Friday Food

It's always nice to get to the weekend, especially if you have weekends off. (And if you work weekends, hopefully you have some time off during the week.) But here's to time off, whenever you have it. Enjoy!

DUTCH OVEN PEACH CRISP

One of the email newsletters that I receive is from Delish. They find recipes from a variety of places; this comes from Oh, Sweet Basil. It starts off, “A sweet, crispy recipe that will be the highlight of your backyard cookout.” She also adds, “I like to line Dutch Oven with foil for easy clean-up.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Filling

8-10 peaches peeled and sliced (any fruit works wonderful!)

#12 or #10 Dutch Oven

For the Crisp Mix together:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Place fruit in bottom of Dutch Oven or 9x13" pan, mix the topping.

Spread topping mixture over fruit and bake for 35-45 minutes or until done. (10 briquettes on bottom, 14 on top). Or you can do it in the oven on 350.

**The top should be crisp like a cookie when it is done. If it is still soft you need to keep baking.

MY SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Okay, shameless plug time: I have an e-cookbook on Amazon.com. This recipe is in it. You can find (and buy) Off The Wall Cooking here.28 oz. can tomatoes (note)

2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2-6 oz cans tomato paste

3 onions, chopped

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T olive oil

1 T oregano

1/4 - 1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. anise

2 T honey

Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, sauce & pasted. Stir. Add everything ex-cept cheese & stir. Simmer 1 hour. Add cheese & stir until cheese is melted. Serve over hot spaghetti. Better the next day—if any is left!NOTE: I usually use crushed tomatoes. If you’d rather use fresh tomatoes, 6-8 large ones may be used (diced, of course) in place of the canned tomatoes, & add an extra can of tomato sauce.

SLOW-COOK VEGGIE CHILI

From http://www.mydailymoment.com/

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

4 onions, chopped

2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) package firm tofu, drained and cubed

4 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans, drained

2 (15 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

6 tbsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp. liquid hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they start to become soft. Add the green peppers, red peppers, garlic and tofu; cook and stir until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, the whole process should take about 10 minutes.

Pour the black beans into the slow cooker and set to Low. Stir in the sauted vegetables and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, vinegar and hot pepper sauce; Stir gently and cover. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Additional Tips: Ready in 6 hours 10 min

ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER

I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.

Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"

Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1 cup diced celery

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved

1 quart half-and-half cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.

In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.

Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.

LASAGNA PRIMAVERA

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons light butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, , sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)

1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)

3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce

12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP

This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes."

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth, (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.

Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.