Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's offerings include 30-Minute Chili with Ground Beef and Beans and Coke-Brined Fried Chicken. Enjoy!

ITALIAN PASTA BAKE

This comes from John Alberti and was posted on the TODAY Show website. John wrote, “We love pasta bakes in our family. You can always make a big batch to feed everyone; they are filling and packed with amazing flavor.

“Swap option: For a vegetarian option substitute fresh veggies like peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant chili, etc. for the sausage.”

Cook Time: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 6-8

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/italian-pasta-bake-recipe-t150523.

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds Italian sausage

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 cups tomato puree

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh spinach

1 handful fresh basil leaves

2 pounds rigatoni

5 cups sliced mozzarella

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Take the casings off the sausages, and add meat to skillet. Break up with wooden spoon into thick chunks. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the tomato puree and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Chop the spinach and basil and add to the skillet. Mix well and reduce heat. As the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain the rigatoni and add to the skillet with the sausages and sauce. Mix well, then lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spread the pasta mixture in the baking dish, then break up the mozzarella and spread it around the top of the dish. Cover with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling, the Parmigiano is nice and crispy on top, and the mozzarella is melted, 20-25 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

This came from a Weight Watchers email list maybe a decade or more ago. The points value is from then.

Serves: 8; 5 points

Ingredients

12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

12 oz fat-free evaporated milk

8 oz low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain & transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside.

Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges. Reduce heat to low, add cheese & simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat & stir in mustard, salt, pepper & nutmeg.

Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs & Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

TOFU ALMONDINE

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 lb. tofu, drained, pressed & cut into cubes

4 tablespoons tamari

1/2 cup tamari

1/2 cup almond butter

2 2/3 cups water or veggie broth

2 2/3 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 carrot, diced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place tofu cubes in bowl & coat with 4 tablespoons tamari. Toss to combine & put on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Whisk together almond butter, the rest of the tamari, water/veggie broth & corn starch.

Put tofu, veggies & sauce in 9x13 baking pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until veggies are soft & sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally (about every 15 minutes). Sprinkle with slivered almonds.

30-MINUTE CHILI WITH GROUND BEEF AND BEANS

This comes from Diana Rattray, a southern food cook on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “This ground beef chili is hearty and delicious, and it takes only 30 minutes from start to finish! Don't feel overwhelmed by the list of ingredients, many are suggested toppings.

“The ground beef is quickly browned, then it is combined with a spice mixture, beans, and tomatoes for a quick and easy meal for a busy day. It's also easy on the budget.

“Make a pan of cornbread to go with the chili, along with a salad or slaw, or serve it with hot cooked rice and warm tortillas.

“If you're making this for a party game day gathering, offer several toppings with the chili and add a bowl of tortilla chips to the menu. The recipe is easily doubled.”

Total Time: 30 mins; PrepTime: 5 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Yield: 6 Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Seasoning Mix:

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons onion (dried minced)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Chili:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (at least 85% lean)

1 can/14.5 ounces diced tomatoes

1 can/14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with mild green chile peppers*

1 can/8 ounces tomato sauce

1 can/15 to 16 ounces black beans (undrained)

salt to taste

Optional: shredded cheddar, cheddar-jack, or a Mexican blend of cheeses

For Toppings (optional):

sour cream

green onion (chopped)

red onion (chopped)

lettuce (shredded)

cilantro

guacamole

tomatoes (diced)

Directions

In a small bowl or cup, combine the chili powder with the dried minced onion, cumin, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and the black and cayenne peppers. Blend well and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, turning and breaking up with a spatula as it cooks.

Drain the ground beef well. Return the beef to the pan over medium heat. Add the chili seasoning mix and stir to blend.

Add the 2 cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and undrained black beans. Stir to blend ingredients.

Bring the chili to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Taste and add salt, as needed.

Serve with a Tex-Mex cornbread or classic Southern cornbread, biscuits, crackers, or tortilla chips, along with shredded cheese and your favorite toppings.

Tip

If you don't have diced tomatoes with chile peppers, use regular diced tomatoes and add mild green chile peppers. Or, use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chunky mild to medium salsa in place of the second can of tomatoes.

CARROT TART WITH RICOTTA AND FETA

This comes from Sue Li on The New York Times cooking email. Sue wrote, “Carrots work beautifully in this simple tart, but onions, parsnips, beets, zucchini or pumpkin work just as well. The key is to cook the vegetables before putting them on the tart, since the moisture released by baking raw vegetables would make the puff pastry soggy and prevent it from rising. Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. The tart can be served warm, or cooled to room temperature, and would make a great addition to a picnic.”

Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour.

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020174-carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-feta.

Ingredients

Flour, for rolling out dough

1 (14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 pound multicolored carrots, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and black pepper

8 ounces ricotta

4 ounces feta, crumbled

1 garlic clove, grated

Chopped fresh parsley, chervil or chives, for garnish

Preparation

Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about a 1/4-inch away from the edges. Place puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick the pastry inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until puff pastry is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, toss carrots with 1 tablespoon oil, season generously with salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast carrots on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry) until the edges are golden brown and carrots are still crisp-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, blend ricotta, feta and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the carrots in a single layer on top. Bake until the carrots are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving.

COKE-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, "John Currence, of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., spent a long time in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit, and was justly celebrated for his hard work there helping to rebuild a cathedral of Southern fried chicken, Willie Mae’s Scotch House. In his 2013 cookbook, “Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey,” Currence paid tribute to the wet batter used on Willie Mae’s legendary dish. But for the purpose of weekend chicken warriors we have omitted it in our adaptation of his homage, concentrating instead on Currence’s use of a Coke-based poultry brine that not only adds some sweetness to the chicken thighs he uses but mildly tenderizes them along the way. Let the meat sit in the brine for a few hours before using, but not so long as overnight, where it really begins to break down. Then dry the thighs, dredge them in seasoned flour, and fry in peanut oil, ideally enhanced by lard. The result is mahogany-brown chicken with a crisp crust and a luscious interior." Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Brine:

5 cups Coca-Cola

1 tablespoon kosher salt

10 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

4 teaspoons mild hot sauce like Crystal, Texas Pete or Cholula

8 to 12 chicken thighs, preferably free-range, organic

For the Seasoned Flour:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Frying:

3 cups peanut oil

1 cup lard, optional, or replace with peanut oil

For Serving:

Hot sauce

Preparation

Make the brine: Combine cola, salt, thyme, garlic and hot sauce in a large metal bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the chicken thighs, cover and refrigerate 3 to 5 hours.

Make the seasoned flour: In a wide, shallow bowl or pan, combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the peanut oil in a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. While the oil heats, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dredge the thighs in the flour and shake to remove excess.

Working in batches of 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lower thighs into the hot oil. The oil temperature will plummet when the cold chicken goes into the pan; turn up the heat and carefully monitor the temperature. Cook for a little more than 3 minutes on one side, a little more than 3 minutes on the other, and then a final 3 minutes on the first side. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel to drain.

The juices should run clear when the chicken is poked with a knife. If necessary, transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a instant-read thermometer. Serve hot or at room temperature with hot sauce.