Taking Tex-Mex to New Level, on a Budget

(CBS)  Jon Bonnell has been hailed as one of the best chefs in Texas.

As executive chef and owner of Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth, he's elevated the meaning of gourmet food in the Lone Star State, making Tex-Mex cuisine even bolder with his blend of southwestern, Mexico and Creole ingredients. Jon is also known for working closely with local Texas farmers and ranchers.

Somehow, he found time to put many of his favorite recipes into a new cookbook, bearing the name of his restaurant. To see an excerpt, click here.

On "The Early Show Saturday Edition," Jon accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge of trying to prepare a three-course gourmet meal packed with Texas-sized flavor on our recession-beating budget of only $35.

And in do doing, Jon automatically tossed his hat into our "How Low Can You Go?" competition. At year's-end, the "shoestring" chef with the lowest total cost of ingredients will be invited back to whip up our blowout holiday meal!


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• Roasted Jalapeno Twice Baked Potatoes
• Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Basil
• Blueberries & Rum Sauce over Ice Cream

RECIPES

Roasted Jalapeno Twice Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds potatoes (size and style are optional)
1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 strips bacon, cooked (or bacon bits)
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 chopped scallions, green parts only

METHOD:
Boil the potatoes until they become slightly soft. The amount of time will completely depend on what type of potatoes you decide to buy. I like the baby reds for this dish, which generally can be boiled in approximately 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and chill. Cut into halves and scoop out as much of the inner potato as possible, while still leaving enough of the skin to stay together. In a small saucepan, warm the butter, sour cream salt and pepper, then pour the contents over the potato. Roast the jalapenos until black on all sides, then place in a Ziploc bag and allow to sweat for 10 minutes. Scrape off the black skins with the back edge of a knife blade and remove the seeds and stem. Chop the roasted jalapenos and combine with the potatoes, and add the scallions. Mix well, then stuff the mixture back into the potato skins. Top each one with grated cheese, pieces of the bacon and bake in the oven at 325° degrees until warmed through (8-10 minutes). For an extra garnish, top with thinly shaved slices of fresh jalapeno. The amount of jalapeno can be altered, depending on the tolerance of your crowd.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.

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