Tuesday Recipes

Enjoy!

CREAMY PASTA WITH BROCCOLI, PARMESAN CHEESE, AND HAM

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana writes, “This pasta is a snap to prepare. Cook the pasta, quickly steam the broccoli, and stir-fry the ham and garlic for a few minutes. The simple sauce is made with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. For a gluten-free diet, serve the dish with gluten-free pasta.

“Leave out the ham and this could easily become a vegetarian dish.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 4 Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (penne, elbows, shells, or similar)

3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped, about 1 medium broccoli crown

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 to 2 cups diced ham, about 8 ounces

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or about 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water following the package directions. Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, put the broccoli pieces in a steaming basket. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a medium to large saucepan. Put the steaming basket in the pan (above the water, so the broccoli doesn't sit in the water). Cover the pan and steam the broccoli for about 4 minutes, or until the florets are just barely tender.

In a skillet or saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the ham and cook, stirring, until browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the basil, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer over low heat and continue cooking for about 1 minute.

Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Combine with the drained pasta and toss. Heat through.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a serving bowl and toss again at the table just before serving.

Serve with extra Parmesan cheese, a tossed salad or Caesar Salad, along with crusty rolls or bread.

Variations

Replace the ham with diced Canadian bacon or about 6 to 8 strips of cooked diced bacon.

Replace the broccoli with steamed or microwaved frozen peas.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana writes, “This is an excellent cornbread to serve freshly baked in wedges with beans or greens, or a big bowl of chili. It makes great stuffing, too!

“For a little extra flavor, add some bacon drippings to the skillet, or duck fat, if you have it.

“This cornbread is the classic buttermilk cornbread you'll find throughout the South. There's generally no sugar added to Southern cornbread, but if you prefer a sweeter cornbread, add a few tablespoons of sugar or honey.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 22 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: Serves 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons melted shortening, plus more for the skillet

Preparation

Heat the oven to 425° F. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Put about 1 tablespoon of shortening in a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and shortening. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until blended.

Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan from the oven and set it on a metal rack. Pour the batter into the sizzling shortening in the hot skillet.

Return the skillet to the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375° F, and bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, until golden brown.

Cut the cornbread in wedges and serve hot with soups, stew, chili, beans, or greens. Many people like to crumble their cornbread in a glass and fill it with cold milk. A pan of cornbread also makes great dressing to go with chicken, pork, or turkey.

CRANBERRY BUTTERMILK UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

This comes from The Baker Chick (otherwise known as Audra).

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 50 mins; Total time: 1 hour 5 mins; Yield:10 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, separated

3/4 cup plus 1/2 cup white sugar, separated

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, separated

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

Thoroughly pray or grease a 10-inch ring pan, 9-inch cake pan or bundt pan*. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the stick of butter, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir until the butter has melted and then add the cranberries, tossing until they are coating in the butter mixture. Pour into the bottom of the cake pan, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the 6 tablespoons of butter with the remaining 1/2 cup of white sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, vanilla, and buttermilk.

Whisk the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until well combined.

Pour/scoop the batter over the cranberry mixture and use the back of a spoon to smooth if needed.

Bake for 35-50 minutes, depending on your pan, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes: *This amount of batter was perfect for the 10 inch ring pan I used, but I think if I made this as a bundt cake I would keep the amount of berries the same but increase the amount of batter just to fill the pan a bit more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

APPLE COBBLER

This comes from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Serves 6 to 8

4 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional

6 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place apples in 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and almond extract; dot with 2 tablespoons butter.

Sift flour, baking powder, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt together into mixing bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup butter with pastry blender or 2 knifes until mixture is slightly coarser than cornmeal.

Combine egg and milk in separate bowl; pour into flour mixture. Stir just enough to combine; spoon over apples in baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes, until browned. Serve with whipped cream, sour cream, or ice cream, if desired.

OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Here is a recipe for an oven-roasted version of the classic street-side flavor bomb usually cooked on a rotisserie. It is perfect for an evening with family and friends. Serve with pita and tahini, chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, some olives, chopped parsley, some feta, fried eggplant, hummus swirled with harissa, rice or rice pilaf. You can make the white sauce that traditionally accompanies it by cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon juice, and flecking it with garlic. For a red to offset it, simmer ketchup with red pepper flakes and a hit of red-wine vinegar until it goes syrupy and thick, or just use your favorite hot sauce instead.” Time: 45 minutes, plus marinating; makes 4 to 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

A pinch ground cinnamon

Red pepper flakes, to taste

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large red onion, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.