Wednesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes. Enjoy!

FIESTA CHICKEN PIZZA

This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts, “Chewy pizza crust topped with tender strips of chicken breast and taco mix meet their match in this heart pizza dish. Topped with four-cheese Mexican blend and thick and chunky salsa this pizza will please your crowd.” Serves: 8; Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

1 12-inch pizza crust

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 package (1.25-oz) ORTEGA® Taco Seasoning Mix

1 tablespoond water

1 cup ORTEGA® Thick & Chunky Salsa, medium

1 1/ 2 cups 4 cheese Mexican blend or nacho and taco blend cheese, shredded

Toppings:

sliced black olives, green onions, green bell pepper, radishes, red onion; sour cream; ORTEGA® Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce (optional, all)

Preheat oven. (See pizza crust package directions.)

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add seasoning mix and water; mix well.

Spread salsa over crust. Top with chicken mixture, chees and vegetable toppings.

Bake according to pizza crust package directions or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and a drizzle of taco sauce before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES ICE CREAM CAKE

This comes from Tablespoon.com, and begins, “A campfire classic a frosty makeover! Make it ahead for warm-weather gatherings – it's bound to make a big impression!” Prep Time: 10 min; Total Time: 4 hr 10 min; Servings: 10

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon (or 1.75 quarts) chocolate ice cream

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 jar (16 oz) creamy peanut butter

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 bottle (7.25 oz) chocolate topping that forms hard shell

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped, if desired

Additional graham cracker crumbs and miniature marshmallows, as desired

Directions

Remove ice cream from freezer 10 to 12 minutes, but no longer or you will end up with an icy cake.

Spray 8- to 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Dump mixture into pan; press evenly in bottom of pan.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave peanut butter uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds or until lightly melted and somewhat pourable. In large bowl, mix ice cream and peanut butter, using spatula or electric mixer, until almost no streaks of peanut butter remain. Stir in marshmallows. Work quickly so ice cream does not completely melt. Spread evenly over crust. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing against ice cream to help prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze 4 to 6 hours.

Before serving, remove from freezer, and pour chocolate over top, allowing some to drip down sides. Immediately top with chopped peanuts, and additional graham cracker crumbs and miniature marshmallows so they harden into the shell.

Once shell hardens, slice and serve or freeze until ready to serve. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before cutting--it makes cutting so much easier!

BLUEBERRY AND NECTARINE COBBLER

This comes from The Food Network. It begins, “When adding juicy summer fruit (like blueberries) to pies and cobblers, you generally need something to help the fruit coalesce into a sauce. We love instant tapioca, as it thickens while fading into the background, letting the fruit shine.” Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/blueberry-and-nectarine-cobbler-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Fruit:

6 ripe nectarines, about 1 pound

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant tapioca

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small pieces, plus more for the pan

Cobbler Top:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream

Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

For the fruit: Halve the nectarines along their natural seam, but leave skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Toss nectarines with blueberries, sugar, and tapioca and put into a buttered 9-inch round gratin or casserole dish. Dot the top of the fruit with the pieces of butter.

For the cobbler top: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Rub in 2 tablespoons of the butter with your fingertips until no visible pieces remain. Rub in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter just until it is in even, pea-size pieces. Whisk together the egg and cream and stir into the dry ingredients to make a shaggy, loose dough.

Spoon large spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit in clumps (it should look like rough, old-fashioned cobblestones, hence the name cobbler). Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cobbler on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm or room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

FIVE MINUTE PITA PIZZAS

This comes from The Baker Chick. I absolutely love her newsletter; if you haven't signed up to receive it, you should! Really nice recipes, some talk about each recipe, etc. (Yes, this is an endorcement; no, I'm not getting compensated for that.)

Anyway, this recipe yields 4 pita pizzas. They make a nice snack for several people, or a light dinner, along with salad and dessert.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 pockless pita flatbreads

3/4 cup of marinara sauce

12 slices of provolone cheese (mozzarella or other cheese would work well too!)

Pepperoni, sausage, veggies or other toppings of your choice

Instructions

Spread a couple tablespoons of sauce on each pita, leaving a small crust around the edge. Top with 3 slices of cheese each and any meat/veggies you like.

Place the pitas one at a time directly on the rack of a toaster oven. Toast for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Alternately- bake at 450F on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, or until golden, broiling for a minute or two to get the topping extra crisp if desired.

SPAGHETTI PIE

This was featured on The Today Show in August, and got Matt Lauer's attention. I had never tried anything like this before. As a vegetarian, I'd lean toward using a vegetarian substitute for the ground turkey or beef.

To view this online, along with video, go to http://www.today.com/food/spaghetti-pie-fun-way-make-dinner-leftovers-later-t39701.

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, 1/2 cup cooking water reserved

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 pound ground turkey or sirloin beef

1 cup tomato paste, divided

3 large eggs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add ground turkey or beef, and 3/4 cup of the tomato paste. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Consistency should be like a thick Bolognese sauce. Add more cooking water as needed.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooked spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the tomato paste.

Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it. Top with the remaining meat mixture, then scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.

Bake the pie in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife or pizza slicer to cut into wedges like a pie. Serve with a green salad.

INDIVIDUAL NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES

This yummy recipe comes from Rachael Ray of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. I love her show, as well as many of her recipes. (There, I said it!) Total Time: Prep: 10 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/individual-no-bake-strawberry-cheesecakes-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

12 strawberries

12 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 (8-ounce) bricks

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 individual gram cracker crusts, available on baking aisle

Directions

Coarsely chop 6 berries and place in food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and process until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fill pie tins. Garnish cheesecakes with slices of remaining berries.

Tuesday Recipes

Six yummy recipes to get you through the day. Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI PIE

This was featured on The Today Show in August, and got Matt Lauer's attention. I had never tried anything like this before. As a vegetarian, I'd lean toward using a vegetarian substitute for the ground turkey or beef.

To view this online, along with video, go to http://www.today.com/food/spaghetti-pie-fun-way-make-dinner-leftovers-later-t39701.

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, 1/2 cup cooking water reserved

1 small yellow onion, chopped finely

1 pound ground turkey or sirloin beef

1 cup tomato paste, divided

3 large eggs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add ground turkey or beef, and 3/4 cup of the tomato paste. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Consistency should be like a thick Bolognese sauce. Add more cooking water as needed.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooked spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the tomato paste.

Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it. Top with the remaining meat mixture, then scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.

Bake the pie in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife or pizza slicer to cut into wedges like a pie. Serve with a green salad.

INDIVIDUAL NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES

This yummy recipe comes from Rachael Ray of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. I love her show, as well as many of her recipes. (There, I said it!) Total Time: Prep: 10 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/individual-no-bake-strawberry-cheesecakes-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

12 strawberries

12 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 (8-ounce) bricks

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 individual gram cracker crusts, available on baking aisle

Directions

Coarsely chop 6 berries and place in food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and process until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fill pie tins. Garnish cheesecakes with slices of remaining berries.

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE COOKIE CUPS

This comes from Tablespoon, and begins, “Enjoy the flavors of a pumpkin latte in these cute, individually sized cookie cups!” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 60 min; Servings: 36

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

Cookie Cups

1 pouch Betty Crocker™ pumpkin spice cookie mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

Buttercream Frosting

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Garnish

36 chocolate-covered espresso beans

Caramel topping

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, beat cookie mix, 1/2 cup butter and the egg with spoon or electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls to make 36 balls. Place a dough ball into each of 36 ungreased mini muffin cups.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately press indentation into each with end of wooden spoon. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to serving plate.

In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter, the espresso powder, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to desired consistency.

Place buttercream in decorating bag fitted with tip or resealable food-storage plastic bag with one corner cut off. Pipe buttercream into indentation of each cooled cookie cup. Top each with chocolate-covered espresso bean and drizzle of caramel topping.

CHILI CHEESE MAC

This also comes from Tablespoon, and begins, “Treat your family to an amazing dinner with this fall recipe made with beef, cheese and macaroni.” Prep Time: 45 min; Total Time: 45 min; Servings: 10

Note: If you're a vegetarian, as I am, or if you're trying to cut down on meat, you can try any number of vegetarian substitutes for the ground beef, as well as 2 cups of vegetable broth for the beef broth. One of my favorite vegetarian substitutes is by Boca Burgers. Their Ground Crumbles (scroll to the bottom of the page) can be found in the freezer section of many stores and are a great substitute for ground beef.

To view the Chili Cheese Mac recipe, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

3/4 lb ground beef round

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 cup water

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (8 oz)

1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk

4 oz (half of 8-oz package) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cut into cubes

1 cup finely shredded reduced- fat sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Directions

In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook beef, chili powder, garlic powder, coriander and cumin in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.

Add broth, water and tomatoes; heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni. Cover; cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, cook milk and cream cheese over medium heat 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat; stir in Cheddar cheese. Add cheese sauce to macaroni mixture; toss well to coat.

SLOW-COOKER BACK MACARONI AND CHEESE

This was also featured on The Today Show. It begins, “Mac and cheese is notoriously hard to make in the slow cooker; you often end up with dry, tough pasta, and the sauce seems to disappear during the cooking process. Though I usually stay far away from canned condensed soups, in this case, condensed Cheddar cheese soup is the key to achieving that satisfyingly creamy texture. You'll add half the bacon at the start to infuse the pasta with smoky, salty goodness, then stir in the other half at the end to preserve its crisp bite. I like to garnish with sliced scallions before serving for a fresh onion zing and some much-needed color.” Cook Time: 180 minutes; Prep Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, go to http://www.today.com/food/slow-cooker-bacon-macaroni-cheese-t45361.

Ingredients

1 pound pasta shells

1 10.75-ounce can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

2 cups whole milk

2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

12 slices cooked bacon, chopped and divided

Sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the pasta shells.

In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed Cheddar cheese soup, whole milk, evaporated milk, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and black pepper. Stir in the shredded Cheddar, shredded Monterey jack, garlic and half the cooked bacon.

Carefully pour the cheese mixture over the pasta and gently stir until all the pasta is coated.

Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2 1/2 hours.

Stir in the reserved cooked bacon and serve garnished with sliced scallions if desired.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

From the Food Network. To view this online, click here. Total Time: 1 hr 30 min., prep: 35 min; cook: 55 min; yields 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (1-pint) containers ice cream (any flavor)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. With a spoon, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until you have a smooth dough.

Using a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop 6 mounds of dough on each baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. (For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.) Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, turn the ice cream pints on their sides and use a serrated knife to slice through the containers, cutting each into 3 even rounds. Place the ice cream disks on a baking sheet and freeze until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble, peel the cardboard from the ice cream disks and sandwich each disk between 2 cookies. Serve the sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 week.