Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, the last Friday in July. This year seems to be flying by...

Here are today's offerings to help you through the weekend, including Old-Fashioned Meatloaf and Slow-Cooker Bolognese. Enjoy!

SAM SIFTON’S CUCUMBER KIMCHI

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Sam wrote, “This recipe came to The Times in 2011 as an accompaniment to bulgogi sloppy Joes, as envisioned by the chef Hooni Kim of Danji, but they add a tangy flavor to whatever they’re paired with. Making it is as simple as it gets — the cucumbers are quick pickled in rice vinegar and flavored deeply with gochugaru, or Korean red-pepper flakes. Serve it with the sloppy Joes, or alone, as a bar snack, with an ice cold beer.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: About 25 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration (optional).

This was featured in “Cucumber Kimchi”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013830-sam-siftons-cucumber-kimchi.

Ingredients

3 small cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch slices

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

1/4 cup mirin

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated garlic

1 teaspoon fermented krill or baby shrimp (optional)

Preparation

Place the cucumbers in a medium-size bowl, then sprinkle with the salt. Let stand 20 minutes.

Rinse cucumbers in cold water to remove salt, drain and pat dry.

Return cucumbers to bowl, add other ingredients, toss to combine, cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight or until ready to use.

VEGAN LASAGNA

This was in the October 1997 issue of Vegetarian Times, and posted online on May 10, 2017. It begins, “The tomato sauce recipe makes enough to serve on the side or to freeze and enjoy later with pasta.” Makes 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

3 28-oz. cans peeled plum tomatoes, chopped with juices reserved

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Lasagna

1 Tbs. salt

1 lb. dry uncooked eggless lasagna noodles

2 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

To make Sauce: In large, heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil. When water boils, add salt and noodles. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with water and drain again.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Crumble tofu into medium bowl. Add garlic, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended.

Spoon about 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Add layer of noodles and top with one-third tofu mixture. Spoon over about 1 1/2 cups sauce and top with another layer of noodles. Cover with one-third tofu mixture and top with 1 1/2 cups of sauce and another layer of noodles. Top with remaining tofu mixture and 1 cup sauce.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with remaining sauce.

TRADITIONAL STUFFED PEPPERS

This comes from VeryWellFit, and begins, “Stuffed peppers are usually made with bell peppers, which makes sense—they are readily available, and they stand up in a baking dish. However, you can make them with poblano peppers just by splitting them lengthwise and making two filled peppers out of each one. These will be spicier than the usual stuffed peppers you may be used to, but it's a welcomed change from the norm if you're looking for a recipe twist. You can use any color of bell peppers to make this recipe—it's fun to have a mixture of two or three colors. You can also use whatever spice mixture strikes your fancy, from Middle Eastern to Asian. It can be fun to experiment a little once you get the basic recipe down.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 bell peppers, any color, medium or large*

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce or 4 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder (or any spices you like)

1/3 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Slice off the top of the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Either microwave them on a plate or baking dish (whatever fits in the microwave oven) covered with plastic wrap for 4 minutes or blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes.

Heat a large skillet, and cook the beef, onions, garlic, and spices. If you are using tomato paste, include that as well. If you are using the tomato sauce, pour about 2/3 of the can in, and save the rest for a topping. Cook until the beef is cooked through and the onions are soft. If it gets too dry you can add a little water.

Loosely fill the peppers with the beef mixture, and sit upright in a baking dish. If you are using tomato sauce, spoon some of the leftover sauce on top of each pepper. Add about a tablespoon of cheese on each one. Bake for half an hour in the oven, or 12 minutes in the microwave, turning half-way through the cooking.

*Nutrition information calculated using large peppers.

OLD-FASHIONED MEATLOAF

This is from VeryWellFit, and begins, “This lighter meatloaf recipe is similar to the one most of us enjoyed during our childhoods, but without all of the extra fat. Choose a lean ground beef or, better yet, ground turkey to cut down on the fat. And since you can't make meatloaf without breadcrumbs, why not replace the white, unrefined with whole wheat for added fiber? Also, using two egg whites in place of one whole egg will reduce the calories and fat while still helping to bind the mixture together.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Servings: 8

This can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground meat (85% to 90% lean, or ground turkey)

1 cup breadcrumbs (whole wheat)

1/4 cup onion (finely chopped or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes)

2 cloves garlic (minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup water (or low-fat milk)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Mix well, using your hands, but don't overmix because you will toughen the meat.

Turn mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake for about 1 hour.

To be sure the meatloaf is done, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the center of the loaf. The temperature should register 155F when it is done.

About 10 to 15 minutes before you think the meatloaf will be done, you can cover it with barbecue sauce if you like.

International Meatloaf

If you are looking for a different kind of meatloaf, try kofta kebabs, a Middle Eastern grilled ground meat recipe. The spices in this meat mixture (traditionally lamb) are a delicious change of pace from the usual. If you don't have the time or inclination to place them on skewers, you can make them into oblong-oval shapes that look like sausages without the casings.

ROAST CHICKENS WITH PLUMS

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This recipe, which roasts two chickens at the same time, has been engineered to feed a crowd. It's no harder than roasting one chicken. The birds get rubbed down with a garlicky sumac spice rub brightened with lemon zest. Then, as they cook, their fragrant drippings season sliced plums roasting in the pan underneath them, which caramelize into a fruity, chutney-like sauce. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d rather, but be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. For two chickens you need the higher heat so they both crisp properly, but for only one chicken, slightly lower heat keeps the plums from burning.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Times: 1 1/2 hours, plus marinating

This was featured in “Roast Chicken With Plums Gets a Touch of Spice for Rosh Hashana”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017684-roast-chickens-with-plums.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

2 large lemons

2 tablespoons ground sumac

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, grated or minced

2 chickens, 4 to 4 1/2 pounds each

1 bunch thyme, more for garnish

For the Plums:

2 1/4 pounds plums, halved or quartered if large

4 shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 bay leaf, torn in half

Preparation:

Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.

Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.

Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.

Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.

SLOW-COOKER BOLOGNESE

This comes from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Level: Easy; Total: 6 hr 45 min; Active: 45 min; Yield: 16 servings

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, chopped

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

4 pounds ground beef

2 cups whole milk

Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 Parmesan rind, optional, plus grated Parmesan, for serving

Cooked spaghetti, for serving

Chopped fresh basil, for serving

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until it is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Pour this mixture into a slow cooker.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the skillet, add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up any lumps, until it is nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the milk and cook until it is mostly absorbed by the meat, about 5 minutes. Add this to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and Parmesan rind if using. Add some salt. Give it a good stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Skim off any fat on top and check the consistency. If it is too thick, add a bit of water. If it is too thin, cook for another 30 minutes with the cover off.

Remove the rind and serve over spaghetti with lots of grated Parmesan and topped with fresh basil and parsley. Extra sauce can be frozen for later use.