Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Cheese-Stuffed Shells in Marinara Sauce and Tie-Dye Cheesecake. Enjoy!

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP WITH ROASTED TOMATOES & PEPPERS

This comes from Seattle's Macrina Bakery. The recipe starts off, “This soup is a perfect comfort food on a drizzly Seattle day. We like to serve it in our cozy café with a few slices of crostini topped with goat cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil. It is pictured here with our Rustic Potato Roll. French green lentils are usually available in specialty shops and some supermarkets. If you can’t find French green lentils at your favorite market, you can substitute regular lentils.” Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

10 garlic cloves

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1-1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1-1/2 Tbsp ground coriander seeds

1-1/2 cups French green lentils*

8 to 10 cups vegetable stock

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

*Available in specialty shops and some supermarkets.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and core the tomatoes, then cut them into 12 pieces each. Combine chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a bowl and toss together. Pour tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and roast on center rack of oven for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Place 7 of the garlic cloves and another 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until cloves are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to keep the cloves from sticking to the pan. Transfer cooked garlic cloves to a small bowl and mash into a paste. Set aside.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add diced onion, red bell peppers and celery. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat to sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally. The onions will become translucent. Finely dice the 3 remaining garlic cloves and add to the soup pot along with the cumin and coriander. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 1 minute or until garlic smells sweet but is not brown.

Add roasted tomatoes, mashed garlic, lentils and 8 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook soup for 45 to 50 minutes or until lentils are tender, adding more stock if needed. If foam gathers on the surface of the soup, remove it with a spoon. Before serving, add parsley and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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.

MEXICAN QUICHE

This yummy quiche is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This Mexican Quiche takes all the best ingredients of a rich and creamy quiche and adds the essential elements of Mexican cooking: drop in Mexican cheese, diced green chiles and salsa prima.”

Serves: 8; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes

View this online at http://www.familytime.com/recipe/showrecipe.aspx?recipeid=13319

Ingredients

1 (9-in.) unbaked frozen deep-dish pie shell, (4-cup volume)

1 cup 4 cheese Mexican blend

1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 can (4-oz.) ORTEGA® Diced Green Chiles

2 large green onions, sliced

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup ORTEGA® Salsa Prima Homestyle Mild

3/4 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk

Garnish suggestions: ORTEGA® Salsa Prima-Homestyle Mild, sour cream, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle cheese, bell pepper, chiles and green onions onto bottom of pie shell. Combine eggs, salsa and evaporated milk in small bowl until blended. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Garnish as desired.

Notes: For a lower calorie version, substitute shredded light cheese and NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk.

LEMON-GLAZED BABY CARROTS

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings

Source: America's Everyday Diabetes Cookbook

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/lemon-glazed-baby-carrots

Ingredients

1 pound peeled baby carrots

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or chives

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook carrots in boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes (start timing when water returns to a boil) or until just tender-crisp; drain and return to saucepan.

Add stock, butter, brown sugar, lemon juice and rind, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and carrots are nicely glazed.

Sprinkle with parsley or chives and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 91; Fat: 3 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 251 mg; Cholesterol: 8 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetables, 1/2 Fat

CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

This recipe is from FamilyTime, and begins, “A traditional Italian-style favorite is made easier for you! Combine Buitoni Marinara Sauce with stuffed shells, add a tossed salad and warm bread and sit down to a satisfying meal!”

Serves: 6; Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 dried jumbo whole-wheat or regular pasta shells, prepared according to package directions

1 cup (4 ounces)shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup fat free or reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 container (15 oz.) BUITONI® refrigerated Marinara Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Combine 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and pepper in a medium bowl. Stuff each shell evenly with cheese mixture; place in ungreased 12 x 71/2-inch (2-quart rectangular) baking dish. Pour sauce over shells.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For Freeze Ahead:

Prepare as above; do not bake. Do not top with remaining mozarella cheese. Cover; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

BEST MAC AND CHEESE

This comes from MyDailyMoment, and begins, “Put this lower fat version of a kiddie classic on the menu, and the dinner table. Fair warning, it might be a quiet dinner once the kids get a bite of this cheesy favorite.”

For 6 people; Ready in 20 min.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon(s) butter

2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup(s) skim milk

1 1/2 cup(s) (6 oz) reduced fat, shredded sharp cheddar

3 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon(s) low sodium Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon(s) dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon(s) pepper

1/8 teaspoon(s) hot sauce

4 cup(s) cooked elbow macaroni

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheeses and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheeses melt. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni in a bowl; stir well. Serve immediately.