**REPOST*** Superbowl Sunday Healthy Appetizer – Potato Skins

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I saw this recipe on the food channel one Saturday morning. The show was about eating healthy with Ellie Krieger and the recipe looked amazing. I thought it would be a good Football or card party kind-of-an-appetizer since most appetizers served at events tend to lean very heavy on the calories. I tested the recipe, it was perfect! Loved it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme

Recipe created December 31, 2009

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme
Ingredients:
8 small Idaho potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and dried
4 teaspoons of olive oil
8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, finely diced (about 6 ounces) (can be omitted) or use Turkey Bacon
¾ to 1 cup of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)

Avocado Crème:
2 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced and greens reserved
1 medium avocado
2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream or 2% Greek Fage Greek Yogurt
Two tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves (or use another herb if do not like cilantro like parsley, thyme)
1 clove garlic
¼-teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and rub lightly with olive oil (not the 4 teaspoons in the recipe above – extra). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until baked potatoes are cooked thoroughly and tender. Remove from oven and cool completely enough so they are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8” of the potato flesh, leave the skin in place. Save the scooped potato flesh for another use (possibly fresh corn and potato chowder).Brush both inside and outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down and baking sheet until skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

While potato skins are cooking, prepare the filling. Steam the chopped broccoli until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a non-stick sauté skillet, add the chopped Canadian bacon or turkey bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes, put cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. To make avocado crème, combine scallion (green onions) whites, avocado, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, lime juice, cilantro (or other preferred herb), garlic and salt in a small bowl of a food processor or blender and process on high until smooth.

Toss the broccoli with cheese and spoon filling evenly among cooked halved potato skins. Return potatoes to oven and bake until cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes, Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of the broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 teaspoon crisped bacon bits.

Calories: 180, Total Fat: 10g, Protein 8g, Carbs 15g, Fiber 3g, Cholesterol 20 mg

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

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Portobello Eggs Benedict

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I am on an Eggs Benedict kick. I love eggs! I think Eggs Benedict is my favorite. Like the Frittata kick I was on last year and subjected my friends and family as food testers (not that they suffered any); I am now on the best Eggs Benedict recipe search. Inspired by the Potato Patch Restaurant in Deland, Florida, when I visited last summer, I ordered their Eggs Benedict dish and was in Heaven. They used smokey sweet ham for their meat, and their Hollandaise sauce was divine. I have been dreaming up different ways to make my favorite breakfast dish. I used what I had in the house but did not realize I was out of English muffins. Portobello Bella mushrooms I had in the refrigerator and thought why not try the mushrooms instead of English muffins. Not quite the vegetarian dish because of the Canadian bacon but the dish can be if you wanted. Enjoy!

Portobello Eggs Benedict
Created on 09/18/11

Click on image to see a larger picture

4 Portobello Mushrooms, clean off with a wet paper towel, cut the stem and remove the gills with a spoon – HOW? Lightly scrape the gills with the back of a spoon to remove
4 slices of Canadian bacon (optional – remove if want to go vegetarian)
4 eggs (click here to see short tip on how to cook poached eggs)
1 cup of baby spinach (about a fistful of spinach)
1 medium tomato (you should be able to get 4 slices)
1 Avocado sliced (you should get four slices of Avocado per half)
1 teaspoon of vinegar
Olive oil
Salt / Pepper to taste

Prep:
In a pan with high sides, fill up with water till about 1-1/2 inches from the top. Bring to a hard boil and then reduce the heat until the water is just simmering.

Heat up a grill pan on medium high heat, brush with olive oil and then brush the top and inside of each mushroom with the oil. Put mushroom face down on grill and season with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes the mushroom will wilt slightly and have water in the cups, flip the mushrooms over and cook the bottom of the mushroom for about a minute or two get rid of the water (mushroom juice). Place the Canadian bacon on the grill and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Remove from the grill.

Turn the mushrooms back over on the grill and lay the Canadian bacon inside the cup of the mushroom. Put about 4 to 5 baby spinach leaves on top of the bacon and let the mushroom, Canadian bacon and baby spinach cook for about a minute or two. Take the mushrooms off the heat and put aside.  

In a pan with simmering water, add one teaspoon of vinegar. The vinegar will help keep each egg together (congeal) and not spread in the water.  Cook the eggs in simmering water for approximately 4 to 5 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to collect any excess water from the egg. Remember, you can cook the eggs longer to your preference but you will want to have some yolk to flavor the dish.

Slice the tomato. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Remove the avocado meat from the skin and slice.

To Assemble:

Place the (2) grilled Portobello mushroom tops on the plate, add 2 slices of avocado per top, and one slice of tomato and then put the poached egg on top.

Season the eggs with salt and cracked pepper.  Eat and Savour!

Cook Tip: You can add hollandaise sauce on the Eggs Benedict but I wanted to keep the fat content down, so I chose not to add the sauce. FYI – 1 Tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce is 67 calories and 7 grams of fat.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Filed under: Eggs Benedict, Simply Healthy Recipes, Video | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Spinach Eggs Benedict

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
Spinach Eggs Benedict what can I say. Sometimes I want to be bad and have something that is sinfully rich. I never made Hollandaise sauce before so this was a new experience for me. I do not know what I was so afraid of before but after making the sauce, it was a huge WOW! factor for me. The homemade version is just exquisite. I saw this recipe on one of the food blogs I follow called Simply Recipes and modified the recipe to have some healthier ingredients such as spinach, tomatoes, and avocado. I used Canadian bacon instead of bacon or ham for a lower fat version of the dish and only used 1 tablespoon of the sauce instead of dousing the whole dish with it. Enjoy!

Click on picture to enlarge

Spinach Eggs Benedict:
8 eggs
1 tablespoon of vinegar
8 slices of Canadian bacon (optional)
4 Multi-Grain English Muffins
1 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
1 cup of Baby Spinach

Hollandaise Sauce:
10 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon of salt
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Avocado Grape Tomato Salsa:
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 large ripe avocado
Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

The hollandaise sauce: separate the egg white from the yolk and reserve egg white if preferred for an omelet for a later time. Put egg yolks in a blender with lemon juice and salt. Blend for 30 seconds or until the yolks become a light yellow color and add the hot melted butter to the egg mixture and blend until combined. Pour sauce into a bowl and set aside.

Fill a 10” non-stick frying pan with water about ¾’s full. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the water mixture. While the water is heating up in one frying pan, in another frying pan, cook the Canadian bacon till crispy around the edges in another frying pan with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter and remove when edges are crispy. Set aside.

In the simmering hot water, crack an egg in a small bowl, and then use the bowl to transfer the egg to the simmering water. It is easier to use the bowl, so you do not burn your fingers while adding the egg to the water. Put all eight eggs in the water and simmer for approximately 4 minutes.

Clean grape tomatoes and halve. Remove the seed from the avocado and cut up avocado in cubes and spoon out of the skin. Put halved tomatoes and cubed avocado into a bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons over the mixture. Add freshly chopped basil and olive oil. Toss well. Season the tomato and avocado salsa with salt and pepper.

While the eggs are cooking, toast the English muffins and put on plate. Take 2 English muffins, line English muffins with about 7 to 8 leaves of baby spinach each halve. Lay the cooked Canadian bacon on top, spoon the drained poached egg on top of the Canadian bacon. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with fresh basil on top.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

Filed under: Not So Simply Healthy Recipes | Tagged: , , , , | 7 Comments »

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I saw this recipe on the food channel one Saturday morning. The show was about eating healthy with Ellie Krieger and the recipe looked amazing. I thought it would be a good Football or card party kind-of-an-appetizer since most appetizers served at events tend to lean very heavy on the calories. I tested the recipe, it was perfect! Loved it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme

Recipe created December 31, 2009

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme
Ingredients:
8 small Idaho potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and dried
4 teaspoons of olive oil
8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, finely diced (about 6 ounces) (can be omitted) or use Turkey Bacon
¾ to 1 cup of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)

Avocado Crème:
2 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced and greens reserved
1 medium avocado
2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream or 2% Greek Fage Greek Yogurt
Two tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves (or use another herb if do not like cilantro like parsley, thyme)
1 clove garlic
¼-teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and rub lightly with olive oil (not the 4 teaspoons in the recipe above – extra). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until baked potatoes are cooked thoroughly and tender. Remove from oven and cool completely enough so they are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8” of the potato flesh, leave the skin in place. Save the scooped potato flesh for another use (possibly fresh corn and potato chowder).Brush both inside and outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down and baking sheet until skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

While potato skins are cooking, prepare the filling. Steam the chopped broccoli until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a non-stick sauté skillet, add the chopped Canadian bacon or turkey bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes, put cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. To make avocado crème, combine scallion (green onions) whites, avocado, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, lime juice, cilantro (or other preferred herb), garlic and salt in a small bowl of a food processor or blender and process on high until smooth.

Toss the broccoli with cheese and spoon filling evenly among cooked halved potato skins. Return potatoes to oven and bake until cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes, Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of the broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 teaspoon crisped bacon bits.

Calories: 180, Total Fat: 10g, Protein 8g, Carbs 15g, Fiber 3g, Cholesterol 20 mg

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

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Potato Crusted Quiche with Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Bacon

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I was thumbing through an old Taste of Home Cookbook and came across this recipe. I tried it exactly the way the recipe was written with bacon and pie crust. The dish was very good but not as healthy as I would have liked it. I am a huge fan of potatoes, bacon and pie crust but pie crust has a lot of carbohydrates for me and bacon is wonderful but fatty. I need to watch my sugar levels because they are constantly spiking and I felt the recipe needed some major tweaking. Here is my healthier version and I think it actually tastes better. The dish freezes really well for those breakfasts or dinners that you can just defrost the food, heat it up and serve. Breakfast you can serve this with fresh berry salad or for dinner with a healthy green salad. Enjoy!

Potato Crusted Quiche with Smoked Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Bacon, created on 6/10/2010

2-1/2 medium size russet potatoes or other potato you have in the house – sliced into ¼” round slices, try to cut the potatoes the same depth because it will help steam the potatoes evenly
4 green onions chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried Thyme
1 cup diced Canadian bacon
2 containers of Egg Product – read the note below
Ground fresh black pepper to taste
8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese – grate about 1 cup, if want more add more

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10” glass pie dish or a deep dish stoneware pie dish lightly with olive oil. Steam the potato rounds for about 4 to 6 minutes until medium tender. Transfer the potato rounds to a cooling rack. Once cool, line the pie dish with potato rounds to cover overlapping a little bit. If you have extra potatoes left you can use it for breakfast or lunch with little bit of your favorite cheese melted on the left-over potatoes.
Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan; add the chopped green onions, thyme, and Canadian bacon and sauté for about 5 minutes until heated through. Spoon the mixture over the pie rounds. Sprinkle the grated smoked cheddar cheese on the bacon onion mixture and then pour the egg product on top. I used about 1-1/2 containers. Bake quiche until center is set about 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm with either with fresh berries or a fresh green salad.

Note: The recipe called for 8 eggs, but since I am watching and tweaking recipes to have a healthier dish, I changed it the eggs to a product that is similar to Egg Beaters – but cheaper at Trader Joe’s called “Egg Product”. One container is almost the same as 7 eggs. I used 2 containers. What I love about this product is that is no cholesterol or fat and it is really good. If you want to use eggs, then whisk 8 eggs in a bowl with pepper and mix the cheese in the egg mixture, instead of how it is explained in the directions above.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE

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