Twice Baked Potatoes

This side dish may seem a little fussy, but it is a great way to do potatoes for company ahead of time. You can prepare them and have them ready to pop in the oven 20 min. before a meal. I like it when you have nothing to do at the end. This recipe, with some minor changes, was submitted by Kimberly F. to our church cookbook. It's one that I have found works well.

Ingredients:

8 large potatoes, baked
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 - 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. grated
1/2 cup milk, approx
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Method:

1. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a thin lid from top of each.
2. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4 inch or so in the shell, so it doesn't tear.
3. Combine pulp with remaining ingredients, mashing to desired consistency.
4. Scoop mashed potato mixture back into skins. Arrange on baking sheet.
5. Refrigerate until half hour before the meal. Bake at 350º F about 20 - 25 minutes, until tops are golden.

Stuffed Zucchini

This dish is just perfect for your end-of-summer bumper crop of squash.

Sure enough, I dashed out into my garden to find more Zucchini than I really wanted.
I was talking to a colleague at work about my bumper crop and she shared this recipe with me.

Stuffed Zucchini

• 8 ounces ground buffalo meat. ( I prefer to use 1 pound lean hamburger)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 cup mushrooms chopped
• 1 jar (6 oz.) artichoke hearts packed in oil drained and chopped.
• 1/3 cup walnuts chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest or juice of 1 lemon.
• 6 zucchini (8-10 inches long about 1" in diameter,) halved lengthwise and seeded.
• 1 cup fontina cheese shredded

1. Preheat oven to 425'F
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the hamburger meat in olive oil. Transfer to a large bowl. Add vegetables, artichoke hearts and their oil, walnuts, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
3. Place zucchini halves cut side up in a 5-by-12 ovenproof baking dish. Mound mixture evenly into each zucchini "boat." Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
4. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
5. I chose to grill the zucchini during the last 10 minutes instead, while the cheese melted, to give it that extra BBQ flavor.
   

I doubled the meat proportion and made this dish for 4 servings and found I had plenty of left overs and so I just continued using the meat mixture and stuffing more zucchini and green peppers throughout the week. The meat mixture stays well preserved in the fridge for 5-7 days. I had unexpected company and I whipped up this dish, with some surprised expressions.

Add a few skewers of fresh grilled vegetables and corn on the cob, and you will be guaranteed a tasty dinner. Perfect for any summer evening. We only have 3 weeks left of summer and let's enjoy it.

Roasted Herbed Potatoes

 

• 1-2 yams, cubed and peeled
• 8 medium to large potatoes, cubed (unpeeled, washed well)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (works with a little less too)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• (optional is garlic powder or salt to taste)
• freshly grated black pepper and sea salt to taste

1. Toss together and make sure that the potatoes are covered well with the oil.
2. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
3. If you have never tried yam, come on be adventurous. You'll never go back to plain roasted potatoes!!!! 
4. Serve with bbqd steak or chicken. This recipe can be increased very easily and it seems that it never seems to be enough. Everyone who has tried them really enjoys them.

Vegetable Curry

This is an easy and tasty way to serve vegetables. Eat this with rice, chapatis or pita bread.

My mother-in-law has taught me a lot of East African cooking which surprisingly we do not eat that often. Previously a vegetarian, I find that it is easy for me to revert to some of these more tasty ways of preparing vegetables.

Chop your vegetables of choice. This time I used eggplant, tomatoes, onion, red and yellow pepper, cauliflower, green peas and lima beans. It is a good idea to steam your cauliflower first before adding. Likewise it is a good idea to quickly fry the eggplant in a bit of oil prior to adding to the curry.

Have ready hot chili peppers, ground cumin, ground coriander, mustard seed, fresh grated ginger and garlic and crushed hot green peppers

Pour a little ghee (okay that is clarified butter but if you don't have any then use a bland flavourless oil) into a frying pan and heat. Drop spices into heated oil, about 1 tbsp each or a wee bit less or more depending on your taste buds. Saute the spices until the mustard seed pops. It is important to fry your spices first for flavour bursting effect!

Add chopped green chili peppers...if you don't like heat...please skip this step..

When a slightly thickened roux has developed add 1 to 1 and a 1/2 can of low sodium chicken broth. Add your tomatoes to get the base of the curry.

On low heat add each of the other vegetables.

If the vegetables are not creating enough of their own moisture to cook keep adding chicken broth a wee bit at a time.

Salt and season to taste. Curry spices should not be added AFTER the main ingredients, although a little touch up is okay. But dry spices added to wet contents make a bitter paste. That is why they are fried at the beginning of the process.

When all the vegetables are cooked through add 1 cup plain yougurt (not vanilla flavoured) Serve and enjoy. Don't overcook.
Serve on rice or with chapatis.