Friday Recipes

It's the first Friday of summer. What's not to love?

Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including kid-friendly Pot Luck Pasta Salad and Swirled Frozen Yogurt Pie. Enjoy!

BLACK BEAN, CORN AND QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

This comes from Tablespoon.com, and begins, “Easy to make stuffed peppers, packed with protein-rich quinoa and plenty of Mexican flavors.”

To view this online, click here.

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 packet (8 oz) Old El Paso™ Black Beans, drained

1 package (12 oz) frozen corn

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

4 red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise and seeds removed

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 scallion, finely diced (for garnish)

2 pinches coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange the diced potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss and roast for 20 minutes. Once roasted, lower the heat to 375°F.

Cook the quinoa in boiling water until they pop into little spirals, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until they start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic; sauté another minute, until fragrant.

Add the black beans and frozen corn; cook for 5 minutes, until warmed. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, lime juice, cilantro leaves, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Stuff the mixture into each pepper half, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the peppers have softened, and the cheese is melted and starting to bubble.

Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

POT LUCK PASTA SALAD (KID-FRIENDLY

This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The program has changed, but I'm using the values from when this was sent.

This recipe begins, “This colorful salad has something for everyone. If you’re short on time, buy the ingredients already cut from a salad bar and use your favorite bottled fat-free Italian dressing.”

POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 12; Preparation Time: 30 minutes; Cooking Time: 15 minutes; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, corkscrew shape (about 1 1/2 cups)

4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, wheel shaped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 oz olives, canned, sliced, black (about 10 medium black olives)

1 medium green peppers, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium sweet red peppers, chopped (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes, halved (about 10 tomatoes)

1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare salad dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl; set aside until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

WEEKNIGHT TWO-BEAN CHILI

This comes from the Food Network kitchen, and starts out, “This 30-minute weekenight dinner is a vegetarian chili that tastes like it's been slow simmered for hours. The hint of Chinese five-spice powder is a nice spice surprise. If you serve it over spaghetti, it turns into Cincinnati-style chili. (1 serving of Cincinnati-style chili equals 3/4 cup chili + 2 ounce (dry) cooked whole-wheat spaghetti.)”

Level: Easy; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small jalapeno, minced (with some seeds)

1 small or 1/2 large red onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup canned crushed roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or ground cinnamon, optional

Two 15-ounce cans beans (such as kidney and black), rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup finely shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (2 ounces)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add the jalapenos, onions and vinegar and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chili powder and five-spice powder if using, and increase the heat to high. Bring to a full boil and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the beans and return to a full boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until just slightly thickened but still soupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

Fill each bowl with about 1/2 cup of rice. Ladle the chili on top, sprinkle with the Cheddar and serve.

SWIRLED FROZEN YOGURT PIE

This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The program has changed, but I'm using the values from when this was sent.

This recipe begins, “Substitute your favorite frozen yogurts to create a different pie every time. For more options, swap the yogurt with fat-free varieties of ice cream or Tofutti.”

Was POINTS® value of: 8; Now POINTS® value of: 5; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 0 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt

1 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

6 oz pie crust

1 cup fat-free whipped topping

Directions

In a large bowl, combine both yogurts by gently folding flavors together.

Add chocolate chips. Spoon mixture into prepared crust; cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Top with whipped topping before serving. Slice into 8 pieces.

Chef Tips We renovated Swirled Frozen Yogurt Pie by:

Using fat-free frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

Using fat-free whipped topping instead of regular topping.

THREE-CUP VEGETABLES

This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, “This vegan dish is inspired by three-cup chicken, a deeply savory Taiwanese specialty that can be traced back to the 13th century, to the execution of Wen Tianxiang, a scholar-general of the Song dynasty who resisted Kublai Khan’s invasion. The night before Wen’s death, a guard is said to have made him the surprisingly pungent chicken dish with the prison’s limited resources. It has many variations, but usually calls for braising chicken in rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil with plenty of ginger, garlic and basil. Here, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnips take the place of the chicken, but feel free to also add tofu and quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli or snap peas with the roots. Serve over rice or ramen noodles to soak up sauce.”

Note: While this is a vegetarian blog, I felt the need to have the above quote in its entirety.

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

To view this on the Times’ website, click here.

Note: If, like me, you don't keep alcohol around the house, don't panic. I've been known to add water (or a suitable broth) in place of wine in recipes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

6 cups root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and-or turnips, cut into 1/4-inch slices and halved or quartered if large (about 2 pounds)

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3/4 cup Chinese rice wine

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 dried chiles, like chiles de árbol, or 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn if large

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and browned in spots, 7 to 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium and stir in the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil.

IRISH WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. However, since it has nutritional info for diabetics, I have to guess that it was in a diabetic email.

Yield: Makes 1 Round Loaf

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk all at once, stirring with a fork to make a soft, but slightly sticky dough.

With lightly floured hands, form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for 8 to 10 times. Pat the dough into a 6-inch thick round with a slightly flattened top.

Place dough on prepared baking sheet. With a shape knife or pizza cutter, score the top in the shape of a cross or large X. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from baking sheet onto a cooling rack immediately. Dust top with rice flour. Serve warm from the oven.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of loaf): Calories: 123, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 335 mg, Cholesterol: 1 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch/Bread