Picking The Right Potato

Baking potatoes (1)... also known as the russets , fall into the "starchy" category . They break down and become fuffly when cooked , making them great for smashing and baking , but bad for cubing and sauteing .

Fingerlings (2) and red (3) on the other hand are "waxy." Their denser , firm texture (gluey when mashed) helps them keep their shape for home fries and potato salads .

Yukon golds (4) finally , are the great all-purpose potato.

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Selecting and Storing

Choose firm potatoes without solf spots , bruises , sprouts , or a green tint to the skin .

Green skin means the potato has been exposed to light too long and can be bitte or even toxic .

Trim off small sprouts before cooking . Keep potatoes in the a dark dry place , ideally under 55* , but don't refrigerate .

Store away from other produce , which may give off gasses that shorten their shell life . Wash just before cooking .

Check in for more helpful household and cooking tips .

Cajun-Stuffed Potatoes

Hands on time : 38 minutes ... Total time : 1 hour 28 minutes

Tip : Substitute chopped cooked shrimp if crawfish are unavailable .

6 medium Yukon gold or small baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil , divided

1 1/2 chopped cups yellow onion

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less- fat cream cheese , softened

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 pounds frozen cooked crawfish meat , thawed .

1) Preheat oven to 450*

2) Pierce potatoes with a folk ; brush with 1 teaspoon olive oil . Bake at 450* for 50 minutes or until tender . Remove potatoes from oven ; cool slightly . Cut potatoes lengthwise , and scoop pulp out of shins , leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Place pilp in a large bowl ; coarsely mash pulp .

3) Preheat broiler to high.

4) Heat a skillet over medium-high heat . Add remaining oil to pan ; swril to coat . Add onion , bell pepper and celery to pan ; saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper) ; saute 1 minute . Remove from heat . Add butter , cheese and herbs , stirring until smooth .

5) Stir cheese mixture and crawfish into each potato shell . Arrange stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet . Broil for 5 minutes or until browned.

Serves 6 ( serving size ... 2 potato halves)

Chicken Cacciatore

Hands on time : 37 minutes ... Total time : 67 minutes

Serve on a bed of spaghetti or with a short pasta like penne or cavatappi for a complete meal

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8 bone-in chicken thighs , skinned ( about 2 1/2 pounds)

3/8 teaspoon salt . divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly grounded black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil , divided

1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup green chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 garlic cloves , minced

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 1/3 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , shaved

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat . Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan ; swirl to coat . Add 4 chicken thighs to pan ; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until browned . Remove chicken from pan ; keep warm . Repeat proccedure with 2 teaspoons olive oil and remaing chicken .

3) Add the remaing 2 teaspoons olive to pan and swirl to coat . Add bell peppers , 1 cup onion , celery , rosemary , minced garlic and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt ; cook for 6 minutes , stirring frequently . Add mushrooms , cook for 6 minutes , stirring occasionally. Stir in marinara sauce ; cook 1 minute .

4) Spread vegetable mixture in bottom of a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish . Arrange chicken on top of the vegetale mixture . Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until a termometer inserted into chicken registers 160*.

Sprinkle with cheese .

Serves 4

Tempeh & Broccolini Stir-Fry

Hands on Time : 30 minutes ................Total time : 30 minutes

Streamline your stir-frying process by preparing all ingredients before you start cooking . For a whole-grain base ... use brown rice.

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1/2 pound Broccolini

6 tablespoons chopped green onions , divided

4 1/2 tablespoons ricer vinegar

3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

5 tablespoons canola oil , divided

1 (8-ounce) package organic tempeh , cut into 1/2-cubes

1 cup diagonally cut snow peas

2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

3 tablespoons chopped unsalted , dry-roasted peanuts (or nuts of your choice)

1) Cook Broccolini in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender . Drain and plunge Broccolini into ice water ; drain. Squeeze dry . Cut into 1-inch pieces .

2) Combine 3 tablespoons green onions and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a bowl .

3) Heat a large , heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat . Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan ; swirl to coat .Add tempeh ; stir fry for 5-minutes or until golden brown on all sides . Temove tempeh from pan ; keep warm . Add remasining 2 tablespoons oil to pan , swirl to coat . Add Broccolini or snow peas ; stir-fry 2 minutes , stirring occasionally . Add tempeh and vinegar mixture to pan ; bring to boil . Divide rice evenly among 4 bowls ; top with tempeh mixture . Sprinkle with remaining 3 tabespoons green onions and peanuts .

Serves 4

Chicken Bruschetta Skillet

Total time is 30 minutes ... serves 5

******************Ingredients

1 can (14.5 once) Hunt's Diced Tomatoes , drained

3/4 cup shedded Italian blend cheese

1/4 cup chopped basil

5 small boneless chicken breasts

1 can (8 ounce) Hunt's tomato sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups garlic croutons , crushed slightly

******************Instructions

Combine Hunt's Diced Tomatoes , cheese and basil ; set aside .

Pound chicken to 1/2" thickness .

Top with tomato mixture .

Combine Hunt's Tomato sauce and garlic in skillet ; add chicken .

Bring to a boil . Simmer covered for 15 minutes .

Top with Croutons and serve .

Your family or guests will think you stayed in the kitchen all afternoon .

Wave Your Flag Cake 'Independence Day'

What You Need
4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Gelatin, any red flavor
Ice cubes
1 cup cold water
1 pkg. (12 oz.) prepared pound cake, cut into 10 slices
1-1/3 cups blueberries, divided
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Make It
Slice 1 cup strawberries; cut remaining strawberries in half.
Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to cold water to measure 2 cups. Add to gelatin; stir until ice is melted. Refrigerate 5 min. or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cover bottom of 13x9-inch dish with cake slices. Add sliced strawberries and 1 cup blueberries to thickened gelatin; stir gently. Spoon over cake.
Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cover with COOL WHIP. Arrange strawberry halves on COOL WHIP for stripes of flag and remaining blueberries for stars.

Kitchens Tips
Variation
Prepare as directed with fat-free pound cake and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.
Substitute
Prepare using JELL-O Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin.
Wave Your Flag Cheesecake
Layer cake and fruited gelatin in dish as directed. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Beat 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) softened PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and 1/4 cup sugar with whisk or mixer until well blended; gently stir in COOL WHIP. Spread over gelatin layer. Continue as directed.
A Star-Spangled holiday for a celebratory dessert , this stunning red... white... blue wave your flag cake fits the bill perfectly ,
It can be made 2 or 3 days ahead and also be carried on picnics ... enjoy .

Creamy Ricotta Cheesecake & Fresh Berries ... Add a Sparkle to your 4th

This festive make-ahead treat is (almost) effortless.

Cooking spray
1 15-ounce c ontainer part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream cheese
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese), softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-fruit seedless rasberry jam
1 tablespoon orange liqueur or water
16 ounce contaimer fresh raspberries
16 ounce container fresh blueberries
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray
Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl or food processor and beat with an electric mixer , or process, until smooth and creamy . Add the sour cream , Neufchatel , eggs , sugar , flour , vanilla , orange zest and salt and continue to process or mix until well blended . Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center is just set ... 50 to 55 minutes .
Transfer to a wire rack to cool , then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before removing it from the pan . The cheesecake will be about 2 inches high .
In a small saucepan , bring the jam and liqueur to a boil over low heat , stirring constantly until smooth. Brush the cheesecake with the jam mixture and top with berries , alternating one row of raspberries (flat side down) with two rows of blueberries . The cake should be stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for 2 to 3 days .
Makes 8 serving .