Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Today's recipes include Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Skillet and Pumpkin Patch Brownies. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE

This is from Tbsp., and begins, “An easy fall cake that is ‘dumped’ into a pan and baked.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 16

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (29 oz) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

3 whole eggs

1 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon until well blended. Spread pumpkin mixture in prepared baking dish. Mixture will be very wet.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly on top of the batter. If adding pecans, sprinkle them over the cake mix. Pour melted butter over the top of the cake mix. Bake 50 minutes.

Cool completely. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

This is from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “A warm and spicy black bean soup.”

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 servings

To view the recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. minced jalapeños

1 tbsp. tomato paste

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

3 (15-oz.) cans black beans, with liquid

1 qt. low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

sour cream, for garnish

Sliced avocado, for garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeños and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir to coat vegetables, and cook about a minute more. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin and stir to coat.

Add black beans with their liquid and chicken broth. Stir soup, add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup to desired consistency.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, and cilantro.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

SLOW COOKER BEEF AND VEGETABLE TZIMMES

This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The recipe begins, “Honey-sweetened tzimmes is a classic dish for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Toss all the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning before heading out to temple and you'll return home to a fabulous, no-fuss holiday meal.”

POINTS® Value: 8; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 24 min; Cooking Time: 480 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

7 oz frozen chopped onions, about 2 cups

3 pound raw lean beef brisket, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (boneless)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1/2 pound baby carrots, cut in half if large

8 small uncooked new potatoes, cut in half (unpeeled)

1 cup Dole Pitted Prunes, or other brand

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided (from 2 small lemons)

5 tsp honey, divided

1 1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup canned beef broth

Directions

Place onion, beef, garlic, sweet potatoes, carrots, new potatoes, prunes, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of honey in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and broth; stir well.

Cook on low setting for 7 to 8 hours. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons of honey; cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups of solids and gravy per serving.

Notes: You can substitute dried apricots for the prunes if you prefer.

For a thicker gravy, spoon 1 tablespoon of flour into a cup and stir in 1/4 cup of the tzimmes liquid until the mixture is lump-free. Add the flour mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. (Adding the flour does not affect the recipe’s POINTS value.)

PUMPKIN PATCH BROWNIES

This is from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. The recipe begins, “The sweetest pumpkin patch you ever did see.”

Total Time: 1 hour; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 8 - 10.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix, plus required ingredients

1 c. white chocolate chips

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

green food coloring

1 can chocolate frosting

1 c. crushed oreos

Pumpkin candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9-x-13” pan with parchment paper then grease with cooking spray. Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick has moist crumbs, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine white chocolate chips, vegetable oil and green food coloring. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth then transfer to a small ziplock bag and cut the tip of one corner to pipe.

Spread chocolate frosting over the brownies, then sprinkle with crushed Oreos. Using the green chocolate, pipe vines over the surface of the brownies, then scatter pumpkin candies on top of the brownies.

Slice into squares and serve.

HOME/MADE MUSHROOM LASAGNA

This comes from Sam Sifton at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Monica Byrne, with her partner, Leisah Swenson, runs a tiny restaurant in Red Hook, Brooklyn, called Home/Made. A plurality of words that appear on the Home/Made menu: ‘cheese,’ ‘smoked,’ ‘bacon,’ ‘caramelized.’ Three of those four appear in Byrne’s lasagna, leaving out only bacon, which would be a fine addition. She layers smoked mozzarella over a painting of rich, garlicky béchamel and sheets of pasta, then radicchio roasted into sweetness and tossed in sauce. Sautéed mushrooms add heft and loamy funkiness, and a mixture of Fontina and Gruyère add zing.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in “Gooey Wild-Mushroom Lasagna” and can be viewed onlinehere.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or herb oil

6 large shallots, peeled and minced

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, wild or best available oyster, shiitake, cremini, trimmed and sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 softball-size head of radicchio, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or herb oil

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 tablespoons flour, ideally instant or all-purpose

3 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

1 cup Fontina cheese, grated

2 tablespoons best-quality truffle oil (optional)

2 9-ounce boxes of no-boil lasagna sheets

1 baseball-size ball of smoked mozzarella, sliced

1 cup fresh Parmesan, grated

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of the olive oil or herb oil. When it begins to shimmer, add half of the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add mushrooms and toss to coat, then cook until they begin to color but are still plump, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze pan and allow to cook down into a syrup, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Put the mushrooms into a large bowl and reserve.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, toss the radicchio with 1/4 cup olive oil or herb oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the strips out onto a baking pan and place in the oven until the strips are lightly browned around the edges, approximately 15 minutes. Combine with mushrooms and reserve.

Make the béchamel. Place a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. When it foams, add the rest of the shallots and cook until they begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir to combine, then cook until the garlic has started to soften. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to combine, then cook gently until the mixture has turned light brown and gives off a nutty scent, approximately 10 minutes. Add milk to the mixture, whisking all the while, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the nutmeg and 1/4 cup of grated Gruyère and 1/4 cup of grated Fontina, then stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reserve a cup of béchamel. Pour the rest over the mixture of mushrooms and radicchio, and stir to combine. Add truffle oil, if using.

Assemble lasagna. Spread plain béchamel across the bottom of a 9- by-13-inch baking pan. Place a layer of lasagna sheets across the sauce, being careful not to overlap. Spread a generous layer of mushroom mixture on top of the pasta, and follow with some grated Fontina and Gruyère. Put another layer of pasta above the cheese, and top with smoked mozzarella. Repeat until the pasta is gone and the pan is full. Top with remaining cheeses and a generous amount of grated Parmesan. Cover with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is golden and bubbling.