stock
Margarine
Parmessan Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Milk
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Place cauliflower florets in a pan with 1 can of chicken stock and 1 soup can of water (you can add as much water as needed to cover the cauliflower)
Bring water to a boil then cover and turn back the heat to a simmer. 
Simmer for 10 minutes, then drain
Place drained cauliflower in a bowl that you can use beaters
Add margarine; milk & cheese - a little at a time to ensure you get the right consistency (I never measure this it's just eye balled).  They should look like mashed potatoes
Season with salt & pepper
Serve immediately

Baked Egg Cups

I have followed a "Mom's" website since before I had B.  There's a section on it for recipe sharing.  I found this recipe on that site.  I was intrigued by this recipe for a while & I finally decided to try it.  The eggs were super easy to make and came right out of the muffin tin.  I used the paper liners (other posters haven't done that).  These would be fun for a bigger brunch crowd as something easy to make that all comes out at the same time.

Ingredients: (I only tried this with 2 eggs / ham)
12 Eggs 
12 thin slices of deli ham (round)
1/2 Cup of your favorite cheese, shredded - I used Mozzarella 
Fresh cracked Sea Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Lay a piece of ham in each hole creating a little ham cup. Crack one egg into each hole and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake the eggs for about 12 minutes…until the white is firm and the yolk is still nice and runny.
Carefully remove each egg from the muffin tin and top with grated cheese. Serve hot! Yield: 12

Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Yesterday was a foodie type of day!  I went to the Italian Market in Philadelphia with neighbors.  We went to Espisito's to pick up various meats (lamb chops; Italian sausage; bacon; pancetta; etc...) and took in the sights.  Since it was Good Friday, I planned to make the stuffed shells with mushrooms and spinach for dinner and the neighbors came over to enjoy them too.  I put a few pieces of the Italian sausage in them too for the kids.  They were really tasty!  I think they needed a little more spice next time so I'll experiment with that.  I found the recipe here.

Here's the spinach; mushroom; cheese mixture

Shells stuffed with the mix

 Ready for the oven

 Final product

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely
• 1 15 oz ricotta cheese – I used low fat
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
• 1/2 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups of roasted tomato, garlic and onion marinara
• 12 jumbo pasta shells, cooked per instructions

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until golden brown (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, the spinach, 1/2 the parsley, fresh basil, the nutmeg, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly then add the mushrooms and onion sauté and combine. Taste mixture and re-season if needed.

Pour 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Place the 12 cooked shells in the pan. Stuff each shell with the ricotta and mushroom mixture.