I love potatoes.  They are my favourite vegetable.  I could live without chocolate.  I could live without cake.  I could live without cookies . . . I could not ever live without potatoes.  Oh sure, I've tried low carb . . . but the potato is my downfall every time.  I just can't get on for very long without them!

I like em steamed.  I like em mashed.  I like em fried.  I like em roasted.  I like em hot.  I like em cold.  I even like em raw . . . but the way that I like em most of all . . . is baked!





You just can't beat a good baked potato.  Rough on the outside, crisp even . . . and explodingly fluffy on the insides.  Big and fat and round . . .  and eaten so hot that you have to blow on every forkful you bring to your mouth . . . you just can't wait for them to cool down . . . you have to eat them NOW!

Not just any potato will do.  You don't want a waxy potato.  (A waxy potato is perfect for potato salad because it holds up it's shape in cooking.)  You want a nice fluffy potato, big and round . . . like a King Edward or Maris Piper, or in North America . . .  a Russet.



You can't hurry a baked potato.  It's not something you can rush.  The perfect baked potato takes a long slow roasting in a hot oven.  Some people like to wrap them in foil.  Foil wrapped baked potato = soggy icky baked potato.  Some people like to wet them and roll them in salt.  That works quite well I suppose.    Some people like them rubbed with oil, or with butter before they are baked.

Me???  I just wash em, and prick them all over (a necessity unless you want to be clearing off exploded bits of baked potato from all over the insides of your oven) and then I lay them in the hot oven right on the rack.  No pan.  No foil.  Just hot air wrapping itself around that potato and baking it until it is crispy and nutty on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  In short perfect!



Don't cut into your baked potato . . . that only mashes the potato together and compacts it.  Nigel Slater swears by the Karate Chop!  (And you know how much I love Nigel Slater!)  He recommends just a llight sharp tap on the side of the potato, like a karate chop . . . not so hard that you smash the potato to smithereens . . . just hard enough to slightly crack open the potato and let all the air out in a whoosh, leaving behind a tasty fluffy pile of snowy potato, just begging for a big pat of butter and your fork!

A steak is not a steak without a baked potato on the side, but a good baked potato deserves so much more than to be merely an accessory to the main course . . . a good baked potato is like having a blank canvas that you can paint a most beautiful picture on.  It can be the whole meal and for me it often is.

• With tasty Baked Beans ladled on top and lotsa lotsa cheese. 
• Topped with scrummy coleslaw, or tuna salad, or both!
• Lotsa cheddar cheese and lashings of crispy bacon
• a bit slab of goats cheese, or even better . . . some tasty Brie!
• With a Meaty Bolognaise Sauce ladled over top, or the best . . . Chili And Cheese!
• Bits of steamed broccoli and cauliflower and then a tasty cheese sauce ladled over top
• Leeks braised in butter with lots of grated Fontina cheese

To get the perfect baked potato, just follow these basic rules.  Pick a floury potato (Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet).  Wash and prick all over with a fork.  Bake right on the rack of a hot oven, 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6, for about an hour or so depending on the size of your potato.  Give it a light karate chop before eating.  Spoon on the butter and eat up right away!



Baked Potatoes with Rocket, Broad Beans and Blue Cheese.



Jacket Potatoes with Chili and Cheese



Rarebit Jacket Potatoes



Baked Potato Pizza



Jacket Potatoes with Cream and Walnuts

So what are you waiting for???  Grab a potato and start baking!!





Note:  If you click on the recipe name at the bottom of each photo, it will take you to a link for that recipe, which will open in a new window!  (Ahh, the beauty of modern technology . . . just wonderful!)

 

I got a new cookbook the other day. ( Shhhhh . . . don't tell Todd. He thinks that my cookbooks proliferate all by themselves, and I'm not about to tell him the difference! )  I read an article about the 50 best cookbooks in the UK, and this was on the list . . . I read the reviews about it on Amazon and then I thought, why not and I went for it!

 

If this first recipe I tried out in it is any indication of the calibre of recipes in this book, Todd's in for a real treat!  I made these sausage burgers today from the book, adapting it slightly.  She called them "Festive Pig in a Bun." but it's hardly Christmas, so they can't be festive today for us.  I just called them fruity sausage baps.  A rose by any other name and all that!

 

She also used crusty buns, but as you can see I used soft floured sesame baps.  I did toast them.
She didn't add any salad leaves.  I added a bed of rocket and I have to say it went very well with the meaty fruitiness of the burgers.  I love rocket.  It's a bit spicy and meaty itself!

 

She recommended perhaps having them with a sprinkling of Stilton. I didn't have any and they tasted fine just as is, but I can definitely see where some stilton melted over top would be a fantastically delicious addition.

 




But my darlings . . . they were fabulous just as is.  They were moist and succulent, with little bits of fruity sweetness, and a moreish little nuttiness from the pinenuts.  I can  tell  that the leftovers are going to be every bit as good, perhaps on their own with a small dollop of mayonnaise???  *Oink* Oink*  Come to mama!




*Fruity Sausage Baps*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

These are sooooo simple and very tasty.  Scrummo yummo!!

8 of your favourite British Bangers
(Use a good lean, well flavoured one, a generous pound in weight)
80g of dried cranberries (Scant cup)
80g of pinenuts (2/3 cup)
4 toasted baps (split in half and toast under the grill, toasting one side only)
(Rolls)
Fresh Rocket Leaves (Arugula)

Preheat the oven to  200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.  Set aside.

Skin all of the sausages and discard the skins.  Place the meat into a bowl.  Chop the cranberries finely and add to the meat, along with the pinenuts.  Mix well together with your hands.  Shape into 8 balls, flattening the balls into patties.  Place onto the prepared baking tray.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and crisped up on the outsides.  They should not be pink on the insides and the juices should run clear. 

Place a  toasted bap bottom on each of four plates.  Top each with a handful of Rocket and two sausage patties.  Top with the top bun halves.  Serve immediately.

WE had ours with potato salad and coleslaw and they were fabulous darlink!

 

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.