Nothing like answering the door to a FedEx delivery man stating "a box of potatoes for a Danielle Rose....", amazing! When I was contacted by
Earth Fresh to work with them on their
Klondike Rose Potatoes contest, I jumped at the chance to be involved! Potatoes are always a staple at my house during the summer whether its a baked potato alongside steak, potato salad at our barbecues, homemade french fries, or good ol' home fries with breakfast, potatoes pretty much become part of the Rose family all summer long! Because I've come up with so many delicious potato recipes in the past, I have a tendency to go back to those recipes time and time again, or adjust them just slightly to suit what I have on hand. I love getting to taste my favourite potato recipes again and again, but I've been itching to try something new. The
Klondike Rose Potato contest was the perfect kick to get my potato wheels a turnin' to come up with a new and unique recipe using these delicious red skin golden flesh potatoes.
Because I missed Cinco de Mayo this year while I was enjoying my falafels in Israel, I haven't been able to get
jalapêno poppers, my 2011 Cinco de Mayo dish, out of my head! With jalapeño poppers on the brain, my
Klondike Rose Potato recipe really couldn't go in any other direction, I knew the flavours and textures would be great together! Having never tried this recipe before, improvising as I went, with a deadline on my heels, I was a little nervous that the dish wouldn't turn out. Would the potatoes be too spicy? Bland? Would the texture be off? Would they look nice in a photo? The easiest way to set your nerves aside is to simply begin tasting. Taste every single step that goes into those potatoes and you can't go wrong! My potatoes turned out to be a huge success! My family and I absolutely loved the flavours, textures, and even the presentation! What's better? Leftover potatoes can be kept in the fridge to be wrapped in tin foil and popped in the oven when ready to eat, and they still taste fantastic! Because of their smaller size and festive filling, I love the idea of serving these spicy potatoes up for guests at a backyard barbeque to show up the typical potato salad side. Thanks to
Earth Fresh Klondike Rose Potatoes for inviting me to take part in this fun contest!
Tip: I learned the hard way to wear gloves when de-skinning jalapeños. No gloves means severely stinging hands later! If you don't have gloves and have to use bare hands, I found that aloe vera gel gave me some relief. A hot shower made it 100x worse!!
Ingredients:
8 Klondike Rose red skin golden flesh potatoes, washed and scrubbed
olive oil, for frying and coating potatoes
kosher salt
1 250g package cream cheese, softened
2 jalapeño peppers
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
2 tbsp cream
about 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 green onion, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400º
- Pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Rub potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Place potatoes directly on top rack of oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender when inserted with a fork.
- Pierce jalapeños with wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Using a gas stove or BBQ, turn on flame and carefully place jalapeños directly on flame. Char jalapeños on all sides so that they are black and blistered. Remove skewers, place immediately in a glass bowl, and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let stand for 10 minutes. Wearing gloves, rub the jalapeños with your hands until all the skins are removed. Cut jalapeños in half and remove as much of the seeds and membrane to your liking (they are the spicy parts of the jalapeño, so use your discretion!). Chop finely.
- Warm 1 tbsp of olive oil in a small skillet at medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until transparent. Add the jalapeños and continue to cook until softened and onions are golden.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese with the jalapeños, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Mix in the mozzarella, cheddar, and bacon and set aside.
- Once the potatoes are baked and are cool enough to handle, slice off the top 1/4 of each potato. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the filling, leaving a 1/4-inch thick layer around the skin, and place insides in a medium bowl. Mash the potato insides with a potato masher or fork and stir in the cream. Mix in the cream cheese until well combined.
- Using a small spoon, carefully re-fill the potato skins evenly with the cream cheese and potato filling. Sprinkle the tops evenly with Panko bread crumbs and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden. Top with green onions and serve immediately.
Listening To:
The event highlighted the important work that the Advisory Team is responsible for, as well as informing guests about the many sustainable seafood options that are available to us, and of course what unsustainable seafood we should stay away from. We were introduced to both familiar and unfamiliar sustainable seafood options that stretch across Canada through a delicious and striking tasting menu created by Luma's Executive Chef Jason Bangerter. Taking us across Canada, Chef Bangerter allowed us to taste two different types of fish from each region of Canada through his artfully plated savory seafood creations. Each dish was absolutely delicious, truly showcasing the fresh Canadian fish as the star of each dish, while representing it in a unique and visually appealing way.
