Baked Potato salad has always been one of my favourite types of potato salad. I have a tried and true recipe that I have been making for years and years. It's very good and everyone I make it for just loves it.  It's quite, quite delicious . . . but then you would expect a salad loaded with mayo, sour cream, cheese and bacon to be rather scrummy wouldn't you!  You can find my original recipe here.

 

I have been trying really hard lately to cut back on fat and calories where I can.  Obviously there are some things that you can't do that with . . . not without compromising on flavour.  I'm happy to say though that I have managed to cut the fat and calories in my  Baked Potato Salad virtually in half . . .

 

I'm even happier to say that no flavour was compromised at all in the process.  Instead of using full fat mayonnaise and sour cream . . .

 

I have substituted a mixture of half fat mayonnaise, half fat salad cream and low fat buttermilk!  If anything, I think this dressing actually tastes better than the original.  Hard to believe I know . . .  but amazingly true!

 

I also used soya bacon bits (Baco's) instead of fried bacon.  I know those are not common ingredients over here in the UK, but you can use turkey bacon and it is almost as good.  I didn't miss the real bacon at all in this.  The soya bacon bits softened up nicely in the salad and imparted a lovely smoked bacon flavour to the dish.

 

I used half fat strong cheddar cheese as well.  If you are not cooking it, I think you would be hard pressed to notice any difference between the full fat and the half fat.  I can't tell the different at any rate.

 

The seasonings stayed the same, but I did make a slight variation in the preparation of the potatoes.  Instead of letting them go cold completely, I opted to peel them and cut them into chunks, mixing them with the delicious dressing whilst still warm.

 

All in all I would call this quite a success!  I hope you'll agree!  It did my potato salad loving heart good at any rate!!!  

 

*Baked Potato Salad*
(Lighter Version)
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

I always loved the unlightened version of this salad.  I have been on a quest to cut calories and fat out of my old favourites.  I've pretty much managed to cut it in half with
this one and it tastes just as good as the original version!  I didn't miss the fat at all!

3 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup of low fat buttermilk (2 fluid ounces)
1/4 cup of half fat salad cream
1/4 cup of half fat mayonnaise (Use a good brand.  I use Hellman's)
1/4 cup of soya bacon bits (you would never know the difference between this and real bacon.  If you can't get them
use 8 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled)
4 ounces half fat mature cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash of celery salt
dash of garlic powder
dash of paprika
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Preheat your oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Wash your potatoes, dry them,  and then prick them all over with a fork.  Place into the preheated oven directly on the oven rack.  Roast until they yield to the touch when gently squeezed, and are cooked through.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes and place into a large bowl.  Mix together the onion, bacon bits and cheese.  Reserve a  TBS or so to sprinkle on top of the finished salad, and mix the remainder in with the potatoes.  Stir together the mayonnaise, buttermilk and salad cream.  Stir in the seasonings.  Gently fold this mixture into the potato mixture, ensuring that the potatoes are coated as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the reserved cheese mixture on top along with the chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.  If not using right away, cover and chill in the refrigerator.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

NOTE:  To those in North America who are not familiar with Salad Cream, the equivalent over there would be bottled coleslaw dressing.  I believe Kraft makes one as do a few other salad dressing manufacturers!

As you have probably all surmised by now, I love to feed the missionaries from our church and I do it fairly often. I think it's because I miss having a home filled with young people . . . a leftover from my days as a mum to five hungry teens . . . it's also be cause I really respect and love the missionaries and have a great heart and love for their cause and I like to do whatever I can to help them out.



I also love to cook and well . . . you know how it is . . . when you are cooking for your husband you have a tendency to cook the same things . . . and it's always nice to have company so that you can stretch your wings a bit and cook something different!



I did a Cottage Pie today for the lads, using my ragu recipe for the base and a parmigiana mash for the topping . . . along with a variety of vegetables from the garden, some coleslaw and some rolls . . . hearty food, just perfect for two strapping lads and the Toddster . . .



I wanted to make a special dessert and I came across the perfect one in this the August issue of Delicious Magazine . . . a recipe for a deliciously indulgent cheesecake with blueberries and mascarpone cheese. I had all the ingredients in and so I went for it.



It turned out gorgeous, if I don't say so myself. Beautifully coloured and chock full of beautiful berries . . .



Something bad happened to it though . . . you know that little minx we have living with us, otherwise known as Mitzie? Well . . . whilst the cheesecake was cooling down in the oven with the door propped open, that naughty little girl proceeded to eat about a third off the top of it!

One thing my Todd has always wanted to do is to go to a diner to eat. You know . . . just like the ones on the telly that you see in all those American movies.

All chrome and formica . . . and juke boxes, waitresses named Sally, and a coffee cup that has no bottom.

Club sandwiches, gravy fries and mile high pies.



I thought I would try to recreate a Diner meal for him here at home tonight, but in as low fat as possible. One of my favourites back home use to be the Hot Hamburger Sandwich Platter.



A big oval platter, loaded up with hot fries, a huge hamburger pattie on a toasted bun, with oodles of gravy slathered over top and a small bucket of coleslaw on the side. Washed down with an ice cold soda pop. It can't be beat!



It might not be much to look at, but what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavour. I used extra lean ground steak, which I flavoured with onion powder, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper . . . lots of onion and garlic. I then divided the meat into four equal shapes and then flattened them as thin as I could into a huge flat irregular sized burgers, so they had lots of little nooks and crannies on the edges.



Because they were really thin, they cooked in quick time and all the moisture stayed inside the burger, so they were moist as well as flavourful, with a nice sear on the outside. The chips . . . why oven baked of course, and cut so thin that they also turned out nicely browned with crisp golden edges.



You can make your own pan gravy if you wish. (I tell you how) or you can just open a tin of beef gravy. Me, I opted for Bisto, coz there is not much fat in it., and it's as easy as boiling the kettle.



Even the coleslaw, my own homemade, was low in fat . . . as I used a fat free mayo and low fat creme fraiche. The only thing I didn't do was to put on a short dress and ask him to "kiss ma grits!" (I also didn't ask for a tip!) Oh, and there was no pie . . . sigh . . .




*Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

It's diner food for the UK! A delicious well flavoured hot hamburger patty on a toasted bun half, topped with gravy and served with crispy fries and coleslaw!

1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 TBS flour
1 litre of beef broth
4 large baking potatoes
oil
seasonings for the fries (I like the smoked paprika, sweet red pepper and thyme mix from M&S)
salt and black pepper
Toasted Bun halves
Coleslaw, your own or purchased

Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.

Wash the potatoes and dry well. Cut into thin chips. Toss them onto the baking sheet. Pour about 1 TBS of oil over top along with some of your chosen seasoning and some salt and black pepper. Toss together with your hands. Place into the heated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Mix together the minced steak, garlic, onion powder, seasoned salt and a bit of salt and lots of black pepper to taste. (You can pinch off a little bit and fry it in a pan to see if you have the seasoning correct if you wish.) Shape into large flat irregular shaped patties.

Place a large skillet over mediium high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry the patties until well browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Reserve any drippings in the pan. There probably won't be much. You will need about 4 TBS. You can add some butter to the pan drippings to make this up. Once the fat is melted and hot, stir in the flour, whisking it in well. Slowly whisk in the broth a bit at a time, whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer for several minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Divide the fries between 4 heated plates. Place a toasted bun half on each and top with a burger. Spoon over some of the gravy, making sure it covers the burger and some of the chips. Serve with coleslaw on the side. Enjoy!

Well, here I am back from my Nova Scotian summer holiday and have I ever had a wonderful time!!!! During the past three weeks I have eaten some pretty incredible things . . . indulging myself at whim with all the things that I can't get over here, tasty treats from home . . . once every three year gastronomical delights!

Things like . . .




A good feed of my mom's homemade baked beans . . . all molassessy and scrummy, served with oodles of homemade bread slathered in lots of cold butter . . .




Several Hot Turkey Sandwiches . . . a real Canadian treat, with lots of tender turkey, tasty gravy, fluffy mashed spuds and carrots . . . along with cranberry sauce and some incredibly delicious coleslaw! Not once, but twice . . . ahem . . . Have I mentioned that I am a bit of a glutton?



The naughty indulgences of Pillsbury Pizza pops, North American Hot dogs, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner, Crispy Crunch chocolate bars . . .



And that old childhood favourite, Cap'n Crunch Cereal . . . yes . . . a big tasty bowlful every morning. *blush*




An incredible Cassoulet cooked by my son . . . rich and chock full of deliciously tender pieces of duck and smokey sausage . . . oh my but was it good . . .




A gargantual feast of Chinese Fried Chicken wings at the local Chinese Buffet place . . . oh sure, I had a few other things . . . like wontons and chicken balls . . . not to mention some beef and broccoli and noodles . . . but it is the wings that get me every time. They are one of the things I really look forward to eating when I am back home in Nova Scotia . . .



AN incredibly rich and delicious vanilla and choclate swirl soft ice cream at a roadside ice cream parlour in Berwick Nova Scotia, served up in a waffle cone . . . such a treat on a hot, hot, hot day!! I can't believe I ate the whole thing!!



Oh so yummy rich and tasty Date Cream Pie, with a buttery crust and fluffy meringue topping. This was some good eating!



A feed of buttery, fresh Nova Scotia local Peaches and Cream Corn . . . I just couldn't get enough of it. I think I ate 4 ears!



The best pan fried Haddock I have ever eaten, served up in a little local restaurant on Long Island, just off of the Digby Neck. It was cooked perfectly and served up with a tasty side order of delicious mash and fresh valley vegetables. Oh my, but this was good, seriously good!



My mom's fresh dinner rolls. Does anyone ever make rolls as good as your mama??? I don't think so!!




A wonderful salmon dinner at a friends house . . . marinated all day in his secret marinade, and then cooked on a cedar plank over the barbeque, this was fabulous!! Served with fresh locak green and yellow wax beans and some tasty roasted potatoes,onions and carrots. I went back for a second helping of the salmon, it was soooooo good!! (I know . . . me bad!)



Sweet and tasty local valley Strawberries, with oodles of cream and sugar on top. Ahhh . . . the taste of a Nova Scotia July . . .



You can't travel in the maritimes without feasting at least once on a tasty Lobster Roll. Lobster is as cheap as chips back home and most places have a Lobster Roll on the menu, filled to overflowing with rich and tasty Maritime Lobster . . . even McDonald's serves them!



And last but not least the most heavenly Coconut Cream Pie on the planet . . . rich and creamy and stogged full of lovely, sweet flaked coconut . . .

Yes . . . I ate every single crumb . . . and enjoyed every mouthful!

Pssttt . . . I also managed to tuck in several Turkey Subs from our local Sub Way, filled to overflowing with lots of pickles, hot peppers and um . . . olives, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and umm . . . yes . . . turkey! (We won't talk about the Cherry Cheese Danish from Tim Hortons or the iced caps!) Guilty as charged.

The diet starts today.

Or well . . . maybe not.

I'll be right up front and tell you now . . . my mother makes the best potato salad on the planet. Full of flavour and texture, and not over loaded with cloying mayonnaise.

I have to admit my regular potato salad does come a close second, if I don't say so myself, but even so . . . it never quite tastes as good to me as hers does . . . or maybe it is the memory of the taste of her's that makes it an unachievable goal . . . somehow reality never does quite live up to the memories of things does it??



Mom always started her potato salad the day before she was going to serve it. She would boil a big pot of potatoes, in the skins of course, to help retain all that lovely potato flavour and vitamins. I can still see her patiently standing at the counter peeling them once they were cooked and then cooled. Once peeled, she would cube them into precise little cubes . . . along with peeled cucumber in the same size, chopped celery and hard boiled egg . . . with perhaps a tiny bit of grated onion, depending on the mood she was in. A bit of salt and pepper and some Kraft Salad Dressing and it was done. Simple, and yet oh so good for supper on a warm Sunday afternoon . . .



We often had it in the summer, with a dollop of cold tinned salmon fixed on the side of the plate, some sliced ripe juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers . . . and her famous coleslaw, that we could never get enough of . . . sigh . . . summer on a plate.



I find that over here the potato salad is always always drenched to the hilt in mayonnaise or creme fraiche, and has decidedly almost no flavour at all. The potatoes hard and dull . . . and severely lacking in seasoning. Where is the tang? Where is that earthiness that potatoes should taste like? I make my own regular potato salad much in the same way as my mother did, and it is far better than anything I have tasted here. Sorry England, but your potato salad does not quite cut the mustard!



I don't always want a mayonnaise based potato salad though . . . sometimes I long for a vinaigrette dressed potato salad, done in the fabric of the French Tradition of my father's side of the family . . .



The potatoes fork tender and pre-dressed with a bit of stock and wine while they are still warm . . . so that they absorb that lovely salty tang. A final simple vinaigrette dressing of herbs . . . spring onions, dill, parsley and basil . . . a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper . . . and an emulsion of white wine vinegar and good olive oil is all it needs.



The flavour of the potato shines through . . . and that is what you want really . . . in a potato salad. The earthy sweetness of new potatoes enhanced with the tangy herbed flavour of a delicate vinaigrette. A big plate of this along side some lightly steamed and dressed spring asparagus, some sliced ham and perhaps some salted radishes . . . a crusty loaf and butter to mop up all the tangy crumbly potato leavings on the plate at the end . . .

This is bliss . . . pure, and utter bliss.

There is a time for my mother's potato salad . . . but today was not it . . .



*Herbed Potato Salad*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

I love this salad, with it's tangy vinaigrette dressing and punchy herb flavour. I could just sit and eat a huge bowlful of it and nothing else!

2 pounds of new potatoes (I used Jersey Royals
this time, but any new potato will do)
2 TBS dry white wine
2 TBS good chicken stock
3 TBS white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
2/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 TBS extra virgin olive oil, salad quality
4 spring onions, minced
2 TBS minced fresh dill
2 TBS minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 TBS shredded fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then drop in the potatoes. Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just fork tender. Drain well in a colander and then let sit for about 10 minutes or so until you can handle them. If they are very large, slip the skins off if you wish, or you can leave them on. It's up to you. (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) Cut the potatoes into quarters if they are large, or halve if they are smaller. Place them in a medium bowl and toss together with the wine and chicken stock while they are still warm. The warmth of the potatoes helps them to soak up this preliminary dressing. (If you don't do alcohol, use all chicken stock.)

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until totally emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes. Add the spring onions and herbe and season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper. Toss gently together. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!

Ahhh . . . the perfect baked potato. Crisp and slightly salted on the outside, and creamy white and fluffy on the inside.

The first meal I ever had in England was a Jacket potato, served at one of those fast food kiosks at Euston Station. We were waiting for the train to take Todd and myself up to Chester, and it was a long wait. We were both starving. I had never seen anything like it in my life. The potato was enormous and came wrapped in silver foil, sitting in a styrafoam type of bowl/box. Split open, right through the foil, and mounded with oodles and ooodles of cheese.



I know . . . I was playing it safe. I had never heard of the toppings they suggested on the menu before . . . things like Tuna and Sweetcorn, Coleslaw, baked beans etc. Cheese seemed to be the least wierd to me.

Oh, we had baked potatoes at home, but we called them baked potatoes. Somehow the term Jacket Potato sounds exotic and even more delicious. Back home we would more than likely top them with some butter, sour cream, chopped spring onions and bacon bits . . . and they would be for the most part an accompaniment to a main course . . . usually a steak . . .

Sometimes my mom would even dig out the insides and mix the potato flesh with cheese, butter, onion and milk . . . and then she would stuff it back into the skins. Those were one of our favourite treats when I was growing up. We'd each get one half of a potato, and it was never enough . . . we were always left wanting more.



I had never heard of them being used as the whole entree.

It was good. Hot, filling and very cheesy. The potato could have been cooked better through. Wrapped in foil, it was for the most part steamed . . . you couldn't really call it baked . . . but when you're starving, you're just not that picky.

Once you have tried a tasty baked potato, that has been washed, lightly salted and then baked in a hot oven directly on the oven rack . . . once you have bitten into that crisp brown and salty skin, covering a beautifully fluffy rich centre . . . you'll never settle for a second rate tinfoil steamed potato again.

Seriously.



You want a nice fluffy type of potato to begin with . . . something like a Maris Piper, or a King Edward, my personal favourite. Waxy potatoes just won't do. They don't fluff up, but remain solid. You also want a biggun. That's if you are going for a whole meal experience. You can do smaller ones of course, and in truth the small ones are quite tasty when baked in the convection oven.

The toppings are where you get to let your imaginations run wild, and where you can turn this delicious beast into a full meal instead of a pale accompaniment . . . Tinned baked beans, hot and steaming and slathered with grated cheese, which melts into all that beany goodness, which in turn is soaking into that potato fluff. Tuna salad, with lots of chopped red onion, mayo and celery, spooned onto the top and into that creamy white fluffy crevice. If you are feeling really brave, add some sweet corn, (it's not as strange and inedible as it sounds) . . . A nice fat tub of coleslaw (I like the cheese coleslaw) ladled on top, all crunchy and saucy, just perfect with that soulful mealiness beneath . . . simple cheese, bacon and onion, along with a splash of sour cream . . . perfection, simple butter, sea salt and pepper, bliss . . . bliss . . . bliss . . .



I love that name . . . Jacket Potato . . . it sounds like something all dressed up and fit for a king.

In truth . . . this is fit for a king. Simple??? Certainly. Common??? Definitely not. Nigel Slater recommends Karate chopping it open, but me, I'm not that brave. I just hack it open with a knife . . .




*Jacket Potato with Chili and Cheese*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Comfort food at it's best.

2 large baking potatoes
sea salt
410g tin of chili con carne
(I used Stagg)
2 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Scrub the potatoes well and then while they are still damp, dust them lightly with the sea salt and allow to air dry for several minutes. Prick in a few places with a fork so that they don't burst in the oven and then place them into the heated oven, directly on the oven rack.

Bake until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. (They will yield lightly when pressed with a gloved hand) This will take between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the variety and size of your potatoes.

About 10 minutes before the potatoes are done, empty the chili into a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through and bubbling. Grate the cheese on the large holes of a box grater.

Take your baked potatoes from the oven. Cut an x into the top of each and squeeze them slightly to fluff up the insides. If you want, now is the time to fork in a bit of butter. Place the potatoes onto two heated plates. Spoon the hot chili over top of each, and sprinkle on the grated cheese, dividing it between both potatoes. Serve immediately.