Twice-Baked Creamy Chive Potatoes

My son Sam is a big fan of my Aunt Dottie's twice baked potatoes. The last time she made then, Sam ate 3! Somehow, she gets her filling to be like velvet. When Sam requested these as a side dish recently, I went to work.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't catch my aunt on the phone or by text. After reviewing lots of online recipes, it seems the trick is the right combination of butter, milk, cream cheese and sour cream mixed into the cooked potatoes.

And since I was experimenting, I made some of the potatoes with chives to suit my own tastes, leaving some plain for my kids.

Sam declared these "pretty good" but Aunt Dottie still wears the cooking crown in his eyes.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Twice-Baked Creamy Chive Potatoes

6 medium to large baking potatoes, like Idaho or Russet
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher or table salt
2/3 cup of milk
3/4 cup of butter at room temperature, cut into chunks
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese, cut into chunks
3/4 cup of sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoons snipped chives (or other fresh herb), plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub potatoes and dry well. Prick all over with a knife. Lightly coat with olive oil, then rub with salt. Bake for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are soft. An alternative method is to cook potatoes in microwave first, until soft. Then transfer to oven for about 20 minutes until the skin crisps up.

When cooked, remove from oven and let cool until you are able to handle the potatoes but they are still warm.

Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Carefully slice each potato in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp and place into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to leave a thin layer of potato inside each potato skin for 5 of the potatoes, so that they make little boats. For the 6th potato, you just want the cooked potato pulp and you can discard the skin.

Combine milk, butter, cream cheese and sour cream and garlic powder with potato pulp. Use a potatoes masher or electric mixer to combine until creamy. If potatoes are too starchy or stiff, add more sour cream or cream cheese (your choice) until you get the consistency you want.

Add salt, pepper and chives or other fresh herb and stir to combine.

Arrange potato boats on a baking sheet and scoop filling into a mound in each potato skin. Sprinkle with additional snipped chives.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven, until the top of potato filling is slightly browned. Remove from oven, arrange on a pretty platter and serve.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

As I mentioned last week, I try to limit my visits to the grocery store to once a week. I inevitably make an extra trip on Friday afternoon for drinkable yogurt, cheddar bunnies and ice cream because emergencies happen, amiright?

A weekly shopping trip requires meal planning, and I totally shop the grocery store circular to determine my weekly menu. Not only is it thrifty, but it also reins in my creative juices. If I could pick any old thing to make, there would simply be too many choices. I mean, we live in the age of Pinterest, people.

Maybe it's just my friendly Fred Meyer, but sirloin steak is always on sale. And beef is expensive, man! So sirloin steak it is. This quick and easy Beef Stroganoff was a total winner and a great way to use the sale-priced sirloin steak. If you have a different cut of steak on sale at your market, give it a whirl and let me know how it goes!

How do you plan your meals every week? Do you stick to the circular?

Let's get cooking!
Erin

P.S. This post has me thinking about grocery stores. To our readers in western New York, Milwaukee, and the South—I can't tell you all how I miss Wegmans, Sendiks, and Publix, respectively. Please think of me next time you go grocery shopping. That is all.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
Gently adapted from MyRecipes.com

1 pound sirloin steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
1 cup beef consomme or beef broth, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream
Cooked egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes, for serving
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Cut steak in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4" thick strips. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add steak and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to skillet. Once it's melted, stir in onion, mushrooms, and paprika. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine 1/4 cup beef consomme and flour in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add to skillet. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup beef consomme and 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to incorporate browned bits into the sauce. Return steak and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in sour cream. (Stirring in sour cream off the heat helps prevent it from curdling.)

Serve over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

Zucchini Pancakes

Yes, I'm using zucchini in yet another recipe. The prolific vegetable is the ideal blank slate or accompaniment for so many meals, as evidenced by it's frequent appearance in our happy homes.

Zucchini's mild taste and Mom-approved nutritional value make it a great food for healthy eaters.

One medium zucchini with its skin provides about 7 grams of carbohydrates, including 2 grams from dietary fiber and 3 grams from sugars. It also has 2 grams of protein and lots of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium.

Some of my favorites? Blueberry Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Rice. And of course these tasty pancakes. I try to use as little flour as possible so that the zucchini takes charge.

These savory bites are just the thing when you need a vegetarian main course or a fun side dish.

And who can say no to pancakes served up with a dollop of sour cream?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Zucchini Pancakes

2 medium zucchini, shredded
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 large egg
1/2 a yellow or white onion, finely chopped (or use 1 bunch green onions, finely sliced)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons flour (white, whole wheat or gluten free)
Several tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
Several tablespoons butter

Place zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let drain for about 10 minutes. Press with wooden spoon to squeeze out moisture.

Whisk egg in a bowl. Add zucchini, onion, cheese, nutmeg, pepper and flour. Mix until well combined. If the batter is too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.

Now you're ready to fry up your fritters — in batches.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet (cast iron works well here) until hot. Drop heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter (about 1/4 cup) into skillet and flatten just a little with a spatula.

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned. Transfer pancakes to a plate lined with paper towels.

Wipe out skillet if needed and repeat the cooking process until you've used up all of the batter.

Serve with sour cream.

Zucchini pancakes freeze really well. After thawing you can reheat them in the oven. Place on a cookie sheet and broil for 1 or 2 minutes.