Wednesday, October 24, 2012

New Recipes from my Taste of Home mag--can't wait to try these!

So, I subscribe to a couple of different magazines and love getting them in the mail.  One of my favorites (besides my naughty little guilty pleasure, People Magazine) is when I get my Taste of Home in my mailbox.  This issue is a "special" edition (meaning it would cost like $10 if you just bought it at the grocery store checkout) so it's chock full of some really neat recipes, so I thought I would share some of the ones I found interesting with my family and friends who don't have the pleasure of getting this magazine.  Note:  I tweaked the recipes slightly from the originals in the magazine to improve them, ie. when they called for "chopped" veggies, I changed it to "diced" as huge chunks of green pepper, for example, sounded unappetizing.

Warm Chicken Fiesta Dip

1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 10 oz. can of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 10 oz. can of Ro-Tel (a combo of canned, diced tomatoes with chilis) undrained
1 jalapeno (or other hot pepper), finely chopped
4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (or the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken)
2 C. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar
1 green (spring) onion, sliced thinly
Tortilla or corn chips to serve.  You could also use fat-free Wheat Thins if you're watching your calorie count.

Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Cubes

1/3 C. good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp chives, minced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, cubed into 1" squares

In a large Ziploc bag (gallon or quart sized), combine the first seven ingredients, then add cheese cubes.  Seal bag, and shake to combine ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a serving dish and serving with toothpicks (I usually put a handful of toothpicks in a shot glass to serve).

Bacon Bleu Cheese Appetizer

1 8 oz. wedge of bleu cheese
1 TBSP honey (you KNOW I always use honey from Naughty Toddy's Honey Pot!!!)
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
assorted crackers (I use Carr's Rosemary Water Wafer Crackers--they are also delicious with baked Camembert, hint hint).

Place the cheese on a platter or serving plate.  Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle the bacon "bits" all over cheese.  Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes so the cheese can "ripen" and develop its full flavor.  This recipe is so easy, my dog could make it.  Well, that is if he doesn't eat the cheese or bacon first...

Beef Roast with Onion Cream Sauce (you could also use a venison roast if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one.  I have one in the freezer right now :)

1/2 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. ketchup
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman's--it's the one that reminds me the most of Japanese soy sauce)
2 TBSP Worcestshire sauce (say it with me, people--"Woost-a-sheer" it makes me cringe when people say "Worst-er-shire" ha ha)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp prepared mustard (I admit, I'm a bit of a mustard snob--I prefer Colman's English Mustard or Grey Poupon's original Dijon Mustard)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 3-4 lb. beef sirloin roast (chuck, rump, or tip)

Sauce:

2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1 C. milk
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1 envelope Lipton's onion/mushroom soup mix

Get out a large Ziploc bag.  Combine the first nine ingredients and put them in the bag.  Sear the beef on all sides (if you like; I do) let cool slightly; place in Ziploc bag with other ingredients.  Seal the bag and squish all of the ingredients around the beef to coat it.  Put the beef bag in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.  Drain the marinade and discard.  Place the roast in a roasting pan and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1.75 hours to 2.5 hours, or until meat reaches your desired doneness.  If using a meat thermometer, resulting temp should be between 145-170 degrees for safety.  Let roast stand for 10 minutes before carving; in the meantime, make the sauce.

Melt butter in a saucepan; whisk in flour until smooth.  Gradually add the milk, cream and Lipton's soup mix.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened to your likeness.  Serve over roasted beef slices.  If you like, add a TBSP or so of cooking sherry when you add the water to the saucepan--it adds a little zing to the sauce.

Mushroom Swiss Macaroni and Cheese

1 16 oz. package of mini penne pasta
1/2 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, chopped finely
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced finely

Sauce:

5 TBSP butter
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cubed into 1" pieces
1.25 C. whole milk
1.25 C. half & half
2.5 C. (or 10 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1.25 C. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Topping:

1/3 C. Panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
2 TBSP melted butter

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, saute mushrooms and onions in the butter and olive oil until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Set aside to cool.  In a large saucepan, melt the 5 TBSP of butter.  Stir in the cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually add in the milk and cream; heat through.  Stir in the cheeses, salt & pepper and bacon until blended.  Drain the pasta and toss with mushroom mixture and sauce.  Lay out in a rectangular casserole dish.  Combine the Panko, parsley, and melted butter and sprinkle over casserole.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

1/5 lbs fresh Brussels sprouts, each cut in half
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP prepared mustard (Colman's or Dijon mustard)
1/8 tsp white pepper (you can use black pepper, but it won't be as spicy--add a little more black pepper than what the recipe calls for)
a pinch of salt (to taste)

Place Brussels sprouts in a greased full sheet pan.  Combine oil and garlic, drizzle over sprouts and toss lightly to coat.  Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cream, mustard, pepper and salt.  Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.  Serve sauce over roasted Brussels sprouts.

Swiss Potato Bake

5 large uncooked baking (Russet) potatoes, peeled and shredded with a grater (or, if you're lazy like me, just cut the potatoes up into small pieces)
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 C. sliced green (spring) onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 C. (16 oz.) sour cream (not skim or fat-free)
1/4 C. melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 C. sliced almonds (you can find these in the baking section of your grocery store)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, Swiss cheese, onions and garlic, then place the mixture in a casserole or baking dish.  In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, salt and pepper.  Pour over mixture in baking dish, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or for safety, until a thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Garlic/Bacon/Stilton Mashed Potatoes

6 garlic cloves, peeled, covered in 1 TBSP olive oil and wrapped in foil or put in garlic roaster (I love mine!) Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until softened.  Let garlic cool for 10-15 minutes after roasting.
2.5 pounds small red or "new" potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 oz. or half of a regular-sized package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. melted butter
1/2 C. warm milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 lb Stilton (or bleu cheese) cheese, crumbled
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 TBSP parsley, minced and divided

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Drain, and transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl.  Squeeze the garlic out of the foil into potatoes, mashing it well.  Add cream cheese, warm milk, melted butter, and salt and pepper.  Mash potatoes (I use an electric mixer to get rid of the lumps and to make the potatoes more of a whipped consistency).  Stir in the cheese, bacon and 2 TBSP of parsley.  Once mixed, sprinkle the rest of the parsley on top of the potatoes as a garnish.

Enjoy, fellow "foodies!"





1 comment:

  1. These sound awesome, thanks for sharing. I look forward to trying these recipes.

    ReplyDelete