Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Orange Chess Pie and Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bake. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

This is from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “This chocolate loaf cake is the perfect size for a family dessert, and it is easy to prepare and bake. The cake and the simple glaze are both made with cocoa powder.

“Serve the cake with a scoop of ice cream for an incredibly delicious dessert.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 75 minutes; Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 5 1/ 2 ounces

3/4 cup milk

Chocolate Glaze

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or spray with a baking spray (with flour in it).

Beat sugar and butter together until well blended. With the mixer on low speed, add the salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa. Mix until blended.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add about one-third of the flour and half of the milk and mix on low speed until blended.

Add another one-third of the flour and the remaining milk and mix until well blended. Add the remaining flour and mix until blended. Do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.

Bake for about 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove to a rack to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Glaze the cake with the chocolate glaze (directions below) or frost as desired. Or serve slices with fruit and whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Glaze

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder and milk and continue cooking and stirring until thickened.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the confectioners' sugar. Thin with more milk, if needed, or add more confectioners' sugar if a thicker icing is desired.

Spread or drizzle the warm glaze over the cooled cake.

Once the glaze is firm, cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. The unfrosted cake may be wrapped and frozen or up to 6 months.

ORANGE CHESS PIE

This comes from About.com's Southern Food expert, Diana Rattray. For this recipe, Diana wrote, “This refreshing orange chess pie is an amazing dessert, and it can be enjoyed any time of the year! With fresh orange juice and grated zest and fresh lemon juice, it is bright and bursting with citrus flavor.

“I've included a simple pie crust recipe, but you can use a frozen crust or refrigerated pie dough. Follow the instructions for partially baking a pie crust.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 8 Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Pie Crust (or use a purchased 9-inch pie shell)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 ounces chilled butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 scant teaspoon granulated sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water

Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons milk

finely grated zest of 1 orange

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half of a lemon)

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Pie Crust

Put the 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add half of the chilled butter pieces and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add the remaining chilled butter pieces and pulse another 5 or 6 times. You should have visible pieces of butter in the mixture with some the size of peas.

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and pulse a few times.

Add more water, about 2 to 3 teaspoons at a time, pulsing a couple of times after each addition. When the mixture begins to clump together, turn it out onto a floured surface.

With your hands, knead just enough to shape the dough into a disk. Overworking the dough can cause shrinkage when the pie is pre-baked, so handle it as little as possible.

Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375° F.

Roll the disk out into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Keep checking and adding flour to the work surface if you notice any sticking.

Fit the pastry into the pie plate and crimp the edge as desired.

Line the pastry with parchment paper or foil and fill about 2/3 full with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment or foil with the pie weights. Prick the dough all over, and then bake for about 5 minutes longer, or just until you begin to see a little color. Remove the crust to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.

Orange Filling

In a mixing bowl combine the 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, cornmeal, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, the milk, orange zest and juice, the lemon juice, and the lightly beaten eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.

Pour the orange filling mixture into the partially baked pie crust. Bake at 350° F for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until set. Check the pie for browning after about 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, put a pie shield or homemade foil ring over the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Chill before serving.

Serve this pie with freshly whipped cream or thawed whipped topping.

SHEET-PAN CIDER-MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is from Tbsp., and begins, “Coating chicken in an apple-mustard glaze and roasting with butternut squash on a sheet pan is as easy as it gets. But don’t think for a second that this all-in-one meal isn’t flavorful. That glaze is pure magic.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 cups 1-inch cubes butternut squash (from 2 1/2-lb squash)

Directions

Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In small bowl, beat apple juice concentrate, mustard and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with whisk. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the apple juice mixture; set aside.

Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Place on one side of baking sheet, and brush with remaining apple juice mixture.

Place squash on other side of baking sheet. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over squash; toss to coat. Roast 30 to 40 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (at least 165°F) and squash is tender.

Drizzle reserved 3 tablespoons apple juice mixture over chicken breasts, and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN & RICE BAKE

This is from FamilyTime, and starts off, “The lemon, herb and olive flavors in this one-dish, oven-easy chicken supper add great taste...and the whole dish is ready in just one hour.”

Serves: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley

1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olive

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes

1 1/4 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast half

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Paprika

Directions

Stir the broth, parsley, olives, lemon juice, black pepper, tomatoes and rice in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 20 minutes. Uncover the baking dish. Place the chicken onto the rice mixture. Sprinkle with the garlic powder and paprika. Cover the baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Ingredient Note: We develop our recipes using a 4-to 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast half per serving. However, there are a range of sizes available in-store, from the butcher counter to the meat case and the freezer section. Use whichever you prefer- just follow the recipe as written above for the best result. If you're using larger chicken breasts they may require a little longer cooking time.

SOUTHERN CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP

This comes from Tbsp., and begins, “Chicken and dumplings is classic comfort food, and nothing’s more comforting than knowing it’s assembled and ready to go in your freezer.”

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 medium carrot, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 cup)

1 celery rib, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

3/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ chicken broth

Directions

In medium bowl, mix chicken, carrot, celery and parsley.

In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.

In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until warm and butter is melted. Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture; stir until just combined. Transfer to surface sprinkled with flour; knead lightly once or twice until smooth. Using rolling pin sprinkled with flour, roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Using knife, cut rolled-out dumpling dough into 1 1/2x1-inch strips.

In 4-quart saucepan, heat broth to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; stir in chicken mixture and dumplings. Heat to simmering; cook uncovered 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are cooked through and tender.

To freeze: Mix chicken, carrot, celery and parsley in 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until warm and butter is melted. Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture; stir until just combined. Transfer to surface sprinkled with flour; knead lightly once or twice until smooth. Using rolling pin sprinkled with flour, roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Using knife, cut rolled-out dumpling dough into 1 1/2x1-inch strips. Transfer to 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag. Freeze both bags up to 3 months. When ready to serve: In 4-quart saucepan, heat broth to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; stir in contents of both bags. Heat to simmering; cook uncovered 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are cooked through and tender.

BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

This comes from Joyce Gan, “the recipe developer, blog post writer, and food photographer” for Light Orange Bean. It’s a cool site that I recently discovered.

Prep time: 35 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Total time: 1 hour

Tools: 10”saute pan and spatula, strainer, knife and cutting board, potato masher, medium sized mixing bowl, 9”×13” baking dish, pastry brush, aluminum foil.

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4-6 servings

To view this online at Joyce’s site, go to http://lightorangebean.com/black-bean-vegan-enchiladas/.

Ingredients

1 tbs canola oil

1 medium size yellow onion (finely chopped, approximately 8 oz)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 cups cooked black beans

1 tsp salt

2 cups tomato puree or 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup + 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium size jalapenos (seeded, finely chopped, approximately 1 oz)

8 oz vegan cheese (Mexican style GoVeggie preferred)

12-14 (5.5-inch) corn tortillas (gluten-free if desired)



Instructions

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the beans and tomato puree and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Mash the beans with a potato masher and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the bean mixture from the heat and strain, reserving the sauce. Transfer the strained bean mixture to a medium bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cilantro, jalapenos, and 4 oz of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Microwave 5 tortillas at a time or follow the package instructions to soften. Scoop about 1/4 cup bean mixture into each tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish seam-side down. Finish all tortillas.

Dip the pastry brush in the sauce and brush the ends of each tortilla. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.

Garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.

Notes

If there is any remaining bean mixture, it can be used as a filling in tortilla shells without any further cooking. Add lettuce if desired.

Due to different recipes of making tomato puree, the liquid content may vary. Gradually add excess water when making the bean mixture if necessary.