Friday Recipes

Thanksgiving is almost here, and while most of us have an idea of what we’ll fix, there’s always a few extra things we’d like to try. Hence, today’s offerings. Enjoy!

SOFT COCOA COOKIES

These are from a now-forgotten emailing list. Makes 48 – 72 cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup cocoa

1 large egg

2/3 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar;add egg.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes at 400°F; do not overbake.

Ice with chocolate icing, if desired.

VEGAN RISOTTO WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

From another emailing list.

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup sun-dried tomaotes in oil, drained and sliced

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

2 tsp fresh chopped parsley

1/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese substitute (optional)

Preparation:

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add the risotto rice and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Allow to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until rice just starts to brown. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth and stir well to combine. Add a dash of salt and pepper. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add one more cup of water, along with the tomatoes, basil and parsley.

As the moisture gets absorbed, continue to add broth or water one cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked.

Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

COUNTRY SCALLOPED POTATOES

This comes from Family Time, 
and starts off, “Ordinary scalloped potatoes become extraordinary when they're made with ham, onion and a creamy cheese sauce. They make an appetizing addition to just about any meal.”

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 70;
Serves: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Chicken Gravy

1 cup milk

5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Stir the soup, gravy and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, onion, ham and soup mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

BROCCOLI & CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

This is also from Family Time, and begins, “Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot.”

Prep. time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes;
Serves: 6 servings (3 shells each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Directions

Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Tips Tip: To save time: Thaw the broccoli in the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

EGG NOG PUMPKIN PIE

While I’m not sure where this recipe originally came from – possibly one of my mom’s? – it’s in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking, available at Amazon.com. To purchase a copy (hint, hint!), click here.

1 C canned eggnog

1 egg

18 oz. can pumpkin pie filling

9” pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, combine egg nog, egg & pie filling; blend well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream.

GIADA'S SUPER-CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network's Giada At Home. Total Time: 52 min.; prep: 12 min; Cook: 40 minutes; Yields 4 to 6 servings; level: easy.

This recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Soup:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:

1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese

Kosher salt

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Tuesday Recipes

Enjoy!

TRIPLE BERRY STRAWBERRY PIE

I'm frequently amazed by where I find recipes these days. I guess I shouldn't be, really. This one, from GE Appliances makes sense, since GE does make stoves and ovens. I'm glad I found this recipe, though...I do have a weakness for pies! This recipes makes 8 servings and can be found online by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 package refrigerated pie crust

3/4 cup sugar

1/3-cup cornstarch

1-1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1-cup fresh blueberries

1-cup fresh raspberries

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 egg white, slightly beaten (for top crust)

1 can cherry pie filling

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare pie crust according to directions.

Mix all ingredients and pour into pie shell.

Use a top crust or lattice if desired. Brush egg white on top crust.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until crust is golden brown.

PATRIOTIC PIE

Another pie from GE Appliances. This recipe makes 6 – 10 servings and can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh blueberries (divided)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh raspberries

12 ounces of cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 9-inch pie shell (baked and cooled)

Whipped cream

Method

In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups of the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until thickened (about 2 minutes or so). Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined. Gently spread cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the cooled pie crust.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries into cooled berry mixture. Pour on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the raspberries over top, then add the remaining 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries. Chill completely-at least 2 hours.

To serve, garnish with dollops of whipped cream.

CIN-FUL PEACH COBBLER

This peachy recipe comes from Guy Fieri of The Food Network's Guy's Big Bite. Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 15; Cook: 1 hr 15 min; Yield: 10 servings; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/cin-ful-peach-cobbler-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

For the peach filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 cups frozen peaches, thawed, about 3 pounds prepared

1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon butter

For the crumb topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Special Equipment: 12 by 8-inch oval stoneware dish or 13 by 9-inch rectangular glass or stoneware dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

To make the peach filling: In a large bowl, stir together sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add peaches and gently toss to coat. Mix together cornstarch slurry and lemon juice and stir into peaches to incorporate. Butter a 12 by 8-inch oval dish and add peach mixture.

To make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients, add in butter pieces and combine with hands until crumbly.

Top peaches with half of the crumb topping. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then add remainder of the crumb topping. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake until golden and bubbling, another 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

SLOW COOKER SPICY SHREDDED CHICKEN

This comes from Joy Nordenstrom, About.com's Cooking for Two and Romantic Meals Expert. She writes, “I love coming home to a meal that is almost ready to eat! This Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is the perfect base to a Mexican feast. Try some Watermelon Mojitos to cool down the heat of this dish.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 180 minutes; Total Time: 210 minutes; Yield: 2 – 4 servings

Note: I imagine that it wouldn't be a problem to double this recipe, if so desired.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon smoked chipotle powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 limes, juiced

1 red jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 green jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 16 oz. can of diced organic tomatoes with juice

1 cup of beer, preferably a Mexican beer

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Turn on large crockpot to high heat. Add tomatoes, lime juice and beer. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Pat dry chicken and add to hot oil. Brown the chicken on both sides. While chicken is cooking add onions and peppers. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes and add garlic and spices. When chicken is browned remove from pan and put in crockpot over tomatoes. Once onion is soft add onion and peppers to cover the chicken.

Cover crockpot and cook for 3 hours on high or longer on medium heat.

Remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork. If using cilantro, toss over chicken. Plus season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add as much juice and tomato mixture from crockpot to suit your taste over chicken and serve with taco accruements.

COUNTRY SCALLOPED POTATOES

This comes from Family Time, 
and starts off, “Ordinary scalloped potatoes become extraordinary when they're made with ham, onion and a creamy cheese sauce. They make an appetizing addition to just about any meal.”

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 70;
Serves: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Chicken Gravy

1 cup milk

5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Stir the soup, gravy and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, onion, ham and soup mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

BROCCOLI & CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

This is also from Family Time, and begins, “Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot.”

Prep. time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes;
Serves: 6 servings (3 shells each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Directions

Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Tips Tip: To save time: Thaw the broccoli in the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

Thanksgiving and Anytime Foods

Thanksgiving is next week, and while most of us have an idea of what we’ll fix, there’s always a few extra things we’d like to try. Hence, today’s offerings. Enjoy!

SOFT COCOA COOKIES

These are from a now-forgotten emailing list. Makes 48 – 72 cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup cocoa

1 large egg

2/3 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar;add egg.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/sugar mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes at 400°F; do not overbake.

Ice with chocolate icing, if desired.

VEGAN RISOTTO WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

From another emailing list.

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup sun-dried tomaotes in oil, drained and sliced

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

2 tsp fresh chopped parsley

1/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese substitute (optional)

Preparation:

Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add the risotto rice and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Allow to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until rice just starts to brown. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable broth and stir well to combine. Add a dash of salt and pepper. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add one more cup of water, along with the tomatoes, basil and parsley.

As the moisture gets absorbed, continue to add broth or water one cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked.

Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

COUNTRY SCALLOPED POTATOES

This comes from Family Time, 
and starts off, “Ordinary scalloped potatoes become extraordinary when they're made with ham, onion and a creamy cheese sauce. They make an appetizing addition to just about any meal.”

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 70;
Serves: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Chicken Gravy

1 cup milk

5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, (about 4 ounces)

Directions

Stir the soup, gravy and milk in a small bowl. Layer half the potatoes, onion, ham and soup mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Cover the baking dish.
Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes.

BROCCOLI & CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

This is also from Family Time, and begins, “Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot.”

Prep. time: 25 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes;
Serves: 6 servings (3 shells each) Can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Directions

Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Tips Tip: To save time: Thaw the broccoli in the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.

EGG NOG PUMPKIN PIE

While I’m not sure where this recipe originally came from – possibly one of my mom’s? – it’s in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking, available at Amazon.com. To purchase a copy (hint, hint!), click here.

1 C canned eggnog

1 egg

18 oz. can pumpkin pie filling

9” pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, combine egg nog, egg & pie filling; blend well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream.

GIADA'S SUPER-CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network's Giada At Home. Total Time: 52 min.; prep: 12 min; Cook: 40 minutes; Yields 4 to 6 servings; level: easy.

This recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Soup:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:

1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese

Kosher salt

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.