Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Today's six recipes include Rao's Meatballs With Marinara Sauce and Moroccan Seven-Vegetable Couscous. Enjoy!

MEXICAN CHICKEN ORZO BAKE

This is from tbsp., and begins, “This riff on arroz con pollo uses rice-shaped orzo pasta and easy boneless skinless chicken thighs for a flavorful dinner that’s sure to please kids and adults alike.”

Prep: 30 minutes; Total: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 lb uncooked orzo or rosamarina pasta (1 1/3 cups)

1/2 cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup diced white onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese (purchase later if freezing orzo bake for a later date)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (purchase later if freezing orzo bake for a later date)

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 quarts water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to simmering. Cook 4 minutes; drain. Return to saucepan; stir in broth and chili powder. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño chile and salt; cook 6 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown on edges. Add tomatoes; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir into saucepan with pasta mixture; pour into baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix vegetable oil and taco seasoning mix; add chicken thighs, and toss to coat. Place chicken on top of pasta mixture in dish; cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F when instant-read thermometer is inserted into center of thigh, OR freeze and bake later as directed in step 5. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with queso fresco and cilantro.

If making ahead to bake and serve at a later date: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to completely enclose assembled casserole. Spread pasta mixture in large shallow pan; cool mixture completely, covered, 30 to 45 minutes in refrigerator before assembling casserole. Assemble casserole in dish; cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Freeze unbaked casserole about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen casserole to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Remove plastic wrap from casserole; place in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil; thaw completely in refrigerator, 24 to 48 hours. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered, 55 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly on edges (165°F in center). Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Top with queso fresco and cilantro.

RAO’S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

This comes from Adam Nagourney in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Adam wrote, “This is one of the signature dishes at Rao’s, the East Harlem red-sauce joint that is best-known for a loyal, boldface-name clientele that makes it difficult to get a table. The restaurant now has satellites in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: About 1 1/2 hours

This was featured in “At Rao’s In Los Angeles, Red Sauce And Rivalry”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons minced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 28-ounce cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes

6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Pinch of dried oregano

Salt and ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground lean beef

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 small garlic clove, minced

Salt and ground black pepper

2 cups fine dry bread crumbs

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, lightly smashed

Preparation

Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.

Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.

BEEF AND BROCCOLI

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Here is a streamlined, powerfully flavorful recipe for a delivery-food standby: velvety wok-fried beef in a oyster-soy sauce, served in a forest of green. ‘It’s diaspora food,’ the chef Jonathan Wu told me, describing the cooking of Chinese immigrants to the United States and a dish that is almost unknown in China but beloved in America. The recipe is a version of the one Wu’s mother made for dinner when he was growing up outside Hartford, Conn., with a little chile-garlic paste added for zip and, thanks to the Brooklyn chef Dale Talde, a pat of butter swirled into the sauce at the end. This provides a plush gloss that is far better than the traditional cornstarch slurry. It is midweek family cooking at its best.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “The Best Beef and Broccoli, No Delivery Required” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This is me (Robin) writing. Cooking can be a fun, creative process. There have been many times over the years when I have not had an ingredient on hand; I’ve either run out, or, in the case of alcohol, just plain don’t have it around at all. If that sounds familiar, you can usually experiment. I personally would either use non-alcoholic wine or water for the wine, and either hoisin sauce or soy sauce in place of the oyster sauce. But that’s just me. Feel free to follow Sam’s recipe here to the letter. But either way, make sure you get some enjoyment out of your food and the company you eat with!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry or sake

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pound beef — chuck or rib steak — sliced thin against the grain

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/2 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, or to taste

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola, grapeseed or peanut

1 pound broccoli, the head cut into florets and the stems peeled and cut into planks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the wine, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the cornstarch. Add the beef to the bowl, and toss to combine, then cover the bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes or so.

To make the sauce, combine in a small bowl the remaining soy sauce, the oyster sauce and the chile-garlic sauce, and mix to combine, then add a tablespoon of water and mixagain. Set aside.

Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a wok set over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add about half the beef to the wok, and stir-fry until it is browned and crisp and barely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate, and set aside. Then repeat with remaining beef.

Pour off the oil in the wok, wipe it out with a towel and return it to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl it around and heat it until it is smoking. Add the broccoli and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons water to the wok, and toss and stir the broccoli in the steam for an additional 2 minutes, then return beef to the wok, followed by the sauce. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, for 30 seconds or so, then add the butter, and stir and toss again for 30 seconds more. Serve immediately, with rice.

CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

This comes from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “Think Stouffer's without the freezer. While it can be enjoyed straight from the pot, this macaroni and cheese has a slightly looser sauce than the stovetop variety to allow for thickening in the oven. Bread crumbs, while optional, make it truly spectacular.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: about 1 hour

To view this online at the Times’ website, click here.

Ingredients

For the Macaroni and Cheese:

1 pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1 clove garlic, finely grated

1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika

Freshly ground pepper

12 ounces sharp or white Cheddar cheese, grated

12 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated

For the Topping (Optional):

1 cup coarse bread crumbs or panko

4 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it’s barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It’s going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.

Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).

Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.

Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

MOROCCAN SEVEN-VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

This recipe is from the March 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times The recipe states, “To many Americans, couscous refers to the tiny pearls of semolina we've come to know and love. But in Morocco, it is also the proper name for a time-honored stew, rich with vegetables and the flavors—saffron, cinnamon, turmeric—of North Africa. This is a terrific, relaxed party dish—easy to make, fun to eat and meant for a gathering.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 large onions, quartered and cut in 1/2-inch slices

2 pinches saffron threads

1 pinch crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs cilantro, tied in a bundle with kitchen string

4 fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered

1 qt. vegetable stock

3 cups water

1 turnip, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

1/2 lb. carrots, peeled, halved length-wise and cut in 2-inch sticks

3/4 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 medium-sized zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut in 2-inch sticks

1 cup raisins

1 14-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups quick-cooking couscous, uncooked

1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted

Heat butter and olive oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, and cook 15 minutes. Stir in saffron, crushed red pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Add herbs, tomatoes, stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes.

Add turnip, carrots and squash. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes. Add zucchini, raisins, chickpeas and sugar. Cook 10 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper.

Cook couscous according to package directions. Mound couscous on large serving platter, and make a well in center. Use slotted spoon to transfer vegetables to well. Ladle stock over entire dish. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

nutritional information per serving: Calories: 590; Protein: 17 g; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 103 g; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Sodium: 460 mg; Fiber: 12 g; Sugar: 30 g

BAKED LEMON CHICKEN

This is from The Food Network Kitchen. Total Time: 1 hr 25 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 1 hr 10 min; Yield: 4 servings

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/baked-lemon-chicken-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flour for dredging

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Peel of half a lemon, white pith removed, cut into very thin strips

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chicken broth, homemade or canned low-sodium

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour and pat off the excess. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken skin-side down and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and reserve. Discard the oil and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the honey, lemon juice, and broth, increase the heat and bring to a simmer.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the onions to a 9- by 13-inch ovenproof casserole, and spread them out. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up in a single layer on the onions. Pour the cooking liquid over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the oven, basting every 15 minutes, until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.