Palate-Pleasing Plates That Save Cents

(NAPSI)-Looking for meals that bank on flavor while saving cents? You can find a repertoire of recession-proof and nutritious recipes online at a new section of the Idaho Potato Commission's Web site called Watching Waistlines & Wallets: www.idahopotato.com/waistlines_wallets.

One of the key ingredients in each recipe is an Idaho® potato. An average 5.3-ounce spud has only 110 calories, contains zero fat and cholesterol and is packed with nutrients including 45 percent daily value of vitamin C, nearly twice as much potassium as a banana, fiber, protein, vitamin B6 and complex carbohydrates. At about 25 cents per potato, that's a lot of nutritional bang for your buck--and even better, your quarter.

Twice-Baked Idaho® Potatoes with Sausage & Cheese

Servings: 8

8 large Idaho® potatoes, scrubbed

2 teaspoons olive oil (optional, for a softer-skinned potato)

12 ounces ground turkey sausage

1 cup skim milk

1 stick (½ cup) margarine or butter

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

pinch white pepper (optional)

¼ cup chopped chives (optional)

1 8-ounce package reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425° F. Pierce potatoes with a fork several times. Rub potato skins with olive oil if a softer potato skin is desired. Bake potatoes directly on the middle oven rack for 50-60 minutes or until they yield to gentle pressure. While the potatoes are baking, cook the turkey sausage. Drain the sausage, crumble it and set aside. While potatoes are still hot (use oven mitt to hold potato), cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the interior flesh of the potato into a medium-size bowl, leaving a shell about ¼-inch thick all around. Using a potato masher, mash the potato flesh. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until hot, but not boiling. Add milk to potato a little at a time, mashing it together each time. Mix in butter and mash all until smooth. Add salt, white pepper and chives, if desired, and mix together thoroughly. Stir in the shredded cheese and sausage. Turn oven to 400° F. Using a spoon, gently fill the potato shells with the potato mixture, mounding it up high. Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until hot.

Estimated Nutritional Analysis per Serving: 476 calories, 21 g fat, 48 g cholesterol, 738 g sodium, 18 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates

More Recipes

For more recipes, visit www.idahopotato.com/recipes.

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New-Fashioned Sausage Cassoulet

(NAPSI)-If you're one of those people who order cassoulet whenever you see it on the menu, you have lots of company. Most people love cassoulet and order it because it's a dish they think is hard to make at home. Well, here's a recipe that shows this French dish is really simple to make yet complex in flavor:

New-Fashioned Sausage Cassoulet

Yield: 4

1 teaspoon olive oil

¼ pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut in 2‑inch lengths

½ pound fresh Italian sausage links, cut in 2‑inch lengths

2 cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes including liquid

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

2 whole bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 (14- to 15-ounce) can white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausages to drain in a paper towel-lined bowl.

2. Discard all but 1 teaspoon pan drippings. Add onion to hot pan drippings and cook until tender. Add garlic and sauté only until fragrant, about 30-40 seconds.

3. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, cloves and beans.

4. Bring mixture to a gentle boil. Return sausage to pan. Cover and gently simmer for 30 to 40 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

5. Remove bay leaves. Serve cassoulet in individual shallow soup bowls.

For more recipes from the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, go to www.hot-dog.org. To receive a free recipe booklet, "Sausage Recipes From Around the World," send a stamped, self-addressed, business-sized envelope to Sausage Recipes, 1150 Connecticut Ave, NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036.

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Cabbage Roll Up

My mouth was watering as I read the recipe for the Onion Pie. It would be delicious using our very own Vidalia onions! I'm most definitely going to try the Corn and Shrimp Soup, too. I have a recipe for Confetti Soup which has a lot of the same ingredients but no shrimp. I may have to toss some seafood into the Confetti Soup to see what that would taste like. I'll share that recipe later since we already have one corn soup in County Cuisine for now.

Here's another idea for a side item to go with the Onion Pie:

Cabbage Roll Ups

1/4 stick butter (or margarine)
1 cup cooked rice (brown rice works well as does regular white rice)
1 large head cabbage
1 1/2 lb. ground round steak
2 Tbsp. minced fresh onion (I usually increase the amount of onions)
1 can tomato sauce OR 1 can tomatoes
garlic salt to taste

Cut around the core of the cabbage and remove. Put head of cabbage into boiling water. As leaves soften, remove and drain. Add cooked rice to raw meat in separate bowl. Saute onions in the butter. Add onions to meat and rice mixture. Mix well by hand; if the mixture feels too dry, add a little bit of the canned tomatoes or sauce.

Holding a cabbage leaf in hand, put a scoop of the meat mixture into center and fold the leaf around it.

Layer in foil lined baking dish. Cover with any remaining cabbage leaves. Pour tomato sauce or tomatoes over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 275 degrees for approximately 2 hours. You'll need to watch it closely as the cabbage will burn. I usually end up adding more tomato sauce.

As a variation you might want to try some of the excellent canned tomato mixes (Italian, Mexican and others).

Putting a little sausage in the mixture (best to cook it just a bit first, although not completely) adds a nice bite.

Happy New Year!
Claire