You Say Po-TA-toe, I Say Po-TEY-toe~
BAKED POTATO
Perhaps the only vegetable in the kingdom that my picky-eating brother would eat. That is, if they come in stick form and fried to oblivion. When I made this, my brother was ecstatic--1) because it's potato; 2) it's got BACON; 3) it's not fried (for once).
Well, there are other elements/reasons why I managed to force this down his throat I mean, make him eat this. It's a shitty photo, I know and the weather wasn't good that time. But it really tastes awesome; BELIEVE IT~ /Cartoon Network Naruto mode/
If you're only cooking for yourself, you could use only one potato and recycle the other ingredients for a Bacon and Red Pepper Quiche (will post one in the future) or a bacon and cheese omelette for your next day's breakfast.
I'll make a recipe that's good for three potatoes (good for three people or a really hungry person).
INGREDIENTS
3 medium to large-sized potatoes
1 medium-sized red bell pepper; removed of the stem/stalk thingy, deseeded, and sliced into small cubes
5 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces (more like tear them into smaller pieces with your fingers)
1/2 cup of grated cheese (use any variant you like. I used quickmelt cheese. Sometimes, Cheeze Whiz. Mozzarella + cheddar is also good!)
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp butter (1 tbsp per potato; add more if love butter)
chopped chives for added flavor and garnish (optional)
What you see in the picture is something that doesn't have the sour cream-and-chive combo. If you wish to ommit something (like bacon for a vegetarian version; or red bell pepper because you just don't like it; or butter and sour cream so it's low-fat then substitue with mashing the potato pulp with fresh milk or unsweetened soy milk) you could do so. Anyway, I made this in a fit of hunger/desperation/saving money.
DIRECTIONS
1. Wash your potatoes well under cold water. Be keen on removing the dirt and excess flaky skin. Once washed, poke them with a fork and put them in a casserole or deep pan. Cover them with cold water. Boil until soft and tender (around 15-20 minutes).
2. While waiting for the potato to cook, fry the bacon in its own fat. When they begin to turn golden brown and a little bit crispy, remove the excess bacon grease and add the bell pepper into the frying pan.
3. Saute the bell pepper with the bacon until bell pepper is sufficiently-cooked (around 3-4 minutes) then remove from heat. Drain the excess oil/grease then set aside.
SPECIAL STEP/TIP:
If you wish to add sour cream and can't find sour cream in your area (like me), you could:
OPTION A) Whip 1 cup of chilled evaporated milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice
OPTION B) Mix 1 cup of evaporated milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice and thicken in medium heat for 5 minutes
OPTION C) Blend 1cup unsweetened yoghurt, 1 tbsp flour and 2 tsps water.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION for lost_hitsu) 1 cup unsweetened yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tsps water. Heat until thick and smooth. Add a little bit of cornstarch if it doesn't get thick enough.
4. When the potatoes are cooked, take them out of the casserole/deep pan/pot. Slice 1/4 of the potato off and carefully scoop out the potato pulp. Be careful with scooping; don't scoop too deep or you'll break the potato 'boat'.
5. In a bowl, mash the potato pulp and add butter. If you're going to use sour cream, add 3 tsp of that stuff to make the mash smoother and creamier (also fattier). Add in the bacon-bell pepper mixture and mix again.
6. Spoon the baked potato mash into your potato containers. Add sour cream (optional), grated cheese, and chopped chives (also optional).
7. Bake in the oven until the cheese melts.
8. Serve hot with a side of sandwiches (maybe pulled pork or chicken salad).
Remember that 1/4 of a potato that we sliced from the whole thing? You could recycle that to have a small serving of herbed mashed potatoes or boil it then fry it twice for crispy potato fries.
This is a real comfort food for me. When I feel down, hormonal, or seasonally depressed (that usually kicks in around autumn or near Christmas); I get into this cooking frenzy. It's a Zen moment where it's socially-acceptable to cry while chopping onions or derive great pleasure in tenderizing tough meat with your own fists. :D
NOTE: Improved photo will be reposted in my blog. /is scared to mess with LJ-cutting/