Easy Hour or Less Recipes

This week we have recipes prepared in an hour or less, giving you more time to enjoy the outdoors.

If you have a favorite recipe, send it in! Recipes, with photo (and a short story/history), if available, can be submitted to ads@thedrummer.com.


Shaved Vegetable Salad  

 

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 6 servings

 

2 small candy cane beets

1 med. carrot

1 med. watermelon radish, halved

1/4 of a head red cabbage

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. honey

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch watercress, washed & large stems discarded

2 T. roasted salted pepitas

2 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 c.)

1/3 c. fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

1 T. roughly chopped fresh chives

 

Special equipment: a mandoline slicer

Shave the beets into paper-thin rounds, the carrot into paper-thin slices on a bias and the radish into paper-thin half-moons on a mandoline. Thinly slice the cabbage with a sharp knife.

Whisk together the oil, honey, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Lay the beet, carrot and radish pieces all over the bottom of a large serving platter. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Gently toss the cabbage, watercress and remaining vinaigrette together in a medium bowl until well coated. Pile the cabbage and watercress in the middle of the platter and top with the goat cheese, pepitas, basil and chives.

Cook’s Note: A watermelon radish looks just like its fruit namesake -- green on the outside and bright pink on the inside. Look for it, in the summer, at farmer’s markets or the specialty produce section in your grocery store.

 


Chipotle Beef Tostadas

 

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 15 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

2 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. ground beef chuck

1 lg. white onion, minced

Kosher salt

1 to 1-1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder

1 (10 oz.) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes w/green chiles

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained

1 med. zucchini or yellow squash, diced

2 c. coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving

Freshly ground pepper

8 tostadas (flat crisp tortillas) or taco shells

1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)

 

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, half of the minced onion, 1 teaspoon salt and the chipotle chile powder; cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and the onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beans and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is just tender, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the coleslaw mix, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

Divide the tostadas among plates and spoon the beef mixture on top. Top with the cheese, slaw and the remaining minced onion. Serve with lime wedges.

 


Thin-Crust Caprese Pizza

 

Level: Easy

Total: 40 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

1 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Kosher salt

5 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 c. drained giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables), chopped, plus 2 T. brine

1/2 c. fresh basil, torn, plus small leaves for topping

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground pepper

3 med. heirloom tomatoes (about 1-1/4 lbs.)

1 sm. clove garlic, grated

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

 

Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Mix the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup water and 2 tablespoons olive oil until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, toss the beans, giardiniera and brine, basil, parsley and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Slice the tomatoes, place on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt; set aside.

Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper. Slide the parchment with the dough onto an inverted baking sheet. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic all over the dough. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. Slide onto the hot stone and bake until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and top with the mozzarella, tomatoes and basil leaves. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the bean salad. 

 


Greek Grilled Chicken with Green Beans

 

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6-8 oz. ea.)

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1-1/4 lbs. green beans, trimmed

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. chopped fresh dill

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese (2-3 oz.)

 

Cover one side of a grill with a large sheet of foil; fold up the edges to make a rimmed tray. Preheat the grill to medium high. Rub the chicken all over with the garlic powder and oregano; season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the green beans, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Brush the grill grates with olive oil on the side without the foil tray. Place the chicken on the grates and grill, turning halfway through, until marked and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate. Meanwhile, spread the vegetable mixture on the foil tray and grill, stirring occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; add the vinegar and dill. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Divide the chicken and vegetables among plates. Top the vegetables with the cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil.

 


Steak and Potato Kebabs

 

Level: Easy

Total: 30 min

Active: 30 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

Vegetable oil, for the grill

1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1-1/2 lbs. beef tenderloin, cut into 1-1/2” cubes

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-to-2” pieces

1/4 c. ketchup

2 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. steak sauce

Pinch of red pepper flakes

 

Special equipment: eight 10-inch skewers

Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Put the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until just tender, about 5 minutes. Toss the beef with the olive oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Thread the beef, potatoes and asparagus onto eight 10-inch skewers.

Combine the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, the Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until marked, about 6 minutes for medium rare. Serve with the sauce.

 


S’mores Brownies

 

Yields: 16 Servings

Prep Time: 5 Mins

Total Time: 1 Hour

 

Cooking spray, for pan

6 graham crackers

1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on box

1 c. chopped Hershey’s bars

1 (10-oz.) bag marshmallows 

 

Preheat oven to 350° and line and spray a 9”-x-9” baking pan with cooking spray. Layer bottom of pan with graham crackers. Make brownie mix according box and then fold in chopped Hershey’s bars. Pour brownie batter over graham crackers. Bake until almost done, 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top with marshmallows and bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies are cooked through and marshmallows are golden. To check brownies with a toothpick, you can gently push marshmallows to the side with a knife or offset spatula. They will melt back together!

Turn oven to broil and broil 2 minutes, if desired.

Let cool 10 minutes then slice into squares to serve.

 


Bananas Foster

 

Level: Easy

Total: 15 min

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield: 6 servings

 

1 stick salted butter

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 bananas

1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 c. dark rum

Dash cinnamon

Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving

 

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar. Stir together and cook for a minute or two. Pour in the cream and stir it around to combine.

Peel the bananas and slice them on the bias inside the peel. Drop the slices into the pan. Next, add the chopped nuts and stir them into the sauce. Then - and this is where you need to be a little careful - stir in the rum. Let it start to bubble, and then carefully use a long lighter to ignite it. (Be sure to have a lid handy in case you need to extinguish the flame.) Let the fire burn and go out (it’ll only take about 30 seconds or so), and then stir in the cinnamon at the end. You may also cook the mixture without flambeing it.

Spoon it over a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and enjoy immediately.

Spoon bananas Foster over French toast, waffles or crepes. Substitute peaches, pears or cherries for the bananas. Of course, then it probably wouldn’t be considered bananas Foster.

Cook’s Note: Be very careful when cooking with alcohol and an open flame.

 


Quote of the Week:

 

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.” 

~ Henry Van Dyke

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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