Wednesday Recipes

Enjoy!

SWEET AND SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Brown sugar gives these grilled chicken breasts a glistening glaze and caramel-like sweetness, while mustard powder and cayenne add an earthy kick. If you don’t want to bother making a mustard sauce for dipping, just serve these with dollops of good, strong Dijon mustard on the side. A crisp salad and some grilled corn completes the meal. And if you prefer dark meat, this recipe will also work with boneless, skinless thighs, though you might have to add a minute or so to the cooking time. Or use a combination of breasts and thighs for maximum crowd appeal.” Yield: 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2teaspoons dry mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Preparation

Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, coriander, salt, mustard powder and cayenne. Place chicken breasts in a bowl and rub well with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.

Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and chives. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Serve chicken with mustard for dipping.

BUTTERY BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

This is also from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “The word “buttery” in the title refers to croissants, which make an especially rich foundation for this golden-topped baked breakfast classic. Toasting the croissants before building the casserole adds caramelized notes that can stand up to the bits of browned sausage, sage and melted Gruyère strewn throughout. Make this the night before a special breakfast or brunch, then pop it in the oven an hour before you plan to serve it.” Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound croissants (about 5 to 7), split in half lengthwise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for baking dish

1 bunch scallions (6 to 7), white and light green parts thinly sliced, greens reserved

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

8 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces Gruyère, grated (2 cups)

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread croissants on a large baking sheet and toast, cut side up, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully to see that they do not burn). Let cool, then tear into large bite-size pieces.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced scallions and sausage meat; cook, breaking up meat with a fork, until mixture is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage, and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together croissants and sausage mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese, salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Turn croissant mixture into pan, spreading it out evenly over the bottom. Pour custard into pan, pressing croissants down gently to help absorb the liquid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, heat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Transfer to oven and bake until casserole is golden brown and firm to the touch, 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallion tops before serving.

HERBED BEEF KABOBS

This comes from Campbell’s Kitchen, and begins, “Grilling marinated beef cubes over medium heat results in these tender evenly cooked morsels we all love.” Marinate: 1 hour; Grill: 20 minutes; Serves: 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 envelope (1 ounce) dry onion recipe soup & dip mix

1 cup Swanson® Beef Broth or Swanson® 50% Less Sodium Beef Broth

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or small clove garlic, minced

1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak or boneless beef top round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium green peppers or red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Instructions

Stir the soup mix, broth, oil, thyme, black pepper and garlic powder in a shallow nonmetallic dish or gallon size resealable plastic bag. Add the beef and stir to coat. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the beef from the marinade. Thread the beef and peppers alternately onto 4 skewers.

Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill the kabobs for 20 minutes for medium or to desired doneness, turning and brushing often with the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade.

BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian. Total Time: 1 hr 5 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 40 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-penne-with-roasted-vegetables-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cremini mushrooms, halved

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence

1 pound penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)

1 cup grated fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

KEY LIME-COCONUT ANGEL CAKE

This is one of many recipes from a long-ago-forgotten emailing list. I have to admit, though: some of the yummier recipes came from some of those lists.

1 package Betty Crocker 1-step white angel food cake

1 1/4 cups cold water

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key lime or regular lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup flaked coconut

Move oven rack to lowest position (remove other racks). Heat oven to 350°.

Beat cake mix and cold water in extra-large glass or metal bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into un-greased angel food cake (tube) pan, 10 x 4 inches. (Do not use bundt cake pan or 9 x 3 1/2-inch angel food pan or batter will overflow.)

Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky. Do not under-bake. Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle until cake is completely cool, about 2 hours.

Beat condensed milk, lime juice, and lime peel in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping.

Run knife around edges of cake; remove from pan. Split cake horizontally to make 3 layers. Fill each layer with about 2 cups lime mixture. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining lime mixture. Sprinkle with coconut. Store covered in refrigerator.

LOW FAT SHEPHERD'S PIE

This comes from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Lowfat Cooking expert. She wrote, “This a low fat take on a classic English dish. Shepherd's Pie was traditonally made with leftover meat--usually lamb or beef. This is a recipe that can be made ahead and frozen for later use. I often prepare it one day and use it the next. If you want to reduce the fat content further, use only 3/4 pound of beef and add an extra cup of vegetables--more peas or some sweet corn.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; serves 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 cup fat-free, reduced sodium beef broth

1 cup frozen peas

For the Topping:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1 tbsp light butter

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium-low heat. Saute onions and carrots until softened. Turn up heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs and broth. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add peas, then simmer 5 minutes more. Tip: If sauce seems too watery for your liking, combine 1 tsp of cornstarch into 1/8 cup of water and stir into beef mixture.

While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain water. Add milk and light butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season if you like.

Pour sauce into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato. Optional: sprinkle with 1/3 cup reduced-fat cheese.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Per Serving (without cheese): Calories 322, Calories from Fat 67, Total Fat 7.6g (Sat 2.8g), Cholesterol 49mg, Sodium 260mg, Carbohydrate 41.2g, Fiber 5.7g, Protein 22.5g