Hasselback Potatoes: Fancy Up Your Baked Potatoes

My husband wanted to cook (meaning me) dinner for his dad for Father's Day. I thought it was a great idea, because I knew that his dad appreciated good food, and I love cooking for people like that. I wanted to treat him to a great traditional steak dinner, with a twist. I made these Hasselback Potatoes. Don't get me wrong, this is a baked potato, but it is a baked potato that has it's nails done and it's hair did. Originated in Sweden, these potatoes come out soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. I made a parmesan herb butter to go on top (made with herbs from my own garden-thankyouverymuch), but the possibilities are endless with what you can do with these beauties.

Hasselback Potatoes (serves 4)

4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and dried
Olive oil
1/2 stick butter, softened
3T grated parmesan cheese
2T fresh herbs (I used basil, parsley, and rosemary)
Salt and Pepper-to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Take a potato and slice thinly, but not completely through.
Tip: Stab a potato with a skewer to use as a "stop guide" or place your potato on a wooden spoon, stop your slice when your knife hits the spoon.

Rub the outside and in between your cuts with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, season with salt, and bake for 40 minutes.
To make parmesan herb butter: Add butter to a small bowl. Add parmesan and herbs, mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When potatoes are done, top with a good bit of the butter. Potato will be easy and neat to eat.

Eight Ball Zucchini with Chickpea Quinoa Stuffing

As if I needed an excuse to make chickpeas (in case you can't tell by now, I am obsessed) I came up with a chickpea quinoa dish for me to have for lunches and as a side for dinner. I love quinoa as well-gluten free and a complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids. For example, if you are eating beans for protein, you are not getting a complete protein, which is why beans and brown rice together is a classic combo-the two combined add up to be a complete protein. With quinoa, you get the complete protein with out having anything else. And it being a plant based protein is better for you than an animal based protein. Yes, it is a plant...not a grain

While checking out the produce, I came across these little guys again and remembered how much fun I had with them last year stuffing them with a tomato sauce, ground meat, spices, and rice. I stuffed these cuties with my chickpea/quinoa concoction and it turned out delicious and filling.

Eight Ball Zucchini-cute huh?

If you cannot find these at your grocery store or farmer's market, regular zucchini will do the trick-you will just have leftover stuffing (I'll show you what to do with that as well)

Eight Ball Zucchini with Chickpea Quinoa Stuffing (serves 3)

3 eight ball (round) zucchini
1/2c quinoa
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 onion, small dice
2T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2t ground cumin
1/2t curry powder
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2c almonds or cashews, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook quinoa as directed. (Tip: 2 parts water or stock to 1 part grain) Cut the tops of the zucchini and scoop out the flesh. Chop into a small dice and set to the side. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, zucchini, and garbanzo beans. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked quinoa, cumin, curry, and red pepper flake. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chopped nuts. At this point I can stand over the stove with a spoon and eat the stuffing.

Spoon the stuffing into the zucchini and put on a baking pan. Drizzle the top lightly with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes.

I served this as a side at dinner with a grilled pork chop. Would also go nicely with grilled chicken or eaten on it's own.

Leftover Stuffing and Quick Lunch

In your Tupperware container, add 2-3 handfuls of fresh, uncooked baby spinach. Top with your leftover stuffing and refrigerate. The next day, microwave your lunch for 1-2 minutes or until hot. You now have the hot stuffing over perfectly cooked fresh spinach....and it is amazing (and very healthy!)

Pre-microwaved goodness

Bonkers for Blueberries

OK, so I will admit it...I am a sucker for produce one day sales. At Whole Foods, they were having an organic blueberry one day sale ($1.99 a pint) so I bought a case. This was no small feat, because I am very particular about my blueberries (and berries in general). To me, there is nothing worse than a blueberry water bomb-mealy and no flavor. Runner up are blueberries that are tart with no flavor. These blueberries were sweet and perfect in texture. What am I going to do with a case? I'm going to freeze a bunch for smoothies and cook with the rest. I have two blueberry recipes for you so far. First up is a Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade, lightly sweetened and one of my favorite flavor combos-blueberry and lemon. Then a blueberry guacamole (yes, blueberry guacamole).

Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade (makes about 2 quarts)

2c fresh blueberries
1c fresh lemon juice
2/3c sugar
6c sparkling water (you can use regular water if you prefer)

Place blueberries into a medium size bowl. Pour a small amount of hot water into the bowl-just enough to cover the bottom. With a potato masher, crush the blueberries. Pour blueberries through a fine sieve. (if you do not have a fine sieve, pulse the blueberries in a blender until smooth-you will have some blueberry flecks in your lemonade, but it will taste fine). Add the lemon juice and sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the water and chill until you are ready to serve.

Hmm, maybe with some vodka? (Sorry for the bad picture, I made this at work)

Blueberry Guacamole (makes about 3 cups)

1 large avocado
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2c blueberries
2T lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
Salt and Pepper-to taste

Cut avocado in half and scoop into a bowl. Add lime juice and jalapeno. Mash until almost smooth. Add 1/2 cup of blueberries and mashed until the blueberries have popped. Add the rest of the blueberries, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Boom. Easy.



Super good. Creaminess of the avocado, a little spice, and sweetness from the blueberries

 Now this guacamole is great as a chip dip or as a sandwich spread. I made a wrap by spreading fresh goat cheese on a tortilla, top with turkey and guacamole. I could have eaten twelve of these.

Or for an hors d'oeuvres....

Cute, right?

That's it for blueberries right now, possibly more recipes to come...

Sushi Blues-The Only Place My Husband Will Eat Sushi

Sushi Blues is a hot spot for college kids, dates, or people looking for good (and most of the time) inexpensive sushi. The menu and decor pay homage to the greats in Blues. This place is not your typical sushi restaurant. Painting in dark colors, draped in Christmas lights, and not a Maneki Neko in sight. This has become the only place my husband will eat sushi at, so it has become a semi regular spot for us. Sunday through Thursday is a great time to go with buy one get one sushi rolls.

 He orders the same thing every time. First, one of their most popular rolls-The Wolfpack Roll. Crab, crunchy tempura flakes, asparagus, avocado, spicy mayo, and NC State red tobiko. This roll is good-the tempura flakes pop in your mouth like a Rice Krispy. Next is the Across the Street Carmen Roll-Shrimp tempura, sweet potato, zucchini, spicy mayo, and sesame seed. I love this roll. Before Sushi Blues, I had never had sweet potato in a roll. It adds a lovely creaminess to the roll.

This night I ordered the Big Count Basie veggie roll- Sweet potato and zucchini tempura, tempura flakes,
cucumber, and sesame seed. I am in love with this roll. Simple and flavorful it has become one of my comfort foods. I also got a spicy tuna roll and added avocado. It was ok, texturally speaking, I prefer my tuna in the standard strips instead of chopped. It gets mushy to me. The level of sriracha was good and the avocado I added cooled it down some.

Presentation is decent and service is good. Go earlier than 9:00pm, after that the Rihanna starts bumping and the place is packed.

Shrimp Boil and My Lament of Florida

Sometimes I really dislike living in Raleigh...ok a lot. I miss living in Florida. I miss the food, the people, being close to the beach, the Riverside area, my family, did I mention the food? Having access to some prime seafood used to bring me great joy. Going to the fish market to pick out dinner, seeing the shipment of seafood come in to the restaurant and opening it like it was a Christmas present, and going to hole in the wall restaurants and chowing down on good simple food. Why did I move? Simple. Love. My now husband lived here in Raleigh, fresh off of active duty in the military, and I wanted to be here with him. Don't get me wrong, no regrets whatsoever, but I just miss it. I think what I miss most is what they call Salt Life. The people generally just want to get some sun, eat, have a drink, and listen to good music. Kind of reminds me of what Marcus Samuelsson said about Africa and "Ubuntu" (mentioned in my first post) The hustle and bustle of Raleigh gets to me...Maybe I just need to visit Florida more often....

So, now that you have listened (or read) my bitching, we can get down to business. I missed Florida one day and to raise my spirits (and cholesterol) I decided to treat my husband and I to a shrimp boil. This is one of the easiest meals to whip together, but so enjoyable. This is how my family throws down and something I wanted to share with him-crowding over a big bowl, getting your hands dirty, and looking over and smiling at each other...and a cold beverage.

First, if you have not met, let me introduce you to Old Bay Seasoning. This is seafood magic and a staple in everyone in my family's kitchen. Celery salt, spices like ginger, mace, and bay penetrate anything you put in on. In this recipe, you make an Old Bay bath for shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausages, and whatever you want to throw in the hot tub.

Shrimp Boil (serves 2)
1 pound large shrimp, 21/25 or larger
2 ears of fresh corn, shucked and silks removed, cut in 1/2
6 new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
2 links of smoked sausage, like andouille or chorizo, cut into 1 1/2 in slices
10c of water
1/4c Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 stick of butter



In a very large pot, bring water and Old Bay to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add the corn and cook for another 3 minutes. Finally add shrimp and boil for 2 minutes, or just until they are pink throughout. Strain through a colander and place in a large bowl. Add butter and toss to coat. Serve with a lot of paper towels.

Turkey Chili Mac

I will admit it, I can be a snob when it comes to food. Sure, I can get down and eat some Velveeta, cheeseburger, or the occasional ramen noodle...but I don't like it. I typically feel like crap after eating it not only because of the redonkulous amounts of sodium, but since I have been buying "clean" foods for a few years now, I feel like I get physically ill from the preservatives and not to mention thinking about all of the crimes against farmers, the environment, and the consumer by some of the major companies out there. So when my husband asked me oh say, a couple of years ago, if I would make him chili mac, all I could think about was Hamburger Helper. I stuck up my nose at the thought.

I have been working out like a maniac lately (mainly because it is the first time I have ever enjoyed it) and was ready for a yummy carb meal. I broke down, and started trying to figure out a happy median for us to both have chili mac. We very rarely eat beef anymore, especially ground beef. If we are going to eat it-it's going to be in steak form. So I used ground turkey, a smaller amount, and added extra veggies. I think next time I may do it vegetarian and add beans instead of turkey all together. He enjoyed it and said it combined all of the favorites when it comes to "man food": Macaroni and Cheese, Nachos, and Pizza. I enjoyed it as well, and I know it is going to taste even better tomorrow.

Turkey Chili Mac (serves 4)
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, small diced
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/4-1/2 t red chili flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T brown sugar
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 cups water
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups elbow macaroni
1c Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1c Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Set a large deep pan or pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, red chili flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and brown sugar and cook, about 30 seconds.  Add the ground turkey and cook until done.
Stir the water and tomato sauce into the ground turkey mixture in the pan.  Add the pasta and stir to combine.  Cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.  Cook until the pasta is done, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Turn off the heat, and add 1/2 cup of each cheese.  Stir to melt the cheese.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and cover the pan again.  Let stand for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Green Bean Salad

I'm going to say this for the first time this year "It's too hot to cook!". Right when the temperature extremes change from freezing to hot, I go through a temporary cooking rut. I definitely feel like I have to change the way I am cooking, and spend less time sweating over the stove. I start making a lot of salads with different homemade dressings and grilled proteins. There is also the hot to cold factor that I look for. Dishes that are good hot when you first make them, and just as good the next day cold. This morning I made a green bean salad to have with dinner tonight, this way, when it comes time to cook dinner-BAM, side dish is done....and I will take the leftovers for work tomorrow. I adore the fresh chewy texture of green beans. I can't believe growing up I ever ate canned green beans. (Luckily, I ate green beans that were canned by my grandmother, and not the grocery store-but still). Growing up in the south vegetables are cooked to death, until they have that mushy, hardly need to chew it, salty taste. I added a bunch of my favorite salad toppings-nuts, red onion, fresh goat cheese, and added bacon to tempt my husband (that is how I got him to start eating collard greens after all).

Green Bean Salad (serves 4)
4-5 good handfuls of fresh green beans, ends trimmed*
2 slices of bacon, small diced (optional)**
1/2t sugar
1/2c chopped walnuts
1/2 red onion, small diced
1/3c red wine vinegar
2T bacon drippings
1/4c olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2c fresh goat cheese, crumbled
*You can use frozen green beans, just thaw them
**Bacon is completely optional, if you choose to leave it out, you may need to increase the amount of olive oil slightly.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans. Cook for 4 minutes. They should be bright green and just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water and ice. Place in a large bowl, add onions and walnuts and set to the side. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped bacon and sprinkle with the sugar. Cook until the bacon is crispy. Strain the bacon, reserving 2T of the bacon drippings. Add bacon to the green beans. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, bacon drippings, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to the green beans and toss to coat. Top with the goat cheese.