Friday Recipes

It's the end of the week. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Sweet Potato and Mustard Turkey Burgers and Pasta e Fagioli. Enjoy!

BARBECUE COWBOY PINTO BEANS (SLOW COOKER)

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

16 oz package dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

4 cups hot water

2 medium onions, chopped

1 Tbs chili powder

3/4 cup hickory-flavored barbecue sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1-1/2 tbs prepared yellow mustard

Dash of Tabasco sauce

In crock pot, mix together the beans, hot water, onions, & chili powder. Cover & cook on low heat setting about 7 hours, or until the beans are tender but not falling apart.

Drain off all cooking liquid. Stir in barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, & Tabasco sauce. Cook, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes longer, until heated through.

SWEET POTATO AND MUSTARD TURKEY BURGERS

This is from Taste for Life, and begins, “These burgers are moist and juicy and have a savory flavor that comes from a secret ingredient: A hefty amount of mustard. Half a cup may seem like a lot of mustard, but it’s what makes these burgers outstanding. Using grated sweet potato instead of traditional flour or breadcrumbs adds extra fiber and nutrients.”

Prep Time: 40 min prep time; Number of Servings: Makes 4 to 6 burgers

Recipe Source: The Living Kitchen by Tamara Green, BA, CNP and Sarah Grossman, BA, CNP ($28, Appetite, 2018)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated yellow onion

1 cup grated peeled sweet potato

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup spinach, finely chopped

1/2 cup gluten-free whole-grain mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use the grating attachment on your food processor and grate onion and sweet potato. You can also do this by hand with a box grater.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until everything is well combined.

Measure 1/4 to 1/2 cup of burger meat and shape into a patty. Place on baking sheet and repeat.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top begins to get slightly golden. You can flip burgers halfway through cooking time if you want even caramelization on both sides.

These burgers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. You can also make a big batch and keep them in the freezer for 3 to 4 months for a quick meal option.

JOLLOF RICE

This is from Yewande Komolafe in the The New York Times cooking email. Yewande wrote, “A successful batch of jollof rice requires a few key ingredients (tomatoes, peppers, onions, a few herbs, spices and some stock) and a perfect sauce-to-rice ratio, so the cooked grains remain separate. I have found that the best, no-fuss way to do this is in the oven. Jollof is typically made with long-grain rice, though in Nigeria, parboiled rice is the norm. Most jollof is prepared over an open flame or on a stovetop. Missing from this oven version is the slightly smoky flavor you get from the little bits of rice that have browned on the bottom of your pan, but that’s nothing a pinch of smoked paprika can’t fix. Serve with braised goat or other stewed meats, and a side of fried plantains.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours

This was featured in “Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes” and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020288-jollof-rice.

Ingredients

For the Obe Ata:

1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1/2 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red habanero chile, stemmed

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

For the Jollof Rice:

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

3 cups parboiled long-grain rice (such as Carolina Gold or Uncle Ben’s Original), basmati or jasmine rice (about 1 1/4 pounds)

5 fresh thyme sprigs

1 fresh bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation

Prepare the obe ata: Working in batches if needed, combine all the obe ata ingredients except the canola oil in a blender and purée on high until smooth. The liquid from the can of tomatoes should suffice, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the purée going. (You should have about 3 cups of purée.)

Heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced by about a third of its original volume, 18 to 20 minutes. (It should make about 2 cups. Obe ata can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Prepare the rice: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the 1/2 cup canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove half the onions to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and smoked paprika, if using, and toast, stirring occasionally, until turmeric is fragrant and tomato paste has deepened to a dark red color, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the obe ata sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. The habanero oils love to disperse in the air, so you may want to turn on your stovetop fan or open a window while simmering the obe ata. Stir in the rice, thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and cover with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until rice is just tender, 35 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, covered (no peeking) for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the reserved sautéed onions. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Serve warm.

BULGOGI SLOPPY JOES WITH SCALLION SALSA

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Sam wrote, “The dish is the Korean barbecue standard known as bulgogi — ‘fire meat,’ is the literal translation — transformed into a sandwich filling, a sloppy Joe for a more perfect union. (File under ‘Blessings of Liberty.’) Fed to children with a tall glass of milk, the sandwiches may inspire smiles and licked plates, rapt attention and the request that the meal be served at least monthly — they are not at all too spicy for younger palates. Given to adults accompanied by cold lager, cucumber kimchi and a pot of the fermented Korean hot-pepper paste known as gochujang, they can rise to higher planes.

“Bulgogi sandwiches are a taste of the sort of home cooking that can lead to more home cooking. They serve as fragrant hamburger crushers, elegant vanquishers of pizza. They are an enemy of takeout.

“To cook them, you can follow the instructions slavishly, as if working for Hooni Kim, the chef and owner of Danji, on the edge of the theater district in Manhattan. Bulgogi ‘sliders’ are a hallmark of his menu and by far the restaurant’s most popular dish. This recipe is his.”

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration.

This recipe was featured in “The Bulgogi Slider Is a Delicious Curveball”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014203-bulgogi-sloppy-joes-with-scallion-salsa.

Ingredients

For the Bulgogi

1 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon peeled and grated garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons mirin

1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and puréed in a food processor

1 small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne

1 medium white onion peeled and sliced into julienne

1 cup apple juice

2 pounds beef brisket, chilled slightly and sliced thin

For the Spicy Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha

For the Scallion Salsa

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 bunches scallions, cleaned, dried and sliced on the bias

Unsalted butter

6 soft hamburger buns

Preparation

For the Bulgogi

In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sake, mirin, pear, carrot, onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket, stir to combine, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least six hours.

Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and hot chili sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you are ready to make the sandwiches, set one very large sauté pan (or two large ones) over high heat. Using tongs, lift meat from marinade in batches, allow to drain well, then cook, turning occasionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and the edges of the beef have started to crisp.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa except for the scallions, then stir to combine.

Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy mayonnaise on the buns, and using tongs, cover one side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle with the dressing. Serve with cucumber kimchi (see recipe).

MEAT LOAF

This yummy recipe is from Ina Garten on the Food Network. Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/meat-loaf-recipe-1921718.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2-1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)

1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

This yummy recipe is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "It's hard to believe just how deliciously hearty our pasta fagioli becomes with just a few ingredients, and a loving touch. It's a meal that goes straight to the heart, after doing a delicious dance across your satisfied tastebuds. Bring a taste of Italy into your home with this pasta fagioli recipe. Pureeing a portion of the beans gives the soup creamy texture without added fat or calories. So there's nothing not to love when it comes to this weekday winner, pasta e fagioli!"

Prep Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

4 cups Progresso™ reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso™ cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained

1/2 lb ground Italian sausage, browned and drained

Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Directions

In 5-quart stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer, stirring frequently.

Add thyme, rosemary and 3-1/2 cups of the chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Add macaroni; boil 5 to 7 minutes or until macaroni is almost tender but retains a bit of bite.

In blender, blend remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 can of the beans and the tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Add mixture to stockpot along with remaining can of beans and the sausage. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors and heat through.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with remaining ingredients.

Freezer Directions: Make as directed through step 3, but do not simmer 10 minutes to heat through. Ladle soup mixture into quart-size resealable plastic freezer bags; let out any excess air, and seal. Place bags flat in freezer. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place in 5-quart stockpot, and reheat over medium heat until heated through.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Kidney beans can be substituted for the cannellini beans, if desired.