Friday Recipes

Finally, it's Friday! Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including two different recipes for Apple Cinnamon Muffins. Enjoy!

MARCELLA HAZAN’S TOMATO SAUCE

This is also from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “This is perhaps the most famous recipe created by Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed how Americans cook Italian food. It also may be her easiest. Use your favorite canned tomatoes for this and don’t be scared off by the butter. It gives the sauce an unparalleled velvety richness.” Time: 1 hour.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups tomatoes, in addition to their juices (for example, a 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes)

5 tablespoons butter

1 onion, peeled and cut in half

Salt

Preparation

Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.

Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

MARCELLA HAZAN’S BOLOGNESE SAUCE

This also comes from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: 'Bolognese.' So here it is: Ms. Hazan's classic, go-to Bolognese sauce, which one reader called 'the gold standard.' Try it and see for yourself.” Time: at least 4 hours; makes 2 heaping cups, for about 6 servings and 1 1/2 pounds pasta.

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015181-marcella-hazans-bolognese-sauce.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta

1/2 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped carrot

3/4 pound ground beef chuck (or you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef)

Salt

Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1 cup whole milk

Whole nutmeg

1 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta

Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese at the table

Preparation

Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.

Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.

Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating -- about 1/8 teaspoon -- of nutmeg, and stir.

Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.

Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

Servings: 12

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/170.shtml

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=170

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup oat bran cereal; uncooked

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup apple, peeled, cored, diced

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Coat 12 medium-size cups with vegetables oil or line with paper baking cups.

In a medium bowl combine oat bran cereal, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt.

In large bowl combine applesauce, honey, oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apple.

Fill prepared muffin cup almost full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread; 1 Fat; 1/2 Fruit

APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS

Years ago, there was a show on (I think) The Food Network called Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. YIELD: 24 rolls

Dough

5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 envelopes FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine

3 large eggs

Apple Filling

2 large cooking apples, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, & salt. Heat water, milk, & butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs & 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread Apple Filling evenly over dough. Beginning at long end of each, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces. Place, cut sides up, in greased 9-inch round pans. Cover, let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; serve warm.

Apple Filling: Combine chopped apples, flour, sugar, & butter in medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low; cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Cool completely.

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping: Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until well-blended.

SLOW-COOKER CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN

This comes from tbsp.com and begins, “Simple, easy, and kid-friendly, and easy on the wallet, this slow-cooker chicken recipe is easy to customize with your favorite flavors and add-ins. Reduced-fat ingredient substitutions work well, too.” Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 hours 0 minutes; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans (10.75 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10.75 oz.) chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 cups hot cooked rice or egg noodles

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in bottom of slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine soup and broth and mix well. Add garlic powder and pour mixture over chicken. Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.

Fifteen minutes before end of cook time, remove chicken from the slow cooker. Break softened cream cheese into chunks and add to slow cooker, whisking until the sauce is smooth.

Shred chicken if desired and return to slow cooker. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chicken over hot rice or egg noodles and top with sauce.

PECAN BUTTER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WITH SEA SALT

This dessert recipe is from the September 2016 issue of Runner's World, page 81, and begins, “Easy-to-digest dates are high in minerals, including potassium.”

This is adapted from Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes, by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

Makes 12 muffins.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/run-fast-eat-slow.

Ingredients (for the pecan butter)

2 cups pecans

10 Deglet dates, pitted

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Ingredients (for the coating)

2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the pecan butter: Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and roast in the center of the oven for 8 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Allow the pecans to cool completely.

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the pecans, dates, and cinnamon. Pulse or blend on high until smooth. Do not overprocess—you want the pecan butter thick. Transfer to a small bowl.

Use your hands to roll the pecan butter into bite-size balls. (If the nut butter is warm or liquid-y, chill it in the fridge to make it easier to handle.) Place the balls on the baking sheet.

To make the coating: Place the oil in a small microwaveable bowl and microwave in increments of 10 seconds, stirring in between, until almost completely melted. (Alternatively, the oil can be melted in a small saucepan over low heat.) Stir in the maple syrup and cocoa powder until smooth.

Drop one ball at a time in the chocolate coating, use a fork to lift out, and return it to the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining balls. Top each truffle with a small pinch of the salt.

Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes or until ready to serve. Makes 18 balls.