Baked Potatoes with Cheese & Chives by Chef Pol-Tex

This recipe was 'invented/developed' by myself. The potato dish can be served as an appetizer or a side. It is quite tasty and we really like it.

What you need (for two persons):

• 3 or 4 medium size potatoes,
• shredded cheese,
• chives (cut into small pieces),
• salt and black pepper,
• some canola oil,
• baking dish.

What to do with it all:

• Heat oven to 400F/ 200C.
• Peel potatoes and cut them into halves and then in halves again - you will have little 'potato boats'.
• Grease baking dish slightly with some canola oil.
• Place potato boats in your baking dish.
• Season the potatoes with salt and black pepper.
• Sprinkle the potato boats with some oil.

Potato 'boats' - ready to be put into the oven

• Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes.
• After that, take the baking dish out of the oven and turn the potatoes.
• Bake for 30 minutes again.
• Take the dish out of the oven - sprinkle the potatoes with shredded cheese and pieces of chives.
• Bake them for 5 to 10 minutes.

Have a nice meal! 

 

Baked potatoes with cheese and chives

Banana Bread from Aldi

Of course, banana bread made from the scratch is the best but the one we have found at Aldi's is quite good too. Especially considering that the bread comes 'from the box'.

The bread mix contains real bananas. You only need to stir it/combine  with some water, oil and eggs. No mixer needed, just a spoon. I also add some raisins and chopped pecans to the bread mixture.
When baked, it tastes really nice so it can be served as a party treat (with no risk of being ashamed of its quality). If you prefer muffins, you can bake them using the mix and a muffin tin.
The bread is very easy to make and it is inexpensive too. We like to have it from time to time.

My Decorated Cutting Boards

I created my first decorated cutting board when I was 13 or 14. Then, there was a long 'no board' break. After quite a long time, I painted some more and another break came. I was busy with work and other projects. Recently, I have decided to decorate wooden bread boards again but, this time, in a totally different way.
The cutting board you can see in the picture below is just a sample of what I intend to do/make.

Let me explain what the paintings are:

1. Chef Pol-Tex. Since I moved to Texas, I have been the chef of our Polish-Texan kitchen (I am Polish, my husband is Texan). I make Texan and Tex-Mex dishes, cakes and pies with a touch of my Polish soul. Or the opposite: I prepare Polish meals, seasoned in a Texan/Southern way. We call it Pol-Tex food. 
2. The character painted on the board was created by myself when I was around 16. Since then, the little 'girl' and quite a band of similar characters have lived in my notepads and on pages of my notebooks. In a way, the drawings are part of me. Inspired by my husband, I thought it is time to show them/myself to the world. 
3. The flowery motifs are symbols of our Polish-Texan home. Some of them are elements of the traditional Kashubian folk pattern (Kashubia is the region of Poland I come from). Bluebonnets are, of course, the State flowers of Texas. 

As I mentioned above, this board is just a sample.

MORE PATTERNS TO COME!

If you would like to order a board with similar paintings, please contact us using the online form on the side of this page.

Please note: 

• I decorate the boards by hand, that is why the pattern on the board you get may slightly differ from the one presented as a sample. 

• The board is meant to be a decorative item only. It must not be used as a kitchen cutting board due to the layers of paint and varnish which cover the wood.

 The price of a board depends on its size and the pattern included on it.

MORE PATTERNS TO COME!

Easy Salad - A Gift Option For Father's Day

This salad is so easy to make that even a child can prepare it to show his/her father their appreciation. However, a child can work in the kitchen only under the supervision and with the help of an adult.  Especially, when using a knife is required.
What you need (for 2 servings):

• 1 slice of red bell pepper
• 1 slice of yellow bell pepper
• 1 slice of orange bell pepper ( if you have one kind of bell pepper only, you can use more slices of that)
• 2 baby carrots
• a slice of onion (or 1 green onion)
• 1/2 bag salad (lettuce) mix
• some grated cheese
• about 8 salad croutons
• your father's favorite salad dressing.

What to do with it all:

1. Prepare two bowls - one for you and one for your dad.
2. Put the lettuce mix into a colander, wash it with cold water and drain it. Divide the lettuce mix into two parts. Put each part into a bowl.
3. Cut bell peppers, carrots and onion/green onion into small pieces. Divide each of the cut ingredients into two and put them in the bowls.
4. Sprinkle some grated cheese on the salad mix you made.
5. Place the croutons at the top.
6. Serve with your father's favorite salad dressing.

 

Quick Apple Pie

This is a very good recipe if you want to make a tasty apple pie and you do not have too much time to do it or you just do not feel like dealing with apples - peeling and cooking them. I like it a lot as the procedure is simple and the results are always pleasing.

What you need:

• 1 can apple pie filling
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 TBS plain bread crumbs
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1 egg yolk

What to do with it all:

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Mix apple pie filling with cinnamon, sugar and bread crumbs.
3. Place the bottom crust in the baking dish.
4. Spread apple pie filling mixture on it.
5. Put the upper crust on the apple filling mixture. Seal the edges of both crust layers.
6. Brush the upper crust layer with egg yolk.
7. Prick the upper crust layer with a fork.
8. Bake it for about 38 minutes - till the crust is a bit brown - do not burn it.
9. Enjoy!

Potato Gratin

This is one of our favorite 'potatoes for dinner' options.

What you need (for two servings):

• 1/3 cup half and half,
• 1/3 cup 2% milk,
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or one garlic clove sliced/crushed),
• salt and pepper,
• 3 - 4 medium size potatoes,
• grated cheese of your choice

and also: baking dish, some butter to grease the baking dish, aluminum foil.

Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 375F/ 190C
2. Heat the milk and half and half + garlic in a pot on the stove  (set it to #4).
2. Peel and slice the potatoes (each slice = 1/5 inch thick).
3. Grease your baking dish slightly.
4. Place 1 layer of sliced potatoes in the baking dish (see the picture).

5. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

6. Pour a bit of the milk and half and half mixture over the potatoes.
7. Place another layer of sliced potatoes into the dish, repeat step #5 & #6 etc.
8. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes.
9. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes more.
10. Take the dish out of the oven, cover the potatoes with grated cheese.
11. Bake it all for 10 minutes till the cheese is melted and a bit brownish on sides.

12. Enjoy!

Boston Cream Cake Is Easy!

Easy to make. I do not know why it is called Boston cake but it is both simple and tasty.

What you need to prepare the cake:

• yellow cake mix,
• instant vanilla pudding (5.1oz/145g),
• creamy chocolate frosting.

Make the yellow cake - follow the instructions included on the box ( I baked it in two 9'' tins).
Make the pudding - add less milk than it is stated on the pudding package ( 2 glasses instead of 3).

Chill the pudding in the fridge.
After a few hours, when the cake is no longer warm, spread the pudding on the first layer of the cake, put the other one on it and cover it with the frosting (we used chocolate fudge frosting). Refrigerate  the cake (store it in the fridge), it is best when chilled. Enjoy!