Ten-Minute Tostadas

 

Ingredients

· 8-12 store-bought tostadas

· Favorite store-bought bean dip

· 4 cups leftover chopped or shredded chicken, or however much you have on hand

· 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

· Favorite tostada garnishes, such as shredded lettuce, avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, pickled or thinly sliced fresh jalapenos, and cilantro

 

Steps

1) Lay the tostadas on a sheet pan. Dollop some bean dip on each one and, using the back of a spoon, spread the dip into a thin layer covering each tostada.

2) Place the chicken on top of the bean dip, being careful not to pile it too high or it won’t heat through; if using poached chicken, spoon a little bit of the poaching liquid from the storage container over the meat to help keep it moist while it reheats. Top with the shredded cheese, dividing it equally among the tostadas.

3) Heat the broiler to low and place the sheet pan underneath for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts and the edges of the tostadas turn a deep golden brown; watch carefully, as the tostadas can burn quickly.

4) Remove the tostadas from the oven and top with your favorite garnishes. Serve immediately.

 

From: Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner: 50 Winning Ways to Cook it Up!

By: Stacie Billis

 

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

· 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

· 1 pound bucatini 8 thick-cut bacon slices, sliced crosswire into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

· 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

· 4 large egg yolks

· 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

 

Steps

1) Fill a large pot with water 2 inches from the top. Place over high heat and let come to a boil. Ad 2 teaspoons of the salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions (until al dente). Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.

2) In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, or until crisp. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes more, until softened. Remove from the heat.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmesan, and pepper. It will be quite thick, so whisk in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to make the mixture pourable.

4) Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the bacon-onion mixture. Now pour in the egg yolk-Parmesan mixture and stir vigorously until the pasta is well coated. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup pasta water, if necessary, to loosen the sauce. Taste for seasoning; you may want to add a pinch of salt. Serve topped with a little more Parmesan and pepper. 

 

From: Food Swings: 125+ Recipes to Enjoy Your Life of Virtue & Vice

By: Jessica Seinfeld

 

Celebrating Macaroni This July

Mac & Cheese is a fan favorite amongst many households in America, and for many, this love starts from a young age. From something as simple as a microwavable dish, to something as complex as a gourmet meal, macaroni brings smiles to people everywhere; in fact, the logo for one of the most famous mac & cheese brands, “Kraft,” even is a smile! With both National Mac & Cheese Day (July 14th), and National Macaroni Day (July 7th) being this month, it’s the perfect time to check out a delicious new pasta recipe. Luckily, BPL has hundreds of macaroni recipes, even an entire cookbook dedicated specifically to macaroni & cheese! Take a look at these titles:

• Mac & Cheese, Please! : 50 Super Cheesy Recipes by Werlin, Laura

• Pasta Night! : 101 Flavor-Packed Weeknight Dishes from Noodle Bowls to Cheesy Casseroles Plus Salads, Soups & Sides!

• Comfort Food : Scrumptious Classics Made Easy : Good Food Guaranteed by Good Housekeeping

• Tasty Adulting : All Your Faves, All Grown Up

Tomato-Feta Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients
· 1 pound short noodles, cooked according to package directions
· 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
· 2 lbs. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
· 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
· 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
· 1 pound French goat’s milk feta, diced
· 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
· 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
· Salt and pepper, to taste
 
Steps
1) Drain the noodles and toss them in a large bowl with the olive oil. Set aside to cool. When the pasta is cool to the touch, gently toss in the rest of the ingredients, tasting a few bites to see if you need more salt and pepper or vinegar.
 
From: The Make-Ahead Kitchen: 75 Slow-Cooker, Freezer, and Prepared Meals for the Busy Lifestyle
By: Annalise Thomas

 

National Smoothie Day

With summer in full effect, it’s the perfect time for a cold drink; whether you’re looking for a healthy option, or something more sweet, a smoothie is sure to cure your cravings! National Smoothie Day, on June 21st is a great opportunity to try out a new recipe. We have a number of cookbooks that will provide you with a variety of drink options:

• The Ultimate Smoothie Book: 101 Delicious Recipes for Blender Drinks, Frozen Desserts, Shakes, and More! by Cherie Calbom

• Smoothie Project: the 28-Day Plan to Feel Happy and Healthy No Matter Your Age by Catherine McCord

• Smoothies & Juices by Ed Marquand

• Easy Smoothies & Juices: Simply Delicious Recipes for Goodness In a Glass

• The Juice Lady's Big Book of Juices & Green Smoothies: More Than 400 Simple, Delicious Recipes! by Cherie Calbom

These are just a few of our favorites, but if you don’t see something you like, our 641 section in the nonfiction surely will. Use up some of your leftover ingredients, and celebrate smoothie day with a blended masterpiece. Maybe you’ll even discover a new favorite recipe!

Blackberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

 

Rolls

· 1/4 cup very warm water

· 1/2 cup room temperature milk

· 1 packet active dry yeast

· 1/4 cup butter, softened

· 2 tsp vanilla extract

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1/4 cup sugar

· 2 eggs

· 2 3/4 cups flour

· 3/4 cup seedless blackberry spreadable fruit

 

Icing

· 1/2 cup powdered sugar

· 1 tbsp. milk

· 1/2 tsp lemon extract

· 2-3 tsp lemon zest

 

Steps

1) stir together the water and milk in the bowl of a standing mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

2) Add the butter, vanilla, salt, sugar, and 1 egg to the bowl. Beat on medium-low speed with a paddle attachment for 30 seconds or until the butter is broken up into pieces.

3) Gradually beat in the flour on medium speed until just combined.

4) Turn the dough out onto a flowered surface and knead until it is soft, mostly smooth, and only slightly sticky 9approximatly 5-8 minutes). You may need to periodically reflour the surface to keep the dough from sticking.

5) Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough inside, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen cloth and allow to rise for 1 hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

6) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two muffin pans with cooking spray and set aside.

7) Punch down the dough and roll it our into a 15x10-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Coat the dough in an even layer of the spreadable fruit. Starting from the narrow end, loosely roll the dough into a swiss roll.

 

From the book: A Literary Tea Party: Blends and Treats for Alice, Bilbo, Dorothy Jo, and Book Lovers Everywhere

By: Alison Walsh

Introduction by: Sara Letourneau

Recipe from: A Little Princess

By: Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

 

Ingredients

· 1 lb. mushrooms

· 1/2 c. butter or margarine

· 1 tsp. lemon juice

· 1 small onion, sliced

· 1/3 c. flour

· 3 1/2 c. water

· 3 chicken bouillon cubes

· 1 tsp. salt

· 1/4 tsp. Pepper

· 1 c. heavy or whipping cream

 

Steps

1) Trim tough stem ends of mushrooms; remove stems. Set aside. Slice mushroom caps thinly. In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook sliced mushrooms and lemon juice until mushrooms are just tender. Reduce heat to medium low. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2) In a saucepan, in remaining butter, cook onions and stems. Cook until onion is tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook one minute, stirring mixture constantly. Gradually stir in water and bouillon; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Into blender container, ladle half of mixture. Cover. At high speed, blend until smooth; repeat with other half. Return mixture to pan. Stir in salt, pepper, cream, and mushroom slices. Reheat just until boiling point.

 

From: Favorite Recipes

By: Bremen Missionary Church (2002)

Recipe by: Jamie Soule

 

Kate's Staff Pick

Head of Children’s Services, Kate, stated that Grilled Cheese Kitchen : Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between by Heidi Gibson is one of her favorite cookbooks from BPL’s large collection. She said, “I love grilled cheese in any way, shape, or form and this book has a lot of really good recipes to mix it up a little bit.”  Gibson’s 39 recipes are described as going “way beyond the ordinary.” This book is full of fun and quirky titles such as “The Classic Mousetrap” and “The Piglet.” Gibson also has a very similar cookbook titled Muffins & Biscuits: 50 Recipes to Start Your Day with a Smile if you enjoyed this one. To check out Kate’s recommendation, or more [grilled] cheesy titles, look for the call number “641.6 Gib.”