Twice-baked potatoes

My last post of twice-baked sweet potatoes had me thinking about twice-baked potatoes.  I love twice-baked potatoes - and aside from the amount of time they take, they are really very easy.  You can mix anything into the middle that you want - I usually keep it pretty simple.  What follows is my basic recipe.

4 mid-sized potatoes
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese, plus extra for topping
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Wash and prick potatoes and then bake in the oven or in the microwave (I have a potato setting on my microwave, but it is usually about 15 minutes, or almost an hour in the oven).  Slice the tops off and scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about a 1/4 inch so your potato boats are sturdy.  Place the potato flesh into a bowl with the sour cream, 1/2 c. of cheese, butter, onion, salt and pepper; mash well and spoon back into potato boats.  Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven (or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and brown).  Serve hot.

Twice-baked sweet potatoes

This is a recipe inspired by some of my favorite flavors and one of my favorite ways to prepare regular potatoes - twice baked.  Since the sweet potato packs the biggest nutritional punch for your money in the produce department, this is another great way to get them into your meal rotation.  It does take some planning ahead, since they take a while, but they are well worth it.

4 small to mid-sized sweet potatoes
1/2 a stick of butter (4 Tbsp.), sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
miniature marshmallows

Wash and poke potatoes with a fork to pierce the skin.  Either bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or microwave until cooked through (I have a potatoes setting on mine, but it's about 15 minutes).  Remove and slice off the top of each and scoop out most of the innards, leaving a boat (with about 1/4 inch of the flesh so your skins don't fall apart).  Place scooped out potato into a mixing bowl with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.  Mash well so ingredients are well mixed and butter is melted.  Scoop back into potato boats (it will be heaping full).  Carefully press marshmallows into the top of the refilled potatoes and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until marshmallows are browned and form a delicious, gooey crust on top.  Dig in and eat!

Zucchini gratin

This recipe is my favorite with zucchini, though it also works very well with tomatoes.  You could also use different vegetables like eggplant or potatoes.  Gratin is just a technique and it translates very well to different foods.  Experiment!

4-6 zucchini, sliced

Olive Oil

bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning

salt

pepper

Layer sliced zucchini in a shallow baking dish coated with olive oil.  Sprinkle over top with bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve hot.

*If you use Italian breadcrumbs, you don't need to add Italian seasoning.