Pizza Puffs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Snacks and tagged with appetizers, breakfast, brunch, cheese, pepperoni, pizza puffs, recipe, sausage, snacks May 9, 2014

Pizza Puffs

These are little bites that contain all the flavors that you love about pizza! I made these awesome nibbles as part of a brunch buffet and everyone loved them. They are extremely easy to make, and you can vary what you put into them according to your taste. Whatever you like for pizza toppings can go into these delicious little morsels. I’m going to keep these in my file as an appetizer or a great snack when game watching, or having an outdoor barbecue. These delicious little puffs will have everyone wanting more.

I used some crumbled pre-cooked sausage and chopped pepperoni in mine plus I added some pizza dough flavoring to the batter. I also included shredded mozzarella cheese because, really, what is pizza without the cheese? When you serve these you will want to have a bowl of warm marinara sauce nearby to spoon over the puffs, or for dipping.

PIZZA PUFFS

Yield: 24 mini puffs

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pizza seasoning (optional, but good)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces, shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
2 ounces chopped pepperoni, about 1/2 cup
4 ounces italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F. Grease 24 mini muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. (flour through pizza seasoning)

2. In another small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate, then stir in the cheese, pepperoni and sausage.

Let stand 10 minutes. (This is important, it’s what makes them really puff up)

3. Stir batter again, and divide among the muffin cups. Bake till puffed and golden, 20 – 25 minutes.

4. Warm the pizza sauce and serve with the puffs for dipping.

It occurred to me after making these that they could be well suited to a breakfast menu by substituting bacon and chopped ham for the meats, and cheddar cheese for mozzarella. I must try that next time I make these.

SOURCE: adapted from a recipe from Little Kitchen

Southwestern Egg Casserole

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Brunch and tagged with brunch, cheese, chorizo, egg casserole, eggs, food, recipe, refrigerated biscuits, sausage May 8, 2014

Southwestern Egg Casserole

With Mother’s Day this weekend you may be thinking about having a mid-day brunch. Egg-based casseroles are often what anchor a brunch menu, but sometimes they can be time consuming to prepare or you don’t get the timing right so they’re hot and ready to serve when everyone is ready to eat. It gets a little tricky there. I’ve had that experience, so when I want to serve a large egg casserole, I like to have it prepared in advance so I can pop it in the oven at just the right time and it will be cooked and served hot when everyone is ready.

This casserole will meet that requirement. It can be made in parts, and the parts put together quickly just before putting it in the oven. What you do is cook up the sausage with onion and pepper, mix up the eggs and cream, combine the two parts and add cheese. Now, all that can be done ahead and refrigerated. The last part involves cutting up refrigerated biscuits, laying them in a skillet or casserole, and pouring the egg-sausage mixture over them. Top with more grated cheese and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Really easy and so so good. This is a dish that can be spicy if you like it that way, or go easy on the spicy stuff to tame it down to your liking.

Mom will love this dish, especially if someone else is making it for her. Hint, hint. 🙂

An egg casserole that Mom will love.

SOUTHWESTERN EGG CASSEROLE

Yield: Servings, 8 – 10

Ingredients:

1 package (12-oz.) bulk chorizo or spicy pork breakfast sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper, any color
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 cups shredded pepper Jack or Mexican cheese blend ( 8-oz)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can (16.3-oz.) Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated original biscuits (Pillsbury or store brand)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375*F. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, cook sausage, onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Remove mixture from skillet; set aside.

Cooking up the sausage, onion and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and cream. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, the pepper flakes and sausage mixture.

Mix sausage mixture into egg and cream mixture.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces.

Cut each biscuit into 6 pieces.

3. Spread oil in bottom of skillet. Place biscuits in skillet in an even layer. Pour egg-sausage mixture over biscuits. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Ready for the oven.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set and crust is deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Using the same skillet you cooked the sausage in is easy, and a black iron skillet conveys that “southwestern look”, but if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can bake it in a greased or sprayed 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Baking time should be the same, but start checking for doneness at around 20 minutes.

Puffed and golden, smelling wonderful.

If you’re like me, and you like to have breakfast for supper sometimes, this is a great dish to serve. Just add a side salad.

Breakfast for supper.

SOURCE: Pillsbury

Grilled Steak and Vegetables with Lemon-Herb Butter

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals, Vegetables and tagged with dinner, grilled steak, grilled vegetables, quick meal, recipe, red onions, twice baked potatoes, zucchini May 7, 2014

Grilled Steak with Vegetables and Lemon Herb Butter

Spring bulbs are blooming, and flowering trees are showing their vivid display. This is my favorite month of the year. We can hope for a beautiful weekend for Mother’s Day. Maybe some of you have taken the grille out of winter storage and are getting ready to use it or maybe you never but it away–like us. We just cover it for the winter. Or maybe you live where the grill is in use year round. In any situation….this recipe will make you want to get grilling. If that is not a possibility, you can make it totally indoors on the stove. Either way, it will be delicious.

This is a meal that takes only a short time to make it, but is really big on flavor. It involves making a spicy sauce that bathes the vegetables and steak, then cooking them quickly on fairly high heat so that a browned exterior forms. The final touch is the lemon-herb butter on the steak. The recipe recommends using a beef sirloin steak, but what I used were boneless chuck steaks, that were well marbled with fat, so they were extremely tender. Cooking it to medium-rare also kept it tender, so that it didn’t dry out. This is definitely a meal that men will love, even though I’m suggesting it for Mother’s Day, it would also be great for Father’s Day. Any guy who loves to grill can easily handle making this dish.

GRILLED STEAK AND VEGETABLES WITH LEMON-HERB BUTTER

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Have everything ready in advance.

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, about 1-inch thick (or other tender steak of your choice)
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
2 large zucchini or yellow squash, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Slice the zucchini on the diagonal for larger slices.

Slice the onion in thick rounds.

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium high. Combine the barbecue sauce, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add steak and vegetables; toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mash the butter with the parsley, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Get the herb butter ready.

3. Transfer the vegetables to the grill and cook until crisp tender and slightly charred in spots, about 8 minutes. Set aside to keep warm. Add the steak to the grill and cook 4 – 5 minutes per side for medium rare; remove to a cutting board and let rest.

Steaks looking wonderful on the grill.

4. Cut the steak into 4 pieces. Top each piece with some of the lemon-herb butter. Serve with the grilled vegetables.

An outstanding meal; one your family will love.

You will note in my photos that I also served a twice-baked potato with this meal. This was made by first baking the potatoes, then scooping out most of the insides and mashing the potato with some precooked broccoli, a little non-fat Greek yogurt, a drizzle of milk and some cheddar cheese. Replace all that back into the potato shell and bake again until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Scoop out most of the potato, leaving a shell.

Mix potato with cooked broccoli, greek yogurt, milk and cheese.

Garlic-Herb Cucumber Bites

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers and tagged with Appetizer, Cucumber, food, garlic-herb cheese, recipe, vegetarian May 6, 2014

Garlic Herb Cucumber Bites

This is the time of year when many springtime events take place. It might be a bridal shower or baby shower, or even a Mother’s Day gathering taking place at mid-day when brunch would be served. Light refreshments are welcome at these events especially if you’re “waist-watching”.

I made these little cucumber appetizers recently and they were so well received that it’s only fair that I share them with you. I think they would be great on a buffet table to nibble on while waiting for the rest of the refreshments. They are light -in content and in calories- so they are not too filling for what’s to follow.

I made these without a recipe, because they are so simple, but I made an attempt to write something here for you to follow if you care to make them, too. I used Boursin cheese because I love it, and because it’s already perfectly seasoned. Why put yourself through the task of starting with cream cheese and trying to achieve the perfect blend of herbs and seasonings, when this one is already done for you. I thinned it a little with some heavy cream to get a thinner consistency that would be well suited to piping onto the cucumbers if you wanted to make them extra fancy, but all I did was put a small spoonful onto the cucumbers.

These are ridiculously easy, pretty cute and impressive too. Nice for a party!

GARLIC HERB CUCUMBER BITES

A two-step appetizer. Nothing could be easier.

Yield: About 18 pieces

Ingredients:

1 (5.2 oz.) package garlic herb Boursin cheese
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 long English cucumber, peeled partially or totally, as desired

Directions:

1. Make the filling: Place Boursin in a small bowl. Add in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and stir with a fork until lightened and smooth. If needed, sir in an additional tablespoon of cream until the mixture is a good consistency for piping. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip; set aside.

2. Slice the cucumber into 1/2-inch thick slices. Gently scoop out most of the seeds from the center of each slice, leaving a small portion to keep the filling from falling out. I found a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon did the job very well, using it as you would a melon baller. Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Pipe or spoon a dollop of the filling onto each cucumber slice. Serve chilled.

Kind of cute, yes?

Note: These can be assembled and refrigerated up to 6 hours in advance of serving.

Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with Brownies, chocolate, dessert, dulce de leche, Marshmallow creme, recipe May 5, 2014

Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

So many celebrations this month! May is one of the busiest months around here. Beginning today with Cinco de Mayo and continuing right on through Memorial Day, I have something on my calendar every weekend, sometimes more than one event, and they all involve preparation of food on my part. I just hope I can keep up with it. If I drop out of sight for a day or two you’ll know what happened…..I fell off the edge.

So, today Mr. D. has an office pot-luck lunch in honor of Cinco de Mayo. His co-workers have special dishes they prepare around that theme so I’m not going to compete with them, I’ll tackle the dessert. What I decided on are these Dulce de Leche Brownies. Who doesn’t like brownies? When you add toppings like Marshmallow Creme and Dulce de Leche plus chopped pecans…..swoon!!….If I were there, I’d start with dessert, thank you.

Imagine a fudgy brownie underneath all this gooey-ness.

I just know these are fabulous brownies, I’ve made them before this. I couldn’t taste them, however, because when you bake for an event, you really can’t send a pan of brownies with one corner missing….. or can you? Anyway I hope my photos get you salivating and anxious to try these wonderful brownies. I omitted the chopped pecans on top because of possible nut allergies among the group of people who will be eating these.

DULCE DE LECHE FLUFF BROWNIES

Yield: 42 servings

Ingredients:

6 0unces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
A pan of brownies, + marshmallow creme, + dulce de leche=heaven.
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 13.4- ounce can dulce de leche
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan cook and stir unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350*F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. I omitted this step because my brownies are going to travel in the baking pan which has a cover—-much safer for Mr. D. to carry to work.

2. Stir sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition just until combined. Stir in vanilla. In a small bowl stir together flour an baking soda. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in semisweet chocolate pieces. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until ages are set and center is almost set.

3. Meanwhile transfer dulce de leche to a small microwave-safe bowl (or leave it in its jar if that is microwaveable). Microwave on 100 percent power about 1 minute or until softened, stirring once.

4. Remove brownies from oven and set pan on a wire rack. Immediately spoon marshmallow creme in mounds on top of hot brownies. (Having a glass of water handy to dip knife blade into, makes dealing with the sticky marshmallow creme a whole lot easier.)

Drop mounds of marshmallow fluff on top of warm brownies.

Drop spoonfuls of dulce de leche between mounds of marshmallow creme. Let stand for a few minutes to soften. Using a table knife or narrow metal spatula, gently swirl marshmallow creme and dulce de leche together to marble. Sprinkle with pecans, Cool in pan on rack.

Fill in the open spaces with dulce de leche, and swirl together.

5. Using the edges of the foil, lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into brownies, wiping knife as needed between cuts.

These brownies are oowey, gooey good!

SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens

Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with Mexican cheese, pulled pork, quesadillas, recipe, refried beans May 2, 2014

Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a fun food to eat. Cut into small wedges, they can become an appetizer, or serve them for a lunch, or a light supper. These were made using the remains of my Country Style Pork Ribs. The meat was so easy to shred because it just fell apart. I also had a little rice left from that meal, so I included it as part of the filling in the quesadillas.

Basically you can fill these with any variety of foods, just make sure to include the pork, and cheese is an essential ingredient also. In addition to the pulled pork and rice, mine included refried beans, green onions, 4-cheese Mexican Blend grated cheese, and a small amount of BBQ sauce to help hold it all together. Flour tortillas provided the top and bottom to this filling. Brown lightly in a skillet until the cheese melts, cut into wedges and serve warm.

Makes a thickly filled quesadilla for a light lunch or supper.

One thing to keep in mind is the size of tortilla you use. Most people use a 6-inch tortilla for tacos, but they can be used for tortillas as well. If you upsize to an 8-inch tortilla, you nearly double the surface area, meaning it will take twice as much filling. Suddenly your light lunch or snack becomes a real heavy-weight. If you use the smaller size tortilla, you can pile on lean meats, veggies and cheese. Crisp it in a hot skillet with cooking spray instead of butter or oil, and save even more calories from fat.

Here’s the real deal on these quesadillas…..

PULLED PORK QUESADILLAS

Yield: Makes 2 (6-inch) quesadillas

Ingredients:

Spread refried beans over flour tortilla.

1 – 1 1/2 cups pulled pork
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup refried beans
1 cup shredded cheese (I like the 4-cheese Mexican Blend)
1-2 Tablespoons your favorite BBQ sauce
4 6-inch flour tortillas
cooking spray

Directions:

1. On a flat surface lay out 2 of the tortillas. With an off-set spatulas or knife, spread 1/4 cup refried beans on each one.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the pork, rice, green onions, cheese and BBQ sauce. Divide this mixture between the two tortillas, and spread out evenly. Top with the remaining two tortillas.

Layer on the filling mixture.

3. Lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray. Bring to medium heat and place tortillas in the skillet. ( You may need to cook them separately.) Cook on one side until nicely browned, then flip over and brown the second side. Keep the heat on low to medium so the filling will get heated and the cheese will melt while the outside browns, but doesn’t burn.

4. Cut into wedges and serve warm with sour cream, guacamole, sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce if desired.

SOURCE: Carolyn’s Originals

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with beef, Cinco de Mayo, dinner entree, food, healthy, low fat, Mexican, peppers, recipe, rice, stuffed peppers May 1, 2014

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Nobody really needs an excuse to drink margaritas and eat enchiladas. But if you did, Cinco de Mayo would be it. The fifth of May is a holiday that celebrates Mexico’s defeat of French colonists who were trying to expand into Mexico. It has its importance in Mexico, yes, but is widely celebrated here in the U.S. where drinking margaritas and eating Tex-Mex foods is the center of most activities.

Other popular Mexican foods include guacamole, tacos, tortillas, burittos, and churros. I enjoy eating any or all of them, but recipes for those can be found in abundance at many food-related sites, and often include (non)healthy doses of fat and calories. I wanted to prepare an entree that would be healthy, colorful and speak Mexican, while keeping the fat in check. So stuffed peppers it is, with a nod to Cinco de Mayo. They are muy Mexican and delicioso!!

MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Yield: Makes 4 servings:

Ingredients:

4 (medium sized) bell peppers in assorted colors
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 package Spanish Rice mix, such as Rice-a-Roni
2 cups Colby-Jack cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup salsa, choose your level of “heat”
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon minced cilantro, or parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Clean and prepare the peppers. Slice in half vertically, removing all ribs and seeds. Set aside. Note: You may wish to leave the peppers whole for stuffing. I like to cut mine in half so I get more stuffing–for me, it’s all about the stuffing and not so much the pepper.

Peppers halved and prepared for stuffing.

2. Cook the beef: In a large skillet heated to medium-high, crumble the beef and cook until no longer pink. Near the end of its cooking time add the onions and sauté a bit longer till they soften. Drain any drippings.

Browning the beef and onions.

3. Stir in the package of rice mix and its seasonings, 1 1/2 cup cheese, salsa and hot sauce. (I added about 1/2 cup water, to be sure there was enough liquid to cook the rice.)

4. Fill the pepper halves so the filling is slightly mounded at the top. Place in a baking dish close together so they support each other. Pour the 1/2 cup water around them.

Cover with foil and bake until they are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you like to use cooking bags, place the peppers in a bag and bake for about the same length of time.

5. When the peppers are tender, remove any covering, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and return to oven to melt cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

SOURCE: majorly adapted from a recipe from Taste of Home

Country Style Pork Ribs

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with barbecue, country-style pork ribs, dinner, food, Grilled Pork Ribs, recipe, slow cooker April 30, 2014

Country Style Pork Ribs

Talk about finger-lickin’good, these ribs go beyond that! I licked the spoon, the spatula, and my fingers. Before the first bite of these succulent pieces of pork rib reach your tummy, you’ll be reaching for another bite. Guaranteed!

The time spent on these ribs takes place at the beginning–the morning, or evening before you’re planning to serve them. At that time you will need to season and brown the meat, and sauté onions. Then layer it all up in your slow cooker and forget about it (if you can, with all that tantalizing aroma), until dinner time rolls around. Be sure you have a can of beer–any kind–on hand because this is the basis of the sauce. WOW, talk about good! Note to self: have more beer on hand to sip while eating these fantastic ribs.

Ribs with onion sauce served over rice.

This recipe is on a clipping from an old newspaper, probably the Hartford Courant, but I don’t have a date. The clipping has notes written all over it about how good the ribs are, and also how I modified it. The original recipe called for slow cooking the ribs, then taking them outside to your grill and charring them a little before indulging, but I found them to be so falling-apart tender that I was afraid they would fall through the grates and I would lose them. Maybe if you put a sheet of foil on the grates first, it would work, but I just could not wait to dig into them, so I skipped this step. As you read on, I’ll explain what I did.

COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

8 country-style pork ribs (Choose ones with lots of meat on them)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons paprika (I used 1 T. regular and 1 T. smoked paprika.)
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon cooking oil
2 large onions, sliced, to make 3 – 4 cups
1 bottle or can of beer ( I used Budweiser)
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. In a very large bowl or zip-top bag, mix together the seasonings, i.e., salt through black pepper.

All the lovely spices! They smell wonderful.

2. Add the ribs, shake around to coat well. If there is seasoning left, save it,

3. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium-high. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Put a couple of ribs at a time in the pan and sear on all sides. Do not crowd the pan.

Beautifully browned ribs.

Do this in batches till they are all browned, adding a little more oil if necessary between batches. Place on a large platter and set aside.

Set ribs aside while you sauté the onions.

4. Into the drippings left in the pan, add the sliced onions. Stir to coat all the onions. I added the remaining seasonings to the onions at this point, letting them get all golden and softened as I sautéed them.

Getting the onions golden and softened.

5. Place onions in the bottom of slow-cooker, layer ribs on top of onions. Carefully pour beer over the top, taking care not to wash that nice sear and layer of seasoning off the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.

Layer them up in the slow cooker. Pour beer over the top.

6. Optional step: When done, remove ribs, and place on a preheated grill. Grill them until slightly charred. Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce if desired.

7. Turn the heat of the slow cooker to HIGH. With a small whisk, mix the cornstarch and water together. Pour into the juices in the cooker and cook briefly to thicken. You can also pour the juices into a saucepan and make the onion sauce on the stovetop. Serve with the ribs. This is a nicely flavored onion sauce to pour over rice along side the ribs.

Ribs and onion sauce.

SOURCE: old newspaper clipping, Hartford Courant, ? date.

Layered Strawberry-Coconut Panna Cotta

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with coconut milk, dessert, gelatin, panna cotta, recipe, strawberries April 29, 2014

Strawberry-Coconut Panna Cotta

After this year’s seemingly never ending winter, it’s a joy to see the arrival of spring and the arrival of fresh vegetables like asparagus, baby artichokes, and new beets. Early fruits include rhubarb and strawberries, and I can’t wait to start to use them in my meals.

One of the first things I made was this sweet, creamy strawberry-coconut panna cotta. The strawberries are served up in two ways–sliced and sweetened as a topping, and cooked into the ruby-red gelatin. I showcased it’s pretty layers by serving it in wine glasses.

This dessert gets it’s coconut flavor thru coconut milk, and the recipe calls for both regular coconut milk and light coconut milk. If you prefer to use all light coconut milk you certainly can, but it’s amazing how much flavor and creamy consistency you get from mixing in a little full-fat coconut milk. I already had some cream of coconut open in my refrigerator, so I used that, and thinned it with skim milk. This allowed me to keep the fat content low, but still get the coconut flavor. The cream of coconut is sweet, so I used only 1 Tablespoon of sugar in the panna cotta.

LAYERED STRAWBERRY-COCONUT PANNA COTTA

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Strawberry Gelatin:

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup water

Panna Cotta:

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup coconut milk**
1/4 cup light coconut milk **
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar ( I used only 1 Tablespoon sugar, here.)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
** If using cream of coconut, make a 50-50 mixture of cream of coconut and fat-free milk for a total of 3/4 cup of liquid.

Strawberries:

2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. To make the strawberry gelatin: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Combine the strawberries, the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan; let stand for 5 minutes. Mash mixture with a fork or a potato masher. Place pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add the water; return to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Divide strawberry mixture evenly among 4 wineglasses. Chill 1 hour or until set.

2. To make the panna cotta: Sprinkle 3/4 tsp. gelatin over the 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl. Combine coconut milks, sugar, and 1 tsp. lemon juice in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Carefully pour one-fourth of this mixture on top of each strawberry gelatin. Chill 1 hour or until set.

3. To prepare strawberries: Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl; toss gently. Let stand 5 minutes. Divide strawberry mixture evenly among the glasses.

SOURCE: Cooking Light Magazine

Pasta Primavera with Crab Meat

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with crab meat, dinner entree, food, Pasta Primavera, recipe, spring vegetables, vegetarian April 28, 2014

Pasta Primavera with Crab

A walk through the produce section of the supermarket at this time of year makes me think of pasta primavera. The word primavera means “first green” in Italian. So pasta primavera is, technically, pasta with the first green vegetables of spring, Many restaurants disregard this meaning, however, and include just about any vegetables they have on hand. Personally, I’d rather not find corn, summer squash or sweet peppers in my primavera. I also find that a sauce made with heavy cream and butter is much too thick and rich for what should be a light springtime meal.

What is supposed to happen goes something like this: the chef gets up at dawn to browse the farmer’s market, finds the most awesome display of spring vegetables, then goes back to his kitchen and prepares them in a light cream sauce on perfectly cooked pasta. Unfortunately that chef probably lives nowhere near you. But here’s the good news! That chef can be you (and me). Walking through the market and filling your basket with whatever catches your eye is fun. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to find beautiful spring produce when you actually shop for it in the spring.

Making pasta primavera is quite easy, with the most time spent cutting up the vegetables. They should all be cut in uniform size so they will cook in the same amount of time. I like to jullien cut my vegetables so they are the same shape as the pasta. Once that’s all done, cooking the veggies till they’re tender and making the sauce takes place while the pasta cooks. Put it all together, and you will have a dish that is fresh, bright, and attractive to serve. The version that I put together uses only 8-ounces of fettuccine, lots of vegetables, and some crab meat for added protein. Vegetarians can omit the crab meat. This dish makes 6 generous servings, so the calorie and carbohydrate content per serving is low.

PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH CRAB MEAT

Yield: Makes 6 generous servings Recipe can be halved.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
Have all the vegetables prepped before you start cooking.
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced asparagus
1 cup spring peas
1 cup carrots, jullienned
1 medium zucchini, jullienned
1 large spring onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried
3/4 pound crab meat, or similar amount crab-flavored chunks
1 cup half and half, or light cream
8 ounces linguine or fettuccine, cooked according to package directions, drained and hot.
black pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté vegetables 2 -3 minutes or until crisp tender.

Sautéing the vegetables.

Add herbs and crab meat; sauté 1 – 2 minutes.

Add in the herbs and crabmeat.

Add half and half, heat to boiling.Drain pasta, saving about 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add to skillet with vegetables and sauce. Gently toss with pasta, adding some cooking liquid if necessary to loosen the sauce.

Adding in the sauce and pasta.

Toss all together in a large bowl and serve.

Transfer to a large serving bowl. Season to taste with pepper. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

SOURCE: A Carolyn Original

In the archives there is a former recipe for pasta primavera that I have worked with to come up with this new and improved recipe that I believe is lighter and healthier.

Delicious on a Dollar

Devoted to the preparation of healthy & economical foods that taste fabulous!

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