It's the beginning of the work week. Siiigh. Here are six recipes to at least help start your week off just right, including Coffee Oatmeal Bites and Fresh Vegetable Pita Pizza. Enjoy!
GREEN TEA RICE PUDDING
This recipe and the next two (Earl Grey Latte and Coffee Oatmeal Bites) are from the June 2016 issue of Runner’s World. The recipes begin, “The caffeine in coffee, tea, and even chocolate can do more than energize your day—it can boost your workout by reducing perceived exertion. So it’s good news that the newly released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans give the go-ahead for most adults to consume 400 milligrams caffeine daily, or the amount in three to five cups of coffee.
“It’s also good news that Runner’s World now has its own coffee for sale. Check out the medium-roast Runner’s World Blend or the light-roast Runner’s World Marathon Blend.”
Both of these recipes can be found here.
This recipe begins, “The EGCG flavonoid in green tea may help improve your memory.”
Ingredients
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 tsp. honey
Salt
1 green tea bag
1/4 cup diced mango
Instructions
Heat 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1 1/2 tsp. honey, and a pinch of salt. Steep 1 green tea bag in simmered liquid 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and squeeze tea bag, and stir in 1/4 cup diced mango. Eat warm, or cover and refrigerate until cold.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 242; Protein: 3 g; Carbs: 44 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 17 g; Total fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 5 g; Sodium: 185 mg
EARL GREY LATTE
This begins, “Black tea, such as Earl Grey, can fight cavities by strengthening tooth enamel.”
Ingredients
1 cup 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 black tea bag
1 peach
Instructions
Heat 1 cup 2% milk with 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Pour into mug and steep with 1 tea bag for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with 1 peach. Makes 1 serving.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 194; Protein: 9 g; Carbs: 27 g;Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 24 g; Total fat: 5 g; Saturated fat: 3 g; Sodium: 116 mg
COFFEE OATMEAL BITES
This recipe begins, “Oatmeal is packed with soluble fiber, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure.”
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. honey
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 Tbsp. instant coffee
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Salt
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Mix 2 large eggs with 1 1/4 cups 2% milk, 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 3 Tbsp. honey in a bowl. Stir in 3 cups quick-cooking oats, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 1/2 Tbsp. instant coffee, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Combine with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 12 servings.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 187; Protein: 5 g; Carbs: 29 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Total fat: 6 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 142 mg
CREAMY WEEKNIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE
This comes from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “Just as quick as the boxed variety, this creamy macaroni and cheese skirts the traditional butter and flour roux with assistance from cream cheese. While the cream cheese adds an important lusciousness, it doesn’t do the macaroni and cheese any favors when it comes to its flavor, so it’s important to use the sharpest, tangiest Cheddar you can get your hands on. For perfectly coated noodles, make sure to cook the pasta in the sauce for a minute or two.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 25 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta
Kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces sharp or white Cheddar, grated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until just barely al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, bring milk up to a simmer in a large pot. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese, and whisk until it’s completely blended and no lumps remain. Add Cheddar cheese and butter, whisking until everything is completely melted. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened and is coating each piece of pasta nicely, 2 to 3 minutes; sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Season again with more salt and pepper before serving.
GRASSHOPPER BROWNIES
This is from Yossy Arefi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yossy wrote, “The classic grasshopper cocktail is made from equal parts crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. Its mint-chocolatey flavors translate perfectly to all sorts of desserts. These decadent layered bars start with a super fudgy brownie base, which is covered with crème de menthe infused buttercream, and a shell of rich chocolate ganache tops it all off. You could certainly substitute a bit more peppermint extract (about 2 teaspoons) and skip the alcohol in the crème de menthe if you’d like to keep these more family friendly. Peppermint extract varies quite a bit in intensity by brand, which is why a range is given, so taste as you go.”
Yield: One 8-by-8-inch pan, 16 servings; Time: About 1 hour plus chilling
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Brownie:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour
For the Crème De Menthe Buttercream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons crème de menthe
1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Pinch kosher salt
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
For the Ganache:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Make the brownies: In a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the 8 ounces/227 grams bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 cup/113 grams butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar together, until the mixture lightens a bit in color and texture, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt, followed by the chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in the flour until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the crème de menthe, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, and a pinch of salt and mix until smooth. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Increase the speed and beat until smooth. Taste and add more peppermint extract if desired.
Spread the buttercream over the cooled brownies, then refrigerate the brownies until the buttercream is cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
Make the ganache: Combine all of the ingredients for the ganache in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally until it is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cooled buttercream and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Chill until the topping is set, about 30 minutes. Store the brownies in the refrigerator. For the cleanest slices make sure to remove the brownies from the pan and wipe off your knife in between cuts.
FRESH VEGETABLE PITA PIZZA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “Your kids will love this pizza-- and it's a good way for them to get their veggies.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
4 (7-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, divided
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 medium (2 cups) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 large (1 cup) green bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet red or white onion
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Core and slice the tomatoes and then cut each slice in half into half moons. Arrange the pitas on 2 baking sheets and brush each one with oil. Divide the tomato slices among the pitas and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and half the Italian seasonings. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are heated and the pitas begin to crisp. Sprinkle the pizzas with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with zucchini, green pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018
Friday Recipes
It's Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. If you're like me, you have several ideas of what to do this weekend. Hopefully, you'll accomplish more of your weekend to-do list than I usually do.
No matter how much we get done over the weekend, we still have to eat. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Peach Ice Cream and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie. Enjoy!
PATATAS BRAVAS
This is from page 48 of the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Patatas bravas means ‘fierce potatoes,’ and hot smoked Spanish paprika gives the sauce for this roasted spuds an addictive bite. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes, or serve in a bowl along with toothpicks for dunking the potato wedges.” This vegan, gluten-free recipe serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
1 1/2 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 tsp. minced garlic, divided
1 tsp hot smoked paprika, or more to taste
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss potatoes with 2 Tbs. oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; cover tightly with foil; and roast 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue roasting 12 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom. Carefully turn potatoes, and roast 8 minutes more, or until browned. Sprinkle 1 tsp. garlic over potatoes, and transfer to serving dish.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tsp. garlic, and sauté 30 seconds, or until just fragrant. Add paprika, sauté 10 seconds, then stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve potatoes with sauce.
Per 1-cup serving: 172 cal; 3 g protein; 7 g total fat (less than 1 g saturated fat); 23 g carb; 0 mg chol; 49 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; less than 1 g sugars
PEACH ICE CREAM
This is from Julia Reed in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This easy ice cream is meant to evoke hazy memories of a summer spent luxuriating on a front porch, cold glass in hand, waiting as your ice cream maker does the churning work for a late-afternoon treat. Use the best peaches you can find — the flavor of this depends directly on the fruit. You can also use mangoes or strawberries, or other stone fruits. Use your imagination, but let the ice cream maker do most of the work.” Yield: 1 1/2 quarts, 6 to 8 servings; Time: About 1 hour, plus freezing.
This was featured in “Food; Frozen Assets” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
4 pounds ripe peaches
1 1/4 cups sugar (or more, as needed)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream
1 2-inch piece of vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Preparation
Peel peaches over a large bowl to catch the juice. Halve and pit them and chop roughly. Place in the bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar, the salt and lemon juice and let them sit for 30 minutes.
While peaches macerate, put cream and remaining sugar in saucepan with vanilla bean or vanilla. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to keep from scorching, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Discard vanilla bean.
Pour cream over peaches and mix thoroughly. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. (This will depend on the peaches.) Refrigerate until chilled.
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions until set but not quite hard. (If serving immediately, freeze harder.) Pack the ice cream into a bowl or mold to completely solidify. When it has hardened, dip mold into hot water or wrap in a hot towel and invert onto a serving platter. Or, simply scoop and serve.
BUTTERSCOTCH PEACHES
This is from Celia Barbour in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Celia wrote, “I make a peach-butterscotch sauce that I dreamed up to impress my children, whose love for me, though unwavering, I am nonetheless constantly trying to cement with food. The result was delectable. We ate the sauce straight from the pot. We ate it from the serving dish. And we ate what was left for dessert that night, poured over Ronnybrook vanilla ice cream with chewy gingersnaps from Hawthorne Valley on the side. My children’s adoration of me was unaffected by the butterscotch, but their energy level definitely got a boost from all the sugar.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “Ode to the Peach: A Cook Baffled, and Then at Peace” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
6 medium or 5 large ripe peaches
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Vanilla ice cream
Almond biscotti, gingersnaps or other cookies
Preparation
Fill a large bowl with ice and water, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place peaches in boiling water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice water. When cool, drain and pat dry.
Working over a bowl to catch the juice, peel skins from peaches, squeezing as much juice as possible from the skins. Slice each peach into 10 to 12 slices, and set aside with juice; discard skin and pits.
In medium skillet over low heat, melt butter. Raise heat to medium-high and cook butter until it foams, subsides, foams again and begins to brown. As soon as butter is nut-brown, add the peaches with juices. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, then place skillet over low heat to keep warm.
In medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cream, sugar, honey and salt. Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely melted. Raise heat to medium and let boil without stirring until it turns a rich golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (Because of honey and cream it will appear to turn pale brown before it has caramelized; wait until it has darkened noticeably, thickened and reduced before proceeding.) Carefully pour contents of skillet into saucepan; it will boil and spatter; stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add vanilla or other flavoring. Serve warm or at room temperature over ice cream, with cookies on the side.
TOMATO AND MINT TABBOULEH
Yield: 12 side-dish servings
Source: The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/695.shtml
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups bulgur wheat
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pound ripe tomatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium cucumber (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
In medium bowl, combine bulgur, lemon juice, and boiling water, stirring to mix. Let stand until liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.
To bulgur mixture, add tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint, oil, salt, and pepper, stirring to mix. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors or up to 4 hours.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 87; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 157 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread
ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES
From the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. The recipe starts off, "Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving." Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided
3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided
2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.
nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
VEGETABLE SHEPHERD'S PIE
This came from the Food Network's Magazine several years ago.
Prep Time: 25 min; Cook Time: 41 min; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 servings
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegetable-shepherds-pie-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 bunch baby turnips, halved or quartered if large
6 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped (stems reserved)
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped veggie burgers or vegetarian protein crumbles
2/3 cup milk or half-and-half
Grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional)
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; season with salt, cover and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stovetop casserole dish or shallow enamel pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, turnips and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables brown, 8 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the potatoes to the casserole dish. Lower the heat and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Tie the parsley stems with twine and add to the casserole. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons butter and the chopped veggie burgers and warm through, 5 minutes. Remove the parsley stems and stir in the chopped parsley. Keep warm.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the milk; season with salt and pepper and spoon over the casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired. Broil until golden brown, 5 minutes.
No matter how much we get done over the weekend, we still have to eat. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Peach Ice Cream and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie. Enjoy!
PATATAS BRAVAS
This is from page 48 of the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “Patatas bravas means ‘fierce potatoes,’ and hot smoked Spanish paprika gives the sauce for this roasted spuds an addictive bite. Spoon the sauce over the potatoes, or serve in a bowl along with toothpicks for dunking the potato wedges.” This vegan, gluten-free recipe serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
1 1/2 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 tsp. minced garlic, divided
1 tsp hot smoked paprika, or more to taste
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss potatoes with 2 Tbs. oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; cover tightly with foil; and roast 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue roasting 12 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom. Carefully turn potatoes, and roast 8 minutes more, or until browned. Sprinkle 1 tsp. garlic over potatoes, and transfer to serving dish.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tsp. garlic, and sauté 30 seconds, or until just fragrant. Add paprika, sauté 10 seconds, then stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve potatoes with sauce.
Per 1-cup serving: 172 cal; 3 g protein; 7 g total fat (less than 1 g saturated fat); 23 g carb; 0 mg chol; 49 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; less than 1 g sugars
PEACH ICE CREAM
This is from Julia Reed in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This easy ice cream is meant to evoke hazy memories of a summer spent luxuriating on a front porch, cold glass in hand, waiting as your ice cream maker does the churning work for a late-afternoon treat. Use the best peaches you can find — the flavor of this depends directly on the fruit. You can also use mangoes or strawberries, or other stone fruits. Use your imagination, but let the ice cream maker do most of the work.” Yield: 1 1/2 quarts, 6 to 8 servings; Time: About 1 hour, plus freezing.
This was featured in “Food; Frozen Assets” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
4 pounds ripe peaches
1 1/4 cups sugar (or more, as needed)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream
1 2-inch piece of vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Preparation
Peel peaches over a large bowl to catch the juice. Halve and pit them and chop roughly. Place in the bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar, the salt and lemon juice and let them sit for 30 minutes.
While peaches macerate, put cream and remaining sugar in saucepan with vanilla bean or vanilla. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to keep from scorching, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Discard vanilla bean.
Pour cream over peaches and mix thoroughly. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. (This will depend on the peaches.) Refrigerate until chilled.
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions until set but not quite hard. (If serving immediately, freeze harder.) Pack the ice cream into a bowl or mold to completely solidify. When it has hardened, dip mold into hot water or wrap in a hot towel and invert onto a serving platter. Or, simply scoop and serve.
BUTTERSCOTCH PEACHES
This is from Celia Barbour in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Celia wrote, “I make a peach-butterscotch sauce that I dreamed up to impress my children, whose love for me, though unwavering, I am nonetheless constantly trying to cement with food. The result was delectable. We ate the sauce straight from the pot. We ate it from the serving dish. And we ate what was left for dessert that night, poured over Ronnybrook vanilla ice cream with chewy gingersnaps from Hawthorne Valley on the side. My children’s adoration of me was unaffected by the butterscotch, but their energy level definitely got a boost from all the sugar.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “Ode to the Peach: A Cook Baffled, and Then at Peace” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
6 medium or 5 large ripe peaches
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Vanilla ice cream
Almond biscotti, gingersnaps or other cookies
Preparation
Fill a large bowl with ice and water, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place peaches in boiling water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice water. When cool, drain and pat dry.
Working over a bowl to catch the juice, peel skins from peaches, squeezing as much juice as possible from the skins. Slice each peach into 10 to 12 slices, and set aside with juice; discard skin and pits.
In medium skillet over low heat, melt butter. Raise heat to medium-high and cook butter until it foams, subsides, foams again and begins to brown. As soon as butter is nut-brown, add the peaches with juices. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, then place skillet over low heat to keep warm.
In medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cream, sugar, honey and salt. Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely melted. Raise heat to medium and let boil without stirring until it turns a rich golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (Because of honey and cream it will appear to turn pale brown before it has caramelized; wait until it has darkened noticeably, thickened and reduced before proceeding.) Carefully pour contents of skillet into saucepan; it will boil and spatter; stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add vanilla or other flavoring. Serve warm or at room temperature over ice cream, with cookies on the side.
TOMATO AND MINT TABBOULEH
Yield: 12 side-dish servings
Source: The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/695.shtml
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups bulgur wheat
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pound ripe tomatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium cucumber (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
In medium bowl, combine bulgur, lemon juice, and boiling water, stirring to mix. Let stand until liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.
To bulgur mixture, add tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint, oil, salt, and pepper, stirring to mix. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors or up to 4 hours.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 87; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 157 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch/Bread
ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES
From the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. The recipe starts off, "Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving." Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided
3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided
2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.
Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.
nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
VEGETABLE SHEPHERD'S PIE
This came from the Food Network's Magazine several years ago.
Prep Time: 25 min; Cook Time: 41 min; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 servings
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegetable-shepherds-pie-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 bunch baby turnips, halved or quartered if large
6 cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped (stems reserved)
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped veggie burgers or vegetarian protein crumbles
2/3 cup milk or half-and-half
Grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional)
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; season with salt, cover and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stovetop casserole dish or shallow enamel pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, turnips and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables brown, 8 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from the potatoes to the casserole dish. Lower the heat and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Tie the parsley stems with twine and add to the casserole. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons butter and the chopped veggie burgers and warm through, 5 minutes. Remove the parsley stems and stir in the chopped parsley. Keep warm.
Drain the potatoes and mash with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the milk; season with salt and pepper and spoon over the casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired. Broil until golden brown, 5 minutes.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Thursday Recipes
Here are today's six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Summer Panzanella and Banana Split Lasagna. Enjoy!
LEMON BARS
This yummy recipe comes from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.
Total: 1 hr 35 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 30 min; Cook: 55 min; Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
TOMATO FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can of Italian tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat and sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a mixing bowl. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the egg mixture to the pan, stirring a little to combine the onions and tomatoes. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the eggs have set and only the top surface is still runny.
Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just until the eggs on the surface have set. Properly cooked, the frittata should not be brown on the top or bottom.
BANANA SPLIT LASAGNA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This no-bake dessert is hands down the most fun way to eat a banana split.”
Yields: 12; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
kosher salt
For the Cream Filling
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip
For the Fruit Layer
3 bananas, thinly sliced
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 lb. strawberries, finely chopped
Additional Toppings
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
chocolate syrup, for serving
Rainbow sprinkles, for serving
Maraschino cherries, for serving
Directions
Grease a 9"-x-13” baking dish.
Make crust: In a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until evenly combined, then press into baking dish. Refrigerate until set, at least 15 minutes.
Make cream filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly onto crust.
To cream layer, add even layers of banana, pineapple and strawberries. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
CORN SALAD
This simple (and simply yummy) recipe is from Lena Abraham on Delish. Lena wrote, “The quintessential summer salad.”
Yields: 4 – 6 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes.
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
4 c. fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 c. crumbled feta
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
FRESH VEGETABLE PITA PIZZA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “Your kids will love this pizza-- and it's a good way for them to get their veggies.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
4 (7-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, divided
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 medium (2 cups) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 large (1 cup) green bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet red or white onion
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Core and slice the tomatoes and then cut each slice in half into half moons. Arrange the pitas on 2 baking sheets and brush each one with oil. Divide the tomato slices among the pitas and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and half the Italian seasonings. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are heated and the pitas begin to crisp. Sprinkle the pizzas with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with zucchini, green pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
SUMMER PANZANELLA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “Panzan-HELL-YEA!”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 large baguettes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large, seedless cucumber, roughly chopped
2 pt. cherry tomatoes (preferably multi-colored), halved
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch basil, torn
Directions
Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss bread with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add bread to skillet and toast until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
To large bowl, add crispy bread, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and garlic. Toss with dressing until evenly coated and season with more salt and pepper.
Garnish with basil and serve.
LEMON BARS
This yummy recipe comes from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.
Total: 1 hr 35 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 30 min; Cook: 55 min; Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
TOMATO FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can of Italian tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat and sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a mixing bowl. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the egg mixture to the pan, stirring a little to combine the onions and tomatoes. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the eggs have set and only the top surface is still runny.
Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just until the eggs on the surface have set. Properly cooked, the frittata should not be brown on the top or bottom.
BANANA SPLIT LASAGNA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This no-bake dessert is hands down the most fun way to eat a banana split.”
Yields: 12; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
kosher salt
For the Cream Filling
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip
For the Fruit Layer
3 bananas, thinly sliced
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 lb. strawberries, finely chopped
Additional Toppings
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
chocolate syrup, for serving
Rainbow sprinkles, for serving
Maraschino cherries, for serving
Directions
Grease a 9"-x-13” baking dish.
Make crust: In a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until evenly combined, then press into baking dish. Refrigerate until set, at least 15 minutes.
Make cream filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly onto crust.
To cream layer, add even layers of banana, pineapple and strawberries. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
CORN SALAD
This simple (and simply yummy) recipe is from Lena Abraham on Delish. Lena wrote, “The quintessential summer salad.”
Yields: 4 – 6 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes.
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
4 c. fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 c. crumbled feta
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
FRESH VEGETABLE PITA PIZZA
This recipe is from Family Time, and begins, “Your kids will love this pizza-- and it's a good way for them to get their veggies.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
4 (7-inch) pita breads
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, divided
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 medium (2 cups) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 large (1 cup) green bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet red or white onion
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Core and slice the tomatoes and then cut each slice in half into half moons. Arrange the pitas on 2 baking sheets and brush each one with oil. Divide the tomato slices among the pitas and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and half the Italian seasonings. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are heated and the pitas begin to crisp. Sprinkle the pizzas with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with zucchini, green pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Italian seasoning. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with crushed red pepper flakes and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
SUMMER PANZANELLA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “Panzan-HELL-YEA!”
Yields: 6; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 large baguettes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large, seedless cucumber, roughly chopped
2 pt. cherry tomatoes (preferably multi-colored), halved
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch basil, torn
Directions
Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss bread with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add bread to skillet and toast until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
To large bowl, add crispy bread, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and garlic. Toss with dressing until evenly coated and season with more salt and pepper.
Garnish with basil and serve.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Pies!
One of my all-time favorite desserts happens to be pie. I love pies! And if you love pies as much as you do, today's post is for you. I'm not sure which of these six is my favorite. Frozen Lemonade Pie from Pat and Gina Neely of The Food Network's Down Home with the Neelys? Sam Sifton's (The New York Times cooking e-newsletter Blueberry Pie? Or is it...
I'm really not sure which of today's six is my favorite. Try them all and decided for yourself. Oh, as as always, enjoy!
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients
To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.
FROZEN LEMONADE PIE
This comes from Pat and Gina Neely from The Food Network's Down Home with the Neelys. Total Time: 8 hr 18 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 8 hr; Cook: 8 min; Yield: 8 servings
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/frozen-lemonade-pie-recipe.html?oc=linkback
For the Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw)
For the Topping:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.
Make the filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight.
About an hour before you serve the pie, make the topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.
Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.
LEMON ICEBOX PIE III
This is from Heather Simpson on AllRecipes. The recipe begins, "A family favorite when a no-bake, fast pie is needed. (And family members too small to use the oven can make dessert!) Very pretty when garnished with whipped cream and mint leaves.”
This recipe makes 8 servings and can be found online here.
Ingredients
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and mint leaves if desired.
BLUEBERRY PIE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Perfection is a fool’s mission when it comes to blueberry pie. Sometimes the filling is a little runny. Other times, slightly thick, depending on the blueberries themselves. But this recipe helps even the odds, with the use of arrowroot starch in place of the more typical flour or cornstarch, and an awesome pre-thickening technique picked up from the pastry chef Kierin Baldwin. You could use a different pie crust, but I like the all-butter version below, at least with a pre-baked bottom and an artfully cut top that allows steam to escape.” Yield: Serves 8; Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.
This was featured in “The Perfect Imperfections of Blueberry Pie” and can also be viewed online here.
Not sure how to make a pie crust? Check out “How to Make a Pie Crust” by Melissa Clark.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
2 1/ 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
8-10 tablespoons or 120 to 150 grams of ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
For the Filling:
8 cups blueberries, picked over and washed
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons arrowroot flour or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Add the butter, and either use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal or pulse the processor a few times to achieve a similar result. Gradually and lightly mix in ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into a ball. Divide the ball into two equal portions, and flatten each into a disc with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Prebake the pie shell. Heat oven to 375. Roll out one of the discs of dough on a lightly floured surface, and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough so that there is a slight overhang at the top of the pie plate, then place the shell in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to chill. Remove the pie shell from the freezer, cover the dough with parchment paper and fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Place the shell into the oven, and bake until the bottom has just started to brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Take the pie shell out of the oven, remove the parchment and pie weights and allow to cool.
Make the filling.Separate 1 cup of the blueberries, and combine them in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the arrowroot flour or cornstarch and the salt, then pulse to purée. Put the blueberry mixture into a small pot set over medium-high heat, and cook, whisking constantly, until the liquid has just thickened, approximately 1 minute. Pour the thickened mixture over the remaining blueberries, and stir to combine.
Bake the pie. Heat oven to 400. Mound the filling high in the center of the cooled pie shell, and apply the egg wash to the top edge of the cooked bottom crust. Roll out the second disc of dough, and place it over the top, gently crimping it onto the egg-washed edge of the bottom crust. Place the pie into the freezer to set, approximately 20 minutes, then cut vents into the top with a sharp knife, place the pie on a baking sheet and set it into the oven to bake for approximately 30 minutes. Then turn the pie, reduce heat to 350 and bake until the pie is golden and the filling has begun to bubble up through the vents, another 25 to 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool to room temperature before you cut into it.
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
CHAI-SPICED PEAR PIE
This is from Audra, otherwise known as The Baker Chick. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you might remember me posting quite a few recipes from Audra (although it’s been a while). Her blog rocks! If you haven’t checked it out, you really should. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “I can’t possibly let you enter Thanksgiving week without another pie recipe. As the person in charge of desserts in my family, I’m always looking to make something classic with a twist and this gorgeous pie is just that apples get all the attention in the fall, but baking with firm, sweet pears is in my opinion just as good but way more unique and impressive.
“This pear pie is tossed with warm chai spices like cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and even a crack of black pepper. The result is just a bit more kick than what you’re probably used to with apple pie, but that same warm, melt-in-your-mouth goodness just waiting for a scoop of vanilla.”
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
To view this online on Audra’s blog, click here.
Ingredients
2-3 single layers of Pie Crust (see note)
10 cups of peeled, thinly sliced pears (from about 8-10 pears depending on size, use something firm like bosc)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3-4 twists of freshly ground black pepper (1/8 teaspoon, optional)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Keep crust chilling in the fridge while you prep the pears.
In a large pot or dutch oven, toss together the pears, brown sugar, flour, and spices. Stir in water and dot with the butter.
Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, tossing everything around to par-cook the pears a bit. Keep checking to see when a pear slice is "bendy" and slightly tender, but for me I cooked them for 10-15 minutes.
Allow pears to cool while you prep your dough. If you are doing a lattice or braided crust, roll some of the dough out now, form the braids, and freeze them until pie is ready to be assembled. If you are just doing a double crust- wait until the pears are mostly cool.
Roll out one layer of crust and drape over the bottom of a 9- inch pie pan leaving a bit of overhang. Pour the cooled pears into the crust and top with another sheet of pie crust, a lattice top, or the braids.
Trim and crimp edge of crust and pop the whole thing in the freezer for 10-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425.F. Place pie onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then reducing the heat to 350F and baking for another 45-50 minutes.. If the crust seems to be getting too dark you can drape some foil on top for the remainder of the baking.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
*If you want a little extra pie dough to work with for a decorative crust, I like to have a bit extra and usually make 3 batches of crust. If you are just doing a classic top, two single layers is fine!
I'm really not sure which of today's six is my favorite. Try them all and decided for yourself. Oh, as as always, enjoy!
DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE
This yummy recipe, from Old El Paso, begins, “A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling.”
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; 8 Servings; 10 Ingredients
To view this yumminess, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche
3 ripe medium bananas
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.
Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.
In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.
In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Dulce de leche is a traditional Spanish confection made from milk. It's a popular culinary reference to rich caramel flavors. Look for canned dulce de leche in the Hispanic section of the supermarket.
FROZEN LEMONADE PIE
This comes from Pat and Gina Neely from The Food Network's Down Home with the Neelys. Total Time: 8 hr 18 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 8 hr; Cook: 8 min; Yield: 8 servings
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/frozen-lemonade-pie-recipe.html?oc=linkback
For the Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw)
For the Topping:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.
Make the filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight.
About an hour before you serve the pie, make the topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.
Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.
LEMON ICEBOX PIE III
This is from Heather Simpson on AllRecipes. The recipe begins, "A family favorite when a no-bake, fast pie is needed. (And family members too small to use the oven can make dessert!) Very pretty when garnished with whipped cream and mint leaves.”
This recipe makes 8 servings and can be found online here.
Ingredients
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and mint leaves if desired.
BLUEBERRY PIE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “Perfection is a fool’s mission when it comes to blueberry pie. Sometimes the filling is a little runny. Other times, slightly thick, depending on the blueberries themselves. But this recipe helps even the odds, with the use of arrowroot starch in place of the more typical flour or cornstarch, and an awesome pre-thickening technique picked up from the pastry chef Kierin Baldwin. You could use a different pie crust, but I like the all-butter version below, at least with a pre-baked bottom and an artfully cut top that allows steam to escape.” Yield: Serves 8; Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.
This was featured in “The Perfect Imperfections of Blueberry Pie” and can also be viewed online here.
Not sure how to make a pie crust? Check out “How to Make a Pie Crust” by Melissa Clark.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
2 1/ 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
8-10 tablespoons or 120 to 150 grams of ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
For the Filling:
8 cups blueberries, picked over and washed
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons arrowroot flour or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Add the butter, and either use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal or pulse the processor a few times to achieve a similar result. Gradually and lightly mix in ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather into a ball. Divide the ball into two equal portions, and flatten each into a disc with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Prebake the pie shell. Heat oven to 375. Roll out one of the discs of dough on a lightly floured surface, and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough so that there is a slight overhang at the top of the pie plate, then place the shell in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to chill. Remove the pie shell from the freezer, cover the dough with parchment paper and fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Place the shell into the oven, and bake until the bottom has just started to brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Take the pie shell out of the oven, remove the parchment and pie weights and allow to cool.
Make the filling.Separate 1 cup of the blueberries, and combine them in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the arrowroot flour or cornstarch and the salt, then pulse to purée. Put the blueberry mixture into a small pot set over medium-high heat, and cook, whisking constantly, until the liquid has just thickened, approximately 1 minute. Pour the thickened mixture over the remaining blueberries, and stir to combine.
Bake the pie. Heat oven to 400. Mound the filling high in the center of the cooled pie shell, and apply the egg wash to the top edge of the cooked bottom crust. Roll out the second disc of dough, and place it over the top, gently crimping it onto the egg-washed edge of the bottom crust. Place the pie into the freezer to set, approximately 20 minutes, then cut vents into the top with a sharp knife, place the pie on a baking sheet and set it into the oven to bake for approximately 30 minutes. Then turn the pie, reduce heat to 350 and bake until the pie is golden and the filling has begun to bubble up through the vents, another 25 to 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool to room temperature before you cut into it.
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
CHAI-SPICED PEAR PIE
This is from Audra, otherwise known as The Baker Chick. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you might remember me posting quite a few recipes from Audra (although it’s been a while). Her blog rocks! If you haven’t checked it out, you really should. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
This recipe begins, “I can’t possibly let you enter Thanksgiving week without another pie recipe. As the person in charge of desserts in my family, I’m always looking to make something classic with a twist and this gorgeous pie is just that apples get all the attention in the fall, but baking with firm, sweet pears is in my opinion just as good but way more unique and impressive.
“This pear pie is tossed with warm chai spices like cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and even a crack of black pepper. The result is just a bit more kick than what you’re probably used to with apple pie, but that same warm, melt-in-your-mouth goodness just waiting for a scoop of vanilla.”
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
To view this online on Audra’s blog, click here.
Ingredients
2-3 single layers of Pie Crust (see note)
10 cups of peeled, thinly sliced pears (from about 8-10 pears depending on size, use something firm like bosc)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3-4 twists of freshly ground black pepper (1/8 teaspoon, optional)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Keep crust chilling in the fridge while you prep the pears.
In a large pot or dutch oven, toss together the pears, brown sugar, flour, and spices. Stir in water and dot with the butter.
Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, tossing everything around to par-cook the pears a bit. Keep checking to see when a pear slice is "bendy" and slightly tender, but for me I cooked them for 10-15 minutes.
Allow pears to cool while you prep your dough. If you are doing a lattice or braided crust, roll some of the dough out now, form the braids, and freeze them until pie is ready to be assembled. If you are just doing a double crust- wait until the pears are mostly cool.
Roll out one layer of crust and drape over the bottom of a 9- inch pie pan leaving a bit of overhang. Pour the cooled pears into the crust and top with another sheet of pie crust, a lattice top, or the braids.
Trim and crimp edge of crust and pop the whole thing in the freezer for 10-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425.F. Place pie onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then reducing the heat to 350F and baking for another 45-50 minutes.. If the crust seems to be getting too dark you can drape some foil on top for the remainder of the baking.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
*If you want a little extra pie dough to work with for a decorative crust, I like to have a bit extra and usually make 3 batches of crust. If you are just doing a classic top, two single layers is fine!
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six yummy recipes to try, including Tomato Frittatas and Banana Split Lasagna. Enjoy!
BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CRUSTLESS QUICHE
Years ago, I found this in an issue of Vegetarian Times (if I remember, it was the May 2005 issue). My better-half wasn’t a vegetarian, but I fixed this anyway, and he was instantly hooked. I ended up fixing this at least every other week, and ended up scrambling the left-over egg yolks for our aging Cocker Spaniel, Osha.
(For the record, Osha knew that when she saw the quiche dish come out of the cupboard, she was in for a scrambled egg yolk treat and would sit in the doorway, almost quivering in anticipation.)
This recipe starts off, “Enjoy this no-crust savory custard pie with a salad for lunch or dinner. For a variation, substitute 5 cups spinach for the broccoli. Serve with warm whole-grain bread.”
I have yet to make this using broccoli, opting for making it with fresh spinach, instead. Very yummy!
Makes 6 servings, and can be found online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/broccoli-and-cheese-crustless-quiche.
Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups broccoli florets
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbs. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, 1 1/2 minutes. Add broccoli, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Spread mixture in pie pan.
Combine milk, cheese, mustard, egg whites, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg in large bowl. Pour over broccoli mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 40 minutes, or until top is golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 160; Carbohydrate Content: 8 g; Cholesterol Content: 85 mg; Fat Content: 9 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 14 g; Saturated Fat Content: 4 g; Sodium Content: 370 mg; Sugar Content: 3 g
LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE
This was in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “This buttery almond cake with lemon curd baked inside is like the ultimate citrus tart, without the heartbreak of pie crust. It's fancy enough to be served as a dinner party dessert, yet substantial enough to be served with Sunday brunch. (Bonus: you'll have several tablespoons of lemon curd left over. It's delicious on toast or pancakes.)”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 2 hours 30 minutes, plus cooling time.
This was featured in “Not The Usual Chef On The Shelf” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd:
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 extra-large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
For the Cake:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
About 1/2 cup heavy cream for garnish
1 tablespoon almond liqueur (optional)
Preparation
For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl, and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming.
Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.
With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on taste.
Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.
Whip cream with almond liqueur. Present cake at table, and offer whipped cream on the side.
BANANA SPLIT LASAGNA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This no-bake dessert is hands down the most fun way to eat a banana split.”
Yields: 12; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
kosher salt
For the Cream Filling
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip
For the Fruit Layer
3 bananas, thinly sliced
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 lb. strawberries, finely chopped
Additional Toppings
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
chocolate syrup, for serving
Rainbow sprinkles, for serving
Maraschino cherries, for serving
Directions
Grease a 9"-x-13” baking dish.
Make crust: In a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until evenly combined, then press into baking dish. Refrigerate until set, at least 15 minutes.
Make cream filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly onto crust.
To cream layer, add even layers of banana, pineapple and strawberries. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
CORN SALAD
This simple (and simply yummy) recipe is from Lena Abraham on Delish. Lena wrote, “The quintessential summer salad.”
Yields: 4 – 6 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes.
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
4 c. fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 c. crumbled feta
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
TOMATO FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can of Italian tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat and sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a mixing bowl. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the egg mixture to the pan, stirring a little to combine the onions and tomatoes. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the eggs have set and only the top surface is still runny.
Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just until the eggs on the surface have set. Properly cooked, the frittata should not be brown on the top or bottom.
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CRUSTLESS QUICHE
Years ago, I found this in an issue of Vegetarian Times (if I remember, it was the May 2005 issue). My better-half wasn’t a vegetarian, but I fixed this anyway, and he was instantly hooked. I ended up fixing this at least every other week, and ended up scrambling the left-over egg yolks for our aging Cocker Spaniel, Osha.
(For the record, Osha knew that when she saw the quiche dish come out of the cupboard, she was in for a scrambled egg yolk treat and would sit in the doorway, almost quivering in anticipation.)
This recipe starts off, “Enjoy this no-crust savory custard pie with a salad for lunch or dinner. For a variation, substitute 5 cups spinach for the broccoli. Serve with warm whole-grain bread.”
I have yet to make this using broccoli, opting for making it with fresh spinach, instead. Very yummy!
Makes 6 servings, and can be found online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/broccoli-and-cheese-crustless-quiche.
Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups broccoli florets
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbs. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, 1 1/2 minutes. Add broccoli, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Spread mixture in pie pan.
Combine milk, cheese, mustard, egg whites, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg in large bowl. Pour over broccoli mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 40 minutes, or until top is golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 160; Carbohydrate Content: 8 g; Cholesterol Content: 85 mg; Fat Content: 9 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 14 g; Saturated Fat Content: 4 g; Sodium Content: 370 mg; Sugar Content: 3 g
LEMON-ALMOND BUTTER CAKE
This was in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “This buttery almond cake with lemon curd baked inside is like the ultimate citrus tart, without the heartbreak of pie crust. It's fancy enough to be served as a dinner party dessert, yet substantial enough to be served with Sunday brunch. (Bonus: you'll have several tablespoons of lemon curd left over. It's delicious on toast or pancakes.)”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 2 hours 30 minutes, plus cooling time.
This was featured in “Not The Usual Chef On The Shelf” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd:
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 extra-large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
For the Cake:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
About 1/2 cup heavy cream for garnish
1 tablespoon almond liqueur (optional)
Preparation
For the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl, and beat well. Add butter, and place over a saucepan full of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until mixture thickens into curd, about 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, and press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming.
Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 1 tablespoon butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon flour, shaking out excess.
With an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir in. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam. Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough. Add eggs and ground almonds to batter, and mix well.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Drop 8 individual tablespoons lemon curd around perimeter of batter, leaving a 1-inch border, and taking care to space drops evenly. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons curd into center of batter. Refrigerate remaining curd for another use. Sprinkle cake with toasted almonds and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on taste.
Bake until cake is toasty brown on top and a toothpick inserted into cake (not curd) comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan, and cool completely.
Whip cream with almond liqueur. Present cake at table, and offer whipped cream on the side.
BANANA SPLIT LASAGNA
This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This no-bake dessert is hands down the most fun way to eat a banana split.”
Yields: 12; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Crust
2 c. crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
kosher salt
For the Cream Filling
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip
For the Fruit Layer
3 bananas, thinly sliced
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 lb. strawberries, finely chopped
Additional Toppings
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
chocolate syrup, for serving
Rainbow sprinkles, for serving
Maraschino cherries, for serving
Directions
Grease a 9"-x-13” baking dish.
Make crust: In a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix until evenly combined, then press into baking dish. Refrigerate until set, at least 15 minutes.
Make cream filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture evenly onto crust.
To cream layer, add even layers of banana, pineapple and strawberries. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with chocolate syrup, sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
CORN SALAD
This simple (and simply yummy) recipe is from Lena Abraham on Delish. Lena wrote, “The quintessential summer salad.”
Yields: 4 – 6 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes.
To view this recipe online, click here.
Ingredients
4 c. fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 c. crumbled feta
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
TOMATO FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can of Italian tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat and sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a mixing bowl. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and add the egg mixture to the pan, stirring a little to combine the onions and tomatoes. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the eggs have set and only the top surface is still runny.
Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just until the eggs on the surface have set. Properly cooked, the frittata should not be brown on the top or bottom.
CANDIED GINGER PUMPKIN PIE
This was posted on the Vegetarian Times site on November 4, 2007, and begins, “The secret ingredient in this lightly spiced pie is sweetened condensed milk, which gives the filling a silky-smooth texture.”
Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin purée and sweetened condensed milk in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and pinch of salt. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 266; Carbohydrate Content: 47 g; Fat Content: 5 g; Fiber Content: 2 g; Protein Content: 8 g; Saturated Fat Content: 2 g; Sodium Content: 141 mg; Sugar Content: 37 g
Taco Tuesday
It's time for another Taco Tuesday.
If you're like me, you're probably glad that tacos have evolved from the simple taco shell-meat-cheese-lettuce-tomato food of years ago. (Though if you love your tacos that way, that's perfectly fine, though I would substitute tofu crumbles for the meat, of course!)
Here are six yummy taco recipes to help you through the day, including Spicy Thai Tacos and Mushroom, Corn and Poblano Soft Tacos with Avocado Cream. Enjoy!
SNAPPY TACOS
This is another good taco recipe from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "Just two of these tacos provide nearly all the soy protein of the daily FDA recommendation of 25 grams." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12-oz. pkg. soy crumbles, plain or taco-flavored
1/4 cup dark beer (see Note
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup salsa, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 taco shells
Garnishes: See my note under Toppings for the Tasty Black Beans & Corn Tacos, above.
Note: If you - like me - don't have dark beer (or any beer, for that matter), I suggest simply increasing the low-sodium vegetable broth to 3/4 cup
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 1⁄4 cup onion and 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat and mix in soy crumbles, beer and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano and jalapeños, stirring until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved crumbles, salsa and cilantro and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
Spoon 1⁄4 cup filling into each taco shell. Top with some or all garnishes and serve hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 302; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 633 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: g
JAMAICAN CURRIED TEMPEH TACOS
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The yellow curry filling, mustard greens, and red pepper strips lend these spicy tacos the colors of the tropics.” Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. peanut oil
1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, diced (1 cup)
1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime zest
4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup curly mustard greens, finely chopped
2 Tbs. chopped peanuts, optional
Instructions:
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is softened. Stir in tempeh, pineapple juice, cilantro, curry powder, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes, or until pineapple juice evaporates and tempeh starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Fill tortillas with tempeh mixture. Add red bell pepper and mustard greens. Top with peanuts, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 220; Protein: 14 g; Total Fat: 7.5 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 313 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 6 g
MUSHROOM, CORN AND POBLANO SOFT TACOS WITH AVOCADO CREAM
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found here.
From Garnish with Lemon. View this online at http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/mushroom-corn-and-poblano-soft-tacos-with-avocado-cream/ Yields 5.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more, depending on your preference)
Kosher salt
10 taco-sized corn or flour tortillas
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Stir in onions, oregano, garlic, chili powder, cumin and poblano pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and beans to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and stir in salsa, 1 tablespoon lime juice and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt.
Place avocado, sour cream and remaining lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. If avocado cream is too thick, add additional lime juice to reach desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon mushroom mixture into tortillas, garnish with avocado cream and chopped cilantro. Serve.
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
SAUCY & STICKY SWEET POTATO TACOS WITH CREAMY AVOCADO CILANTRO SAUCE
This comes from Laura, whose site, The First Mess, is absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend checking it out! Go ahead, I’ll wait…
This recipe serves 3 - 4, and can be found at http://thefirstmess.com/2018/04/11/sticky-sweet-potato-tacos-vegan-recipe/.
Headnote: Laura wrote, “I like to get the sweet potato shreds as long as possible, so I grate it with the long side of the vegetable striking the large holes of the box grater.
“You could use fresh or pickled jalapeno in the avocado cilantro sauce! I’ve tried the sauce with both.
“You could use collard leaves instead of tortillas for a grain-free option. As a bonus, they tend to hold a lot more filling than a standard tortilla :)
“If you want to save some time by using a jarred BBQ sauce, you’ll need a scant cup of it for this recipe.”
Date BBQ Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
water to thin
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce Ingredients
1 medium, ripe avocado
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 small jalapeno, seeded & diced
1/2 cup filtered water
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
For the Tacos
1 teaspoon heat-tolerant oil, such as avocado
1 shallot, fine dice
1 medium sweet potato (about 550-600 grams), peeled & grated on the large holes of a box grater
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
corn tortillas, warmed (or collard leaves, see headnote)
3 cups shredded cabbage
Make the date BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the dates, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, tamari, tomato paste, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until dates are soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to an upright blender and blend on high until smooth, adding water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the date BBQ sauce into a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender pitcher.
Make the creamy avocado cilantro sauce. Peel and pit the avocado. Back in the upright blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, garlic, tahini, lime juice, jalapeno, water, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth, adding more water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the avocado cilantro sauce into a separate container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot to the skillet and saute until slightly softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the grated sweet potatoes and stir. Season the filling with salt and pepper. Keep stirring until sweet potato shreds start softening and collapsing into each other, about 4 minutes. Add a splash of water if you notice some sticking.
Once sweet potato shreds are soft, add the date BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. The filling should look quite saucy at this point. If it seems dry, add another splash of water. Keep stirring until the filling is saucy, sticking to the sweet potatoes, and piping hot, about 3-4 minutes.
Divide the sweet potato filling among the warm tortillas. Top each sticky sweet potato taco with shredded cabbage and plenty of the avocado cilantro sauce. Serve tacos with extra lime wedges if you like.
POTATO TACOS
Potato Tacos? Sure, why not? This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "These tasty tacos are spicy! Feel free to reduce the amount of chipotle if you prefer milder flavor." Serves 2.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 medium potato, baked and diced
1 to 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chipotle, cumin and oregano and stir 30 seconds. Add potato, toss well to coat and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Divide potato mixture among tortillas and serve hot, garnished with condiments as desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 226; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 181 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 0 g
If you're like me, you're probably glad that tacos have evolved from the simple taco shell-meat-cheese-lettuce-tomato food of years ago. (Though if you love your tacos that way, that's perfectly fine, though I would substitute tofu crumbles for the meat, of course!)
Here are six yummy taco recipes to help you through the day, including Spicy Thai Tacos and Mushroom, Corn and Poblano Soft Tacos with Avocado Cream. Enjoy!
SNAPPY TACOS
This is another good taco recipe from Vegetarian Times. This one begins, "Just two of these tacos provide nearly all the soy protein of the daily FDA recommendation of 25 grams." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12-oz. pkg. soy crumbles, plain or taco-flavored
1/4 cup dark beer (see Note
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup salsa, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 taco shells
Garnishes: See my note under Toppings for the Tasty Black Beans & Corn Tacos, above.
Note: If you - like me - don't have dark beer (or any beer, for that matter), I suggest simply increasing the low-sodium vegetable broth to 3/4 cup
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 1⁄4 cup onion and 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat and mix in soy crumbles, beer and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate and set aside. Wipe out skillet.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano and jalapeños, stirring until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved crumbles, salsa and cilantro and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
Spoon 1⁄4 cup filling into each taco shell. Top with some or all garnishes and serve hot.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 302; Protein: 22 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 633 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: g
JAMAICAN CURRIED TEMPEH TACOS
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The yellow curry filling, mustard greens, and red pepper strips lend these spicy tacos the colors of the tropics.” Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. peanut oil
1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, diced (1 cup)
1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime zest
4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup curly mustard greens, finely chopped
2 Tbs. chopped peanuts, optional
Instructions:
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is softened. Stir in tempeh, pineapple juice, cilantro, curry powder, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes, or until pineapple juice evaporates and tempeh starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Fill tortillas with tempeh mixture. Add red bell pepper and mustard greens. Top with peanuts, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 220; Protein: 14 g; Total Fat: 7.5 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 313 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 6 g
MUSHROOM, CORN AND POBLANO SOFT TACOS WITH AVOCADO CREAM
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found here.
From Garnish with Lemon. View this online at http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/mushroom-corn-and-poblano-soft-tacos-with-avocado-cream/ Yields 5.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more, depending on your preference)
Kosher salt
10 taco-sized corn or flour tortillas
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Stir in onions, oregano, garlic, chili powder, cumin and poblano pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and beans to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and stir in salsa, 1 tablespoon lime juice and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt.
Place avocado, sour cream and remaining lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. If avocado cream is too thick, add additional lime juice to reach desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon mushroom mixture into tortillas, garnish with avocado cream and chopped cilantro. Serve.
SPICY THAI TACOS
I originally found this at Oh My Veggies. The site has a mess of taco recipes from different places, which can be found http://ohmyveggies.com/vegetarian-taco-recipes/>here.
This from Spabettie and can be viewed online at https://www.spabettie.com/2012/09/18/spicy-thai-tacos-taco-tuesday/. This recipe is dairy and gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 block extra firm tofu, cut into strips
fresh corn, cut from cob
broccoli slaw
corn tortillas
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and chili powder. Arrange tofu strips on (prepared – silpat, parchment or spray) baking sheet, brush with marinade to coat completely (you will have extra marinade for sauce). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes – can also be grilled on an outdoor grill.
Serve in corn tortillas with fresh corn and broccoli slaw as garnish, drizzled with remaining marinade.
SAUCY & STICKY SWEET POTATO TACOS WITH CREAMY AVOCADO CILANTRO SAUCE
This comes from Laura, whose site, The First Mess, is absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend checking it out! Go ahead, I’ll wait…
This recipe serves 3 - 4, and can be found at http://thefirstmess.com/2018/04/11/sticky-sweet-potato-tacos-vegan-recipe/.
Headnote: Laura wrote, “I like to get the sweet potato shreds as long as possible, so I grate it with the long side of the vegetable striking the large holes of the box grater.
“You could use fresh or pickled jalapeno in the avocado cilantro sauce! I’ve tried the sauce with both.
“You could use collard leaves instead of tortillas for a grain-free option. As a bonus, they tend to hold a lot more filling than a standard tortilla :)
“If you want to save some time by using a jarred BBQ sauce, you’ll need a scant cup of it for this recipe.”
Date BBQ Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
water to thin
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce Ingredients
1 medium, ripe avocado
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 small jalapeno, seeded & diced
1/2 cup filtered water
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
For the Tacos
1 teaspoon heat-tolerant oil, such as avocado
1 shallot, fine dice
1 medium sweet potato (about 550-600 grams), peeled & grated on the large holes of a box grater
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
corn tortillas, warmed (or collard leaves, see headnote)
3 cups shredded cabbage
Make the date BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the dates, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, tamari, tomato paste, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until dates are soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to an upright blender and blend on high until smooth, adding water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the date BBQ sauce into a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender pitcher.
Make the creamy avocado cilantro sauce. Peel and pit the avocado. Back in the upright blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, garlic, tahini, lime juice, jalapeno, water, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until completely smooth, adding more water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the avocado cilantro sauce into a separate container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot to the skillet and saute until slightly softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the grated sweet potatoes and stir. Season the filling with salt and pepper. Keep stirring until sweet potato shreds start softening and collapsing into each other, about 4 minutes. Add a splash of water if you notice some sticking.
Once sweet potato shreds are soft, add the date BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. The filling should look quite saucy at this point. If it seems dry, add another splash of water. Keep stirring until the filling is saucy, sticking to the sweet potatoes, and piping hot, about 3-4 minutes.
Divide the sweet potato filling among the warm tortillas. Top each sticky sweet potato taco with shredded cabbage and plenty of the avocado cilantro sauce. Serve tacos with extra lime wedges if you like.
POTATO TACOS
Potato Tacos? Sure, why not? This also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "These tasty tacos are spicy! Feel free to reduce the amount of chipotle if you prefer milder flavor." Serves 2.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 medium potato, baked and diced
1 to 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Instructions:
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chipotle, cumin and oregano and stir 30 seconds. Add potato, toss well to coat and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Divide potato mixture among tortillas and serve hot, garnished with condiments as desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 226; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 181 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 0 g
Monday, June 4, 2018
Monday Recipes
I hope your weekend was good. If it was like mine, you probably didn't get around to doing everything you planned to do. And if you did accomplish everything you wanted to do, a definite Congratulations are in order!
Either way, here are six recipes to get your week started off right, including Lemon Bars and Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE-HONEY BROWNIE BARS
This is from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “These brownies not only have honey in the batter, but are also drizzled with a luscious chocolate-honey topping for an extra-special touch.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 24 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey, divided
2 eggs
1 cup flour
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave butter and 6 oz. chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar and 1/2 cup honey; mix well. Blend in eggs. Add flour; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.
Microwave remaining chocolate and honey in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle over brownie.
Refrigerate 5 min. or until chocolate is firm. Use foil handles to remove brownie from pan before cutting into bars.
CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
This comes from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “Think Stouffer's without the freezer. While it can be enjoyed straight from the pot, this macaroni and cheese has a slightly looser sauce than the stovetop variety to allow for thickening in the oven. Bread crumbs, while optional, make it truly spectacular.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: about 1 hour
To view this online at the Times’ website, click here.
Ingredients
For the Macaroni and Cheese:
1 pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika
Freshly ground pepper
12 ounces sharp or white Cheddar cheese, grated
12 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated
For the Topping (Optional):
1 cup coarse bread crumbs or panko
4 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it’s barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It’s going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
VEGETABLE FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
Mixture of green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, squash (about 2-3 cups total)
Olive oil
5-6 eggs
Milk
About 1/2 cup grated cheese (Cheddar, Swiss or Parmesan)
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
Parsley sprigs for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Gently saute the vegetables in a 9- or 10-inch oven-proof skillet in the olive oil until just soft.
Mix eggs with a little milk, then pour over and around the vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Cook over medium heat enough to set the eggs, then place in the oven to finish the cooking. Bake until the top of the frittata is no longer runny. Garnish and serve.
SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, OLIVES AND FRESH MOZZARELLA
This is from Familytime, and begins, “Since the tomatoes here are not cooked, you’ll really notice their flavor.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 13 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 pounds vine ripened tomatoes, (about 6), chopped
3/4 pound salted mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped, fresh basil
1/2 cup halved and pitted black olives
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the mozzarella, basil, olives, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain, add to the tomato mixture, and toss.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour the oil over the pasta and toss again.
Variations: Add some drained capers, chopped red onion or grated Parmesan to the pasta.
LEMON BARS
This yummy recipe comes from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.
Total: 1 hr 35 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 30 min; Cook: 55 min; Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
AMBROSIA SALAD
This comes from Delish, and begins, “There's a reason it's a classic.”
To view this online, click here.
Yields: 6 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. Cool Whip
1/2 c. sour cream
3 c. mini marshmallows
1 (15-oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. chopped fresh pineapple
1 c. shredded coconut
3/4 c. halved maraschino cherries (stems removed), drained
3/4 c. toasted pecans
Directions
In a large bowl, fold together Cool Whip and sour cream. Add oranges, pineapple, cherries, coconut, pecans, and marshmallows and stir gently.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Either way, here are six recipes to get your week started off right, including Lemon Bars and Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE-HONEY BROWNIE BARS
This is from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “These brownies not only have honey in the batter, but are also drizzled with a luscious chocolate-honey topping for an extra-special touch.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 24 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey, divided
2 eggs
1 cup flour
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave butter and 6 oz. chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar and 1/2 cup honey; mix well. Blend in eggs. Add flour; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.
Microwave remaining chocolate and honey in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle over brownie.
Refrigerate 5 min. or until chocolate is firm. Use foil handles to remove brownie from pan before cutting into bars.
CLASSIC BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE
This comes from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “Think Stouffer's without the freezer. While it can be enjoyed straight from the pot, this macaroni and cheese has a slightly looser sauce than the stovetop variety to allow for thickening in the oven. Bread crumbs, while optional, make it truly spectacular.”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: about 1 hour
To view this online at the Times’ website, click here.
Ingredients
For the Macaroni and Cheese:
1 pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika
Freshly ground pepper
12 ounces sharp or white Cheddar cheese, grated
12 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated
For the Topping (Optional):
1 cup coarse bread crumbs or panko
4 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it’s barely al dente. (It should be more al dente than your average pasta: It’s going to continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium pot over medium heat. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to avoid clumping. Add garlic, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the edges of the pot to make sure the flour mixture is totally incorporated.
Add grated cheese and whisk to blend until the cheese is completely melted. (The sauce will seem thick at first and thin out as the cheese melts; it will thicken while it bakes.) Season with salt and pepper and add cooked pasta, stirring to coat well.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (to catch any cheesy drips).
Make the optional topping: Combine bread crumbs, melted butter and Parmesan, if using, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and, using your hands, mix well to ensure the bread crumbs are evenly coated.
Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and scatter bread crumbs, if using, evenly over the top. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until macaroni and cheese is bubbling, thickened and creamy, and bread crumbs are evenly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
VEGETABLE FRITTATA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.
Ingredients
Mixture of green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, squash (about 2-3 cups total)
Olive oil
5-6 eggs
Milk
About 1/2 cup grated cheese (Cheddar, Swiss or Parmesan)
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
Parsley sprigs for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Gently saute the vegetables in a 9- or 10-inch oven-proof skillet in the olive oil until just soft.
Mix eggs with a little milk, then pour over and around the vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Cook over medium heat enough to set the eggs, then place in the oven to finish the cooking. Bake until the top of the frittata is no longer runny. Garnish and serve.
SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, OLIVES AND FRESH MOZZARELLA
This is from Familytime, and begins, “Since the tomatoes here are not cooked, you’ll really notice their flavor.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 13 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 pounds vine ripened tomatoes, (about 6), chopped
3/4 pound salted mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped, fresh basil
1/2 cup halved and pitted black olives
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the mozzarella, basil, olives, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain, add to the tomato mixture, and toss.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour the oil over the pasta and toss again.
Variations: Add some drained capers, chopped red onion or grated Parmesan to the pasta.
LEMON BARS
This yummy recipe comes from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.
Total: 1 hr 35 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 30 min; Cook: 55 min; Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
AMBROSIA SALAD
This comes from Delish, and begins, “There's a reason it's a classic.”
To view this online, click here.
Yields: 6 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. Cool Whip
1/2 c. sour cream
3 c. mini marshmallows
1 (15-oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. chopped fresh pineapple
1 c. shredded coconut
3/4 c. halved maraschino cherries (stems removed), drained
3/4 c. toasted pecans
Directions
In a large bowl, fold together Cool Whip and sour cream. Add oranges, pineapple, cherries, coconut, pecans, and marshmallows and stir gently.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
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