Twice Baked Chipotle Potatoes

When I first read this recipe in Cooking Light I thought it was for Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. I don't think I ever got over that fact. I was hoping for a twice baked potato that tasted like those super good Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup that I made for Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, these were really good and they came from Cooking Light, so all that cheese and bacon must be good for you right? We had them with BBQ Chicken and Green Beans. It was a nice meal, but next time I will use sweet potatoes for sure and maybe a little maple syrup!

Twice Baked Bacon-Chipotle Potatoes

from Cooking Light
Ingredients
6 medium baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes at 450° for 50 minutes or until done; cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, milk, 3/4 cup cheese and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Spoon potato mixture evenly into 10 shells; discarding remaining 2 shells. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Peanut, Yam, and Chipotle Soup

I find myself making a lot more soup this time of year. Here is another flavorful one from the Cafe Flora Cookbook. 

Peanut, Yam and Chipotle Soup

adapted from Cafe Flora

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion

salt

1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 large yam (about 1 pound, peeled and cubed)

4 cups vegetable stock

3 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder

peanuts, toasted and chopped

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring several times. Add the ginger, garlic, and coriander seed, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the stock and the yam and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the head to low and cook, covered, until the yam is very tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree about 2 cups of the soup in a blender and return to pot, or use an immersion blender careful to leave a few larger pieces of yam. 

Stir in the peanut butter, and chipotle powder. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve. 

Yam and Pepita Quesadilla

Sorry for the inconvenience, but this post has been updated with new photos.  You can find the updated version here.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

These burgers had a really good flavor and I liked the texture. Although they were a little spicy, it wasn't more than I could handle. I really liked the way they turned out cooking them on the griddle as it made the outside nice and crisp. David thought they could use more rice and pumpkin seeds to make the texture a little more coarse. Next time, I will make them with sweet potato fries rather than the traditional oven fries. I probably will use regular lettuce instead of sprouts as a topping. In the future, some form of these burgers will eventually end up in our freezer for quick meals.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
adapted from Rebar Modern Food Cookbook
1 can of black beans drained
1/2 cup cooked brown rice

1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small red onion

3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. salt

2 chipotles in adobo

1 can green chiles drained

1/4 cup masa harina

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds finely ground

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Heat oil in a skillet, add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and spices and continue sauteing and stirring for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, add black beans, rice, chiles, chipotles and the cooled onion spice mixture. Pulse to coarsely grind the mix. Turn into a large bowl and add the masa harina, pumpkin seeds and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form them into patties. Fry in a lightly oil pan or on a dry hot griddle until browned on both sides. Serve hot on a fresh bun or roll with your choice of toppings. Makes six.

Chipotle Pasta with Acorn Squash

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a recipe online for pasta with a chipotle cream sauce. Last night it sounded like the perfect dinner, but I searched the internet and couldn’t remember where I had originally found the recipe. The recipes I did find sounded ridiculously loaded with fat (not that my version isn’t). So, I just decided to wing it. The end result was really tasty, although not really so pretty. I was also having trouble with the lighting in my kitchen, so the pictures make it look even worse! The days are getting short really quick in Fairbanks and I am going to have to find some other non-natural lighting sources soon. David thought that it might be better with yams instead of the acorn squash. We both agreed that chicken would also be a good choice. I thought the amount of chipotle sauce was perfect, but David thought it needed more. Be warned, this is not a “light” dish!

Chipotle Pasta with Acorn Squash
1 lb. penne pasta cooked al dente
1 acorn squash roasted and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 chipotle peppers in adobo
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 large cloves garlic
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh grated parmesan to sprinkle
parsley for garnish
Set oven 400 degrees. Cut one acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Place squash on baking sheet and place in oven for 45 minutes or until soft. While squash is roasting toast pumpkin seeds (spread a single layer ½ cup of pumpkin seeds in a shallow dish, small baking sheet, or a sheet of foil and place in oven 5 minutes or lightly browned). Add heavy cream to 1 quart saucepan over medium heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Combine toasted pumpkin seeds (leave a few whole for garnish), garlic, and chipotles in food processor, blend until a thick paste. Remove squash from oven and cut into cubes. Remove cream from heat and add pumpkin seed mixture. Drain pasta and add cream mixture and squash and mix well. Top with parmesan, pumpkin seeds, and parsley. Makes 4 servings.