Thursday Recipes

It's a chilly wintery day, even here in Florida. (Yes, it gets chilly here in sunny Florida, though not as cold as, say, Buffalo, New York, but chilly enough to turn on the heat.) Therefore, here are six yummy recipes to help warm you up, including Italian Meatloaf and Best Ever Beef Stew. Enjoy!

GRILLED BEANS

This is from Kardea Brown on the Food Network site. Active Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-beans-8754996.

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

Oil, for cooking

Two 15.5-ounce cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Two 15.5-ounce cans northern white beans, drained and rinsed

One 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

Green onions, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat a grill for cooking at medium-high heat.

Place a skillet on the grill. Cook the onions and green peppers with some oil in the skillet for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the beans, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, cayenne, chili powder, smoked paprika and garlic and stir. Cook with the grill covered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Garnish with green onions, if using.

Cook’s Note

Add your favorite meat to these beans for a heartier meal!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH GARBANZOS AND RAISINS

I'm amazed how many wonderful recipes I've found in different places. This is from Sun-Maid raisins website. Soooo yum!

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.sunmaid.com/recipes/butternut-squash-with-garbanzos-and-raisins/.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Sun-Maid California Sun-Dried Raisins or Golden Raisins

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1-1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (about 10 ounces)

1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Cooked rice

Directions

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.

Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, curry, cumin and coriander. Cook and stir 1 minute until fragrant.

Add broth and squash. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat 8-10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Add in garbanzo beans and raisins; heat through. Serve over rice.

BEST EVER BEEF STEW

This comes from Chungah at Damn Delicious. She wrote, "A cozy, classic beef stew with tender beef, carrots, mushrooms + potatoes. Everyone will love this, especially on those chilly nights!"

Yield: 8 servings; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

You can view this recipe on Chungah's website at https://damndelicious.net/2020/02/29/best-ever-beef-stew/. While you're there, you can sign up for her newsletter.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds top sirloin steak, diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 1/2 cups beef stock

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch chunks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, add steak to the stockpot and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes; set aside.

Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 3-4 minutes.

Whisk in flour and tomato paste until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the stockpot.

Stir in beef stock, thyme, bay leaves and steak. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until beef is very tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in potato; simmer until potatoes are just tender and stew has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*

Serve immediately.

Notes:

*TO FREEZE: Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

ROPA VIEJA

This comes from J. Kenji López-Alt in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. He wrote, "Flank steak braised with vegetables and aromatics until it shreds into strands is the national dish of Cuba, though the cooking process is popular throughout Central America and the Caribbean. In Cuba, it’s called ropa vieja, which translates to old clothes, a reference to the beef’s tattered appearance. In Venezuela and Colombia, you’d call it carne desmechada. This version starts with a sautéed base of peppers and onions, which is further enhanced with olives, capers, raisins and tomatoes. The flavorful mixture works equally well with flank steak, pork butt or even chicken thighs. Serve it with cooked black beans and rice."

Yield: 6 cups (4 servings); Time: 3 hours

This was featured in "How to Build a Better Dinner", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021457-ropa-vieja.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef flank steak or sirloin flap, cut crosswise into 3- to 4-inch sections, or pork butt, cut into 3- to 4-inch steaks against the grain

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon grapeseed, vegetable or canola oil

1 recipe Braised Peppers and Onions (about 3 cups)

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

1/2 cup Manzanilla olives, sliced crosswise

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup capers, drained

2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

Cooked white rice, black beans and sautéed or braised hearty greens, for serving

Preparation

Season beef or pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high until lightly smoking. Working in batches as needed, cook the meat in a single layer, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch, reducing heat as necessary if the oil smokes excessively.

Add braised peppers and onions, tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers and chicken stock. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with the lid slightly cracked, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any crust that has formed at the edges of the pan back into the liquid, until meat is completely tender and shreds easily with two forks, about 2 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Shred meat with two forks, and serve immediately with white rice, black beans and hearty greens. Ropa vieja can also be shredded, allowed to cool, and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will improve in texture and flavor with time.

HOMEMADE BAKED CHURROS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These homemade churros take just 15 minutes of prep time so that you can enjoy the flavor of classic Mexican churros without all the frying fuss. What's the trick? Use Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls to turn them into crescent churros! They're simple to pull together; brush the crescent rolls with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and twist for a fun and easy way to make a churro. Melted chocolate adds even more decadence to this sweet baked churros treat."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/homemade-baked-churros.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls (8 count)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

On lightly floured work surface, unroll dough; press into 13x8-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. Brush top of dough with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on one half of short side of rectangle.

Fold dough over top. Press to seal. With rolling pin, lightly roll dough to press layers together. Brush remaining butter on top. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Twist each strip 3 times; place on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag; drizzle melted chocolate over tops.

Expert tips

Traditional churros are strips of dough that are deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. We simplify them by sprinkling cinnamon sugar on crescent dough, twisting it into strips, and baking.

For a more casual look for your Homemade Baked Churros, dip the fork into the melted chocolate, and quickly move your wrist back and forth to create a zigzag pattern.

It’s handy to keep a kitchen ruler nearby, so you can make sure your rectangle turns out the right size.

If you love these Baked Crescent Churros, try these Mini Churro Doughnut Holes. It's the cinnamon-sugar fair food you can make right in your kitchen.

Looking for something a little more decadent? Try this recipe for Dulce de Leche Mocha Ice Cream Dessert. It's a make-ahead treat that will go fast!

Nutrition: 1 Churro Calories 140 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 220mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 7g); Protein 2g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4%;

Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 1 1/2 Fat

Carbohydrate Choice: 1

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

This is from Todd Coleman at The Spruce Eats. For this yumminess, he wrote, "This is a classic Italian-style meatloaf recipe. It is also free form style, which means it is shaped into a loaf by hand and baked on a sheet rather than baked in a bread loaf pan. We recommend using chuck beef to keep the loaf moist."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes; Cool and Rest Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 110 minutes; Servings: 6 servings; Yield: 1 loaf

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/italian-meatloaf-recipe-5209784.

Ingredients

2 slices white bread, crusts removed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

6 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup catsup

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Make the meatloaf

Gather the ingredients.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Finely chop the bread in a food processor. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring until soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Add the cooled vegetable mixture to the food processor along with the bacon, beef, and pork, and pulse until finely chopped—not puréed.

Add the mixture to a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, cream, soy sauce, Worcestershire, eggs, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix everything together until well combined.

Mold the meat mixture into a 9-inch-by-5-inch-sized loaf shape on a buttered, parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 135 F, 40 to 45 minutes.

Make and Add the Glaze

Raise the heat to 500 F. In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients.

Brush the meatloaf with the glaze and bake until well browned, about 12 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

We recommend using chuck beef for this recipe because the beef should have sufficient fat content to prevent the loaf from drying out while cooking. Ground beef that's 80% lean/20% fat works great too.

Resting the loaf before serving prevents all those delicious juices from draining out when you cut into it.

Try using your food processor to speed up the process of finely chopping the raw vegetables. Cut them into chunks first and pulse until finely chopped, not pureed.

Use a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan to help mold the meatloaf. Just pack the mixture into the loaf pan, then invert onto the baking sheet and lift the pan off. By cooking the meatloaf on a baking sheet instead of a loaf pan, it cooks much faster and the extra fat can drain off, keeping it from turning out greasy.