Receta Week 3, Vol II, January 15, 2010
Dinners of the Week:
The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
White Bean, Turkey Sausage and Spinach Soup
Mac and Cheese
Codfish with Cheddar and Tomatoes
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Dessert of the Week:
Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes
Snack of the Week:
D.I.Y. No Bake Granola Bars
Dinner One: The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
Recipe from Melanie of My Kitchen Cafe
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 6 – 8 hours. Recipe adjusted to serve 4.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This recipe (without the pasta) can be easily frozen and then reheated on the stovetop at a later date so if you feel like prepping an extra meal for one of those crazy nights you are too busy to cook, it’s a perfect recipe to double.
Ingredients:
2 pounds (900 grams) stew meat
1 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 pound (225 grams) spaghetti
Directions:
Season stew meat with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker.
Mix garlic salt, Worcestershire, beef stock and ketchup in a bowl and pour over meat.
Cook in slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When cooked make a simple roux by whisking 1/3 cup flour with enough apple juice (about 5-6 tablespoons) to make a thick but still pourable flour mixture. Whisk the roux into the slow cooker and add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms.
Cook on high for 15-30 minutes. Begin to cook pasta according to package directions.
Stir in ½ cup sour cream into the stroganoff once pasta is cooked and drained. Serve over pasta.
Dinner Two: White Bean, Sausage and Spinach Soup
Recipe from Kevin of Closet Cooking
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: If cooking for kids, you might want to omit or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes used. To make this meal vegetarian, use veggie sausages instead or omit them completely and double the spinach and beans.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage (casing removed and crumbled)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes (spicy)
4 cups chicken stock
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1 bunch spinach, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink and set aside.
Heat the oil in the same pan.
Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and sauté for another minute.
Add the sausage, stock, beans, oregano, and bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and simmer until it wilts.
Add the lemon juice and remove from heat.
Dinner Three: Mac and Cheese
Recipe from Denise Vivaldo’s The Entertaining Encyclopedia
Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4 with leftovers.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: You can replace half or all of the cheese with any other good melting cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Gouda, Edam, Gruyere, mozzarella or fontina.
Ingredients:
1 pound (454 grams) elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups whole milk, heated
2 cups shredded sharp (old) Cheddar cheese
pinch ground nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot pf water to salted water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni, reduce heat slightly and boil for about 6 minutes or until barely al dente but still firm. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes or until paste is a pale golden. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add half the cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
Dinner Four: Codfish with Cheddar and Tomatoes
Recipe by Kay of Kayotic Kitchen
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Make this recipe using 4 individual ramekins for that extra special touch. To add some fun to your meal, allow your kids to dip their vegetables in the fish mixture.
Ingredients:
3 (5 – 6 ounces each) cod fillets
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
5 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons coarse mustard
5 ounces ( 1 cup) cheddar cheese, grated
pepper
salt
small head of broccoli, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place each cod fillet in a small baking dish and season them with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Slice the tomatoes and place them on top of the cod.
Combine the 5 slightly heaping tablespoons of sour cream with 2 slightly heaping teaspoons of coarse mustard.
Add the cheddar to the sour cream and spoon an equal amount of the mix on top of each cod fillet.
Bake for approximately 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cod fillets.
While fish is cooking, steam broccoli. Serve with cod.
Dinner Five: Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from April of Girl Gone Gourmet
Prep Time: 30 min/Total Time: 60 min. Serves 4 with leftovers.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Make this meal on a night where you can have the leftovers for lunch the next day. If you need to feed a larger crowd, buy a rotisserie chicken, which will provide enough meat to double this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 heaping tablespoons mild chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- salt
- pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces diced green chilis, drained (spicy)
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 6 flour tortillas
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the enchilada sauce, first heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add in the garlic and cook and additional 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and continue cooking for another minute or so.
Pour in the tomato sauce and stir well to combine. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. If it gets too thick add in a little more chicken stock to thin it out. Season with salt and pepper and remove it from the heat once it's reduced.
Using a brush, spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and green chilis. Stir well.
Divide the cream cheese mixture among the tortillas, spreading it evenly over them. Top one of the tortillas with about 1/4 cup of chicken, 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese and then roll it up and place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Pour the sauce over the top of the tortillas and top it off with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continuing baking it for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Dessert of the Week: Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes
Recipe from Pat Sinclair's Baking Basics and Beyond
Prep Time: 20 min/ Total Time: 45 min. plus refrigerate several hours. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Serve these with some whipped cream or fruit on top to make them extra special. You can substitute vanilla wafers for the chocolate cookie crumbs and/or omit the chocolate chips if preferred.
Note: You must use foil baking cups with paper inserts because they are strong enough to support the cheesecakes.
Ingredients - Crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
Ingredients – Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup semisweet chocolate mini chips
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in the middle. Line 12 cups in a standard muffin pan with foil baking cups.
Crust
Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each baking cup. There will be about 2 tablespoons remaining to use after baking.
Filling
Beat cream cheese in bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer on Medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Gradually add sugar, scraping sides of bowl occasionally and beat until smooth.
Reduce mixer speed to Low and add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Stir in chocolate morsels.
Fill each baking cup with about ¼ cup filling. They will be almost full.
Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until set. The cheesecakes will be lightly browned and puffed. Sprinkle each with about ½ teaspoon of the remaining cookie crumb crust.
Cool completely on wire cooling rack before refrigerating. These treats are better after they are refrigerated several hours or overnight.
Snack of the Week: D.I.Y. No Bake Granola Bars
Recipe from Jenna of Shortbread Bakery
Prep Time: 10 min/Total Time: 30 min. Makes 12 bars.
Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Smooth a thin layer of melted chocolate over top of these bars for a more decadent bar. Regular or brown sugar can be used in place of the can sugar if desired.
Ingredients:
vegetable spray
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 cups cereal of your choice, preferably unsweetened
1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried fruit of your choice, finely chopped (I use dried ginger)
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Spray a 8 by 8-inch pan with vegetable spray for thick bars or use a larger pan if you like your bars thinner.
Mix the oats, walnuts, oat bran, cereal, cranberries, and ginger together in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until dissolved, about 4 minutes. Mix into oat mixture while still hot.
Spread into pan and let cool. Cut into desired shapes.
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