Thanksgiving and Anytime Foods

Thanksgiving is next week, and while most of us have an idea of what we’ll fix, there’s always a few extra things we’d like to try. Hence, today’s offerings. Enjoy!

SOFT COCOA COOKIES

These are from a now-forgotten emailing list. Makes 48 – 72 cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup cocoa

1 large egg

2/3 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar;add egg.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes at 400°F; do not overbake.

Ice with chocolate icing, if desired.

VEGAN RISOTTO WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

From another emailing list.

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup sun-dried tomaotes in oil, drained and sliced

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

2 tsp fresh chopped parsley

1/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese substitute (optional)

Preparation:

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add the risotto rice and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Allow to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until rice just starts to brown. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth and stir well to combine. Add a dash of salt and pepper. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add one more cup of water, along with the tomatoes, basil and parsley.

As the moisture gets absorbed, continue to add broth or water one cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked.

Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

COUNTRY SCALLOPED POTATOES

This comes from Family Time, 
and starts off, “Ordinary scalloped potatoes become extraordinary when they're made with ham, onion and a creamy cheese sauce. They make an appetizing addition to just about any meal.”

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 70;
Serves: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Chicken Gravy

1 cup milk

5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

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

2 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Stir the soup, gravy and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, onion, ham and soup mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

BROCCOLI & CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

This is also from Family Time, and begins, “Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot.”

Prep. time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes;
Serves: 6 servings (3 shells each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Directions

Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Tips Tip: To save time: Thaw the broccoli in the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

EGG NOG PUMPKIN PIE

While I’m not sure where this recipe originally came from – possibly one of my mom’s? – it’s in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking, available at Amazon.com. To purchase a copy (hint, hint!), click here.

1 C canned eggnog

1 egg

18 oz. can pumpkin pie filling

9” pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, combine egg nog, egg & pie filling; blend well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream.

GIADA'S SUPER-CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network's Giada At Home. Total Time: 52 min.; prep: 12 min; Cook: 40 minutes; Yields 4 to 6 servings; level: easy.

This recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Soup:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:

1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese

Kosher salt

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.