Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

If you have never had spaghetti squash I suggest you try it.  It's fun to see the squash after it is baked and you run your fork over it and it shreds into spaghetti strands.  We have been using it in place of pasta for some time now and love it.  It's just a great lower carb and healthier way to go. If you want to make it easier on yourself you can just make meat sauce.  In fact we think we like it with the meat sauce better, but then I'm not a big meat person. Thanks for the recipe Yummy Mummy Blog.

A great low carb dish - faux spaghetti

1 spagetti squash

1 small batch meatballs or ground meat

2 cups  or more marinara or spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley for garnish if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds.  Spray heavy baking sheet with cooking spray and place squash cut side down and bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and ready to shred. Cool slightly on baking sheet.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Using a fork, scrape squash "spaghetti" up from the rind and fluff into strands.  Place meatballs and sauce or meat sauce over squash. Sprinkle cheeses over sauce.  Bake stuffed squash halves on baking sheet until cheese is melted and bubbling.  Top with fresh basil or parsley and serve right out of the squash.

Biscoff Cheesecake Bars

When I saw this recipe on the Bakerella site I was so excited because I love the Biscoff cookies and thought what could be more perfect than a crust made of these.  The Biscoff cookies are the ones you get on Delta Airlines.  You can buy them in the store now. I could sit and eat the whole package. Not a good thing.  They are just so light and tasty. In my store I found them in the gourmet section and not with the regular cookies. You might have to ask someone if you don't find them. This is a very easy recipe and would be great too make a day ahead so it gets good and chilled.


Crust

1 1/2 cups crushsed Biscoff cookies (about 25, close to one package)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix cookies and sugar together. Add butter and stir until combined. Press mixture into a 13x9 glass dish or pan.

Cheesecake


3 (8oz.) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream the sugar, cream cheese, and flour with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.  On medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until just combined. Pour on prepared crust and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Prepare ganache.

Chocolate Ganache


8 oz. heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons butter
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped small
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar


Heat cream and butter on stove until just before boiling. Remove from stove and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until completely combined. Add confectioners' sugar and beat with a wire whisk until combined and smooth. Pour over cooled cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into bars and serve

Makes about 30 bars.

Jicama Salad

This is a fabulous side salad for a spicy Mexican dish like enchiladas or tostadas.   There is enough fat in the main dish to balance the acidity in the salad.  In fact, a benefit of the salad is that it does just that, brings balance to these kinds of dishes.  If you want to serve the salad on its own, then you might want to add some chopped avocado to the salad so it is balanced in and of itself.  Maybe even some shredded chicken.   Such a fresh and crunchy side is a  great addition to your plate.

Ingredients:
1 Jicama, peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped.
1 navel orange, peel and section.  Cut each section into three's.
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of paprika
pinch of cayenne (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

avocado chopped (optional)

Directions:
Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large bowl.  Pour lime juice and olive oil over all.  Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste and lightly toss again.

Italian Sausage & Bean Minestra

It's Souper Saturday again. The week sure goes by fast. We only have two more soups to go in this series and I hope you enjoyed adding some of these to your recipe box.  Mr. B really enjoyed this soup but me not as much.  I'm really not a sausage fan but if you are, as he is, you will love this soup.  I would take the serving suggestion that you see at the bottom of the post and have a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and crusty bread as it really adds to this soup experience.  I guess bread is really good with all soups but then I love thick crusty bread.


Italian Sausage & Bean Minestra

3 carrots, sliced
1 small onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 cup green beans chopped into one inch pieces.
1 zucchini squash, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach, large chop
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, (I used Johnsonville Italian sweet sausage)
2 cups (or one small can) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed.
1/2 cup small size pasta, (optional, I wouldn't add it next time as it sucks up to much broth and I felt it was not really needed, less carbs that way,your choice)
4 cups chicken stock


In a stock or soup pot add a tablespoon of olive oil, the diced carrots, celery and onion.  Allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add the diced zucchini, and green beans and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the sausage from the casing, break it apart and add it into the stock pot, and allow it to brown.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer.

Add the cannellini beans and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.

If you are adding the pasta add it in now and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Add in the spinach and allow to wilt.

Serving suggestion: sprinkle with fresh grated or shaved parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Recipe adapted from askchefdennis.com

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

You can't beat a combination of chocolate, raspberries and cheesecake whipped cream. This is a Valentine dessert that is sure to please.   You can make it in a glass for individual servings or in a trifle bowl for a spectacular presentation. This is a great make ahead dessert that's easy and sure to impress.


Chocolate Raspberry Trifle


For the chocolate cake: You can make your personal cake recipe or a box mix.   Make cake and let cool.

For the cheesecake filling: 2 bricks of cream cheese, 8 oz. ea.
                    1 teaspoon vanilla
                    1/2 cup sugar
                    3 teaspoons lemon juice
                    zest of one lemon
                    1 cup heavy whipping cream
                    2 cups fresh raspberries
                    2 cups additional raspberries for assembly and garnish.
                    chocolate shavings for garnish


In a large bowl beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy, beat in vanilla, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat heavy whipping cream into barely soft peaks. Gently fold the whip cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then fold in 2 cups fresh whole raspberries into mixture.

For assembly:  Cut cake into small squares.  Place one layer of cake squares in bottom of glass or trifle bowl. Sprinkle some raspberries over the cake, then spread a layer of cream cheese filling.  Do this again starting with cake, raspberries and cheesecake filling. Depending on the size cake you use you will probably have some left over. Don't forget to leave some raspberries to garnish the top of the trifle. Top with chocolate shavings if desired.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Apple French Onion Soup

You Can't go wrong with caramelized onions, bread & cheese.

This is the first time I have made French onion soup and I was very happy with how it turned out.  If you like onion soup you really need to try it. The hardest part is slicing the onions.  Make sure you rinse them in cold water before you start slicing or you will have tears running down your cheeks like I did.  I really love the addition of the apples in it.  This ended up being my own recipe as I had four recipes and I took bits from each one.

Apple French Onion Soup

3 tablespoons butter
6-8 (depending on size) yellow or Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
1 apple, julienned
2 springs fresh thyme, strip leaves off
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups beef broth
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Baguette slices or other bread of you choice, should be thick and crusty
Fontina Cheese for topping

Use a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions and thyme and cook, stirring frequently. Continue cooking and stirring until the onions have wilted down and have begun to turn golden brown and start to caramelize, about 30 minutes.

Add the apple and cook for a few minutes until they soften.

Add the white wine to deglaze the pot and continue to cook until the alcohol has burned off and been absorbed by the onions, and the onions are medium brown in color, about 10 minutes or so.

Stir in the beef and chicken or vegetable broth (I used vegetable because that's what I had), and the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  If you need more broth you can add some, to your liking. Take out the bay leaf.  I don't think you will need any added salt but add the amount of pepper you want.

Place 6 broiler-safe bowls on a baking pan.  Ladle the soup into the bowls, and top each bowl with a slice or two of baguette or bread and a couple of slices Fontina cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted and slightly browned.  Don't walk away for this procedure.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake

This is the easiest cake recipe to bake, even a novice baker will succeed. You don't even need a mixer, you can just use a whisk. Best of all the cake is moist and tastes so good.   I topped it with chocolate ganache and then white chocolate.   This cake is also great with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  This recipe comes from The Food Librarian website and I understand it is a really old recipe and one that is well loved. 

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a large Bundt pan with cooking spray.  Put butter, water, oil, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to just a boil, then turn off.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk well. Then, add the buttermilk and baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl, whisk to combine and add to batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes, use a tester to make sure it is done.  Cool cake 20 minutes then invert on to a plate.

Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup  HEAVY cream

5 - 1oz. squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

Heat cream.  Add chocolate to heated cream and stir until creamy and combined.  Cool, as it will thicken as it cools to the consistency you want to drizzle over the cake. If you want to drizzle a little white chocolate over it,  just melt some white chips or a couple of squares of white baking chocolate and drizzle away.