Another weekend - a three day weekend, no less! - and you have things to get done. Between today's offerings, and yesterday's second offerings with 4th of July recipes, you're sure to find something yummy to add to your holiday meal. Enjoy!
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food blog's guide, writes, “A true American classic, this recipe for baked macaroni and cheese couldn't be easier or more comforting. It's also a a very versatile dish, lending itself to many variations. For example, no reason to stick to elbow macaroni for the recipe, try it with penne, rigatoni or rotini. And you can mix-up the cheese you use, too. How about a mixture of cheddar and Monterrey Jack, or Gruyere and fontina? The variations on the dish are only limited by your imagination.
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients:
12 ounces elbow macaroni (3 cups)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole or 2-percent fat milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (2 cups)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, or 1/2 cup dried
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 6 minutes. Stir in the mustard and cayenne pepper.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to coat. Scrape the mixture into a 9 - by- 13-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Bake the casserole until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
You can mix-up the recipe some by adding 1 cup of chopped ham and/or 1/2 cup of thawed, frozen peas.
Another variation for this macaroni and cheese is to use Fontina cheese and add some sauteed, chopped mushrooms and spinach, or use some Monterrey Jack cheese and add some canned chopped green chilies and a little chili powder.
Make individual servings of mac and cheese: Spoon the macaroni and cheese into 1 to 2 cup-size ramekins, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
To ensure that the sauce is smooth, add the cheese in small batches, stirring until smooth before adding the next batch.
CHERRY-WALNUT RUGELACH
Another wonderful recipe from About.com's Kathy Kingsley, the American Food guide. She writes, “These rugelach with a cherry, walnut and cinnamon filling and flaky cream cheese dough are simple to make and absolutely delicious.” I agree!
Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Plus Chilling: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes; Yield: Makes about 64 minutes
Ingredients:
Rugelach Dough
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese or Nuefchatel, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Cherry-Walnut Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Preparation:
To make the dough: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well blended. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in the flour and salt.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Gather each piece into a ball, then flatten into disks. Cover the disks with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at last 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cherries, walnuts, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll it our on a lightly floured work surface into a 8 inch round. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch boarder around the edge. Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges. Starting at the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Arrange the rolled cookies on a ungreased baking sheets, forming them into crescent shapes, placing them point side down and about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough.
Brush the rugelach with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer the rugelach to the rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Store the baked rugleach in an airtight container between layers of wax paper at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze up to 1 month. The rich dough freezes well for up to 4 months. You can also freeze the unbaked rugelach on a baking sheet until they are firm, then transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bags; there's no need to defrost them before baking.
Dried cherries taste great in these rugelach, but you could also use raisins or chopped dried cranberries or apricots.
MAD DOG'S GRILLED POTATO SLICES
This recipe comes from the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Crowers Association (WPVGA). The recipe starts off, “A side dish or snack that will leave your family begging for more.” Prep. time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: about 15;
Serves: 1; See note.
Ingredients4 baking potatoes baking potato
about 1/2 cup your favorite Italian salad dressing
grated cheese, such as Cheddar, Parmesan, or jack
Directions
Slice the unpeeled potatoes lengthwise into several thin slices (about a quarter of an inch).
Lay the potato slices in a shallow dish. Pour the dressing over them and turn to coat. Cover and set aside to marinate for 2 hours. No need to refrigerate the potatoes.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill so that it is medium hot.
Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, basting occasionally, until browned and tender.
About 1 minutes before the potatoes are done, sprinkle them with grated cheese. Remove from the grill when the cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately.
Note:Since I don't own an outdoor grill, I make this in the oven, with the oven set at 400 degrees F., and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. Near the end, keep an eye on them, as individual ovens vary.
RIBOLITTA WITH SEASONS CROUTONS
This is from Seattle's Macrina Bakery.Their email for this recipe starts off, “This marriage of vegetable soup and yesterday’s bread is a classic Tuscan combination. We like to make the dish into a meal by adding savory sausage and chicken.” Serves 4.
Ribolitta
1/2 cup dried cannelloni beans
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage links (chicken or pork)
4 thin slices pancetta (3 oz), diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium fennel bulb, diced large
3 celery ribs, diced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
4 Roma tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 small head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
3/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups Seasoned Croutons (see recipe)
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Serves 4
Soak beans in water overnight.
Drain beans and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage links and cook until all sides are browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut links into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
Combine remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and pancetta in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cook over medium heat until fat is rendered and pancetta is golden brown. Do not pour off the rendered fat. Add onion, carrot, fennel, celery, and parsnip. Cover the pot and sweat the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, cabbage, rosemary, and thyme, and cook
uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Add soaked beans, sausage, stock, chicken breast, red wine, and sherry vinegar, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until beans are fully cooked, adding more stock or water as needed. If foam gathers on the surface of the soup, remove it with a spoon. Remove chicken breast from soup and set aside until it is cool enough to touch. Shred cooled chicken with your hands and return pieces to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide croutons among 4 soup bowls, reserving about 1/2 cup. Ladle soup over croutons and garnish each serving with a drizzle of good olive oil, some Italian parsley, and the reserved croutons.
Seasoned Croutons
The email states, “We use a lot of these savory croutons at our cafes. They’re perfect for topping soups and salads, and can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.”
Makes 3 cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely diced
3 cups white bread cubes (about 1/2 loaf), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and garlic and continue cooking just until garlic is heated through, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Place bread cubes in a medium bowl. Pour butter mixture and toss until bread cubes are evenly coated. Transfer cubes to rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any remaining butter from the bowl and scatter over the bread cubes. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until croutons are golden brown. Let cool and enjoy.
KALE AND POTATO GRATIN
This was in a long-ago email; not sure of its origins. It makes 6-8 servings
1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned boiling potatoes such as red potatoes
1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Get a pot of water boiling large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Also prepare an ice bath.
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes 1/4"-thick. Set aside. Remove and discard the spines from the kale then chop the remaining leaves in 1/2"-thick ribbons by stacking the leaves and slicing in the direction of the veins. This doesn't need to be exact, as long as you end up with a pile of roughly 1/2"-thick shreds of kale.
When the water is boiling, add a dash of salt and gently drop in the potatoes, cooking for about 2-3 minutes, until tender, but not cooked through. Drain and plunge into the ice bath. Drain again and dump onto a dish towel and blot.
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the kale and rub the olive oil mixture aggressively into the leaves. Layer the kale and potatoes alternately with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and Parmesan in a 9"x12" rectangular casserole or glass or ceramic baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until top is crispy. In a 9"x12" glass or ceramic casserole/baker.
SHEPHERD'S PIE
Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking guide, writes, “This a low fat take on a classic English dish. Shepherd's Pie was traditonally made with leftover meat--usually lamb or beef. This is a recipe that can be made ahead and frozen for later use. I often prepare it one day and use it the next. If you want to reduce the fat content further, use only 3/4 pound of beef and add an extra cup of vegetables--more peas or some sweet corn.” Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 cup fat-free, reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup frozen peas
For the Topping:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tbsp light butter
Preparation:
In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium-low heat. Saute onions and carrots until softened. Turn up heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs and broth. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add peas, then simmer 5 minutes more. Tip: If sauce seems too watery for your liking, combine 1 tsp of cornstarch into 1/8 cup of water and stir into beef mixture.
While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain water. Add milk and light butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season if you like.
Pour sauce into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato. Optional: sprinkle with 1/3 cup reduced-fat cheese. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Per Serving (without cheese): Calories 322, Calories from Fat 67, Total Fat 7.6g (Sat 2.8g), Cholesterol 49mg, Sodium 260mg, Carbohydrate 41.2g, Fiber 5.7g, Protein 22.5g
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