Tuesday Recipes

Enjoy!

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Spices lose their flavor over time but few as quickly as paprika, which starts out tasting of pepper and sunshine but deteriorates in but a few months to sawdust and bitterness. For this recipe, get some new at the market: sweet or hot Hungarian paprika is best, but the generic article isn’t terrible and the smoky Spanish varieties known as pimentón de La Vera would not be out of place either, lending a deep, woodsy aroma reminiscent of cooking over an open fire. It’s a dish that pairs beautifully with butter-slicked egg noodles.” Time: 1 hour; Serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, or whole chicken legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow or Spanish onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, sweet or hot, or a combination

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes or 1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1 cup chicken broth, homemade or, if not, low-sodium

1 pound egg noodles

3/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

Heat oven to 400. Season the chicken aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy, oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven set over high flame, until the butter is foaming. Sear the chicken in batches, skin-side down, until it is golden and crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Then turn the chicken over, and repeat on the other side, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate to rest.

Pour off all but a tablespoon or 2 of the accumulated fat in the pot. Return the pot to the stove, over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently with a spoon to scrape off any browned bits of chicken skin, until the onion has softened and gone translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir again, cooking it until it has softened, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paprika and the flour, and stir well to combine, then cook until the mixture is fragrant and the taste of the flour has been cooked out, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and broth, whisk until smooth and then nestle the chicken back in the pan, skin-side up. Slide the pan or pot into the oven, and cook until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a large pot of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Cook noodles in the water until they are almost completely tender, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the noodles, and toss them in a bowl with the remaining butter, then toss again to coat.

Place the chicken on top of the noodles, then add the sour cream to the sauce, stir to combine and ladle it over the whole.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

This comes from Pete Wells in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Pete wrote, “This classic recipe is adapted from ‘Tastes Like Cuba,’ by Eduardo Machado and Michael Domitrovich. The secret is the homemade sofrito, but bottled will do in a pinch.” Time: 45 minutes; Serves 8 to 10.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 green peppers, stemmed and seeded

10 garlic cloves

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over to remove any stones

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

5 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

4 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Spanish onion, diced

1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon turbinado or other brown sugar

Preparation

Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. Put the green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.

Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Cut the remaining 1/2 green pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy), oregano, cumin, black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito. When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 1 cup of beans to small bowl, mash them into a paste with the back of a fork and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into 1/2-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.

Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT DROP COOKIES

This is from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Giada At Home. Total Time: 1 hr 1 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 35 min; Cook: 11 min; Yield:38 to 40 cookies

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-hazelnut-drop-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup plus 1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, at room temperature (recommended: Nutella)

Directions

For the cookies: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With the machine running, gradually add the flour until incorporated. Beat in the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop 12 balls of dough onto each baking sheet. Bake until the bottoms of the cookies flatten out slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. In batches, roll the cookies in the sugar until coated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CREAMY LEMONADE PIE

Years ago, I was on several recipe email groups where members would share recipes with other members. Gradually, I dropped several email addresses that I had on a popular server, and no longer am on the lists. The recipes that I enjoyed, though, I forwarded to one of my other email addresses. This is one of those recipes, from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. I did check what looked like the group link that it came from, only to discover that it no longer exists. So, Dorie - creator of this recipe - if you read this, let me know.

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant lemon pudding mix

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese softened

3/4 C. lemonade concentrate

1 graham cracker crust

In a mixing bowl combine milk and pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in lemonade concentrate. Gradually beat in pudding mixture. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

RAINBOW VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from Laura Dolson, VeryWell.com’s Low Carb expert. Laura wrote, “Rainbow soup is a great way to follow so many nutritionist's advice to ‘eat a rainbow.’ In fact that's what makes rainbow soup unique, while it is generally hard to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. This is one of those soups that people tend to love, despite the unusual seasoning combination. I often put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chick peas, if your diet allows. The idea is that it has vegetables from all the ‘color groups,’ so it has lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 9 cups of soup.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium red bell pepper

1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)

1 heaping Tablespoon sweet paprika

3 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 15 oz can tomatoes, chopped

1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups - can use spinach or other dark leafy green such as kale - cut into thin strips

10 oz frozen green beans (or fresh)

Salt and pepper

5 cups stock or broth (Laura wrote, “I like vegetable or chicken Better Than Boullion - but watch the saltiness”)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant -- another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked.

If adding cooked cubed meat such as chicken or turkey, add at this time.

Adjust seasonings as needed.

Nutritional Analysis: Makes approximately 9 cups of soup, each with 6 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 3 grams of fiber (9 grams total carbohydrate) and 53 calories.

Serving Suggestions for Rainbow Soup

Laura wrote, “As a main course, this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat before they get to the main dish so that they won't be over or underfed. A nice starter salad with a viniagrette dressing is appetizing before soup. You might also try adding meat to the soup as an option for those who are not vegetarian. That is cook a great seafood option to accompany the soup, you could make chicken, fish, beef or sausage kabobs and place them on separate plates for those who are interested in making the meal a little more hearty.”

APPLE CREAM PIE

This comes from Tablespoon.com, and begins, “A bit of whipping cream adds a touch of richness to a classic apple pie made easy with unroll-and-fill refrigerated pie crust.” Prep Time: 35 min; Total Time: 2 hr 25 min; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust

1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (6 medium)

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1 egg white, beaten

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon; gently stir in apples. In small bowl, mix whipping cream and vanilla. Pour over apple mixture; stir gently to mix well. Spoon into crust-lined pan.

Top with second pie crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust. Brush top with egg white; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown, covering crust edge with strips of foil after 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool 1 hour.

Wednesday Recipes

A little late today (been running late all week), but here it is: six Wednesday recipes. Enjoy!

APPLE CREAM PIE

This comes from Tablespoon.com, and begins, “A bit of whipping cream adds a touch of richness to a classic apple pie made easy with unroll-and-fill refrigerated pie crust.” Prep Time: 35 min; Total Time: 2 hr 25 min; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust

1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (6 medium)

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1 egg white, beaten

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon; gently stir in apples. In small bowl, mix whipping cream and vanilla. Pour over apple mixture; stir gently to mix well. Spoon into crust-lined pan.

Top with second pie crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust. Brush top with egg white; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown, covering crust edge with strips of foil after 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool 1 hour.

MINI CHOCOLATE “PHILLY” SOUFFLÉS

This comes from Bev Cooks, an email newsletter put out by Bev Weidner. I've recently subscribed to her emailing list, and recommend it. Seriously, check it out! This recipe makes 6 – 8 mini soufflés.

To view this online (along with Bev's descriptions and photos), go to http://bevcooks.com/2015/09/mini-chocolate-philly-souffles/.

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed

2/3 cup sugar

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs, separated

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Add the milk and salt and keep whisking until the mix comes together to form a simple white sauce, just a minute or two.

Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla; stir over a low heat until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat.

Gradually add the lightly beaten egg yolks, and then let slightly cool. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. To this bowl, gradually add the remaining sugar, and keep mixing until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites, being careful not to over mix.

Pour the mixture into 6-8 (buttered and lightly sugared) ramekins, about 3/4th of the way up. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for an hour.

Lightly dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately!

BROCCOLI & PASTA

This recipe comes from FamilyTime.com's newsletter, and starts off, "Serve this simple pasta with French dinner rolls and Perrier for a simple and elegant dinner." Serves 3; Prep. Time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 10 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper, crushed

1 package (9-oz,) BUITONI® refrigerated Fettuccine, cooked, drained and kept warm

1/3 cup shredded Romano cheese

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet; add broccoli, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add pasta; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with cheese; toss lightly. Serve immediately.

SPINACH PINWHEELS

Servings: 24; 1 slice per serving

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

To view online, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon light margarine

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

10-ounce package frozen no-salt-added chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 cup nonfat or part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of cayenne

10-ounce package of refrigerated pizza dough

Vegetable oil spray

White of 1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

In a small nonstick skillet, heat margarine over medium-high heat. Swirl to cover bottom. Saute onion until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, spinach, ricotta, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cayenne. Blend well.

Press dough into a 12x14-inch rectangle. Cut in half, forming two 7x12-inch rectangles.

With a rubber scraper, spread half the spinach mixture on each piece of dough. Roll up, starting from a 12-inch side. Pinch each end of rolled dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.

With a sharp knife, cut each roll into 12 slices. Put pieces on baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 37; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread

EASY ITALIAN FRITTATA

I discovered frittatas several years ago and fell in love with them. This wonderful one is from Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food expert. She writes, “This delicious potato, bell pepper, and olive frittata is perfect for your next brunch, and guests will never know how easy it was go make. Serve it warm or at room temperature. It also makes a quick weeknight dinner.”

Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 40 minutes; total time: 50 minutes; serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Yukon Gold or russet potato, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seed and chopped

1 small zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

6 large eggs

1/3 cup pitted, chopped black olives, such as kalamata (optional)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup shredded Fontina cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Layer half of the potato, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini in the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potato, onion, and bell pepper, and season again. Cover and cook, stirring and turning frequently with a spatula until tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme over the mixture. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the olives,if desired, and then add the potato mixture to the eggs, stirring to blend.

Wipe the skillet clean, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and warm over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and sprinkle with the Parmesan and Fontina cheese.

Cook, drawing eggs away from the sides and bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. When the mixture is loosely set around the edges, place pan in the oven, and bake until puffed and completely set, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and slide out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the parsley. Cut into wedges and serve.

POTATO AND ONION SOUP

This is from Roadfood.com. The send out emails periodically which are almost always interesting. This recipe, from Harry Caray's, starts off, “Cooking potatoes in beef stock gives the starchy vegetable a savor that all carnivores will appreciate. A sprinkle of Parmesan on each serving adds just the right zip.”

Preparation Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced Spanish onions

3-1/2 cups homemade beef stock or equivalent amount of canned, low salt beef broth

3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the olive oil.

Add the onions and sauté until they become clear and turn a light brown. Set aside.

In a large stock pot, bring the beef stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the diced potatoes. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are soft.

Add the onions to the stock pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Salt and pepper the soup to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese on top and serve.