Yummy Weekend Meals

Ahhh...Friday and the weekend. Here are some yummy recipes to try this weekend. Enjoy!

BEST-OF-THE-WEST BEAN SALAD

This comes from FamilyTime.com's email list. The recipe starts off, “This scrumptious bean salad combines kidney beans, pinto beans, sliced red onion and diced green pepper dressed with a flavorful combination of Pace® Picante Sauce, cilantro, oil and vinegar.” Prep. time: 10 minutes; Serves: 8 servings (1/2 cup each); Source: Campbell's Recipes

Ingredients

3/4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large green pepper, diced (about 1 cup)

1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 can (about 15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (about 15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Stir the picante sauce, cilantro, vinegar, oil, pepper, onion, kidney beans and pinto beans in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally during chilling time. Garnish with additional cilantro.

Nutritional Values per Serving using Pace Picante Sauce: Calories 155, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 160mg, Total Carbohydrate 26g, Dietary Fiber 8g, Protein 8g, Vitamin A 4%DV, Vitamin C 16%DV, Calcium 4%DV, Iron 11%DV

SPINACH SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE & WHOLE GRAIN CROUTONS

This also comes from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, “Color, crunch and drama are served up in this fresh spinach salad with blue cheese, bacon, a warm vinaigrette and seasoned croutons. Perfect for parties, this salad serves 12.” Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25;
 Serves: 12 servings (about 2 cups each); Source: Campbell's Recipes

Ingredients

12 slices bacon

2 shallot, finely chopped

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Whole Grain Seasoned Croutons

3 packages (6 ounces each) fresh baby spinach, leaves (about 18 cups)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 cups crumbled blue cheese, (about 8 ounces)

Directions

Cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until it's crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Coarsley chop the bacon. 
Stir the shallots into the pan drippings and cook over medium heat until they're tender. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar, oil and black pepper with a fork or whisk. Add the croutons and bacon and toss to coat.
Place the spinach, red onion and the cheese in a large bowl. Add the crouton mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

SWEET CORN PUDDING

This yummy recipe comes from the Food Network's Patrick and Gina Neely's show, Down Home with the Neelys. Total Time: 55 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 35 min; Yield: 3 to 5 servings; Level: Easy To view the recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

6 ears sweet corn

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease casserole dish.

Shuck the corn and cut all kernels off with a knife into a bowl, making sure to keep all of the runoff juice from the corn. Reserve.

Mix together the milk, heavy cream, cheese, cayenne pepper and eggs. Add in the reserved corn, cheese, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over reserved corn.

Pour into casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes or until set.

FARMERS' MARKET POT PIE

This comes from About.com's American Food guide, Kathy Kingsley. She writes, “This recipe is easily adaptable as it can be prepared with almost any fresh vegetables of your liking. So look to see what's in season and available at your local farmer's market or farmstand. The biscuit crust makes a wonderful flaky pot pie topping.  This recipe can also be made into individual pot pies, in which case reduce the baking time to 15 to 18 minutes.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: Serves 6. The recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk, whole or low-fat

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Biscuit Topping

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry four

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons honey

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, broccoli, bell pepper and green beans, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

In glass measuring cup, combine the milk and the broth. Slowly add to vegetable mixture while whisking constantly. The sauce will start to thicken. Add the parsley, tamari, thyme, and sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole, and set aside ( use individual 8 to 10-ounce ramekins or small baking dishes).

Make the topping: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. In a glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and honey. Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork to form a stiff dough. Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry. Knead the dough lightly in the bowl for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is no longer sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a shape to cover the casserole dish.

Lay biscuit topping lightly over the filling. Do not seal the edges. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve hot.

VEGAN PUMPKIN GRATIN

Ashley Adams is the Dairy Free Cooking guide for About.com. She writes, “Perfect for the autumn months when pumpkin is in season, this veganized pumpkin gratin is a healthier, yet delicious, take on the fall-time classic. (And if you happen to crave pumpkin during the rest of the year, you can just use canned pumpkin instead of fresh!) If you've never prepared your own homemade pumpkin puree before, read the Cook's Note at the bottom of the recipe to learn how! As always, feel free to add more tasty things to your gratin; pecans, pine nuts, coconut, dried cranberries, dried figs, and fresh apple pieces are all welcome additions to this dish.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4

Ingredients:

For the bread crumb topping:

3 slices white dairy-free bread (French bread, sourdough, or another white sandwich bread will do)

1/4 cup shredded dairy-free cheese, such as Daiya

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

For the Filling:

3 cups pumpkin puree (from either steamed or canned pumpkin)

1/4 cup dairy-free sour cream, such as Tofutti

2 T. white granulated sugar

1 t. salt

1/2 t. sage

1/2 t. marjoram

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (also known as green onions)

2 medium Bosc pears, cored and chopped

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 T. softened dairy-free soy margarine, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly grease a 1-quart gratin dish or casserole dish. Set aside.

Make the topping. In a food processor, process the bread crumbs, dairy-free cheese, salt and pepper, pulsing until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Make the filling. Combine the pumpkin puree, dairy-free sour cream, sugar, salt, sage, and marjoram in a food processor, pulsing until well combined. Using a spoon, fold in the chopped scallions and pears. Transfer the pumpkin filling to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumb topping, then dot with the dairy-free soy margarine. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes:

For this recipe, I vastly prefer using Daiya Mozza Shreds over other varieties, but use whatever dairy-free cheese you're comfortable with.

For gratins and other pumpkin casseroles, making your own puree from fresh pumpkin is always better than using canned. (Again, canned will work, so if you don't have fresh pumpkins available or the time to make your own puree, it is fine to use the canned.

To prepare steamed pumpkin (for the pumpkin puree): Peel, seed, and cut a small to medium-sized pumpkin into 2-inch pieces. Place in a steamer basket set over a saucepan with 1-2 inches of boiling water. Cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Puree the pumpkin and use in your pumpkin gratin or other pumpkin recipes!

PUMPKIN SOUP

From another forgotten emailing list. Whoever sent it wrote, “For a dramatic presentation, serve this warm, creamy soup inside a scooped-out pumpkin. It's just as delicious ladled out of a pot.” Prep Time 10 minutes; Cooking Time 20 minutes; Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth

one 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

one 8-ounce jar applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

freshly ground pepper, to taste

croutons, optional

Directions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until mixed. Add the chicken broth and pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, pepper, and croutons. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until hot and the flavors have blended.

Stir in the cream and heat until hot. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately with crisp croutons, if desired.