Wednesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes, including One-Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs and Vegan Roasted Banana Ice Cream. Yum! Enjoy!

VEGAN ROASTED BANANA ICE CREAM

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “A combination of coconut milk, homemade cashew milk and cocoa butter gives this dairy-free ice cream its particularly luscious, creamy texture. Ripe bananas, roasted with brown sugar and coconut oil until caramelized and golden, add a deep butterscotch-like note. You’ll need to start this at least one day before you plan to serve it. Or make it up to a week ahead. Chopped bittersweet chocolate makes a fine substitute for the walnuts, or use 1/3 cup of each.” Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus chilling; makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups/200 grams raw, unsalted cashews

4 medium bananas, preferably somewhat speckled but not brown, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons/90 grams extra-virgin coconut oil

2 tablespoons/28 grams dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon/5 grams plus a pinch kosher salt

3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar

1/2 cup/80 grams cocoa butter, available at baking supply stores and online

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/266 milliliters coconut milk

1/2 cup/65 grams chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Preparation

To make the cashew milk, place the cashews in a large bowl and add water to cover by a couple of inches. Soak cashews overnight.

In the morning, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with about 1 3/4 cups (375 grams) fresh water. Blend until smooth. If you use a Vitamix, there will be no need to strain – the milk will be perfectly smooth; for other blenders, check the consistency and, if necessary, strain the cashew milk through a fine-mesh strainer. Cashew milk will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.

To roast the bananas, heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the bananas, 2 tablespoons/27 grams coconut oil, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Spread on prepared baking sheet and bake until caramelized, about 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Put 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Add cocoa butter, remaining 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons/63 grams coconut oil and remaining salt. Stir until melted.

Pour the sugar mixture into in a food processor (or use a tall 2-quart container and an immersion blender), and add the coconut milk and 1 cup/212 grams cashew milk. Blend until smooth. Add roasted bananas and blend again to combine until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate the ice cream base until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the last minute of churning, add toasted walnuts, if desired, and churn until incorporated. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container and freeze up to 7 days. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately. It will be the consistency of soft-serve.

DEADLY DARK CHOCOLATE TART

This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com’s Desserts/Baking expert. Carroll wrote, “It's not a cake or a pie. It's not a pudding. It's a chocolate tart. A deadly chocolate tart made with dark chocolate. I'm getting a buzz already just thinking about it.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust*:

1-2/3 cups chocolate cookies

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

Filling:

10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup whipping or heavy cream

1/2 whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Early in the day begin making your tart. In a medium bowl, mix the chocolate cookie crumbs with the sugar. Drizzle in the melted butter. Mix all together and pour into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Set the crust aside.

Place the coarsely chopped dark chocolate into a large mixing bowl and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk the heavy cream, milk and eggs until well combined. Heat just until the cream mixture until bubbles form around the edges and some steam is rising from the pot.

Add the sugar and salt to the pot. Whisk until they are combined with the cream mixture. Remove the pot from the heat. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap. Wait for about 5 minutes. One the chocolate is melted, stir all of the ingredients together. Carefully pour the filling into the crust into the tart crust. Place the chocolate tart into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Serve deadly chocolate tart with whipped cream. Store any remaining chocolate tart in the refrigerator.

Notes in the Margin:

Crust * - you don’t have to make this tart with a chocolate crust. It can be made with a regular pie crust. Just be sure to prebake it. Prick the unbaked pie pastry with a fork. Place a piece of foil lightly over the crust. Add pie weights or dry beans to keep the pastry from puffing up. Bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

TRADITIONAL BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

This comes from Elaine Lemm, About.com’s British and Irish Food expert. Elaine wrote, “Traditional Bubble and Squeak is the lovely, quirky name for fried left-over vegetables, usually from Sunday Lunch. The origins of the charmng name are not really known but reference is made in the 'Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue', 1785, that ‘Bubble and Squeak, beef and cabbage fried together. It is so called from its bubbling up and squeaking whilst over the fire.’

“Traditionally the Bubble and Squeak will be eaten on a Monday for lunch or dinner, sometimes with a fried egg on top, maybe a little bacon, or meat leftover from lunch the day before. There is no hard and fast rule to this one and really no specific recipe it is simply a way of using up whatever you have left from dinner.

“One main component which is always there is mashed potatoes. The potato is the 'glue' holding all the other vegetables together. I love it made with cabbage as well, if I have some of course.

“Bubble and Squeak is also known as Bubble or Fry. In Ireland Colcannon is made from mashed potatoes, cabbage or Kale and onion and is very similar to Bubble and Squeak, as is Rumbledethumps in Scotland.” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Depends on leftovers

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter, and or vegetable oil (butter tastes the best)

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

Leftover mashed potato

Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, swede, carrots, peas, Brussels Sprouts, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fried bacon pieces (optional)

Preparation

In a large frying pan melt the butter, make sure it doesn't brown. Add the finely chopped onion and fry gently for about 3 mins or until soft and translucent.

Turn the heat up ever so slightly and add the mashed potato and all of the chopped up leftover vegetables. Fry for at last 10 minutes turning them over continuously in the melted butter ensuring the potato and vegetables are thoroughly reheated. Plus you are also aiming to brown the outside edges of the vegetables but not to burning the bubble and squeak, so occasionally press the mixture onto the pan to brown a little then continue stirring.

Finally, when the mixture is heated right through, do one long final press. Press the potato mixture on to the base of the pan with a spatula and leave to cook for 1 min. Flip over and repeat.

Serve as mentioned above with either a fried or poached egg on top, the bacon pieces, or any leftover roast reheated thoroughly.

An alternative is to mix the potato and vegetables and form into small patties then fry as above.

HAM & CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

This comes from WebMD, and begins, “This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.” Makes: 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1 cup non-fat milk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon rosemary, minced fresh

1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

5 cups spinach, chopped, wilted; see Tip

4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes; about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices

1 cup ham steak, diced; 5 ounces

1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped

3/4 cup Gruyère or Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

Step 2

Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Add mustard, rosemary and pepper; whisk to combine. Toss spinach, bread, ham and roasted red peppers in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.

Step 3

Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Tips

To Make Ahead: Prepare casserole through Step 2; refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in Step 3.

Tip: To wilt spinach, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in it. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture before adding the spinach to the recipe.

BEEF STEW

One of my inventions, which can be found in my e-cookbook, titled Off the Wall Cooking, found on Amazon.com.

2 – 3 lbs. stewing beef

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T oil

4 carrots, cut up

2 C water

1 large potato, peeled & cut up

1 onion, chopped

6 oz tomato paste

8 oz tomato sauce

4 T vinegar

1 C flour

3 T honey

1 T soy sauce

salt & pepper, to taste

Cut beef into bite-sized pieces. Trim fat & dredge in flour & brown in oil. Add everything except carrots & potato. Cook 15 minutes. Add carrots & cook 15 more minutes. Add potato & cook 30 minutes. Add water as needed. Serve over noodles.

YOGURT-MARINATED CHICKEN & CREAMY GREEK SAUCE

This comes from The Kitchn’s e-newsletter. Makes 1 to 2 pitas.

To view this online, click here.

For the marinade

1 large chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)

1/2 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Greek sauce

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular or light)

1 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 garlic powder

Squeeze of lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

Pita bread, for serving

For the marinade, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for at least two hours, but overnight if possible.

For the Greek sauce, mix together all of the ingredients and refrigerate. Adjust seasoning according to taste before serving. (Note: “I used 1/4 teaspoon salt and a very generous amount of black pepper. You can't have too much in my opinion.”)

For the chicken, wipe off the excess marinade. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Give a quick toss and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

To assemble, combine the chicken with desired amount of Greek Sauce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pile onto a piece of pita bread, fold like a taco, and devour.

ONE-PAN SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

This comes from the PureWow e-newsletter. It starts off, “Guys, this lazy cook's one-pan spaghetti and meatballs recipe is a total game changer. The next time you want to get dinner on the table with ease--and not deal with a million dirty dishes--we've got you covered.” Makes 6 to 8 servings; start to finish: 50 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, whisked

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Spaghetti

1 pound dried spaghetti

3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the beef with the garlic powder, parsley and Parmesan to combine. Add the egg and bread crumbs, and mix to combine.

Form the mixture into balls, using about 2 tablespoons of meat per ball.In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook until they are fully cooked and golden brown all over, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside. Drain any grease from the pan, and then fill it with three inches of water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti in an even layer and boil until al dente, 8 to 9 minutes (or according to package directions).

Drain the spaghetti, then return it to the pan. Add the marinara sauce and meatballs; toss to coat. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Serve warm, immediately.