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closeWeekly recipes for November 4, 2009
Sweet Potato Chili
Preparation time: 15 minutes; cooking time: 6 hours on low; 30 minutes on high
1 medium chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green or red bell pepper or a combination (I used both)
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can undrained diced tomatoes
1 (11-ounce) jar mild or medium salsa
2 medium peeled cubed sweet potatoes (see Notes)
1 medium peeled cubed baking potato
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed red kidney beans (see Notes)
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed red beans
1 (15-ounce) can rinsed black-eyed peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium diced zucchini
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine onion, bell pepper, carrots, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, broth, tomatoes, salsa and both potatoes; mix well. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until potatoes are tender. Raise heat to high. Add beans, peas, corn and zucchini; cook 30 more minutes or until heated through.
Notes: Use all sweet potatoes if desired. Use any combination of beans.
Per cup: 171 calories, 7 grams protein, 0.5 gram fat (3 percent calories from fat), no saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 568 milligrams sodium, 8 grams fiber. Makes about 12 cups.
Greek Chicken Burgers with Spiced Yogurt Sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes; cooking time: about 10 minutes, plus pasta
1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast
1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon each cumin, pepper and coarse salt
4 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
Red leaf lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices
In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, feta, oregano, thyme and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium until hot. Add patties; cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through (internal temperature 165 degrees). Season yogurt with cumin, pepper and salt. Serve burgers on toasted rolls. Top each burger with 1 tablespoon yogurt mixture. Garnish with lettuce, tomato and cucumber as desired.
Per serving: 292 calories, 35 grams protein, 6 grams fat (18 percent calories from fat), 1.1 grams saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 66 milligrams cholesterol, 652 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber. Makes 4 servings.
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Dill
Preparation time: 15 minutes; cooking time: for the pasta
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 (19-ounce) can rinsed chickpeas
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cold water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again. In a large bowl, combine orzo, onions, feta cheese, dill and chickpeas, tossing gently to mix. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, water, salt and garlic. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss to coat.
Per cup: 224 calories, 10 grams protein, 5 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 0.5 gram saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 393 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber. Makes about 6 cups.
--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine
Homemade Ranch with Iceberg Wedge
Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus chilling time for the dressing
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk, depending on how thick you want the dressing
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, more to taste
Dash of hot sauce, optional
2 heads iceberg lettuce
In a large bowl, sprinkle the salt over the garlic. Mash the garlic and salt together with a fork or pestle to form a paste. The finer the better, as the garlic is very strong in the finished dressing.
Whisk in the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, parsley, chives, dill, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, pepper and hot sauce, if using.
Taste and adjust the seasonings and flavorings as desired. Make the ranch dressing all yours -- add in more of what you like. This makes about 2 cups dressing.
Chill the dressing for at least 2 hours before serving. Thin with milk if desired.
Wash and dry the lettuce and cut into wedges. Arrange the wedges on a platter and drizzle the ranch dressing over the top. Be generous with the dressing since it needs to reach all the lettuce in the wedge. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 248 calories; 2 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 24 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 24 milligrams cholesterol; 224 milligrams sodium. Makes 8 servings.
-- Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Oatmeal Crispies
Drummond writes, "I usually keep 3 or 4 rolls of dough in my freezer at all times. These cookies go fast."
Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time for the dough
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 cup shortening
1 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
Finely chop the pecans, using a rocking motion with the knife. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the shortening and sugars until combined.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the sugar-shortening mixture and beat thoroughly to combine.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda, stirring to combine. Add the flour mixture to the egg-sugar mixture and stir until combined, then stir in the oats and pecans until incorporated.
Divide the dough into fourths. Place each quarter on a sheet of waxed paper and roll into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter, wrapping the waxed paper tightly around the log. Chill the logs until ready to use, up to 1 week. (The rolls may be frozen up to 3 months.) When you're ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the dough from the waxed paper and slice into rounds approximately one-half-inch thick. If the dough is frozen, there is no need to thaw; just increase the baking time by 1 or 2 minutes.
Place the rounds on a cookie sheet and bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the sheet immediately. Cool the cookies on a rack.
Each cookie: 92 calories; 1 gram protein; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 7 milligrams cholesterol; 63 milligrams sodium. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies.
-- Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Cheese Grits
Although the recipe suggests using sharp cheddar, Drummond says you can "use whatever variety of cheese you like: cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cotija. Even goat cheese (chevre) is sublime in grits."
Preparation time: 55 minutes
9 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, more if desired
2 cups uncooked quick or regular grits
4 eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoons
3 cups grated cheese, preferably sharp cheddar, more if desired
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if desired
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine the water and salt over medium heat. As soon as the water comes to a boil, stir in the grits. Cover the pan and finish cooking according to the directions on the package. Remove from heat when the grits are cooked.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Stir a couple of spoonfuls of the grits into the eggs and quickly whisk together to temper the eggs. Immediately stir in the rest of the grits until fully incorporated. Add the butter and stir until it is melted and incorporated, then stir in the cheese until melted and combined. Stir in the garlic and cayenne. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt or cayenne if necessary.
You could also add more cheese if you think that will bring happiness to your life, but keep in mind that cheese increases the salt and fat content, as well as the number of calories.
Pour the grits into a well-buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake until the grits are hot and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. The grits will become firmer as they cool.
Each serving: 341 calories; 12 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 131 milligrams cholesterol; 301 milligrams sodium. Makes 12 servings.
-- Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
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