Friday Recipes

It's Friday, the start of the weekend. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Peanut Butter Bars with Salted Chocolate Ganache and Lentil Minestrone With Greens. Enjoy!

WORLD'S BEST SMOOTHIE

This recipe, as well as the next one (Pineapple Passion) are from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. They’re originally from The Editors of Prevention.

This one begins, “Slurp down this smoothie recipe at breakfast, and you’ll feel satisfied until lunchtime.”

Servings: 1

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 banana

1/2 cup orange juice

6 frozen strawberries

Combine the yogurt, banana, juice, and strawberries for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for an additional 15 seconds.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 300; Protein: 14 g; Carbs: 63 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 45 g; Total fat: 0.5 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 180 mg

PINEAPPLE PASSION

This recipe begins, “This decadently thick smoothie recipe is almost like drinking ice cream!”

Servings: 1

1 cup low-fat or light vanilla yogurt

6 ice cubes

1 cup pineapple chunks

Combine the yogurt and ice cubes. Blend, pulsing as needed, until the ice is in large chunks.

Add the pineapple and blend at “whip” speed until smooth.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 283; Protein: 13 g; Carbs: 53.5 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 48 g; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 167 mg

PEANUT BUTTER BARS WITH SALTED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

This is from Nancy Fuller of The Food Network’s Farmhouse Rules.

Total: 1 hr 10 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/peanut-butter-bars-with-salted-chocolate-ganache.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for baking dish

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Kosher salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional

Directions

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, stir to combine the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Place the chocolate and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mixture and refrigerate until the chocolate is cooled and set, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.

Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt. Cut into squares to serve.

GRILLED MARGHERITA PIZZA

This comes from Al Roker of The Today Show, and begins, “Skip the oven and throw a pie on the grill!” Servings: 2 pizzas.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough (homemade or thawed from frozen)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine to medium cornmeal

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, lightly salted

1 bunch fresh basil

2 cups pizza sauce

Preparation

Place a pizza stone onto the grates of a hot grill, or into an oven heated to 500 degrees F.

For two thin-crust pizzas, about 10”- 12”, divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place on lightly floured surface and cover with a light towel. Let sit and rest for about 10 minutes. [Alternately, use 1 pound dough to make 1 large thick-crust pizza.]

Mix the flour and cornmeal together and set aside.

Slice mozzarella thinly, about 1/8” to 1/4” thick.

Wash basil and pull off leaves. Blot them dry on paper toweling. Discard stems.

Sprinkle a pizza paddle or the back of a baking sheet with some of the cornmeal mixture and place 1 ball of dough in the center. Using floured hands, press the dough out into a flat circle, beginning in the center and working outwards while turning the dough to get an even thinness. Leave the outer edge a little thicker to form a crust.

Spread 1 cup pizza sauce over the dough but not on the crust edge, then top with half the mozzarella slices and half the basil leaves.

Using a fast back and forth motion, slide the dough to the edge of the paddle or baking sheet. Lean it toward the pizza stone and quickly slide the paddle out from underneath the pizza so that the dough is sitting directly on the pizza stone. Close the lid to the grill and cook 5-8 minutes, checking frequently for rapid browning. Depending on the heat of the grill, the pizza may be ready sooner or take a little longer. The oven should take about 8-10 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

LENTIL MINESTRONE WITH GREENS

This is from Martha Rose Schulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Martha wrote, “A number of greens work well in this hearty Italian dish. Chard and turnip greens are growing in my garden, so those are ones I’m using now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use kale, either.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was originally featured in “Lentils: A Versatile Staple Flavors Classic International Dishes” and can be viewed online here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.

Ingredients

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 pound lentils (brown or beluga), washed and picked over

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a Parmesan rind

1/2 pound Swiss chard, mustard greens or kale, stemmed, washed in two changes of water, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other soup pasta (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

For the Lentil Minestrone with Greens

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together for a minute, just until the garlic is fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their liquid. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, salt to taste and add the greens. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the pasta, and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, five to 10 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Tip

Advance preparation: The soup can be made up to a day or two ahead of time, but do not add the pasta until you are ready to serve. Reheat and add as directed. A note about salt: From now on, I will indicate a preference for kosher salt in my recipes. Because of its crystalline structure, kosher salt is not as salty as fine sea salt.

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is from Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, a registered dietician and certified athletic trainer who writes for Very Well. Dana wrote, “Gluten-free baked goods can be dull and dry, but that’s certainly not the case for this tasty yet effortless gluten-free cookies. They feature nothing but simple ingredients and are high in hearty-healthy fats, plus they will satisfy cravings for both sweet and salty.

“Generally, peanut butter doesn't contain gluten, but not all manufacturers keep gluten out of their production plants. Make sure to choose a gluten-free peanut butter and since peanut butter is the star ingredient, be sure to use a good quality brand with a simple ingredient list.”

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 24 cookies (111 calories each)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup smooth natural peanut butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

pinch of coarse sea salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter and sugar until well combined.

Add egg, baking soda, and vanilla extract; continue to stir until all ingredients are well mixed.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, measure 8 cookies onto the prepared sheet pan, leaving about two inches between each cookie.

Gently press to flatten each cookie slightly.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until puffed and spread out.

Remove from oven, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Using a spatula, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

You can inject different flavors into these cookies by replacing the vanilla extract with 1/4 teaspoon of almond extra or by swapping out the chocolate chips for finely chopped peanuts.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Mix the dough by hand using a sturdy spatula or use an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. The cookies spread out quite a bit so its best to make 3 batches of 8 if using a standard half sheet pan. Using a small ice cream scoop is very helpful to make the cookies evenly sized so they will cook evenly.