photo credit: Hoggheff aka Hank Ashby aka Mr. Freshtags
This recipe can make 4 servings. This delectable dish requires 30 minutes preparation time and 20 minutes cooking time. It should be ready in 50 minutes. Each serving contains 981 calories, 68.9g total fat, 305mg cholesterol, 1677mg sodium, 55.9g carbohydrates, 4.1g dietary fiber, and 39.2g protein.
Ingredients
Penne pasta – 8 ounces
Butter – 1/4 cup
Extra-virgin olive oil – 2 tablespoons
Onion (diced) – 1 piece
Garlic (minced) – 2 cloves
Red bell pepper (diced) – 1
Portobello mushrooms (diced) – 1/2 pound
Medium shrimp (peeled and deveined) – 1 pound
Alfredo sauce – 1 (16 oz) jar
Romano cheese (grated) – 1/2 cup
Cream – 1/2 cup
Cayenne pepper – 1 teaspoon or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley (chopped) – 1/4 cup
Directions
1. Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the water once the pasta is cooked. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and stir for 2 minutes or until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the red pepper, garlic and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat or until everything is soft.
3. Add the shrimp and cook until the texture becomes pinkish. Introduce the Alfredo sauce, the Romano cheese, and cream. Simmer but make sure to stir constantly for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add cayenne, pepper, and sale to taste. Remove from heat and add the pasta in the sauce. Garnish individual serving with chopped parsley.
photo credit: Maggie Hoffman
This recipe makes 14 servings. Prep time for this dish is 10 minutes while cooking time is 45 minutes. The dish is ready to be served in 55 minutes. Each serving of Cioppino has 315 calories, 163mg cholesterol, 786mg sodium, 12.9g total fat, 9.2g total carbs, 1.3g dietary fiber, and 34g protein.
Ingredients
Butter – 3/4 cup
Onions (chopped) – 2 pieces
Garlic (minced) – 2 cloves
Fresh parsley (chopped) – 1 bunch
Stewed tomatoes – 2 (14.5 oz) cans
Chicken broth – 2 (14.5 oz) cans
Bay leaves – 2 pieces
Dried basil – 1 tablespoon
Dried thyme – 1/2 teaspoon
Dried oregano – 1/2 teaspoon
Water – 1 cup
White wine – 1 1/2 cups
Large shrimps (peeled and deveined) – 1 1/2 pounds
Bay scallops – 1 1/2 pounds
Small clams – 18 pieces
Mussels (cleaned and debearded) – 18 pieces
Crabmeat – 1 1/2 cups
Cod fillets (cubed) – 1 1/2 pounds
Directions
1. In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium low heat. After melting, add onions, parsley and garlic. Stir occasionally and slowly until the onions become tender and soft.
2. Add the stewed tomatoes to the stockpot. While adding the tomatoes, break them into chunks. Pour the chicken broth then add the bay leaves, thyme, basil, oregano, wine and water. Mix thoroughly then cover the stockpot. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Add all the seafood ingredients (shrimps, scallops, mussels, and crabmeat). If desired, fish can be added to the soup. Boil over low heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until the clams open. Serve while hot. Pair with crusty bread.
photo credit: E Von Zita
This is a fancy layer cake that will make 12 servings. Each serving has 468 calories, 28.9g fats, 78mg cholesterol, 309mg sodium, 46.7 carbs, 4.4g protein, and 0,6g dietary fiber.
Total preparation time is 5 minutes while cooking time is 20 minutes. The layer cake should be ready in 2 hours.
Ingredients
CAKE
Moist white cake mix – 1 (18.25 oz) package
Instant coffee powder – 1 teaspoon
Coffee – 1/4 cup
Liqueur (coffee flavored) – 1 tablespoon
FROSTING
Heavy cream – 2 cups
Confectioners’ sugar – 1/4 cup
Liqueur (coffee flavored) – 2 tablespoons
FILLING
Mascarpone cheese – 1 (8 oz) container
Confectioners’ sugar – 1/2 cup
Liqueur (coffee flavored) – 2 tablespoons
GARNISH
Unsweetened cocoa powder – 2 tablespoons
Semisweet chocolate – 1 (1 oz) square
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees C (350F). Get 3 9-inch baking pans. Grease and flour each.
2. Prepare the cake mix by following the instructions on the label. Pour 2/3 of the batter into 2 pans. Mix instant coffee with the remaining batter and pour into the third pan.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Turn out the base cakes and cool in a wire rack. Prepare a mixture of brewed coffee and 1 tbsp coffee liqueur in measuring cup and set aside.
4. Prepare the filling. Mix the Mascarpone, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and 2 tbsp coffee liqueur in a small mixing bowl. Use a handy electric mixer and set it to low speed. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and put it inside the ref.
5. Prepare the frosting. Use a medium-sized bowl and mix the cream, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, and 2 tbsp coffee liqueur. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is stiff. Fold half cup of cream mixture into the filling.
6. Assemble the cake. Place one plain base cake into a flat plate. Poke holes into the base cake with a skewer. Pour 1/3 of the reserved coffee mixture over the cake. Then spread half of the filling mixture. Put the coffee-flavored cake on top and poke hole into it. Pour another 1/3 coffee mixture and spread the remaining filling. Top with the other plain cake and poke holes through it. Pour the remaining coffee mixture on top of the third layer. Spread the frosting on the sides of the cake. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and garnish with choco curls. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes. Serve.
Note: use a vegetable peeler and run it down at the edge of the square chocolate to make the curls.
