Pasta with Eggplant Sauce

from FitnessMagazine.com

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 14-1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce can Italian-style tomato paste
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper
Cooked penne pasta
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Peel eggplant; cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. In a 3-1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine eggplant cubes, chopped onion, canned tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, sliced mushrooms, red wine, water, chopped garlic and oregano.
3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
4. Stir in kalamata olives and parsley. Season to taste with pepper. Pour sauce over pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Nutrition facts per serving: 346 calories, 13g protein, 65g carbohydrate, 4g fat (1g saturated), 9g fiber

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

from FitnessMagazine.com

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 6- to 6-1/4-ounce package long-grain and wild-rice mix, such as Uncle Ben's
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp
Hot-pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, onions, bell pepper, rice mix with seasoning packet, water, garlic, and Cajun seasoning.
2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
3. Stir shrimp into rice mixture. Cover; cook for 15 minutes longer at high-heat setting. Sprinkle with hot-pepper sauce if desired.

Nutrition facts per serving: 223 calories, 21g protein, 32g carbohydrate, 2g fat (0g saturated), 3g fiber

Louisiana Gumbo

from Family.com

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup onions, small dice
1 cup celery, small dice
1 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons jalapeños or Serrano peppers, minced
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen okra, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked white rice

Directions

1. In a skillet placed on stovetop set to medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, brown and crumble the sausage until no pink remains, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain the grease, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.
2. Add the flour and continuously stir with a whisk. Cook until flour has become a dark brown color but not burnt.
3. Add the onions, celery, peppers, paprika, chili peppers, and chicken breast. Stir to combine ingredients and sauté additional 7-8 minutes until vegetables soften.
4. Combine all of the remaining ingredients to the Crock-Pot® slow cooker except the shrimp. Cover and cook on Low for 7-8 hours or on High for 4-6 hours, adding in the shrimp 20 minutes before serving.
5. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 6 servings.

Serves: 6-8
Size: 4 1/2 - 6quarts

Spicy Chipotle Meatballs With Rice

By Abigail Chipley and Charlyne Mattox, April 2011

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 40m

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and half the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with their juices) and chipotles; using a potato masher, break up the tomatoes. Simmer, partially covered, until the sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add up to ½ cup water.
2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. While the rice is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the beef, cilantro, bread crumbs, egg, cumin, the remaining half of the garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs (about 2 heaping tablespoons each).
4. Heat broiler. Place the meatballs on a foil-lined broilerproof baking sheet and broil, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Serve over the rice and sprinkle with additional cilantro.

Slow Cooker Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers

By Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 8hr 30m

Ingredients
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve with the rice and top with the avocado and cilantro.

Shrimp, Leek, and Spinach Pasta

By Abigail Chipley and Charlyne Mattox, April 2011

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 20m

Ingredients
12 ounces gemelli, fusilli, or some other short pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), cut into half-moons
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup heavy cream
10 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and lemon zest and cook, tossing frequently, until the shrimp is opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes more.
3. Add the cream and ½ teaspoon salt to the pasta in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp mixture and the spinach and toss to combine.

Sticky Pecan Bites

from Leite's Culinaria

Think bite-sized sticky buns without the time-consuming yeast dough. Rich, tender, cakey, with a bit of caramely brown sugar goop. These little cheaters are made with a quick stirred-together cream biscuit concoction. Too simple for words. –Alice Medrich

Chewier, Gooier, Crispier, Crunchier
Everyone, it seems, expects something a little different from a sticky bun. So while these buttery little bites are really quite nice, just to be clear, they are not the puffy, yeasty rolls of your childhood that, incidentally, took hours to make, roll, rise, and bake. These are more like scones in a sense, with their denser, chewier substantialness, their shy sweetness, their dough that comes together in mere minutes. So if you’re particularly fond of caramely loveliness, consider doubling the filling. Like your sticky buns exceptionally moist? Err on the low end of the baking time. Partial to pecans? Chop some and add them to the filling. And so forth and so on. You get the idea.

Equipment
1 miniature muffin pan with 24 cups or 2 miniature muffin pans with 12 cups each

Ingredients | metric conversion
24 pecan halves
1 cup (4.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional for sprinkling
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed brown or muscovado sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for the muffin cups

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Lightly butter the muffin cups unless they are nonstick.
2. Place a pecan half in each muffin cup, top side down. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Make a well in the center. Pour the cream into the well. Use a rubber spatula to fold and stir the flour mixture and cream together just until the dry ingredients are completely moistened and a soft dough is formed. The dough should not look perfectly smooth. Let the dough rest for 2 to 3 minutes to firm.
3. Meanwhile, mix the sugar with the cinnamon.
4. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a rectangle about 12 by 7 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Use a small offset spatula or your fingertips to spread the dough with the soft butter, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the brown sugar, leaving a 1/8 to 1/4 inch border. Press the seam to seal. Starting at one short end, roll the dough tightly. Gently stretch the dough to lengthen the roll slightly to about 12 inches in length. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Cut the dough roll crosswise into 24 equal pieces. (It’s easiest to do this by cutting the dough in half, then cutting each half in half, then cutting each portion into 6 pieces. This is easier to do than it sounds.) Place each piece of dough in a muffin cup, cut side up.
6. Bake the sticky buns for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned. Rotate the pan(s) from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. (The longer you leave them in the oven, the crisper the edges but the drier the dough.) Immediately turn the buns out onto a sheet of parchment on a heatproof surface. (And we do mean immediately, otherwise the buns may stick to the pan.) Serve warm out of the oven.