February Recipe Club

Anna Kate hosted in February and chose "heart healthy" or "dishes that you love" as her theme.  Her house was decorated for V-Day and all the decor was super-cute!  We LOVED all the dishes!

Virginia's "Love Snacks"

12 mini bagels

Marinara sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 pound sliced deli ham, chopped

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

2.  Slice each bagel in half horizontally.  Spread about 1 tablespoon marinara sauce on each bagel half.  Evenly divide mozzarella cheese, ham, and Parmesan cheese on top of each bagel.  Place on prepared baking sheets, bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, and salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Caron's One-Pot Shrimp and Grits

8 ounces andouille sausage, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 pounds peeled, large raw shrimp, deveined

1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 cup dry white wine

6 cups organic vegetable broth

1 (14 1/2-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups uncooked regular grits

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Garnish: fresh oregano sprigs

Preparation

1. Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage using a slotted spoon; reserve drippings in Dutch oven. Drain sausage on paper towels.

2. Stir oil into drippings. Cook shrimp, in batches, in hot drippings over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until opaque; remove with slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium.

3. Sauté onion and celery in Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in broth and next 7 ingredients, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits; return mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Stir in oregano, reserved sausage, and shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 more minutes.

Ashley's Baked Penne Florentine

8 ounces dried multigrain or whole wheat penne pasta

1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 3/4 cups water

1 15 - 16 ounce can Great Northern beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to hot pan. Add spinach; toss to combine. Spoon into a 2-quart casserole; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine vegetable broth, onion, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place cashews in a food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add half of the water; blend until smooth. Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the remaining water. Stir bean mixture into pasta mixture in casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until crumbs are toasted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Sarah's Twice Baked Potatoes

Jordan's Rice

Anna Kate's Butternut Squash and Bean Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

2-3 tablespoons chili powder (to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

2 cups uncooked butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1-inch cubes)

1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can filled 3/4 with water

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions, peppers and jalapeño until mixture become soft. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Add spices and continue to sauté for another minute. Add squash, tomatoes, beans and water and bring to a simmer. I usually simmer covered on low heat for 60-90 minutes and then uncovered on low heat for 30-60, depending on how much time I have and how thick I want my chili. The longer you simmer it uncovered, the thicker it will get. Add the cocoa powder in 10-15 minutes before serving and stir well.

Melanie's Edamame and Corn Succotash

1 medium onion, chopped $

2 tablespoons canola oil $

1 medium-size orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and diced $

1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (16-oz.) package frozen edamame, thawed

1 tablespoon butter $

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Sauté onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers and corn, and cook 5 more minutes or until tender.

2. Stir in chicken broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Stir in edamame; cook 3 minutes. Stir in butter until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in mint and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Amy's Blackberry Cheesecake Squares

Crust:

Cooking spray, for spraying foil

One 11-ounce box vanilla wafers

1/2 cup pecans

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Filling:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

Topping:

4 cups blackberries

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: Line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Place the vanilla wafers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. (If they come up the sides, that's okay!)

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.

Pour the filling into the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

For the topping: Add the blackberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the juices thicken slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, make a slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add the slurry to the berries, return to the boil and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture.

Pour the blackberries over the cheesecake and place the pan into the fridge to cool and set for at least 2 hours (several hours is better).

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the pan by lifting the edges of the foil. Slice into 15 pieces with a long serrated knife.