Friday/Weekend Food

Friday, and the final weekend before Thanksgiving. Here are some recipes for you to try. Enjoy!

Note: Next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, will have a Confessions of a Foodie blog posting.

SWEET POTATO BRUSCHETTA [VEGAN]

This comes from One Green Planet. They have an emailed newsletter that is really pretty cool. I highly recommend it. This dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan recipe is serves 2 to 4 and cooks in 35 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 large Sweet Potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick ‘coins’ (unpeeled)

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Red Onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1/2 Avocado, peeled and chopped

To Serve

A few sprigs of fresh Basil leaves

Balsamic Glaze

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450F (or a little higher if your oven is not fan-forced).

Grease a baking tray with oil and rub the potato coins in the oil, being sure to coat both sides. Lay coins flat on the tray in a single layer and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Roast potato coins, undisturbed, for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip coins over – the undersides should be dark golden brown. If they’re not, let them roast a little longer.

Return to the oven and allow to roast for another 10 minutes or so – until the tops match the undersides.

Meanwhile, combine onion, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl.

When the potatoes are done, remove from oven and place onto serving plates.

Top each coin with bruschetta salad mix and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, serve, and enjoy!

CAMPBELL'S® HEALTHY REQUEST® BROCCOLI CHEESE POTATO TOPPER

This recipe comes from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, "Cream of broccoli soup is the secret ingredient that makes these broccoli and cheese topped potatoes especially delicious." Prep. time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 5 minutes; Serves: 4

To view online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup

1/4 cup milk

dash ground black pepper

4 hot baked potatoes, split

1 cup cooked broccoli florets

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Stir the soup, milk and black pepper in a small bowl.

Place the potatoes onto a microwavable plate. Top with the broccoli. Spoon the soup mixture over the broccoli. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes or until the soup mixture is hot and the cheese is melted.

Ingredient Note: To bake the potatoes, pierce the potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes or bake at 400°F. for 1 hour or until fork-tender.

CHEESECAKE FACTORY PUMPKIN GINGER CHEESECAKE

This was posted by someone named Dorie on a long-forgotten emailing list.

Crust

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

1 tablespoon brown sugar (or your favorite substitute)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup mashed pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

3/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 325 F or 300 F in convection oven.

To make the crust: Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over moderate heat. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, gingersnaps, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together with a fork. Line bottom and side of 10" springform pan with parchment or wax paper. Spray with nonstick pan spray. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom.

Filling: Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl and beat just until soft peaks form. Refrigerate. Beat the cream cheese (in large bowl) with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, beating well. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat the mixture until it is fluffy and pale. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and whisk lightly to reblend. Using a spatula or flat spoon, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese-pumpkin mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Wrap one continuous sheet of aluminum foil around the springform pan and press firmly. Put wrapped pan in a baking pan and fill with hot water halfway up the spring from pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes.Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours to chill thoroughly. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Just before serving, place the pecan halves on top of the cheesecake, in a ring around the edges, to garnish.

CRANBERRY STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com's Homecooking guide, writes, “Oragne marmalade, cranberries, brown sugar, sweet onion, and spices sweeten up stuffed acorn squash cooked in the microwave. Kids may even consider this dessert!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 (1-pound) acorn squash

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup finely-minced sweet onion

3 Tablespoons orange marmalade or orange juice

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted but cool

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

Pierce the acorn squash all over with a fork or sharp knife so it will not burst in the microwave. Cook on High for 6 to 10 minutes (microwave power levels vary, so check). Turn the squash over, if necessary, and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes until fork-tender. Remove from microwave and let rest for 10 minutes.

While the acorn squash is resting, stir together cranberrries, sweet onion, marmalade or orange juice, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt until well-combined. Place mixture in a micro-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap (venting to let air pressure escape), and cook on High for 3 minutes. Remove and stir. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cranberries have popped and softened. Remove and let cool slightly while you proceed with the acorn squash.

Cut the acorn squash in half from stem to point and remove seeds. Place cut-side up on a platter. Fill with the cranberry mixture. If necessary, cover and reheat on a micro-safe platter on High for 1 to 3 minutes, until heated through. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

I'm not sure where this, or the next recipe are from; no doubt, an old emailing list.

12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

12 oz fat-free evaporated milk

8 oz low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain & transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside. Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges. Reduce heat to low, add cheese & simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat & stir in mustard, salt, pepper & nutmeg.

Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs & Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Serves: 8; 5 Points

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APPLE, ONION AU GRATIN

Cooking spray

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cinnamon

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded and sliced

4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9- x 11-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray.

Place flour, salt, and cinnamon into a large plastic bag. Add squash, apples, and onions; shake until lightly dusted.

In glass dish, layer 1/2 of squash, apples, and sweet onion. Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the top, then sprinkle 1/2 of cheese. Layer with remaining squash, apple, and onions. Pour remaining chicken stock over the top, and cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Take out and sprinkle with bacon crumbles and remaining cheese. Return, uncovered, to oven; bake for another 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.