Wednesday Recipes

We're half-way through the week...Here's hoping it's going well for you. In the meantime, since we do have to eat, here are today's six recipes. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB DUMP CAKE

This comes from The Baker Chick. I highly recommend signing up for this emailed-newsletter. Makes 1 9 inch cake.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 cups of strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 stalks of rhubarb, sliced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons cornstartch

1 and 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. "Dump" the strawberries and rhubarb into a 9inch skillet, pie dish or a square baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with sugar and cornstarch.

In a small bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture. Dot with the butter pieces, making sure they are evenly places over the dry mixture.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and thick, and the topping is golden and slightly crisp.

Serve warm with ice cream.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

This comes from Diada De Laurentiis, The Food Network's Everyday Italian. Total Time: 27 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 12 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-dip-with-pita-chips-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 pitas

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that I am a big fan of The Kitchn and its brother site, Apartment Therapy. This comes from The Kitchn, and can be viewed online here. If you haven't signed up for emails from The Kitchn and Apartment Therapy, do yourself a big favor and sign up. Yes, now. I'll wait. (You can thank me later.)

Serves 6 to 8

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a mix

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 to 1 1/4 cups chicken stock, divided

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup brown rice

1 (15-ounce) can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado, salsa, hot sauce, diced green onions, shredded lettuce

Combine the chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, chili powder, salt, and cumin in the bowl of a 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Make sure the chicken is covered. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove the lid and add the rice, black beans, frozen corn, and another 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Replace the lid and continue cooking on low for another 3 to 4 hours. Check the rice periodically in the last hour of cooking, stirring once or twice to make sure the rice cooks evenly and adding more chicken broth if the mixture seems dry. Cooking is done when the rice is tender — if the rice is done while there is still liquid left in the slow cooker, remove the lid and cook on high to let the liquid evaporate. Total cooking time from start to finish is 6 to 8 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can do this either in the slow cooker itself and then mix it into the rice, or you can transfer the chicken to a cutting board if you prefer to keep it separate. Taste the burrito mix and stir in more salt or other seasonings to taste.

Serve burrito bowls with a selection of toppings. The burrito mixture will keep for 1 week refrigerated or for 3 months in the freezer. This recipe makes about 7 total cups of burrito mix.

Recipe Notes

Cooking the Rice Separately: If you won't be home to add the rice to the slow cooker, you can skip this step and cook it separately on the stovetop just before serving (use these directions). To modify the recipe, combine the chicken, diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of stock, and spices in the slow cooker and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low. Add the black beans and corn, and cook for another 1/2 hour, or until warmed through, while you're cooking the rice (omit the remaining chicken stock).

Vegetarian Burrito Bowls: Combine the diced tomatoes, 1 cup of vegetable stock, spices, rice, black beans, and corn in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Stir once or twice toward the end of cooking to make sure the rice is cooking evenly.

Beyond Burrito Bowls: Besides burrito bowls, you can use this filling to make regular tortilla-wrapped burritos or freezer burritos.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

This comes from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts off, “A savory pan of cheese-rich Enchilada Casserole make for a delicious family dish on a busy weeknight. Toss a green salad together while this casserole is baking and serve with a bowl of fluffy rice.” To view it online, click here.

Serves: 8; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup onion, peeled and chopped

2 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 can (10-oz.) Pace® Enchilada Sauce

1 can (2 1/2 oz) ripe olives, sliced, divided

10 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half, divided

2 cups (8-oz) Shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375º F. Grease bottom of 9-inch-square baking dish.

Combine beef, onion and garlic in large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink.

Stir in enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes.

Layer half of tortillas on bottom of prepared baking dish. Cover with half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers; cover.

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for additional 5 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining olives and green onions.

INDIAN CUCUMBER SALAD

Serves: 4

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/274.shtml

Ingredients

3 medium-size cucumbers

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

Directions

Peel cucumbers, cut in half, discard seeds and slice thinly. Mix remaining ingredients together , add cucumbers and stir together.

Nutritional Information Per Serving : Calories: 37; Protein: 3 g; Sodium: 46 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

BLUEBERRY BROWNIE PIZZA

This comes from the infamous no-longer-remembered-emailing-list.

1 package fudge brownie mix(13 x 9 inch pan size)

1/3 cup chopped unblanched almonds, or pecans

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

2 cups whipped topping

2 cups blueberries

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for fudge-like brownies, adding almonds and extract.

Spread into a greased 14 inch pizza pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon peel until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with blueberries. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.