Tuesday Recipes

Before diving into today's recipes, there are four recalls to warn you about. All four were in a recent The Diabetic News e-newsletter. The first recall involves Blue Cheese from Maytag Dairy Farms. The voluntary recall is due to potential for contamination from Listeria monocytogenes. Click here to read the recall.

The second recall involves certain flax seed products which may have Salmonella contamination. The products were sold under the Organic Traditions brand name. Click here to read the recall.

The third recall involves macadamia nuts produced by Marathon Ventures. This is also due to a risk of Salmonella contamination. Click here to read the recall.

And finally, pistachios are being recalled due to a possible Samonella contamination risk. According to the beginning of the recall, Salmonella “can be especially dangerous for people with diabetes.” To read the recall, click here.

And now for today's six recipes. Enjoy!

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH TOMATOES AND CAPERS

This recipe was in a recent New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “This recipe was originally developed by Pierre Franey in 1991 for the 60-Minute Gourmet column, a weekly feature dedicated to Times-worthy dishes that were easy, quick and inexpensive. This recipe fit the bill perfectly, and it still does. Just sauté the chicken breasts until they are lightly browned. Then add shallots and garlic, tarragon, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, white wine and tomato paste. Stir well and cook for about 9 minutes more. That's it.” Time: 20 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

8 ripe plum tomatoes cut into small cubes (or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes, drained and chopped)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup drained capers

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the chicken breasts and saute over medium-high heat, turning the pieces often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic around the chicken. Cook briefly; add the tarragon, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, wine and tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the brown particles adhering to the bottom of the skillet.

Blend well, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 9 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

BANANAS FOSTER BREAD PUDDING

This decadent dessert comes from Sam Sifton in a recent New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Here is a nod both to the original bananas Foster at Brennan’s restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans and to the luxe version of bananas baba au rhum that the Louisiana chef Allison Vines-Rushing once cooked at Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar in the East Village. Silky and rich, deep with the flavors of bananas, rum and custard, it is not much work to make, and pays off in incredible flavor. Do not be afraid to use an even darker sugar than the brown called for in the recipe, though molasses may be a step too far. You are looking for a deep caramel hue and flavor in the sauce, to complement the rum and the fruit.” What would I write? “Yum!” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup dark rum

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cups cubed brioche, approximately 1/2 loaf

5 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into coins

1 tablespoon white sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation

FOR THE BREAD PUDDINGPreheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, vanilla, 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the bread, and stir so that it absorbs the liquid. Set aside to soak.

Butter a 2-quart baking dish, and place it on a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the dish with banana coins, then spoon about 1/2 of the soaked bread over them. Top with banana coins, and spoon the remaining soaked bread over the top. Bake for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with the tablespoon of white sugar. Continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, approximately 50 to 60 minutes total.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauce set over medium heat. Add the remaining brown sugar, cream, remaining rum and salt, and whisk until combined. Simmer, whisking, until the sauce has thickened, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Serve the pudding warm, with some of the sauce drizzled over the top, alongside vanilla ice cream.

CARROT CHEESECAKE.

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “Most people would agree that the cream cheese frosting is the best part of any carrot cake, so it makes perfect sense to replace it with a thick layer of creamy cheesecake. These two classic cakes make one showstopping mash-up dessert.” Total Time: 2 hr; Prep: 30 min; Cook: 1 hr 30 min; Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Level: Intermediate.

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

Ingredients

Carrot Cake:

1/2 cup pecan halves, plus more, chopped, for garnish

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Kosher salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (2 to 3 medium carrots)

Cheesecake:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sour Cream Topping:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch kosher salt

Directions

For the carrot cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, and then finely chop.

Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs in a separate bowl. Stir the carrots into the egg mixture. Fold the carrot-egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch springform cake pan and tap it on the counter to even out the batter. Bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. The cake can be made a day ahead and stored in the pan.

For the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour, lemon zest and juice and vanilla, about 1 minute.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil. Put in a roasting pan or a large baking dish and fill halfway up the sides of the cake pan with water. Bake until the cheesecake is pale yellow and just jiggles slightly in the center, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Remove, run a sharp knife around the edge and let cool completely on a rack. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

For the sour cream topping: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Spread on top of the cheesecake; garnish with chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve.

ZESTY SLOW-COOKER ITALIAN POT ROAST

This recipe, from the FamilyTime e-newsletter, begins, “Chuck roast, potatoes, celery and carrots simmer to tenderness in the slow-cooker with an Italian-inspired tomato sauce made special with Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 600 minutes (10 hours); Servings: 6. Source: Campbell's Recipes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes, cut into quarters (about 4 cups)

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen whole baby carrots

1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)

1 medium Italian plum tomato, diced

1 beef bottom round roast or beef chuck pot roast (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon chopped roasted garlic *, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic

1 teaspoon each dried basil leaves, dried oregano leaves and dried parsley flakes, crushed

1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions

Place the potatoes, carrots, celery and tomato into a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Season the beef with the black pepper. Place the beef into the cooker.

Stir the soup, water, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the beef and vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours** or until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are tender.

*To roast garlic, place 1 whole garlic bulb onto a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic. Roast at 350°F. for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Peel and chop the garlic.

**Or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.

Tip: For thicker gravy, mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Romove the beef and vegetables from the cooker. Stir the flour mixture into the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.

ANYTIME BLACK FOREST BLIZZARD

This was also in the September 2012 issue of Runner’s World, page 50. Contributing chef Pam Anderson comes up with quite a few really yummy recipes. This recipe starts off, “Plain Greek yogurt has roughly twice the protein and half the sugar of plan traditional yogurt. Cherries contain antioxidants that help reduce postrun inflammation. ‘To add crunch, stir in Famous Chocolate Wafers,’ says Anderson.”

I doubt that Pam is reading this, but if she is, all I can say is: Keep it up, please!

1 heaping cup frozen, dark sweet cherries

1 frozen banana, cut into chunks

1 C chocolate soymilk

1/4 C Greek yogurt

2 tsp honey or agave syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 Famous Chocolate Wafers, crumbled

Place all the ingredients – except the Famous Chocolate Wafers – in a blender; process until creamy smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top each with a portion of crumbled Famous Chocolate Wafers. Serves two.

Calories per serving: 273; Carbs: 54 g; Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 4 g

SPAGHETTI PIE

This was featured on The Today Show in August, and got Matt Lauer's attention. I had never tried anything like this before. As a vegetarian, I'd lean toward using a vegetarian substitute for the ground turkey or beef.

To view this online, along with video, go to http://www.today.com/food/spaghetti-pie-fun-way-make-dinner-leftovers-later-t39701.

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, 1/2 cup cooking water reserved

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 pound ground turkey or sirloin beef

1 cup tomato paste, divided

3 large eggs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add ground turkey or beef, and 3/4 cup of the tomato paste. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Consistency should be like a thick Bolognese sauce. Add more cooking water as needed.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooked spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the tomato paste.

Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it. Top with the remaining meat mixture, then scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.

Bake the pie in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife or pizza slicer to cut into wedges like a pie. Serve with a green salad.