Friday Food

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

CHERRY VANILLA CRISP

This comes from The Baker Chick. I absolutely love her newsletter; if you haven't signed up to receive it, you should! Really nice recipes, some talk about each recipe, etc. (Yes, this is an endorcement; no, I'm not getting compensated for that.)

Anyway, this recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh pitted cherries

1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar*

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon of butter, melted (9 tablespoons)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats (not quick cook or instant)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In an 8x8 baking dish or 9 inch pie dish, gently toss together the cherries, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.

In a small bowl, toss together the brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, pinch of salt and melted butter. Stir with a fork until evenly moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle over the cherries.

Place baking dish on top of a cookie sheet to prevent drips. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and the topping is crispy and golden.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

GROWN UP MAC AND CHEESE

This comes from Ina Garten, The Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 10 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 2 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grown-up-mac-and-cheese-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

BERRY RHUBARB CRUMB PIE

This comes from The Baker Chick. Yields 1 9-inch pie.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Single Layer of Pie Crust

6 cups of berries, sliced if needed (I used strawberries, raspberries and blackberries)

1 cup of diced rhubarb

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup instant tapioca

heavy cream or milk for brushing on the crust

For the topping:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl gently toss the berries with the tapioca, sugar, and lemon zest- set aside.

Roll the Pie Crusts out to an 11 inch round and drape it into a 9 inch pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges. Pour the berries into the crust.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter. Stir together until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the pie.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350F. Bake for another 30-35 minutes or until the crust and crumble are golden. (I suggest placing a cookie sheet under the pie to catch any juicy drips.)

Let the pie cool before slicing. (The cooler the pie, the more solid the slice will be!)

MEXICAN RICE

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and begins, “A 'side of Mexico' sure to enhance any Mexican meal.” Serves: 8; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup long grain white rice

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 16-oz. Jar ORTEGA® Thick & Chunky Salsa, medium

1 1/4 cups water

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Directions

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice, onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until rice is golden. Stir in salsa, water, carrot and peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Note: For a quick-cook Mexican Rice, use 4 cups instant rice instead of 1 cup long-grain white rice, and 2 1/2 cups water instead of 1 1/4 cups water. After salsa mixture comes to a boil, cook for time recommended on instant rice package.

ROSEMARY RATATOUILLE FRITTATA

This one starts off, "Most ratatouille recipes call for seasoning the vegetable combination with a blend of herbs. Here, the mixture is flavored simply with fresh rosemary so that the vegetables take center stage." It can be viewed online here.

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 4 small sprigs for garnish

1 small Japanese eggplant (4 oz.), cubed

1 small zucchini (4 oz.), cubed

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1/2 large red bell pepper, cubed

1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes

2 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar, divided

8 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chopped rosemary. Cook 30 seconds. Add eggplant, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp. vinegar, and 1/2 cup water. Cover; cook 8 minutes.

Whisk together eggs and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar in bowl.

Scrape ratatouille into bowl. Recoat skillet with cooking spray, and return to medium-high heat. Pour in eggs, and cook 1 minute. Spoon 2 cups ratatouille over eggs. (Reserve any remaining ratatouille for another use.) Place skillet in oven, and bake 8 minutes, or until set.

Loosen frittata from skillet using heat-proof spatula. Slide out onto platter. Cut into 4 wedges, garnish each with rosemary sprig, and serve.

nutritional information Per Wedge: Calories: 219; Protein: 14 g; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Cholesterol: 372 mg; Sodium: 172 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 3 g; Gluten-Free

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

Thi begins, “This recipe was once the ultimate in gourmet dining. The ham-and-cheese stuffed chicken breasts are still delicious in their low-fat form!”

Serves: 6

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/318.shtml

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)

4 ounces sliced fat-free Swiss cheese

3 ounces lean smoked ham

Flour

2 egg whites, beaten

1/3 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

Pound chicken breasts with flat side of meat mallet until very thin and even in thickness. Layer cheese and ham on chicken breasts, cutting to fit. Roll up chicken and secure with toothpicks.

Coat chicken rolls lightly with flour; dip in egg whites and coat in bread crumbs. Spray rolls generously with cooking spray and cook in skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place chicken in baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 210; Protein: 34.6 g; Fat: 3.9 g; Sodium: 540 mg; Cholesterol: 73.2 mg; Carbohydrates: 6.3 g; Exchanges: 4 Meat