Do you ever have an ah-ha moment where you dream up something amazing? Yah, that is these little spuds. They are pretty amazing. They are mini making them bite-size and chocked full of flavor. Oh, and did I mention they are Gluten Free?!?! Yes, so all of your GF friends can indulge on these as well! Oh, and your vegetarian friends, too. Yah these are pretty much pleasing all your friends at this point. Well, maybe not the carnivores. However, these are hearty one-bite wonders and thanks to the fabulous flavors they won’t be asking for a plate of steak after eating a few of these.
It has been about a year since I last posted about potato skins. I don’t know what it is about football that always reminds me of this glorious appetizer. Last year, I published my favorite and go-to recipes for loaded potato skins. I can’t lie, though. Homemade potato skins of any kind do take a lot more time to prepare verse going to the store and buying a box of frozen spuds. However, they taste ten times better than the frozen version. So if your short on time. These might not be the appetizer for you to make, now. However, you could assemble them ahead of time and then pop them in the oven as your guest arrive.
If you want to really kick up the heat. Don’t just add a dash of the cayene pepper. Add like 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne. Then you just might see all your carnivorous friends crying like babies.
Get creative with these. If you have a jalapeno on hand–add it! If you have grilled fresh corn, by all means please do add it! You have a little salsa instead of fresh tomatoes. Add that instead. Make it saucy! Don’t be afraid to steer away from making a recipe just because you don’t have a single ingredient on hand. Make it your own creation. Heck, you don’t have little potatoes use larger potatoes and just increase the quantity of filling! Either way–homemade potato skins (whether they are bite-size or larger) are the way to go this football season.
In a large pot, boil the mini potatoes until you can easily prick them with a fork (about 20 minutes). Let them cool.
While the potatoes are cooling, in a mixing bowl add roma tomato, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, spices, cilantro, green onion, and a dash of lime juice. Mix well and set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled, halve each potato. Carefully, using a melon baller carve out a hole for each potato and begin filling with bean/corn mixture.
Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until cheese has melted and the skins are crispy. Top with a tiny dollop of sour cream.
Notes
*Don't throw away the potato filling you spoon out. Save it and fry it up for breakfast the next morning!
Over the weekend I was attempting to not only recipe develop but clean out my refrigerator and pantry. While doing so I found leftover white rice that could easily have been frozen for another meal; however, I really wanted to make something from it. I also had leftover black beans, a half roasted pepper and ear of corn from earlier in the week. I instantly thought of a Mexican Rice Salad. A cold rice salad. The vibrant colors and robust flavors scream summer time. Because I chose to keep this salad cold its refreshing on a hot summers spring day.
The spices I chose to use in this side dish are similar to those I use in my homemade guacamole. It’s spicy enough to give a small kick yet not too overwhelming that your mouth is on fire and you can’t taste any of the other ingredients in the dish. I love the flavor profile of the roasted red bell pepper and the sweet fresh corn. They really make this dish, and of course the avocado gives a creamy coolness to each bite.
The next time you have leftover rice and veggies in your refrigerator I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. Whether entertaining on a warm evening or in need of a refreshing lunch.
Heat leftover white rice in microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
In a large bowl combine; white rice, rinsed black beans, chopped red bell pepper, corn, cilantro, chili powder, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Mix well then gently fold in diced avocado. Chill until ready to serve.
As many of you know, I have a deep love for the Everyday Food magazine on the iPad app. I can’t get enough of this interactive magazine! When I saw this unique vegetarian dish I knew I wanted to make it. What I didn’t realize was that I would make it on a whim only because I had no idea what to make and because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand.
I was afraid that this would not be filling enough for my husband and in fact to be honest I wasn’t sure if this would even be good. Can I just tell you how amazing this was. The flavors were bold, and the veggies were filling. My husband LOVED it and was asking for a second serving of it! I will definitely be adding this into my vegetarian meal rotation.
Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain white rice 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp minced garlic 3/4 lbs broccoli, cut into bite-size florets 3/4 lbs cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 1/2 red bell pepper, diced red-peper flakes 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup oyster sauce
Directions: 1. Cook rice according to package instructions (I like to cook mine in a rice cooker). Meanwhile, in a wok or large skillet, heat oil over high. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 10 seconds. Add broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and pinch of red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. 2. Add broth and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add oyster sauce and cook, stirring to combine, 1 minute. Spoon over rice and serve immediately.
While away on a business trip I was watching the Cooking Channel (which is a luxury since I don’t have the channel at home), and saw Giada make this amazing pea and basil soup. I knew that I needed to put this on my list of things to cook. This was super easy to make and although it is a warm soup it’s light and creamy and works for the dog days of summer. After cooking this you could easily serve this as a chilled soup if desired.
On a side note, the recipes says to float the slice of mozzarella… not so much. It will sink to the bottom. I had to make the optical illusion just as the photo on the Food Network page did. I had to put 6 thick slices of mozzarella cheese in the bowl of soup in order for you to see the mozzarella!
1/4 cup diced roasted red bell peppers (jarred is fine)
Directions:
1. Place a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and basil, and heat until the peas are thawed.
2. Place the pea mixture in a blender. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until pureed, adding more broth, if necessary, to puree. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and cream. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until hot, but not boiling.
3. To serve, place the soup in bowls. Float a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each soup and sprinkle with the diced roasted red bell peppers. Serve immediately.
Last year, I pitched to one of the publishing giants, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade, to be a guest blogger for their blog. They agreed on a quarterly “contract” as I’ll call it. Disclaimer: They send me a cookbook for free. I unbiasedly read through it and cook recipes from it. It’s that simple.
Last year, I made multiple guest blog appearances on the Trade blog about Pam Anderson’s Perfect One-Dish Dinners cookbook, chocked full of awesome recipes. It is now my go-to cookbook whenever I know I’m going to entertain for a large group.
My first cookbook I’ll be guest blogging about this year, is an awesome new Vegetarian cookbook! Coming from an almost self-proclaimed Vegetarian, (although I guess I’m really considered a flexitarian) this cookbook is wonderful! Marie Simmons, the author of Fresh & Fast Vegetarian offers over 150 recipes that can quickly be assembled. I will admit some of the ingredients called for (in some of the recipes) you probably won’t have sitting around in your cupboard; however, that’s what make this book awesome. It will introduce you to obscure ingredients and make you a more well-rounded cook at the end of the day. This was the first recipe I tried from Marie’s cookbook, and I absolutely LOVED it. I could have made a meal out of the peppers alone. They were so tasty. Even my husband who is not the biggest fan of rosemary LOVED this side dish! My husband and I had two portions each, that’s how good they were!
On a side note, I almost had an oven fire with these peppers… to be honest, it was quite comical. The little bit of oil that was on the peppers was splattering all over the oven. I ended up tenting some tin foil over the peppers and they came out just fine and at the end of the day my house is still in one-piece! *I also roasted the clove of garlic for the first 15 minutes. I like to have a lighter tasting garlic–not as pungent as being fresh.
I found an amazing deal on mini bell peppers at Costco (a massive bag for about $5)! Essentially, this side dish cost me less than $5 since I only used half the bag, I grow my own rosemary, and I always have garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on hand. Great inexpensive side dish to make any day of the week! I hope you will love this recipe as much as I do!
Ingredients: 16 mini bell peppers, rinsed and dried, left whole with stems attached 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp coarse salt freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary 1 garlic clove, bruised with the side of a knife
Directions: 1. Place a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Heat the pan in the hot oven for 10 minutes. 2. Toss the peppers and oil in a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and generous grinding of black pepper. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and spread the oiled vegetables in a single layer on the pan ( including if you’d like the garlic clove, remember to tent the pan with tin foil). Roast for 15 minutes. Turn and stir the peppers with tongs and move them around on the pan so they’ll roast evenly. Roast until blistered and tender, about 10 minutes more. 3. Place the rosemary, garlic and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pound to a paste with the pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, grate the garlic, combine it with the rosemary and salt on a saucer and mash together with the back of a spoon. 4. In a serving dish, stir the hot roasted peppers with the rosemary and garlic mixture until combined. Serve hot or cold.
When I first found this recipe I think I was honestly more intrigued by the cucumber salsa than the taquito itself! The evening I planned to make this I got an unexpected phone call from my cousin who is like my brother and typically once we get on the phone its pretty hard to hang up. My husband was getting frustrated that dinner wasn’t ready yet, so he started reading the recipe and helped me out in the kitchen! He was in charge of the taquitos and I made the cucumber salsa. It was a nice treat to have him help in the kitchen (although he is very much lost while in it and isn’t too good at the multi-task thing)! This meal was delicious and we will definitely be making it again… actually next time, he might make it again for me!
2 tbsp {+ an additional 2 tsp} extra-virgin olive oil
grate peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
12 small corn tortillas
12 oz can spicy refried beans
1-1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cucumber, garlic and parsley. Stir in 2 teaspoons olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir the lemon peel into the sour cream.
2. Heat a large skillet over low heat. Soften each tortilla in the skillet for about 15 seconds on each side. Place the tortillas on a work surface and spread each with 2 tablespoons refried beans; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up the tortillas to resemble cigars.
3. Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Working in 3 batches and using the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, fry the taquitos, turning, until crisp and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve the taquitos with the lemony sour cream and cucumber salsa.
I made this dish on a whim the other day for lunch. Thankfully I have a beautiful herb garden on my back porch that allows me to cook on the “hip”. I’m so thankful I found this recipe on the Rachael Ray site! Unlike most pasta dishes the pasta is cooked right in the pan with everything else (similar to risotto). This dish was amazing, and I did not change anything from the recipe. Even my husband who can not appreciate a great bowl of creamy pasta was asking for seconds!!! I’ve finally found a winning cream pasta dish that made his heart skip a beat! Even the biggest carnivores in your life won’t be asking; “where’s the meat?”. I will definitely be making this again whether it be for lunch or dinner!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients:
5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
1 zucchini, cut into thin sticks
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Grated peel of 1 lemon
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (a generous handful), or 3 to 4 tablespoons snipped chives
Directions:
1. In a saucepan, simmer the broth over medium heat.
2. In a large, deep skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic. Add the spaghetti and toast lightly, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables soften, stirring with tongs, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until completely absorbed. Add a few ladlefuls of warm broth and stir the pasta. Keep adding broth a few ladlefuls at a time, letting the liquid absorb before adding more. Stir often, like you would prepare a risotto, until all the liquid is absorbed and the spaghetti is al dente, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir the cream and cheese into the pasta, remove from the heat and stir for 1 minute longer, until the cheese is melted and creamy. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with the lemon peel and parsley.
We love to eat pasta in our house–all types if you haven’t noticed by now. My husband loves stuffed shells; however, I’m not a fan of how time consuming they can be. I’ve been in a cleaning and purging mood lately, and started to do inventory of my pantry. That’s when I noticed that I had a half box of shells that were taking up a decent amount of space, so I decided I would try a new version of stuffed shells. Throwing together a little this and that in the kitchen one evening; concocted an amazingly unique shell! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
12 shells, cooked and cooled
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese plus more for topping
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained very well
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, drained and cut into large chunks
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt & pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup broth *chicken or veg is fine
parsley, for garnishing
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook shells according to package; cool completely.
2. While shells are cooling; in a separate bowl add ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts, red onion, Italian seasoning, salt, peper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to a bowl. Mix well until well incorporated.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree’s. While oven is preheating in a small sauce pan on medium heat add olive oil, garlic, and butter. Saute until garlic is fragrant and golden. Add wine, and reduce by half, then add chicken broth. Cook for a few minutes. Add lemon juice and slowly whisk in cornstarch. Whisk until sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Next, you will want to start stuffing your shells. Before you place your shells in your baking dish, add a little bit of the butter sauce to the pan; swirl around and make sure the pan is well oiled before placing shells in. Once the pan is covered start arranging your shells. Spoon a half of the sauce over the shells, cover with tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil after the 30 minutes of cooking, top with a little parmesan cheese and cook an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Plate stuffed shells and pour a little more of the butter sauce on top. Enjoy!
In an effort to try to eat a smidge healthier I started browsing around some blogs, and found a great blog; Skinny Taste! Its basically a blog of all weight watchers recipe. I remember my mom making this version of eggplant parmesan for us a while back and we all loved it, so I figured I would give it a try. My husband LOVES all things “parmesan” and I was a little hesitant about serving this “healthier” non-fried version to him, but he LOVED it! So this is a winner and probably the only way I’ll be cooking this dish for now on! Best part is that it’s only 265 calories a serving (6ww points), and if you serve it with some whole wheat pasta for the rest of the family it’s plenty filling! *I’ll note that I didn’t have the full amount of ingredients so I scaled down the recipe (this is not the scaled down version of the recipe).
Directions: 1. Start by making the sauce if you don’t have any already made. While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Lay on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.
2. Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.
3. In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
4. In a 9×12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce until everything is used up. Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Side suggestions: whole wheat pasta w/ sauce, garlic bread, fresh garden salad
I found this recipe on Bettheny Frankel’s Skinny Girl website. I must admit that I adore her, and love watching her on the Real Housewives of NYC, and now on her new show Bettheny Getting Married. When we were in NYC last winter we got to meet her while visiting a bakery in the Chelsea Market! I’m currently reading Bettheny’s first book Naturally Thin which gives tips and advice on how to live a healthy life style and not constantly feel like your on a diet. The book is great and has opened my eyes up to a new way of living! So when I saw this recipe for a vegetarian chili I knew I wanted to give it a try! I’ve never been a fan of chili, but I think it’s because I never had a vegetarian version. After eating this I’ll definitely be making this again and again and again! Even my husband loved it who absolutely loves a big and beefy chili!
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Serves:4
Ingredients:
½ medium sized onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ red pepper, chopped
¼ yellow pepper, chopped
1 small can pureed tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 can red pinto beans
1 can black beans
green onions, sliced (for garnish)
light sprinkle of cheese (for garnish)
Directions:
Sauté onions over medium/high heat in nonstick pan with nonstick spray and add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, minced garlic, red pepper, & yellow pepper.
When vegetables are soft, add pureed tomatoes (can says tomato sauce but the only ingredients are unseasoned pureed tomatoes).
Add zucchini & squash.
When vegetables are cooked, add black beans and red pinto beans.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
