Cooking show recipes

Sofrito is a rich sautéed mixture of onion, peppers and garlic that makes for a great tomato sauce. It is used in many Puerto Rican dishes. Use a lean ground beef, but not the leanest, so that the meatballs will be tender.

Sofrito Sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup cilantro sprigs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lime-Cilantro Gremolata:

1 medium lime

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1. To prepare sofrito sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until tender.

2. Place onion mixture and remaining ingredients in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Set aside.

3. To prepare meatballs, combine beef and next 7 ingredients (beef through pepper) in a medium bowl; shape mixture into 30 (1-inch) meatballs. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add meatballs; cook until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Drain well; return to pan.

4. Add reserved sofrito sauce; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until meatballs are done and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a serving bowl or individual shot glasses.

5. To prepare gremolata, grate rind from lime, reserving lime for another use. Combine lime rind, cilantro and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle over meatballs. Serves 10.

Per serving: 120 calories, 8g fat, 40mg chol., 8g prot., 5g carbs., 1g fiber, 410mg sodium.

--Recipe by Lisa Holderness and Wini Moranville

Butternut squash soup with caramelized apple bruschetta

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (about 3 cups cubed)

4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

White pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Chopped fresh chives

1. Combine squash and broth in a large saucepan; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cool.

2. Purée squash in blender or food processor.

3. Return purée to saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir in sour cream, butter and cayenne. Add salt, white pepper and brown sugar. Serve with Caramelized Apple Bruschetta, if desired, and garnish with chives. Serves 6.

Per serving (without Bruschetta): 160 calories, 8g fat, 25mg chol., 5g prot., 18g carbs., 3g fiber, 580mg sodium.

--Recipe by relish™ Chef Jon Ashton

Caramelized apple bruschetta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 tablespoons butter

3 apples (Granny Smith, Gala or Winesap) peeled, cored and diced into quarter-inch cubes, about 2 3/4 cups

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 baguette, sliced on the bias, into 3/4-inch slices

1/4teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Fresh thyme for garnish

1. In a large nonstick skillet melt butter and olive oil over low heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon and cook until browned and crisp-tender, about 12 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. Place bread on baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Place a spoonful of apple mixture on top of each slice and garnish with thyme, if using. Serves 12.

Per serving: 180 calories, 5g fat, 5mg chol., 5g prot., 29g carbs., 2g fiber, 300mg sodium.

--Recipe by relish™ Chef Jon Ashton

Rosa di Parma (Filled Beef Tenderloin)

We added spinach to this traditional Italian dish, which is served in Italy for special occasions. Served with its pan juices, it pairs perfectly with potatoes. Proscuitto (Italian for "ham") is a seasoned salt-cured ham served very thinly sliced. Although it has a distinct flavor, you can use any thinly sliced ham in its place.

1 (2½-pound) beef tenderloin

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 (3-ounce) package sliced prosciutto

6 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 cups baby spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup brandy

Rosemary sprigs

½ cup beef broth

1. Butterfly beef with a sharp, thin bladed knife, by cutting lengthwise down center of tenderloin; open like a book. Cover with parchment and pound until beef is about ¼-inch thick.

2. Stir together olive oil and garlic. Brush beef with half the garlic oil. Sprinkle with pepper.

3. Arrange prosciutto over entire surface of beef. Top with cheese and spinach leaves. Carefully roll meat lengthwise into a long slender roll. Using kitchen twine, tie to secure.

4. Mix together salt, sage and chopped rosemary and rub into surface of meat. Combine remaining garlic oil and butter in a Dutch oven or deep skillet; place over medium heat. Add beef, turning to brown all sides.

5. Add brandy and sprigs of rosemary to pan and allow brandy to reduce. Pour in beef broth. Continue to cook, turning and basting with pan juices about 30 minutes for rare (140F) or longer for desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove twine and slice. Serves 8.

Per serving: 373 calories, 20g fat, 38g prot., 4g carbs., 1g fiber, 849mg sodium.

Sautéed brussels sprouts with garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano

Inspired by Diane Morgan's book The Christmas Table (Chronicle Books, 2008), this recipe uses shredded Brussels sprouts.

2 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Trim stem ends of Brussels sprouts. Using the slicing blade of a food processor, process sprouts into thin slices, then separate with your fingers. If no food processor is available, carefully slice them by hand.

2. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to high; add broth. Cover and cook about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl; top with cheese. Serves 10.

Per serving: 120 calories, 7g fat, 10mg chol., 6g prot., 11g carbs., 4g fiber, 280mg sodium.

Bananas flambé

If using a gas range top, take pan away from heat before adding alcohol.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons banana liqueur

2 bananas, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 cup dark rum

Juice of 1 lime

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir until sugar dissolves.

2. Add banana liqueur. Bring to simmer, cook 3 minutes. Add sliced bananas; cook 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they cook.

3. Carefully add rum and ignite alcohol with long match or stick lighter. Continue cooking until flame subsides, 1-2 minutes. Add lime juice and stir to combine. Serve over vanilla ice cream. Serves 2.

Per serving (without ice cream): 410 calories, 11g fat, 30mg chol., 1g prot., 57g carbs., 3g fiber, 5mg sodium.

--Recipe by relish™ Chef Jon Ashton