Club Burger Sliders with Avocado-Ranch Dressing

By: Rachael Ray
8 Servings

Ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) or vegetable oil, for drizzling
• 6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 2 pounds ground turkey or ground turkey breast
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (a couple of generous palmfuls)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 hass avocado
• 1 cup sour cream
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
• A small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
• A smal handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 16 slices good-quality white or whole wheat bread
• Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, for serving
• 2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill or griddle pan to medium high. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels to cool, then chop.
   
   While the bacon cooks, place the turkey in a large bowl. Grate the onion on top of the turkey to get 3 to 4 tablespoons onion juice. Add the hot sauce, poultry seasoning, salt and lots of pepper. Add the cooked bacon, mix and form 8 slider patties, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide. Drizzle with EVOO to coat lightly. Cook on the grill or griddle, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
   
   While the sliders cook, preheat the broiler. Place the avocado in a food processor. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, chives, dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Process into a smooth, thick sauce.
   
   Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of bread (or trim 1 inch of crust all the way around the bread slices to form small squares); discard the crusts. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler. Serve the bacon-turkey sliders with the lettuce, tomatoes and avocado-ranch sauce between the toasts.

Waldorf-Salad-Style Penne

6 Servings

Prep 25 min
Cook 10 min

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 nectarines, 3 coarsely chopped and 1 sliced
• 1 bunch chives, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted, roasted pecans

Get fresh
In autumn, swap pears for the nectarines.

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, cumin and 1/4 cup water. Add the pasta nd toss to coat; let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the celery, bacon, chopped nectarines, half of the chives and half of the pecans.

3. To serve, top the pasta with the remaining chives, pecans and the sliced nectarine.

Banana Coconut Luau Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Macadamia Brittle and Coconut Caramel Sauce:

• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Service:

• 8 pineapple rings
• 1 pint coconut ice cream
• 1/2 bunch mint

Directions

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour 1 (12-cup) muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, ginger, and salt.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugars and beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Mix in the egg until incorporated. While the mixer is running, add in the dry ingredients and then the cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the mashed banana and vanilla. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 of the way with the batter.

Bake the muffins until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

Brittle and caramel sauce:

Line a sheet pan with a silpat or aluminum foil that has been generously buttered.

Toss the macadamia nuts with the butter in a medium bowl.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and cream of tartar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. When the syrup reaches a medium golden-amber color, switch off the heat and stir half of the syrup into the bowl with the macadamia nuts. Pour the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and let the brittle cool. To the remaining caramelized sugar, carefully stir in the coconut milk. Cool the sauce completely before using.

When the brittle has cooled, chop it roughly with a knife.

Service:

Arrange a pineapple ring on a small plate. Invert a cake onto the pineapple ring. Top with a small scoop of coconut ice cream and a sprinkling of the chopped macadamia brittle. Drizzle the dessert with 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce and garnish with some mint. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve.

Belinean Rice & Beans

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ pound red kidney beans
• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• ½ bell (green) pepper
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Cover beans in water, and soak overnight. Put beans in pot; add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and enough water to boil until beans are tender and whole. Add coconut milk, and seasonings. Add rice to beans, and cook over gentle heat until liquid is absorbed. Stir gently with a fork, and add a little water as necessary, until rice is cooked.

Curried Chicken-and-Cider Soup

Recipe taken from Rachael Ray Magazine.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup apple cider

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)

1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded and meat shredded

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the cider, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add 4 cups water and the sweet potato and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Using a blender, and working in batches, puree the soup; return to the saucepan. Stir in the chicken and warm through over medium heat; season with salt and pepper.

Peach Melba Cheesecake

Recipe taken from Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 35 cookies)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg white, beaten
3 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup raspberry preserves, warmed
Optional garnish: Fresh raspberries and additional peaches and sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and egg white. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour and vanilla. Add egg substitute; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in peaches. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Bake at 325° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Spread preserves over the top. Garnish with raspberries and additional peaches if desired; sprinkle with sugar. Yield: 12 servings.

Editor’s Note: You may use two whole eggs instead of egg substitute if desired. Beat the eggs before adding them to the batter.

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice (calculated without garnish) equals 419 calories, 22 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 411 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Watermelon-Tomato Gazpacho with Shrimp

Serve with garlic-rubbed toasts.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds seedless watermelon—rind discarded and flesh chopped and chilled
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 pints grape tomatoes, 1/2 pint quartered
• 1 red bell pepper—cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 pound large shrimp—peeled, deveined and patted dry
• 4 ounces feta cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. On a work surface, finely chop enough of the watermelon and cucumbers to yield 1 cup each; in a medium bowl, combine with the quartered tomatoes. Using a food processor and working in batches, puree the remaining watermelon, cucumber and tomatoes, the bell pepper, onion, vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the shrimp and cook, turning once, until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Divide the gazpacho among 4 bowls and top with the reserved chopped watermelon mixture, the shrimp and feta.

Tip: Hot stuff - Stir 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño chile into the gazpacho.

Recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine