Last night's Dinner and a Movie Recipes :)

So, I thought I'd share the recipes Naomi, Michelle and I worked on last night. :)

Turkey Bacon & Green Onion Potato Skins
4 Idaho potatoes
1 T EVOO
salt and freshly ground black pepper (we skipped out on the salt in the mixture, due to salt in bacon/cheese)
6 strips turkey bacon
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (we used fat free)
chicken stock, warm, as needed (we didn't have to use any)
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish if you like
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (we used the fat-free version)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes of any excess dirt and prick them each several times w/ a fork.  Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle EVOO and season w/ salt and pepper, tossing lightly to coat.

Bake in the oven until tender, about 45-60 min depending on the size of the potato.  Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes are cooling, place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 T.  Cook the turkey bacon until crispy golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess grease and cool.  Chop up the cooled bacon and reserve in a medium-size mixing bowl.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise and scoop the insides out into the same mixing bowl as the bacon, leaving a thin layer of flesh still intact.  Be sure not to pierce the skin of the potato.

Add the reduced-fat sour cream, scallions and about 1/2 cup of cheddar to the bowl and mash everything up (add a little bit of the chicken stock to the mash if it's too dry).  Season the filling with salt and freshly ground black pepper and scoop the filling back into the hollowed out potato shells, dividing it evenly between all eight.

Place the potato skins back onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the cheese over each of them.  Place them back into the oven to melt the cheese, 1-2 minutes.  Sprinkle some more scallions over each one, if you like, and serve them up with your favorite salad alongside.


Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice (we used brown instead)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (we used extra large, which worked out perfect...they still had their tails on, though.  We also used chicken.)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (we used less, as Naomi doesn't do spicy)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T sesame oil (just a warning...if you've never used it, it's quite...pungent)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
3 green onions, sliced
3 T teriyaki sauce
1/2 lb sugar snap peas (didn't use, 'cause couldn't find them, and don't really like them)
1/8 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil.  Add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 min. (brown rice--abt. 40 min)

While rice is simmering, combine shrimp, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, sesame seeds and black pepper in a large plastic food storage bag (you can add the cooked chicken now, to blend all flavors).  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator.

Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet (we used a pot).  Add red bell pepper and green onions; saute 3-4 minutes to soften slightly.  Add teriyaki sauce.  Add peas and shrimp with seasoning, saute 4 min or until shrimp are opaque.

Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and add to wok; cook, stirring until mixture boils.  Sprinkle w/ salt (we didn't add the extra salt).  Spoon shrimp mixture over rice.


Chocolate-Laced Kiwifruit with Orange Sauce
1/2 cup plan or vanilla yogurt (we used vanilla, as it'll be a sweeter taste)
1 T frozen orange juice concentrate, partially thawed (we used regular OJ)
4 large kiwifruit, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 T semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening
(for the chocolate sauce, we cheated and used Hershey's Dark Chocolate syrup as a substitute, rather than creating even more dirty dishes haha)

Mix yogurt and juice concentrate.  Spoon 2 T yogurt mixture onto each of 4 dessert plates.  Arrange 1 sliced kiwifruit on yogurt mixture on each plate.

Heat chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted.  Drizzle chocolate over kiwifruit.  (Quick tip: substitute chocolate-flavored syrup for the chocolate chips and shortening)