Tuesday Food

Here are today's recipes...and before noon, no less. Enjoy!

MINI RASPBERRY RHUBARB PAVLOVAS

This is from The Baker Chick. She has a really nice newsletter, full of yummy stuff. If you haven't checked out her site, give it a shot, and, maybe, even subscribe!

This recipe makes 6 pavlovas, and can be found online - with photos - by clicking here.

Ingredients

For the Raspberry Rhubarb Compote:

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

2 cups fresh rhubarb, small diced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Pavlovas:

4 egg whites

1 cup superfine sugar*

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup of heavy cream

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Compote:

Combine rhubarb, raspberries and lemon juice in 2-quart saucepan.

Cover; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender (8 to 12 minutes). (Test a piece of rhubarb to make sure it's soft.)

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (about 1 minute). Continue boiling until thickened (about a minute more).

Set compote aside to cool while you make the rest of the dessert.

For the Pavlovas:

Preheat oven to 275F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. (If desired,) trace 6- 3 inch circles spaced evenly among the sheet and flip the parchment over so the writing is facing down.

Place the egg whites in the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a (very clean) whisk attachment. Whisk on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Let the machine continue to run as you gradually add the sugar- one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat, raising the speed to high if needed, until stiff glossy peaks are formed.

Sprinkle the corn starch, vinegar and vanilla over the meringue and gently fold them in to combine.

Now gently spread the meringue in the circles on the parchment to make circular bases. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher then the center so you have a very small well in the middle.

Bake for about 40-55 minutes, or until the meringue rounds are a pale pinky/cream egg-shell type color. Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringues cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.

For the Whipped Cream:

Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and sugar and continue beating until you get stiff peaks.

To Assemble:

Top each cooled pavlova shell with whipped cream and then spread compote on top. Store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

CINCINNATI CHILI AND PASTA

This comes from FamilyTime.com's newsletter. It starts off, "What makes this flavorful beef chili unique is that it's served over hot cooked noodles...give it a try - it just may become your favorite way to eat chili!" Serves 8 (about 2 cups each); Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef

2 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash ground cloves

1 bottle (32 ounces) Campbell's® Tomato Juice (about 4 cups)

2 cans (about 15 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (1 pound) spaghetti, cooked and drained

Directions

Cook the beef, onions and garlic powder in a 4-quart saucepot over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned and the onions are tender, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the chili powder, cinnamon and cloves in the saucepot and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir the beans in the saucepot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve the beef mixture over the spaghetti.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND COOKIES

A bar-style cookie that's easy to make. Filled with rich, flavorful raspberry spreadable fruit, this is sure to become a favorite.

Yield: 24 servings

View with photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1127.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold stick butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 egg

2 tabespoons water

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 jar (10 ounces) seedless raspberry spreadable fruit

3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Combine flour, Equal and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in egg, water and lemon peel. Mixture will be crumbly.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom of well-sprayed 8 x 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 350F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges of crust are lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven and spread raspberry fruit over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Return to oven, and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until raspberry fruit is bubbly. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 86; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 16 mg; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Carbohydrates: 12 g; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

PUMPKIN SOUP

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list that I've mentioned in previous posts. Maybe from About.com? Not sure. But it starts off, "This pumpkin soup recipe has a velvety texture and a delicate, savory flavor perfect for a light lunch or a refined first course. The real treat is that it’s as easy to prepare and healthy as it is delicious!" Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 medium shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

5 cups chicken stock

1 medium pie pumpkin (3 lbs.), seeded and cubed

3 large potatoes (2 lbs.), peeled and cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salt, to taste

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, sauté the shallots and garlic over medium heat until they turn translucent and tender. Add the chicken stock, pumpkin, and potatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer. Allow the vegetables to simmer gently for 35-50 minutes, until they’re tender. Puree the soup in a countertop blender or with an immersion blender until it is completely smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and heat through. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

BROCCOLI & PASTA

Another recipe from FamilyTime.com's newsletter. This one starts off, "Serve this simple pasta with French dinner rolls and Perrier for a simple and elegant dinner." Serves 3; Prep. Time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 10 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed

1 package (9-oz,) BUITONI® refrigerated Fettuccine, cooked, drained and kept warm

1/3 cup shredded Romano cheese

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet; add broccoli, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add pasta; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with cheese; toss lightly. Serve immediately.

SPINACH PINWHEELS

Servings: 24; 1 slice per serving

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

To view online, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon light margarine

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

10-ounce package frozen no-salt-added chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 cup nonfat or part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of cayenne

10-ounce package of refrigerated pizza dough

Vegetable oil spray

White of 1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

In a small nonstick skillet, heat margarine over medium-high heat. Swirl to cover bottom. Saute onion until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, spinach, ricotta, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cayenne. Blend well.

Press dough into a 12x14-inch rectangle. Cut in half, forming two 7x12-inch rectangles.

With a rubber scraper, spread half the spinach mixture on each piece of dough. Roll up, starting from a 12-inch side. Pinch each end of rolled dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.

With a sharp knife, cut each roll into 12 slices. Put pieces on baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 37; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread