Recipe: Baked Potato Toppings - Garden Fresh Topping, Mexicali Topping, Salmon Topping

Garden Fresh Topping
Recipe by : from Houston Chronicle
Servings : 4

2 cups cottage cheese, lowfat
1/3 cip buttermilk
1/2 cup cucumber -- peeled, seeded, dice
1/3 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1/3 cup radishes -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper -- ground

Combine all ingreedients in a medium bowl, mix well. Cover and chill for an hour to blend flavors. Serve over hotbaked potatoes.

Mexicali Topping
Recipe by : Houston Chronicle
Servings: 6

2 tablespoons butter
1 each onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can whole tomatoes, 28 oz can -- undrained
1/4 cup canned chili peppers -- chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano -- dried
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups lettuce -- shredded

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking up the meat with a fork as it cooks. Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt; simmer 10 minutes. Serve with baked potatoes, cheese and lettuce.

Salmon Topping
Recipe by : Houston Chronicle
Servings : 4

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 can salmon (16 oz) -- drained and flaked
1/4 cup pimiento -- chopped
1/4 cup black olives -- chopped

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook three minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir in the milk. Return to the heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Add mustard and hot pepper sauce, fold in salmon.

Just before serviing, stiir in the pimiento and the black olives.

Serve over hot baked potatoes.