Thursday Recipes

Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Meatless Meatballs in Marinara Sauce and Pumpkin Soup. Enjoy!

SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE

This is from Kiera Wright-Ruiz in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kiera wrote, “There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Unlike most recipes, which start with a roux, this one begins with a milk-and-egg base, which gives the dish an incredibly rich, silky taste. It’s adapted from Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx, who has been making this dish since she was a little girl growing up in Georgia. The recipe was passed down in her family for generations, but because of the generous amount of cheese used, the dish was only made for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Extra-sharp Cheddar adds tartness and a layer of Colby Jack creates a gooey, molten center. If you can’t find a Colby Jack blend, shredded mozzarella or a Mexican-style blend will work in its place.”

Time: 35 minutes, plus cooling; Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

You can view this online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs

4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

2 cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.

Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)

Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.

MEATLESS MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “These ‘meatballs’ use plant-based ground meat, and a combination of onions, garlic and tamari give them a satisfying chew and robust flavor. Because there’s no egg for binding, these are slightly more delicate than other meatballs, so use a light touch when shaping them, and make sure the mixture is very cold. Serve them on their own, covered in marinara sauce, or stuff them into hero rolls for sandwiches. They are also excellent over spaghetti.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling

This was featured in “The Meat-Lover’s Guide to Eating Less Meat”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020740-meatless-meatballs-in-marinara-sauce.

Ingredients

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves and tender stems

3 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 pounds plant-based vegan ground beef (such as Beyond Meat)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

3 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought

Parmesan (optional, or use vegetarian Parmesan if you prefer), for garnish

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, tamari, salt, pepper, oregano and red-pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add plant-based beef, and blend with your hands until well mixed. Cover mixture and chill for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. (It’s easiest to form the meatballs when the mixture is very cold.)

Heat the broiler. Form 28 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Transfer meatballs to one or two rimmed baking sheets, and drizzle with olive oil.

Broil meatballs until golden and firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a pot. Serve meatballs with sauce on top, showered with cheese if you like and drizzled with a little more olive oil.

PASTA SALAD

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I suspect it's a diabetic recipe, as it has the nutritional info. Yield: 6 servings (6 cups total)

Ingredients

3 cups cooked tricolor spiral pasta (1-1/2 cups dry), or 3 cups other cooked pasta

1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, drained and sliced

1/2 cup prepared fat-free Italian or Parmesan-pepper dressing

Directions

Combine all the ingredients; toss to mix. Chill to blend the flavors. (This salad is even better the second day.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup): Calories: 165, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 355 mg, Carbohydrate: 22 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 9 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

This is from VeryWellFit, and begins, "Vegetable casseroles are a great way to enjoy fresh produce from the farmers market or make use of a bumper crop. But they can also be loaded with cream and cheese making for a very heavy and high-caloric dish.

"To make this zucchini casserole recipe healthier, instead of adding cream to the sauce it is enriched with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs. The zucchini is then topped with just a bit of cheese. You may notice the absence of breadcrumbs, which also helps cut down on the calories. To compensate for the breadcrumbs' job of soaking up some of the liquid the vegetables exude during cooking, this recipe calls for starting the casserole on a higher heat to dry it out a bit, and then adding the last of the cheese on the top (otherwise it gets too brown or could even burn).

"This zucchini casserole recipe works well with any kind of zucchini or green summer squash, including a combination of squashes."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup onion (chopped, about 1/2 of a medium onion)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

3/4 pound tomatoes (fresh or canned—about a 1-pound can of whole tomatoes, drained)

1 teaspoon Italian herbs (or oregano)

Salt and pepper

1 pound zucchini (approximately 2 medium)

1 cup Italian cheese mixture (grated, packaged, or your own mix including mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onion in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.

Cut each tomato into 3 to 5 pieces and add to the oil, along with the herbs, salt, and pepper.

Cook over medium heat until the liquid is mostly gone (but not dry), stirring occasionally—you should end up without about 1 cup of the mixture. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the zucchini into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. These can be either round slices, or lengthwise. Take the largest slices and line the bottom of a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch pan, or a similarly-sized round pan.

Spread about 1/4 of the tomatoes on top of the zucchini (don't even try to spread evenly; it won't work), followed by 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Continue layering the sauce, zucchini, and cheese. It should come out to 4 layers, but if it only makes 3, just try to divide things relatively evenly. Don't put the final layer of cheese on yet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Top with the rest of the cheese, and lower the temperature to 375F. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Ingredient Substitutions and Cooking Tips

If you'd like to cut down on the fat even more, substitute low-fat or fat-free cheese. Just keep in mind that when you remove the fat, you also lessen the cheeses' melt-ability.

MAPLE & BROWN SUGAR OATMEAL WITH ORANGE, CRANBERRIES & ALMONDS

I somehow ended up on the Kroger emailing list, which is a little strange, considering that 1) there isn't a Kroger anywhere near me, and 2) I don't recall signing up for their emails. No matter…I did visit a Kroger once while visiting family in Knoxville, and will say that while it looks like there are maybe two Krogers in Florida, I wouldn't object to them spreading out, say, to Florida's west coast. (Hey, Kroger people, are you listening?)

For the record, I'd also love to see Wegmans here, too. While I've shopped at Publix for years, it'd be nice to have some competition from the aforementioned two grocery stores. I'll leave it at that…

Anywho, this recipe was in the Kroger emailing list and looked absolutely yummy. While I'm not a fan of instant oatmeal, and plan to use this recipe to come up with something similar using quick cook oats, I'll post it here as it does look good. (Keep in mind that when I tweak it, I'll post the new one, okay?)

Serves: 1; Prep time: 5 minutes; Total time: 5 minutes; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 package Quaker® Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal, prepared according to package directions

1/4 orange, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon dried cranberries

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

1 tablespoon orange zest, grated

Directions

Top oatmeal with orange, dried cranberries and sliced almonds. Garnish with orange zest.

PUMPKIN SOUP

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Source: AICR

Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/pumpkin-soup-2.

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) (butternut squash may be substituted)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. light whipping cream (optional)

1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Nutmeg (optional)

Directions

In large pot over medium-high heat add 3 cups broth, pumpkin, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer uncovered, about 30 minutes.

Puree mixture until smooth, in small batches, using blender or food processor. Return to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes. Add remaining broth as desired. (Optional, stir in cream.)

Pour into bowls. Garnish with parsley (or sprinkle of nutmeg) and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 71; Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 284 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g