Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's six recipes include Spicy Buffalo-Style Meatballs and Chicken Pot Pie Squares. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE-HONEY BROWNIE BARS

This is from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “These brownies not only have honey in the batter, but are also drizzled with a luscious chocolate-honey topping for an extra-special touch.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 24 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey, divided

2 eggs

1 cup flour

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave butter and 6 oz. chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar and 1/2 cup honey; mix well. Blend in eggs. Add flour; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.

Microwave remaining chocolate and honey in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle over brownie.

Refrigerate 5 min. or until chocolate is firm. Use foil handles to remove brownie from pan before cutting into bars.

BEEF AND BROCCOLI

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Here is a streamlined, powerfully flavorful recipe for a delivery-food standby: velvety wok-fried beef in a oyster-soy sauce, served in a forest of green. ‘It’s diaspora food,’ the chef Jonathan Wu told me, describing the cooking of Chinese immigrants to the United States and a dish that is almost unknown in China but beloved in America. The recipe is a version of the one Wu’s mother made for dinner when he was growing up outside Hartford, Conn., with a little chile-garlic paste added for zip and, thanks to the Brooklyn chef Dale Talde, a pat of butter swirled into the sauce at the end. This provides a plush gloss that is far better than the traditional cornstarch slurry. It is midweek family cooking at its best.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “The Best Beef and Broccoli, No Delivery Required” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This is me (Robin) writing. Cooking can be a fun, creative process. There have been many times over the years when I have not had an ingredient on hand; I’ve either run out, or, in the case of alcohol, just plain don’t have it around at all. If that sounds familiar, you can usually experiment. I personally would either use non-alcoholic wine or water for the wine, and either hoisin sauce or soy sauce in place of the oyster sauce. But that’s just me. Feel free to follow Sam’s recipe here to the letter. But either way, make sure you get some enjoyment out of your food and the company you eat with!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry or sake

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pound beef — chuck or rib steak — sliced thin against the grain

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/2 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, or to taste

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola, grapeseed or peanut

1 pound broccoli, the head cut into florets and the stems peeled and cut into planks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the wine, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the cornstarch. Add the beef to the bowl, and toss to combine, then cover the bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes or so.

To make the sauce, combine in a small bowl the remaining soy sauce, the oyster sauce and the chile-garlic sauce, and mix to combine, then add a tablespoon of water and mixagain. Set aside.

Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a wok set over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add about half the beef to the wok, and stir-fry until it is browned and crisp and barely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate, and set aside. Then repeat with remaining beef.

Pour off the oil in the wok, wipe it out with a towel and return it to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl it around and heat it until it is smoking. Add the broccoli and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons water to the wok, and toss and stir the broccoli in the steam for an additional 2 minutes, then return beef to the wok, followed by the sauce. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, for 30 seconds or so, then add the butter, and stir and toss again for 30 seconds more. Serve immediately, with rice.

CRUSTY MACARONI AND CHEESE

This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Macaroni and cheese may seem an easy proposition. Noodles, cheese. But the secret to this creamy dish with a crunchy and crisp top is American cheese. This is no place for fancy cheeses or fancy noodles. Leave the whole-wheat penne and artisanal orecchiette in the cupboard and bring on the elbow pasta.”

Yield: 8 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This is featured in “THE WINTER COOK; Macaroni and Lots of Cheese” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

1 pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Salt

2/3 cup whole milk

Preparation

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

CHICKEN POT PIE SQUARES

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “Using convenience products like puff pastry sheets, purchased gravy and a frozen vegetable combination makes these enjoyable pot pies easy enough for everyday cooking.”

Serves: 6 servings (1 filled square each); Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into cubes

1 jar (12 ounces) Campbell's® Slow Roast Chicken Gravy

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) or mixed vegetables

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 strips along the fold marks. Cut each strip in half crosswise, making 6 pastry rectangles in all. Place the pastry rectangles onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 12 layers in all.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

Stir the gravy, thyme, onion powder and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Spoon about 2/3 cup chicken mixture on each bottom pastry layer. Top with the top pastry layers.

AVOCADO CLUB CHEESEBURGERS WITH SWEET POTATO FRIES

This is from Audrey Johns on The TODAY Show website. She wrote, “This whole meal, from burger to fries, is only 477 calories, and it's also protein packed with 39 grams of protein. Great for a healthy barbecue substitute.

“Technique tip: I use parchment paper when baking the fries so that they brown nicely and don't stick to the pan.

“Swap option: You can use ground turkey, as the recipe calls for, or swap out for bison or lean beef. If you don't like sweet potato fries, swap out for russet potatoes and follow the same directions for yummy baked French fries.”

Cook Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Fries

3 medium sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheeseburgers

4 slices turkey bacon, halved

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound ground turkey

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch kosher salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 whole-wheat burger buns

4 romaine leaves, halved

1 large tomato, cut into 4 thick slices

1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

Preparation

For the fries:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into steak fry-size wedges, tossing them into a large bowl as you work. Add the cooking spray, garlic salt, pepper and toss to coat the fries. Spread out the fries evenly on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 45 minutes, flipping halfway through.

For the sauce:

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors blend.

For the burgers:

Line a plate with paper towels. Lightly coat a large sauté pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon, and brown to your liking. Transfer to the prepared plate, leaving the oil and drippings in the pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together with your clean hands the ground turkey, onion, garlic, kosher salt and pepper until just combined (don't over mix or the burgers will be tough). Form into 4 patties and make a little dimple in the center of each so that they keep their shape while cooking.

With the pan from the bacon over medium-low heat, add the patties and cook for 8 minutes, undisturbed. Flip and top each patty with cheese and cook for another 8 minutes, until cooked through.

Place the bottom buns on four plates and layer each of them as follows: romaine, tomato, avocado, burger and bacon. Smear the top buns with sauce, and then place on top of the burgers. Divide the fries among the plates alongside the burgers and serve.

SPICY BUFFALO-STYLE MEATBALLS

Recipe Yield: Makes 32 appetizer servings.

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spicy-buffalo-style-meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

Blue cheese dressing

Celery sticks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Shape beef mixture into 32 1-inch meatballs; place on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350F oven 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine hot pepper sauce, butter and honey in large bowl; mix well. Add meatballs; stir to coat.

Serve with dressing and celery sticks, as desired. Makes 32 appetizer servings.

Cook's Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef done-ness.

Cook's Tip: 1 package (about 18 ounces) frozen fully-cooked beef meatballs can be substituted for ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook meatballs according to package directions. Continue as directed in step 3.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 33; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 78 mg; Cholesterol: 16 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 1 g

D