White Bean Dip

Total Time:15 min

Prep:10 min
Cook: 5 min
Yield: 30 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 (14 ounces) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 sprigs fresh mint leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem

Coarse salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons chives, chopped

Directions

Pulse all ingredients except chives in food processor until a smooth paste forms and transfer to a bowl. Serve on bruschetta and garnish with chopped chives.

Main Ingredient: Beans And Legumes

Course:

Appetizer Dinner

Dish: Dip

Occasion: Party

Who's Dining: For A Crowd

Cooking Style: Easy

Season: Fall

Perfect Crispy Potatoes

Total Time:
45 min
Prep:
10 min
Cook:
35 min
Yield:4 servings

Level:Easy



Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the potato cubes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the water, stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the potatoes until the water evaporates, about 3 or 4 more minutes. (Every 1 to 2 minutes, open the lid long enough to stir the potatoes so they don't stick.) Lower the heat to medium, and saute another 1 to 2 minutes until all traces of water are gone. Toss in the butter and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are crisp and browned to your liking, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on how dark you want them. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.


Main Ingredient:: Potato
Course:: Lunch Side Dish
Technique:: Roasting
Who's Dining:: For A Family
Cooking:: Style Easy

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

This Mexican-inspired chicken, tomato, and bean soup practically cooks itself. I pile the ingredients into a slow cooker while I'm off doing far more glamorous things (like working, picking up dry cleaning, or dropping off a forgotten lunch at school!). My weekday cheat is to use tortilla chips instead of fresh tortillas. My favorite kind are the better-for-you baked white tortilla chips with a hint of lime, but any kind will do. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll add cubed avocado and sour cream before serving. If you have leftover cooked rice in the fridge, a spoonful in the soup is a nice touch, and for a less spicy flavor remove the jalapeno seeds and ribs.

HELATHY: This recipe has been choosen by culinary and nutrition experts to meet a set of nutrition standards designed for healthy lifestyle

Nutritional Analysis                    Per Serving
Calories                                                     275
Total Fat                                                    8 g
Saturated Fat                                          4 g
Protein                                                     22 g
Total Carbohydrate                           29 g
Sugar                                                           7 g
Fiber                                                            6 g
Cholestero                                          l56 mg
Sodium                                               364 mg
  

Total Time: 3 hr 10 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 3 hr

Yield: 4 servings







Ingredients
3 chicken thighs, skin removed
10 -ounce can diced tomatoes
with green chiles
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
20 tortilla chips
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
Place the chicken, tomatoes (and juices), beans, broth, water, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Uncover the slow cooker and use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred, then return the meat to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice. Crumble a few tortilla chips into each bowl and cover with some soup. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and grated cheese.


Main Ingredient:Chicken
Dish:: Soup
Technique:: Slow Cooker
Cooking Style:: Healthy
Nutrition:: Diabetic,Heart Healthy High Fiber Low Calorie Low Cholesterol Low Fat Low Sodium

Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes

Although it looks almost like a cake, this graveyard is made up of individual cupcakes, making it a self-serve party option. Just grab your cupcake and go--no knives necessary.

Total Time:
2 hr 35 min
Prep:
1 hr
Inactive:
1 hr 10 min
Cook:
25 min
Yield:24 cupcakes
Level:Advanced







Ingredients
Cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grape jelly
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk

Frosting:
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, spooned and leveled
3 tablespoons milk
10 chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed

Decorations:
15 large white marshmallows
1/4 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 3 cookies)
1 tablespoon black or dark green decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube black decorating icing, with tips
5 oval-shaped vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies
One 7-ounce tube marzipan
3 round lollipops, wrapped
1/4 cup orange decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube green decorating icing, with tips
Seven 8-inch pieces black licorice

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Warm the grape jelly in the microwave until loosened, 20 to 30 seconds, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Beat together the sugar and eggs in another medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients and then all of the milk. Follow with the rest of the dry ingredients, taking care not to over mix the batter.

Remove 2 cups of the batter and stir in the grape jelly. Evenly fill the liners about two-thirds full, alternating with yellow and grape batter.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 22 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl until fluffy and combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting has a nice spreadable consistency. Add the crushed cookies and continue to beat until any large chunks are crushed to smaller bits and the frosting has a speckled, greyish look.

For the decorations: Arrange the cupcakes in 4 rows on a large serving plate or cutting board. Fit a marshmallow between each cupcake, 5 marshmallows per row, to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes. Spread the frosting over the whole rectangle so it looks like one cake. Sprinkle with the cookie crumbs and black decorating sugar.

To make the tombstones: Use the black decorating icing and a small round tip to write "RIP" or other one-word epitaphs on the top half of the oval sandwich cookies and stick into the cupcakes randomly around the graveyard.

To make the ghosts: Remove two-thirds of the tube of marzipan and place between 2 sheets of wax paper or parchment. Roll about 1/8-inch thick and cut into 3 rounds using a 4-inch biscuit cutter. You may need to gather and reroll the scraps for all 3 rounds. Drape over the wrapped lollipops and stick into the cupcakes around the tombstone. Using the black decorating icing and the same round tip, dot eyes and a mouth on the ghosts.

To make the pumpkins and leaves: Divide the remaining marzipan into 4 small pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll in the orange sugar until coated and place around the graveyard. Use the black icing to pipe a small stem. Fit the tube of green decorating icing with a leaf or ribbon tip to dot bits of green grass poking through the dirt around the graveyard and pumpkins.

To make a border: Use 6 pieces of the licorice, trimming to fit, to make a border around the cake, leaving the middle of the front side open. Bend the seventh piece into an upside down "U" and stick into 2 cupcakes in the front to make an arched gateway.

Cook's Note: If your decorating icing does not come with tips, you can squeeze some icing into a small plastic bag or piping bag fitted with a small round metal tip or a small metal leaf or ribbon tip.

Main Ingredient: Chocolate
Course: Dessert
Dish: Cupcake
Technique: Baking
Occasion: Halloween

Baked Ziti

Total Time:
1 hr 45 min
Prep:
30 min
Inactive:
5 min
Cook:
1 hr 10 min
Yield:12 servings
Level:Easy






Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
Two 14.5-ounce cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ziti
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella, grated
One 15-ounce tub whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for sprinkling
2 eggs

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the ziti until not quite al dente.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).

Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled reserved meat sauce and toss to combine.

Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley to serve.

Main Ingredient:Cheese Tomato

Course:Dinner Main Dish

Dish:Pasta Dishes

Technique: Baking

Healthy Marbled Banana Bread

Save your ripe bananas for this chocolaty cake. Melted chocolate swirled into the batter gives you chocolate in every bite.

Total Time:
2 hr 15 min
Prep:
15 min
Inactive:
1 hr 15 min
Cook:
45 min
Yield:12 servings
Level:Easy





Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 medium very ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust well with all-purpose flour to cover the pan completely, tapping out the excess.

Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth, 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds. Set aside to cool slightly while preparing the batter.

Combine the bananas and sugar in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth with just a few small pieces of banana left. Add the oil and eggs and stir until combined. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.

Stir 1 cup batter into the melted chocolate. Fill the loaf pan with half the banana batter and then half the chocolate batter. Repeat the layers and gently swirl together using a spoon or knife. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan 15 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Cook's Note: To prepare your loaf pan for baking, you can also use a nonstick spray with flour already in it. Flouring the pan helps the bread rise well and prevents any collapse after it comes out of the oven.

Main Ingredient: Banana Chocolate

Course:Dessert

Technique: Baking

Cooking Style: Healthy

Nutrition: Diabetic Heart Healthy Low Calorie Low Cholesterol Low Fat Low Sodium

Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese with Bacon Two Ways

Total Time:
1 hr 55 min
Prep:
15 min
Inactive:
1 hr
Cook:
40 min
Yield:4 servings
Level:Intermediate






Ingredients
4 cups Easy Mac and Cheese, recipe follows
8 slices country white bread, buttered
4 slices American cheese
8 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, cooked
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch slices, optional
Hot sauce, such as Frank's, optional

Easy Mac and Cheese:
8 ounces elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 ounce processed cheese, such as Velveeta
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow Cheddar
Splash hot sauce, or pinch of cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Evenly spread the Easy Mac and Cheese in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut the mac and cheese into 4 equal-size squares.

Preheat a griddle over medium-low heat. Place each mac and cheese square on a slice of bread, top with 1 slice American cheese and 2 slices bacon. Top with a second piece of bread and griddle the sandwich until golden and warm, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

For the adults, toss the tomatoes in some hot sauce and add on top of the bacon before griddling your sandwich.

Easy Mac and Cheese:
Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water to al dente and drain.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for a couple of minutes, making sure it's free of lumps and the flour taste is cooked out. Stir in the milk, bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the processed cheese and Cheddar until melted, add the hot sauce and fold in the macaroni. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Main Ingredient:: Bacon Cheese
Course:: Main Dish
Dish:: Macaroni And Cheese
Cuisine:: American