Dollars to Donuts posts Tagged ‘freezable’

Mozzarella-Stuffed Burgers with Arugula Pesto

Posted by Dawn Welch

mozzarellastuffedburgersBite into this mild-mannered-looking burger and you’ll get a cheesy surprise and the big flavors of garlicky arugula pesto. My burgers come off the same grill that has been at the Rock since it first opened 70 years ago (it was the only piece of the kitchen that was unharmed from the fire), and it has probably grilled about 21⁄2 million burgers since then. I mean, off of that grill came burgers to feed our boys going off to World War II and coming home from ‘Nam. It served the hungry during the Depression. When I think of all the people who have been comforted by the food coming off of that grill, it gives me perspective and makes me happy that I can keep the Rock and its amazing history alive.

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Pesto
1 cup (about 4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
About 2 cups arugula
1⁄2 cup toasted pine nuts
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Burgers
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons canola oil
6 hamburger buns, toasted

Make the pesto. Place the Parmesan, arugula, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, and process until the pesto is smooth, about 10 seconds more. Taste and add the salt if necessary.

Stuff the burgers. Take 1⁄3 cup meat mixture and form it into a flat circle, about 4″ in diameter. (Make the patty slightly larger or smaller depending on the width of your mozzarella cheese slice—the patty should be just slightly wider than the cheese slice.) Place a piece of cheese in the center and top with another 1⁄3 cup meat mixture, also flattened into a circle. Seal the edges shut and repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, until you have 6 filled hamburger patties.

Cook the burgers. Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the pan (as many as will fit), cover, and cook until browned, about 3 to 6 minutes per side. Place each burger on the bottom half of a bun, top the burger with about 2 tablespoons pesto, cover with the bun top, and serve.

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French Onion Soup with Broiled Swiss Caps

Posted by Dawn Welch

frenchonionsoupWhen I was 19 years old, I joined the crew of a cruise line as a purser. Up until that point, the fanciest sit-down meal I had ever experienced was my prom dinner at a banquet hall in Oklahoma. On the cruise ship, I was just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, not knowing which fork to use, let alone the proper way to hold it! So, at my first dinner I went for soup, the simplest and most straightforward dish I could think of. Though I’d never had French onion soup before, it was truly love at first bite.

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Onion Soup
1⁄2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 large (3 pounds) white onions, halved and thinly sliced
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups canned beef (or vegetable) broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cheese Toast
6 slices (1″ thick) French bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 slices Swiss cheese
1⁄4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the onions. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the onions are soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Simmer the soup. Meanwhile, bring the beef broth to a boil in another pot. Mix the flour into the onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add 1 cup of beef broth, stirring well to work out any lumps. Add the remaining beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for 40 minutes.

Make the cheese toasts and serve. Heat the broiler to high. Brush both sides of the bread slices with melted butter and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side (watch the bread closely, as broiler intensity varies). Top each slice with a piece of Swiss cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 11⁄2 minutes. Divide the soup among 6 bowls. Add a piece of cheesy bread to each bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.

Cook Smart
Turn the last bowl of french onion soup into french dip sandwiches. Warm a few slices of roast beef in a saucepan with some soup. Use tongs to place the beef and onions from the soup between a split french roll. Serve with the broth on the side for dunking.

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Dipped French Toast

Posted by Dawn Welch

dippedfrenchtoastLike our neighbors in Texas, I think bigger is better, which is why I use thick slices of Texas toast for my French toast. Instead of dunking the thick slices in plain old eggs and milk, though, I use griddlecake batter as the coating. It yields a heartier version of this classic, with a rich, eggy crust that nicely holds up against powdered sugar and maple syrup. If you like your French toast made with buttery bread such as brioche or eggy challah, slice it just between 1⁄2″ and 3⁄4″ thick for the best consistency.

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Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄3 cup sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups low-fat or whole milk
3⁄4 cup (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon butter for skillet
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 slices Texas toast or other thickly sliced white bread
Confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, and maple syrup, for serving

Make the batter. Heat the oven to 250°F and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then pour in the milk and 10 tablespoons of the butter, whisking to combine. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until just a few lumps remain.

Prepare the bread and batter. Heat the oven to 250°F and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Add the milk and vanilla to the griddlecake batter and then pour it into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Cook the french toast. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place a few slices of bread in the batter just long enough for the bread to be semisoaked on one side but not falling apart, 15 to 20 seconds. Gently turn the slices over and soak the other side for 5 to 10 seconds, then transfer to the hot pan. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and brown the other side. Transfer the French toast to the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pieces. Slice each piece in half on a diagonal and place 4 slices on a plate. Sprinkle with some confectioners’ sugar and serve with butter and maple syrup.

D2D
If you see whole loaves of bread on sale, buy one! Slice the loaf when you get home and freeze for french toast (or whatever) whenever the craving calls.

Cook Smart
Maple syrup is delicious but can be quite pricey, so if I have some fresh fruit around, I make my own quick fruit syrup to serve instead. Place equal parts sugar (use brown for a more molasses-y flavor) and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. toss in a handful of fresh fruit (whatever you have on hand or in the freezer is fine), reduce the heat a bit, and cook until the fruit softens and “melts” into the liquid. add a pinch of salt and a little vanilla extract if you like, and there you have it!

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Baked Honey-Glazed Ham

Posted by Dawn Welch

bakedhoneyglazedhamHam is a crowd-pleaser, delicious, and a great value, so why save it for holidays? I like to bake one for a midweek dinner and use the leftovers for all kinds of dishes to serve throughout the weekend.

Keep your eyes peeled for ham on sale, buy a few, and freeze them—they’ll keep for up to a year. I prefer bone-in hams with a little bit of fat still on them, but this recipe will work with any kind of large, cooked ham.

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Ingredients
1 bone-in ham (7–9 pounds), fully cooked
Canola oil
3⁄4 cup honey
3⁄4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon fruit juice, such as apple, cranberry, orange, or pomegranate
10–12 whole cloves

Score and bake the ham. Heat the oven to 325°F. Place the ham on a cutting board fat-side up and make 1⁄4″-deep diagonal cuts in 2″ intervals to create a diamond pattern. Grease a roasting rack with a little oil and place the ham on the rack, fat-side up. Set the rack into a roasting pan and bake until the internal temperature of the ham registers 110°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 to 21⁄2 hours.

Glaze the ham. While the ham is baking, whisk together the honey, brown sugar, mustard, and fruit juice in a small bowl. Remove the ham from the oven and increase the temperature to 425°F. Stud the center of each diamond with a clove. Brush the entire ham with the glaze, pour 3⁄4 cup of water into the bottom of the roasting pan, and place the pan back in the oven until its temperature reaches 125°F, about 15 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the ham to a cutting board. Tent the ham with foil and let it rest until its temperature reaches 135°F
to 140°F, 20 to 30 minutes.

D2D
The best time to buy whole, cooked hams is either before or after the holidays—you are virtually guaranteed that they’ll be on sale.

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Route 66 Chili: It’s a Super Bowl

Posted by Dawn Welch

route66chiliPrep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hour 55 min (includes 1 1/2 hours simmer time)

If there was ever an econo-meal all-star, chili would win that title! Loaded with veggies, meat, and beans, a big pot of this chili serves 4 hungry people for less than $10, making it a real meal deal. Leftovers always get eaten up at my house—either as chili dogs with grated cheese and relish, or as chili-mac with elbow macaroni, cilantro, and scallions.

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Ingredients
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 pounds ground beef (preferably 85% lean)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 11⁄2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Hot-pepper sauce, to taste (optional)

Make the chili broth. Bring 21⁄2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the chili powder, cover, turn off the heat, and set aside.

Brown the veggies and meat. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and cook until the onion is soft and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the ground beef. Cook, stirring often, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the flour, the remaining 11⁄2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Cook the chili. Whisk a little of the chili-water into the meat while stirring to work out any lumps. Add the rest of the chili-water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer for 1 hour. Pour in the beans and add the tomato paste (if the chili doesn’t look saucy enough for your taste, add 2⁄3 cup of water) and the sugar and simmer for another 30 minutes to bring the flavors together. Serve immediately with hot-pepper sauce on the side, if using, or cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days (or freeze in 2 quart-size resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months).

D2D
When I have just 1 serving of chili left, I’ll add a pound of pasta, some extra beans, chopped raw onions, grated cheese, and cilantro, and call it chili mac. everyone loves it, and it allows me to stretch one $2.20 serving out to feed 4 people.

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The Rock Cafe Named “Oklahoma’s Best Diner”

Posted by Dawn Welch

I’m proud and honored that readers voted the Rock, “Oklahoma’s Best Diner!” Our restaurant is a labor of love. My family and co-workers thank you all very much. Check out the recipes for Turkey Pot Pie with Cheddar Streusel and Brown Sugar Rock Chicken. Rock Cafe – \"Oklahoma\'s Best Diner\"

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Lasagna Recipe from The Today Show!

Posted by Dawn Welch

threecheesewhitelasagnaPrep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min

Extra creamy and decadent, this casserole is like macaroni and cheese dressed up for company. Many kids and even adults aren’t fans of ricotta cheese, which is how I came up with this Cheddar and Monterey Jack–loaded alternative to the traditional lasagna. Sautéed onions and a mix of beef and pork give the dish some backbone, while a little Parmesan sprinkled over the top offers up an irresistible golden-brown crust. You could make this even more like macaroni and cheese if you wanted by using elbow macaroni or even ziti in place of the lasagna noodles.

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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄2 pound lean ground beef
1⁄2 pound ground pork
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup low-fat or whole milk
3 cups homemade Parmesan sauce or store bought Alfredo sauce
9 no-boil egg lasagna noodles
11⁄2 cups (6 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
11⁄2 cups (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Make the sauce. Heat the oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add the beef and pork and cook 2 to 4 minutes until the meat is browned. Pour off the extra fat from the pan.

Assemble and bake the lasagna. Stir together the milk and Parmesan sauce and evenly spread 1⁄2 cup over the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ pan. Lay 3 lasagna noodles in the pan lengthwise. Stir together the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in a medium bowl with the egg. Pour 3⁄4 cup of the sauce over the noodles and top with 2 cups of the cheese-and-egg mixture. Pour 3⁄4 cup of the sauce evenly over the cheese, and follow with 3 more noodles, the meat mixture, 3⁄4 cup of the sauce, 3 more noodles, the remaining 1 cup of the cheese mixture, and the remaining 3⁄4 cup of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan.

Bake and serve the lasagna. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the cheese is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

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Creamy Parmesan Sauce and The Spin Off: Three Cheese White Lasagna

Posted by Dawn Welch

creamyparmesansauceAfter tasting one too many underwhelming and pricey Alfredo dishes in restaurants, I decided to create my own recipe for a perfectly creamy Parmesan sauce, one bursting with garlic and cheese. Of course, it’s yummiest made with heavy cream or half-and-half, but most of the time I’ll go for what’s in the fridge, whole or 2% milk, for a lighter sauce that’s just as tasty. It’s fantastic simply tossed with pasta and some pan-seared shrimp and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients
11⁄2 sticks (3⁄4 cup) unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
1 quart (4 cups) cream, half-and-half, whole milk, or low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend or 1⁄2 cup each of Parmesan and Romano
2 cups (8 ounces) grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon salt

Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, pepper, and cream or milk, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a simmer (watch the pot—it can boil over in a split second) while stirring often. Stir in the Parmesan-Romano mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer, stirring often, until the garlic has mellowed, about 12 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella and continue to cook until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk the sauce until it is smooth (a blender or immersion blender works great). Stir in the salt.

Divide and store. Cool the sauce to room temperature and then divide it between 2 quart-size resealable freezer bags. Refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. (After defrosting it overnight in the refrigerator, rewarm the sauce gently over medium-low heat, being careful not to let the sauce boil—boiling it will cause it to separate. If it separates, use a whisk, blender, or immersion blender to smooth it out.)

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Turkey BLT Sliders

Posted by Dawn Welch

turkeybltslidersHaving some ground meat in the freezer definitely comes in handy — especially when I have a kitchen full of hungry kids clamoring for food! Mini burgers are a great solution. They’re the perfect handheld size, and grown-ups love them too, so really they’re a win-win snack (double the serving for a meal). These turkey burger BLTs are extra-yummy, but you can scratch the BLT part if you don’t have the fixings and just top them with ketchup, mustard, pickles, or Swiss. Any kind of ground meat works here, even super-lean and flavorful bison. Oven-cooking the bacon and burgers is a lot less messy than pan-frying, though of course the burgers are great grilled, too.

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Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (light or dark meat, or a combo of the two)
6 mini buns or dinner rolls, about 3″ in diameter, split
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄2 garlic clove, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2–3 lettuce leaves, torn into 3″ pieces
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Cook the bacon. Adjust 1 oven rack to the uppermost position and leave the other in the middle position. Heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped and browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Pour the bacon fat from the baking sheet into an airtight container (or top off the bacon fat you already have stored in the fridge) and refrigerate. Wipe off the baking sheet and turn on the broiler.

Make the burgers and the mayo. Sprinkle the salt and the pepper over the ground turkey and gently mix to combine (squeezing and compacting meat makes for tough burgers). Divide the turkey into 6 mounds and lightly roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet and flatten them with your hands into patties slightly larger than the buns (the burgers will shrink a little with cooking). Arrange the buns, cut-side up, on a second baking sheet and place on the middle rack. Broil the burgers on the upper rack until cooked through and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. While the burgers cook, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Toast the buns. Take the burgers and buns out; set the burgers aside. Brush the cut side of the buns with some melted butter and broil just until lightly toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oven and spread each bun with the garlic mayonnaise. Place a patty on each bun bottom, top with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and the bun top, and serve.

D2D
Save the fat left over from cooking bacon in an airtight container in the fridge. Use it instead of butter or oil for sautéing or roasting vegetables or pan-searing chicken.

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Peanut Soup with Sweet Potatoes

Posted by Dawn Welch

iconpeanutsoupPeople are cooking recipes from the book and adapting them to fit their lives.  Healthy-eating blogger Heather made this sweet and mellow soup vegetarian-style, replacing the chicken stock with vegetable.  She said, “I made some delicious soup tonight, and Mark liked it so much that he requested that I make variations of it once a week.”

Read the full post here.  Photo: Hangry Pants.

What is this?

Peanut Sauce

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar (If you’re using unsweetened peanut butter, add an extra 2 tablespoons of brown sugar)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)

Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3⁄4″ pieces
1⁄2 cup Easy Basic Peanut Sauce (see below)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Make the peanut sauce. Place the peanut butter, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and chile paste or hot sauce in a food processor and process until well blended, 15 to 20 seconds, scraping down the sides once or twice. The peanut sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months, and is great on stir-fries, noodles, or plain white rice as an after-school snack.

Simmer the vegetables. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and sweet potato, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the sweet potato is just tender, about 5 minutes.

Finish the soup. Place the peanut base in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour in 1⁄2 cup of the hot broth and whisk until smooth, then scrape this mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Cover partially, and continue to simmer to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with cilantro.

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