Stuffed Potato Skins with Sour Cream Dip

We LOVED this recipe and it filled us up. My wife and I made it with a salad so it became our main meal rather than merely an appetizer, but this is truly "comfort food." The recipe serves 6 but we easily cut it in half for the two of us. We used panchetta rather than the bacon called for in the recipe and used different kinds of cheese on each of the potato skins rather than just blue cheese. If you make the potatoes ahead of time, this is a pretty quick and easy meal. The recipe comes from a book called, What To Cook and How To Cook It, by Jane Hornby. This is a GREAT book for beginners like me. It has a lot of pictures of all the ingredients - in case you don't know what a scallion looks like - and pictures of the preparation steps along the way. Have fun and ENJOY!

Serves 6

2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
6 large baking potatoes (such as russets), 8-9 oz each
1 tsp kosher salt
6 strips of bacon
1 cup sour cream
1 handful fresh chives
1 bunch scallions
5 oz blue cheese (any type)
salt and pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rub 1 teaspoon of the oil over the potatoes, then put them in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with the salt. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are golden and crisp. Turn the potatoes over halfway through cooking.

2) While you wait, chop the bacon into small pieces. Place a frying pan over medium heat, then add 2 teaspoons of the oil. After 30 seconds, add the bacon. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the bacon has released its fat, and is crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

3)Make the dip. Put the sour cream into a bowl, then snip in the chives using a pair of kitchen scissors, and stir them in. Season with salt and pepper, then chill in the refrigerator until needed.

4) When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to hold. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft fluffy potato from the middles, leaving a shell of potato skin about 1/2 inch thick all the way around.

5) Cut each potato skin in half lengthwise. Put the skins into the pan, skin side down. Use a pastry brush to brush them with the rest of the oil. Return the skins to the oven and bake them for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, finely slice the scallions and cut or crumble the cheese.

6) When the skins are ready, increase the heat to broil (or turn the oven off and preheat the broiler if you have separate units). Sprinkle the cheese and the scallions over the skins, then top with a little bacon.

7) Broil the skins for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with the sour cream and chive dip.

YOU'RE DONE!!

Broccoli-Tofu Stir Fry

Boy was this quick and easy! And I felt that my wife and I were eating something filling but good for us as well. Is it appropriate to begin a sentence with "And?" Anyway, you'll see that the recipe calls for Szechwan sauce to be "optional." Please add it, unless you have trouble tolerating spices. That sauce gives the dish a "kick" that makes it more interesting. The calories per serving are about 410. I took this recipe from a book called , All New Light Cooking. Since the book is not new, it's probably more accurate to say it's really OLD light cooking. Hope you try it!

Makes 6 servings

2 cups uncooked rice
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 package (16 ounces) extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
     Prepare Szechwan sauce (optional)

1)  Cook rice according to package directions. Combine 1/4 cup vegetable broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in small bowl; set aside. Drain tofu and cut into 1-inch cubes; set aside.

2)  Heat peanut oil in large non-stick wok or skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ginger and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetable broth and broccoli, mushrooms, green onions, and bell pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tofu; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until sauce thickens. Serve over rice with Szechwan sauce, if desired. Garnish, if desired.