Recipes Discovered - Recipes

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Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 8 slices cheddar cheese
• 2 large sweet onions, sliced crosswise, 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
  
• 8 hamburger buns

Directions:

Preheat grill or a cast iron skillet to high. Combine the mustard and horseradish together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Grate the garlic and onion into a bowl. Add the beef, grill seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce and mix to combine. Divide the beef into 8 (4-ounce) burgers. Grill or cook in the skillet for 4 to 5  minutes on each side. Brush olive oil on both sides of the onions and season with salt and pepper. Brush the onions with oil. Grill the onion slices for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. During last minutes of cooking add cheese to each burger, cover grill and let melt, approximately 1 minute. Place burger on bun and top with horseradish mustard and grilled onions.

Makes 8 burgers.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay.

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Ingredients:

• 6 large sweet potatoes
  
• Salt
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 8 scallions, optional

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook until potatoes are tender, but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.Heat the grill to high.

While the potatoes are cooling, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saute pan on the grates of the grill. Add the garlic, thyme and chili flakes and cook until the garlic is just soft, about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Slice each potato in half lengthwise then slice each half into 3 or 4 wedges, depending on the size. Brush the grill with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Grill until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add the scallions for the last minute of grilling. Remove to a platter and immediately toss with the garlic mixture and chopped parsley.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used dried herbs and it worked fine.

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
  
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
  
• 1 1/2 cups raisin paste or whole raisins
  
• 4 1/4 cups cold water
  
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  
• 1 1/4 cups balsamic vinegar
  
• 5 tablespoons applesauce
  
• 5 tablespoons roasted garlic paste
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder (dried mustard)
  
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
  
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Place extra-virgin olive oil in large sauce pot over medium high heat, add onions and reduce heat to medium. Saute onions until golden brown then add tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Turn heat back to high, add remaining ingredients with exception of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer ingredients for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove pot from heat, place into blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper.
If the mixture is not smooth enough add a few teaspoons of water and puree until smooth.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I didn’t have roasted garlic paste, so I just added an extra few cloves of garlic.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces spaghetti
• 10 plum tomatoes (2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 medium zucchini or squash (2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup basil leaves
• Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain.

Put the tomatoes along with the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook until saucey, about 15 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Put the sauce in a bowl and set aside. 

Trim the blossom off the zucchini. Use a mandolin or a very sharp knife to slice the zucchini lengthwise into very thin strips. Discard the center seedy pieces and separate the slices. Slice the strips into julienne cuts, similar to the shape of the spaghetti.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and zucchini and toss until just barley wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to simmer while tossing. Add cherry tomatoes and remove from heat. Add basil and pasta and toss again. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse.

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Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup wheat flour
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups peaches, diced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 18 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, yogurt, brown sugar, applesauce, molasses and eggs. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into eggs mixture, just until moistened. Fold in peaches. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon over each muffin.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 18 muffins.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Buttermilk can be substituted for yogurt.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.

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Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecan halves or pieces
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 9-inch pie crust, partially baked and cooled

Directions:

Getting ready: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk the corn syrup and brown sugar together until smooth.. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until you have a smooth, foamy mixture. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and give the batter a good mix. Rap the bowl against the counter a couple of times to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then stir in the pecans and chocolate. Turn the filling into the crust.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a foil shield for the crust by cutting a 9-inch circle out of the center of an 11-or 12-inch square of aluminum foil.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Place the foil shield on top of the pie—the filling will be exposed, the crust covered by the foil. Bake the pie for another 15 to 20 minutes (total baking time is 30 to 35 minutes), or until it has puffed (the middle and the edges should be fairly evenly puffed), is beautifully browned and no longer jiggles when tapped. Transfer the pie plate to a rack, remove the shield and cool to room temperature.

Serving: Pecan pie is good at any temperature, and different at each one. It’s softest and most puddingish eaten warm (about 45 minutes out of the oven), most flavorful eaten at room temperature and most candy-like when it is chilled. At any temperature, it’s good with ice cream—vanilla, chocolate or coffee would be my choices.

Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, the pie can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day.

Playing Around
If all you want is a great plain pecan pie, omit the cinnamon, espresso and chocolate. If you want a sweeter pie, increase the amount of corn syrup to 1 cup.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Baking: From My Home to Yours

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Ingredients:

Kebab:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean lamb, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 12 pearl onions
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 12 pieces
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 12 button mushrooms, wiped clean

Marinade:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

For the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the cubes lamb, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and thread onto six skewers, alternating with the onions, peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Preheat the grill to high heat. Brush the kebabs with the marinade and grill for about 10 minutes, turning once.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of 365 Main Course Dishes

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Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar in the raw
• 1/2 cup flour
• Zest of 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 cup fromage frais
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 peaches, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and line a 9×13 jelly roll pan.

Place the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and beat until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar. Fold in the flour, orange zest, and juice. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cake is firm and pale golden brown. Turn out onto parchment paper and roll it up loosely from one short side. Cool completely.

Mix the fromage frais with the honey. Unroll the cake and spread evenly with the mixture. Top with peaches, and then roll the cake back up.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Fromage frais is a fresh cheese that’s very low in fat and has the consistency of sour cream. It may also be called fromage blanc. It can be found in the speciality cheese case at some grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, good substitutes are quark or Greek yogurt.

Adapted from The Complete Book of Desserts

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Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

• 3/4 cup low fat soft cheese
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Tia Maria (coffee flavored liquor)
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and line a 8 inch deep round cake pan.

Sift the flour, coffee powder, and salt together. Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick (when the beaters are lifted, a trail should remain on the mixture’s surface for 10 seconds). It takes awhile - 10 to 20 minutes! Gently fold in the flour mixture, being careful not to knock out any air. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until it springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, mix the soft cheese with the honey and Tia Maria in a bowl. Beat until smooth. Stir in the chopped ginger. Split the cake in half and fill with the Tia Maria filling.

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with the coffee and enough water to make an icing that will coat the bake of a wooden spoon. Spread three quarters of the glaze over the cake. Stir in the cocoa powder to the remaining glaze and mix until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe the mocha glaze over the coffee glaze. If you don’t have a piping bag, just swirl the two glazes together.

Serves 8.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of The Complete Book of Desserts

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Dough (enough for 2 pizza crust):

• 1 package active dry or fresh yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing
  

Pizza (for one pizza):

• 1 large sweet onion, peeled, thinly slice
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 4 ounces shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
  
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Dough:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and mix until the mixture forms a ball. Keep the mixer on low and knead the dough for 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth and firm. Transfer the dough to a clean dish coated in oil, cover  with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled).

Divide the dough into 2 balls. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 1 hour. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Place a pizza stone on the lower rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.In a medium size saute pan, add a little oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions tcook until are golden browned, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Add the thyme and honey, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough as thinly as possible, about 14 to 15-inch circle. Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil. Allow pizza to rest for 30 minutes. Add the caramelized onions, cheese, cheese, and mushrooms. Bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let the pizza rest for 3 minutes before cutting into slice.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck.