Twice-Baked Potatoes

|
By
|
5 comments

 

Twice-Baked PotatoesThe guys in my house are great eaters. They never complain when we have a meatless meal, or a fancy salad for dinner. But, they are males – and there is nothing that my boys love more than meat and potatoes. But to stuff said potato full of meat, sour cream, cheese, and scallions? Well, then they’re just in hog heaven.

We don’t eat steak that often in our home these days(as I’m a cheapskate who will only buy it when it’s on sale!) so when we do, I like to make it extra-special by serving these potatoes alongside. They’re easy, filling, and everyone always loves them! You know it’s good when your 4 year old happily gobbles up the potato skin. Sometimes I’ll double the recipe, and stick a few in the fridge or freezer to enjoy for an easy, quick lunch. When paried with a salad, it’s a wonderful meal on it’s own. No steak required!

Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
1/2 cup sour cream
6 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with the tines of a fork a few times and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven.

Hold the potato with an oven mitt or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Discard the tops (or make potato skins!). Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with the sour cream. Stir in the scallions, 1/3 cup cheese, and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potato filling.

Place potatoes on baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh scallions if desired.

Blackberry Margaritas

|
By
|
17 comments

Blackberry Margaritas

Happy Friday! I don’t know if it’s just me – or, has it been an especially long week for everyone? I thought nothing would be better to close out the week than a good cocktail! And, what better way to round out this week of blackberry posts than blackberry margarita? You guys know me, I always reach for the tequila first.

Thankfully, so does Shawnda – I don’t know there there is a fruit left under the sun that she hasn’t turned into a delicious margarita. Nothing but goodness in this glass – homemade margarita mix, tequila, triple sec, and blackberry  puree. I went ahead and put it through a fine mesh strainer, but I think they’d be fun to muddle right in the glass too. A blackberry mojito may or may not be in the works already…

Blackberry Margaritas

For the blackberry puree:
6 oz blackberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water

For the cocktails:
blackberry puree
9 oz lime juice
9 oz water
1/2 cup sugar
3 oz orange liqueur
6 oz tequila
lime wedges, for garnish

To make the puree, add berries, sugar, and water to a blender or food processor and puree for 1 minute.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved completely.

Add puree, simple syrup, lime juice, orange liquer, and tequila in a small pitcher or carafe.

Stir well to combine, and serve over ice with a wedge of lime. I usually don’t rim my glass, if I do I usually go with sugar instead of salt.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd

|
By
|
9 comments

White Chocolate Pudding w/ Blackberry CurdOne of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was Deb’s book, The Smitten Kitchen. As with her blog, I want to make pretty much everything the woman puts in print. But, decided on this white chocolate pudding with blackberry curd as a great place to start. I’m not really a fan of white chocolate, or at least I’ve thought I haven’t been. But over the past year it’s really grown on me – and how could any form of pudding be, really?

We enjoyed these the night before we left for Charleston, they were that easy to bring together. Even with an insanely hectic day I still managed to carve out 10 minutes to cook the pudding, and the curd. Speaking of curd, I’d never had any flavor other than lemon – and let me just tell you, I’m sold. They were just so darn pretty, and delicious. The pudding was creamy and rich. And the blackberry curd on top was such a nice punch in contrast with the sweetness from the pudding. I’m looking forward to trying it with raspberry as well!

White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd

For the pudding:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the blackberry curd:
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

To make the pudding, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan. Whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over low heat and stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary, should lumps begin to form. After about 15 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl with a spout, and pour into individual serving dishes. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Meanwhile, purée berries in a food processor or blender until as smooth as possible. Press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. You should have between 3 and 4 tablespoons of purée.

Whisk together the blackberry purée, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and egg in a heavy 1-quart saucepan. Stir in the butter, and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the curd is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk, and until the first bubble appears on the surface, about 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the curd among prepared cups, gently spreading it on pudding surfaces.

Let chill for 1 hour before serving.

Source: slightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Strawberry Wine Coolers

|
By
|
2 comments

Strawberry Wine Coolers

Well, it’s a beautiful Friday morning here in Charleston. To celebrate the first day of the Charleston Wine & Food Festival, I wanted to share something with you guys from 2 of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors, The Lee Brothers, who just so happen to be from Charleston. Their new cookbook is actually being released this weekend at the festival, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy – I treasure their other two so much. They are some of my most used cookbooks in my kitchen!

These strawberry wine coolers are from their second cookbook. I remember the days of “scoring” some wine coolers when I was about 15. And, ugh – they were so horrible. These are nothing like them! Fresh fruit, crisp white wine – how could you not win? I used my strawberry vodka that I infused at home, and I loved the additional punch of strawberry that it brought with it. These are perfect for a party, or just to make a carafe of on a weekend and enjoy by yourself! Love them, and I’m looking forward to trying it with other fruits as they come into season as well!

Strawberry Wine Coolers

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2 ounces vodka
generous pinch of kosher salt
2 750-mL bottles off-dry white wine, such as a Reisling, chilled

Reserve 6 strawberries for garnish, and combine the rest in a blender with the vodka, salt, and 2 scant cups of the wine.

Puree on the highest setting for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is frothy and smooth.

Strain the puree through a fine-mesh seive  into a pitcher (and eat the pulp!), pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours.

To serve, fill wine glasses with ice, and divide the mixture among them, filling each glass about half-full.  Top with remaining white wine, and stir.  Garnish with the reserved strawberries, and serve.

Source: Simple, Fresh, Southern by Matt and Tedd Lee