Rocket and Broad Bean Potatoes

Submitted by bluemoon downunder

"Baked potatoes stuffed with broad beans, rocket (or baby spinach leaves), tangy blue cheese, garlic and basil; and if it takes your fancy, topped with chopped bacon! Adapted from a recipe on some 'Good for You' cards from International Masters: a series focussing on health and nutrition. I am intrigued that 'broad beans' are not in the Zaar Kitchen Dictionary. So, some information about broad beans! From Wikepedia: broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier" Reading that you'd expect to find them in the Zaar Dictionary! Not so! The entry in the Cook's Thesaurus reads "fava bean = broad bean = butter bean = Windsor bean = horse bean = English bean = fool = foul = ful = feve = faba = haba = habas". And my recipe card says "Broad beans are a tasty, almost meaty-flavoured bean that are full of nutritional benefits. Broad beans are a great source of protein and fibre and also contain vitamins A and B and zinc, iron and folate. They are available fresh or frozen - if using the fresh beans, you will need to cook them lightly in boiling water to soften them before blending them with the rocket". Obviously, you could use other cheeses instead of the blue cheese. I've made these several times and have used low-fat feta (which I love), and I've also added a handful of pine-nuts in step 3. . Be guided by your taste preferences."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 4 Rocket and Broad Bean Potatoes
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 cup rocket or 1 cup baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen broad bean, defrosted
• 1⁄2 cup reduced-fat blue cheese or 1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (vary to suit your love, or otherwise, of garlic!)
• 3 -4 leaves fresh basil
• 2 -3 slices bacon, middle rashers, all fat removed, chopped (optional)

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°-450°F/gas mark 7-8.
2. Scrub the potato skins until they are clean and prick all over with a fork; sit the whole potatoes directly in the centre rack of the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until very tender; remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Put the rocket (or baby spinach leaves), broad beans, blue cheese, garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse a few times or until it is roughly chopped and still chunky.
4. Cut a deep cross in the top of each potato and gently open the potato using a knif or small spoon; spoon the rocket and broad bean mixture into the centre of each potato; sprinkle the chopped bacon (if using) on top, dividing it evenly between the four potatoes, and return the potatoes to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted, the filling has heated through and the bacon has cooked.
5. NOTE: If using the bacon, you may like to half cook it in a pan before adding it to the potatoes.