Baked Potato with Salsa

The holidays are fast approaching once again and for many of us we have parties, pot lucks and family gatherings. The best part of all of these is the food, the variety of the food selection is enough to put on a few pounds just looking at all the options. The one thing I have always noticed is the lack of a good side and what better side to add to the selection then a baked potato. I have never been a big fan of sour cream but salsa well that is a different story so I decided to create a side of the popular baked potato dish and salsa. Your potato will end up the talk of the party. The potatoes of choice for baking should always be russet, it is the option that I feel is the best for baking this type of dish. The salsa should be thick and chunky and I chose to pick the medium flavour but you can go hot or mild. A baking dish works best for cooking and you will not need many ingredients, unless your thing is to have the toppings falling off the potato.

Inspired by BBC Good Food

More Side Dish Recipes
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SAUTEED SPICY GREENS
OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS
LEMON ZESTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS
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Baked Potato with Salsa Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 90 minutes  Servings:  4

Ingredients

Turkey Wrap on Whole Grain

The world famous wraps, which over the years have become quite popular with those looking to add a healthy and nutritious meal to their daily reservoir. This was my first go at making a wrap and I though I would start with turkey, a healthy pick in my opinion loaded with vegetables and legumes all in a whole grain large wrap.The trickiest part of this meal was getting the wraps to remain closed, thankfully there are videos that help you achieve an expert role. I used red kidney beans in this recipe but they can be substituted for black or pinto beans. The turkey and veggies for some may be more then sufficient for your wrap but I made sure to add lettuce, hot sauce and shredded cheese. Those that are not to big on turkey can replace it with just about any ground meat and feel free to add even more veggies or even some diced avocado. A large skillet for cooking is what should be used and don't over pack the tortilla wrap because it will be hard to roll or worse yet rip.


Inspired by Betty Crocker

MORE TURKEY RECIPES
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TURKEY VEGETABLE MEDLEY
FUSILLI TURKEY SKILLET MEAL
GROUND TURKEY BURGER WITH SAUTEED MUSHROOM MIX
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Turkey Wrap on Whole Grain Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 15 minutes  Servings: 12

Ingredients

Blackened Tiger Shrimp

I have not posted a seafood recipe in some time and felt with the last days of the summer upon us, why not share one of the more popular seafood's to eat which is shrimp. This shrimp recipe is a family classic, in my household growing up shrimp became a kind of dessert to eat after a good meal, we would by pass any sweets and see if the folks had some shrimp stashed away somewhere. This recipe can be eaten as a snack or turned into a main course by adding rice, pasta or vegetables to accompany it. You will need to peel and devein the shrimp, make sure the shrimp you purchase is either fresh and if frozen then make sure that it is uncooked. A large skillet or wok will be needed to cook the shrimp and spices, a lot of spices. The key is to not over cook the shrimp as they can become tough, now for those that might feel the ingredients have the shrimp a little spicy you can always take out your favourite dipping sauce, like sweet chili thai or plum.

Inspired by Family

MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES
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WHOLESOME SPANISH RICE WITH CLAMS
BROILED SQUID WITH MONTREAL STEAK SPICE
EAST COAST PAN SEARED SCALLOPS
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Blackened Tiger Shrimp Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes  Cook Time: 5 minutes  Servings: 2

Ingredients

Naturally Lasagna

I  have eaten lasagna on many occasions but the one thing I have not done is try to make it myself. Lasagna is just one of those comfort foods, its filling and after one or two pieces you just get that satisfied feeling. I spoke with family and friends and checked the internet to see what people did to create their own lasagnas and I felt ready to create my own version of lasagna. I liked that I was able to add some of my favourite ingredients, like mushrooms, spinach and cheeses. The key I found was using a baking dish that is 11 x 8 in size as the lasagna noodles fit perfectly inside and don't be afraid to pack things down as you layer, you want to make sure that all your ingredients fit. I decided to go heavy on pasta sauce also as I wanted to make sure the lasagna was covered to avoid dryness. You can decide to substitute the cheeses I used but I find that cheddar and mozzarella work great with this dish so you do not have do unless you really want parmesan or ricotta.

Inspired by Kraft Recipes

MORE PASTA RECIPES
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PENNE WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE
PENNE WITH MEATSAUCE
SPAGHETTI WITH BABY CLAMS
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Naturally Lasagna Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 75 minutes  Servings: 8

Ingredients

Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomatoes

It's time once again for a delicious chicken recipe, chicken is a staple in many peoples diets and in my family it was a regular meal every Sunday as we would all sit down at the dinner table together to eat. As I have gotten older I decided to continue the tradition of weekly chicken meals but became flexible on the dates that I would eat it. This recipe is so tasty and the chicken moist that you will enjoy the distinct flavours added from the spices, the herbed tomatoes is a healthy touch and for those that want more of a filling, you can always add a bit of rice to your plate. The chicken and tomatoes can be cooked at the same time in the oven and if your baking sheet is big enough you can always cook them both together. I like to use large plum tomatoes, I find that they slice the best compared to other tomatoes and I enjoy their taste whether raw or baked but if you don't have any at home just about any large tomato will work fine. The brown sugar can also be substituted by white sugar if you do not enjoy the taste of molasses. 

Inspired by Epicurious

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES
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PARMESAN CHICKEN BITES
RED ZONE CHICKEN FINGERS
SPICY BREADED GARLIC CHICKEN
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Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomatoes Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 15 minutes  Servings: 4 

Ingredients

The Bachelor's Cheeseburger

The summer heat has finally arrived and people are now heading to their cottages, parks and backywards, and what can be more summer then a good old burger with cheese. We can all go to the grocers and pick up packages of burgers but do they really taste better then a homemade burger pattie that you can fill and top with all your favourite spices and condiments. I introduce the Bachelor's Cheeseburger a homemade burger  layered with plain havarti cheese, this is one of my favourite cheeses and it melts perfectly but cheddar or provolone work well or any cheese that you fancy. The toppings are your standard lettuce, tomato and ketchup which is all you really need to make a tasty burger, as for the buns look for something with a little olive oil added into them, this makes the whole experience that much better. A BBQ, grill or even a good old skillet can be used  for cooking but make sure you don't leave out any of the spices added to homemade burger, your tastebuds will thank you after.

Inspired by Food

MORE GROUND BEEF RECIPES
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YUMMY HOMEMADE MEATBALLS
SLOPPY BACHELOR BURGER
LUNCH TIME TACOS II
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The Bachelor's Cheeseburger Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes  Cooking Time:  Servings: 4

Ingredients