Wednesday Recipes

It's the next-to-last Wednesday in November, almost time for Thanksgiving. I'll be starting recipes for Thanksgiving in another day or so. In the meantime, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Mushroom and Robiola Cheese Lasagna and Mexicorn Chicken. Enjoy!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE-ZUCCHINI BREAD

This comes from Deb Wise on MyRecipes. She wrote, “Got a boatload of zucchini? A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. This decadent twist spices up classic zucchini bread with cocoa powder, cinnamon, a rich chocolate glaze, and roasted pepitas. Easy-to-make, incredibly moist, and intensely chocolatey, this Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Bread is sure to be a new favorite.”

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; Yield: Serves: 10 (serving size: 1 slice)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-chocolate-zucchini-bread.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

1 2/3 cups (about 7 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. roasted and salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), divided

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped

1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Place eggs in a large bowl; lightly whisk. Add granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in grated zucchini.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl just until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pepitas into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top with spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of pan to loosen bread. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.

Combine cream and bittersweet chocolate in a medium-size microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM until chocolate melts, about 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar, and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled bread. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas.

TEXAS POTATO SALAD

This is from Derrick Riches, a former writer for The Spruce Eats. Derrick wrote, “If you haven't tried a Texas-style potato salad, you're missing out. Think German potato salad meets traditional potato salad with a touch of Southwestern flair. A must try at your next cookout!”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 18 minutes; Total Time: 38 minutes; Yield: serves 4-6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Pickled Jalapeños:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 large jalapeño (seeded and finely chopped)

For the Potatoes:

8 medium poatoes (Yukon gold, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks)

For the Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sea salt (more if needed)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (coarse ground)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or chipotle chili powder)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons pickling juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Assembly:

2 stalks celery (washed and diced)

2 green onions (green part only, washed and chopped)

1/4 cup cilantro (leaves, washed and chopped)

2 eggs (hard-boiled, cut into medium chunks)

Directions

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this potato salad dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Pickled Jalapeños:

Gather the ingredients.

In a small glass or plastic bowl, add rice wine vinegar, mustard seed, salt, and diced jalapeño. You can use serrano peppers if you prefer.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

Make the Potatoes:

Gather the ingredients.

Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt to water as it begins to bubble.

Peel and cut Yukon potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to pot and boil for 15-18 minutes. Potatoes are done when easily pierced by a fork. Make sure they are still firm and not mushy.

Once potatoes are cooked through, drain and add to an ice bath (a large bowl with cold water and 1 cup of ice), for several minutes. This halts the cooking process and cools the potatoes.

Make the Dressing

Gather the ingredients.

Add mustard, mayonnaise, salt, sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, vinegar, pickling juice, chili powder, and garlic powder to bowl.

Combine and taste for salt content. Remember that potatoes tend to need a little more salt, so add 1/2 teaspoon more if necessary.

Assemble the Potatoes

Gather the ingredients.

Drain potatoes from ice bath.

Add to bowl along with celery pickled jalapeños, cilantro, egg, and green onions.

Using large spoon, gently combine with salad dressing.

Scoop potato salad into serving dish, top with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

MUSHROOM AND ROBIOLA CHEESE LASAGNA

This is from Anthony Scotto on the Today website. It begins, “Velvety béchamel sauce makes this cheesy lasagna even more comforting, creamy and delicious. Sautéed mushrooms, fresh herbs and robiola cheese all add an earthy flavor, making this the perfect dish for a cool fall night.”

Makes 6-8 servings

This can be viewed online at https://www.today.com/recipes/mushroom-robiola-cheese-lasagna-recipe-t163303.

Ingredients

Béchamel Sauce

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream, heated just until steaming

2 cups whole milk, heated just until steaming

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Lasagna

1 pound fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds fresh robiola cheese, diced

2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound lasagna noodles

Preparation

For the béchamel sauce:

In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, 2-3 minutes.

Continue whisking constantly, slowly add half of the hot cream and half of the hot milk to saucepan.

Pour the remaining hot milk into the saucepan, in small increments, whisking mixture constantly, until a smooth paste forms.

Whisk remaining cream into the mixture, then add nutmeg and salt. Cook mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape bottom and sides, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. If any lumps form, stir sauce rapidly with a whisk. Season with pepper, taste; remove from heat.

For the lasagna:

Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the thyme and rosemary over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix half of the robiola cheese with 1 cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 cups of béchamel sauce and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the eggs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the pasta until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain and shock pasta sheets in cold water.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spread a small ladle of plain béchamel sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan to cover. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the cheese and mushroom mix over the pasta. Add more béchamel sauce and sprinkle with more robiola cheese and Parmesan. Repeat the layers of sauce, mushroom, pasta and cheese, two more times.

Spread the remaining cup of béchamel sauce over the top layer of the pasta and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the final layer of sauce.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden. Let rest for 30 minutes before cutting the lasagna.

CHEESY TACO MEATLOAF

This comes from Campbell's Soup, and begins, “It takes just 10 minutes and a few ingredients to put together this scrumptious meatloaf...and when it comes out of the oven you've got two family favorites, tacos and meatloaf, combined into one tasty dish!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hr 15 minutes; Serves: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa or Pace® Picante Sauce - Medium

1 1/2 ounces tortilla chips, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1 egg

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Set the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly mix the beef, 1 cup salsa, tortilla chips, egg, chili powder, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Place the beef mixture into a 3-quart shallow baking pan and shape into an 9x4-inch loaf.

Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.

Spread the remaining salsa over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

CAULDRON OF CHILI WITH SPIDER BREAD

My son and I were both on several long-forgotten emailing recipe lists. This is one of the recipes my son passed along from one of those lists.

Source: Target Recipes

Serves: 8; Hands-On Time: 40 Minutes; Total Time: 55 Minutes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onions

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 ounce) can spicy chili beans, undrained

1 (11 ounce) can Mexicorn whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained

1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated breadsticks

4 small pimento-stuffed olives, sliced

1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onions over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes stirring frequently until beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain.

Stir in tomatoes, chili, beans and corn; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make an X shape using two pieces of dough. Pinch and twist the center where they meet to create a ball-shaped spider head.

Place on baking sheet, spreading legs of X shape out from the spider body. Use scissors to cut the dough creating four more legs. Attach dough to body and splay all eight legs. Place 2 olive slices on each for eyes.

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Top individual serving of chili with cheese and serve with warm spider breads.

MEXICORN CHICKEN

One of my inventions from decades ago. It can be found in Off the Wall Cooking, which I'm currently updating.

Ingredients

2-3 lb. chicken, cut up

3 T oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T wheat germ

12 oz. can Mexicorn

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 C water

1 T soy sauce

1 T honey

Directions

Brown chicken to oil. Put in baking dish. Brown onion, garlic & wheat germ, stirring. Pour over chicken. Add mexicorn, soup, water, soy sauce & hone. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.