Can I Get the Recipe? Week 17, Vol I - Oct 31, 2009

Dinners this Week:

Honey Lemon Salmon with Roast Vegetables

Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Compote and Mashed Potatoes

Left Over Pork Fried Rice

Slow Cooker Beef Stew IV

Orechiette with “Eat Your Veggies” Turkey Bolognese

Dessert of the Week:

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Brownies

Snack of the Week:

Witches Fingers

Dinner One: Honey Lemon Salmon with Roasted Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 40 min. Serves 4.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: While fresh salmon is always a treat, frozen wild salmon that is flash frozen at sea is now widely available in most supermarkets. Convenient and reasonably priced, this is an effective option if you want to do all your grocery shopping on one day of the week.

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets

2 tablespoon lemon zest

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (or white wine, raspberry or apple cider)

juice of 2 lemons, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 red peppers, chopped into one inch pieces

2 yellow peppers, chopped into one inch pieces

2 small zucchinis, chopped into medium size chunks

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

6 cups baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with some foil.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.

Combine lemon zest, honey, vinegar, 1/2 lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the spinach and use the rest to marinate the salmon for 10 minutes.

Combine the red pepper, yellow pepper, zucchini, olive oil, thyme leaves and remaining lemon juice. Season the vegetables with some salt and pepper. Place salmon on the baking sheet and surround it with vegetables.

Drizzle a little of the marinade over the salmon. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 12 minutes.

Toss the baby spinach with the reserved dressing and divide it equally between two plates. Place the roast salmon on top of the spinach and spoon vegetables on top.

Dinner Two: Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Compote and Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 30 min. Serves 4

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This compote also makes a fabulous dessert. Double the compote recipe and use as a topping over ice cream another night of the week if desired.

Ingredients:

4 medium apples (Gala or Braeburn), peeled, cored and chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup apple juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

pinch each nutmeg, cloves and salt

*4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick

1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and pepper

4 medium potatoes

¼ cup butter

¼ cup milk

*increase to 6 chops if planning to make leftover pork fried rice

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine apples, dried cranberries, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 20 – 30 minutes.

While compote is simmering, boil potatoes in a medium pot of water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large fry pan. Rinse chops with cold water then dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Fry chops, about 4 - 5 minutes per side, until just cooked. Remove, cover with foil and keep warm.

Mash potatoes with butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside pork chops with apple compote spooned over top of the chops.

Dinner Three: Left Over Pork Fried Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 40 minutes. Serves 4

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Cook the rice and refrigerate the day before to cut total time in half. Pork can be substituted with cooked chicken or shrimp. If a vegetarian dish is preferred, use tofu instead of meat or double the amount of egg.

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 cup frozen peas

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten, seasoned with salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 pork chops, cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.

Combine carrots, peas and yellow pepper and steam until tender (4 – 5 minutes). Rinse immediately with cold water, drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Cook eggs into a thin omelet. Remove from pan onto a cutting board. Roll and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

Using a large frying pan or wok, heat the remaining vegetable oil over medium high heat and sauté onion until soft. Add rice and steamed vegetables and continuously stir and cook 2 -3 minutes. Add the chopped egg and cooked pork pieces, stirring, for 2 – 3 more minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with soy sauce then serve.

Dinner Four: Slow Cooker Beef Stew IV

Prep Time: 15 min /Total Time: 6 - 7 hours. Serves 4.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This stew can be prepped the night before then placed on the slow cooker on a timer in the morning. Freezes beautifully so if you want to make more, follow the link to the original recipe that yields 12 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup baby carrots
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1/3 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• splash of red wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

Place meat in a large plastic bag. Combine flour with teaspoon salt; pour into the bag with the meat, and shake to coat.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, and cook until evenly browned on the outside. Transfer to a slow cooker along with the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together boiling water and dry soup mix; pour into the slow cooker.

In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté onion until softened; remove to the slow cooker. Pour red wine into the skillet, and stir to loosen browned bits of food on the bottom. Remove from heat, and pour into the slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 6 hours, or until meat is fork tender. In a small bowl or cup, mix together 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir into stew, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until thickened.

Dinner Five: Orechiette with “Eat Your Veggies” Turkey Bolognese

Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Orechiette translated from Italian means “little ears” which is exactly what this pasta looks like. While any type of pasta will do for this meal, using shaped pasta allows more of the sauce to get “trapped” in the shape. Substitute veggie ground round to make this pasta dish vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 small zucchini, roughly chopped

1 small red, yellow or orange pepper, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided1 ½ pounds (750 kilograms) ground turkey breast

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 (2.5 ounce) tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 cups orechiette pasta *reserve ½ cup pasta water

fresh grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Take chopped vegetables and put through a food processor until minced fine. Put to the side.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add turkey, salt and pepper and cook though. Remove turkey and set to the side.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in pot. Sauté minced vegetables for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Return turkey to pot and add tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar, basil, and oregano. Stir well. Once mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer and leave for 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt well then add pasta. Cook until al dente. *If sauce is looking too thick for your liking upon serving, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out. Add sauce on top of orrechiette and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Dessert of the Week: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Brownies

Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 60 min. Makes 9 – 12 brownies.)

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: The peanut butter layer in these brownies will be harder to pour than the other layers so just drop evenly in blobs around the pan. Use any left over canned pumpkin to add to pancake batter on a weekend morning.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter

6 ounces baking chocolate, semi sweet or milk

1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup peanut butter

chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer add the eggs, sugars and vanilla and mix for 4 minutes until frothy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix for another minute, until fully combined. Set the batter aside.

In a large pot start to boil some water. In a heat proof bowl add the chocolate and butter and place on top of the boiling water, stir until melted, smooth and combined.

In another bowl combine the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until smooth.

Add peanut butter to the last bowl and microwave for 20 seconds until the peanut butter is melted.

Divide the batter between the three bowls. You will have a pumpkin batter, a chocolate batter and a peanut butter batter.

Prepare your 9x9 baking dish with pan spray and/or parchment paper and add the batters in alternating layers and use a toothpick, chopstick or knife to swirl the batters. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter, optional.

Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before cutting.

Snack of the Week:Witches Fingers

Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 45 min. Makes 60 “fingers”)

Ingredients:

3 cups blanched almonds, divided

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups flour

red food coloring or red cake decorating gel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF

Reserve 60 nuts for later use; process remaining nuts in food processor until finely ground. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, extract and salt in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in ground nuts. (Dough will be stiff.)

Roll dough into 60 three inch fingers, using 1 tablespoon dough for each. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. With a cotton swab dab a thin layer of red coloring on the tip of each finger. Press one of the reserved nuts into red dough in end of each finger for the fingernail. Use sharp knife to make 3 crosswise slits in top of each finger for the knuckles.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheet; carefully transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

Loved one of this weeks recipes or can't wait to try one? Let us know and write your comments below!