Chef's Salad with Turkey, Avocado, and Jack Cheese

• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large head Boston lettuce
• 1 pound sliced roasted turkey breast, torn into pieces
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts or pea shoots
• 6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips (1 cup)

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and honey; season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.

Divide lettuce among four serving plates; top with turkey, avocado, sprouts, radishes, carrots, and cheese. Drizzle with dressing, and serve.

Makes 4 servings

From Everyday Food, May 2008

Smoked Salmon on Black Bread with Sweet Butter

Serve these festive canapes with sparkling wine.

• 4 slices firm, dark Westphalian black bread or warm thin-sliced toast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces thin-sliced smoked salmon
• Fresh dill sprigs, watercress leaves, or other small fresh herb or salad leaf

1. Spread the bread with a thin layer of the softened butter. Arrange the salmon over the buttered bread in a single layer, cutting the salmon to fit.

2. Cut the bread into four small squares. Garnish each with a leaf of your chosen garnish.

Serves 4

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons

Chickpea Puree with Lemon and Mint

Hummus alternative without tahini. Serve with crudite, crostini, or pita chips.

• 1 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped mint
• Sprinkling of cayenne pepper

1. Coarsely puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until smooth. Gradually add 1/3 cup oil in a thin, steady stream. Then add the water and puree until the chickpeas are smooth and fluffy. Scrape into a shallow bowl and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

2. Sprinkle the top with the herbs and cayenne; drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

Makes about 3 cups

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons

Ricotta Cheese Spread with Lemon and Herbs

Draining the ricotta removes excess moisture, resulting in a stiffer, more spreadable mixture, but if you are in a hurry, the recipe works just fine without draining the cheese or draining it for less time. You could also use goat cheese, which does not require draining. Vary the fresh herbs depending on availability. Substitute dill, parsley, rosemary, or oregano, or a mix. Remember that the intensity of fresh herbs varies. Add small amounts, taste, and then add more.

• 15 ounces whole-milk or part-skim ricotta
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Pinch salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 basil leaves, chiffonade, for garnish

1. Empty the container of ricotta into a strainer and place over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Alternatively, drain at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. Combine the drained ricotta, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme leaves, the salt, and a grinding of pepper; stir until blended. Mound into the center of a shallow bowl and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle the remaining lemon zest and thyme on top. Garnish with the basil chiffonade.

3. Serve with crackers, crostini, or crudite.

Adapted from Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons

Toasted Pita Triangles

These keep very well in a ziplock bag. Serve with hummus.

• 4-6 pita breads
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
  
• Coarse salt
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using kitchen scissors, cut the pita breads crosswise (through the folded edge), forming 2 circles of bread from each pita.

3. Combine the oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush the rough side of the bread lightly with the oil-and-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt. Stack the pitas and cut them into triangles.

4. Spread the pita triangles in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake, rearranging the pitas so they will brown evenly, until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons

Curried Pecans

Munch on these with a tall, cool drink or sprinkle over chicken salad, stir-fried green beans, or a mixed green salad.

• 2 cups (8 ounces) large pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2-3 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a large, shallow baking pan and dot with the butter. Bake until the butter just melts, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the curry powder and the salt. Stir to coat.

3. Bake, stirring often, until the pecans are toasted and coated with the butter and curry, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool; store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Makes 2 cups

From Fresh & Fast by Marie Simmons

Curried Cauliflower with Chick Peas and Tomatoes

• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
• canned diced tomatoes
• 1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into florets
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat the ghee in a deep skillet or pot over medium flame. Add the onion, curry powder, and ginger; cook and stir for a few minutes to soften the onion. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in the cauliflower, chickpeas, tomato paste, and 1 cup of water; stir everything together. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, and continue cooking until the excess moisture has evaporated and the cauliflower and chickpeas are coated with a thick gravy. Season with salt, to taste, and garnish with cilantro before serving.

adapted from Tyler Florence via The Food Network

Balsamic-Dressed Roasted Beets

A simple sweet-and-sour dressing complements earthy roasted beets. Its bright flavors make this dish a fitting accompaniment for roasted meats.

• 3 medium beets (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Wrap beets in foil. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool beets to room temperature. Peel and cut each beet into 8 wedges.

Combine juice, vinegar, sugar, and star anise in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half. Discard star anise. Combine beets, vinegar mixture, salt, and pepper; toss well.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Adapted from Cooking Light

Pan-fried Chickpea Salad

You can add all sorts of things to this salad depending on the season - sliced green beans, asparagus, or broccoli florets (all blanched) might be good choices. Or simply add a bit of sauteed spinach. I almost opted out of the curry approach at the last minute, seduced by some vibrant broccoli I picked up along with the leeks at the market. I was thinking that a lemony-broccoli pesto would be a great dressing in place of the curried yogurt. Or how about a version of this salad using Thai curry paste instead of Indian curry powder? In this scenario I might skim some of the coconut cream off the top of a can of coconut milk and use that in place of the yogurt - again thinning it with warm water, coconut water, or broth. If I'm going to make this an entire one-pan meal I might through in some tofu or black lentils for that little extra boost of protein.

If you are pinched for time, you can certainly skip the browning of the chickpeas - just skip adding any leeks altogether and add the chopped garlic and the lemon zest to the yogurt dressing. The only ingredient I would add to this version the next time around would be a handful of toasted, slivered almonds. Just a hint of sweetness, toasty nut flavor, and lots of crunch. You can use canned chickpeas, but chickpeas cooked from dried beans are infinitely better tasting, and the texture much better.

• 1 tablespoon clarified butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), pat them completely dry with clean dish towel
• 1 cup chopped leeks
• 1 medium clove of garlic, minced
• zest of one lemon
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt (I typically use low-fat Greek)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Indian-style curry powder (or to taste)
• scant 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 or 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion or red spring onions, chopped

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet and add the chickpeas. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start getting a bit golden in color. Stir in the leeks and cook until the chickpeas are more golden and the leeks have browned a bit as well, roughly 7 - 10 minutes total. At the last minute stir in the garlic and the lemon zest. Remove from heat, and set aside.

While the chickpeas cool (I like to serve this salad at room temperature), make the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, curry powder, and salt in a small bowl. If you need to thin it out a bit, particularly if you are using Greek yogurt, whisk in warm water a tablespoon at a time. Taste, adjust, and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the chickpea mixture with most of the cilantro and most of the chopped red onion. Add about 1/2 of the yogurt dressing and toss again. If you like more dressing, keep adding until you are pleased. Serve on a platter sprinkled with the remaining onions and cilantro.

Serves 4 as a side.

from 101 Cookbooks

Couscous with Chick-Peas and Tomatoes

Offer this healthful Moroccan grain dish as a main course or as an accompaniment to roasted chicken.

• 1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 cup drained canned chick-peas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter small baking dish. Bring chicken broth and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Add couscous. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until couscous is tender and has absorbed all liquid, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, chick-peas, raisins, cinnamon, basil and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Cover and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.

yield: Serves 4

adapted from Epicurious

Applejack Baked Apples with Ricotta Cream

For the Ricotta Cream:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier

For the Apples:

• 6 large apples, such as Gravenstein, Ida Red, or Northern Spy
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup (5.5 ounces) cropped almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon applejack or other apple brandy (can substitute sweet apple cider)

1. To make the Ricotta Cream, place the ricotta, sugar, cream, and liqueur in a small bowl and stir until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash the apples well and core, but do not peel. Scoop out enough of the center to leave a 1-inch space that does not extend through to the bottom of the apple.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the dried cranberries, almonds, brown sugar, and butter until well blended. Place 1 tablespoon of the cranberry mixture in the cavity of each apple. Place the apples in a 9-inch glass pie plate and pour 1/2 cup of the applejack around the apples. Add water so that the liquid comes about 1 inch up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of applejack evenly over the filling in the apples. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are tender.

4. Serve warm or cold, topped with a generous dollop of Ricotta Cream.

Serves 6

From The New England Table

Firecracker Bacon

Rub thick slab bacon with a blend of 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Bake on a rack (over a foil-lined cookie sheet) at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Cranberry-Pecan Hotcakes with Caramel-Rum Sauce

Both the sauce and batter (without the pecans and cranberries) may be prepared the night before.

For the Caramel-Rum Sauce

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Hotcakes

• 1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a 2-quart saucepan. Place over high heat and stir just until the sugar dissolves. Bring the syrup to a rapid boil, then cook without stirring until the syrup turns a deep amber color, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not let the syrup burn. Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, bit by bit, then add the cream, rum, and vanilla. Set aside and let cool slightly. (Leftover sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.)

2. To make the hotcakes, place the cranberries, pecans, and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat together until very well combined. Fold in the cranberry mixture.

3. Heat a large griddle over medium heat and grease it with 2 tablespoons of the butter, reserving the rest to regrease the pan for subsequent hotcakes, if necessary.

4. Drop the batter by 1/4-cup portions onto the hot griddle or skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are well browned. Flip the hotcakes and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the warm sauce. You can keep the cooked hotcakes warm in a single layer on a baking sheet, covered with foil, in a 200-degree oven.

Makes 15 hotcakes

From The New England Table

Cranberry-Orange Spritzers

• Freshly squeezed orange juice
• Cranberry juice
• Sparkling water
• Fresh mint (optional)

To make the spritzers, stir together 2 parts orange juice, 2 parts cranberry juice, and 1 part sparkling water. Pour over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired.

Adapted from The New England Table

Butterscotch Pudding

• 3/4 cup heavy cream, not ultra-pasteurized
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)
• 5 oz. dark brown sugar
• 1.5 oz. unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 splash vanilla extract

In a heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan melt butter over low heat and add brown sugar. With a wooden spoon stir in well to incorporate. Cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring infrequently. Add salt.

Meanwhile combine dairy and warm up, but do not let boil.

Whisk egg and yolks together in mid sized bowl.

Sift cornstarch and sugar into another mid sized bowl. If it looks like you lost some cornstarch in the process, add a little more. Cornstarch absorbs moisture and loves to stick to everything! Whisk to combine these and make a "well" in the center.

When brown sugar/butter has been on the stove for a bit, add dairy and whisk to smooth out. When this mixture is hot to the touch, shut off heat.

OK. Now you are making a liaison. You need to get the eggs and cornstarch into the mixture, but evenly and delicately. The Instruction I am about to give is the best way to make any stove-top pudding, the most popular being pastry cream.

Using a ladle, lift a small amount (betw 2-4 oz) of the hot liquid and pour it directly in the middle of the cornstarch "well." Using a small whisk, whisk this mixture in tight concentric circles from the middle out. You want a smooth, loose paste. If you have not put in enough, or put in too much liquid you will get clumps. When you have your unlumpy mixture, ladle in a little more liquid and do the same again.

Now ladle, while whisking, some liquid into the beaten egg bowl. This step is not nearly as delicate a matter as the previous step. Again, you want to warm up the egg mixture, turning the bowl into warm-hot eggy liquid.

Whisk eggy liquid into cornstarchy liquid. Incorporate as much as possible. Pour this into the pot. Whisk to incorporate. If you notice a lot of any kind of lump, pass this mixture through a fine meshed sieve.

Put pot back on stove over medium heat. Whisk continuously and violently. Try to whisk at all sorts of angles so that the whisk bottom makes it into the "corners" of the pot. If you are not breaking a sweat or getting sore, you may not be whisking hard enough. Pain = Pleasure

Whisk until custard thickens and "comes to boil." I put this in quotes because once custard gets thick, these bubbles are hard to see. When it starts to get thick, stop to see if bubbles are rising to the surface. The sound they'll make is "Gloop."

Take off heat and add in vanilla extract. Taste. Does it taste like butterscotch? Does it need more vanilla extract? Salt? Not sure & don't want to ruin the whole batch finding out? Take a small amount out, put in a bowl and experiment on that.

Spoon into bowls. Chill, and unless you like custard skin, press plastic wrap right to the surface. Of course you can always eat it warm too. MMMmmmmmmmmm.

I like to garnish my butterscotch pudding with toasted pecans. But many things would be complementary. Coconut cream is nice, a la Claudia Fleming. Or praline. Whipped cream, for the added opulence, or straight out of the pot like you know you want to!

from eggbeater

Ricotta Honey Crostini

Toast some whole grain-type bread. Butter it (yes, butter) while hot. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with really good honey, then top with ricotta and drizzle with more honey. Variation: add sliced banana.

Barley Casserole

• 4-5 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup pearl barley
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups beef or chicken broth

1. Melt the butter and sauté the onions and mushrooms until soft. Add the barley and brown it lightly. Pour into a buttered casserole. Before you pour the broth over the barley, taste the broth for seasoning. If it has enough, the casserole will need not additional salt or pepper.

2. Pour 1 cup of broth over the barley in the casserole and cover. Bake in a 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes and then uncover and add the second cup of broth. Cover and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is done (i.e. soft and a little chewy), about another 30 minutes.

- serves 4 -

Adapted from The James Beard Cookbook by James Beard.

Spicy Azuki Bean and Brown Rice Salad

• 3/4 cup dried azuki beans
• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari sauce
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 hot green chilies, seeded and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 green onions, green and white parts sliced
• 1 carrot, finely sliced
• 3 radishes, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Rinse the beans under cold running water and soak overnight in a bowl covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Separately, rinse the brown rice under cold running water and soak overnight in 1 1/2 cups cold water in a small saucepan.

Drain and rinse the soaked beans and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with several inches of fresh cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are tender but firm. Drain and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring the rice and soaking liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Combine the oils, vinegar, tamari sauce, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, cayenne and the white parts of the green onions in a bowl and whisk. In a large bowl, combine the cooled beans and rice with the carrots, radishes and chilies, and toss gently with the dressing.

Lightly toast the sesame seeds to a golden brown over medium-low heat in a frying pan or small saucepan. Scatter the toasted sesame seeds and green parts of the green onions over the salad and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

from Lisa's Kitchen

Lemon-Buttered Broccoli Spears

• 1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into spears, the stems reserved for another use
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• fresh lemon juice to taste
• freshly grated lemon zest for sprinkling the broccoli
• lightly toasted pine nuts or almonds (optional)

In a steamer set over boiling water steam the broccoli, covered, for 4 minutes, or until it is crisp-tender. In a skillet heat the butter over moderate heat until the foam subsides, in it toss the broccoli until it is coated well, and sprinkle the broccoli with the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and zest. Sprinkle on nuts, if desired.

Yield: Serves 3

Adapted from Gourmet | March 1992

Celeriac Gratin

• 1 medium celeriac, peeled and sliced
• 6 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 leek or onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic crushed with a teaspoon of salt
• brown bread crumbs, tossed with a drip of olive oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 carton double cream
• grated cheese
• freshly ground black pepper

Lay sliced potato and celeriac in a large flat dish, put a little of the salt garlic mix between each slice, pour over cream, grate cheese over and add black pepper.

For a change you can add the crispy topping - best made using onion, wholemeal or seeded bread for the crumbs whizzed in a blender.

Bake at 160 degrees C for a couple of hours under foil and then remove to crisp topping. If your in a hurry you can steam/boil celeriac and spuds first and bake for 1/2 hr in a hotter oven!

(Parsley to garnish)