Baked Potato - So good even a Heffalump would be happy

Winnie the Pooh fans can appreciate this quote from A. A. Milne:
"What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow."

Baking a potato is easy, right?  Maybe yes, maybe no... the answer depends upon your expectations.  If you want to end up with a baked potato that looks great, smells amazing and encourages your guest to eat every last morsel, try the following.

Like most good cooking, you must use good ingredients to achieve the best outcome.

These potatoes work great as a side, smothered in chili/cheese, diced/fried as hash, added to a soup, or anywhere else a  "decent" potato can be appreciated.

Ingredients:

• Russet Potatoes
• Sea Salt
• Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

 

Wash/scrub your potatoes clean.  Use a paring knife to remove any blemish.  Use the paring knife to pierce the potato.  4 stabs per side.

Pour a small amount of olive oil in a dish and rotate each potato in the dish.  Roll the oiled potatoes in course salt.

 

 Place the potatoes on the oven rack.

Cook for 20 minutes and turn them over.

Cook for another 20-25 minutes depending upon the size.

 

 Once the potato internal temp reaches 210 degrees, they're done!

Enjoy.

Guacamole especial

While making my Sassy Bean Dip, it occurred to me that it doesn't take much extra effort to create two dips instead of just one. New Years Eve 2013 will truly be rocking.

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 Serranos chiles, stems removed
• 3-4 ripe avocados
• Cilantro
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Queso fresco

Assemble the ingredients

Prep the ingredients

 Mix and serve.

Sassy Bean Dip

Well its New Year's Eve 2013.   "Out with the old and in with the new" and other fun concepts to help us transition into 2014.  My personal contribution to this evening of remembrance and anticipation is a simple (but Sassy) bean dip.  :-)

The photos tell the story.  The tongue does the tasting.

Ingredients:

• 1 can pinto beans, well rinsed and drained 
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• Tomato (skinned, seeded and chopped)
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Garlic (2 cloves minced)
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Cayenne (dash)

Start with some Campari tomatoes.  Remove the stem.

Carefully place the tomatoes into boiling water and count to 10.

 The skins should be easy to peel.  Who wants skins in their dip after all?

Seed the tomatoes and assemble the ingredients, include the stems.

 Find someone who likes to push buttons and blend the ingredients.

 Spatula time.

Finished product....grab your favorite chip or veggie.
p.s. My helper notes that it may look awful, but its actually delicious!!!

Creamy Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

If you enjoy Mexican food and hope to expand your recipe rotation, spend a few minutes reading a Rick Bayless cookbook.  This post was inspired by a video I watched of Rick eating his way through Mexico.  Thanks Rick.

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2/3 can fire-roasted tomatoes (drain excess water)
• 2 chipotle chiles en adobo
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup Mexican crema
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt
• Uncooked shrimp (31-40) cut in half
• Small flour tortillas (warmed)

DirectionsRoast the unpeeled garlic in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning from time to time, until completely soft and blackened in places, about 15 minutes; cool and peel.

 

Puree the peeled garlic, tomatoes and chipotle chiles.

 

Prep the shrimp

 Heat the olive oil over medium high.  Add the pureed mixture.

 Stir constantly until the sauce reduces to a paste.  (~ 5 minutes)

 

Add the pepper, oregano and crema.

 

Reduce heat to medium and stir for a few minutes.

 

Add the shrimp.  They'll cook in 3 minutes, so be ready with everything else.

For example... the Cilantro/Lime Rice

 

 Buen Apetito