Jacket Potato & Garlic Mushrooms

Baked potatoes are simple to prepare yet extremely versatile and nutritious. They can be served as an accompaniment, or with a filling as a complete meal. You can spice up your jacket potatoes with some garlic mushrooms and transform the simple and understated spud into a sensationally stylish supper. If you are short of time you can get that baked-potato taste using your microwave! Here’s a simple technique for using the microwave to make delicious baked potatoes that taste just like they’ve been slowly baking in the oven.

 

Jacket Potato & Garlic Mushrooms

A jacket potato is the healthy option on the lunch menu and at 160 calories it is OK on its own, but if you dollop butter and a fistful of cheese on the top, you may as well have a portion of chips!

If you do opt for a jacket potato, choose low fat toppings like this recipe for garlic mushrooms, or cottage cheese, which will be 350 calories in total, or a portion of tuna with low-fat mayonnaise which tots up to around 370 calories.

Ingredients

• 4 baked jacket potatoes (230g raw weight)
• 8 tbsp fat free natural fromage frais
• 275g closed cap mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp chicken stock (or vegetable)
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped mixed herbs

Method

1. Place the potatoes in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6, for 1¼ hours or until soft.
2. Scoop the cooked flesh from the potatoes and mash in a mixing bowl.
3. Stir in the fromage frais and spoon back into the potato skins. Keep warm.
4. Wipe and quarter the mushrooms, peel and crush the garlic and place in a saucepan with the stock.
5. Cook over a gentle heat for 7 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through.
6. Remove the mushrooms from the pan with a slotted draining spoon.
7. Spoon the mushrooms on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with the herbs.
8. Serve immediately with a mixed chunky salad.

Tips

• Rub a little salt into the skins before baking to make them extra crispy.
• If cooking an oven full of potatoes, increase the temperature to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas Mark 7.
• If you are cooking in a regular oven you can use metal skewers or baking prongs pushed through the potatoes to reduce the cooking time by up to a quarter. DON’T do this in the microwave!