Friday Recipes

It's Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Tex-Mex Rice and Bean Casserole and Boston Brown Bread. Enjoy!

FROZEN BLUEBERRY LEMONADE PIE

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “Blueberries give this frozen lemonade pie extra color and flavor, and it is a fabulous pie for a hot summer day. The pie takes just a few minutes to mix - just freeze and eat!” Prep Time: 6 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 6 minutes; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade

1 tub (8 ounces) whipped topping, regular or "lite," thawed in the refrigerator

1 deep dish graham cracker pie crust, homemade or purchased

Preparation

Put the blueberries, sweetened condensed milk, and frozen lemonade in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Pour into a bowl and fold in the whipped topping until well blended.

Spoon into the prepared crust.

Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours.

If frozen solid, take it out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: I used a "2 extra servings" deep dish ready crust for the pie. A smaller pie shell will leave you with extra filling.

Just freeze any excess in small ramekins or 4-ounce canning jars and serve as a frozen pudding.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

TEX-MEX RICE AND BEAN CASSEROLE

This is from Weight Watchers. Total Time: 55 minutes; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes; Serves: 6; Difficulty: Easy; Points: 5

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 cup(s) canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels

1 Tbsp canned green chili peppers, chopped, mild or hot

15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup(s) long grain cooked brown rice, fresh or day old

7/8 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese

3/4 cup(s) fat free sour cream

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), chopped (dark green part only)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine corn, chilies, beans, rice, 3/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir in scallions.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and casserole is slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up before slicing into 6 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes

Change the beans or cheese to your liking: white or black beans, reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses all work well.If you want to brown the cheese more, place the dish (make sure it's broiler safe) under the broiler for a minute or two.

AVOCADO AND MANGO SALSA

Yield: 3 cups

Servings: 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=703

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/703.shtml

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped ripe mango

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped jicama

Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)

Salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, mango, jalapeno pepper, jicama, and lime juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix in the cilantro.

Let the salsa sit 20 minutes for flavors to meld before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 35; Protein: 0.5 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 0.5 mg; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

BEEF STROGANOFF OVER BUTTERED NOODLES

This is from Tyler Florence of The Food Network’s Food 911.

Total: 3 hr 25 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/beef-stroganoff-over-buttered-noodles-recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups beef stock

1 carrot, chopped

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cognac

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

1 (1-pound) package wide egg noodles

Directions

Heat the beef stock with the carrot, 3 thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Fry the meat in batches so that it is browned on all sides. Lower the heat to medium and return all the meat to the pot. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the cognac and cook until the alcohol has burned off, about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock, discarding the carrot, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Cook, partially covered, over a very low flame for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until the mushrooms are browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the meat is done, remove it from the heat and fold in the mushrooms, sour cream, mustard, and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain the noodles well, toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the stroganoff over the noodles; garnish with more sour cream and chopped parsley.