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Showing posts with label Cheddar cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheddar cheese. Show all posts

11 December 2009

Holiday Cooking For Crowds, 5 Recipes

From Denny: It's the holidays and you are in a rush. You just got home from work or your house is overflowing. You are feeling a bit overwhelmed, even downright frazzled. What do you feed everyone? Here are few easy ideas to help you through the holidays so you can truly relax and enjoy your guests which is what the holidays are supposed to be all about!

Mark Bittman, a food writer for The New Yorks Times, who wrote the book "How to Cook Everything," is a bit of a worrier and perfectionist himself. If he can relax, armed with these quick and easy recipes, so can you. He equips you with some great tips to wow your family and friends this holiday season!

He advises you can create a quick no fuss room temperature dish you can bring to a gathering, a cake that withstands living in the freezer before the big day, a yummy cheesy cookie so quick to make all you need is 30 minutes, a soul-satisfying Italian dish to warm and impress the whole crowd and an easy breakfast pancake batter you can make ahead and store in the fridge for hungry tummies.



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Ravioli nudi

From:
Mark Bittman

Yield: About 4 servings

Bittman: Here's a celebratory dish that comes together quickly and can also be made ahead. Nudi means what it sounds like: "naked." And it refers to ravioli filling without the noodle wrapper, so they're a little like meatballs only fancier. Serve them with or without pasta — as you like. They're also good with tomato sauce if you have some handy. For a vegetarian version, see the variation below this recipe. Time needed: 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces each ground veal and pork or any combination of ground meats you prefer
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus cheese for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound any pasta, fresh or dried (optional)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 20 fresh sage leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the meat in a bowl with the egg, cheese, parsley, onion and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix well but do not knead. Form into tiny balls, about 1/2 inch in diameter, and put on cookie sheets. Refrigerate until you're ready to cook, or up to several hours. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

2. Cook the meatballs in the boiling water for about 5 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Cook the pasta, if you're using it, in the same water until tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, cook the butter and sage together in a small pan over medium-low heat until the butter is light brown, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a bit of the cooking water, then toss it with the butter-sage mixture and enough of the reserved water to make the mixture saucy. Top with the meatballs and serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

To make vegetarian ravioli nudi, substitute 1 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh, for the meat. Add another egg and increase the Parmesan to 3/4 cup and the parsley to 1/2 cup. Allow the bread crumb mixture to rest for at least 10 minutes before shaping into balls. Proceed with the recipe, cooking the dumplings until they rise to the surface, about 3 minutes.

Cheese shortbread

From:
Mark Bittman

Yield: 30 to 40 puffs

Bittman: Here's a fun, snacky thing for impromptu guests. There are so many ways to vary these quick, savory cookies. See the variations below this recipe for additional ideas to get you started. Time needed: 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
• 2 cups grated Emmental, Gruyère, cheddar or other semihard cheese
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon paprika or ground cumin (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal; do not over process. (You can also use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the mixture to the same consistency in a bowl.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until you're ready to bake the puffs. (Or roll the ball into two logs, wrap tightly and freeze for up to a month.)

2. Form the dough into 1-inch balls. (Or cut the frozen dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices). Put the balls or slices on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers. Bake until the pastries puff and turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, then sprinkle with additional paprika and serve.

crumbled blue cheese for a cup of the Emmental cheese.

To make pecorino cheese shortbread, substitute 1 cup each grated pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese for the Emmental.

To make herbed cheese shortbread, add 1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, like parsley, chives, dill and/or basil, with a little tarragon.

To make spiced cheese shortbread, use 2 to 3 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder for an Indian flair, caraway for an Eastern European flavor, pimenton (smoked paprika) for a Spanish-style snack, or toasted cumin seeds for a North African twist.

To make prosciutto shortbread, reduce the cheese to 1 cup and use finely grated Parmesan. Chop several thin slices of prosciutto into pieces and add them to the food processor in Step 1.


Butter-almond cake

From: Mark Bittman

Yield: At least 8 servings

Bittman: Need a cookie or cake for the freezer for last-minute gatherings? Here's a cake that's rich enough to withstand freezing and thawing or gentle reheating. Plus, it's excellent served warm. Time needed: About 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus some for the pan and the paper
• All-purpose flour for the pan
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 8 ounces almonds
• Grated or minced zest of 1 lemon or orange, or more if you like

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-inch-deep, 10-inch layer cake or springform pan; cover the bottom with a circle of wax or parchment paper, butter the paper, and sift flour over the whole pan; invert and tap to remove the excess flour.

2. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Separate 3 of the eggs and reserve the whites. Beat in the yolks one at a time, until the mixture is light in color.

3. Grind the nuts in a food processor until they are the consistency of meal. Turn them into a bowl and mix them with 3/4 cup of the remaining sugar and the citrus zest. Beat in 3 whole eggs, one at a time, blending well. Wash the beaters thoroughly and beat the egg whites; when they are foamy, gradually beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, until the whites hold soft peaks.

4. Combine the butter and nut mixtures and stir. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites and pour into the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then unmold. Store at room temperature, covered with wax paper, for up to a day or two. (Or wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze it for up to a month. Keep it wrapped and thaw in the fridge overnight or thaw and warm slowly in the microwave or a low oven.)

Roasted broccoli gratin with blue cheese

From:
Mark Bittman

Serves: 4

Bittman: Here is a room-temperature dish you can bring to a potluck. Feel free to switch out the cheese if blue isn't your favorite; Emmental, Gruyère, goat cheese, Gouda or any good melting cheese works fine. You can also substitute cauliflower, broccoflower, Romanesco, asparagus or broccoli raab for the broccoli. Time needed: About 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds broccoli, trimmed, the stems cut into pieces no more than 1/8-inch thick
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed in the skins
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the broccoli in a bowl, drizzle on the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper while tossing to coat; transfer to a gratin dish or any ovenproof dish. Nestle the garlic in the broccoli and cook until the tops are browning and the stems are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Remove the dish from the oven and fish out the garlic. Sprinkle the top of the broccoli with the blue cheese and then the bread crumbs. Return to the oven and cook until the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden. Serve hot or warm.


Everyday pancakes

From:
Mark Bittman

Bittman: Here's something to make for or with kids. It's amazing how quickly you can whip up this batter, even with kids helping. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days. To adjust the consistency of the batter, add more milk if you want it thinner, or flour for thicker pancakes. Time needed: 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
• 2 optional tablespoons melted and cooled butter, plus unmelted butter for cooking, or use a neutral oil like grapeseed or corn

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat while you make the batter.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs into 1/2 cup of the milk, then stir in the 2 tablespoons cooled melted butter if you're using it. Gently stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten the flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If the batter seems thick, add a little more milk.

3. Use a little butter or oil each time you add batter, unless your skillet is truly nonstick. When the butter foam subsides or the oil shimmers, ladle batter onto the griddle or skillet, making any size pancakes you like. Adjust the heat as necessary; usually, the first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. The idea is to brown the bottom in 2 to 4 minutes, without burning it. Flip when bubbles appear in the center of the pancakes and the bottoms are cooked; they won't hold together well until they're ready.

4. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, a couple more minutes, and serve or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200-degree-F oven for up to 15 minutes.

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17 August 2009

Recipe: Fast Easy Barbecue Bacon Chicken Breast



From Denny: How many times have we all wished for a wonderful meal in just minutes from ingredients already in the house? I've made this same recipe many times and loved it both for its simplicity, ease of making and speed to the table.

Barbecue Bacon Chicken Breast

From: Jeanne Besser

Note from Jeanne Besser: Crystal Ellis of Marietta writes, "Here's a great-tasting easy main dish created from my refrigerator. Kids love it!" This is truly a meal most of us can cull from our reserves, but that still makes a substantial dinner. I added the step of crisping the bacon under the broiler, but if you like softer bacon, you could skip this.

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2-pound) package boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 strips thin bacon, cut in half

9 ounces ( 1/2 bottle) honey barbecue sauce (or your favorite flavor)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil. Sprinkle chicken breasts with pepper to taste. Place 2 bacon strip halves horizontally to cover chicken breasts. Top with barbecue sauce and fold foil over to make a packet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is just done. Increase heat to broil. Open foil and broil until bacon crisps, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with cheese. Put back in oven and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 420 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 43 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 16 grams fat, 128 milligrams cholesterol, 952 milligrams sodium.



Barbecue sauce, easy recipe, quick recipe, kid friendly recipes, Cook, Cheese, Home, Cheddar cheese, Barbecue, Bacon, Chicken

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06 August 2009

Recipe: Fast Easy Barbecue Bacon Chicken Breast



From Denny: How many times have we all wished for a wonderful meal in just minutes from ingredients already in the house? I've made this same recipe many times and loved it both for its simplicity, ease of making and speed to the table.

Barbecue Bacon Chicken Breast

From: Jeanne Besser

Note from Jeanne Besser: Crystal Ellis of Marietta writes, "Here's a great-tasting easy main dish created from my refrigerator. Kids love it!" This is truly a meal most of us can cull from our reserves, but that still makes a substantial dinner. I added the step of crisping the bacon under the broiler, but if you like softer bacon, you could skip this.

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2-pound) package boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 strips thin bacon, cut in half

9 ounces ( 1/2 bottle) honey barbecue sauce (or your favorite flavor)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil. Sprinkle chicken breasts with pepper to taste. Place 2 bacon strip halves horizontally to cover chicken breasts. Top with barbecue sauce and fold foil over to make a packet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is just done. Increase heat to broil. Open foil and broil until bacon crisps, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with cheese. Put back in oven and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 420 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 43 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 16 grams fat, 128 milligrams cholesterol, 952 milligrams sodium.



Barbecue sauce, easy recipe, quick recipe, kid friendly recipes, Cook, Cheese, Home, Cheddar cheese, Barbecue, Bacon, Chicken

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16 June 2009

Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Casserole



From Denny: Casseroles are comfort food. They are also usually cost effective. Retro is back in style these days and comfort food is no exception. Apparently, this casserole dates back to the 50's and 60's from a real ranch in Texas founded in 1853 by the name of King Ranch and they are eager to lay claim to the recipe.

In our grandmothers' day they made casseroles to use up tired over-cooked veggies warmed over too many times (Yuck!) Today we make casseroles from fresh ingredients and get this wonderful marriage of flavors!

Casseroles are great for cooking ahead for working parents or a large family to feed inexpensively. Even when there is just one or two people at home there are those casseroles you can make up ahead, place in smaller cooking containers, freeze and pull out as you require a meal. Some casseroles freeze well and others don't. When I do freeze a finished dish like this I usually do so BEFORE I bake it - tastes better, so is the texture.

You can make the original version or shave some calories using low-fat versions of the same tasty ingredients, your choice.

When I make biscuits from scratch I cut them out of the fresh dough, leave them unbaked, freeze them on a baking sheet and when frozen place them in a freezer quality ziplock bag. When we want biscuits I pull them out frozen, pop them onto a baking sheet and into a hot oven, and presto! yummy fresh biscuits! Casseroles work well on the same idea.

Any casserole with cheese can be a calorie monster so watch the portions unless Hungry Jack is coming for dinner at your house! Or 3 hungry teenage boys - in that case, dish out your portion and hide it before they know it exists... :)

King Ranch Chicken Tex-Mex Casserole

From: “Lone Star Legacy II” by Austin (Texas) Junior Forum

Ingredients:

1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb.) chicken or 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces (we like chicken breasts at our house)

1 large onion, chopped (we like red onions or Vidalia sweet onions)

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (10 3/4-oz.) cream of mushroom soup (low-fat in our house)

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup (low-fat in our house)

8 ozs. grated Cheddar cheese (low-fat in our house)

1 (12-count) pkg. corn (not flour) tortillas (flour tortillas make it gooey and gummy disgusting. Corn tortillas are higher in calcium and hold up better to a firmer texture in a casserole situation.)

Chili powder (a lot of awesome chili powders from New Mexico!)

Garlic salt (I find garlic salt too much salt, we use garlic powder)

1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel Original or Mild Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained (do NOT purchase the hot level as it intensifies in a casserole)

Instructions:

1. Boil chicken until tender in water with chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped bell pepper, and salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve stock, but remove chicken and vegetables. Cool slightly and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

2. Combine soups and grated cheese. Just before assembling casserole, soak the tortillas in boiling stock for just a second. They will fall apart if you let them stay in longer. If they break up, layer them anyway.

3. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. (Because I can't stand preservatives in oil products, I use clarified butter, melted and brushed on with a pastry or basting brush, tastes better too! Can use unsalted clarified butter if you are worried about reducing the salt content.)

Start layering casserole in this order: first, half of the tortillas, half of the chicken and vegetables, and then sprinkle, to taste, with chili powder and garlic salt; and then half of the soup mixture. Repeat with another layer. ending with the soup mixture.

4. Next, cover the top of the casserole with undrained Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies. Juices in the casserole should be about half the depth of the dish; if not, add a little more of the stock.

5. Bake uncovered in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

*****

A refreshing Ice Tea with fresh mint would go well with this!

Mint Iced Tea

From: “Southern Cocktails” by Denise Gee

Serves: 6 or more.

Mint Syrup:

Makes: about 1-1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

12 fresh mint sprigs

Instructions:

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the mint and set aside; cool to room temperature.

3. Pour the mint syrup through a strainer into a clean container and store in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Tea:

Water

Tea bags (we like Family-size Luzianne brand, awesome brand that especially developed a black tea for perfect iced tea every time, as no bitterness. If you don't have it in your area; order it on the internet; it's inexpensive and very tasty, worth the effort.)

Ice

Mint Syrup

Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

Instructions:

1. Make tea according to directions on the tea bag package.

2. Cool to room temperature. Put ice cubes in glass. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons Mint Syrup to glass. Add cooled tea to fill. Stir to mix. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and serve.


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22 May 2009

Recipe: Easy Baked Ziti

Baked ZitiImage by SoxyLady via Flickr

From Denny: Here's an easy versatile basic version of Baked Ziti that is kid-friendly too! Sometimes, you want to cook easy, fast but tasty and here is one of those comfort food recipes that answers the call! :) With a strong Italian population in Louisiana for centuries now, everyone has learned how to cook a wide variety of those fabulous and easy dishes.

You can do a lot of variations, so add your personal touch. Try changing it up with ground turkey or ground sirloin for less fat. Add your favorite white cheddar cheese or regular yellow Colby cheddar cheese as cheddar is packed with flavor.

Add mushrooms and some more spices like extra garlic, a little curry powder (especially good with beef), basil, and thyme, yes, even on top of the Italian seasoning already in the spaghetti sauce. A little smoked red chili pepper also makes it good for adult palates!

I like to make my own marinara sauce in place of the jarred spaghetti sauce that includes a little dark brown sugar to balance the sourness of the tomatotes. (Some Sicilian friends showed me that yummy little trick though they used white sugar. I prefer the dark brown sugar as it adds to the background depth of the sauce, providing another layer of taste.)

We like Louisiana heat in our spaghetti sauce so we add that too. Really this dish hinges on the quality of your sauce, the meat used (bits of smoked pork chops from your local grocery store would be good too as a way to use up leftovers!) and the flavors of the cheeses.

Make sure you undercook any pasta. Why? Undercooked pasta doesn't make you swell or turn to fat quickly like overcooked soft pasta does. It also tastes fresher! And when you bake a dish it absorbs the flavors more: win-win!

You can always divide this dish into two baking dishes and place one in the freezer for another meal.

Baked Ziti

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8


Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or ground sirloin or ground turkey

3 cups ziti, or your favorite pasta, cooked and drained (about 6 cups cooked)

1 (26-ounce) jar your favorite spaghetti sauce or your own marinara sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown meat and drain. Stir in ziti, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon into 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake 20 minutes.

Nutrition:

Per serving:
556 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 26 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 30 grams fat, 81 milligrams cholesterol, 792 milligrams sodium.


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20 February 2009

Recipe: Curried Cheese Paté

With the Marti Gras season upon us here is an easy recipe to consider for your guests and family to enjoy. This is a popular appetizer at parties and can be made ahead and frozen until your gathering. It looks beautiful on the serving platter.


Curried Cheese Paté

From: Cooking and Gardening with Dianne by Dianne Cage, Monroe, Louisiana



Ingredients:


2 (8 oz.) packages light cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese, room temperature

6 Tablespoons sherry

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons curry powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper


Ingredients for Topping:


1 (8 oz.) jar chutney, chopped small if necessary (cranberry chutney or Major Grey’s)

½ cup chopped peanuts

½ cup chopped green onion (tops and all)

½ cup grated coconut


Ginger snaps or assorted crackers


Directions: Cream together the cheeses with sherry, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, salt and pepper.

Pour and mold on a large plate or cheese board. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours. This can be made 2 or 3 days ahead or made earlier and frozen. If frozen, defrost at room temperature before garnishing with condiments.

Garnish in layers with chutney, peanuts, onions and coconut. Serve with thin gingersnaps or saltine crackers.
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