It's finally Friday, half-way through September. Where does the time go? Siiiigh...
Well, no matter how fast time seems to be flying, we still need to eat. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime, No Churn Ice Cream, and Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions. (Wow, that's a mouth-full in itself, right?) Enjoy!
ORANGE CHICKEN STIR-FRY
This comes from Linda Larsen on The Spruce Eats. Linda wrote, “This easy five ingredient recipe for Orange Chicken Stir-Fry is packed full of flavor and color. And because you use frozen peas and cashews, there's no chopping. Dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes.
“You can prep the ingredients for this wonderful recipe ahead of time. In the morning before you go to work, or the night before, cut the chicken into thin strips. Measure out the cashews and put the baby peas in the fridge so they can thaw. Then when you get home, measure the sauce ingredients, put the sauce together, heat the wok, and make the recipe. Easy!
“When you stir fry, it's important that every ingredient is ready and waiting to go into the skillet or wok. You can't stop in the middle of stir-frying to measure something or prep an ingredient. Once all of the ingredients are prepped, this cooking style is very quick.
“You can certainly add more ingredients to this recipe. Think about adding some sliced bell peppers (prep them the night before too), some sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash, or some green beans or asparagus. Something green would be a nice contrast to the orange sauce and pale chicken.
“Because the chicken is cut into thin strips, it should cook through to a safe temperature during the cooking process. If you're unsure, use a food thermometer to check the chicken. It should be at least 160°F.
“Serve this dish over hot cooked rice or noodles or over a rice pilaf. It's also great served over mashed plain or sweet potatoes for a change of pace. Add some nice white wine, a green salad tossed with grape tomatoes and sliced mushrooms, and dinner is ready.”
Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 8 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs, cut into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1/2 cup cashew pieces
Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
Add the chicken to the wok.
Stir fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the chicken in the skillet or wok along with the thawed peas.
Stir fry for 2-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Then stir in the cashew pieces and serve immediately over hot cooked rice or noodles.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH TOMATO AND BASIL AND POTATOES WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS
This comes from Rachael Ray, star of the Food Network show 30 Minute Meals.
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 27 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get shredded cheese, not grated
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice -- chiffonade
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.
Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!
While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.
While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.
Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.
QUICK TURKEY MEATBALLS OVER GREENS
This comes from The Kitchn's emailing list. (Yes, another recipe from The Kitchen. If you haven't signed up for their emails, you really should!) This serves 4, and can be viewed online (along with Faith Durand's description) here.
1 pound ground turkey, either 85% lean or 93% lean
1/4 cup grated onion, from 1/2 small to medium onion
1 large egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 whole cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought
2 pounds greens, such as broccoli rabe, kale, mustard greens, washed, de-veined, and roughly chopped
Shaved Parmesan, to serve, optional
Combine the turkey, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Begin heating a large pot of salted water for the cooking the greens while you shape and cook the meatballs.
Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place on a tray or in a pan. You should have between 26 and 30 meatballs.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Place the meatballs in the hot skillet and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Use tongs to gently rotate the meatballs so they brown evenly. (If your pan isn't large enough to brown all of the meatballs without them touching, cook them in batches and place them back on the cookie sheet once they've been browned. Then combine them back in the pan before simmering with the tomato sauce.)
Reduce the heat to medium, add the tomato sauce, and cover the pan. Simmer the meatballs and sauce for another 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
While the meatballs are simmering, boil the greens in the salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain. (You can also sauté or stir-fry the greens in a hot skillet with oil if preferred.)
To serve, put greens on the plate and top with meatballs and sauce.
Recipe Notes:
To prevent the meatballs sticking to the pan, make sure it is hot before adding the meatballs, and brown thoroughly before trying to turn them. They should release easily once browned. Also, using 85% lean turkey (as opposed to completely lean) should help the meatballs release more cleanly.
Storage: Store the meatballs in their sauce for up to 3 days in the fridge. Freeze cooked meatballs and sauce for up to 3 months.
BASIL AND TOMATO CHICKEN BREASTS
This is from Derrick Riches, who runs the Barbecue & Grilling site for The Spruce. Derrick wrote, “This is a great way to prepare chicken breasts. The combination of tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar gives this dish a fantastic Italian-inspired flavor.”
Time: 24 minutes; Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Yield: Serves 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, skinless and deboned
4-6 tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, loosely packed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Combine garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, basil, black pepper, and salt in a food processor. Reserve a small amount of the chopped tomatoes and chopped basil for garnish.
In a large resealable plastic bag, add chicken and 3/4 of the marinade. Make sure chicken is well coated. Seal bag and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. In a small saucepan, bring the reserved 1/4 of the marinade to a boil for 1 minute, reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat grill. Place chicken on grill and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from heat, top with cooked sauce and garnish with diced tomatoes or chopped basil.
Showing posts with label No Churn Ice Cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label No Churn Ice Cream. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2021
Friday, June 11, 2021
Friday Recipes
If your week has seemed as long as mine has, you're probably glad that it's finally Friday. (Can I get a yay?!)
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream (with a little help from Playing for Change, playing a Kool and the Gang song). Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream (with a little help from Playing for Change, playing a Kool and the Gang song). Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Meatless Monday
It's time for another Meatless Monday. Here are six recipes to start your week off just right, including Chunky Pizza Soup and Tie-Dye Cheesecake. Enjoy!
CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA
This is from the March 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 24, and begins, “This mild veg version of an Indian restaurant favorite shows that Indian food doesn’t have to be ultra-spicy to be good.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Tbs. garam masala
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, minced
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup low-fat Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garam masala, tomato paste, ginger, and serrano chile, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 1 minute more.
Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in yogurt and cilantro.
nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 328; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 52 g; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Sodium: 582 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 11 g; Gluten-Free
TIE-DYE CHEESECAKE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “This outrageous psychedelic cheesecake is an ode to all the tie-dye of the 1960s. Making the vibrant swirls is much easier to do than it looks; all you need is a wooden skewer – groovy!” Total: 10 hr 45 min; Active: 35 min; Yield: 12 servings; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 18 whole crackers)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt
Filling:
Three 11.5-ounce containers whipped cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 16-ounce container sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Neon blue, pink and purple food coloring
Yellow food coloring
Whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Special equipment: a 10-inch springform pan and a wooden skewer
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
For the crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely. Wrap up the bottom and sides of pan with a large piece of foil and put in a large roasting pan.
For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar, in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the heavy cream and mix until just combined. Mix in the eggs, by hand, 1 at time. Then mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, by hand as well, until just combined. (Overmixing can turn your cheesecake into a souffle.)
Using a ladle, divide the cheesecake batter into 4 separate bowls. Dye each a separate color; blue, pink, purple and yellow. Add enough food coloring so that the colors are very vibrant and intense.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the crust, alternating the colors, until all the batter has been scooped. Use a wooden skewer and drag it through the colors to marble them for tie-dye effect, making sure the skewer reaches down to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the pan to the roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake until the outside of the cake is set and the center is still slightly loose, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Unmold the cheesecake and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
SUMMER RATATOUILLE WITH FARRO
This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Ratatouille tastes best the day after you make it, and in the summer, you can serve it chilled or at room temperature, with a vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Here, it tops a pile of farro. Top it with a poached egg, or with crumbled feta or grated Parmesan.”
Yield: Serves 6; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes for the ratatouille 15 minutes for assembling the big bowls.
This was featured in “Just Add Farro”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Ratatouille
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced
3/4 pound mixed sweet peppers (red, yellow, green), cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long
4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick (if very thick, cut in half lengthwise first)
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
For the Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 very small garlic clove, pureéd
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Big Bowl
3 to 4 cups cooked farro or spelt
2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste
6 eggs, poached
2 ounces crumbled feta or freshly grated Parmesan
Preparation
For the Ratatouille
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place diced eggplant in a large, heavy, flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in hot oven and roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow eggplant to steam in the hot casserole while you pan-cook onions, peppers, and zucchini.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until peppers have softened and smell fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic and cook for another minute, then season with salt and pepper and transfer to casserole with eggplant. Heat remaining oil in the skillet and add zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic for a minute, until fragrant, season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to casserole.
Add tomatoes to the casserole with bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together and place over medium-low heat. When vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the mix is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or cold, preferably the next day.
For the Big Bowl
Whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette.
To assemble the big bowl, spoon warm or room temperature farro or spelt into each bowl (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, to taste). Top with a generous spoonful of ratatouille. Spoon a tablespoon of vinaigrette over the ratatouille and garnish with some of the basil. Top with a poached egg if desired and sprinkle with feta or Parmesan. Garnish with more basil and serve.
CHUNKY PIZZA SOUP
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
1 tb Oil, vegetable
1 Onion, chopped small
1/2 c Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c Green peppers, slivered
1 c Tomatoes, undrained
1 c Stock, beef
1 c Pepperoni, thin sliced
1/2 ts Basil, dried
1 c Cheese, mozzarella shredded
Directions
Preheat oven broiler. Heat oil over medium heat, stirfry onion, mushroom and green pepper till soft, not browned. Add tomatoes, stock, pepperoni and basil, cook till heated through. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Broil till cheese melts and is bubbly.
BANANA MUFFINS WITH TART LEMON ICING
This was on an old Weight Watcher's emailing list. Unfortunately, I no longer have a link to it, as WW has changed enough over the years. The points value is from when the email came out.
The recipe begins, “If the mouth-puckering lemon icing isn’t enough flavor for you, try adding 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour mixture.”
POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 18; Preparation Time: 15 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 large egg(s)
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
4 large banana(s), ripe, mashed
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest, strips, or more to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin holes with paper liners.
Place sugar and 5 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed.
In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined and then fold in mashed bananas.
Spoon batter into muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and a tester inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
Meanwhile, to make icing, combine powdered sugar, remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, zest, and remaining teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins. Yields 1 muffin per serving.
CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA
This is from the March 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 24, and begins, “This mild veg version of an Indian restaurant favorite shows that Indian food doesn’t have to be ultra-spicy to be good.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
This can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Tbs. garam masala
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, minced
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup low-fat Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garam masala, tomato paste, ginger, and serrano chile, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 1 minute more.
Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in yogurt and cilantro.
nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 328; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 52 g; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Sodium: 582 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 11 g; Gluten-Free
TIE-DYE CHEESECAKE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “This outrageous psychedelic cheesecake is an ode to all the tie-dye of the 1960s. Making the vibrant swirls is much easier to do than it looks; all you need is a wooden skewer – groovy!” Total: 10 hr 45 min; Active: 35 min; Yield: 12 servings; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 18 whole crackers)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt
Filling:
Three 11.5-ounce containers whipped cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 16-ounce container sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Neon blue, pink and purple food coloring
Yellow food coloring
Whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Special equipment: a 10-inch springform pan and a wooden skewer
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
For the crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely. Wrap up the bottom and sides of pan with a large piece of foil and put in a large roasting pan.
For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar, in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the heavy cream and mix until just combined. Mix in the eggs, by hand, 1 at time. Then mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, by hand as well, until just combined. (Overmixing can turn your cheesecake into a souffle.)
Using a ladle, divide the cheesecake batter into 4 separate bowls. Dye each a separate color; blue, pink, purple and yellow. Add enough food coloring so that the colors are very vibrant and intense.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the crust, alternating the colors, until all the batter has been scooped. Use a wooden skewer and drag it through the colors to marble them for tie-dye effect, making sure the skewer reaches down to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the pan to the roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Bake until the outside of the cake is set and the center is still slightly loose, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Unmold the cheesecake and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
SUMMER RATATOUILLE WITH FARRO
This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “Ratatouille tastes best the day after you make it, and in the summer, you can serve it chilled or at room temperature, with a vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Here, it tops a pile of farro. Top it with a poached egg, or with crumbled feta or grated Parmesan.”
Yield: Serves 6; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes for the ratatouille 15 minutes for assembling the big bowls.
This was featured in “Just Add Farro”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Ratatouille
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced
3/4 pound mixed sweet peppers (red, yellow, green), cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long
4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick (if very thick, cut in half lengthwise first)
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
For the Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 very small garlic clove, pureéd
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Big Bowl
3 to 4 cups cooked farro or spelt
2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste
6 eggs, poached
2 ounces crumbled feta or freshly grated Parmesan
Preparation
For the Ratatouille
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place diced eggplant in a large, heavy, flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in hot oven and roast uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow eggplant to steam in the hot casserole while you pan-cook onions, peppers, and zucchini.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until peppers have softened and smell fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic and cook for another minute, then season with salt and pepper and transfer to casserole with eggplant. Heat remaining oil in the skillet and add zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic for a minute, until fragrant, season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to casserole.
Add tomatoes to the casserole with bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together and place over medium-low heat. When vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the mix is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or cold, preferably the next day.
For the Big Bowl
Whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette.
To assemble the big bowl, spoon warm or room temperature farro or spelt into each bowl (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, to taste). Top with a generous spoonful of ratatouille. Spoon a tablespoon of vinaigrette over the ratatouille and garnish with some of the basil. Top with a poached egg if desired and sprinkle with feta or Parmesan. Garnish with more basil and serve.
CHUNKY PIZZA SOUP
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
1 tb Oil, vegetable
1 Onion, chopped small
1/2 c Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c Green peppers, slivered
1 c Tomatoes, undrained
1 c Stock, beef
1 c Pepperoni, thin sliced
1/2 ts Basil, dried
1 c Cheese, mozzarella shredded
Directions
Preheat oven broiler. Heat oil over medium heat, stirfry onion, mushroom and green pepper till soft, not browned. Add tomatoes, stock, pepperoni and basil, cook till heated through. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Broil till cheese melts and is bubbly.
BANANA MUFFINS WITH TART LEMON ICING
This was on an old Weight Watcher's emailing list. Unfortunately, I no longer have a link to it, as WW has changed enough over the years. The points value is from when the email came out.
The recipe begins, “If the mouth-puckering lemon icing isn’t enough flavor for you, try adding 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour mixture.”
POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 18; Preparation Time: 15 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 large egg(s)
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
4 large banana(s), ripe, mashed
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest, strips, or more to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin holes with paper liners.
Place sugar and 5 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed.
In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined and then fold in mashed bananas.
Spoon batter into muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and a tester inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
Meanwhile, to make icing, combine powdered sugar, remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, zest, and remaining teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins. Yields 1 muffin per serving.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Friday Recipes
If your week has seemed as long as mine has, you're probably glad that it's finally Friday. (Can I get a yay?!)
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from Darlene Schmidt on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Desserts!
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” - Erma Bombeck. Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 42.
Today's offerings deal with that favorite item, desserts! Try out the Brownie Cupcake Bites, the Double Good Blueberry Pie, or any of today's other yummy recipes. Enjoy!
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BARS
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Ethereal and ready to melt in your mouth, chocolate mousse bars are easy to make and even easier to eat. With so few ingredients, it’s important to use a chocolate you would be perfectly happy to snack out of hand. The instant espresso powder is optional but adds depth to this simple dessert. To cut beautiful, neat slices, use a long sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped clean before each cut.”
Yield: 24 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
18 whole graham crackers (about 9 1/2 ounces)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2 1/4 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
DOUBLE GOOD BLUEBERRY PIE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
3/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
2 c. blueberries
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. blueberries
1 baked 9 inch pie shell
Sweetened whipped cream
Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add 2 cups blueberries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils, thickens and is clear. Add butter and lemon juice. Cool. Place 2 cups blueberries in pie shell. Top with cooled mixture. Chill. Garnish with whipped cream.
RASPBERRY LIME PIE
This also comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
14 ozs. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
8 ozs. frozen whipped topping -- thawed
Few drops red food coloring -- optional
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 9 inch graham cracker crust -- baked and cooled
Additional raspberries for garnish -- optional
Fresh mint for garnish -- optional
Lime slices for garnish -- optional
Directions
In a mixing bowl, stir together milk and lime juice (mixture will begin to thicken). Mix in whipped topping and food coloring, if desired. Gently fold in raspberries. Spoon into crust. Chill. Garnish with raspberries, mint and/or lime if desired.
Note: Whoever submitted this to the list added, “Here is a pretty and refreshing dessert that tastes good after any meal. I especially like to serve it after a picnic or barbecued meal.”
BROWNIE CUPCAKE BITES
This is from a Weight Watcher's emailing list from y-e-a-r-s ago, and began, “These Halloween treats will trick your taste buds: They're moist and delicious with less fat than normal. If you're not a fan of candy corn, get festive with orange and black sprinkles.”
At the time this was sent, it had a points value of 3 per serving.
Servings: 24; Preparation Time: 12 min; Cooking Time: 14 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
21 oz regular brownies, dry mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup lite whipped topping
1 1/4 oz candy corn, about 24 pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 mini muffin tin holes with mini cupcake papers.
Combine brownie mix, water, applesauce and egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat 50 strokes with a wooden spoon; do not under mix. Pour brownie mixture into prepared muffin tins.
Bake cupcakes until a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely; remove cupcakes from pan. Before serving, decorate each cooled cupcake with a tablespoon dollop of whipped topping and 1 piece of candy corn. Yields 1 cupcake per serving.
BLACKBERRY COBBLER
This comes from Delish, and begins, “Summer is calling.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Filling:
6 c. blackberries
1/2 c. sugar
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
For the Cobbler
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 tbsp. Butter, cubed
1/4 c. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Egg wash, for brushing
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, toss blackberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt. Let sit 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the butter with your hands until combined, then stir in milk and egg until just combined.
Transfer the blackberry mixture to an oven-safe skillet and top with dollops of dough.
Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until biscuit topping is deeply golden and blackberry mixture bubbly, 45 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.
Today's offerings deal with that favorite item, desserts! Try out the Brownie Cupcake Bites, the Double Good Blueberry Pie, or any of today's other yummy recipes. Enjoy!
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BARS
This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Ethereal and ready to melt in your mouth, chocolate mousse bars are easy to make and even easier to eat. With so few ingredients, it’s important to use a chocolate you would be perfectly happy to snack out of hand. The instant espresso powder is optional but adds depth to this simple dessert. To cut beautiful, neat slices, use a long sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped clean before each cut.”
Yield: 24 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
18 whole graham crackers (about 9 1/2 ounces)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling:
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2 1/4 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
DOUBLE GOOD BLUEBERRY PIE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
3/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
2 c. blueberries
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. blueberries
1 baked 9 inch pie shell
Sweetened whipped cream
Directions
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add 2 cups blueberries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils, thickens and is clear. Add butter and lemon juice. Cool. Place 2 cups blueberries in pie shell. Top with cooled mixture. Chill. Garnish with whipped cream.
RASPBERRY LIME PIE
This also comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
14 ozs. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
8 ozs. frozen whipped topping -- thawed
Few drops red food coloring -- optional
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 9 inch graham cracker crust -- baked and cooled
Additional raspberries for garnish -- optional
Fresh mint for garnish -- optional
Lime slices for garnish -- optional
Directions
In a mixing bowl, stir together milk and lime juice (mixture will begin to thicken). Mix in whipped topping and food coloring, if desired. Gently fold in raspberries. Spoon into crust. Chill. Garnish with raspberries, mint and/or lime if desired.
Note: Whoever submitted this to the list added, “Here is a pretty and refreshing dessert that tastes good after any meal. I especially like to serve it after a picnic or barbecued meal.”
BROWNIE CUPCAKE BITES
This is from a Weight Watcher's emailing list from y-e-a-r-s ago, and began, “These Halloween treats will trick your taste buds: They're moist and delicious with less fat than normal. If you're not a fan of candy corn, get festive with orange and black sprinkles.”
At the time this was sent, it had a points value of 3 per serving.
Servings: 24; Preparation Time: 12 min; Cooking Time: 14 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
21 oz regular brownies, dry mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup lite whipped topping
1 1/4 oz candy corn, about 24 pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 mini muffin tin holes with mini cupcake papers.
Combine brownie mix, water, applesauce and egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat 50 strokes with a wooden spoon; do not under mix. Pour brownie mixture into prepared muffin tins.
Bake cupcakes until a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely; remove cupcakes from pan. Before serving, decorate each cooled cupcake with a tablespoon dollop of whipped topping and 1 piece of candy corn. Yields 1 cupcake per serving.
BLACKBERRY COBBLER
This comes from Delish, and begins, “Summer is calling.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Blackberry Filling:
6 c. blackberries
1/2 c. sugar
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
For the Cobbler
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 tbsp. Butter, cubed
1/4 c. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Egg wash, for brushing
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, toss blackberries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt. Let sit 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the butter with your hands until combined, then stir in milk and egg until just combined.
Transfer the blackberry mixture to an oven-safe skillet and top with dollops of dough.
Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until biscuit topping is deeply golden and blackberry mixture bubbly, 45 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Friday Recipes
If your week has seemed as long as mine has, you're probably glad that it's finally Friday. (Can I get a yay?!)
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from DARLENE SCHMIDT on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
And in celebration of that, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables With Garlic, Ginger, and Lime and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
CORNY GREEN ENCHILADAS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves: 4; Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
12 corn tortillas
1 can of fiesta corn (drained)
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
2 cups of vegan cheese
2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
This is a layered casserole. You can vary the layers to your liking.
Mix the spices with your enchilada sauce and stir until well incorporated. Taste the enchilada sauce to see if it needs salt. Normally the canned sauce is seasoned very well.
Using a casserole dish, layer the ingredients, starting with 1/4 of sauce on the bottom. Layer sauce, tortillas (torn or whole), corn, beans and vegan cheese. Continue layering and end with a layer of tortillas and then sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of vegan cheese over the top and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Remove the foil the last 5-10 minutes to let the vegan cheese brown.
Serve with a salad, salsa and smoothie! Good eats!
TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto
1/2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.
To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.
Garnish with Parmesan.
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL
This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Preparation
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.
THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
This recipe, from FamilyTime, begins, “This company-worthy, skillet dish is perfect for weeknight dinners too...it's ready in just 30 minutes and features a savory peanut sauce accented with garlic, lime and cilantro.”
Serves: 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 3 cups)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Stir the chicken, garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is well browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until they're tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soup, milk and peanut butter in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve the chicken mixture with the rice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
For Thai Chicken: Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for the milk and add 1 tablespoon green or red curry paste with the peanut butter.
THAI STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND LIME
This is from DARLENE SCHMIDT on The Spruce Eats. Darlene wrote, “Making a 'simple stir-fry' isn't always all that simple if you can't get the stir-fry sauce to taste just right. But with this no-fail recipe for Thai stir-fried vegetables, the technique is a shoe-in mostly because the sauce is made up before beginning to fry the vegetables, allowing you to adjust the flavors to your liking. This can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
“This is quite a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry and is terrific served over rice or noodles. Feel free to experiment with your own choice of vegetables, using whatever is fresh and available where you live.
“Great as a side dish, you can turn it into a main course by adding tofu, wheat gluten, cashews, cooked shrimp or slices of chicken as a protein source.
“Best of all it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish—perfect for gathering the family around the table for a weeknight meal. Things will go even faster if much of the slicing, dicing, and chopping is done the night before.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped, or purple onion)
5 to 6 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 to 2 pieces galangal (thumb-size OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces)
1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili (sliced OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
1 medium-size carrot (sliced)
5 to 6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced or left in halves or quarters)
Optional: 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
2 to 3 cups baby bok choy (or other Chinese cabbage, leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 handful fresh Thai basil (chopped)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed chili flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Directions
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
In a large cup or small bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and brown sugar, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk.
Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
Stir-Fry the Dish
Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, optional cauliflower, and 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli and red pepper plus enough stir-fry sauce to gently simmer vegetables (about 2 minutes). This is meant to be a "saucy" stir-fry that is never dry so the sauce can flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
Finally, add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, almost enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2 to 3 minutes more).
Remove from heat and taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired.
Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice.
Note: Any leftover stir-fry sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries.
Main Course Variation
Use this sauce to make a main course dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp, or tofu/cashews if vegetarian/vegan.
If using raw chicken or raw shrimp, combine with 3 tablespoons of the stir-fry sauce as a marinade. Add marinated chicken/shrimp at the beginning of stir-frying together with the shallots, garlic, galangal, and chili.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Ice Cream
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Who doesn't love ice cream? And when it's homemade, it's even better.
Here are six ice cream recipes to finish up the summer with, including Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC ICE CREAM
This comes from Audra (otherwise known as The Baker Chick). I absolutely love her site; it’s one of the ones that I go back to time and again. If you haven’t signed up for her emails, I highly recommend doing so. Go ahead, I’ll wait…
Yield: about 1 quart
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the strawberries:
3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
For the custard base:
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk (any fat content besides skim will be fine, but I used whole.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vodka (optional but recommended)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until berries are cooked and soft, about 5 minutes, stir in 2 teaspoons of balsamic and pureé with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Set aside.
In a larger saucepan combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, heavy cream, milk and salt. Cook on low heat, stirring with a whisk constantly until it starts to thicken.
Continue to stir with a spoon until the custard coats the back and a line remains when you run your finger down the spoon.
Stir in the strawberry pureé and the remaining 2 teaspoons of balsamic and the vodka if using. (It helps keep the ice cream from getting too frozen.)
Cool thoroughly (ideally overnight.)
Churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions and enjoy right away (soft serve consistency,) or freeze for a few hours to firm it up.
Notes: Recipe adapted from the cookbook: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.
STRAWBERRY SORBET
This comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This mouthwatering summer sorbet is an adaptation of one served at the River Café in London. Yes, it calls for an entire lemon (rind and all), but trust us: the sweet of the strawberries and sugar, the tart and bitter of the lemon – it all works together beautifully.”
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarters; Time: 10 minutes.
This was featured in “The Arsenal” and can be viewed online here.
By the way, I highly recommend The Times’ Melissa Clark’s “How to Make Ice Cream”. I dare you to check it out and not want to immediately start making ice cream!
Ingredients
1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
2 cups sugar
2 pounds strawberries, hulled
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Preparation
Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
FROZEN BERRY ICE CREAM
This is from Diabetes Self-Management, and can be viewed online here.
Yield: 8 servings. Serving size: 1/2 cup.
Ingredients
8 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed
8 ounces frozen unsweetened peaches, partially thawed
4 ounces frozen unsweetened blueberries, partially thawed
6 packets sugar substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar-free, low-fat vanilla ice cream
16 blueberries (optional)
4 small strawberries, halved (optional)
8 peach slices (optional)
Directions
Combine partially thawed strawberries, peaches, blueberries, sugar substitute, and vanilla in food processor. Process until coarsely chopped.
Add ice cream; process until well blended.
Serve immediately for semi-soft texture or freeze until ready to serve. (If frozen, let stand 10 minutes to soften slightly.) Garnish each serving with 2 blueberries for “eyes,” 1 strawberry half for “nose,” and 1 peach slice for “smile.”
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 69 calories, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 23 mg, Fiber: 1 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 Bread/Starch.
VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM
This is from Silk. Makes 8 servings. Total Time: 45 minutes + processing.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cups Silk Original or Vanilla Soy, Almond or Coconutmilk
2 cups Silk Original or French Vanilla Creamer
1/2 cup honey, agave or sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
Special tools: ice cream maker
Directions
Place Silk and Silk Creamer in a medium saucepan and whisk in honey, agave or sugar.
Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds from the bean into the saucepan. Add bean pod as well.
Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and remove about 1/4 cup from the pan and whisk it together with the arrowroot in a small bowl. Whisk the arrowroot mixture back into the pan, cover and let the mixture infuse for 20 minutes.
Cool completely and process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: If you don’t have a vanilla bean, add 2 tsp vanilla extract when removing mixture from heat. You may also add fresh fruit or any other flavorings you desire.
STRAWBERRY SWIRL ICE CREAM
This is from the Vegetarian Times website (from June 4, 2008), and begins, “Thanks to the chilling effect of frozen strawberries, this recipe freezes faster than other homemade ice creams. The strawberry jam makes a beautiful swirl of sweetness, but you can leave it out if you prefer.”
Makes 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 10-oz. bag frozen strawberries
6 oz. silken tofu, drained
1/2 cup plain soy creamer
1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1/4 cup all-fruit strawberry jam
Preparation
Purée strawberries and tofu in blender or food processor until smooth. Add soy creamer, agave nectar, vanilla, and lemon zest; purée until smooth.
Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. When ice cream is ready, swirl in strawberry jam while machine paddles are still going, then serve, or transfer to tub to freeze.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 169; Carbohydrate Content: 34 g; Fat Content: 2 g; Fiber Content: 1 g; Protein Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 20 mg; Sugar Content: 30 g
Who doesn't love ice cream? And when it's homemade, it's even better.
Here are six ice cream recipes to finish up the summer with, including Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream and No Churn Ice Cream. Enjoy!
STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC ICE CREAM
This comes from Audra (otherwise known as The Baker Chick). I absolutely love her site; it’s one of the ones that I go back to time and again. If you haven’t signed up for her emails, I highly recommend doing so. Go ahead, I’ll wait…
Yield: about 1 quart
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the strawberries:
3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
For the custard base:
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk (any fat content besides skim will be fine, but I used whole.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vodka (optional but recommended)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until berries are cooked and soft, about 5 minutes, stir in 2 teaspoons of balsamic and pureé with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Set aside.
In a larger saucepan combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, heavy cream, milk and salt. Cook on low heat, stirring with a whisk constantly until it starts to thicken.
Continue to stir with a spoon until the custard coats the back and a line remains when you run your finger down the spoon.
Stir in the strawberry pureé and the remaining 2 teaspoons of balsamic and the vodka if using. (It helps keep the ice cream from getting too frozen.)
Cool thoroughly (ideally overnight.)
Churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions and enjoy right away (soft serve consistency,) or freeze for a few hours to firm it up.
Notes: Recipe adapted from the cookbook: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones.
STRAWBERRY SORBET
This comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This mouthwatering summer sorbet is an adaptation of one served at the River Café in London. Yes, it calls for an entire lemon (rind and all), but trust us: the sweet of the strawberries and sugar, the tart and bitter of the lemon – it all works together beautifully.”
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarters; Time: 10 minutes.
This was featured in “The Arsenal” and can be viewed online here.
By the way, I highly recommend The Times’ Melissa Clark’s “How to Make Ice Cream”. I dare you to check it out and not want to immediately start making ice cream!
Ingredients
1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
2 cups sugar
2 pounds strawberries, hulled
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Preparation
Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.
NO CHURN ICE CREAM
This comes from GE Appliances’ email list. It begins, “No one will believe that this ultra-creamy ice cream is so easy to make. No fancy ice cream machine required.”
12 servings (6 cups total)
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In a large metal bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended.
Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid and scoopable, about 3-4 hours.
Chef’s Notes:
For best results, chill both the metal bowl and loaf pan before starting this recipe.
Try adding in additional ingredients after the ice cream has set for a few hours. Crushed up chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted nuts or chopped up candy bars are all great additions. Stir them in and place the ice cream back in the freezer until firm.
FROZEN BERRY ICE CREAM
This is from Diabetes Self-Management, and can be viewed online here.
Yield: 8 servings. Serving size: 1/2 cup.
Ingredients
8 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed
8 ounces frozen unsweetened peaches, partially thawed
4 ounces frozen unsweetened blueberries, partially thawed
6 packets sugar substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar-free, low-fat vanilla ice cream
16 blueberries (optional)
4 small strawberries, halved (optional)
8 peach slices (optional)
Directions
Combine partially thawed strawberries, peaches, blueberries, sugar substitute, and vanilla in food processor. Process until coarsely chopped.
Add ice cream; process until well blended.
Serve immediately for semi-soft texture or freeze until ready to serve. (If frozen, let stand 10 minutes to soften slightly.) Garnish each serving with 2 blueberries for “eyes,” 1 strawberry half for “nose,” and 1 peach slice for “smile.”
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 69 calories, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 23 mg, Fiber: 1 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 Bread/Starch.
VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM
This is from Silk. Makes 8 servings. Total Time: 45 minutes + processing.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cups Silk Original or Vanilla Soy, Almond or Coconutmilk
2 cups Silk Original or French Vanilla Creamer
1/2 cup honey, agave or sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
Special tools: ice cream maker
Directions
Place Silk and Silk Creamer in a medium saucepan and whisk in honey, agave or sugar.
Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds from the bean into the saucepan. Add bean pod as well.
Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and remove about 1/4 cup from the pan and whisk it together with the arrowroot in a small bowl. Whisk the arrowroot mixture back into the pan, cover and let the mixture infuse for 20 minutes.
Cool completely and process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: If you don’t have a vanilla bean, add 2 tsp vanilla extract when removing mixture from heat. You may also add fresh fruit or any other flavorings you desire.
STRAWBERRY SWIRL ICE CREAM
This is from the Vegetarian Times website (from June 4, 2008), and begins, “Thanks to the chilling effect of frozen strawberries, this recipe freezes faster than other homemade ice creams. The strawberry jam makes a beautiful swirl of sweetness, but you can leave it out if you prefer.”
Makes 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 10-oz. bag frozen strawberries
6 oz. silken tofu, drained
1/2 cup plain soy creamer
1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1/4 cup all-fruit strawberry jam
Preparation
Purée strawberries and tofu in blender or food processor until smooth. Add soy creamer, agave nectar, vanilla, and lemon zest; purée until smooth.
Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. When ice cream is ready, swirl in strawberry jam while machine paddles are still going, then serve, or transfer to tub to freeze.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 169; Carbohydrate Content: 34 g; Fat Content: 2 g; Fiber Content: 1 g; Protein Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 20 mg; Sugar Content: 30 g
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