Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! If you're like me, you probably have plans for the weekend, whether it's doing yard work, cleaning house, going out, or just plain relaxing, with a little extra sleep.

But don't forget, you also have to eat. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Athenian Meatloaf with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce and Fettuccine Alfredo. Enjoy!

CREAMY CHEESY MACARONI

This yummy recipe comes from The Mayo Clinic Diet. If you haven’t check out the site, you should. (That, as well as the main site, https://www.mayoclinic.org, have a lot of good stuff to check out.)

Serves 10; Serving size: 1 cup

To view this online, go to http://diet.mayoclinic.org/food-fitness/recipe-for-creamy-cheesy-macaroni-/17551.

Ingredients

1 package pasta, whole-wheat, elbow macaroni (14.5 ounces)

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, nonfat

2 tablespoons oil, canola

1/2 cup flour, all-purpose

1/2 teaspoon pepper, black ground

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups milk, fat-free

2 cups cheese, cheddar, sharp, reduced-fat, shredded

2 cups tomatoes, cherry, cut in half

Instructions

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, blend cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, combine oil, flour, pepper and garlic powder; stir until mixed. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Add the blended cottage cheese and cheddar cheese, stirring until melted.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. After the macaroni has been cooked and drained, place it in the prepared casserole dish. Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni and mix until blended. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with tomatoes just before serving.

EASY BREADED TOFU NUGGETS

This is from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. For this recipe, Jolinda wrote, “Fool your kids with a meat-free tofu chicken nugget dinner, reminiscent of the favorite finger food they love to dip in ketchup, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing.

“In this recipe, extra-firm tofu is coated with a seasoned panko breadcrumb mixture. Then, just like chicken, it's baked or fried to a crispy, addicting perfection.

“If you're squeamish about cooking with tofu, try this nugget recipe before you shun it, as the flavors mimic the taste of real chicken. Just make sure to follow the directions carefully, taking care to press the tofu before cooking for better consistency and taste. Then, decide on a cooking medium—for all-out flavor, go fried or for a low-fat preparation, go baked. Whatever way you choose, tofu (not) chicken nuggets make a perfect snack or dinner for picky kids and vegan eaters alike.

“Like most tofu recipes, this one will taste best if you press the tofu first. This allows the tofu to expel additional moisture so that it can absorb the seasonings for better flavor. It also helps the tofu retain its shape during the cooking process.”

Total: 70 mins; Prep: 45 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 block tofu (firm or extra-firm, well pressed)

1/3 cup soy milk (or another non-dairy milk substitute)

2 tablespoons mustard

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley (or Italian seasoning)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons high-heat vegetable oil (or coconut oil)

Directions

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, these vegan nuggets are broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Press the Tofu

Gather the ingredients.

Remove the tofu from its package.

Pat the block of tofu dry and place it in between two layers of paper towels.

Place a small cutting board (or flat-surfaced item) and a weight— like a pot or a brick—on top of the tofu.

Let the tofu sit for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towels when they become saturated.

Prep the Tofu

Once your tofu is pressed, slice it into 1-inch cubes or nuggets (about the size of a frozen chicken nugget).

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the soy milk, mustard, nutritional yeast, and spices until smooth.

Place the panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.

Pan-Fry the Tofu

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.

Take one piece of tofu and dip it in the liquid mixture. Then carefully dip it in the breadcrumbs until well coated.

Add it to the pan and repeat the process.

Fry the pieces of tofu, turning them often, until golden brown on all sides.

Serve and enjoy!

Bake the Tofu

For a low-fat alternative cooking method, bake your tofu nuggets on a prepared baking sheet.

Preheat your oven to 350 F and then bake the tofu for 25 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Serve your vegetarian tofu nuggets with ketchup, barbecue sauce, or Sriracha hot sauce and enjoy.

ATHENIAN MEATLOAF WITH YOGURT-CUCUMBER SAUCE

Makes 8 servings

Source: TBC

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1258.shtml

Ingredients

2 pounds 96% lean Ground Beef

1 cup soft bread crumbs*

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup 2% milk

1 large egg

1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Greek seasoning, divided

1 cup low-fat or regular Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup diced cucumber

* To make soft breadcrumbs: Tear several slices of fresh bread (French or whole wheat work well) into 1-inch pieces and pulse in a blender or food processor to make coarse crumbs. One slice of bread yields about 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine Ground Beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Shape beef mixture into 10 x 4-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350F oven 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160F.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cucumber and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning in medium bowl. Set aside.

Let stand 10 minutes; cut into slices. Serve with cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 187; Protein: 26 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 240 mg; Cholesterol: 95 mg; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: .4 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g

MISO CHICKEN

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Making a compound of unsalted butter and the salty, fungal deliciousness of Japanese miso paste is a surefire way of adding immense flavor to a simple weeknight meal. Here the mixture is spread over chicken thighs, which are then roasted to golden perfection. But you could easily use it on salmon or flounder, on corn or potatoes. The recipe calls for white miso, which is more mild than the aged version known as red miso. But you could certainly use red for a more intense result.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in Asian Pantry Essentials and can also be found online by clicking here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white miso

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar)

Black pepper, to taste

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 pounds

Preparation

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine butter, miso, honey, rice vinegar and black pepper in a large bowl and mix with a spatula or spoon until it is well combined.

Add chicken to the bowl and massage the miso-butter mixture all over it. Place the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan and slide it into the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over once or twice, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, and the internal temperature of the meat is 160 to 165 degrees.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 Servings. 1 Serving size = 1 cup. 1 cup fettuccine alfredo provides a 1/2 serving of Benecol®

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Benecol® Regular spread

4 to 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 1/4 cups skim milk

3 tbsp flour

4 ounces fat free cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 cups hot cooked fettuccine noodles (about 1/2 pound uncooked)

Directions

Heat Benecol & garlic slowly over low heat, 5 to 7 minutes, allowing full flavor of garlic to be released into Benecol.

Meanwhile, combine milk, flour, cream cheese, & Parmesan cheese in blender; then puree until smooth.

Add pureed mixture to Benecol® and garlic. Increase heat to medium-low and whisk continuously until mixture has thickened. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Toss with fettuccine noodles.