Using leftover baked potatoes.

A long time ago my dad told me that his mom used to bake several potatoes in the oven with the purpose to use some later in the week.  I have done this several times and have used them for different things.  He said that one way she would use them was to cut them in slices and pan fry them.

So, here they are cut in slices.

In my head I wanted to do a garlic, thyme, sea salt and pepper potato, but then I looked in the fridge and had some left over pesto that didn't fit in the ice cube trays.  So, then I wanted to also do a pesto potato.

I infused some olive oil with garlic and then discarded the garlic, because it would have burned in the cast iron.  Then I put the potatoes in and sprinkled them with some sea salt, pepper and fresh thyme.  Cook them for a few minutes and then flip.

These don't look too impressive, but they are good.  The middle of the potatoes are almost hollow inside from the baking, so they are super crispy inside and out!

I did the same method with these potatoes without the garlic and salt.  Heat some olive oil over medium heat and put one layer of potatoes down.  Once golden on one side, flip over to the other side.  Once they are flipped .... get ready, here's the brilliant part...  spoon about a teaspoon of pesto over each potato!  I know!  Yummy.  Let the other side finish cooking by getting golden brown, transfer to a towel to absorb the excess olive oil and then transfer to a plate.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and that's it!

These were Oh... My... Goodness delicious!!!  The potato was crunchy on the outside as well as inside and then there was the creaminess of the pesto and inside of the potato.  Truly, you have to try this!!

One potato made both types of potatoes above.

Click here for the method to cook the baked potatoes ---->Baked Potatoes

Click here for the pesto recipe---->Basil Pesto

Baked Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

I'm leaving town in a few days and am trying to use up my produce before leaving.  Here I have 2 sweet potatoes and 2 regular potatoes.  I am trying to clean the house, do laundry, etc. so I really don't have a lot of time to be creative.  And... the last time I tried making sweet potato chips with my food processor, it landed me in the ER and me getting 7 stitches.  That was just about 3 weeks ago so I don't want to revisit that.  So, baking it is!

Rinse and scrub the potatoes well in water.

Pierce with a fork several times over all potatoes.

Dry well.

Drizzle a little olive oil over each one... maybe about 1 tsp per potato.

Sprinkle a little sea salt on each one.

Place in the center oven the oven.  Cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then turn potatoes over.  The sweet potatoes were finished after cooking for 45 minutes and the regular potatoes cooked for 1 hour 15 minutes.  The potatoes are done when a knife pierces the potato and slides back out without effort.

The sweet potato is already starting to caramelize, yum!

Here are the regular potatoes post cooking.  They are nice and plump and give a little when pressed.

I decided that I couldn't wait and cut open the small sweet potato, put a dab of butter on along with a hint of brown sugar.  Who needs dessert when you can have this!?

You can do many things with the potatoes now.  You can serve them up as regular baked potatoes (served up with butter, sour cream, bacon, chili, salsa... you get the picture), scoop the insides out and make twice-baked potatoes, scoop them out and make potato soup, refrigerate them and use them for hashbrowns the next morning... really the possibilities are endless.

Sesame Noodles

This is one of those recipes that is a great example of what you can do with a well-stocked pantry.  This is a  great recipe for spring and summer.  This can be served cold or at room temperature.  My favorite way is room temperature.

Here is what you'll need:

12 oz. angel hair pasta

3 Tbsp dark sesame oil

3 Tbsp olive oil

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp red chili paste, such as sambal

1 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

6 Tbsp hot water

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

1 large zucchini

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions.  In your blender combine, the olive oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste, honey, lime juice, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and  hot water.

Blend until everything is combined.

Chop your zucchini.

Literally, at the last minute of cooking add your zucchini to the pot with the pasta.

Toast the sesame seeds until they are light golden.  Be careful not to burn.

After cooking the zucchini for one minute with the pasta, drain both and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.

Once the pasta and zucchini have cooled down, transfer to a bowl and pour the dark sesame oil over the noodles.  Toss well to combine.  Once the noodles are coated with the sesame oil pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and toss again to combine.

Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.  Again, my favorite way to eat this is room temperature.  It's yummy!

Homemade Basil Pesto

I really love the flavor of pesto.  It's strong, so I don't eat a lot of it or very often, but I do enjoy it.  You can use pesto over pasta, as a base for pizza, on sandwiches or I have a surprise way to use it in a blog post coming soon!

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried off

1 Tbsp minced garlic, as you can see I have a mixture of cloves, minced they equal 1 Tbsp

1 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt

black pepper

Roughly chop the basil and mince the garlic.

Toast the pine nuts until they are a light golden brown.

Put everything minus the parmesan cheese into a food processor, including the olive oil , and process for a couple of minutes to combine.

It's swirlin'!

Now is the time to add the yummy parmesan cheese and then process once more to combine.

This is the consistency that you will have.

Pour it into a container if you will be using the same day.  Take note of the thin layer of oil on top, this is totally fine and actually helps the pesto keep its great color.  This recipe makes 2 cups of pesto.

If you will not be using the pesto the same day you may pour it into icecube trays and freeze for future use.

Chicken Fajita Tacos

I really don't care for meat all that much, but I guess the one meat that I don't mind every once in a while boneless, skinless, chicken breast.  One of my favorite ways to eat chicken is in the form of chicken fajitas.  I love tender strips of chicken, scrumptiously seasoned and cooked perfectly.  For this meal I took the same idea and turned them into tacos (with crunchy corn tortillas) instead of fajitas (with soft flour tortillas and onions and bell peppers).

You will need:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Seasoning Salt  <---Here is a recipe for mine w/out MSG.

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large chicken breasts

I cut each breast in half, length wise and then I cut them into strips.

Combine all of the marinade for the chicken and then mix everything together.  Let sit in a bowl for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.

In a skillet or saute' pan (I am using a cast iron fajita pan.) melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.

Once the butter is melted add your strips of chicken.  Be careful not to over fill your pan.

After a few minutes flip the chicken to continue cooking the other side.  Look at all of those yummy bits of seasoning.

You might want to turn your vent on over your stove, it can become smokey, but that's a good thing!

This is what you want.  You want it to be caramelized with all of those tasty seasonings.

It is imperative to make your own taco shells!  They are too good and too easy to pass up.  Fill with your chicken and whatever else you'd like... lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, extra lime... I think you get the idea.

For a how-to on making your own taco shells click here --->Homemade Taco Shells

Homemade Granola

I have made homemade granola for years and years.  Actually, I don't know if I have ever purchased packaged granola.  My favorite recipe until recently was great, didn't use any oil, but it did have 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar.  In trying to cook "better" I set out to make a better granola.  I made a huge batch using honey once and it was a disaster!  Through lots of trial and error I finally had a successful batch today. 

You will need:
6 cups oats
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup flax seed (I forgot that I only had milled flax seed, but I went ahead and used that anyway.)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
nutmeg (add to your liking)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (This takes the place of the oil that is in a lot of recipes.)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
(You may choose any combination of nuts and/or seeds that you like.)

In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingreidents.

Then, in another bowl add  the wet ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.  Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper and divide the mixture evenly.  It's very important to spread it all out.

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, stir and bake another 15 minutes.  Rotate the pans if you need to for a more even cook.  Cook longer and stir every 5 minutes until the mixture is dried out and crunchy.  Cool and then store in an airtight container.

Hummus

I love hummus!  It is a garbanzo bean spread that is used in the middle east a lot as well as in some of the Mediterranean countries.    I first had it in Spain at a Mediterranean restaurant and then I had it in Crete along side of their yummy goodies.  A lot of restaurants serve this as their version of (chips and salsa) in the middle east and in the Med. region.  Ever since first trying it I have been hooked.  It is inexpensive to make, very easy and good for you.  It makes a great appetizer, but I also love it for lunch.  I will slice open and heat up a piece of whole wheat pita bread and then top it with some hummus.  Hummus is also a great dip for veggies and can even be used as a sandwich spread.

Here is what you will need:

2 cans garbanzo beans(chickpeas)

3 Tbsp Tahina (sesame seed paste)

1/2 to 1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

2 cloves garlic

5 Tbsp lemon juice (I was able to get 5 Tbsp from 2 lemons.)

3 Tbsp. Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.

Juice your lemons to make 5 Tbsp.

Load everything up in a food processor, including your garlic and seasonings.

Puree until well combine.  This is the consistency that I like, but you may like it creamier.  At this point you can add a little more olive oil or some water until it is the consistency that you prefer.  Taste and re-season to your liking.

This recipe makes about two cups of hummus.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will keep for 5-7 days.