Food goodness

Ceviche is a raw fish salad, but can also be made with shrimp or scallops. I prefer shrimp (which is cooked), but I also very much like it with white fish. Tonight we're having shrimp, because I had 2 pounds of frozen, cooked shrimp in the freezer. Recipe from my parents. My father's very funny notes in parenthesis. White fish or shrimp Lemon juice to cover fish overnight Drain lemon juice Add: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup white wine (no whining) 1 tbs olive oil Salt & Pepper to taste 1 red onion diced 1 fresh tomato (check expiration date) Coriander to taste 3 or 4 jalapeño slices (or whole jalapeño diced if you’re not a wimp) and some jalapeño juice to taste (if you don’t use whole jalapeño) Hot sauce to taste Mix it all together, serve with tortillas or tortilla chips

This is how my parents always make their marinated mushrooms. I'm guessing the recipe probably originated from my grandparents, but no clue where it came from before that. All I know is that Ernie loves mushrooms, and he loves it when I marinate them like this. 1 pound mushrooms 2/3 cup olive oil 2/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 shallot or scallion, minced 1 tsp. salt 1 dash pepper 1 cup red wine 2 garlic cloves, smashed Combine all ingredients. Heat in a saucepan, but do not boil, for about 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Place the mushrooms and the marinade in the fridge for several hours before serving.

Adapted from: Allrecipes My mom and I made spritz cookies every year at Christmas, using our electric cookie press. Every year the first batch came flying out of the cookie press like the chocolates in that I L0ve Lucy episode in the chocolate factory. We had to scoop up the dough and start again. I now have a manual cookie press, and this was the first cookie I made with it. If you don't have a cookie press you could also use this dough to make thumbprint cookies filled with raspberry or apricot jam. I used almond extract instead of the orange zest called for. You could play around with the flavors or even add food coloring to make green Christmas trees, etc. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup butter 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange zest (or 1 1/2 tsp almond extract) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees

I just made this up, based on the full-sized Rustic Onion Tart recipe that I posted here awhile back. I wanted to turn that delicious main dish into an appetizer, so I just adapted it this way. I don't have exact measurements, sizes or times, but there should be enough info here for you to get the point. I'll try to pay more attention next time. 3 large red onions, halved cross-wise and sliced thinly splash of balsamic vinegar gruyere cheese, shredded or sliced into small, thin squares pie crust dough (store-bought or homemade Saute the onions over medium heat until well browned. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Unroll your pie dough onto a flat surface. Using a small round cookie cutter (or the mouth of a small drinking glass), cut the pie dough into circles that will fit nicely into a mini-muffin pan. I have a water glass that makes the perfect sized circles for my muffin pan. Press the dough into the muffin tin. Place a sm

Adapted from Weight Watchers and Closet Cooking . Here we are, about to leave for Hawaii and the last thing I want to do is bring home fresh produce with the possibility of not being able to eat it all before we leave. Also, I've been on a mission to eat up the goodies in my freezer and this is a good way to it. For the crust: 2 cups cooked brown rice (I cook a whole bunch at a time and then freeze left overs) 1 egg 1/4 C finely grated cheese For the quiche-y goodness: 4 whole eggs 12 oz fat free evaporated milk 1/2 C fat free cottage cheese 1/2 C (or so) finely grated gruyere cheese 10 oz chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (or 8 C fresh spinach, cooked, squeezed dry and chopped) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Preheat oven to 425. Combine ingredients for crust and press into a pie pan. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Whisk together remaining ingredients except spinach. Scatter spinach in bottom of crust and pour over egg mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 m

I wish I'd taken a photo of these before I distributed them at work... they are sort of ridiculously cute. My friend Amanda showed me how to do this, based on Bakerella's recipe except a bit simpler, and it's pretty fun. She prefers chocolate cake mix with cream cheese frosting, but I'm sure it would be good in other ways. We also dipped the pops into white chocolate and put shiny white sprinkles on them, so they looked like snowballs, and then did some more traditional ones with regular chocolate and different colors of sprinkles. Cute and good. 1. Make a store-bought cake according to the directions on the box. Make sure you don't overcook at all so that the edges are not crispy at all -- it should all be as soft as possible. 2. Crumble up the cake into crumbs, basically. There can be some chunks but the more uniform the better. 3. Mix in most a tub of store-bought frosting, leaving maybe 6 T or so still in the container. Form the mixture into balls with your han

From Everybody Likes Sandwiches , with some fairly major modifications in the ingredients but not the technique. The author gets very excited about the fact that this granola clumps successfully, and she is right -- it is totally excitement-worthy. Also, I don't think I've ever made anything in my life (not cookies, not fresh bread, nothing) that's made our apartment smell this good. It got J. out of bed this morning, seeking the source of the amazingness. 2 c organic large-flake rolled oats 1 t cinnamon (I used more than this) pinch of nutmeg (I added a pinch of cloves too) 1/2 t salt 3 T plus 1 t canola oil 1/4 c honey (I did half maple syrup) 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar 1 t pure vanilla extract 2/3 c whole almonds (I skipped) 2/3 c raisins (I substituted a handful of chopped mixed fruit and some chopped crystallized ginger) Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large bowl, toss oats with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, brown

Know what makes from a mix brownies even better? More chocolate. And marshmallows. adapted from Cookie Madness 1 box “Family Style” brownies eggs, water, oil, in the proportions your mix calls for 2 cups mini marshmallows 2/3 cups toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts or toasted walnut “nuggets” (I used hazlenuts, they were good, too) 1 1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray. Mix the brownie mix, eggs, oil, and water together in a mixing bowl and beat for 50-60 strokes or until mixed. Pour into pan and set timer for 5 minutes less than total baking time on box. While brownies cook, mix together the marshmallows, walnuts and a little less than a cup of the chocolate chips (you’ll be saving some for the end). Pull brownies from the oven, quickly sprinkle with marshmallow mixture, then return to oven for last 5 minutes so that marshmallows can melt. Remove from oven. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top of

More cookies! These are so incredibly easy and take so little time that I don't know why I haven't made them before. I am not atwitter with all the possibilities, because really, the base is the same and it's just the extract/add-ins that would change. And look -- no fat! It's positively a cookie that's healthy for you. Sort of. from Serious Eats Meringue Cookies 2 egg whites 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional) I used 1/4 and they were perfect, I thought. 4 drops green food coloring (optional) Heat oven to 225°F and line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Using a StandMixer or good hand mixer, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and keep beating until stiff peaks form. (DO NOT underbeat.) If using extract and food coloring, add at the end and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes. Spoon mixture into a plastic bag (or pipin

I'm not sure if you could use this marinade for anything else, because I've only ever used it for steak (flank steak, to be specific), but I bet it works well for chicken, too. 1/4 c. soy sauce 3/4 c. oil (use whatever kind you like. I use a blend of olive, sesame and corn oils, usually) 2 Tbsp. honey (or a couple of really good squirts from the honey bottle) 1 clove garlic, mashed (I used 3 cloves roasted garlic today) 1 green onion, chopped 1 tsp. ginger powder 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger (or more) Mix everything together, pour over meat. Marinate for at least 8 hours, up to 12. (probably less than 8 if you're using chicken)

I don't usually bake with nuts, because J. can't eat them, but I have a bag and a half of leftover pecans and they were way too expensive to waste. These will be coming to a potluck with me tomorrow, provided that I don't eat them all first... they really are quite nicely spiced, as the name implies, and very delicious. (I would have used Sundry's insanely good recipe but we are inexplicably out of white sugar, and also I probably wouldn't have been able to keep the chocolate out, and for once, I'm glad I did.) Also, Farmgirl Susan points out that filling the cups really full gives nice big muffins without spilling out into the oven, and she's right. Makes about 18 large muffins 1 cup raisins [I used currants, because I like how they're small and get into every bite. also I didn't have any raisins. I should go grocery shopping sometime this month...] 3/4 cup orange juice [I used apple cider] 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat

Oh my word, these are so good. We all devoured them tonight, and if there'd been more, we would have eaten them, too. My advice? Makes twice what the recipe calls for, because you'll want them. This is my adaptation, based on what I had in the house. For the original recipe, go to the amazing Steamy Kitchen . half a package rice noodles 1/4 cup chopped scallions 5 roasted garlic cloves, finely minced 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 3-4 tablespoons butter Soak noodles in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Drain. Fry the aromatics: In wok or large sauté pan, heat about 3 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Before the butter gets too hot, add the scallions and garlic. Fry until fragrant, but careful not to let it burn. Slowly frying on med-low heat will flavor the butter. Add brown sugar, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Stir. Fry the noodles: Add the drained noodles. Fry for 2 minutes until the noodles are done.

Oh hi. Look, it's me with another dessert recipe. Are you surprised? You really shouldn't be. In any case, I promise to post something non-desserty soon. It's just that...it's winter...and it's cold...and there's nothing (in my opinion) nicer than curling up with a cup of hot tea and something sweet. Like maybe this apple pie. adapted from Pioneer Woman 1 whole Pie Crust 6 cups (to 7 Cups) Peeled And Sliced Granny Smith Apples ½ whole (juice Of) Lemon ½ cups Sugar 4 Tablespoons Flour ¼ teaspoons Salt 1 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice (Penzey's makes a really good one, FYI) ½ cups Flour 1-½ stick Butter 1 cup Brown Sugar ½ cups Quick Oats ¼ teaspoons Salt ½ cups Pecans, Chopped 1 jar Caramel Topping In a bowl mix peeled apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, apple pie spice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside. For crumb topping, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, then add in brown sugar, oats, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add apples to prepared p

Liberally adapted from Vegetarian Times . 2 large zucchini (mine weighed 14.5 oz each!) 1 medium tomato, finely diced 1/2 large onion, finely diced 3 oz feta, crumbled small handful of oil-cured olives, chopped 1/2 C panko 2 cloves garlic, minced big pinch of red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 375. Wash zucchinis and halve lengthwise. If your zukes are unstable, peel off a very thin slice from tip to end so that they don't rock about in the pan. Scrape out flesh to make a long, narrow channel down each half and reserve. I left about 1/4" of flesh all around. Finely chop about 2/3 of scooped out flesh and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add chopped zucchini flesh to pan. Saute until cooked through. Pour into a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. I added a pinch of dried basil but would have preferred oregano. In a 9 x 13 dish, spray with cooking spray and place

My good friend Crystal made these lovely pretzel sandwiches, and I immediately had to ask her how she did it. If you're looking for something easy to make this holiday season, this fits the bill. Square pretzels 1 bag rolos chocolate for dipping (I used both white and milk) Sprinkles Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet, and remove wrappers from all of the rolos. Place one candy on top of each pretzel. Place in oven for 3-6 minutes, until the chocolate gets shiny. (watch them close, you don't want them to melt) Take out of oven, place another pretzel on top of candy and press down to squish slightly. Let cool. Then melt chocolate, and dip the whole pretzel sandwich. Decorate as you see fit.

No bake cookies are a hit in our house, because it frees up the oven for other things...like baking cookies. Because seriously, when this time of year rolls around? I get a little obsessive about the baking. This is a Food Network recipe 2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons cocoa 1 stick butter 1/2 cup milk 1 cup peanut butter 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 cups oatmeal Waxed paper In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

I did a search for recipes a few weeks ago using Guinness...I bought a 6-pack this summer to make that cake (which was fantastic), but we don't drink Guinness. It's been sitting in my fridge since then. This was a good recipe, then, because it got rid of some of the Guinness, and also our leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving. And, it was totally easy and really tasty. 1 lb ground beef 1 onion, dinced 3 carrots, diced 2 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. rosemary 1 tsp. thyme 1 c. beef broth 1 c. Guinness 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese mashed potatoes Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef for a few minutes. Add carrots and onions and sauté until the beef is cooked through. Mix in flour and herbs. In a bowl, combine the beef broth, Guinness and tomato paste. Add to the skillet, and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon into a 9-inch pie pan, and top with mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheddar cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Um, yum. Really, that's all. We all devoured this. from Alton Brown (really, can you go wrong with an Alton Brown recipe?) 2 quarts vegetable broth 1 turkey carcass 1 10-ounce box frozen vegetable medley 1/2 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked 2 cups turkey meat, cubed or torn into small pieces 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 2 teaspoons dried thyme (oops, I forgot this. It was totally fine without) Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Put the broth and carcass in an 8-quart pot over low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook and cover for 1 hour. Remove the carcass. Add the vegetables, rice, turkey meat, Old Bay, and thyme to the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes.

I like my sweet potatoes to taste like sweet potatoes, with a little bit of stuff added in. So when I looked at the recipe my Gran wanted me to use this year, it looked too sweet to me. I went searching, realized they were probably all to sweet for my liking, and so I adapted this one. from Pioneer Woman 6 to 8 cups sweet potatoes (I microwaved mine, then scooped out the flesh until I had 8 cups. Took 4-5 sweet potatoes) 1 c. milk 1/2-1 c. sugar (I used 3/4 c. sugar, will probably reduce to 1/2 c. next time. PW calls for 1 c.) 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 1 tsp. salt 3/4 stick butter 1 c. pecans 1/2 c. flour 1 c. brown sugar Add sugar to the sweet potatoes. Now add 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mash with potato masher. Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), 1/2 cup flour, and 3/4 stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined. Spread

If you're not brining your turkey at Thanksgiving/Christmas/insert holiday here, I make a plea to your cooking sensibilities that you give this a shot next time you need to roast/fry/smoke some poultry. So, so good. Ernie fried the bird this year, and it was moist and flavorful and generally wonderful all around. adapted from Emeril 1 cup salt 1 cup brown sugar 2 oranges, quartered 2 lemons, quartered 6 sprigs thyme 4 sprigs rosemary 2-3 sprigs sage (note: I bought one of those little containers of Poultry Seasoning fresh herbs...and just dumped the whole thing in the brine) 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey Mix the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water. Add rest of ingredients, then pour over turkey. Let sit overnight in the fridge. Then drain, rinse, pat dry, and cook the way you'd like.

This is really more about procedure than a recipe. I'm using it today for roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Can also be spread on bread, or mixed with pasta and parm cheese. Or, you know, whatever you'd like to do with your garlic. Whole head of garlic olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel away outer layers of paper on garlic, but leave skin on each clove intact. Cut a little bit off the top. Put in muffin pans or on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, cover each head with foil. Roast 30-40 minutes, until soft. Let cool, then can pop each clove from its skin. Yum.

This is my go-to pumpkin pie recipe, which might have been helpful BEFORE Thanksgiving. In any case, here you go. Good at any time of year, honestly. adapted from Simply Recipes 2 cups of pumpkin purée 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 good crust (see pâte brisée recipe) Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix sugars, salt and spices in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in milk. Whisk all together until well incorporated. Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.

Adapted from Paula Deen 4 cups whole pecans 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. cinnamon Cooking spray Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine pecans, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Spread into a square baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until coating is dry, and slightly crystallized, stirring once. Remove from oven to cool and stir once more. If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container.

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks . This was really good, relatively easy and lower in fat with some modifications of the original recipe. Heidi says it makes good leftovers but as it isn't lunchtime yet, I can't say for certain but I'm sure it will be good. 8 oz can crushed pineapple in 100% juice 2 tbs soy sauce 1 tsp or so of chili paste (I use Sambal Olek) 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 clove garlic, chopped 1' piece of ginger, peeled and chopped 4 handfuls arugula 2 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature (I use TJs frozen rice) 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1/2 medium red onion (or use shallots), peeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup cashews, roasted/toasted and chopped 4 ounces tempeh, cut into little bits and pan-fried (shrimp would be excellent here) 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1" cubes Combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and warm gently without boiling or simmering. In a large bowl, add the arugula

Adapted from Mark Bittman and Nigella Lawson. 5 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup millet (uncooked) 1/2 cup wheat germ 1 cup slivered almonds 1 Tbs cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg dash salt 1/2 cup maple syrup (I used grade A--it's the only kind I have) 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tbs canola oil 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup dried currants Preheat oven to 310 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet (or 2, I probably should have used 2) with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients down to the salt and mix well. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together oil, syrup and applesauce. Pour over oat mixture and stir well to coat. Pour granola onto baking sheet(s) and spread out into an even layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes to promote even browning. If you use only one baking sheet, it will take about 30 minutes. Pour in dried fruits and stir. Return baking sheet to oven f

From: Kraft Foods I'm not usually a big fan of Jello salads, but my mom made this a couple of times last year around the holidays and it was really good. This could be a dessert or a side dish. It would also make a good dish for a pot-luck and is a nice twist on the traditional cranberry sauce. 1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple 2 pkg (4-servings each) or 1 pkg (8 servings) Raspberry or Cherry Jello mix 1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce 1 medium apple, small dice 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Drain pineapple, reserving liquid in a 1-qt measuring cup. Remove 1 Tbsp of the crushed pineapple and set aside for garnish. Add enough cold water to reserved liquid to measure 3 cups; pour into large saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cranberry sauce; stir until well blended. Pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate 1.5 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg white). Stir in remai

Adapted from Martha Stewart . Here's the secret to this recipe: use won ton wrappers to make the ravioli. I'm sure I could have found pasta sheets at Whole Foods or something but won ton skins are already pre-cut into little squares making it very easy to assemble your raviolis. 1 cup pureed pumpkin, or butternut squash 1 teaspoon light-brown sugar 1 large egg 1/4 cup grated parmessan cheese Pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if you can) Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pkg won ton wrappers (I used NaSoya) 1/2 stick unsalted butter (next time I'll cut back to 3 tbs) 1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage leaves For the ravioli filling: combine pumpkin/squash puree, egg, S&P, nutmeg, cheese and brown sugar and whisk to combine; set aside. On a large cutting board, remove 4 skins and place 1 tsp of filling in the center of each skin. Lightly brush water on the around the filling and gently place a won ton skin on top. Press gently around the filling and try to allow a

Adapted from: Simply Recipes , originally from Food and Wine Magazine I know this might not SOUND like a tasty soup, but it was really good. It tasted like potato-leek soup, and was thick and creamy with a minimal amount of fat. I was sort of liberal with my adaptations with this, based on what I had in the house. I put the original recipe here so you can figure out what adaptations you want to make. I didn't have nearly the quantity of turnips called for, so I decreased the amount of chicken stock so it wouldn't be too thin. I had hakurai turnips, which are small and round, like white radishes. I'm not sure what the difference in flavor would be with regular turnips, but it was quite tasty the way I made it. 6 Tbsp unsalted butter ( I used 2 Tbsp ) 4 medium onions, thinly sliced ( I used 2 softball-sized yellow onions ) 3 pounds fresh, young turnips, peeled and thinly sliced ( I used 2 small bunches of white hakurai turnips ) 1 1/2 pounds of Russet baking potatoes, pe

The former co-worker I got this recipe from labeled this a "breakfast cobbler" but I never seem to get my act together in time to put it in the slow cooker before I go to bed. And honestly, I've never seen any reason not to have this for dessert. Maybe with some vanilla ice cream. 3 apples 3 pears 1/3 c. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. flour 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/3 c. apple cider 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. apple pie spice 2 Tbsp. butter 3 c. granola Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Peel, core and slice the apples and pears into eighths. Put the prepared fruit into the crock pot. In a jar with a tight fitting lid put the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, apple cider, and spices. Put the lid on the jar and shake the jar vigorously until there are no more lumps. Pour over fruit and stir to coat. Dot the tops of apples and pears with 2 Tbsp. of butter. Spread the granola evenly over the fruit. Cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours. Turn off slow cooker, remove lid, and allow t

From Everybody Likes Sandwiches . I won't bother re-typing the recipe here since I didn't change a thing but you need to stop what you are doing and go make these right now. Gwen, I am talking to you. Well, I urge all of you to make these but especially Gwen because she is a coffee lover too and, oh my god, these are delicious. I made them as a thank you gift for the nurses at Home Health/Hospice and if I wasn't expected to show up with goodies tomorrow I would keep them at home for myself. So good.

Source: "Baking" by Dorie Greenspan From Becky: These things are truly awesome. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you; they're not difficult. Greenspan provides a lot of detail in the write-up. From Greenspan: These miniaturized brownies are a sensational after-school snack, a great half-time munchie or a dainty treat at teatime. To dress them up elegantly, dip the button tops in melted white chocolate and serve them in pretty little paper or foil cups. If snacking is more what you have in mind, skip the glaze and just pile them into a bowl. Grated zest of 1/2 orange (optional) 1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces 2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 large egg For the glaze (optional) 2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped Center a rack in the oven and preheat

Source: "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters Geoff and I served this with toasted slices of baguette. Yield: 2 cups Preheat the oven to 400. Cut in half lengthwise: 2 medium eggplants Sprinkle the cut surfaces with: Salt Fresh-ground black pepper Olive oil Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until soft. Test for doneness at the stem end; the eggplant should be very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool. Scrape the flesh out of the skins into a bowl and stir vigorously to loosen into a puree. Add: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil Salt Fresh-ground black pepper 1 garlic clove, peeled and pounded to a puree 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro (we used cilantro) Mix well and taste, adding more salt and lemon as needed. Variations: * Use 2 tablespoons chopped mint in place of parsley or cilantro. * Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed toasted coriander seeds. To toast, heat whole coriander seeds in a heavy pan over medium h

Source (roasted sweet peppers): "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters Preheat oven to 450. Wash and dry: 3 whole medium fleshy bell peppers Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet with at least a 1/2 inch of space between each pepper for even browning. Roast in the oven, checking every 5 minutes. Turn them as they begin to brown. Keep turning until the skin is blistered and black and the peppers are soft but not completely falling apart, about 35 minutes (note: it only took about 25 for me). If the skin is done but the pepper is still firm, place the pepper in a covered container to steam. Allow to cool. Cut the peppers in half and scrape out the ribs and seeds. Peel off the skin. Tear or cut the flesh into 1/2 inch strips. Marinate with: * 1 small garlic clove, pounded to a puree * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 1 teaspoon vinegar * 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram * fresh ground black pepper * salt to taste Note: I let the peppers marinate overnight.

This makes A LOT, especially if you make it with the other recipes. We'll be eating leftovers for days. The good news is both Gaby and Katie liked it, which makes it kid-friendly. Adapted from Rachael Ray box frozen spinach, defrosted 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped Italian salt blend (had basil, oregano in it) A few grates nutmeg 4 chicken breasts 4-6 slices prosciutto di Parma, 1/3 pound 3 to 4 tablespoons Italian dressing (I had one made with olive oil) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wring out defrosted spinach in clean kitchen towel. Toast nuts and combine with spinach in a bowl, mix in cheeses, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cut into and across but not all the way through the chicken breasts, opening them up like a book with a sharp knife. Fill each with a small mound of stuffing. Flap chicken breasts back over stuffing and wrap each breast with prosciutto to seal them,

This was also really good. I've never cooked with gorgonzola before, but it was not nearly as strong as I thought it'd be. adapted from Rachael Ray 1 1/2 (12-ounce) packages spinach fettuccini, 18 ounces total 2 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup half and half 8 ounces Gorgonzola, cut into small pieces Freshly ground black pepper 4 handfuls baby spinach leaves Heat water to a boil for pasta, cook pasta to al dente. Heat butter in a large sauce pot with butter, add garlic, cook 2 minutes then whisk in flour, cook 1 minute. Whisk in stock then cream, bring to a bubble and stir in Gorgonzola, about 2 minutes until melted. In a serving bowl toss hot pasta with sauce and fresh spinach to wilt in.

I made this recipe because Ernie loves anything at all involving capers, but it is seriously good. We had it with the other recipes she featured on the show -- spinach fettuccini with gorgonzola sauce and Florentine prosciutto wrapped chicken -- and it would be perfect for a meal with company. In fact, I'm planning to serve it when my parents come to visit this Christmas. Adapted from Rachael Ray 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 jar capers, drained well and patted dry 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (don't be afraid of anchovy paste, you can't really taste it) 6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick 1 small red onion or 1/2 medium, very thinly sliced A handful pitted good quality black olives ( I used kalamata) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, for seasoning Heat 1/4 cup oil in small pan over medium-high heat. Add capers but be careful, they will spatter. Fry the capers 1 1/2 to 2 minutes

This isn't much of a recipe, but I have made this two weekends in a row and it is delicious. Really simple and really good. Cut up a bunch of apples (I used about 12-15). Put in crock pot. Pour in about a cup of water. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sprinkle with 1-2 tsps of sugar. Add a few squeezes of lemon juice. Cook on high for 3 hours. It might look like nothing has happened, but when you stir it, the apples with suddenly break down and make a sauce. This was really good for breakfast, with dinner, or as dessert. Last week I used a basket of apples that I picked up at a local farm (might have been Gala? I don't remember). This week I used a mix of Ida Reds, Mutsu and Golden Delicious.

Adapted from: Closet Cooking and All Recipes This was SO good. The two of us ate two bowls apiece. The "recipe" is kind of loose because I just used what I had and tweaked it as I went along, but this is the basic idea. I started with a ham bone that was frozen after Christmas last year - one of those spiral-cut honey-baked hams. So, the ham I used started with a lot of good flavor. I put the frozen ham bone in the pot and then after it simmered for awhile, I pulled off the bits of ham that were still on the bone. I had intended to add a cubed ham steak that I bought for the soup, but I ended up pulling enough ham off the bone that I didn't need to add any more. Add as much water as you want, depending on how thin you want the broth, and depending on how salty the broth ends up after you simmer the ham bone. 1 ham bone, fresh or frozen 4 cups chicken stock 2-4 cups of water, to taste 3 bay leaves 1 cup carrots, diced 1 cup onions, diced 1 cup celery, diced 3 cups o

Okay, this is something I never would have decided to make on my own, but I'm trying one new recipe from each of my cookbooks, and this is the one that caught my eye -- because I thought Ernie would love it. The original recipe called for oxtails, but I mistakenly bought grass-fed beef shanks instead, so that's what I used. The recipe has a lot of ingredients and steps, but they are well worth it. The meat was really tender and flavorful, and although I thought I wouldn't be much of a fan -- I loved it. I'd definitely make this if I was having company over for dinner, and serve it with polenta and some sort of roasted veggie. We had it with green beans and pasta with butter/parm cheese, and that was fine, too. Adapted from Molto Italiano , by The Man Mario Batali 5 pounds grass-fed beef shanks 3 Tbsp. tomato paste 2 Tbsp. olive oil 4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you could substitute bacon here, but it wouldn't be quite as good) 1 large onion, finely dic

As though all of us really need another pumpkin recipe, right? Except we kind of do. As Shannon said, pumpkin loves us too. These are basically miniature whoopie pies, and I doubled the recipe . They were quite good, but they would have been even better if they'd had more filling, so consider doubling the cream cheese. Cream cheese also loves us too, I think. Ingredients: * 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon * Dash nutmeg * 4 ounces butter, softened * 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar * 1 cup granulated sugar * 2 large eggs * 1 teaspoon vanilla * 1/2 cup whole milk * 3/4 cup canned pumpkin * Filling: * 6 tablespoons butter, softened * 4 ounces cream cheese, softened * 1 teaspoon vanilla * 2 cups powdered sugar Preparation: Line baking sheet with a silicone mat or buttered parchment paper. Heat oven to 350°. In a bowl

Oh, how I love pumpkin. Pumpkin loves me, too, I think. This cheesecake recipe came from my cousin Dana, and then I changed the directions around a little bit. It was super easy and smells super good, and if the taste I made of the batter is any indication, it's really good. You should make one. You know you want to. Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham crumbs 5 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 Tbsp. sugar Filling: 3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup canned pumpkin 3 eggs 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. allspice Mix crust ingredients together, just until wet. Press onto the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 10 min. at 350. Set aside. eggs one at a time, then pumpkin and spices, beat until smooth and creamy.Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, then pumpkin and spices. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or until the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to

French frisee salad with bacon and poached eggs Source: Cooking Light, July 2009 Also known as curly endive, frisée is a slightly bitter green with crisp, lacy leaves. If you can't find it, substitute a salad blend with frisée or radicchio. Put water on to boil while the croutons toast. Yield: 4 servings (it's easy to halve, though) Ingredients * 4 (1-ounce) slices rye bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes * 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (Geoff and I have used center-cut bacon) * 1/3 cup white wine vinegar (we've subbed red wine vinegar...I'm not sure there's much of a difference) * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon * 3 tablespoons olive oil * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper * 1 head frisée, torn (about 8 ounces) (Geoff and I usually use spring mix) * 1 tablespoon white vinegar * 4 large eggs * Cracked black pepper (optional) Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Arrange bre

If you're like me, you're trying to replicate at home the indian food goodness found at your favorite indian restaurant. I have made lots of good dishes but they never taste the same as they do at the restaurant. This is another recipe I've tried in my quest to make some of my favorite indian dishes at home. Note: I got the recipe from Indian Home Cooking (which I highly recommend) but I also consulted the awesome ladies of Show Me the Curry who provide step-by-step videos for the recipes. I can't recommend them enough. 1 large eggplant (I used 2 large-ish b/c one didn't seem like enough) 3 tbs canola 1" piece of ginger, peeled and minced (I used my microplane for this) 1 large red onion, finely chopped 1 tsp salt, or to taste 3 cloves garlic, fined minced into a paste 1 tbs ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped 1/2 fresh hot green chile, chopped (you can also use canned) 2 tbs fresh cilant

I know there are 2 shepherd's pie recipes on here already but I present you with a fabulous veggie version that is so good you won't miss the meat one bit. Not that traditional shepherd's pie isn't good or that meat is bad, lord knows I've been eating my fair share of meat these days. But this is a great way to take advantage of the autumnal goodies at the market. Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen . 2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes 1/2 cup skim milk salt and pepper, to taste 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 large carrots, diced 8 ounces mushrooms, diced 2 cups vegetable broth 15 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 handfuls of green beans, cut in 1" pieces 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried) 1/4 teaspoon sage 3-4 cups baby spinach leaves, packed 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water (or veg. broth) extra rosemary for garnish veggie meat product of your choice, optional

Todd LOVES his Granny's apple cake. He and his cousin Danielle fight over it (yes, literally) whenever she makes one. Danielle once hid an apple cake in her washing machine so Todd couldn't find it and claim half. At my bridal shower I received a copy of Granny's apple cake recipe. And then I received a copy of MY grandmother's apple cake recipe (uh oh, what to do now?). AND, I already had my other grandmother's apple cake recipe, which I found when I claimed her recipe box after she died. I knew I could never make an apple cake without offending someone. And then I looked at the recipes. They were all the same. One used apple juice instead of orange juice, but the quantities of all the ingredients were the same in each of the three recipes. Must be a winner. :) I'm making it for the first time tonight, and the kitchen smells delicious. 1 c. vegetable oil 3 c. flour 2 c. sugar 3 tsp. baking powder 4 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 c. orange or apple juice 4-5

In case you hadn't noticed, I've got a thing for pumpkin. And on a day like today, when it's cold and rainy and decidedly fall-ish, it seemed like the perfect time for this recipe. The best part? I had all the things on hand, and it was super quick to throw it together. Only one drawback -- the cupcake really sticks to the paper and you lose a little when you pull the liner off. Just means you have to eat two instead of one. from Baking Bites 2/3 cup all purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup half and half (or evaporated milk) Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half until well combined. A

Cincinnati chili is Gaby's favorite kind, so when I saw this recipe I knew we'd be having it. She pronounced it "the best ever" and then proceeded to eat so much she was almost sick. It was pretty good. adapted from a Sept. 2009 Cooking Light recipe 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti Cooking spray 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 1/2 cups prechopped onion, divided 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 6 cloves minced (or pressed) garlic 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pa

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com . I bookmarked this recipe the moment I read it and it did not disappoint. I did make a few changes but no matter which recipe you follow, be sure to try it out. If you don't have farro, barley would be a good substitute. All I know is that I'll be making this again and I can hardly wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. 1 cup farro, rinsed and drained 4 cups water (or stock) 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice [I used a delicata squash] 1 large red onion cut into large dice 1 pint fresh mission figs, trimmed and quartered 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar [I used a blend of regular and 16 yo balsamic] 1/4 cup walnuts, deeply toasted then chopped 3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil (or olive oil)[optional] 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled [I totally forgot to add it--oops] S&P to taste Preheat oven to 375. Combine rinsed and drained farro and water/stock in a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer and chec

Adapted from epicurious.com . This is a reduced-fat adaptation from the original. If you like to cook with cream, then by all means go for it. If not, this made a creamy, yummy soup and you won't miss the fat. Serves 6-8. At 6 servings, kcals: 292 and dietary fiber: 5 g. 2 tbs olive oil 2 lbs fresh broccoli, stems and florets separated and chopped into bite-size pieces 1 large onion, chopped 1 large potato, 1/2" cubes 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried (I didn't have any) 6 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used 4 cups and 2.5 cups water) 1 1/2 cups skim milk 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 3 tbs dijon mustard (or to taste) 1 cup (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese S&P to taste pinch of red pepper flakes In heavy medium pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil, broccoli stems, potato and onion; sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tarragon; sauté 1 minute. Add stock; bring to boil. Simmer

I made up this recipe based on a crockpot recipe from Alissa, I think. It's good! I will call it Bob. 1 can cannellini beans 1 can creamed corn (we have four cans of creamed corn hanging out in our pantry and I never have any idea what to do with them [and neither J. nor I remember buying them... maybe they came with the apartment?], so I was proud of myself for using one. regular corn or another can of beans would be fine) 1 potato, diced 1 onion, diced some chopped garlic some red pepper flakes (but not too many, since the crockpot intensifies dried spices like crazy) bit of olive oil 4 c broth or water (I used low-sodium chicken broth) several leaves of sage (I suspect bay leaves would be good too) Pour olive oil on the bottom of the crockpot. Put in onion and garlic and stir around so they're coated. Throw in all the rest of the stuff except the sage leaves. Float the sage leaves on top. Cook on high for 8-10 hours. Scoop out sage leaves before serving if you'd like. (I

Mmmm....just...mmmm.... Adapted from Sweetnicks 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg pinch of ground ginger pinch of ground cloves 1 cup milk 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1 egg 2 tablespoons melted butter Whisk together flours, salt, spices, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin and vegetable oil or melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t worry if you have a few lumps. You don’t want to over beat the batter, it’ll produce tough pancakes. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while you heat the skillet. Over low-medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil . Once skillet is hot, spoon 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the skillet. When pancake starts to bubble slightly, carefully flip over. Once browned and c

So did you see over there that I turned 32 and one my goals was to make at least one new-to-me recipe from each of my cookbooks? I have a lot of cookbooks. This is going to take a while. So, anyway, I jumped right in today, one day after my birthday, and made this recipe. It's tasty, super easy, and I'm sure I'll be making it lots more. Adapted from "Grazing" by Julie Van Rosendaal 1 large head garlic 2 cans cannelli beans, rinsed and drained 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (eyeball it) 1 Tbsp. lemon juice pinch of salt 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried rosemary (eyeball it) Cut the top off the head of garlic, and wrap in foil. Roast in oven at 350 for about an hour. In the bowl of a food processor, add garlic, beans, lemon juice, salt and rosemary. Squeeze in roasted garlic cloves. Blend to combine ingredients, drizzle olive oil in the top while on. Serve with crostini, pita chips, breadsticks, crackers or veggies.

S'mores! In cake form! Does anything sound better? I think not. Okay, I can think of things that sound better, but this sounded pretty freaking good to me. And it was, even though it was sort of a pain to put together. Adapted from Annie's Eats , because I am not as careful of a baker as she is. And not nearly creative enough to do the decorations she did on top of the cake. For the cake: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 3 large eggs, separated 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup milk For the filling: Marshmallow fluff For the milk chocolate glaze: 8 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped ¼ cup heavy cream 2 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature 2 tbsp. light corn syrup To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease and flour the sides of two 9-inch round cake pans.In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; stir together and set aside. In th

This is adapted from a Cooking Light Oct. 2009 recipe. Adapted, because I can't imagine any way to use the amount of liquid originally called for. Check the back of your wild rice box, I guess, and see what the rice/water ratio is, though, before you make. Really good, really simple. And makes a bunch. 2 tablespoons butter, divided 2 cups chopped Pink Lady apple 1 cup chopped leek 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 cup water 1 cup apple cider 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 2 cups uncooked wild rice 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 7 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add leek; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Stir in bro

My cousin Dana makes apple cinnamon pork chops and they always sound so good, and I have apples from picking with Gwen this weekend, so I asked for her recipe. It uses canned apple pie filling. Which is fine and all, but doesn't make use of the beautiful apples I have in the house. So I made my own recipe. 4 pork loin chops 4 Tbsp. butter 6-7 apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced 1/2 c. apple cider 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2-1 tsp. nutmeg 2 tsp. cinnamon In a skillet, melt butter. Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, let caramelize for about 2 minutes. Add apples stir to coat with butter and sugar mixture. Add apple cider. Cover with lid, simmer for about 15 minutes. In a large pan, heat about 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Brown pork chops on both sides. Add apples, and simmer until apples are tender and pork chops are cooked through.

Seriously unhealthy, which means AMAZING AND DELICIOUS! We had this from the Magnolia Bakery in NYC, and it was so good that I set out to find the recipe.... which I did, thank you to the internets. I took this to a pot-luck dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. This recipe fits *exactly* into a standard trifle dish. I used 6 bananas (2 for each layer). I placed a single layer of cookies in each layer, but then stood cookies up around the edge, too, so that you could see the cookies through the glass and people would have a hint as to what was inside. Also, I chilled mine for 12 hours before serving, because I had to assemble it before work in the morning in order to have it be ready to take to the dinner when I got home from work. It was fine - don't worry if you can't serve it within the stated timeline. It will still be good. 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 1/2 cups ice cold water 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)

from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining by Beth Hensperger Slow cooker capacity: 3-4.5 quarts Setting and cook time: Low for 9-11 hours 1 medium-size to large sweet potato 6 medium-size carrots 1 medium-size to large sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Maui (we used a yellow onion) One 1-inch-long piece of fresh ginger 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth Salt and white pepper to taste (we used black pepper) Yogurt, creme fraiche, or heavy cream for garnish (we used plain Greek-style yogurt) 1. Peel the sweet potato and chop into pieces no larger than 1 inch on a side. Peel the carrots and chop into pieces no larger than 3/4 inch on a side. Peel the onion and chop into 3/4-inch pieces. Use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife to peel the ginger. Mince it finely. Place the sweet potato, carrots, onion, and ginger in the slow cooker and stir to combine. (This is where Geoff and I put the crock in the fridge until the next morning.) Add the broth. If you are u

I'd bookmarked this Bitten recipe to try a while ago, and when I realized I randomly had all the ingredients, I tried to just use the one in Bittman's How to Cook Everything instead of the one online. Turns out he's simplified things since the book was published and eliminated some annoying step about straining tomato seeds. I'd go with the online version (but definitely go with it, because it's tasty). (Bittman's notes; I did it in the broiler and the crunchy/chewy magic totally worked.) If your bread isn't quite stale, you can dry the bread in the oven or use the grill or broiler. The latter method not only dries the bread more quickly but, by charring the edges slightly, also adds another dimension of flavor. 1 small baguette (about 8 ounces) or other crusty bread (before broiling, I rubbed the bread with the clove of raw garlic I was about to chop; not sure if it did anything!) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used about 1/8 c

From: Smitten Kitchen Every time I see a Smitten Kitchen cookie recipe that looks good, she references the World Peace Cookies and comments on how well the current cookie recipe compares to the magnificence that is the World Peace Cookie. I wanted to bring a treat to work on Friday to celebrate the end of a very challenging work week. I thought it was time to haul out this recipe, and was happy to see that I already had all the ingredients. Of course, they were delicious, and addictive, and will be made again and again. A few of the commenters complained that the dough was too crumbly (solve this by making sure your butter is at room temperature - it is the only moisture in the cookie so it has to be soft to form a dough), or that their cookies melted into a big pool in the oven (I don't know, that didn't happen to me). I didn't have any problems with these and they came out exactly like they were supposed to. Makes about 36 cookies 1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose fl

I brought this sweet honey-raisin challah to my parents' Rosh Hashanah dinner last week. I'm not going to recopy the recipe, because it's long (although the bread isn't complicated to make at all), but I wanted to share it with all of you because it is sweet and tasty and pretty much foolproof. Woo, happy (Jewish) new year!

adapted from: Simply Recipes We got a bag of green tomatoes in the CSA share this week, and if I had any tomatoes growing on my plants I might even consider pulling some off early to use in this recipe. Also, as the weather gets colder you might have extra tomatoes that won't have time to ripen on the vine, which would be good candidates for this recipe. I added a little more seasoning to the recipe, but it would probably be good as written, too. It had a lot of flavor. We ate them for lunch, but they would also be a good side dish. Ingredients 3 medium, firm green tomatoes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour salt, pepper, a little chili powder 1/4 cup milk 2 beaten eggs 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal (I used seasoned bread crumbs) 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper ranch dressing for dipping, opt Method 1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, e

Adapted from Ina Garten and the NY Times. For the pancakes: 3 medium zucchini, shredded salt and freshly ground pepper 3 large eggs, beaten 6 tbs flour 1 tablespoon olive oil 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I used reduced-fat from Trader Joe's) 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (or anything oniony) 1/3 cup finely chopped dill (I used dried) 1 teaspoon baking powder 4-6 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed for frying For the yogurt sauce: 2/3 cup plain yogurt (fat free) 2 medium or 1 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste Shred the zucchini with a box grater or food processor and set aside in a bowl. You can sprinkle with salt and drain off the liquid but I skipped this step to save time. The batter might turn a bit watery but you can add a smidge more flour if need be and the pancakes still taste just as good. Combine remanining ingredients with zucchini and mix to combine. In a skillet over med-high heat, add oil and drop in 2 Tbs of batter at a

From Veg Times (thanks, Kel!) I am not sure exactly what's Eastern European about this -- it seems more Indian to me with the curry and the cumin, but whatever. It's savory and tangy and a little sweet. It also let me pretend it was fall for a night, even though it's almost 80 degrees here at the moment, which is hotter than it was during most of the summer. Again, whatever. Also, I like thick soups and cut down on the amount of water -- I probably used 6 cups instead of 7, and my tomato didn't have as much liquid as a whole can of chopped tomatoes would. I didn't need to thin it out in the final step, either, although I probably will when we reheat the leftovers. 2 T olive oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 T) 1 1/2 red lentils 2 T ground cumin (I added some curry powder; the recipe notes say you can replace the supplement with curry, thyme or paprika) 1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes with liquid (I just chopped a leftover tomato from the