Get Cooking_ 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen - Mollie Katzen [54]
5. Add the onion mixture to the mashed potato, being sure to scrape in every last bit of the olive oil and delicious tidbits from the pan. Add the spinach, sour cream, scallion, salt, and pepper, mixing lightly with the fork until everything is thoroughly combined.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the two empty potato skins, mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese over the tops, patting it gently into place so it won’t fall off. Broil a few inches from the heat source for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is lightly golden. Serve right away.
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GET CREATIVE
Cook 1 or 2 slices of bacon (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) or “veggie” bacon. Let it cool, crumble it, and sprinkle it over the potatoes before adding the cheese.
Try various cheeses to find your favorite. Cheddar and Gruyère both work very well with spinach, and so do feta, Gouda, and many others. This is a fun way to experiment, and to make this slightly different each time.
If you love things extra-cheesy, you can also stir a few tablespoons of grated cheese into the stuffing mixture and/or sprinkle a little more on top.
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greek-style stuffed eggplant
Makes 4 main-dish servings, or 8 side dishes if you cut them in half
This a real crowd-pleaser—the kind of dish your friends will be flattered that you went to the trouble to prepare. But your secret will be that it’s really not that much trouble. The flavor is complex, the texture is a combination of smooth, chewy, and crunchy in all the right ways, and the overall effect is one of celebration. This would be a great choice for someone’s birthday dinner. Much of the preparation can be done in advance. You can even make and bake the eggplant 2 to 3 days ahead and store them, tightly wrapped in foil, in the refrigerator. They will reheat well, still wrapped in the foil, in a 300°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
2 medium eggplants (1 pound each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
1 medium bell pepper (any color), chopped
½ teaspoon salt
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
One 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
Heaping ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Carefully cut the eggplants in half lengthwise with a large, sharp knife. Try to get equal halves with clean edges.
3. Use a soup spoon or teaspoon to dig into the flesh of each eggplant half and scrape it out. You will find that it comes out fairly easily, mostly in longish strips, once you get it started. Pull and scrape out the flesh, leaving a shell about ¼-inch thick. Set the eggplant shells aside.
4. Transfer the eggplant flesh to a cutting board, and chop it into roughly ½-inch pieces. Transfer the chopped eggplant to a bowl, and set aside.
5. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and herbs, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, and salt. Stir until well combined, turning up the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft. Add the drained tomatoes and artichoke hearts, keeping the heat at medium-high. Stir and cook for 5 minutes longer. Don’t cover the pan—you want the juices from all the vegetables to evaporate as much as possible.
6. Turn off the heat, and stir in the feta, breadcrumbs, and black pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined,