Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [30]
2. Heat a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or just until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, or until pink and firm, stirring often. Transfer the contents of the pan to a medium bowl (see Note). Stir in the yogurt, feta, olives, dill, salt, and pepper until well combined.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice the top third off each potato lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop the inside flesh of the larger sections into a second medium bowl. Leave inch of potato flesh against the skin so that it will not collapse when stuffed. Scoop the insides of the cut-off top sections into the bowl as well; discard the top skins. Use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to mix these ingredients until soft and uniform, about 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes with an electric mixer at low speed until creamy. Stir in the prepared shrimp mixture.
4. Place the large potato-skin shells in a shallow 1-quart casserole dish; divide the mashed potato mixture between them, mounding it with a spoon. If desired, drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the top of each potato. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the stuffing is steaming hot. Serve immediately.
NOTE: You can skip the step of sautéing the shrimp and garlic by substituting pound precooked cocktail shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Add these and the olive oil to the bowl with the yogurt and other ingredients.
WITH ZUCCHINI, GOAT CHEESE, AND WALNUTS
This vegetarian casserole has a California twist, with soft goat cheese and walnuts. You can substitute a hard, aged goat cheese for a more pungent taste; grate an equivalent amount directly into the mashed potato mixture.
2 large baking potatoes, preferably Russets (about ¾ pound each), scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 medium zucchini (about 5 ounces), cut into ½-inch dice
¼ cup heavy cream, or ¼ cup half-and-half
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet (about 2 ounces), crumbled
3 tablespoons chopped walnut pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about ½ ounce)
1. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Puncture each potato in three or four places, then microwave on high until soft for anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power and the potato’s size. Remove to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Alternatively, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
2. Heat a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat. Swirl in the oil, reduce the heat to low, then add the garlic and cook slowly for 3 minutes to flavor the oil, stirring occasionally. Do not let the garlic brown; if it does, reduce the heat even further. Once the garlic is very aromatic, raise the heat to medium and add the zucchini. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until softened. Set aside off the heat while you prepare the potatoes.
3. When they are cool enough to handle, slice the top third off each potato lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop the inside flesh of the larger sections into a medium bowl. Leave -inch of potato flesh against the skin so that it will not collapse when stuffed. Scoop the insides of the cut-off top sections into the bowl as well; discard the top skins. Use a potato masher, a wooden spoon, or an electric mixer at medium speed to mash the potatoes for about 30 seconds. Add the cream, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the goat cheese, walnuts, and the contents of the pan with the zucchini; continue stirring until all is well combined.
4. Place the hollowed-out potato skins in a shallow 1-quart casserole dish; divide the mashed potato mixture between them, mounding it with a spoon. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over each