Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday (since not everyone loves tacos). Today's offerings include Turkey Meatloaf and Abruzzi Fish Stew. Enjoy!

BAKED TERIYAKI CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

This comes from Chungah Rhee, whose blog, Damn Delicious, is really fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Chungah begins this recipe by writing, “A takeout classic baked right at home with homemade teriyaki sauce – perfect over rice! Can be made ahead of time too!” Yield: 6 Servings; Prep Time: 1 hours; Cook Times: 40 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes.

To view this online, go to http://damndelicious.net/2016/05/20/baked-teriyaki-chicken-broccoli/.

Ingredients

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs* (see note)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces broccoli florets

6 carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 green onion, thinly sliced

For the Teriyaki Sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

To make the teriyaki sauce, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, honey and 1 cup water; bring to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes; let cool to room temperature. Reserve 1/2 cup and set aside.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine teriyaki sauce and chicken; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the sauce.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat.

Place chicken, skin-side up, in a single layer into the prepared baking dish. Top with broccoli, carrots and reserved 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce.

Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.

Note: *Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) can be substituted.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

This is from Diabetes Food Hub, and begins, “This version of Greek Lasagna is a great family meal that pairs well with a green salad topped with a little feta cheese and light Greek salad dressing.”

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 12; Serving Size: 1 slice

View this online at https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/budget-friendly-pastitsio-greek-lasagna.html.

Ingredients

1 spray Nonstick cooking spray

1 medium onion (diced)

20 oz lean ground turkey (93% fat-free)

2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 can tomato sauce (15 ounce, low-sodium)

1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

1 lbs brown rice or quinoa penne pasta (or whole wheat penne pasta)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 cups skim milk

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

1 egg

Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 8

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.

Add cooking spray to a large nonstick sauté pan. Sauté onions for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add in ground turkey and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through.

Add cinnamon, oregano, salt (optional), ground black pepper, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for 5-7 minutes or until just starting to thicken.

Stir in parsley and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and stir immediately into turkey mixture. Pour the pasta and turkey mixture into the baking sheet and press down so it is evenly spread in the pan.

Add the olive oil to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to brown it. Stir constantly.

Slowly whisk in the skim milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the nutmeg and parmesan cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and then slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture to temper the egg. Add the rest of the milk mixture to the egg and then pour over the top of the pasta, spreading to coat the entire thing.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.

BANANA SNACKING CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL GLAZE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This buttery snacking cake is a bit like banana bread, but richer, and topped with a sticky caramel frosting that is dotted with crunchy flakes of sea salt. The frosting, made from brown sugar and heavy cream, is easier than a classic caramel, but just as compelling, with the sea salt contrasting perfectly with its sweetness. It’s important to use ripe bananas here. Soft, spotty ones with dark yellow skins will be the sweetest and most complex. Firm, pale yellow bananas just don’t have enough intensity to flavor the cake.”

For the Glaze:

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling

This was featured in “Three Snacking Cakes to Change Your Afternoons”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup mashed banana (from 2 to 3 very ripe bananas)

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into pieces

1/3 packed cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

Large pinch of fine sea salt

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Flaky sea salt, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan, and then line with parchment paper, letting the two long ends hang over the edges by at least 2 inches.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk in bananas, melted butter, sour cream, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Scrape into baking pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

When cake is cool, make the glaze: In a medium or large pot (not a small one because the mixture will bubble up), combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt. Bring to a full boil and continue to boil over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth, then immediately pour over cooled cake. Spread evenly across cake and let set for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.

ABRUZZI FISH STEW

This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 45. Makes 8 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.

Ingredients

2 lb. assorted fish and shellfish (such as snapper, cod, red mullet, clams, mussels, and shrimp)

4 large tomatoes, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. spaghetti

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut fish into 2" to 3" pieces, scrub the clams and mussels, and peel and devein the shrimp. In a heavy-bottomed 12" ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and bake for 10 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper, and gently add to tomatoes. Cover and bake for another 10 minutes or until fish is opaque. Scatter shellfish over the top, cover, and bake for another 10 minutes or until all shells have opened and shrimp is opaque.

While seafood bakes, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta to seafood pan and mix gently to combine. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 415; Protein: 27 g; Carbs: 48 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 4 g; Total fat: 12 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 307 mg

VEGGIE-LOADED PASTA

This is from The Mayo Clinic Diet. Serving size: 1 1/2 cups. Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

12 ounces soy crumbles, ground

2 cans tomatoes, diced, no salt added (14.5 ounces each)

2 cups small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

6 ounces whole wheat bow-tie pasta

3 tablespoon basil, fresh (or 3 teaspoons dried basil)

Instructions

Place a large saucepan over medium to high heat.

Add the oil, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the onion is tender.

Add soy crumbles, tomatoes, zucchini, Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

While the mixture is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain well and gently mix into the vegetable sauce. Garnish with basil.

Nutritional Information: Amount per serving: Calories: 260; Total fat: 6 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 300 mg; Total carbohydrate: 33 g; Dietary fiber: 8 g; Protein: 17 g

TURKEY MEATLOAF

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking email. Sam wrote, “This is a recipe that helps explain the Twitter-era term ‘humblebrag.’ I made it for the celebrated writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron after a different recipe resulted in a disaster and I had to discard the result with only a few hours before my dinner with -- did I mention? -- Nora Ephron. It derives from a meatball dish once cooked by the chef Mark Ladner at the restaurant Lupa in Manhattan, and published as a recipe in Details magazine in the early years of the century. I scaled it up over the years, increasing some spices here and there, lessening others, until I had what I thought to be a pretty terrific meatloaf. But don't take my word for it. ‘This is remarkable,’ Ms. Ephron told me. I'm bragging about it still.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

This was featured in “Potlucky” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This recipe calls for 1 cup red wine. If, like me, you don’t keep wine or any alcohol around the house, I imagine you could replace this with 1 cup water. Yes, this will affect the taste a little, but it’s do-able.

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh bread crumbs of any provenance

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup whole milk

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed, crumbled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces bacon, chopped

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, seeds removed

1 cup red wine

1/4 bunch mint

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2/3 of the garlic, the rosemary, pepper flakes, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk and mix. Add the turkey and sausage and mix once more to combine; don’t overmix. Transfer onto a board and shape into a fine meatloaf, about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Place in a baking pan with high sides (a 9 x12 pan with 2-inch sides works well), drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to curl and its fat is rendered. Add the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the meatloaf, cover tightly with foil and bake until a meat thermometer inserted at the center reads 150 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let stand, tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices, spoon tomato sauce over the top and scatter with torn mint leaves.