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Showing posts with label Acadian Rigatoni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acadian Rigatoni. Show all posts

Friday, June 24, 2016

Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday! Here are six recipes stop help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

GRILLED ROAST CHICKEN WITH SPINACH-RICOTTA CROSTINI

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This whole chicken cooked on the grill is truly a best-of-both-worlds recipe: You get the incredibly succulent meat and brittle-crisp, burnished skin of a roast chicken, combined with the deep smoky flavor of the grill. To make it, you essentially use your grill like an outdoor oven, cooking a whole splayed chicken in a skillet instead of directly on the grill grate. Splaying the bird first — that is, flattening the legs so they lay flat in the skillet — helps the dark meat cook quickly and evenly. The skillet helps to distribute the heat and captures the juices, which would otherwise incinerate in the fire. Those juices are then put to good use as a cooking medium for dill-flecked, garlicky spinach. The greens absorb all of the chicken drippings before being heaped upon ricotta-smeared crostini. Added bonus: You don’t have to worry about setting off your smoke detector. Here, the smoke stays in the grill with the bird, which is exactly where you want it.” Yield: 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon high-quality chile powder (ancho or New Mexican are nice)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (save the zested lemon to juice over the crostini)

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), patted dry

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 anchovies (optional)

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 pound mature spinach leaves, cleaned (12 cups)

1 cup chopped dill

4 slices crusty country-style bread, 1/2-inch thick

Fresh ricotta, for serving

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, chile powder and lemon zest. Rub the chicken inside and out with salt mixture. Place chicken on a rack set over a baking pan to catch any drips, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat a gas grill, or light a charcoal grill for indirect heat (meaning pile the coals on one side of the gill, leaving the other side empty).

Place a cast-iron skillet on the grate directly over the coals. Cover the grill, and let the pan heat up for 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife to cut the skin connecting the legs to the rest of the body. Use your hands to splay the thighs open until you feel the joint pop.

Rub chicken with oil and place it breast side down in the hot skillet. Cover grill and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until the breast is seared and golden and easily releases from the pan.

Using tongs and a spatula for balance, carefully flip chicken and cover the grill again. Continue cooking until the underside of the chicken is starting to brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Make sure the skin doesn’t get too dark; it will continue to brown even as it cooks over indirect heat. You’re looking for a medium golden color here, a shade or two lighter than what you ultimately want it to look like.

Move the skillet over to the unlit side of the charcoal grill, or turn off the burners on your gas grill that are underneath the pan. Cover grill and continue to cook until the bird is cooked through, 10 to 25 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer should register 155 degrees in the breast. You’ll need to keep your eye on the grill heat as you cook. If you’ve got a thermometer on your grill cover, you’re looking for it to be at about 450 degrees. If it falls below 400 degrees or seems as if it’s not hot enough (i.e., your chicken is cooking too slowly), add more coals or turn up your burners. Use your intuition here.

Transfer chicken from the skillet to a cutting board, and tent with foil to rest.

Throw garlic, anchovies (if desired) and red pepper flakes into the skillet and cook, uncovered, until the garlic starts to sizzle and turn golden, about 20 seconds. Toss in spinach and dill and cook, stirring with your tongs, until just wilted, 2 minutes longer. If the spinach isn't wilting quickly, push the pan back over the flame to direct heat. Season with salt.

Place bread slices on grill and cook until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side.

To serve, drizzle toasts with oil and slather with ricotta. Top with spinach mix and a little lemon juice. Serve alongside sliced chicken.

GRILLED CORN WITH CHILE BUTTER

This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “In South Africa, charred ears of corn (called braai mielies) are year-round, smoky-sweet roadside snacks. This version is a side dish for the American summer, when corn and grilling are both in season. The cobs are slicked with butter and sparked with chile heat; in South Africa, they would be served alongside a pile of charcoal-grilled lamb chops or steak or giant prawns, or all of the above. For a more rustic effect (and more effort), use the corn husks as a wrapper instead of aluminum foil. Soak the unshucked cobs in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Peel back the husks but do not detach them from the cobs; remove all the cornsilk. After rubbing on the butter, rearrange the husks around each cob and tie in place with twine.” Yield: 4 to 8 servings; Time: About 45 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened

1 fresh hot red chile, such as Fresno, Holland or cherry, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce to taste

8 to 12 cobs of corn

Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Preparation

Prepare a grill for high-heat cooking. For each corn cob, tear a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap it completely.

In a bowl, combine the butter, chile, garlic (if using), salt and pepper. Mix well and taste. Adjust the seasonings; add drops of hot sauce if the butter is not spicy enough. Set aside.

Shuck the corn. Use your hands to rub butter mixture thoroughly onto each cob, reserving about 1/4 of the mixture for basting. Wrap each buttered cob in aluminum foil.

When ready to cook, place cobs on the grill (or, if the fire is low, in the coals) and cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until steamed and cooked through.

Unwrap and place on the grill. Use remaining butter to baste the corn as it grills, turning it until lightly charred and cooked through. Serve immediately with lime wedges, if using.

EASY 5-INGREDIENT BLUEBERRY CRISP

This comes from Grace Parisi in The Today Show’s cooking e-newsletter. (According to the site, “Grace Parisi is a New York City-based food writer, cookbook author and food stylist. Her book, Get Saucy, was nominated for a James Beard award. Her latest book, Quick Pickles comes out in Fall 2016. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.”)

This recipe begins, “The key to a super successful 5-ingredient recipe is to choose ingredients that do double or triple duty. In addition to toasty oats, the granola adds sweet spices and nuts. Also, the self-rising flour contains leavening and salt, which makes the crumble especially light and crisp. If your granola has dried fruit, pick them out—they may get too hard in the oven. Serve piping hot with vanilla ice cream.” Prep Time: 40 minutes; makes 6 servings.

To view online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 pints blueberries

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup nutty cinnamon granola

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the mixture to an 8-inch by 11-inch baking dish along with the blueberries and 2 tablespoons water; toss to combine.

Add the butter to the remaining flour-and-sugar mixture and using your fingers, rub together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the granola and pinch into clumps. Scatter the crumbs over the berries and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Cover loosely with foil halfway through to prevent over-browning. Serve piping hot with vanilla ice cream.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CREAM PIE

This comes from The Baker Chick. I love the food that comes out in her e-newsletters. If you haven't checked out (and signed up for) her newsletters, I recommend doing so. This makes 1 9-inch pie.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

20-25 Oreo Cookies

3 tablespoons of butter

pinch of salt

3 ripe bananas

For the Pudding:

2 1/4 cups whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon butter

Peanut Butter Mousse

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)

2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

For Peanut Butter Sauce: (optional)

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoons of milk

Instructions

For the Crust:

Place the Oreos in a large ziplock bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are moistened- stir in the salt.

Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until set.

For the pudding:

Combine 2 cups of milk and the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir together and heat until simmering.

Whisk egg yolks together and slowly pour about half of the milk mixture into it with one hand while whisking with the other until combined. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of milk.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup of milk with the cornstarch until thick and combined. Pour it into the milk mixture and turn the heat back up to medium. Whisk constantly until very thick and bubbling like lava.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.

Allow the pudding to cool a bit as you prep the mousse.

For the Peanut Butter Mousse:

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla, then peanut butter.

Whip cream in another medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold large spoonful of whipped cream into peanut mixture to loosen, then fold in remaining whipped cream in 2 additions.

To assemble:

Layer the pie in the prepared crust as follows: Sliced banana, pudding, bananas and mousse. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

For peanut butter sauce:

Melt peanut butter in the microwave until thinned. Whisk in powdered sugar and enough milk to thin it for drizzling. Drizzle the sauce over the pie before serving.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

From the Food Network. To view this online, click here. Total Time: 1 hr 30 min., prep: 35 min; cook: 55 min; yields 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (1-pint) containers ice cream (any flavor)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. With a spoon, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until you have a smooth dough.

Using a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop 6 mounds of dough on each baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. (For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.) Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, turn the ice cream pints on their sides and use a serrated knife to slice through the containers, cutting each into 3 even rounds. Place the ice cream disks on a baking sheet and freeze until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble, peel the cardboard from the ice cream disks and sandwich each disk between 2 cookies. Serve the sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 week.

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here..

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday! Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

This yummy cake comes from Regina Schrambling in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Regina wrote, “This buttery almond cake with lemon curd baked inside is like the ultimate citrus tart, without the heartbreak of pie crust. It's fancy enough to be served as a dinner party dessert, yet substantial enough to be served with Sunday brunch. (Bonus: you'll have several tablespoons of lemon curd left over. It's delicious on toast or pancakes.)” Makes 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Curd:

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 extra-large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

For the Cake:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup ground toasted almonds

2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

About 1/2 cup heavy cream for garnish

1 tablespoon almond liqueur (optional)

Preparation

For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl, and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.

With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on taste.

Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.

Whip cream with almond liqueur. Present cake at table, and offer whipped cream on the side.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

This absolutely yummy recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian. Total Time: 45 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 20 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-primavera-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips

2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips

2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence

1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

LIGHT POTATO SALAD
This is from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Nigella wrote, “I know the potato salad I suggest is in culinary terms very un-American. I resolutely believe, however, that potatoes are so much better dressed in oil and vinegar (but it must be good wine vinegar) than blanketed in mayonnaise.” Time: 45 minutes; makes 8 to 10 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Salt

5 pounds new potatoes, creamers or other small (1-inch to 1 1/2-inch diameter) potatoes

6 scallions, thinly sliced into rings

2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil

10 slices (1/2 pound) bacon

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup good-quality white wine vinegar

Preparation

Bring a large wide pan of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, cut in two, and place in a large bowl. Add scallions, and toss gently to mix.

Return dry potato pan to medium heat, and add garlic oil and bacon. Cook bacon until very crisp, and transfer to paper towels.

Add mustard seeds to bacon fat in pan. After a few moments, they will begin to pop. Immediately turn off heat, and add vinegar and potato mixture. Toss together, then transfer back into bowl.

Cover salad with plastic wrap, and allow to rest at room temperature for about an hour. To serve, transfer to a serving bowl, and crumble crispy bacon on top.

SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE

This comes from Erin Chase in The Today Show’s Food Club e-newsletter. Erin also has her own blog, called $5 Dinners. I highly recommend checking it out. Seriously. I’ll wait…(Can you hear me tapping my foot?) Well, if you didn’t just check it out, please do so sometime soon, before you forget.

For this recipe, Erin wrote, “The slow cooker saves my sanity on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis. One of the favorite ways to use my slow cooker is for making double batches of sauces, like this Bolognese sauce. My large 7-quart All Clad slow cooker allows me to make big ole batches of our family’s favorite recipes. I can serve a portion of the batch for dinner that night, and let the rest cool so I can package it up for the freezer. This particular bolognese sauce is perfect for just this...eat some, freeze some for later. To make it super quick to load up in the morning, I recommend browning the ground beef and cooking the bacon the night before, ideally when you’re prepping dinner. If you really want to get ahead (so it will take you less than 5 minutes to load up in the slow cooker), you can chop the onion, celery and carrots too. If you can manage all of that prep the night before, dinner will be a cinch to get going in the slow cooker on a frantic weekday morning. Here’s my favorite doubled up version of bolognese sauce recipe for the slow cooker…” Yield: 8 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 8 hours.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 lb. ground beef, browned

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced onion

4 carrot sticks, peeled and finely chopped or shredded

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 small white onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

12 to 16 oz. pasta, for every 4 servings

Fresh veggies or side salad, as side dish

Preparation

Brown the ground beef, ideally the night before.

Cook and crumble the bacon, ideally the night before.

To a 6-qt. or larger slow cooker, combine the browned ground beef, cooked bacon, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, minced onion, the chopped carrots, celery and onion. Mix together in the slow cooker insert.

Set on low and cook for 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, when the sauce is finished cooking.

Just before dinner, prepare the pasta and veggies.

Serve Slow Cooker Bolognese over pasta with side of veggies or salad.

To Freeze Remaining Sauce:Let cool completely before adding to plastic freezer baggie or container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in skillet or small saucepan.

ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Here's a simple, robust, cold-weather soup that you can make with almost any mixture of root vegetables you have to hand: carrots, parsnips, celery root, turnips, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato. Flavored with garlic, rosemary and bay leaves on top of a saute of onions and celery, it's an earthy, sweet, and warming meal for days where the air has some bite. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, some grated cheese, flaky salt and a shower of black pepper.” Time: 1 hour; makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped

2 to 3 celery stalks, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 rosemary or thyme branches

2 bay leaves

3 1/2 pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional

Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional

Preparation

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Season with lemon juice and more salt to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO

I think this came from About.com, but I'm not completely sure, since it's been kicking around my email account for more than five years with not note. The person who sent this wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.”

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICEBOX COOKIES

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “These icebox cookies are filled with ground chocolate chips. Use a small food processor or chopper to grind or chop the chocolate chips for these cookies. The dough is chilled slightly and then it's rolled into logs and thoroughly chilled until it's very firm. Plant to let the dough logs chill for at least four hours, or leave them in the refrigerator overnight.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 11 minutes; Total Time: 26 minutes; Yield: About 3 dozen

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup butter (8 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour, 13 1/2 ounces

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ground or finely chopped

Preparation

In large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars together until light; add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Stir in the ground chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm enough to shape.

Divide dough into 2 portions; form each portion into a log and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Refrigerate the dough logs for at least 4 hours, or until very firm.

Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease the pan.

Cut a log into 1/4-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.

SEARED BROCCOLI AND POTATO SOUP

This comes from Melissa Clark from The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. If you haven't already signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it.

For this recipe, Melissa writes, “This is not your average broccoli soup. Instead of merely boiling the broccoli to cook it, here, the florets are seared until deeply browned on one side while remaining bright green on the other. This gives the soup a layer of caramelized flavor while also preserving the fresh green taste of the broccoli itself. It’s a technique inspired by Andrew Feinberg of Franny’s restaurant in Brooklyn, who also uses it for zucchini soup. In this version, we’ve added potato for body, chile flakes for spice and lemon zest to heighten the citrus tang at the end.” Time: 45 minutes; makes 4 to 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds), separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large Spanish onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoons black pepper, more for finishing

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste

Grated Parmesan, to finish

Flaky sea salt, to finish

Preparation

In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add about a third of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook broccoli without moving it for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until dark brown on 1 side only (leave the other side bright green). Transfer to a big bowl and repeat with remaining broccoli and more oil. When all the broccoli has been browned, season with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan. Add onions and garlic, black and red peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook onion-garlic mixture until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add potato to the pot with 1 quart water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and cook until potato is just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broccoli, cover again and cook until tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

Add lemon zest and roughly purée soup with an immersion or regular blender, leaving some small chunks for texture. Stir in lemon juice. Finish with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and flaky sea salt.

SOUR-CREAM COFFEE CAKE

This comes from Robert Farrar Capon in The New York Times' Cooking e-newsletter. Robert writes, “Here is a classic coffee cake with a tender crumb and a crunchy streusel topping that comes together in about an hour. It's quite rich, so your serving sizes don't need to be large.” Time: 1 hour; makes about 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with sour cream and vanilla.

Pour into a well-buttered baking pan (8-by-8-inch). Combine sugar, cinnamon, nuts, melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool, cut into pieces and serve.

NACHO POT PIE BAKE

This comes from the Tablespoon e-newsletter. It begins, “A flavor-packed “all-in-one” meal topped with cheesy nacho chips makes this one you won’t want to miss.” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 60 min; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 bag (11 oz) Green Giant™ Seasoned Steamers™ frozen honey roasted sweet corn

1 can (10 3/4 oz) fiesta nacho cheese condensed soup

1/4 cup water

2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Microwave corn as directed on package for minimum cook time.

In large bowl, mix cooked corn, soup, water, chicken, black beans, 1 cup of the cheese and the chili powder.

Spoon mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Top with chips and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

PERFECT PANCAKES

This comes from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Golden brown, delicious pancakes are always welcome! This foolproof recipe is great for kids learning how to cook. Serve the pancakes with maple or fruit syrup, honey, sliced fruit, or fresh berries. Butter is delicious, too!” Serves 4 to 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; cook time: about 3 minutes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

about 1 1/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons Crisco® Vegetable Oil, or melted butter

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the milk and oil until mixed. Pour into the flour and stir just until moistened.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until hot. The pan is hot enough when a drop of water "dances" on its surface. Drop a pat of butter or a little vegetable oil on the pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan to spread the butter or oil over the surface, or spread it with a spatula.

Ladle or pour the batter into the hot surface, allowing a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Leave about 1 inch between each and with a spatula or the back of a spoon spread the pancakes into circles about 4 inches in diameter.

Cook each pancake for about 1 minute or until small bubbles appear on the top and the bottom turns golden brown. Using a pancake turner, flip them and cook for another minute or until golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat to avoid burning.

To prevent toughening, only turn the pancakes once -- and flip them before the surface bubbles break.

Lift the pancakes from the skillet with a pancake turner and serve immediately. Make the rest of the pancakes with the remaining batter. You should have twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Note: You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree F. oven. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and serve as soon as you can.

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here..

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Weekend Meals

Yay, Friday! Yay, weekend! Enough said, except, Enjoy!

PERFECT PANCAKES

This comes from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Golden brown, delicious pancakes are always welcome! This foolproof recipe is great for kids learning how to cook. Serve the pancakes with maple or fruit syrup, honey, sliced fruit, or fresh berries. Butter is delicious, too!” Serves 4 to 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; cook time: about 3 minutes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

about 1 1/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons Crisco® Vegetable Oil, or melted butter

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the milk and oil until mixed. Pour into the flour and stir just until moistened.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until hot. The pan is hot enough when a drop of water "dances" on its surface. Drop a pat of butter or a little vegetable oil on the pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan to spread the butter or oil over the surface, or spread it with a spatula.

Ladle or pour the batter into the hot surface, allowing a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Leave about 1 inch between each and with a spatula or the back of a spoon spread the pancakes into circles about 4 inches in diameter.

Cook each pancake for about 1 minute or until small bubbles appear on the top and the bottom turns golden brown. Using a pancake turner, flip them and cook for another minute or until golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat to avoid burning.

To prevent toughening, only turn the pancakes once -- and flip them before the surface bubbles break.

Lift the pancakes from the skillet with a pancake turner and serve immediately. Make the rest of the pancakes with the remaining batter. You should have twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Note: You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree F. oven. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and serve as soon as you can.

YOGURT PARFAIT BREAFAST POPSICLES

This one comes from one of my favorite emailing sites, thekitchn. If you haven't already signed up for the great emails from thekitchn or it's brother site, Apartment Therapy, you're missing some really cool stuff.

TheKitchn's Faith Durand starts off, “Your eyes do not deceive you. This is breakfast that you can eat one-handed while walking to the bus stop, and it's got just as much going for it a bowl of yogurt with granola and fruit. In fact, it is a bowl of yogurt — just in frozen, easily-grabbable popsicle form. Time to dig out those popsicle molds!” The writer uses Greek yogurt for these, but writes that regular non-Greek yogurt can be used, too. Just don't thin out the regular yogurt.

She also writes, “If you're short on time or short on berries, you can also substitute a fruit jam or preserves. You'll need about a cup of preserves for these popsicles.” As for the granola, “Use any granola you like here. These popsicles are especially handy for using up a handful of leftover granola that's gone a bit stale. Once layered into the popsicles and frozen, the granola softens to the consistency of soft oatmeal cookies —and yes, that's just as delicious as you're hoping it will be.” Makes 6 popsicles.

You can view this recipe online here, along with photos of these incredible breakfast popsicles.

1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped (around 3 cups chopped)

1/4 cup sugar (or honey)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cups granola

Combine the strawberries and sugar (or honey) in a small saucepan and stir gently to combine. Let the berries macerate on the counter for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and syrupy.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a r. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the strawberries are thick and jammy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of jammy fruit. (At this point, the strawberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.)

When ready to assemble the popsicles, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey. The yogurt should be thick, but pourable (roughly the consistency of regular yogurt). If needed, whisk in a little more milk. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and stir it into the granola. This will help the granola freeze into the popsicles.

Arrange 6 popsicle molds (1/2 cup capacity) on your work surface. Pour a generous spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of each mold. Add a scoop of granola and then a spoonful or two of strawberries. Continue layering yogurt, granola, and strawberries until the molds are filled. Tap the molds lightly agains the counter or use a popsicle stick to work out any air bubbles between the layers.

Insert popsicle sticks into each mold and place the popsicles in the freezer. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.

To unmold, run the popsicle molds under hot running water for a few seconds and gently easy the popsicles out of the molds. Popsicles will keep in the freezer for several weeks.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt. As long as it's pourable, there's no need to thin the yogurt any further.

The strawberries can be replaced with an equal amount of any other fruit.

You can also substitute 1 cup any flavor of jam or fruit preserves for the berries. Skip the jam-making step and proceed with assembling the popsicles.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

From the Food Network. To view this online, click here. Total Time: 1 hr 30 min., prep: 35 min; cook: 55 min; yields 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (1-pint) containers ice cream (any flavor)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. With a spoon, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until you have a smooth dough.

Using a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop 6 mounds of dough on each baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. (For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.) Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, turn the ice cream pints on their sides and use a serrated knife to slice through the containers, cutting each into 3 even rounds. Place the ice cream disks on a baking sheet and freeze until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble, peel the cardboard from the ice cream disks and sandwich each disk between 2 cookies. Serve the sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 week.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/ice-cream-sandwiches-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

STRAWBERRY SORBET

This is from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking's guide. She wrote, “Sorbet is the perfect dessert for hot sunny days. This strawberry sorbet is made with fresh in-season strawberries, but when strawberries are out of season, it's best to use frozen ones. If you have an ice cream maker, simply pour the prepared mixture into your can and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Alas, I have no ice cream maker, so my method involves a second use of a blender or food processor to ensure a smooth sorbet.” Serves 6.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

2 lbs strawberries (about 5 cups)

2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring sugar and water syrup to a boil, then remove from heat.

Allow to cool in pan for a 1/2 hour (the syrup is extremely hot) before transferring to a 1 cup container and chilling it in the refrigerator.

While the syrup is cooling, hull strawberries and place them in a food processor or blender. Blend strawberries to a puree, then pour through a sieve into a medium size bowl. Add lemon juice, and stir well.

Refrigerate puree until syrup has chilled – about 1 hour.

Combine chilled syrup and strawberry puree, then transfer to an 8-inch metal baking pan (stainless steel is best).

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3-4 hours. Remove sorbet from freezer and puree once more in a food processor or blender. Return strawberry puree mixture to metal pan, cover and freeze for a further 3-4 hours.

Per Serving: Calories 141, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.6g, (Sat 0g), Cholesterol 0g, Sodium 3mg, Carbohydrate 33.2g, Fiber 3.5g, Protein 0.9g

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here..

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO

I think this came from About.com, but I'm not completely sure, since it's been kicking around my email account for more than five years with not note. The person who sent this wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.”

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.