Wednesday Recipes

Enjoy!

FUSILLI WITH BASIL, TOMATOES, AND AVOCADO SAUCE

This comes from the August 2014 issue of Runner's World, page 44 (“The Athlete's Palate: Fast and Fresh,” by Pam Anderson). Serves 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 ounces whole-wheat fusilli

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 avocados, halved and pitted

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Remove from heat and reserve 1 cup cooking water. Drain pasta, cover, and set aside. In a bowl, add tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add oil and basil. Toss to coat. Set aside.

Scoop avocado into empty pasta pot. Mash with a potato masher. Add garlic and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Whisk pasta water in, creating a light sauce. Stir in pasta and tomato mixture to coat. Top with cheese, if using, and black pepper. Serves 4.

Nutrition Facts: Calories per serving: 485; Carbs: 74 g; Fiber: 13 g; Protein: 13 g; Fat:16 g

CHOCOLATE DUMP-IT CAKE

This comes from the New York Times' cooking email newsletter. Amanda Hesser writes, “A couple of years ago, my mother taught me to make her dense but moist chocolate birthday cake. She calls it 'dump-it cake' because you mix all of the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, then dump the batter into a cake pan to bake. For the icing, you melt Nestlé's semisweet-chocolate chips and swirl them together with sour cream. It sounds as if it's straight from the Pillsbury Bake-Off, but it tastes as if it's straight from Payard. Everyone loves it.” Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; makes 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups Nestle's semisweet-chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drips as the cake bakes on the middle rack. In a 2- to 3-quart pot, mix together the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all of the ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan.

When the chocolate in the pot has cooled a bit, whisk in the milk mixture and eggs. In several additions, and without overmixing, whisk in the dry ingredients. When the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and whisk once or twice to blend. Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack. (This can be tricky -- if someone is around to help, enlist him.) Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, then let cool to room temperature. Stir in the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth.

When the cake is cool, you may frost it as is or cut it in half so that you have 2 layers. There will be extra icing whether you have 1 or 2 layers. My mother always uses it to make flowers on top. She makes a small rosette, or button, then uses toasted slices of almond as the petals, pushing them in around the base of the rosette.

SWEET-TART SALAD

This comes from the June 2015 issue of Runner's World, page 54 (“Beet Yourself Up,” by Chris Fischer). It begins, “The sweetness of beets contrasts with the tartness of green tomatoes.” It serves 4.

To view this and the next recipe (Beet Jam) online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound beets, scrubbed

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 large green tomato

1/4 cup parsley leaves

3 tablespoons cold water

3 tablespoons vinegar (try a mix of red wine, Champagne, and cider)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/3 cup radishes, chopped

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add beets and salt. Boil for 15 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Set aside.

Boil a small pot of water. Add the tomato and parsley. Blanch for 30 seconds. Remove and briefly cool in a bowl of ice water.

In a blender, puree the parsley with the 3 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

Peel beets and cut into quarters. Place in a bowl and drizzle with the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt.

Peel and dice the tomato and place in a second bowl along with the radishes, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and parsley puree. Season with salt. Arrange the beets on a plate and spoon the tomato-radish mixture over them.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 126; Carbs: 14 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 3 g; Total fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 188 mg

BEET JAM

This also comes from the Runner's World website, and starts off, “Use this like you would a fruit jam on your favorite whole grain bread,” says Fischer. “I like to top it with a little cottage cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkling of rock salt. You can also mix it with whole-grain mustard and use it as a condiment alongside roasted pork or braised lamb.” Makes about 2 cups.

To view this and the previous recipe (Sweet-Tart Salad) online, click here.

Ingredients

3 apples (any eating apple), peeled cored, and chopped

1 cup (about 1/2 pound) beets, peeled and grated

1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

Place the apples in a saucepan with the beets and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, and breaking up any chunks, for 35 minutes, or until the jam is very soft and spreadable. Allow to cool before using.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 45; Carbs: 12 g; Fiber: 1 g; Protein: 0 g; Total fat: 0 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 11 mg

PEANUT BUTTER BREAKFAST PUDDING

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/166.shtml

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Servings: 8 - Difficulty Level: 2

Ingredients

6 slices raisin bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1-3/4 cup nonfat skim milk

3 whole eggs + 2 egg whites

1/2 cup fat-reduced peanut butter

3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp grated orange peel OR 1/4 tsp dried orange peel

Directions

Spray a 9-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick vegetable spray.

Add bread cubes to dish and set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in blender container and process until smooth.

Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes in baking dish, saturating bread cubes.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Remove cover and bake about 35 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 217; Protein: 11 g; Fat: 9 g; Sodium: 262 mg; Cholesterol: 91 mg; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Exchanges: 1-1/2 Bread/Starch; 1 Lean Meat; 1-1/2 Fats

BOW TIMES WITH FENNEL, GREEN BEANS AND BABY LIMAS

This one is from the April 2000 issue of Vegetarian Times, and starts out, “Most of us prefer our green beans briefly cooked just until they're crisp-tender and bright green. Slightly longer cooking may dim the color, but it brings out the beans' inherent sweetness. Braising them with lima beans, tomatoes and fennel creates a delightful sauce for pasta.” Serves 4 to 6.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 medium bulb fennel, chopped (1 cup)

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. fennel seeds, lightly crushed

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup frozen baby lima beans

6 oz. green beans, trimmed and halved (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup kalamata olives, rinsed, halved and pitted

1⁄3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

12 oz. dried bow-tie pasta (farfalle)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz.; optional)

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth and lima beans and bring to a simmer.

Stir in green beans and salt, reduce heat to medium and simmer until all beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes and olives and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and pepper.

Shortly before sauce is ready, add bow ties to boiling water; stir to prevent sticking. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and place in large warm serving bowl. Add bean mixture and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan if desired.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 338; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 50 g; Sodium: 726 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Vegan