Tag: gluten free

Portuguese Meringues (Suspiros)

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How can I describe a Suspiro?  Well… If you have never had a Suspiro or a meringue before, what I can say is imagine what cotton candy’s opposite would be texture wise while still retaining all the sugar.  It’s almost like a chalky consistency, but far from that in flavor.  And the best part about the home-made ones most especially is that they have a relatively gooey middle.

Suspiros have been part of my life forever. Every Portuguese market I know of always has these big beautiful sweet treats stocked. More candy than cookie, these special goodies were only bought every so often in my house, but when they were, we were always happy kids! Unlike the American version (Meringues) which are only about the size of a half-dollar, Portuguese Suspiros are about the size of a hamburger bun. They are best eaten slowly with a cup of tea.

In my opinion each and every holiday should include Suspiros, but none more than Easter! After 40 days of Lenten sacrifice, there is nothing more satisfying than pure sugar! They can be colored, of course, to accommodate any theme (think pink for Princess tea parties or blue for a baby shower) and are a great addition to birthday parties and anything you might want something a little “out of the box” for. A major part of making these yummies is drying them out, it is best to make them when it is not too humid out and best stored in an air tight container or zip tight bag.

Preheat your oven to 225°F.

Start by adding about 2″ of water to the bottom of a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.

You want to be sure the sauce pan you use is smaller than the bowl of your electric mixer.

You want to be sure the sauce pan you use is smaller than the bowl of your electric mixer.

Separate 4 egg whites into the bowl of your electric mixer. Cold eggs aid in this process.

They won’t look like much in the bowl, but their volume will increase, don’t worry.

Use the egg yolks in a cake recipe or to make lemon curd or just discard.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of granulated white sugar.

Add directly to the egg whites.

With a hand whisk, incorporate the sugar in with the whites by beating well.

Once the whites and the sugar are beaten to a slightly frothy milky white substance, place the bowl on the sauce pan that you have brought to a simmer. Beat steadily and quickly with your hand whisk for about 3-4 minutes.

You will know the mixture is ready to remove from the heat when it looks like the sugar crystals have melted as you bring the mixture up the side of the bowl as seen here.

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Once sugar crystals appear to have dissolved, place bowl on electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until mixture has cooled and stiff peaks have formed. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

The mixture is so stiff that when I remove it from the machine and let it rest for transport to the sink, it just stays up right.

Stiff peak.

Ready your supplies. I am using a disposable pastry bag and an extra-large tip. If you don’t have these supplies, you can use a gallon size freezer bag and attach whatever size decorating tip you have, or just use no tip at all. The Suspiros will turn out just fine, they just won’t have the pretty carved look to them. (Unless you cut a zig-zag shape into the corner or “tip” of your bag.)

Prepare the bag by cutting off enough tip to accommodate your tip holder.

This is what you should have once it is all assembled.

I like to start by folding back about an inch from the top. whether using a pastry bag or a gallon size freezer bag, this tip helps to fill without incident.

The tip I am using today is a 1M by Wilton.

Fill the bag.

Unfold that top portion you had originally folded down. Pinch at the top so as not to lose too much mixture.

In a circular motion, pipe the mixture onto the parchment lined pan.

Build as high as you like. I like good hearty Suspiros. These are about 2 1/2″ in diameter.

Once all the Suspiros are built, they are ready for the oven.

Bake at 225°F for one hour without opening the oven door. Once the hour is up, shut off the oven and leave the Suspiros in the oven until completely cool about 1-2 hours more.

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Suspiros (Meringue)

Serves 16

Ingredients.

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 225°F,

Beat egg whites with sugar by hand for about 30 seconds in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place a sauce pan on the stove with about 2″ of water in it.  Bring water to a simmer. Place the bowl on the sauce pan and beat constantly. (This is an important step as it both builds volume and keeps the mixture moving so that the eggs don’t cook.) After about 3-4 minutes, check that the sugar crystals have mostly dissolved. Remove from heat and return bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk mixture for about 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks can be formed.

Place mixture in a piping bag (or gallon size freezer bag) fitted with a star tip (or just with the end cut off). Pipe mixture onto a parchment lined sheet pan in 3″ round circles that are about 2″ high.

Place sheet pans in the oven and bake at 225°F for one hour without opening the oven. Then turn off the oven and allow Suspiros to cool completely in the oven before removing. Remove from oven and enjoy! Be sure to store in an air tight container.

12-Minute Rice

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I cook a lot of rice.  It’s an easy side.  I do white rice, brown rice, wild rice.  I make rice pilaf, rice pudding, risotto and fried rice.  Rice is an easy and inexpensive pallet for a cook to get creative.  It’s not difficult to make on the stove top, it really isn’t, so even though I have owned this Pampered Chef Microwave Rice Cooker for years, I really never paid it much mind.

Then one day, I was in a hurry and just wanted a quick side.  I already had like three other pans that I was using and would need to hand wash and it occurred to me I could just use the microwave rice cooker I had sitting on my pantry shelf collecting dust.  So, I rinsed it out.  I remembered the instructions because they are super easy and I took the liberty to even get a little creative adding a pad of butter, tossed in some chopped onions that I had on hand from the rest of the meal, some salt and pepper and popped it in the microwave.  The best part was that the microwave beeped when it was ready and I didn’t have to worry about burning it, it was done and just waiting nice and hot for whenever I was ready to get to it!

Well, that did it.  When I opened my microwave, it was still hot and perfectly steamed.  When dinner was through, we still had some left over so I put the lid back on and popped it in the fridge, then the next day when it was time to heat, into the microwave it went again.  Then right into the dishwasher.  By my estimation, it saved me 1 pot, 2 serving dishes, 1 Tupperware container worth of dishes. It was ready in half the time and I didn’t have to worry about burning the rice or the rice sticking to the bottom of my pan leading to soaking and possibly scraping.  That works for me.

So, I thought I would send out a quick tutorial on how to make the very basic rice.  This is plain white Jasmine rice.  Instructions differ for brown or wild rice of course, but still much less time because you are essentially pressure steaming the rice.

Start by placing one cup of rice in the bowl.

I like to add 2.5 cups of water per cup of rice.

A healthy pinch of salt. (1/2 tsp. or so)

Mix.

Place the guard on top.

Then seal on the cover.

Place it in the microwave.

Set the time to 12 minutes on high (my microwave is 1100 wats, adjust this to the wattage of your specific microwave per instructions)

And 12 minutes later, this is what you will have.

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12-Minute Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Place ingredients in Microwave rice cooker.  Seal up rice cooker as directed.  Set microwave on high for 12 minutes.  Remove from microwave when ready.  Fluff and serve.

***Gluten-free

Pork Shoulder Boiled Dinner (Cozido)

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Ah the Boiled Dinner….  I think God invented the boiled dinner just for Sundays.  If you want to talk about an easy and delicious meal we need not say more than one simple word – “Cozido” (or Boiled Dinner).  If you’ve never made a boiled dinner out of intimidation, let me set your mind at ease because there literally could not be a less complicated, less stress free and less time-consuming prep time.

Growing up a good Cozido was always an option for Sunday dinner and it was such a treat.  My mother would always get her biggest pot on the stove and fill it with this amazing piece of smoked meat, onions, cabbage, potatoes and of course meat.  She would set it going when we got home from church and a couple of hours later we would have a feast.

The one and only downside to this is the price of the meat, at an average of $3-$5 per pound this 10+ pound piece of meat can get quite pricey just due to the sheer size of it.  What you need to do is look for a sale as I did!  I found a great deal on this one for $1.69 per pound and fed 10 adults with it!  Now that’s a great value!

One of the best parts of this meal is that you can add in anything you like really.  I see this one pot meal as Portugal’s answer to Ireland’s Corned Beef.  It’s got a great flavor that when boiled with other ingredients is enough to flavor the whole meal.   You can keep it simple as we do with onions, cabbage, potatoes and chouriço or you can add in carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips any hearty vegetable you like really.  Just be prepared for everything to take on that yummy smoky flavor.

I got a great deal on this smoked shoulder. Whatever you do make sure what you are buying for this recipe is a SMOKED shoulder, not a picnic ham, not a fresh shoulder, but a SMOKED one. The flavor is completely and totally different from fresh pork.

Cut open the packaging, drain and rinse under cold water.

You will likely find this mesh on the skin of your meat, this is meant to keep the meat all together and should be used in cooking. In their words, let it be (for now).

The great thing about this recipe is you can add or take away as many ingredients as you like. My family likes boiled onions, so we add in three good-sized onions. If you don’t care much for them, still add one in for flavor. If you would like more, go for it.

For this recipe, we want to be sure the onions stay in tact, so all that is required is peeling, don’t cut them up or they will melt right into the dish which is not the goal here.

To add in that Portuguese flavor, all you really need is one link of hot chouriço. I don’t peel for this recipe, I just add some slits along the bend of the chouriço.

Fill a very large pot with water. I am using my Pampered Chef Executive Stock Pot.

This may look funny, but some people in my family prefer potatoes with skins and some don’t. So, I do them both ways for this recipe.

Place your rinsed shoulder in the pot.

Now add in your onions and cabbage.

Add in the chouriço.

Cover the pot and boil. The shoulder is already pretty well cooked, so you are just really melting the fat a bit, heating it through and cooking the potatoes and other veggies… That being said, it is important to give the boil enough time to allow the flavors to infuse together. So, you will want this to come to a boil and then turn it down to a low boil for a minimum of 90 minutes.

Once done, remove the mesh from the pork.

And serve on a platter.

And serve on a platter.

Pork Shoulder Boiled Dinner (Cozido)

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 10 lb. Pork Shoulder

6-8 potatoes, peeled (or not)

3 large onions, peeled

1/2 cabbage

1/2 lb. hot Portuguese Chouriço

Directions:

Place potatoes in the pot and cover with water.  Place pork shoulder in the pot and cover with water.  Add in onions, cabbage and chouriço.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat down and continue a low boil for 90 minutes to 2 hours.  Remove mesh from the meat and discard.  Enjoy!

*** Gluten-free

 

Sweet Braised Chicken

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The challenge: Make a main course meal to include chicken, pineapple and chouriço.  Accepted. I belong to a super fun foodie group on Facebook and there was recently a “Chopped” type challenge issued by the admin. I love getting creative in the kitchen so decided to enter and take the Asian/Portuguese a.k.a. Hawaiian route.  And although I didn’t win as there were some pretty amazing entries, we were pretty happy around the dinner table eating this sweet and savory and slightly spicy dish!

Being the Portuguese American Mom I decided to add to the challenge by also making sure it was inexpensive  and easy to prepare come dinner.  The way I chose to do that was by first using  chicken thighs which I am pretty sure is the least expensive cut of chicken out there.  If you like chicken legs or breast, go ahead and do that, just be sure the skin is still in tact.  I then made this easy by infusing as much flavor as possible with a make ahead marinade, that way at dinner time it would just be a few minutes of grilling and pop it in the oven.  I even made my rice in the microwave! (fresh rice, from scratch)

All in all the contest was fun and something different to do on a hum drum February week.  I would like to thank Kerry, the admin for “Coastal Foodies”.  And congratulate all the contestants for the willingness to put themselves out there and have fun in the kitchen.  I got new ideas from each and every entry as I am sure many did.  The voting is all over and we are anxiously awaiting the winner!

I’ll take you through each step here.  We can start with the marinade:

Start your marinade with a good deep bowl.
Add in brown sugar.
Grab a can of pineapple slices.
Drain the pineapple juice right into your marinade.
Add in soy sauce.
Use rice vinegar. If you don’t have this, use some Apple Cider Vinegar.
Add vinegar in.
Add in basil sauce.
Add in Sriracha sauce.
Whisk to combine.

 

This is the chicken. Wash this and trim each piece.

Nestle each piece in the marinade.

This is my Pampered Chef Grill Pan. I have lightly sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray.

The pineapples have had some time to dry out a bit as the chicken has been marinading in the fridge.

Lay out 5-6 pineapple slices on the grill pan. This will leave some pretty grill marks, but it also brings out the sweetness of the pineapple.

Flip to the other side.

Once you have nice grill marks on both sides, remove from pan, but keep pan hot.

Slice chouriço on a bias to create more surface area for grilling.

Place on hot grill and cook all the way through.

Once thoroughly grilled remove and set aside.

Reserve these for plating later.

Start grilling in a grill pan with a rim, skin side down over high heat.

Flip over to cook bottom for a bit before adding in liquid.

Add marinade into the pan.

Bring to a boil and add in ingredients.

Peel and cut garlic in half.

Add in to your pan.

Add white wine to your pan.

You should have 3-4 pineapple rings left in the can, wedge those in with the chicken and vegetables.

Take a few pieces of chourico and do the same.

This is what it looks like after the first 45 minutes.

Flip the chicken for the next 30 minute stint in the oven.

After 30 minutes, remove from oven again to flip chicken one last time to crisp up the top again. Place back in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.

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Sweet Braised Chicken

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

5-6 chicken thighs, washed and trimmed

1 16 oz. can sliced pineapple rings, juice reserved

1/2 lb. hot chouriço link, sliced

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. squeezable basil

1 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 Tbs. Sriracha sauce (optional)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1 onion, sliced

10-12 sweet peppers, halved

1/2 cup white wine

salt and pepper

Instructions:

For the marinade:

Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice from can, basil, vinegar and Sriracha sauce.  Whisk and place chicken in marinade.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Grill 5-6 pineapple slices on both sides.  Grill chouriço.  Next, grill chicken on both sides until grill marks are formed and skin starts to tighten.  Add marinade into grill pan.  Add wine and garlic.  Bring to a boil, shut off stove.  Add peppers and onions throughout.  Add in a few slices of grilled chouriço and un-grilled pineapple.  Place chicken, skin side up, in a pre-heated 300°F oven for 45 minutes.  Flip chicken, cook an additional 30 minutes.  Flip chicken again and cook an additional 45 minutes.  Serve over white Jasmine rice and top with onions, peppers and pan sauce.

***Gluten-free This dish is completely gluten-free as long as you opt to use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Beef Tostada

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I am always looking to save money.  Food is not cheap.  So, when I spend $23 on a roast, I like to be sure I get the most bang for my buck and re-heating the same ole dish night after night until the whole thing has been consumed to the point where I don’t want to think about making another roast for 3 months is not my idea of innovative left overs.  However, This tostada has transformed my left over pot roast into something completely new and delicious.  It has also enabled me to save time and money, both things I really appreciate as a busy mom of two very active toddlers.

I added exactly one ingredient to turn this beef into a Latin delight.  I then whipped up some Quick Mexican Black Beans, microwaved some rice in my Pampered Chef rice cooker, fried up some simple tortilla shells and got to work assembling.  All this was done in well under 20 minutes.  And you can’t tell me that looking at this dish, it doesn’t look a lot more time-consuming than that!  It’s almost, dare I say it, fancy looking for our Tuesday night dinner.  I put this on a plate in front of my husband and I quote… “Wow, WHAT is this?” was the reaction…. Now, tell me, when was the last time leftovers garnered that kind of reaction in your house?  Well, then maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit?

You will want to have a few things on hand of course. For me these things are all pantry staples, a can of beans, rice, Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub, and  tortillas.  And from the fridge, some onions, peppers and sour cream.

These are 6″ white corn tortillas.

Start by heating some canola or vegi oil up to about 325°F in a small dutch oven. You want to make sure your pan will be able to accommodate the size of your tortilla and have a good amount of space between the oil and the rim of the pan to prevent over flow.

Once oil has come up to temperature, cook tortillas one at a time until golden brown, flipping half way through the process.

Drain on a paper towel or paper bag lined tray.

Salt while still hot.

I got fancy here at the end and cut a few tortillas up for garnishing chips on the top.

This is my left over pot roast. If you don’t have left over pot roast, you can always use left over steak or chicken or pork.

To serve 4 people, I picked out two good size slices of left overs.

With two forks, I shred the beef into a skillet.

I only add one ingredient to take this pot roast from Sunday dinner to Latin fiesta! My Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub.

Add the rub in with the shredded beef and saute for a couple of minutes to heat through and bloom the spices.

Now to start building. I start with an 8″ plate. This meal does not require sides because everything is piled right up on top.

Place one shell at the bottom. This is your base.

Now add on about 3/4 cooked rice. I am using plain white rice here, it’s actually Jasmine rice because that is what I have on hand, but any kind of plain rice will do. You don’t really need a flavored rice here because you are adding on some strong flavors already and you wouldn’t want the rice to compete with that.

Now add on about 1/2 cup of Quick Mexican Black Beans.

Now for the next layer of tortilla.

Then piled on top of that is your beef.

I then top that with some sour cream. To this I will garnish with chopped scallions and my little tortilla strips.

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Beef Tostada

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Ingredients:

8 6″corn tortillas

1-11/2 cups left over roast beef, pot roast or steak

1 Tbs. Chili Lime Rub

3 cups white rice 

2 cups Quick Mexican Black Beans

sour cream (optional)

3-4 cups veg. oil

kosher salt

Instructions:

In a small dutch oven bring oil to 330°F-350°F.  Fry each tortilla seperately until golden.  Drain on paper towels and salt immediately.

In a small skillet shred beef and cook with Chili Lime Rub until heated through.

Build your tostada by placing one shell on plate, then add 3/4 cup rice, then 1/2 cup beans, then add another tortilla, then top with beef and a dollup of sour cream.  Serve hot. Enjoy!

Quick Mexican Black Beans

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I love Portuguese food, after all I am 100% Portuguese born and raised.  But, I would have to say a close second to my love of Portuguese food is Mexican.  I love the combinations of flavors and their savory smokey aspects.  Having Portuguese cooking as a good solid background makes it not so difficult to switch into the kitchens of our neighbors to the south.

This recipe is a bit of a short cut from soaking and boiling beans that is usually a good 24 hour process for me.  I don’t always have time for all that when I am looking to put dinner on the table.  A well stocked pantry should always contain a few cans of beans and I love to have black beans in there ready to go.

In this recipe, you will need a couple of fresh ingredients, but mostly you will be looking to your pantry!  It’s a great last-minute side or it can even be made into a great main dish, just double the recipe and add in some steak, shredded chicken or pork and serve over rice!

Chop 1/2 an onion.

These are sweet peppers, the come in a big bag at my grocery store. If you can’t find these, you can always use a red, orange or yellow bell pepper.

Treat them just like any other pepper, start with chopping off the top and removing the seeds.

Then dice.

Use two garlic cloves.

With my Pampered Chef garlic press, I don’t even have to peel them.

Just pop it in and squeeze!

Now you will need a can of black beans, do not drain! I know, it sounds odd, but you need all that liquid.

Use one cap full of apple cider vinegar.

Saute the onions in a small sauce pan.

Add in the peppers.

Once onions and peppers have started to soften, you can add in garlic. You don’t want to do this too soon to avoid burning the garlic.

Use about a half a teaspoon of oregano

And about 1/8 teaspoon of Portuguese Allspice… if you don’t have this, use a good sweet paprika.

Add in water.

Stir in everything, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until peppers are cooked through.

Your liquid should be reduced a bit at this point.

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

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Quick Mexican Black Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, undrained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

5-6 small sweet peppers, seeded and chopped (or half a bell pepper)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 garlic cloves, run through a press

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp Portuguese allspice

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil to saute vegetables

chopped scallions (optional)

Instructions:

Saute onions and peppers in a small sauce pan in olive oil over medium heat. When tender, add in garlic, saute another minute and add in oregano and allspice.  Saute another minute to bloom the spices.  Add in beans, water and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until peppers are cooked through and some of the liquid has dissipated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over rice and garnish with fresh chopped scallions if desired.  Enjoy!

*This recipe is gluten-free.

Chili Cheese Dog (with the works!)

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It’s Championship weekend here in the states and football is on the minds of every fan!  And to go along with any good football game is good “football food”.  I don’t think there is another sport that has food and gatherings so closely associated with it than football.  There is football tailgating, there are home parties and there are just regular sit around the t.v. with some buddies gatherings all requiring beer and “football food”.

Hense, I bring you the Chili Cheese Dog.  It’s so simple, yet soooo good.  Using my recipe for “Chris’ No-bean Chili” these dogs are a snap to make and can really be made to order.  Just set out a crock pot of steamed dogs and another of the chili and set out the fixin’s and you’ve even got a great hot dog bar.  No muss, no fuss. This way, just because you like good football food doesn’t mean you miss the game! woo hoo!

A great hot dog bar can include: chili, shredded cheese, mustard, ketchup, soaked minced onions, maybe a cheese sauce, chopped jalapenos, black olives and pickles or relish.  Get some good fresh buns, good quality dogs and you are in business!

Take a look at this Chili Cheese Dog with the works!

Start with your favorite kind of bun… Being in New England we use the New England style bun here with the sides cut off making for a softer bun and easier to grill should you choose too.

Steam some hot dogs. You could also grill, but I prefer a juicy steamed hot dog.

Now we start to build. Place your dog in your bun.

This is where we start to at “the works”! Start with a nice yellow mustard.

Then add-on some no-bean chili. I am using “Chris’ No-bean Chili” here.

Spread on a sloppy amount of chili.

Now freshly grate some cheddar cheese, which should melt on top of your hot chili.

And to finish off “the works” you can add-on some water soaked minced onions. Yum.

Chili Cheese Dog (with the works)

Serves 6-12

Ingredients:

12 hot dogs

12 New England style buns (or your favorite)

2 cups Chris’ No-bean Chili, prepared

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup water soaked minced onions (optional)

mustard (optional)

Directions:

Steam hot dogs. Soak onions in water for at least 1/2 hour.

Place hot dog in bun.  Add mustard.  Add chili. Add cheese. Add onions.  Serve, enjoy!

*note – to make gluten-free, use a gluten-free hot dog bun and be sure to follow the gluten-free adjustment when preparing Chris’ No-bean Chili

Twice Baked Potatoes

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Why bake a boring ole potato once when you can bake it twice and make it spectacular?  My Twice Baked Potatoes are loaded with not only butter and sour cream, but bacon and cheese.  I know, I know, not exactly keeping with those New Year’s resolutions right? But, it’s Championship weekend people, I’m still in “football food” mode.

These Twice Baked Potatoes are flavorful, they are packed with everything you love so there is no muss at game time and the best part is you can eat them with a fork and a knife or just pick um right up and you have a perfect finger food.  And I’m not even going to try to pretend they are healthy, but they aren’t fried and they are even gluten-free.  So, they aren’t the worst thing in the world health-wise either!

Make them in a big batch like I have for a party or tailgating or make a smaller batch for dinner.  Or you can do like I did and make the big batch, have them for the party and freeze the rest so you have them right at your fingertips whenever you are looking for an easy side, they freeze great!  Baking potatoes the old-fashioned way is not a quick process, so making a big batch is always the way to go in my opinion.  Here’s how I do them…

So, I use my double burner griddle for this project. Pampered Chef sells a great one, talk about cutting down on time and energy!

So, I use my double burner griddle for this project. Pampered Chef sells a great one, talk about cutting down on time and energy!

I always start off with preparing the bacon, mostly because when I make bacon, I like to make the entire package and we don’t need the entire package for this recipe, so I make breakfast in the morning and then I reserve the rest of the bacon for the recipe. Call me crazy, but it saves me time. In any case, you will need 8 slices of bacon for this recipe.

The problem is when an entire package of bacon is hanging around, it needs to be covered in my house otherwise it will dwindle throughout the morning if it’s not hidden!

Then I gather my potatoes, I like russet potatoes for baking. I try to find the ones that are oval in shape as opposed to round and med/large for variety.

Russets come dirty, so be sure to give them a good scrub, you will be eating the skin on these.

I like to bake them whole, but I like to half split them for ease in cooking time.

I like to make these in a disposable aluminum tray for a couple of reasons. First I am making a bunch here, so I am not wrapping each one in aluminum foil. This tray mimics that. Also, because this makes for easy clean up.

I like to then add a good pinch of salt to each one. We did not dry these, so they should still be wet helping the salt to cling. If you pre-washed or something, then just run them each under water for this effect.

Now turn them all over and do the same thing to the other side. A good pinch of kosher salt to each. It may seem like a lot, but you are really just seasoning the skin of the potato which is very important.

Cover tightly in aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 1 hour and 45 minutes or so.

Now spit them using your original cut as the guide.

You will have twice the amount at this point which will require a second tray. Be sure to salt the bottom of that tray again.

Scoop out the middles of each potato leaving a reservoir for the filling and a good “wall” all the way around.

Add in your scooped out fillings to a bowl.

Add in a stick of salted butter. Remember you are making 16 twice baked potatoes, that spreads that butter out. Besides, it’s football food. If your potatoes are not hot because you chose not to scald your fingers as you handled the potatoes, just pop this in the microwave for about 2 minutes.

Start to go at it with a potato masher.

Get some good fresh sour cream.

Add in sour cream.

Add in cheese.

Add in kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Now, back to the bacon. It survived! Yay!

Chop it up pretty well still allowing for some good size chuncks.

Add to your bowl.

But reserve some for topping.

Mash mash mash.

Add in some half and half or heavy cream, whichever you have on hand.

Now fill each of your potatoes with a healthy amount. Be sure to spread it evenly though.

Once they are all filled, pre-heat your oven to 350°F.

Add a good bunch of cheese to top each.

Then top that with bacon bits.

Bake for about 1/2 hour until they are heated through and the cheese is all melty!

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Serves 8-16

Ingredients:

8 med/lg. Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 stick salted butter

8 slices bacon, fried and drained and chopped, divided

3/4 cup sour cream, plus more for serving

kosher salt to taste

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

water-soaked minced onions or chives for serving (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.  Scrub potatoes clean and while still wet, carefully slice into potato lengthwise about 3/4 of the way through as though you were going to split them for stuffing (see photo above).  Salt the outside of the wet potato with kosher salt on all sides and place in aluminum pan.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from oven and turn oven down to 350°F if baking immediately.

Let cool just long enough for handling. Continue cutting potato along the original cut line spitting the potatoes in half.  Now, scoop out the middle flesh of the potato leaving about a 1/4 inch wall along the entire outer potato skin (this provides stability, see photo above).  Place the scooped out potato flesh in a bowl for mixing.  Add in butter, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese,  3/4 of your bacon, a good pinch of salt and about 10 cracks of black pepper. Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher (warm for a minute in the microwave if the contents are not warm enough to melt the butter and incorporate all the ingredients at this point.)

Now, fill each potato cavity with the mixture.  Top with an additional Tablespoon or so on each along with a few remaining bacon bits.  Bake until heated through and melty for about 1/2 hour.  Serve with sour cream and [instructions]

water-soaked minced onions or chives.  Enjoy![/instructions]

*note-  This is a gluten-free recipe.

BBQ Meatloaf

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Who could have ever thought that one of the absolute healthiest recipes in my repertoire would be a classic comfort food?  Between growing up in a Portuguese household and my father’s distaste for the dish, meatloaf was never ever on my radar until later in life when I dated someone who absolutely loved it.  He also loved BBQ ANYTHING. But, he was also super health conscious… I do love a good challenge though… So, I thought to myself, “Self… why not combine his favorite meal with his favorite flavor and figure out a way to make it healthy for a special stay at home ‘healthy’ date?!”  And the Healthy BBQ Meatloaf was born.

Although the relationship ended many many moons ago, this recipe has stood the test of time and been requested by friends and family time and time again over the years.  So I stopped calling it a “Healthy BBQ Meatloaf” and just call it plain ole “BBQ Meatloaf” and people know no difference. Where as a traditional meatloaf is made with ground beef, pork and veal, this version uses a combination of lean ground beef and ground turkey.  And honestly, I would put this meatloaf recipe up against the fattiest version your great Aunt Melba ever made!

What I like to do quite often is make up a double batch and freeze half.  My husband is not a big meatloaf fan in general.  His not growing up Portuguese left him scarred by meatloafs past.  So, this is something I make for my kids (who love it), friends (who instantly ask for the recipe) and my in-laws (who get excited to have it after their son’s avoidance of it). It’s great paired with a Basic Mashed Potato and green beans as seen above or real special with a home-made 4-Cheese Mac&Cheese and Pan Seared Asparagus.  It’s super easy to put together and even easier to pull out of the freezer and pop into the oven!

Start with 90% lean ground beef and ground turkey.

Add in two eggs.

Add in bread crumbs. These are just some home-made bread crumbs I happen to have on hand, if you don’t have home-made ones, you can just use store-bought. I go back and forth depending on what I have on hand.

Add those right into your bowl. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, this works great with gluten-free bread crumbs.

Dice up some onions. I like a relatively small dice. This is up to your preference.

Dice up some celery. Again, I like a small dice.

Heat a small skillet with a bit of olive oil.

Saute onions and celery until soft.

Add in italian spices.

Add in ground sage. If you have some fresh sage, that’s good too, just be sure to mill it pretty well.

Add in some salt and pepper.

Now mix.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes off the heat. Then add into your bowl.

Once your onions and celery have been fully incorporated, form into a loaf in a pan.

Drizzle with BBQ sauce of your chosing.

At this point, you can either refrigerate for later or the next day, bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or freeze. I have done all three options and they have all worked out nicely.

Because of the little fat content in the meat itself, the loaf doesn't reduce quite as much as your traditional meatloaf.

Because of the little fat content in the meat itself, the loaf doesn’t reduce quite as much as your traditional meatloaf.

Remove from the loaf pan discarding any remaining fat from the sides and place on a serving plate.

Slice for easy serving and enjoy!

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BBQ Meatloaf

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/2 lb. 90% lean ground beef

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup diced celery

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning mix

1/4 tsp. dry sage or 1 tsp. fresh sage, minced

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup BBQ sauce plus more for dipping

1/4 fat free milk (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a bowl mix meats, eggs, bread crumbs and seasonings.

In a small skillet heat olive oil and add in onions and celery.  Saute until soft.  Let stand off heat for 5 minutes or so. Then add into mixing bowl.

Form into a loaf shape in a loaf pan.  Glaze top with BBQ sauce.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour.  Remove from pan and serve on serving plate with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

***Make this gluten-free by substituting gluten-free bread crumbs and being sure the BBQ sauce is gluten-free.

Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach & Feta

 

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Christmas dinner can be an expensive proposition.  It usually involves a pretty expensive protein, a turkey or a goose, a prime rib or a spiral honey ham carefully prepared with love and attention.  It is savory and delicious and something that is a yearly treat! What if I told you you could have the same delicious flavor and careful preparation in this gorgeous pork roast for a fraction of the cost as some of those more expensive meats?

This Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach & Feta will not disappoint and at just around $12 for the entire thing, you could save some of that Christmas money to put under your tree this year!  You can pick up a large 30″ pork tenderloin for anywhere between $13-$26 at my local wholesale shopping club (BJ’s) and in this recipe, I only use half of it to feed 8-10 people!  Talk about inexpensive! (So inexpensive, you might even make it on other special occasions throughout the year! shhhh)

And did I forget to mention that this is one of my husband’s favorite meals? Bonus! This is a crowd pleaser for sure!  Let me show you how I do it…

The pork loin I buy is about 30 inches long… I cut that in half to feed 8-10 people.

Sprinkle some kosher salt and fresh herbs… I am using rosemary and thyme. I also use a dry Pampered Chef Greek Rub.

Place the meat on a large skillet fat side down. I am using the Pampered Chef Executive Non-stick Skillet, which is my absolute most used pan! (It’s 12″ round and holds up to 5 qts!)

Be sure to sear on each side. You should be forming a nice crust all the way around.

Once you have seared all sides set aside in your roasting pan.

Cut into the meat about 3/4 of the way in. Be careful not to cut all the way through. This will be where you stuff the filling.

This is what you should be left with.

Spread salt and pepper in the cut meat.

This is now ready for the filling.

Add in a little more olive oil and sautée your onions in the rendered fat from the meat.

Mince up some garlic.

I use a large package of baby spinach. I have used fully grown spinach and it works out nicely as well.

Once your onions are tender, add in the garlic and then pile on the spinach. It will look like way too much spinach, but it will all shrink right down.

See… it melts right down. To this add in 1 tablespoon of the Pampered Chef Greek Rub and about 1 tsp. kosher salt.

Shut off heat and add in some crumbled feta.

Stuff the filling in the roast.

Sprinkle some more feta crumbles to the top.

The roast is ready for the oven. Roast for about 45 minutes until the meat reads 160°F with a meat thermometer.

Allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will ensure you get nice juicy cuts of meat.

Allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will ensure you get nice juicy cuts of meat.

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Greek Pork Roast Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

3-4 lb. boneless pork loin

6 cups baby spinach

3/4 cups crumbled feta, divided

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. Pampered Chef Greek Rub

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

3 tsp kosher salt, divided

fresh cracked black pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Take meat out of the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking.  Prepare meat by rubbing on 1 Tbs. Greek Rub, 2 tsp. kosher salt and the rosemary and thyme.

Add olive oil to a large skillet set over high heat.  Sear meat on all sides until a crust has formed around the entire roast.  Set aside in the roasting pan.  Prepare for stuffing by cutting down the length of the meat 3/4 of the way.

To prepare stuffing: Add more 3-4 Tbs. olive oil to the skillet (over medium heat) with the rendered drippings.  Sautée the onion until tender, then add in garlic and spinach.  When tender add in 1 Tbs. Greek Rub and 1 tsp kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  Turn off heat and add in about 1/2 cup feta.

Stuff the meat with spinach filling.  Sprinkle with remaining feta. Immediately place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes until the meat reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.  Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot. Enjoy!

*Gluten-free