Friday Recipes

Finally, the end of the week. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “Mini chocolate chips make these pancakes extra special. Try one of the easy variations for chocolate chip pecan pancakes or banana chocolate chip pancakes.

”Top these delicious chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup, cane syrup, or a dessert sauce. The pancakes are the perfect breakfast for a birthday morning or special occasion treat. The kids will love them!” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time 35 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, 9 ounces

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 3/4 to 2 cups milk*

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

vegetable oil and / or clarified butter for griddle

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together until thoroughly blended.

In another bowl, beat the eggs with 1 3/4 cups of milk until light and well blended. Add the melted butter and blend thoroughly. Blend the egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients just until mixed. Add a little more milk, if necessary for a rather thick but pourable batter. Do not overmix. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

Add a little oil and/or clarified butter to a large skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat. The oil is ready when a few drops of water "dance" when sprinkled over the griddle.

Pour the batter onto the griddle using a quarter cup measure or scoop. Turn the pancakes when the bubbles forming around the surface pop and don't fill in with more batter. The second side will cook more quickly -- about half the time as the first side. Lift slightly to see if they are browned on the bottom.

Move the pancakes to a plate, keep warm, and continue with the remaining batter.

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, golden cane syrup, or a flavored sauce.

*If the batter is very thick, add small amounts of milk to get the right consistency. The batter should be quite thick but should pour easily. Use a spoon or spatula to gently spread the batter into a circle.

Variations:

For lighter, fluffier pancake batter, separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites separately and fold into the batter just before folding in the chocolate chips.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Fold in about 1/2 cup of mashed bananas into the batter with the chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pancakes: Fold in about 1/4 cup of chopped pecans with the chocolate chips.

ANTHONY'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE

This comes from FamilyTime, and begins, “Using bottled pasta sauce and shredded cheeses makes this classic Italian dish quick and easy – and so good!” Serves 4 to 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces of fettuccine, cooked as package directs

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 (about 1 pound) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups (about 8 ounces) fresh mushrooms, slice

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (26 ounce) jar CLASSICO roasted garlic pasta sauce

1 cup (about 2 ounces) shredded mozzarella or provalone cheese

Directions

In shallow dish, combine flour and Italian seasoning. Coat chicken with mixture. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown chicken in hot oil; remove chicken from skillet. Add mushrooms and onions to skillet; cook and stir until tender. Add pasta sauce and chicken. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Top each chicken breast with cheese. Serve with hot pasta.

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

This yummy recipe comes from Kathy Kingley, one of About.com's American Food experts. Kathy writes, “The latte might be an Italian classic, but flavoring it with pumpkin and spice is purely American. And you don't need to go to a local coffee bar to indulge yourself, here's an easy (and inexpensive) way to make this seasonal favorite right at home.” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Coo Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: Serves 2

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy or whipped cream

2 shots fresh-brewed espresso (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk and cream and whisk until the mixture is well blended.

Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is heated through, do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk vigorously until frothy (you can also do this with a hand blender).

Divided the espresso among 2 mugs and top with the frothed pumpkin spice mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little pumpkin spice mix and serve.

CHERRY PIE-STUFFED CHOCOLATE CAKE

If you're like me, just the name of this recipe got your attention! It comes from Duff Goldman of The Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship. Am I going to try this this weekend? Heck, yes! Total time: 50 min; Prep Time: 40 min; Cook Time: 10 min; Yield: 24 servings; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/duff-goldman/cherry-pie-stuffed-chocolate-cake.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

4 boxes chocolate cake mix, baked, cooled and leveled

3 cans store-bought whipped chocolate frosting

Nonstick cooking spray

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 pie crust, recipe follows or store-bought

One 12-ounce can cherry pie filling

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Pie Crust:

1 1/2 pounds all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound (4 sticks) cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 egg yolks

Directions

Special equipment: a 4-inch round cutter; a ruler

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut out a hole in the exact center of two of the cakes. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, add a 1/4-inch layer of the frosting to one of the whole cakes, which will become the bottom layer. Then place one cake with a hole in it over the top of the bottom layer. Frost that cake with a 1/4-inch layer of frosting. Place the second cake with the hole over the top and frost that cake with a 1/4-inch layer of frosting. Set the remaining whole cake aside for a later use. Measure the height of the barrel created in the cake center.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Dust flour on a clean surface and roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thick. Use a ruler to cut 15 strips of pie dough, 1-inch wide and the height of the cake, and then use the 4-inch round cutter to cut a round of pie dough. Transfer the pie strips and round to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the dough until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Frost the inside of the barrel of the cake. Drop the pie round into the bottom of the barrel to create the bottom. Lightly press the baked pie strips into the sides of the barrel directly next to each other until the barrel is fully formed. Pour the cherry pie filling into the center of the barrel. Finally place the remaining whole cake on top to cover. Cover the entire cake with the remaining chocolate frosting. Dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

Pie Crust:

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Slowly drop in the cubed butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream, then pour the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer and whip until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a clean cutting board and cut in half. Using your hands, gently push each half of dough into a disc and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Yield: 2 pie crusts.

ONE-SKILLET 'BLT' PASTA

Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 30 min; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Canola Oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained

1-1/4 cups water

1 cup Hunt's® Tomato Sauce

8 ounces dry rotini pasta, uncooked

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

6 slices fully cooked bacon

1 pkg (6 oz each) baby spinach leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add undrained tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, pasta and garlic salt; stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and cook 12 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.

Meanwhile, heat bacon in microwave according to package directions. Chop bacon; set aside.

Place spinach on top of pasta mixture. Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until spinach wilts and pasta is tender. Add bacon; stir to combine. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

CROCKPOT VEGETABLE MINESTRONE Linda Larsen, About.com's Busy Cooks guide, writes, “This hearty recipe has a very complex flavor. One of the more surprising parts of the recipe is that pasta cooks right in the crockpot.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 8 hours; Total Time: 8 hours, 20 minutes; 12 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth or stock

4 cups tomato juice

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese in a 4-5 quart crockpot. Cover crockpot and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours until vegetables are tender. Stir in pasta. Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 15-25 minutes until pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.