Baked Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs, (see Tip)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne

Directions:
1.Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

2.Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.

3.Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

4.Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.

5.Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_mac_cheese.html

Chicken Potpie

Ingredients:
Filling
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 cup peeled baby carrots
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken, or turkey
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Biscuit topping
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions:
1.To prepare filling: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; cook, stirring, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until browned and their liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the onions and carrots to the pan. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup broth; add to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Stir in chicken (or turkey), peas, sour cream, salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a 2-quart baking dish.

2.To prepare biscuit topping & bake potpie: Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and thyme in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or 2 knives, cut butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Add buttermilk and oil; stir until just combined. Drop the dough onto the filling in 6 even portions. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet.

3.Bake the potpie until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey and Tomato Panini

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 slices whole-wheat bread
8 ounces thinly sliced reduced-sodium deli turkey
8 tomato slices
2 teaspoons canola oil

Directions:
1.Have four 15-ounce cans and a medium skillet (not nonstick) ready by the stove.

2.Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, Parmesan, basil, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the mixture on each slice of bread. Divide turkey and tomato slices among 4 slices of bread; top with the remaining bread.

3.Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 panini in the pan. Place the medium skillet on top of the panini, then weigh it down with the cans. Cook the panini until golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, flip the panini, replace the top skillet and cans, and cook until the second side is golden, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with another 1 teaspoon oil and the remaining panini.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_tomato_panini.html

Rocky Road Bark

Melt chocolate gently for best results. If chocolate gets too hot, it may not set properly and will develop "bloom" (white streaks) on the surface when stored. Stirring chopped chocolate in a pan or bowl over hot, not simmering, water maintains an even, low temperature, resulting in glossy, firmly set chocolate. The setting time for the bark varies greatly according to the temperature of your home. Although we preferred the texture of the bark set at room temperature, you can set bark in the refrigerator if necessary.


Yield: Makes about 3 pounds


Preparation
1. Line a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet with cooking parchment; butter parchment. Chop

2 pounds milk chocolate and place with 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening in a heatproof bowl that will nest in a 3- to 4-quart pan. Heat 1 inch of water in the pan just until steaming. Remove from heat and place bowl over water (bowl shouldn't touch water). Stir occasionally just until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over pan.

2. Stir in 2 cups each mini marshmallows and coarsely chopped walnuts. Using a flexible spatula, scrape mixture onto buttered parchment and spread 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick (mixture should almost cover sheet). Sprinkle with 1 more cup each marshmallows and walnuts; gently press into chocolate.

3. Let stand at cool room temperature until completely firm, 4 to 6 hours, or overnight. Break or cut bark into pieces. Store airtight in a cool place up to 2 weeks.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000633408

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Yield: 10 cubes of hot chocolate (ice-cube-tray size)
(use 1 oz. hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream)

Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Some kind of chocolate mold, ice trays work great
Stir sticks or a bag of wooden craft sticks like I used (like these, available at any craft store)

Ingredients:
8 oz. chocolate (see note above), bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

I also have a few other special ingredients I like to add. If you take me out to lunch sometime maybe I’ll share.

6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away

Method
(read a whole post about melting chocolate, including how to melt in the microwave, here)


1.If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into even-sized meltable pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan, then turn down the heat so the water is below a simmer. I like to remove the pan from the heat, but if you keep it on, keep that water below a simmer. Place glass or stainless steel bowl over the top to make a double boiler. If the bowl touches the water it’s alright, as long as your water is mildly warm, not hot. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts. (If you are patient and let those chunks melt slowly, keeping them from getting over 90 degrees F or 88 degrees F for milk and white chocolate, the chocolate will stay “in temper” and will still be nice and pretty when it cools.)

2.Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, with just some pieces of the chocolate unmelted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted. This is just one more step to keep the chocolate from getting too hot.

3.Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. The chocolate will be thicker, as thick as frosting, but stir on. If it looks and feels grainy it’s possible you’ve accidentally gotten a drop of water in the mixture. If it has gotten water in it and has seized up, it will still taste alright, it just won’t be as pretty or smooth or melt quite as fast.

4.Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner.

5.Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and you’re done. The stir stick should stay upright without any trouble. If the chocolate bursts through the bag in places you don’t want it to, just put the whole thing in another bag. If the chocolate starts to get too thick to squeeze, just put the whole thing in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or so at half power.

6.Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry. I find the chocolate pops out of the mold nicely if it’s been in the fridge. It’s okay to cool chocolate in the fridge, just don’t store it there, because chocolate soaks up the odors of other foods pretty quickly.

7.If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish (again, try to keep chocolate from heating over 90 degrees, or use candy melts, which don’t need to be in temper, they will stay shiny and pretty even if you go above 90 degrees). This also lets you add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns. I like dipping at an angle into a different color of chocolate.

8.In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. I like 6 cups milk with 2 cups heavy cream. One ounce of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 an ounce, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream in it.

Troubleshooting: A few of you have had trouble with your chocolate seizing. Tiffany provided this great note to help out (thanks, Tiffany!), “if the chocolate begins to seize (since for some reason, both of my batches seized, I’m thinking it’s the humidity in the air where I am) you do not have to throw it out. Just put the bowl back over the hot water and add a little bit of vegetable oil (I used somewhere between a tsp and a tbsp) after stirring over a little heat, the chocolate will get smooth again. Also good to note, chocolate can seize if you add any cold ingredients.”

How to store it: Dark chocolate will keep in an airtight container for up to a year, milk and white chocolate for several months. Remember, don’t keep it in the fridge because it is really good at absorbing odors.


Variations: Try adding a pinch of your favorite spice. We tried adding a little extra punch by lining the outside with red hots. Very fun. You can also leave out the cocoa and sugar all together and replace it with 8 servings of your favorite packaged hot cocoa. Have you ever had so much fun? I love playing with chocolate.

http://www.giverslog.com/?p=3290

Sweet and Sassy Nuts

Ingredients:
1 large egg white
1/2 cup(s) sugar
1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon(s) ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
3 can(s) (10 to 11 ounces each) salted fancy mixed nuts


Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pans with vegetable oil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2.In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat egg white until foamy. Add sugar, cumin, chipotle pepper, and cinnamon, and beat until well combined. Add nuts to egg-white mixture; with rubber spatula, stir until well coated.

3.Spread nut mixture evenly in prepared jelly-roll pans. Bake on 2 oven racks 20 to 25 minutes or until coating on nuts is golden-brown and dry, stirring once and rotating pans between upper and lower racks halfway through baking for even browning.

4.Cool nuts completely in pans on wire racks, at least 1 hour. With hands, break apart any large clusters of nuts when cool. Store cooled nuts in tightly sealed containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/sweet-sassy-nuts-holiday-gifts

Thanksgiving Early!

Check out 24 make ahead recipes for Thanksgiving from Delish! Go here to indulge in the goodness!