Cook With Me: January 2010

Fast Loaded Baked Potato

Fast Loaded Baked Potato

Ingredients

4 Large Russet Potatoes (Washed and dried with skin on)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1/8 cup - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups - Shredded cheese of your choice
4 Strips of Bacon (Fried Crispy)
8 Tablespoons of Butter or Margarine

Equipment

Microwaveable dish or plate that is large enough to hold the 4 large Potatoes
Cling Free Saran Wrap in sheets large enough to wrap one potato.
Large Bowl
Paper Towels
Knife

Place the dry potatoes in the large bowl. Pour Olive Oil over potatoes. With your hands rub Olive Oil over the potatoes until all sides are coated. Was and dry your hands. Sprinkle Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper over potatoes making sure all sides are covered. Take one potato at a time and wrap in Cling Free Saran Wrap sheet. Place it on microwaveable dish or plate. Cook two at a time.

Your Microwave may have a baked potato setting. If so use this. If not microwave 2 potatoes at a time for 15 minutes on high setting.

Remove Cling Free Saran Wrap from potatoes. Let potatoes cool for about 5 minutes. Cut the potatoes down the center lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt, pepper. Add bacon and shredded cheese. Serves 4.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Recipe

Ingredients
- 48 Fresh Green Beans with ends snapped off but otherwise left whole
- 1 Artichokes Hearts cut into thin strips
- Small Onions finely sliced
- 8 Thick Bacon strips
- Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Olive oil
- 6 cups of water

Equipment
- Cookie sheet w/rack
- Round wooden tooth picks
- Dutch oven
- A mixing bowl
- A stainless steel Colander
- Aluminum Foil – Torn into a 2 inches by 4 inches strips. You will need 16 of these to wrap the ends of the Green Beans.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Bring the 6 cups of water to boiling in Dutch Oven. Add green beans for about 8 minutes. While Green Beans are cooking, fill mixing bowl with ice cold water. Insert the Colander in the bowl of ice water. Remove Green Beans from boiling water and place in cold water in colander to stop the cooking process.

Thoroughly drain the ice water off the Green Beans after about a minute. (Use paper towels if you need to.) Dry the mixing bowl. Dry the Green Beans. Add the blanched dried Green Beans to the mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil over Green Beans. Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper and seasoning salt and toss to coat thoroughly.

On a cutting board place a strip of bacon vertically. Take about 6 seasoned blanched Green Beans and place horizontally across the bacon strips. In the same direction, add just a few artichokes strips and onion strips. Roll the Green Bean, Artichoke and Onions in the bacon strip. Seal them with a wooden tooth pick. Repeat this until all Green Beans have been used.

Spray the rack on the cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the completed Green Bean rolls on the cookie sheet rack. Place the cookie sheet in the pre-heated oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until bacon becomes crispy. Turn once after 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Anthony's Awesome Meatloaf

Anthony’s Awesome Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground round beef
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I use “Vigo” Italian Style)
¾ - cup ketchup
1 tsp Adobe Seasoning
½ - cup warm water
1 cup shredded cheese (Use whatever flavor you like) (Kraft has a shredded Parmesan, Mozzarella blend which is great for this recipe)
1 Pkg. Lipton's onion Soup mix

8 oz can tomato sauce
2 strips bacon

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl
A 9 x 13 x at least 2 inches high baking dish. (The baking dish needs to have higher sides to hold the juices from the meat as it cooks)

Technique:

Mixing the ingredients – In a large mixing bowl add all 8 ingredients.

You’re going to have to use your hands to mix the ingredients. Just have some paper towels handy for afterwards.

Using your clean hands mix all 8 ingredients. Just squish it all together until it combines.