Roasted Carrot And Herb Spread

Here's an extra-special nibble ready to take center stage on your appetizer table. 

Ingredients:

2        pounds baby-cut carrots

1        large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1        medium onion, cut into 8 wedges and separated

1/4     cup olive or vegetable oil

2        tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2        cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4     teaspoon salt

1/4     teaspoon freshly ground pepper

          Baguette slices or crackers, if desired

Directions:

• 1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x1 inch, with cooking spray.
• 2 Place carrots, sweet potato and onion in pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Bake uncovered 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
• 3 Place vegetable mixture in food processor. Cover and process until blended. Spoon into serving bowl. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate until serving time. Serve with baguette slices.

Source:  bettycrocker.com

Gooey, Genius Patty Melt

Chefs are learning what diner fans already know: A patty melt is griddled, gooey genius. Here’s how to perfect it at home.

The Patty

The most important thing to know: This is a sandwich, not a burger. The ground beef is seasoned with onion and spices, and it’s pressed thin into a ¼”-thick patty so the meat doesn’t dominate. See our recipe below to get the juiciest results.

The Bread

The only type we can get behind is rye, preferably the seeded, grocery-store variety (Levy’s seeded rye is our patty-melt pick. The slices are the indeal thinness, while the dense crumb browns evenly to seal in the juicy patty). Its uniform crumb will help contain the messy fillings.

The Cheese

Swiss is traditional, but cheddar’s an all-American classic—which is why ours boasts slices of Swiss on one side and aged white cheddar on the other. More really is better.

The Onions

A generous helping of caramelized onions is a must. Cook slowly and gently until they’re a deep golden color. (Sorry, you just can’t rush it.)

The Press

Toasty bread, onions tangled in melty cheese, a patty that stays put: This is why we press. Weigh it down with a heavy pan to compress it. A swipe of mayo, not butter, on the bread encourages that gorgeous exterior.

Tool for the Job

Use a diner-style offset spatula or a fish spatula to cook the beef patty. The flexibility lets the meat make close contact with the pan for a good sear.


Ingredients:

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced

Patties And Assembly:

• ¼ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef chuck (20% fat)
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 slices seeded rye bread (preferably Levy’s)
• 4 ounces aged sharp cheddar, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese (such as Emmenthal), thinly sliced
• 8 teaspoons mayonnaise

Directions:

Caramelized Onions:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook onions, stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent burning, until deep golden brown and very soft, 20–25 minutes. Set aside.

Patties And Assembly:

• Gently mix onion, beef, ketchup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl. Divide into 4 portions and press each between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper until about ¼” thick (you want them roughly the same dimensions as the bread you're using.)
• Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook patties, pressing gently, until browned but still pink in the center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Wipe out skillet and reduce heat to medium. Top 4 slices of bread with cheddar, then beef patties, caramelized onions, and Swiss cheese. Close up sandwiches and spread each top with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Place in pan, mayonnaise side down, and weight with a foil-covered heavy pan. Cook until bottom slice is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove weighted pan and spread the top of each sandwich with 1 tsp. mayonnaise. Flip and weight again. Cook until other side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
• DO AHEAD: Patties can be formed 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Source: bonappetit.com

French Onion Soup

Once you try this classic French Onion Soup recipe, you'll never try another. It culminates in a rich-tasting soup with melt-in-your-mouth onions.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion 
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 8 cups less-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace) 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.
4. Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Note: 

 

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

Cooking Light
JANUARY 2005

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili paste make a flavorful sauce for this chicken and vegetable meal. Poblano chile peppers give the dish a little heat.

Ingredients:

• 12   ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1   tablespoon soy sauce
•  Dash ground white pepper
• 3   tablespoons water
• 2   tablespoons organic granulated sugar or sugar
• 2   tablespoons soy sauce
• 2   tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2  2  teaspoons red chili paste
• 2   tablespoons canola oil or cooking oil
• 1   small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 6   green onions, bias-sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 4   cloves garlic, minced
• 1  8  ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 - 2   large dried poblano or ancho chile peppers, broken into large pieces and seeds discarded or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• 1   cup lightly salted roasted cashews
• 2   cups hot cooked jasmine, basmati or white rice

   

  Directions:

   

  1.Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Places chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and white pepper; toss gently to coat. Set aside.

   

  For sauce:

  
  

  1. In a small bowl, combine water, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili paste. Set aside.

  2. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add red onion, green onions and garlic to wok; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until just tender. Remove vegetables from wok.

  3. Add chicken to wok; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Push chicken from center of wok. Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir until bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Add water chestnuts and dried chile peppers, if you like. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Remove large pieces of chili pepper, if using. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

   

  Source: bhg

Marinated Cucumbers, Onions, And Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup oil

Directions: 

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Source: Sandrine Burke