Mexican Style Twice Baked Potatoes

I've already shared my love of the old school twice baked potato. Today I wanted to jazz it up a bit, so I decided to try a Mexican version. I added chorizo, cilantro, and pepper jack cheese and voila! A spicy twice baked potato is born. It's a slightly spicy version of the original that we really like. here's what you'll need:

  • 8 russet potatoes
  • 1/2 and 1/2 (at least 1/4 C, maybe more)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • cooked chorizo (1/4 to 1/2 cup) 
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • pepper jack cheese

Follow the directions for twice baked potatoes. After you've added the 1/2 and 1/2 and gotten creamy potatoes, stir in about 1/2 cup of cooked chorizo and stir to combine.

Stir in a tablespoon or so of cilantro. 

Add the filling to the potato skins. 

mexican twice baked potatoes

Top with pepper jack cheese and bake until hot and yummy. 

Once again I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. This is the only sad potato left, but I think you can still get the idea. 

Enjoy! 

Lynn

Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm on the quest to find a really good vanilla ice cream recipe and I'm pretty sure this is the winner! It's not too sweet because I've incorporated a little buttermilk. The vanilla flavor is rich and deep because I used the whole bean and seeds instead of vanilla extract. It's made with egg yolks so it's got that velvety texture that I think is necessary. It also makes just the right amount for my ice cream maker. This basic recipe can be used as a base for all kinds of flavors too. I used it for my strawberry balsamic ice cream and it was delicious. Try adding in chocolate chips or dulce de leche or any interesting flavor combination you can dream up. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 C whole milk
  • 1 2/3 C heavy cream
  • 1/3 C buttermilk
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 large vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

In a sauce pan, mix the sugar, milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, and salt. Add the vanilla bean and it’s seeds and heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to steam.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are well combined. Temper the eggs by slowly adding a small amount of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, stirring to incorporate and bringing the egg yolks up to the temperature of the milk mixture. Once the egg/milk mixture is warm, slowly add it to the milk mixture. Heat this custard mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 185 degrees). Do not let the mixture boil.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and put the bowl into an ice bath to cool. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, letting the wrap lay on top of the custard so that a skin doesn’t form. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready, freeze according to the directions with your ice cream machine.

Who forgets to take a picture of the final product? Well, I do apparently... By the time I remembered, there wasn't any left. Give it a try.

Enjoy!

Lynn

            Lynn’s Vanilla Ice Cream

  • 1 C whole milk
  • 1 2/3 C heavy cream
  • 1/3 C buttermilk
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 large vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

In a sauce pan, mix the sugar, milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, and salt. Add the vanilla bean and it’s seeds and heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to steam.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are well combined. Temper the eggs by slowly adding a small amount of the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, stirring to incorporate and bringing the egg yolks up to the temperature of the milk mixture. Once the egg/milk mixture is warm, slowly add it to the milk mixture. Heat this custard mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 185 degrees). Do not let the mixture boil.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and put the bowl into an ice bath to cool. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, letting the wrap lay on top of the custard so that a skin doesn’t form. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Freeze according to manufacturers directions.



Kimchi Fried Rice

I've been on an Asian kick lately. It's new to me as far as cooking goes, but I've loved the flavors my whole life. I bought some kimchi the other day and wanted to incorporate it into something I was already familiar with making, so I decided to try kimchi fried rice. I've been making fried rice forever. I love the way you can use leftovers to make a new variety of fried rice every time. Today I added some chicken tenders but use whatever you have on hand like pork or beef or just vegetables. You can also make it as spicy or mild as you like. Here's what you'll need:

  • 4 C cold, cooked rice
  • 1 C kimchi, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 carrots
  • 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp grated, fresh ginger
  • serrano pepper, sliced (to taste, I used about 1/2)
  • 2 TBL soy sauce
  • 2 TBL rice wine vinegar
  • 1 C chopped, cooked meat (I used chicken tenders. You can also use shrimp, beef or pork)
  • 2 eggs
  • cooking oil

The first thing i learned about Asian cooking is that preparation is key. Start by cutting the carrots into julienne strips. I use my amazing peeler/cutter that makes perfect strips using a vegetable peeling type motion. I love it! Also, slice the mushroom and Serrano, mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the kimchi.

The next thing I learned about most Asian cooking is that it's done with high heat. That's why the prep is so important because once you start cooking you won't have time to stop and chop. With fried rice, you need a big enough cooking surface that you are able to spread out the ingredients to quick cook them rather than pile them up and steam them. I use my built in griddle, but a large wok or skillet or a stove top griddle also work. 

Begin by heating the cook surface until it's smoking hot. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil and then the carrots and peppers and stir, cooking for about 2 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.

Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir. Add more oil if needed.

Add the sliced mushrooms and stir, cooking until slightly softened. Add more oil if needed.

Add the kimchi and cook several more minutes. Add more oil iff needed.

Now it's time to add the rice. Today I had leftover brown rice so that's what I used. It's very important to add the rice while it's still cold. If you don't, it will have more of a gummy texture.

Break up the rice and stir it to get all the veggies incorporated.

Stir in the rice wine vinegar.

Add the soy sauce.

Add the chopped chicken tenders or any other meat of your choice.

It's now time for the egg. The traditional way to add the egg is to scramble the egg an chop the cooked egg and add it to the rice. If that's your choice, do that now.

Lately, I'm addicted to the runny yolk of a sunny side up egg, so that's what I did here. First, I removed the cooked fried rice to a serving platter.

Cook the eggs to the desired doneness.

Top the fried rice with the cooked eggs.

Doesn't that look amazing? If I had hd some green onions, I would have sprinkled them on top...

Enjoy!

Lynn

Kimchi Fried Rice

  • 4 C cold, cooked rice
  • 1 C kimchi, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 carrots
  • 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp grated, fresh ginger
  • serrano pepper, sliced (to taste, I used about 1/2)
  • 2 TBL soy sauce
  • 2 TBL rice wine vinegar
  • 1 C chopped cooked meat (chicken, beef, shrimp, pork)
  • 2 eggs
  • cooking oil

Prep all the ingredients.

Heat griddle/wok to high heat and add the carrots and pepper, cooking about 2 minutes or until the carrots begin to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and stir to incorporate. Add the mushrooms and cook, adding more oil as needed. Add the kimchi and cook until warmed through.

Add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and incorporate. 

Add the cooked meat.

Scramble the eggs and chop then add to rice, or fry the eggs and add to the top of the cooked rice.