Thursday 3: Gobble Gobble These

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

Ah, it's November. Before you know it Thanksgiving will be here. Here are three yummy and cute alternatives to pumpkin pie.

This one has a tiny replica of a turkey dinner on it. You can even make these yourself. Here's the recipe!









This one looks more elegant. Here is that recipe.








Finally, here's a cute one. Grab that candy corn now while it's still in the stores. Here's the recipe for this one from Family Fun.

Recipe: PB&J Bar Cookies

I love peanut butter and jelly. It's one of the world's best pairings. So, here it is in a bar cookie!

Preheat oven to 350. Line 9" square baking pan with enough foil to overhang sides by 2", coat with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix

1 PACKAGE (17.5 OZ) OATMEAL COOKIE MIX
1/2 CUP BUTTER (ROOM TEMPERATURE)
1 EGG
1/2 CUP CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER
1 TBS. WATER

until large crumbs form. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumbs. Press remainder into pan. Spread 2/3 cup LOW-SUGAR RASPBERRY PRESERVES over crust. Mix 1/3 CUP LIGHTLY SALTED COCKTAIL PEANUTS, COARSELY CHOPPED into reserved crumbs. Sprinkle over preserves. Bake 30 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on rack. Makes 16 bars.

Recipe: Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

I made this recently for a going away party. It went well with the pizza, but not so great with the chips and salsa. LOL.

Anyway, it's from Rachael Ray, one of my favorite TV cooks. When I make this again, I'll omit the green peppers, because I don't really like them. I think olives might be a good substitute.

Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

Red Pepper Pesto
1 cup drained, packed roasted red peppers
2 small cloves garlic (I always put more garlic than a recipe asks for)
3 oz. pine nuts
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (eyeball it)

Salad
1 pound whatever pasta you want (I used fusilli, the corkscrew kind)
1 cup drained marinated mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Italian hot pepper rings, drained and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta.

Combine roasted peppers, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper and cheese in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until a thick pasty sauce forms. Adust seasoning and transfer sauce to a large bowl.

Add salt to boiling water and cook pasta to al dente firmness (firm to the bite.) Drain and cool under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Add cooked, cooled pasta to the pesto sauce. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss to coat. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste and serve or chill up to 48 hours.

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Kebabs

Here's a recipe I got from Real Simple, a magazine I enjoy subscribing to. I really liked the idea of the lemon wedges right on the skewers. Seeing that gave me an aha! moment, like why didn't I think of that? However, I don't like serving shrimp you have to peel, so I've simplified the recipe a little. If you'd like the original version, go here.

24 medium shrimp, peeled, cleaned (I get the ones that just require me to to slip the shells off.)
2 lemons, cut into small wedges
3 yellow squash or zucchini, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 sprigs fresh basil
16 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes (I use our metal skewers.)

Place the shrimp and lemon wedges on 8 skewers, alternating them. Halve the squash or zucchini lengthwise. (I would just fling the squash on the grill directly and don't bother with skewers. That's just more stuff to clean later. If you want to skewer the squash, you need to cut them into 1" pieces after halving them.)

Brush the kebabs with the oil and season with the salt. Grill the veggies about 3 to 4 minutes. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes total. Serve the shrimp and squash with the basil, torn into pieces if desired.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 86(41% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 1g); CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7g; SODIUM 540mg; PROTEIN 9g; FIBER 2g; SUGAR 3g

Recipe: Samosas

My sister made me try samosas a long time ago. They're little Indian pastries filled with curried potatoes and veggies and they're delicious. I was excited to find a very simple recipe for these from Real Simple Magazine. I made them for my grandma's 95th birthday and they were fabulous!

I don't make mashed potatoes, so the fact that you could use the pre-made kind appealed to me.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups (about 16 ounces) refrigerated mashed potatoes
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrusts
1 jar mango chutney (optional)

Heat oven to 375° F.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the potatoes and peas.

Unroll the piecrusts and cut each into 6 triangles. Place a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture in the center of each piece. Gather the corners of the dough and pinch to form a point. Pinch the seams to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Bake the samosas until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve with the mango chutney, if desired.

Yield: Makes 12

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 216(50% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 4g); SUGAR 2g; PROTEIN 3g; CHOLESTEROL 7mg; SODIUM 518mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 26g

Recipe: Pecan Shortbread Bars

I recently needed to make a dessert for my scrapbooking group and didn't want to go to the market for any ingredients. I dug this recipe out from my To Be Cooked File and it was fabulous. (The recipe originally came from Everyday Food Magazine.)

Pecan Shortbread Bars

1 cup chopped pecans (I ALWAYS *toast nuts before using them in baking. They taste 1000% better.)
1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour, plus more for preparation
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In processor, blend flour, sugar, butter, and salt until moist clumps form. Add pecans; pulse 2 or 3 times, just to incorporate.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan (if dough is sticky, dip fingers in flour). With a floured fork, prick dough every 1/2 inch. Bake until lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes in pan. Use foil overhang to lift shortbread from pan onto cutting board. With a serrated knife, carefully cut warm shortbread into 18 bars (6 rows by 3 rows). Remove from foil; cool bars completely on a rack before serving.

*To toast nuts, bake 'em at 450 for a few minutes, but watch them because they burn easily.

Recipe: Roasted Carrots and Shallots

I made this at Christmas because it was easy and sounded delicious. It was both! Sorry I don't have a good picture of the dish cooked.

Serves 4

2 pounds carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths, thick pieces halved lengthwise
12 ounces shallots (about 10), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, shallots, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Add parsley and lemon juice; toss to combine.

Recipe: Palmiers

These are absolutely delicious and impressive looking cookies that are SO easy to make. Check it out:

2 cups granulated sugar (I like to use the big crystal sugar from the cake decorating store, but sometimes that's hard to find.)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board or marble. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers.

Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes until caramelized and brown. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Recipe: Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Scallions

You know, I staunchly believe that anything with bacon must be tasty. Here's a good example!

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
4 cups corn kernels
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 to 3 scallions, sliced

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add corn kernels; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in scallions. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Recipe: Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

This is DELICIOUS and EASY. Your whole dinner is in one pan! It will be a staple at my house from now on. It comes from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

1 ½ pounds new potatoes, halved
3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
coarse salt & pepper
1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 lbs.)
1 bunch asparagus (1 lb), trimmed an cut into 2-inch pieces\
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Preheat oven to 475. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20-25 minutes.
2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken starts to brown, about 20 minutes.
3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5-15 minutes.
4. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Recipe: Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cheese

Looking for an alliterative recipe? LOL I just made this last week and it's awesome. I'm tempted to call it Albino Chili, but that doesn't sound too appetizing.

White Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cheese

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno chili (I used the whole chili)
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) creamed corn
1 can (7 oz) diced mild green chiles
2 cups whole milk (I used percent milk.)
1 can (15 oz) while beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded shredded cooked chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1.5 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

In a large pan, combine oil, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Stir often over high heat until onion is limp, about 3-4 minutes. Add cumin, corn, green chiles, milk, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and serve immediately.

Recipe: Gingersnap-Pear Cheesecake

It's been a while since I posted a recipe. Here's one that sounds fantastic, especially considering it's pear season. I know because I have a huge pear tree. (See last week's Thursday 3 entry.)

Gingersnap-Pear Cheesecake

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 40 cookies)
2 small ripe pears (any kind), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Heat oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and crushed gingersnaps. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, working the crumbs over the bottom and then up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss the pears and ginger. Line the cooled crust with the pears, overlapping the slices slightly.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until combined. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the pears. Bake until the top is barely set but still slightly wobbly, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack but leave oven on.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and the remaining sugar and vanilla. Pour over the cheesecake and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

In Advance: Make the cheesecake and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Slice it just before serving, running the knife under warm water after each cut.

Yield: Makes 8 to 12 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 430(54% from fat); FAT 26g (sat 15g); SUGAR 31g; PROTEIN 5g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; SODIUM 316mg; FIBER 1g; CARBOHYDRATE 45g

Heaven on a Bun

My family has begun a tradition called Guinea Pig Dinners. The idea is for us all to try out new recipes on each other. Since we're all trying something new, there is no pressure for it to be a fantastic dish. The first GPD was a great success, but my dish of zucchini bow tie pasta was only so-so.

At the most recent (second) GPD I think I really had a winner! Rachel Ray is one of my Food Goddesses. I tried her Salmon Burgers with Ginger Wasabi Mayo. These were TO DIE FOR.

Salmon Burgers with Ginger Wasabi Mayo

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 3" piece of fresh ginger, minced or grated (I didn't use this much.)
3 tbs. tamari (dark aged soy sauce) (I COMPLETELY forgot this, but they still turned out!)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 red pepper, cored, seeded, finely chopped
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. grill seasoning (McCormick's Steak seasoning is GREAT.)

1/2 - 3/4 cup mayo
2 tbs wasabi paste (I found this on the asian food aisle. It comes in a tube.)
Juice of 1 lime

Your favorite kind of hamburger bun/roll.

Cube the salmon into bite-sized pieces and place in food processor. Pulse to coarse grind the salmon. It should take on the consistency of ground beef or turkey. Transfer the salmon to a bowl and combine with garlic, 3/4 of the ginger, tamari, scallions, red bell peppers, sesame oil, grill seasoning, and black pepper. Form 4 large patties, 1 1/2 inches thick. Drizzle patties on both sides with oil. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon burgers and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side for well done. (When I did these a second time, we grilled them outside and they came out great.)

While salmon is cooking, prepare wasabi ginger mayo. In a bowl combine the mayo, wasabi paste, lime juice and remaining ginger. (I forgot to put ginger in the mayo, too. It's a wonder this recipe turned out at all!) Serve on the rolls/buns with the yummy mayo and lettuce if you want.

This mayo would be killer with salmon tacos, I bet.

Chocolate Orange Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp margarine, melted

Filling:
4 8-oz packages of softened cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tbsp orange flavored liqueur
1/2 tsp grated orange zest

Crust: Heat oven to 325. Mix crumbs, cinnamon, and margarine. Press onto bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Filling: Increase oven temperature to 350.

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addtion. Blend in sour cream and vanilla.

Blend chocolate into 3 cups batter and pour over crust, reserving about a quarter cup for swirls. Bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, blend liqueur and zest into remaining batter.

Reduce oven temperature to 325. Pourremaining batter over chocolate layer. Spoon the reserved chocolate batter and make swirls with a knife. Continue baking for 30 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Cool. Keep refrigerated. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired.

Parmesan Spirals

I served these at Thanksgiving, and they were yummy. I'd go easy on the salt, though. Parmesan is plenty salty!

Parmesan Spirals

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
coarse salt and ground pepper
all-purpose flour, for rolling
1 sheet puff pastry (from a 17.3 oz. pkg), thawed
1 large egg beaten

In a bowl, mis cheese and paprika; season with salt and pepper. On a floured surface, roll out pastry to 10 x 14 inches. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with cheese misture; using a rolling pin, roll mixture into pastry. Roll up pastry, straing from short end. Refrigerate until firm, about 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Cut roll into 3/8 inch thick slices. Place on rimmed backing sheet; bake until golden, 20 -250 minutes. Cool five minutes on sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in air-tight container up to 1 day.

Praline Pumpkin Dessert Bars

It's been a while since I shared a recipe. This is the best pumpkin dessert I've ever eaten, and it's SO easy. The bottom layer is like pumpkin pie, the top layer is sweet/salty praline crunchy goodness. It's to die for. Oh, sure, it's chock-full of calories, but it's the holidays!!! Credit goes to Betty Crocker for the recipe.

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 package golden vanilla cake mix
1.5 cups chopped pecans, *toasted
3/4 cup melted butter
whipped cream (opt.)

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 pan. Beat pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour melted butter evenly over top of dessert.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Store covered in fridge. 12 servings.

*To toast pecans, bake at 425 until they start to turn brown (about five minutes), but watch carefully, they burn quickly! Or you can toast them in a dry frying pan.

"Pizza Cookies"

My kids call these "Pizza Cookies" because of their shape. They are a favorite in our house and simple to make. I like to add nuts to my batches, but make sure you chop them fine, otherwise they make it difficult to break the cookies into their perfect wedges.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and salt. Stir in chips.

Divide dough in half. Press each half into an ungreased 8-inch round cake pan. Bake 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Score cookies with sharp knife, taking care not to completely cut through. Make 8 wedges per pan.

Let pans stand on wire racks 10 minutes. Invert cookies onto wire racks; cool completely. Break into wedges.

Chicken Marsala

This is a very easy recipe, has few ingredients, and is sublimely delicious. What more can you as for from a recipe? How about a low calorie count as well? This is only 164 calories per (an admittedly small) serving. It serves four.

4 (1/4 pound) thin sliced chicken breast cutlets
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

Heat oil in skillet over a medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until done, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring frequently until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, stirring to blend. Add Marsala and broth, bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

For the Love of Pasta

Recipe of the Week: Mushroom Rigatoni

There was a time when I cooked this dish regularly, but I haven't made it for years because it's fattening. Still, maybe you have a faster metabolism than I do and can manage to eat this and not become rounder. It's a simple recipe with few ingredients and so delicious you could substitute it for sex.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (about 6)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/c cup heavy cream
3/4 lb. rigatoni
Parmesan cheese (optional)

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms. Cook, stirring 3-4 minutes until vegetables have softened and mushrooms have released their juices. Add wine; cook until evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream; simmer uncovered 2 minutes.

Bring large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, return to pot and mix well with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Dijon Mustard Parmesan Chicken

Recipe of the Week

A friend of mine cooked this at a writer's retreat and I loved it. Mostly because it was an amazingly simple recipe and I have everything in my pantry already. No special ingredients to remember to buy except the chicken.

Here's what you need:

chicken thighs
dijon mustard
olive oil
parmesan cheese

You just mix equal parts of dijon mustard and olive oil together. How much depends on how many pieces of chicken you are making. Slather the mixture on your chicken and sprinkle the cheap kind of shake-it-out-of-the-jar parmesan on it. Bake it at 350 for 40 minutes or until done. It's delish!!!