Can I Get the Recipe? Week 19, Vol I - Nov 14, 2009

Dinners of the Week:

Slow Cooker Roast Beef with Sweet Potatoes and Green Bean

Left Over Beef Enchiladas

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa

Pizza Casserole

Dessert of the Week:

Apple Crisp

Snack of the Week:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Dinner One: Slow Cooker Roast Beef with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans

Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 8 hours 15 min. Serves 4*

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: *This recipe yields enough beef (1 ½ cups) to make the Left-Over Beef Enchiladas for the next night’s dinner. If you prefer to have more beef, increase the roast to 3 pounds. If you choose to, you can prep the beef the night before then simply pop into the slow cooker the next morning.

Ingredients:

*2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) beef roast

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup Italian dressing

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 large sweet potatoes

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 cups green beans

butter

salt and pepper

Directions:

Place beef roast in the slow cooker.

In small bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the beef roast. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.

Cut slits into sweet potatoes. Place in glass baking dish with 1/4 inch of water and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through. Cooking time can vary depending on thickness of the sweet potatoes. (Can also be cooked faster in the microwave on high for 6 - 8 minutes.) Serve with some sprinkles of cinnamon and butter if you prefer.

Wash and cut stems from green beans. Steam in stovetop steamer, or in microwavable dish with water, covered in plastic.

Serve beef with sauce spooned over the top alongside sweet potatoes and green beans.

Dinner Two:Left Over Beef Enchiladas

Prep Time: 30 min/Total Time: 50 min. Serves 4

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: These enchiladas also work well with left over chicken. To make this meal vegetarian, omit meat and add 1 large can (2 small cans) of black beans in with the vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 ½ cup chicken broth

1 ½ cups milk

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies (omit if you don’t like spicy foods)

pinch salt

pinch ground cumin

8 flour or corn tortillas

1 ½ - 2 cups cooked, shredded beef

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced

sour cream to serve

salsa to serve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender then stir in corn starch. Add broth, milk, chilies, salt and cumin. Cook and stir until thickened then reduce heat. Simmer 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally then set aside.

Grease a baking dish that is big enough to hold the enchiladas side by side. Lay tortillas flat and spoon a little sauce in the center of each, spreading the sauce out to edges.

Divide the meat down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of meat. Roll up tortillas and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Pour the remaining sauce over top of the tortillas.

Sprinkle with green onions and any remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Dinner Three: Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Prep Time: 30 mi/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: If you choose to, you can substitute ground lamb or beef for the turkey. To make this dish vegetarian, use veggie ground round and vegetable broth.

Ingredients - Meat filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound (450 grams) ground turkey

1 tablespoon flour

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

2 medium carrots, diced fine

1 red bell pepper, diced fine

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

Ingredients - Topping:

4 large potatoes (about 1-1/2 lbs), peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream (or substitute stock for healthier version)

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

dash of sweet paprika

Directions:

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl.

Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream (or broth). Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add oil to hot pan with turkey, beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper.

Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb/beef and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings.

Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes.

In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and juice of tomato and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture.

Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.

Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Dinner Four: Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa

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

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Any mild white fish will work with this recipe so when purchasing fish at the store, check to see what is on sale. To speed up prep time, you can buy fresh salsa pre-made at the store.

Ingredients - Tacos:

1 pound (450grams) of tilapia, cod, halibut or any mild white fish

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice from one lime

8 small corn tortillas (or flour if you prefer)

2 cups green or purple cabbage (about 1/2 small cabbage), finely shredded

2 large carrots, shredded

Ingredients - Fresh Salsa:

3 ripe tomatoes, diced into small cubes

1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine

juice from one lime

sour cream for topping

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for topping

Directions:

Combine all salsa ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Rinse the fish with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the fish into bite sized pieces then spread out on a plate. In a small bowl combine the cumin, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle over both sides of the fish. Drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice.

In a medium cast iron or heavy frying pan, heat the tortillas, one at a time on low heat. Stick on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel as you heat them. Alternatively, you can place a slightly damp clean kitchen towel over them and pop them in the microwave for 10 -20 seconds just before making the tacos.

Place the pan on medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the fish and marinade. Cook through, about three minutes, then flip the pieces and continue cooking until the liquid is completely evaporated and the fish is golden around the sides.

Place an equal amount of fish on each of the warm tortillas. Top with cabbage, carrots, a spoonful of salsa and a drizzle of sour cream. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Dinner Five: Pizza Casserole

Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This casserole freezes beautifully so if you choose to make an extra casserole for a later date, double the recipe and visit Des’s site to get freezing instructions.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (250 grams) dry Rotini pasta

kosher salt

1/2 pound (250 grams) mild (or hot) ground Italian sausage

1/2 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms

1/4 cup diced pepperoni

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season liberally with salt, about 1 tablespoon. Cook pasta for 6-7 minutes. Strain. Pasta will be firm.

In a large skillet brown Italian sausage, about 5 minutes. Strain.

In the same pan you cooked the sausage stir together red onion, mushrooms and pepperoni. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until vegetables soften. Return sausage to pan. Stir to combine. Add in pasta and pizza sauce. Mix well. Remove from heat.

To bake casserole: Place the casserole mixture into a 8″ x 8″ glass casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove.

Top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Serve immediately.

Dessert of the Week: Apple Crisp

Prep Time: 10 min/ Total Time: 60 min. Original recipe cut in half to yield a serving for 4.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This recipe is especially wonderful as it has the option of using brown rice flour, making it gluten free. If your diet requires you to eat gluten free, make sure to use oats produced in a gluten free factory.

Ingredients – Filling:

• 6 apples (peeled, unpeeled, or both), cored and sliced
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup dried currants (raisins will work too)
• 1/2 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour or brown rice flour
• Ingredients – Topping:
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup canola oil (can use melted butter instead)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To prepare filling, place apples in large bowl. Fold in syrup, cinnamon and currants. Sprinkle on flour and gently fold until combined. Spread mixture into a small baking casserole.

To make topping, use the same mixing bowl and combine oats, flour, nuts and cinnamon. In separate bowl, whisk together syrup and oil, add to dry ingredients and mix until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over apples, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until apples are cooked through. Remove from oven and serve.

Snack of the Week: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 1 hour 15 min. Makes 1 loaf.

Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Banana bread always tastes best when extremely ripe bananas are used. Next time your bananas over ripen, throw them in the freezer until you have a chance to use them in a recipe such as this.

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

1/8 teaspoon banana extract (omit if you can’t find this)

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and butter a 12x4x2.5 (long and narrow) loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the bananas, sour cream and extracts. With a fork mash the bananas into the sour cream and extracts then stir until evenly combined.

Alternate adding the mashed banana mixture and dry ingredients into the batter mixing on low, just until combined in three batches. With a wooden spoon stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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