pizza potatoes

We just got a bigger halogen oven...I've had one for a while but I found it too small for family meals. I'm really enjoying using this new one. The other night I did pizza potatoes...it's a way I try to get DH to eat more cheese lol. I'm try to make him acquire the taste so he will eat more 'basic'food...he has very 'select' taste buds lol.

You just bake the potatoes in their jackets and then scoop the flesh out and mash it with some cheese ( and or onion ) and seasoning. Put the mixture back into the jacket shells, top with the kind of thing you like on pizza, top with more cheese and rebake for a while. It's real comfort food for these dark and dreary Winter days. If you were feeling wildly health conscious you could have a salad on the side I guess...I personally would like baked beans with them but I always forget until halfway through eating them and then it's too late lol.

Recipe finder

I am trying to use up the bits and bobs in the freezer so I can defrost it and start OAMC ( once a month cooking ) again in the Autumn... no I am not wishing the Summer away, just being prepared, (you can tell I was a Brownie lol ! ) ...though in reality it has usually ended up as 2 month cookery as I generally go over board with it! Anyway I thought I'd post a link to the great My recipes site just in case there is someone who hasn't yet discovered it...it's great for when you have few/odd ingredients and are lacking in inspiration. Just type in what your store cupboard has to offer and it will suggest recipes for you...pretty cool eh? I have linked to the advance recipe search page but have a real good look around it has many functions and ways to find out the perfect recipe for your immediate needs.

Bon Apetit

Doxie

cucumber chutney

preferably white vinegar but can use whatever type you have in cupboard

salt and black pepper

onion and cucumber sliced as thinly as is humanly possible

small amount of fresh chilli again very finely chopped

Chuck it together in a bowl and leave flavours to infuse for a bit...again nice as a side dish for curry

edited to say I forgot to say add fresh coriander

Fresh chutney recipe

tomatoes sliced very thinly
olive oil
salt
black pepper
fresh chilli pepper chopped up into TINY pieces
onion finely sliced
Fresh coriander snipped up with scissors

Bung it all together in a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge to chill. Makes a nice side dish to go with curry etc

Recipe: cheesy baked potatoes

Many people probably do their potatoes this way, but just in case there is one soul out there that hasn't tried them like this, please do try, it is a tasty change to baked potato with the usual topping just plonked on top...and not much extra effort. I hadn't done them like this for years until the other night. It's odd how old favourites seem to slip from your mind and then leap into your memory again for no apparent reason!

You will need

• baking potatoes


• Approx half a cereal bowl full of grated cheese for every 2 potatoes.


• Approx 1 chopped onion ( cooked ) for every 2 potatoes ( you can have them raw but I like to cook them )


• cooked bacon chopped into bits


• freshly ground pepper


• handful extra of grated cheese for topping.

Method:

1. Bake your potatoes until the jackets are crispy, you don't want to do them in the microwave as the skins will be too soft and may tear.


2. When potatoes are thoroughly cooked and crispy, take out of oven. Leave oven on. Cut potatoes in two, and scoop inners out into a bowl. Mash.


3. Now add cheese, bacon, onions and pepper to the mash. Give it a good mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.


4. Put mixture back into halves/skins, dividing mixture equally. They will look like little boats. You can leave the mash bumpy and fluffy on top or squish down with a fork and make a pattern, whatever takes your fancy


5. sprinkle the extra cheese on top.


6. Put back in the oven to bring up to temperature and until it begins to brown a little. ( unless you absolutely can't wait, in which case, scoff right away!

There are so many variations on this theme. If you are health conscious they go nicely with a green side salad.

Enjoy,

Doxie :o)