I grew up in the sticks so we didn’t have steak houses.  Unless you count going over to the Elk’s or Moose on steak night and I’m betting you don’t.  Even the bigger towns closest to us (which were all half an hour to 45 minutes away no matter which direction you went) didn’t have steak houses.

But there are some things I know about steak houses like they are crazy expensive if what people tell me is true.  Every time The Double R mentions steak houses on her show she says that for two people it could be like a $200 tab.

That’s a lot of money to be spending on a slice of cow from a factory farm and a baked potato.

I’m just saying.

I also know that when people mention steak houses they also mention creamed spinach as a traditional side along with a baked potato.   I decided to take the spinach and potato as sides idea and run with it.

Growing up in my family we never ever had twice baked potatoes.  Ever.  They were too much work my mom would inform me.  Or too hard.  Or too something but we never had them.  Every time I had them it was out doing something that seemed fancy so that now when I think of twice baked potatoes I think “fancy” and high-end.  Whenever we have steaks I will make us some twice baked potatoes.  Because we are being fancy so we must have a fancy side dish!

This is the side dish that I made to go with our bison steaks we had for Scott’s birthday meal.  Steakhouse style twice baked pototes.  Or at least I’m assuming since we’ve already discussed how I’ve never been to a steak house before.

Andrea’s Spinach and Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes

• 1 Very large Idaho baking potato
• 2C Chopped baby spinach (heaping)
• 2-3 Artichokes from a can, stem removed and chopped fine
• 1 Shallot chopped
• 1 Clove of garlic grated
• S&P to taste
• Pinch Red pepper flakes
• 1/4C + 1TBSP of Greek Yogurt
• 1/3C Grated Swiss Cheese + extra for sprinkling
• Olive oil for sauteeing

Bake the Idaho potato till it is done and soft in the middle. You can do this however you bake potatoes (please say not via microwave).  Cut the potato in half and allow to cool.

In a skillet, heat olive oil (about 1/2TBSP) over medium heat.  Add in shallot and start to sautee.  When the shallot starts getting a bit soft then add in the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and grated garlic.  Combine and sautee for about another minute watching the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn.  Add in the spinach and artichokes, sautee until the spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Scoop out the inside of each half of the potato and add to a medium sized mixing bowl.  Make sure to not scoop out the entire inside but leave about a quarter inch or so border so that the potato will hold together.  Mash the insides of the potato in the mixing bowl till it’s smooth.  Add in the yogurt and the spinach and artichoke mixture.  Stir till combined then add in the 1/3C of grated swiss cheese.

Scoop mixture back into the potato halves, distribute equally between each half.  The potatoes will be stuffed and over-flowing, this is what you want.

At this point you can heat them up and serve or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready for them.

Right before pulling them out of the oven upon reheating, sprinkle with remaining swiss cheese allowing it to melt.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Serves 2

The method I use for baking my potatoes is high heat and foil wrapped.  I wash and then pierce the potatoes with knife.  I rub it down with olive oil and season the outside.  I wrap it in foil and bake at 400 till they are done which is usually around 45 minutes or so.  It does take some time but it’s totally worth it.  I grew up on microwaved baked potatoes because the microwave was New! and Exciting! when I was young so my mom loved the idea that in 5-7 minutes you could have a baked potato.  Microwaved baked potatoes do not taste the same as oven baked potatoes.  Oven rules and microwaves drool.  Or something.

These potatoes turned out awesome!  Great flavor coming from the shallot and garlic with a slight tang from the yogurt.  You could use plain yogurt if you don’t have Greek yogurt.  I think parm would work well here too.  Scott happens to love Kerrygold Swiss cheese and since I had some on hand, that’s what I used.

Twice baked potatoes are great for entertaining as well because you can make them ahead of time and just heat them up when guests arrive.  If you are reheating them, preheat the oven to about 400 and line a cookie sheet with foil.  Spray sheet with nonstick spray and place potatoes on top.  Cover potatoes with more foil and cook for about 20 minutes or so until they are heated through.  Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Done!

The next time you have a fancy-pants dinner at home, give twice baked potatoes a try!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Dogs can only pant to help cool themselves and it’s really not all that effective.  Just like people, some dogs handle hot weather better than others.  I have a boxer and their squishy faces makes it harder for them to breath during extreme heat.  They are also more susceptible to heat stroke.  Because of this I make sure Rocky gets his outdoor exercise early in the morning and after the sun has gone down in the evenings.  I also make sure to have plenty of cool treats for him in the summer.

One of his favorite things is yogurt.  Plain yogurt (dogs don’t need the extra sugar of flavored yogurts) and just like with humans, yogurt helps keep our dog’s digestive tract healthy and in order.  In the summer, I take regular ice cube trays and fill them with plain yogurt and place in the freezer.  Once the yogurt is frozen, I dump the cubes out into a freezer bag and store in the freezer.  Rocky will get a yogurt cube after playing  or when we get back from a walk.  It’s a healthy treat and also cool on a hot day. For smaller dogs, I suggest not filling the individual cubes all the way, which will result in smaller cubes for your smaller kids.

Frozen fruit can also be given and provides a nice healthy snack as well.  At the OHC HQ we have frozen pineapple, peaches, raspberries, and blueberries as treats.  Rocky loves them and again they provide a nice cool little treat on a hot day.  Stay away from grapes because grapes and raisins can be toxic to doggies.  Pits and seeds of any kind should also not be fed.

Don’t forget about your doggie family members this summer, and give them some cool treats as well!

In this recipe I use chicken thighs because it takes to the marinade well and we like the juiciness of that cut of meat. But you could do this with any of the other cuts as well. In fact, I think using it on wings would make an awesome little snack for a get-together or game nite gathering (hrm, I’m going to file that idea away for future use myself!).

Andrea’s Yogurt Curry Chicken

• 6 chicken thighs (your choice, boneless or bone-in)
• 2 cloves of garlic grated
• 1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt*
• Zest of one lime + juice of half the lime
• 4 green onions chopped (both green and white parts)
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 3 tsp of soy sauce
• Pinch of salt, ground black pepper to taste, small pinch of red pepper flakes

Set aside thighs and in a large bowl combine all the other ingredients and mix well. Add in the thighs, stirring gently to make sure the marinade is covering all the chicken. Use a bowl large enough so the chicken is submerged in the marinade. Let sit in fridge all day or over night so the chicken becomes well flavored.

Heat grill or grill pan, to medium heat. When hot, remove chicken from marinade and place directly on the grill. Do not wipe off the coating. Grill until the chicken is fully cooked.** Remove from grill and let rest for 2-3 minutes before eating. Discard remaining marinade.

*I have actually used vanilla flavored yogurt in this recipe as well and it turned out just as yummy. The vanilla did not interfere with the other flavors at all.

** Grilling time varies with the version of thighs you use. For bone-in, it takes me about 7-10 minutes per side over a medium heat grill. With boneless, it will take less time, about 5-7 minutes each side.

Of course you don’t have to grill the chicken, this is just our preferred method. You can bake the chicken by placing a metal cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place the chicken on the rack and bake at 375, until the chicken is fully cooked.

Have fun with this one and remember guys, always play with your food!