Week 13, Vol II, March 26, 2010

This week's recipes and shopping list includes…

Dinners of the Week:
Swedish Meatballs
Beef and Arugula Fusilli
New England Clam Chowder
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Dessert of the Week:
Pear and Chocolate Crisp

Snack of the Week:
Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread with Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Cherries

Dinner One: Swedish Meatballs

Recipe from Cathi and Jiwon’s of Food is Luv
Prep Time: 20 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Double the meatball recipe and freeze half of the meatballs to be used on a night where you just don’t have time at all to cook.

Ingredients - Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds (700 grams) ground turkey (or meat, pork, or combo of both)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients – Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

2 cups egg noodles or cooked rice

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté the onions w/ a pinch of salt. When the onions just start to turn soft, add the garlic and continue to sauté until everything is soft and transparent. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients - turkey, breadcrumb/milk mixture, egg, sautéed onions & garlic, salt & pepper. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients until well combined but do not over mix. Try to handle the meat as little as possible. Form the mixture into 1 oz. sized balls. You should end up w/ about 25-30 meatballs.

In the same skillet that you sautéed the onions, heat 1 tablespoon butter wit 1 tablespoon oil, over medium heat. Cook the meatballs until nice and brown on all sides and cooked thru.

Transfer the meatballs to a platter and cover to keep warm. Now prepare the sauce.

In the same skillet where you cooked the meatballs sauté the onions & garlic until just about soft and transparent, adding a little more oil if needed. Push the onions to the side of the pan, creating a well in the middle. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter. When melted add the flour and whisk together. Whisk and cook until the flour turns brown, about 2-3 minutes. It's ok to mix it all up w/ the onions. Add in the beef broth slowly, constantly mixing to ensure the flour does not leave clumps. Add the cream, mix and bring the sauce to a simmer until a desired consistency is reached. The longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce will get. Taste of seasoning and add salt & pepper as needed.

Add the meatballs back in, heat thru if needed and you're ready to serve.

Serve with egg noodles or rice.

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Dinner Two: Beef and Arugula Fusilli

Recipe from Antonio and Patrick Corsi’s Mangia with Quattro: Family-Style Italian from the Heart
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 30 min. Serves 6.

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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: If you don’t like spicy foods or you have small children to feed, omit the dried chillies.

Ingredients:
1 pound (454 grams) beef tenderloin
1 pound(454 grams) package fusilli pasta
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon cracked dried chillies

¼ cup finely chopped garlic

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chopped arugula

8 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut in ½-inch dice

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

salt

ground black pepper

Directions:
Freeze the beef for about 1 hour to make it easier to shave with a sharp knife. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli until al dente (package directions minus 2 minutes). Drain the fusilli and set it aside.

In a medium to large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and sauté the shallots, chilies and garlic without browning them. Increase the heat and add the shaved beef tenderloin, tomato sauce and arugula and sauté, stirring, until the beef is barely cooked. Add the tomato and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. If you’re using leftover cooked beef, add it after the tomatoes are cooked.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and add 2 to 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste before serving.

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Dinner Three: New England Clam Chowder

Recipe from Dorling Kindersley's Soup

Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 35 min. Serves 4.

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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: This traditional, creamy soup is often served with oyster crackers, although crusty bread is also good. The clams must be cooked on the day of purchase.

Ingredients:

36 live clams

1 tablespoon oil

4 ounces (115g) thick-cut bacon, diced

2 floury potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cut into 1⁄2in (1cm) cubes

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

2½ cups whole milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Discard any open clams, then shuck the rest, reserving the juices.

Add enough water to the juices to make 2½ cups. Chop the clams.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan and cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the clam juice and milk and season to taste.

Cover with a lid, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the clams and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and reheat without boiling. Serve sprinkled with the bacon and parsley.

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Dinner Four: Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Recipe by Cari of Cari Cooks
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 8 - 10 hours. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Cook a larger 5 pound chicken (for 10 hours) and use the leftovers for a chicken pasta the next night.

Ingredients:
3 pound roaster chicken
1/2 cup chicken stock
Lawry's Seasoning Salt (or any other preferred seasoning salt you have on hand)
4 potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups vegetable of your choice

Directions:
Prep slow cooker by making 3 small tinfoil balls and placing them at the bottom of the cooker (prevents chicken from sticking).

Remove neck and giblets from chicken cavity, rinse with cold water and pat dry.

Season chicken generously with Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Rub it in well with your hands.

Place chicken breast side down in the cooker. Without getting any liquid on the chicken, slowly pour chicken stock in the cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and vegetable of your choice.

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Dinner Five: Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Recipe from Kat of A Good Appetite
Prep Time: 45 min/Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Serves 4.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: The mellowness of roasted squash adds a nice creamy texture to the pasta as well as added vitamins. Double this recipe and freeze the remaining pasta in a separate container (minus the Panko topping) for dinner another night.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
olive oil
3/4 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated gruyere
dry mustard
salt
pepper
Panko crumbs

Directions:
Put the squash in a small roasting pan & coat with a little olive oil. Roast at 400 F for 30 - 45 minutes until soft & starting to brown. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Heat a small skillet over low heat. Slice onion very thin. Add onion to skillet and saute slowly until brown and carmelized. Mix into pasta.

In a small saucepan melt butter over med-low heat. Add flour an stir constantly for 1 minute. Do not allow to brown. Slowly whisk in milk and cream. Stir until hot and smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add cheese. Whisk until melted. Add a pinch of dry mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Butter a glass casserole dish. Add pasta, onions, butternut squash and cheese sauce. Mix well until cheese sauce covers everything. Sprinkle panko over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes.

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Dessert of the Week: Pear and Chocolate Crisp

Recipe from G Tarn and T Fine’s The Jewish Princess Feasts & Festivals
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 45 min. Serves 6-8.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: When purchasing pears, use soft, ripe pears to ensure cooking time is kept to 10 minutes. Add a bit of ice cream or whipped cream for an extra special treat.

Ingredients:
8 pears, peeled and quartered
grated zest and juice of one lemon
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup water
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

For the Topping:
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter or dairy free margarine, chilled and diced
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups rolled oats
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, broken into pieces

ice cream or whipped cream for topping, if desired.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the pears, lemon zest and juice, sugar and water into a saucepan over low heat.

Cook until the pears are tender, about 10 minutes. Gently stir the pears from time to time to ensure they are covered with the liquid.

Transfer the pears and liquid to a baking dish and scatter the broken chocolate pieces over them.

To make the topping, rub together the butter and the flour, then stir in the rest of the topping ingredients to make the crumbly mixture.

Sprinkle the crumbly mixture over the top of the pears.

Bake for about 25 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Snack of the Week: Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread with Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Cherries

Recipe from Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic: Cook Well, Eat Well, Live Well
Prep Time: 15 min/Total Time: 1 hour 45 min. Makes one 9 x 5 inch loaves.
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Can I Get the Recipe Tip: Substitute dried cranberries for the dried cherries if they are not available. Make an extra batch (without the topping) and keep extra loaf in the freezer as the first won’t last long!

Ingredients – Crumble Topping:
¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Ingredients – Bread:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 ½ small zucchini)
1 cup grated garnet yam (about ½ large garnet yam)
¾ pumpkin seeds
¾ cup dried cherries
Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan.
To make the topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin seeds. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

To make the bread, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini and yam. Add the flour mixture, pumpkin seeds, and dried cherries and stir well. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake the bread for 1 ½ hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean.

Let the zucchini bread cool in the pan before removing it from the pan to serve.

Love one of this week's recipes or can't wait to try one? Let us know and comment below!