I had planned to blog about these after our housewarming party, but I couldn't. I know you are asking yourself, "How could you not blog about these amazing heaven-in-a-bite potato delights?" I'll tell you why - I never got to try one! They were eaten so fast that neither Justin nor I even got one little bite. So, on top of not getting a decent picture due to some weird lighting issues, I decided to wait until the next time I made them.

Now that it is summer, I do my very very best to avoid using the oven so I have been putting these off. Justin's best friend came for a visit last weekend and he is obsessed (and I mean obSESSed) with these potatoes. I knew it would make his trip if I made them, so we decided to give it on try on the grill. Cliff's verdict? Well, he was eating them cold out of the fridge, so he may be a little too close to the potatoes to give a true verdict. The rest of us thought they were delicious! They warmed up so quickly (Justin made sure the coals were very hot) and they were absolutely delicious. I now know why they went like hot cakes the first time around. Give this versatile recipe a try - in the oven, on the grill, or even out of the fridge (although I personally think they need to be warm). Just make sure to double the recipe if you are having more than a couple people over!

Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

1 lb. gourmet red potatoes (about 1- 1 1/2 in in diameter)
1 cup medium cheddar, finely grated
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely minced
2 Tbsp. half and half

Place steam insert over large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Wash potatoes and halve length wise, cutting an additional bit from the bottom so that the half can stand on its own. Place potatoes into steam insert and cook, covered, until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place cheddar, cream cheese, and parsley into medium bowl, stirring to combine completely. Let potatoes slightly cool and using a melon baller, scoop out main portion of each potato half, leaving a solid shell. Place scooped out potato into bowl with cheese mixture. Once all potatoes are completed, mix scooped potato and cheese mixture thoroughly until as smooth as possible. Add half and half to smooth mixture.

Place potato shells onto a baking sheet or grill-safe pan. Using a pastry bag or plastic sandwich bag with end snipped, pipe mixture into potato shells. Bake or grill filled potatoes until heated through and just browned on top.

Source: adapted from Good Things Catered

We had a few people over this weekend and Justin asked me to pick up some macaroni salad from the deli. I knew it would be much cheaper to just make it myself, but I didn't realize it would be just as easy. This recipe took no time at all and is the epitome of a make ahead dish (which you know I love). Justin loved it, as did other macaroni salad lovers. I ended up making waaay more than necessary, so two of our friends happily took home doggy-bags.

Macaroni Salad

1 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

I love anything with Sesame - sesame chicken especially - and I have been hoarding two recipes for sesame noodles for some times now. I laughed when I realized they were the exact same recipe! So I figured, it must be good, right? This recipe couldn't be easier to prepare and was just what my taste buds were looking for. Flavorful, yet not overpowering - the perfect Asian side dish.

Justin, on the other hand, didn't think it was quite as perfect as I did. He thought it lacked a very important ingredient - peanut butter. (As a side note, until recently, I didn't realize most sesame noodle recipes had peanut butter in them - good to know!) Seeing as how I am fatally allergic to the creamy (or chunky) goodness, I couldn't exactly try it out to see if Justin was right. So if you are a purist like me, this recipe is perfect as is. If you are more like Justin, add a little peanut butter and let me know what you think!

Can you tell I've been on a Mexi-kick? Lately, it seems that I am constantly craving fajitas and tacos (not at the same time... usually.) As I said in my Mexicorn post, I usually have trouble coming up with sides for Mexican dishes. I feel like I can finally put that concern to rest after making Arroz Blanco (Mexican White Rice). It is a simple recipe, but is very versatile and imparts great flavor on otherwise bland rice. Feel free to add other veggies to this dish to bring out a new flavor.

Arroz Blanco (Mexican White Rice)

1 cup long grain white rice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 red bell pepper
4 green onions
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat, and stir in the white rice. Stir until the grains are evenly coated and continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, crushed garlic, and red bell pepper. Continue cooking until just before they turn golden, about 6-8 minutes.

Add water, chicken broth and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. (Do not lift lid during this time - this will make the rice gummy.)

Set rice aside and keep covered for 10 minutes. Chop cooked onions and red pepper and toss with rice. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Masa Assassin

I always seem to have trouble coming up with sides for Mexican food. I love my stand-by Mexican Rice, but lately I have been looking for something different. This is a perfect Mexican veggie side dish, and you probably have all the ingredients at home. We loved this, and will definitely make this along side tacos and fajitas.

Mexicorn

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Pinch of cumin
Juice of 1/2 a lime
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large skilled over medium heat. Add everything except the cilantro, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with cilantro.

Source: adapted from Vintage Victuals

This is another recipe I made for the housewarming party we had last month, but unfortunately I didn't get to try any of it at our party! I made it again to accompany the lemon-basil grilled chicken and it has now become my fall-back dinner side dish. I have never been a huge pasta salad fan, but this one really changed my mind; anything with cheese and garlic-infused oil gets my vote! I will definitely keep this pasta salad in our rotation.

1lb. uncooked pasta (I used penne rigate)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3-4 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and chopped (I omitted this)
Handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package direction until just past al dente. Drain well. Transfer to a serving bowl. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute' the garlic until sizzling and golden, stirring frequently (a few minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour the garlic and oil over the warm pasta and toss well. Add the mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well and let the noodles cool slightly. Just before serving, top the noodles with the chopped tomatoes, basil, toasted pine nuts (if using) and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve room temperature.

I have been trying to make this along side chicken fajitas for three straight weeks now. Something has come up every time, and it just kept getting pushed back to the next week. I'm grateful I was finally able to make this meal! The rice was very easy to make and wasn't mushy like other rice recipes I have tried. Next time, I think I will add a little more cumin (I only used 1 tsp.) and maybe some chili pepper. This is a great weeknight side!

Mexican Rice

1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro (I omitted because I didn't have any in the house)
1 Tsp. - 1 Tbsp. cumin (adjust to your tastes)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add rice, chicken broth, butter and 1/4 tsp. salt to stock pot. Bring rice to a boil over high heat, stir once, and cover. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and keep covered for 5-10 minutes longer. (Don't remove the lid during cooking; this makes the rice gummy.)

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute onions for 10 minutes, or until just about brown. Add garlic to the pan, and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cumin, and cook for one more minute.

Mix in cooked rice, lime juice and cilantro, and season to taste.

Source: adapted from Home Sick Texan

I have been salivating all day thinking about cooking shrimp fried rice along with sesame chicken for dinner tonight. It was definitely worth the wait. It was really simple to make, used only one skillet (well one skillet and one pot to cook the rice), and tasted just like take out. We loved it! I was planning to use a combination of two recipes (most fried rice recipes have the same ingredients, just different proportions), but I ended up changing a lot to fit our tastes - and was very pleased with the results! I will definitely be making this when I am craving a little Chinese.

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 cup uncooked enriched white rice
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
5 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
12-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked vegetables (I used a mix of peas, carrots and green beans)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Combine rice, water, 1/4 tsp. salt and butter in stock pot. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. (Do not stir or remove lid while cooking; it will make the rice gummy.) Stir and remove from heat.

Heat 1 Tbsp. canola oil in large wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, and stir until just cooked. Remove the eggs from the wok, and set aside on a plate.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in the wok, season shrimp with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping frequently until just cooked. Remove shrimp to plate, and cut into small pieces.

Heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. of oil in the wok. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs, shrimp and green onions. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Source: Me! (Loosely adapted from Curtis Stone)