Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's six recipes include Simple Perfect Enchiladas and No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Bars. Enjoy!
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.
SIMPLE PERFECT ENCHILADAS
This is from Ree Drummond of The Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman.
Total: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 30 min; Cook: 45 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
One 28-ounce can enchilada or Mexican red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Meat:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
The Rest:
Canola oil, for frying
10 to 14 corn tortillas
Two 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Cilantro, for garnish
Directions
For the sauce:
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
For the meat:
While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For the rest:
In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.
FRESH VEGETABLE PITA PIZZA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “Your kids will love this pizza-- and it's a good way for them to get their veggies.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
4 (7-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, divided
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 medium (2 cups) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 large (1 cup) green bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet red or white onion
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Core and slice the tomatoes and then cut each slice in half into half moons. Arrange the pitas on 2 baking sheets and brush each one with oil. Divide the tomato slices among the pitas and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and half the Italian seasonings. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are heated and the pitas begin to crisp. Sprinkle the pizzas with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with zucchini, green pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
LEMON CHICKEN TARRAGON
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “A restaurant-style dish in just 30 minutes? You bet...this tasty skillet dish is simply amazing!”
Serves: 4 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Vegetable Oil or 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound)
2 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
Directions
Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Stir the water, soup, lemon juice, tarragon and black pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil.
Stir in the rice. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BARS
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Ethereal and ready to melt in your mouth, chocolate mousse bars are easy to make and even easier to eat. With so few ingredients, it’s important to use a chocolate you would be perfectly happy to snack out of hand. The instant espresso powder is optional but adds depth to this simple dessert. To cut beautiful, neat slices, use a long sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped clean before each cut.”
Yield: 24 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
18 whole graham crackers (about 9 1/2 ounces)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2 1/4 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC ICE CREAM
This comes from Audra (otherwise known as The Baker Chick). I absolutely love her site; it’s one of the ones that I go back to time and again. If you haven’t signed up for her emails, I highly recommend doing so. Go ahead, I’ll wait…
Yield: about 1 quart
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the strawberries:
3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
For the custard base:
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk (any fat content besides skim will be fine, but I used whole.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vodka (optional but recommended)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until berries are cooked and soft, about 5 minutes, stir in 2 teaspoons of balsamic and pureé with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Set aside.
In a larger saucepan combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, heavy cream, milk and salt. Cook on low heat, stirring with a whisk constantly until it starts to thicken.
Continue to stir with a spoon until the custard coats the back and a line remains when you run your finger down the spoon.
Stir in the strawberry pureé and the remaining 2 teaspoons of balsamic and the vodka if using. (It helps keep the ice cream from getting too frozen.)
Cool thoroughly (ideally overnight.)
Churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions and enjoy right away (soft serve consistency,) or freeze for a few hours to firm it up.
Notes: Recipe adapted from the cookbook: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.
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