Weekend Food

Finally, Friday! Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

TURKEY AND RICE QUICHE

This comes from the semi-infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Yield: Makes 8 servings (2 triangles each)

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice, cooled to room temperature

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey cubes

3/4 cup finely diced fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup finely diced green pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Combine rice, turkey, tomatoes, onions, green pepper, basil, salt, red pepper, eggs and milk in greased 9x13-inch pan.

Top with cheeses.

Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

To serve, cut quiche into 8 squares; cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.

RATATOUILLE WITH SUMMER HERBS

This comes from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet Food expert. He wrote, "This is a simple recipe that uses lots of summer vegetables and fresh herbs. This aromatic dish works wonderfully as a first course or as a light entree. Reprinted with permission from Small Plates, Perfect Wines by Lori Lyn Narlock (Andrews McMeel 2007)." Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Yield: 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 globe eggplant (about 1 pound), unpeeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt for sprinkling, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 cup olive oil

1 sweet onion, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand until moisture begins to bead on the surface of the eggplant, about 15 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry. Spread on a sided baking sheet and pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil over the eggplant. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon salt. Bake, turning once or twice, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and sauté until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the pepper is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have melted, about 20 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, sage, and oregano. Season with pepper and adjust the seasonings to taste. Divide among 6 small plates and serve.

TRIPLE FRUIT PIE

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Berries and rhubarb are plentiful and inexpensive. Try making this pie. It is so good!!" Prep. time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 30; Serves: 6-8; Source: Taste of Home Cookbook

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries

1 1/4 cups chopped rhubarb

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

pastry shell, for double-crust pie (9 inches)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine fruits and extract; toss to coat. In another bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, nutmeg and salt. Add to fruit; stir gently. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Stir lemon juice into fruit mixture; spoon into the crust. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 30 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

NOTE: Frozen berries and rhubarb may be substituted for fresh; thaw and drain before using.

CHEESE VEGETABLE CHOWDER

Another from a long-since forgotten emailing list.

1/4 c. butter

2 c. chopped green cabbage

1 c. sliced onions

1 c. diced celery

1 c. thinly sliced carrots

2 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

9 oz. pkg. peas, partially thawed

17 oz. can creamed corn

2 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. thyme leaves

In large saucepan, melt butter; add cabbage, onions, celery, carrots, and peas. Saute 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add corn, milk, salt, and pepper and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese; stir until melted. Serves 6 (1 1/3 cups). Great with some homemade biscuits.

DECADENT TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

Not sure where this one came from, but it would almost make for a nice dessert or afternoon treat.

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 (6 oz.) containers lemon yogurt

3/4 cup sugar

3 bananas, diced

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1 (10-oz.) jar maraschino cherries, chopped and drained (reserve one whole cherry for garnish)

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Mint leaves (for garnish)

In a large bowl, beat together first three ingredients until well mixed. Stir in remaining ingredients, except mint. Spoon into a 1 1/2-quart glass bowl. Garnish by putting reserved cherry in center and arranging mint leaves around it to form a flower. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Number of Servings: 10-12

GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS AND BASIL

Serves 4 to 6

Another one that I'm not sure on its origins. It had been on some recipe list that I'd once subscribed to, years ago. The writer, though, has added, "Enjoy the summer harvest with this delicious salad. Freshly grated parmesan provides the best flavor but experiment with other cheeses like feta, gruyère or Manchego, if you like."

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered

1 small red onion, cut into thick rings

2 zucchini, thickly sliced lengthwise

2 yellow squash, thickly sliced lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped basil

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Oil grill grates, then preheat grill to medium high heat. Working in batches, grill peppers, onions, zucchini and squash, flipping once, until just charred in parts and tender, 6 to 8 minutes total; transfer to a large platter as done. Set aside to let cool before cutting into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, combine grilled vegetables, garlic, vinegar, oil, basil, chickpeas, salt and pepper. Garnish with parmesan and serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition Per serving (about 11oz/326g-wt.): 230 calories (80 from fat), 9 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium, 29 g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 10 g protein