Anytime Recipes

Ahhhhh...December. What happened to 2014? It's amazing how fast time flies by. Here are a few recipes to start the final month off nicely. Enjoy!

TURKEY BOLOGNESE

If you have any turkey left over from Thanksgiving, here's a yummy recipe from the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis of Everyday Italian. This recipe yields 6 servings. Total Time: 50 minutes; Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes. Level: easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 pound shredded cooked turkey (preferably dark meat)

3 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using.)

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE CUPCAKES

Here's another of Giada De Laurentiis's recipes, from her show Giada At Home. Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes; Prep: 45 minutes; Inactive: 18 minutes; Cook: 35 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

2 cups dried bread crumbs, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

8 ounces ground turkey or chicken, preferably dark meat

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

8 ounces small pasta, such as pennette, shells, or elbows

2 cups grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 cups chopped broccoli, blanched,* see Cook's Note

1 pound asparagus, cut into 3/4-inch pieces, blanched

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 (12-cup) muffin or cupcake pans with vegetable cooking spray. Using 1 cup of the bread crumbs, coat the inside of each muffin cup with bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey or chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the cooked turkey and the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the prepared pasta mixture into the cupcake molds, filling evenly to about 2/3 full. Arrange a few pieces of tomato, broccoli and asparagus into each cup. Top with a thin layer of the remaining bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and carefully unmold with a spoon onto a serving platter.

*Cook's Note: To blanch vegetables, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until very crisp. Using a small strainer, remove the vegetables and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain and use.

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.

SPINACH, PEPPERS, AND CHERRY TOMATOES WITH PENNE RIGATE

This is from the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 28. It begins, "Fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach add bright color, flavor, and body to this Mediterranean-style dish." Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

To view online, click here.

2 1/2 cups penne rigate pasta (6 oz.)

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and sliced

10 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)

4 cups packed baby spinach leaves (8 oz.)

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until lightly browned.

Increase heat to high. Add roasted peppers, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, spinach, olives, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tomatoes soften and spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Add pasta and reserved pasta-cooking water; cover, and cook 3 minutes more, or until heated through.

nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 266; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 340 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan

TURKEY AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

This comes from the Family Time newsletter. It starts off, "Turkey, sweet potatoes, sage - it’s Thanksgiving in a bowl! Half of the sweet-potato mixture is pureed, thickening the soup every so slightly and coloring it a pretty pale orange." Serves 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes

To view this online, click here.

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, cut into thin slices

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 quarts canned low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 pound turkey cutlets, cut into approximately 1 1/2-by-1/2-inch strips

In a large pot, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add the onion and sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer half the soup to a food processor or blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the pot and add the green beans, the remaining teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Simmer until the beans are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the strips of turkey. Cook until the turkey is just done, about 1 1/2 minutes.

PEPPERMINT RIBBON CAKE

This comes from the Taste of Homenewsletter. It starts off, "With its pretty pink layer and fabulous mint flavor, this is a great holiday dessert. Because I work full-time, I like the fact that it calls for a convenient cake mix." Makes 12 servings; Prep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 package white cake mix (regular size)

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies, divided

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon 2% milk

Directions

Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Transfer 1 cup to a small bowl; stir in the extract, food coloring and 1/2 cup crushed candies.

Spoon 2 cups of remaining batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Carefully top with peppermint batter; do not swirl. Top with remaining plain batter.

Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Sprinklewith remaining crushed candies.

Nutritional Facts: 1 slice equals 300 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 312 mg sodium,