Friday Recipes

Enjoy!

CREAMY CORN PASTA WITH BASIL

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There’s no cream in this wonderfully summery pasta dish, just a luscious sauce made from puréed fresh corn and sweet sautéed scallions, along with Parmesan for depth and red chile flakes for a contrasting bite. Be sure to add the lemon juice and fresh herbs at the end; the rich pasta really benefits from their bright, fresh flavors. And while this is best made at the height of corn season, it’s still quite good even with out-of-season supermarket ears, or with frozen corn.” Yield: 3 to 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

This was featured in “To Get the Most Out of Corn Season, Reach for Your Blender”. You can also view this online here.

Ingredients

Fine sea salt

12 ounces dry orecchiette or farfalle

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced (keep the whites and greens separate)

2 large ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (2 cups kernels)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more for serving

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste

1/3 cup torn basil or mint, more for garnish

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Fresh lemon juice, as needed

Preparation

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.

Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It’s O.K. if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.

Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in 1/4 cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.

CHARD-WRAPPED GREEK YOGURT PIES

When I read this recipe, I was totally blown away. This yummy recipe is from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “These little Greek-style pies are traditionally wrapped in grape leaves, but chard leaves make a fine alternative. Served warm, the texture is akin to a fresh cheese, perfumed with dill, mint and olive oil.” Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “For This Greek Pie, You Don’t Need a Crust”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

6 large chard leaves, washed

2 cups plain full-fat Greek-style yogurt

Salt and black pepper

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 tablespoon chopped mint

2 teaspoons chopped dill, plus more for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup cornmeal or rice flour

A handful of lightly toasted pine nuts

Greek olives, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cut stems from chard leaves and save for another use. Blanch chard leaves just to wilt, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cool water and squeeze dry.

Put yogurt in a mixing bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in garlic, scallions, mint, dill, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest and the cornmeal. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Brush six 1-cup ramekins with olive oil. Line each ramekin with 1 chard leaf, allowing edges to drape over the mold. Fill each leaf with 1/2 cup of yogurt mixture. Fold the edges of the chard leaf back over the top and brush generously with olive oil. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then turn ramekins over onto a plate to unmold. To serve, peel back top layer of chard to expose the filling. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with dill, a few toasted pine nuts and some olives if desired.

Tip:

Pies may also be served room temperature or baked in advance and reheated briefly.

ONE-PAN SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

This comes from PureWow, and begins, “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.

ROMAN-STYLE CHICKEN

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis, star of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian. Total Time: 1 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 40 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roman-style-chicken-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine (see Note, below)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Note: I never have wine - or anything alcoholic - around the house. Never. (Okay, all right, I know someone will think, “Hey, vanilla extract has alcohol in it.” Yup. But I really don’t consider that. I’ve never sat around, drinking bottle after bottle of the stuff.) If I were not a vegetarian and, therefore, getting ready to cook this, I’d most likely replace the 1/2 cup white wine with 1/2 cup water. There’s probably someone thinking, “That’s sacrilege! Replacing wine with water!” Nope, that’s life. Enjoy!

FROZEN CREAMSICLE CRUNCH CAKE

This was posted by Cheeky Kitchen in the Tablespoon e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Yoplait® Light Orange Crème yogurt is whipped into a sweet and creamy filling, spread between two crunchy layers of Chex™ granola, and made into a quick and delicious frozen cake!” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; makes 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 (11 oz.) packet Gluten Free Chex™ Granola Mix Honey Nut

12 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar or simple syrup

1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping

2 (6 oz.) containers Yoplait® Light orange crème yogurt

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

Directions

Pour the Chex™ granola mix into a food processor and process until you achieve a fine crumb. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle melted butter over the top. Sprinkle with flour. Use a fork to combine mixture into coarse crumbs. Spread half of the mixture into an 8x8-inch dish covered with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, simple syrup, whipped topping and yogurt until light and fluffy. Fold in mandarin oranges. Spread mixture over the crust. Top with remaining crumb.

Cover and freeze for 3 hours or more and enjoy!

WATERMELON AND HALLOUMI

This is from Michael Symon, one of the many wonderful chefs at The Food Network. This lead-in for this recipe state, “Watermelon marinated in a mint and honey dressing is soon to be your favorite summer treat. And helium, a delicious non-melting cheese, is the perfect landing place for the juicy fruit.” I’m getting hungry just reading that! Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 5 min; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-symon/watermelon-and-halloumi.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 small wedges seedless watermelon, rind removed

8 ounces halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices

Directions

Place the shallot and garlic in a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Add the vinegar and honey and whisk. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil, then add the almonds and mint.

Place the watermelon in a shallow dish. Pour the dressing on top, cover and let marinate 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear the halloumi 1 minute per side, then remove from the pan; top each with a piece of marinated watermelon.