Wednesday Recipes

This week seems to be flying along. Seems like it was just the weekend, and already, it's Wednesday. No matter...Here are today's recipe offerings. Enjoy!

PEACH VANILLA CHEESECAKE TRIFLE

One of the email newsletters that I receive is from Delish. They find recipes from a variety of places; this comes from Shared Appetite, and starts off, “Quick and easy snacks and desserts are best, aren’t they? This Peach Vanilla Cheesecake Trifle is simple to whip up and will be sure to impress all your family and friends!” Prep time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Serves: 8

Ingredients

for the Cheesecake layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

for the Vanilla Pudding layer

2 small boxes Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

for the Peach layer

6 peaches, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1 lemon, juiced

for the Cookie layer

1 (11 ounce) container vanilla wafer-style cookies, crushed

Nilla wafers, crushed

Ingredients

for the Cheesecake layer

In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl fitted with an electric hand mixer, whip together the cream cheese, mascarpone, vanilla extract, and sugar until light and fluffy. Gently fold in Cool Whip by hand.

for the Vanilla Pudding layer

Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium mixing bowl, stirring constantly for 2 minutes (as per package directions). Let stand at least 5 minutes, then gently fold in Cool Whip.

for the Peach layer

Combine sliced peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

In a serving bowl, layer crushed vanilla wafer cookies, vanilla pudding, peaches, and cheesecake. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Devour with intensity.

PEACH STREUSEL MUFFINS

This also comes from Delish's newsletter, and originally from Sally's Baking Addiction. It starts off, “This is my favorite peach muffin recipe! Buttery, tender, and moist, these peachy muffins are heavy on the crumb topping and sweet vanilla glaze.” Prep time: 25 minutes; total time: 55 minutes; yield: 12 standard size muffins

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Muffins

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature preferred

1/2 cup yogurt*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons milk (any kind)

1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped peaches (3 peaches)*

Glaze

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or milk for a less creamy texture)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

First, make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, combine both sugars, the cinnamon, and melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour. The crumb topping will be thick and crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the muffins: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on high until creamed, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and uniform in texture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, all-spice, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly mix with a whisk. Add the milk, gently whisking until combined and little lumps remain. Fold in the peaches with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Spoon the muffin batter evenly between all 12 muffin tins. There may be enough to make a 13th muffin in a 2nd batch, depending if there were a few extra peach chunks thrown in. Fill the muffin tins until they are full all the way up to the top. Press a handful of the crumb topping into the top of each; crumble it with your hands to make some big chunks.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425F degrees, then keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees and bake for 15-19 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the glaze: whisk all of the ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins. Muffins stay soft, fresh, and moist at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unglazed muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

Additional Notes:

*Use your favorite yogurt; I prefer low fat plain Greek yogurt but regular (not Greek) would be just fine. Try with apple flavored, vanilla, honey, nonfat, or full fat. Sour cream works as well.

*You may use chopped frozen peaches - do not thaw.

TORTILLA PIZZA

About a year ago, my daughter and I were sitting around, talking. We both were hungry, but it was too hot to go out anywhere. Rummaging through the cupboard and fridge, she discovered a package of soft tortilla shells, jarred spaghetti sauce, and cheese. Voila! Pizza!

2 large soft tortilla shells

1 small jar spaghetti sauce

1 - 2 cups shredded cheese

Any veggies you might want to add, chopped up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a large pie pan or cookie sheet, place 1 tortilla shell. Cover with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce, and 1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Place second tortilla shell on top, add a little more spaghetti sauce for this layer, and the remainder of the cheese, as well as any veggies.

Bake at 350 for 7 - 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings for snacks, or 2 larger servings

Note: We covered the bottom of the pan with foil to make cleaning up easier.

HERBED CARROT SOUP

This came from the December 2005 issue of Runner's World, and was reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking WellBing, by Bruce Burnett.

2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried

thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable or chicken stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 50 minutes; Prep: 30 minutes; Cook: 20 minutes; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/pasta-primavera-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Vegetables:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally

1 cup bite-size broccoli pieces

1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces white mushrooms, washed and sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally

1 medium summer squash, sliced diagonally

Sauce:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

12 whole fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for serving

1 pound pasta (fettuccini), cooked according to package directions and drained

Directions

For the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook, about 1 minute. Then add the broccoli and cook, about 1 additional minute. Add the red peppers and cook, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

To the skillet, add the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and allow it to heat up. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and squash and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet, add to the other vegetables and set aside.

For the sauce: Add the garlic and onions to the skillet and cook until starting to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.

Next, pour in the chicken broth and wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Cook the liquid for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing it to reduce by about half. Stir in the cream and Parmesan and allow the cheese to melt. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Add all the vegetables to the sauce along with the peas and basil. Stir to combine. If the sauce needs a little more liquid, splash a small amount of broth as needed. Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and pour all the contents of the skillet over the pasta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve with extra Parmesan.

”BETTER THAN THE DELI” MACARONI SALAD

This is also from Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food guide, who writes, “Take your time, and use your sharpest knife to get a nice fine dice on the veggies in this classic pasta salad. When made right, this is a macaroni salad where every forkful bursts with flavor.” Serves 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound dry elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed in cold water, and drained well

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/4 cup minced red onion

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

1/4 finely grated carrot

2 tablespoons finely diced roasted red pepper or pimento

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation:

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and add the drained pasta. Toss to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.