Steaks in Brandy-Cream Sauce

Following three recipes are Quick Dishes for dinner

Source: Midwest Living

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2, 1-1/2-inch-thick beef tenderloin steaks (8 ounces each)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and ground pepper; add to hot skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until brown. Transfer to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Bake the steaks, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare doneness (145 degree F).

2. For brandy-cream sauce, in the same skillet cook mushrooms and onions over medium heat till just until tender. Remove the pan from heat; add brandy. Carefully ignite brandy with a long match (mixture will flame up). Or don�t ignite brandy; return to heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes or till most of the liquid is evaporated. When the flame is gone or most of the liquid has been evaporated, add whipping cream. Bring the sauce just to boiling. Boil gently for about 8 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place steaks on warm serving plates and spoon the sauce over the meat. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Roasted Pepper and Chevre Pizzas

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce loaf frozen whole wheat or white bread dough
• 2 tablespoons yellow corn meal
• 3 medium red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, roasted*
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 medium red onion, cut into very thin wedges and separated into strips
• 6 ounces semisoft goat cheese (chevre) or feta cheese, crumbled or cut up (1-1/2 cups)
• 10 ripe olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (1-1/2 cups)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or snipped fresh basil

Directions

1. Thaw bread dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into eight pieces. Cover; let dough rest for 10 minutes. Pat or roll each piece into a 6-inch circle. Grease two extra-large baking sheets; sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough circles to baking sheets. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven; place on wire racks to cool, leaving the dough on the baking sheets.

2. Meanwhile, cut roasted peppers into 1-inch-wide strips. Stir together oil and red pepper. Brush the mixture onto the baked circles. Top with roasted peppers, onion, goat or feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella.

3. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until mozzarella is golden brown and crusts are crisp. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh oregano or basil. Makes 8 main-dish servings.

*To roast peppers: Halve peppers; remove stems, membranes, and seeds. Place peppers, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until skin is bubbly and brown. Wrap in the foil; seal and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using a paring knife, gently pull off skin.

Note: You can substitute 1 tablespoon dried oregano or basil, crushed, for the fresh herbs. Instead of sprinkling it on top of the pizzas, stir the dried herb into the oil mixture before brushing it onto the crust.

Nacho Cheese Chowder

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 11-ounce can condensed nacho cheese soup
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 of an 8-ounce jar Mexican-style cheese spread

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook beef, green pepper, and onion until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in milk, soup, corn, tomato, and cheese spread.

2. Cook about 5 minutes or until soup is hot. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Soft Honey Nougat

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups hazelnuts
• 1-1/2 cups dried cranberries and/or cherries
• Butter
• Cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2/3 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so nuts don�t burn. Cool slightly. Place nuts on a clean kitchen towel, fold over towel to cover nuts. Rub vigorously to remove the skins. Coarsely chop hazelnuts. In a medium bowl combine chopped hazelnuts and cranberries. Set aside.

2. Line an 9x5x3-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or heavy foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter the foil; sprinkle with a small amount of cornstarch. Set pan aside.

3. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the sugar and the 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add corn syrup, water, and honey; mix well. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar, 5 to 7 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on side of pan.* Reduce heat to medium. Carefully clip candy thermometer to saucepan.

4. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 286 degrees F, soft-crack stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over entire surface, about 25 minutes. Watch closely at the end as temperature will rise quickly. (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil.)

5. Remove saucepan from heat; remove candy thermometer from saucepan. In a large mixing bowl, immediately beat egg whites with a sturdy, freestanding electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gradually pour hot mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating constantly on high speed and scraping sides of bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl again. Add vanilla. Continue beating on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until candy begins to lose its gloss. When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon, mounding on itself, then slowly disappear in the remaining mixture. The final beating should take 5 to 6 minutes.

6. Immediately stir 2 cups of the fruit and nuts into candy. Quickly turn candy into prepared pan; spread to corners. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup fruit and nuts. Lightly press fruit and nuts into warm mixture. While still warm, score into pieces. Let stand about 3 hours or until completely cool. When cool, use foil to lift candy from pan. Cut into pieces using a hot knife. Wrap in plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 4 months. To serve, unwrap and place in waxed candy cups or bonbon cups. Makes 35 pieces

Party Meatballs

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and finely crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or dairy sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 lb. uncooked ground turkey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two 15x10x1-inch baking pans or large baking sheets with foil. Lightly coat foil with nonstick spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine egg, bacon, bread crumbs, basil, yogurt, pepper, and salt. Add ground turkey; mix well. Shape into 75 one-inch meatballs (about 1 tablespoon each). Place on pans.

3. Bake on separate oven racks for 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve with sauce or skewered. Makes 25 (three-meatball) servings.

Alfredo Sauce: In a saucepan combine one 16-oz. jar purchased Alfredo sauce and 1/4 cup milk. Heat through. Stir in 8 slices crisp-cooked, crumbled bacon (about 1/2 cup). Season to taste with pepper. Sprinkle sauce with 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil.
EACH SERVING (1 meatball, 1 tsp. sauce): 40 cal., 3 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 16 mg chol., 94 mg sodium, 1 g carbo., 3 g pro. Daily Values: 1% vit. A, 1% calcium, 1% iron.

Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce: In a saucepan combine one 10-oz. bottle sweet-and-sour sauce; 1/3 cup mango nectar; 1 tsp. chili powder; 1 large clove garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel; and 1/4 tsp. salt. Heat through over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
EACH SERVING (1 meatball, 1 tsp. sauce): 28 cal., 2 g total fat, 13 mg chol., 72 mg sodium, 2 g carbo., 3 g pro. Daily Values: 1% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 1% calcium, 1% iron.

Peach Sauce: In a saucepan melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add 1�2 cup coarsely chopped pecans and 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until onion is tender and pecans are toasted. Stir in 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard and 2 Tbsp. molasses. Add 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh or thawed frozen peaches. Heat through. Just before serving, stir in 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley .

White Cheddar Shortbread Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 8 oz. white cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt or salt
• 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• Sea salt or salt
• 1 recipe Red Onion Marmalade

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl place cheese, butter, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Using your hands, work dough until it holds together. Divide dough in half.

2. Line two 8x8x2-inch baking pans or 2-quart square baking dishes with plastic wrap. Press half the dough evenly into each prepared pan. Cover and chill about 30 minutes. Invert one pan onto a very large (17x13-inch) ungreased baking sheet. Lift pan and carefully peel off plastic wrap. Using a floured knife cut dough into eight 1-inch-wide strips. Cut strips crosswise into four 2-inch-long rectangles to make 32 (2x1-inch) rectangles (do not separate rectangles). Repeat on the same baking sheet with remaining dough. With a floured fork, prick each rectangle 2 or 3 times. Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Cut through the rectangles again while shortbread is still warm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.

4. To serve White Cheddar Shortbread Sandwiches, top half the crackers with about 1 teaspoon of the Red Onion Marmalade. Top with remaining crackers. If desired, top with additional marmalade. Makes 32 sandwiches.

Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups chopped or sliced celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh sage or 1 tsp. poultry seasoning or ground sage
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups* chicken broth
• Sage leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large skillet cook celery and onion in hot butter over medium heat until tender but not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in sage and pepper. Place bread cubes in large bowl; add onion mixture. Drizzle with enough chicken broth to moisten; toss lightly to combine. Place stuffing in a 2-quart casserole dish. Bake, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Top with fresh sage. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Test Kitchen Tip: If using to stuff a turkey, reduce broth to 3/4 to 1 cup. Try a mix of whole wheat, white, and multi-grain bread cubes for extra flavor.

Stuffing Additions:
- Stir 2 medium cored and chopped apples into bread cubes.
- Omit 1 cup of the celery and substitute 2 cups sliced mushrooms. Cook mushrooms with the celery in Step 1, above.
- Stir one 15-ounce can chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped, into bread cubes.
- Stir 1 cup cooked wild rice into bread cubes.

Turkey Paella Salad

Ingredients

• 1 8-oz. pkg. saffron-flavored yellow rice mix
• 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup broccoli florets or frozen baby sweet peas
• 1 medium red or yellow sweet pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 2 oz. prosciutto, crisp-cooked,* or cooked ham, cut into thin strips
• 3/4 cup bottled vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or tiny fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Spread on baking sheet. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes or until cooled. In extra-large bowl combine turkey, tomato, broccoli, sweet pepper, cranberries, onions, and prosciutto. Add rice and dressing; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with almonds and basil.
Makes 6 (1-1/2 cup) servings.

*Note: To crisp-cook prosciutto, arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and crisp. Remove from oven; cool on baking sheet.