Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICEBOX COOKIES

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. She writes, “These icebox cookies are filled with ground chocolate chips. Use a small food processor or chopper to grind or chop the chocolate chips for these cookies. The dough is chilled slightly and then it's rolled into logs and thoroughly chilled until it's very firm. Plant to let the dough logs chill for at least four hours, or leave them in the refrigerator overnight.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 11 minutes; Total Time: 26 minutes; Yield: About 3 dozen

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup butter (8 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour, 13 1/2 ounces

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ground or finely chopped

Preparation

In large mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars together until light; add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Stir in the ground chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm enough to shape.

Divide dough into 2 portions; form each portion into a log and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Refrigerate the dough logs for at least 4 hours, or until very firm.

Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease the pan.

Cut a log into 1/4-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.

SEARED BROCCOLI AND POTATO SOUP

This comes from Melissa Clark from The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. If you haven't already signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it.

For this recipe, Melissa writes, “This is not your average broccoli soup. Instead of merely boiling the broccoli to cook it, here, the florets are seared until deeply browned on one side while remaining bright green on the other. This gives the soup a layer of caramelized flavor while also preserving the fresh green taste of the broccoli itself. It’s a technique inspired by Andrew Feinberg of Franny’s restaurant in Brooklyn, who also uses it for zucchini soup. In this version, we’ve added potato for body, chile flakes for spice and lemon zest to heighten the citrus tang at the end.” Time: 45 minutes; makes 4 to 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds), separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large Spanish onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoons black pepper, more for finishing

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste

Grated Parmesan, to finish

Flaky sea salt, to finish

Preparation

In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add about a third of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook broccoli without moving it for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until dark brown on 1 side only (leave the other side bright green). Transfer to a big bowl and repeat with remaining broccoli and more oil. When all the broccoli has been browned, season with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan. Add onions and garlic, black and red peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook onion-garlic mixture until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add potato to the pot with 1 quart water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and cook until potato is just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broccoli, cover again and cook until tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

Add lemon zest and roughly purée soup with an immersion or regular blender, leaving some small chunks for texture. Stir in lemon juice. Finish with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and flaky sea salt.

SOUR-CREAM COFFEE CAKE

This comes from Robert Farrar Capon in The New York Times' Cooking e-newsletter. Robert writes, “Here is a classic coffee cake with a tender crumb and a crunchy streusel topping that comes together in about an hour. It's quite rich, so your serving sizes don't need to be large.” Time: 1 hour; makes about 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with sour cream and vanilla.

Pour into a well-buttered baking pan (8-by-8-inch). Combine sugar, cinnamon, nuts, melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool, cut into pieces and serve.

NACHO POT PIE BAKE

This comes from the Tablespoon e-newsletter. It begins, “A flavor-packed “all-in-one” meal topped with cheesy nacho chips makes this one you won’t want to miss.” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 60 min; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 bag (11 oz) Green Giant™ Seasoned Steamers™ frozen honey roasted sweet corn

1 can (10 3/4 oz) fiesta nacho cheese condensed soup

1/4 cup water

2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Microwave corn as directed on package for minimum cook time.

In large bowl, mix cooked corn, soup, water, chicken, black beans, 1 cup of the cheese and the chili powder.

Spoon mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Top with chips and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

PERFECT PANCAKES

This comes from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Golden brown, delicious pancakes are always welcome! This foolproof recipe is great for kids learning how to cook. Serve the pancakes with maple or fruit syrup, honey, sliced fruit, or fresh berries. Butter is delicious, too!” Serves 4 to 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; cook time: about 3 minutes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

about 1 1/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons Crisco® Vegetable Oil, or melted butter

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the milk and oil until mixed. Pour into the flour and stir just until moistened.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until hot. The pan is hot enough when a drop of water "dances" on its surface. Drop a pat of butter or a little vegetable oil on the pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan to spread the butter or oil over the surface, or spread it with a spatula.

Ladle or pour the batter into the hot surface, allowing a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Leave about 1 inch between each and with a spatula or the back of a spoon spread the pancakes into circles about 4 inches in diameter.

Cook each pancake for about 1 minute or until small bubbles appear on the top and the bottom turns golden brown. Using a pancake turner, flip them and cook for another minute or until golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat to avoid burning.

To prevent toughening, only turn the pancakes once -- and flip them before the surface bubbles break.

Lift the pancakes from the skillet with a pancake turner and serve immediately. Make the rest of the pancakes with the remaining batter. You should have twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Note: You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree F. oven. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and serve as soon as you can.

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here..

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

Weekend Meals

Yay, Friday! Yay, weekend! Enough said, except, Enjoy!

PERFECT PANCAKES

This comes from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Golden brown, delicious pancakes are always welcome! This foolproof recipe is great for kids learning how to cook. Serve the pancakes with maple or fruit syrup, honey, sliced fruit, or fresh berries. Butter is delicious, too!” Serves 4 to 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; cook time: about 3 minutes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

about 1 1/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons Crisco® Vegetable Oil, or melted butter

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the milk and oil until mixed. Pour into the flour and stir just until moistened.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until hot. The pan is hot enough when a drop of water "dances" on its surface. Drop a pat of butter or a little vegetable oil on the pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan to spread the butter or oil over the surface, or spread it with a spatula.

Ladle or pour the batter into the hot surface, allowing a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Leave about 1 inch between each and with a spatula or the back of a spoon spread the pancakes into circles about 4 inches in diameter.

Cook each pancake for about 1 minute or until small bubbles appear on the top and the bottom turns golden brown. Using a pancake turner, flip them and cook for another minute or until golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat to avoid burning.

To prevent toughening, only turn the pancakes once -- and flip them before the surface bubbles break.

Lift the pancakes from the skillet with a pancake turner and serve immediately. Make the rest of the pancakes with the remaining batter. You should have twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Note: You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 degree F. oven. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and serve as soon as you can.

YOGURT PARFAIT BREAFAST POPSICLES

This one comes from one of my favorite emailing sites, thekitchn. If you haven't already signed up for the great emails from thekitchn or it's brother site, Apartment Therapy, you're missing some really cool stuff.

TheKitchn's Faith Durand starts off, “Your eyes do not deceive you. This is breakfast that you can eat one-handed while walking to the bus stop, and it's got just as much going for it a bowl of yogurt with granola and fruit. In fact, it is a bowl of yogurt — just in frozen, easily-grabbable popsicle form. Time to dig out those popsicle molds!” The writer uses Greek yogurt for these, but writes that regular non-Greek yogurt can be used, too. Just don't thin out the regular yogurt.

She also writes, “If you're short on time or short on berries, you can also substitute a fruit jam or preserves. You'll need about a cup of preserves for these popsicles.” As for the granola, “Use any granola you like here. These popsicles are especially handy for using up a handful of leftover granola that's gone a bit stale. Once layered into the popsicles and frozen, the granola softens to the consistency of soft oatmeal cookies —and yes, that's just as delicious as you're hoping it will be.” Makes 6 popsicles.

You can view this recipe online here, along with photos of these incredible breakfast popsicles.

1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped (around 3 cups chopped)

1/4 cup sugar (or honey)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cups granola

Combine the strawberries and sugar (or honey) in a small saucepan and stir gently to combine. Let the berries macerate on the counter for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and syrupy.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a r. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the strawberries are thick and jammy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of jammy fruit. (At this point, the strawberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.)

When ready to assemble the popsicles, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey. The yogurt should be thick, but pourable (roughly the consistency of regular yogurt). If needed, whisk in a little more milk. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and stir it into the granola. This will help the granola freeze into the popsicles.

Arrange 6 popsicle molds (1/2 cup capacity) on your work surface. Pour a generous spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of each mold. Add a scoop of granola and then a spoonful or two of strawberries. Continue layering yogurt, granola, and strawberries until the molds are filled. Tap the molds lightly agains the counter or use a popsicle stick to work out any air bubbles between the layers.

Insert popsicle sticks into each mold and place the popsicles in the freezer. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.

To unmold, run the popsicle molds under hot running water for a few seconds and gently easy the popsicles out of the molds. Popsicles will keep in the freezer for several weeks.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt. As long as it's pourable, there's no need to thin the yogurt any further.

The strawberries can be replaced with an equal amount of any other fruit.

You can also substitute 1 cup any flavor of jam or fruit preserves for the berries. Skip the jam-making step and proceed with assembling the popsicles.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

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

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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

Directions

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

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

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

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

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

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/ice-cream-sandwiches-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

STRAWBERRY SORBET

This is from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking's guide. She wrote, “Sorbet is the perfect dessert for hot sunny days. This strawberry sorbet is made with fresh in-season strawberries, but when strawberries are out of season, it's best to use frozen ones. If you have an ice cream maker, simply pour the prepared mixture into your can and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Alas, I have no ice cream maker, so my method involves a second use of a blender or food processor to ensure a smooth sorbet.” Serves 6.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

2 lbs strawberries (about 5 cups)

2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring sugar and water syrup to a boil, then remove from heat.

Allow to cool in pan for a 1/2 hour (the syrup is extremely hot) before transferring to a 1 cup container and chilling it in the refrigerator.

While the syrup is cooling, hull strawberries and place them in a food processor or blender. Blend strawberries to a puree, then pour through a sieve into a medium size bowl. Add lemon juice, and stir well.

Refrigerate puree until syrup has chilled – about 1 hour.

Combine chilled syrup and strawberry puree, then transfer to an 8-inch metal baking pan (stainless steel is best).

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3-4 hours. Remove sorbet from freezer and puree once more in a food processor or blender. Return strawberry puree mixture to metal pan, cover and freeze for a further 3-4 hours.

Per Serving: Calories 141, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.6g, (Sat 0g), Cholesterol 0g, Sodium 3mg, Carbohydrate 33.2g, Fiber 3.5g, Protein 0.9g

ACADIAN RIGATONI

This is from FamilyTime.com. The recipe starts out, “Three ingredients form the foundation of this Acadian dish - onion, celery, and green bell pepper. It's delectable!” Prep. time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 28 minutes,
Serves: 4. To view this online, click here..

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage, or andouille, casings removed, sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree, one 16 ounce can

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 pound rigatoni

Directions

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 14 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce.

VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO

I think this came from About.com, but I'm not completely sure, since it's been kicking around my email account for more than five years with not note. The person who sent this wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.”

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.