And the eight of us turn our faces skyward and celebrate independence.
FROM MELANIE’S RECIPE FILES
Here are the basics, both the original decadent versions and the healthier Dining by Design versions of the central recipes from the book.
Mashed Potatoes—Dining by Design Style
SERVES 6
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons salt
½ to 1 cup skim milk
4 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in pot and cover with cold water. When water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and cook until potatoes are tender. Mash with ½ cup milk and the sour cream. Add more milk to get the texture you prefer. Add melted butter and chives, and season to taste.
Mashed Potatoes—Decadent Version
SERVES 6
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons salt
½ to 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
4 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraîche
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Put in pot and cover with cold water. When water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and cook until potatoes are tender. Mash with ½ cup milk and the sour cream. Add more milk to get the texture you prefer. Add melted butter and chives, and season to taste.
Add-ins
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or crumbled goat cheese
½ cup crumbled bacon
¼ cup fried sage leaves
Guilt-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream-Cheese Frosting
MAKES 16 CUPCAKES
Cupcakes
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup egg substitute
¼ cup canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt
1 8-ounce block ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, softened
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To prepare cupcakes, place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and the next 5 ingredients. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture, alternating with Greek yogurt; begin and end with flour mixture. Mix after each addition just until blended.
Place 16 paper muffin cup liners in muffin pans; spoon about 2½ tablespoons batter into each cup. Bake 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached (do not overbake). Remove cupcakes from pans; cool on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until smooth. Spread about 1 tablespoon frosting on top of each cupcake.
Decadent Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
MAKES 12 CUPCAKES
Cupcakes
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate (Valrhona or
Callebaut), chopped
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sour cream
Frosting
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350°F. Line standard-size muffin pan with paper muffin cup liners.
Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted, and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
Whisk eggs in a second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, vinegar, and salt, and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg mixture, and whisk until combined. Sift about ⅓ flour mixture over chocolate mixture, and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then whisk in remaining flour mixture until batter is homogenous and thick.
Divide batter evenly among baking cups. Bake until a skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.
To make the frosting: In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter, and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla extract and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
To frost cupcakes: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.
Macaroni and Cheese for Every Day
SERVES 2
1 8-ounce package elbow macaroni, preferably whole wheat
or Jerusalem artichoke pasta
½ cup skim milk
8 triangles Laughing Cow Light cheese
3 tablespoons light sour cream
1 ounce reduced-fat extra sharp cheddar, shredded
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Boil pasta according to package directions. Heat milk and Laughing Cow cheese in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking as the cheese melts to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and cheddar. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and stir in cooked pasta.
Macaroni and Cheese for Special Occasions
(if you are skipping the famous blue box)
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE OR 4 AS A SIDE DISH (OR 1 REALLY DEPRESSED PERSON)
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
5 cups whole milk
4 ounces fontina, grated
4 ounces smoked Gouda, grated
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Topping
½ cup bread crumbs tossed with 3 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat broiler. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat butter in pan over moderate heat until foaming subsides, then whisk in flour, mustard, and nutmeg, combining for about 1 minute. Add milk and whisk to combine, heating and stirring until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in chees
es until melted, add pasta, and season to taste. Pour into a baking pan and top with bread crumbs. Broil to brown bread crumbs, about 3 minutes, then serve.
Turkey Meat Loaf from Dining by Design
SERVES 8 TO 10
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cup tomato juice
½ cup chicken stock
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅔ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, white and dark meat mixed
1 pound ground turkey, white meat only
Glaze
½ cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup sherry vinegar
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375°F.
Heat butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.
Whisk stock and eggs in large bowl until combined. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, cumin, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Add ground turkey; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to sheet pan and shape into a 10 x 6 inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meat loaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.
While meat loaf cooks, combine chili sauce, brown sugar, and sherry vinegar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.
Grandma’s Texas Barbeque Meat Loaf
SERVES 8
Glaze
1 bottle favorite barbeque sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup whole milk
1 pound ground beef chuck
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal
⅔ cup saltine crackers, crushed
½ cup French’s french fried onions, chopped
⅓ cup fresh parsley, minced
8 ounces bacon, sliced thin
For the glaze: Mix ½ bottle barbeque sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, and maple syrup in saucepan; set aside.
For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, fried onions, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, until mix no longer sticks.)
Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into an approximately 9 x 5 inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.
Andrew’s Sunday Pancakes
SERVES 2
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup whole milk
1 large egg, separated
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing skillet or griddle
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Whisk in egg white; mix yolk with melted butter, then stir into milk mixture. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed.
Meanwhile, heat griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush griddle generously with oil. When water splashed on surface confidently sizzles, pour batter, about ¼ cup at a time, onto griddle, making sure not to overcrowd. When pancake bottoms are brown and top surface starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip cakes and cook until remaining side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Re-oil the skillet and repeat for the next batch of pancakes.
Serve with warmed maple syrup, melted butter, and crispy bacon or sausage.
Healthy Apple Pancakes
SERVES 4 TO 6
2½ cups all-purpose organic flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
3 medium apples (preferably Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala),
peeled and diced
Cooking spray
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and egg whites together; add buttermilk and agave nectar.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just moistened; do not overbeat. Add melted margarine and apples and mix until just combined.
Spray hot skillet with cooking spray. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter per cake, and flip when top of each cake is covered with tiny bubbles and bottom is browned. Brown other side and serve hot.
Risotto à la Melanie
SERVES 4 TO 6
10 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine or champagne
Pinch saffron threads
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 artichoke bottoms (preferably fresh), cooked and diced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Put stock in small saucepan over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan with olive oil. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Add rice and stir until each grain is coated. Add wine and saffron threads and stir until wine is totally absorbed. Add stock one ladle at a time until absorbed, and then add next ladle. Stir continuously. When it begins to take longer for stock to be absorbed, taste rice. You are looking for al dente, not mushy or gummy. When you are getting close to al dente, add chicken and artichokes to heat through, along with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. When rice is perfectly cooked, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butte
r, cheese, and parsley, and do a final taste for seasonings.
This dish is actually not too bad for you. To make it decadent, add 2 more tablespoons butter and another ¼ cup Parmesan at the end, swap the chicken for cooked sweet Italian sausage chunks, and stir in ¼ cup mascarpone just before serving.
Dad’s Chicken Soup
SERVES 8 TO 10
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken fat
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, plus 4 wings or 4 drum-
sticks (and 2 to 4 chicken feet if you can handle it)
2 medium onions, quartered
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 ribs celery
6 whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
2 cups egg noodles (preferably wide)
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Heat oil in large soup kettle over high heat. When oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add chicken in batches; sauté until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Put all chicken pieces back in pot, with vegetables, peppercorns, and thyme. Fill with water to just cover. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt and bay leaves. Barely simmer until chicken is cooked and broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes.
Remove chicken from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove skin, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bone. Strain broth; skim fat from broth, reserving 2 tablespoons. (Broth and meat can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)
Cook new vegetables, if desired, in reserved chicken fat (or butter), and cook noodles according to package directions. Combine chicken, broth, new vegetables, and noodles. Adjust seasonings, stir in parsley, and serve.
Good Enough to Eat Page 23
