Cranberry Apple Raisin Crisp

We like to serve this homey dessert warm with vanilla ice cream. If you prefer it straight, reduce the amount of ground cloves to one-eighth teaspoon, or the flavor may be overwhelming. Be sure your baking dish is at least two inches deep so the sweet juices don't bubble over the edge and burn onto your oven floor. If the crisp comes to the top of the dish, put a baking sheet under it.

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 12- ounces package cranberries (about 3 cups)
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or more, per user suggestion)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup orange juice (from about 1 orange)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, the 1/2 cup flour, and the brown sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture until small crumbs form.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, apples, raisins, granulated sugar, the 2 tablespoons flour, orange zest and juice, and the cloves. Transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square glass baking dish or a 2-quart soufflé dish.

3. Top the fruit with the crumb mixture. Bake until the fruit is tender and the crumb topping has browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices, Food & Wine, 1998

Caramelized Carrot Risotto

Delicate mascarpone cheese is a natural companion to sweet caramelized carrots in this brightly hued risotto. Prep and Cook Time: 1 1/4 hours. Notes: To make this risotto even prettier, you can cut the carrots into 1/4-in. dice (it's time-consuming, but makes the carrots look like little jewels). Mascarpone—a rich Italian-style cream cheese available at specialty, gourmet, and Whole Foods stores—can be replaced with an equal amount of heavy cream.

Yield: Makes 4 to 5 servings as a side dish or first course

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped as finely and evenly as possible (about 3 cups)
• about 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup for garnish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 tbsp. for garnish
• 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat in a medium heavy-bottomed pot; add carrots and stir with a wooden spoon until well coated. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the sugar; cover and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water evaporates and carrots are just starting to brown, a few minutes more. Reserve half of the carrots. In a blender, purée other half with 3/4 cup hot water.

2. Bring chicken broth to a simmer and keep at a simmer, covered, over low heat.

3. Heat remaining oil and butter over medium heat in same (unwashed) pot used for carrots. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add rice, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat rice with oil, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine evaporates. Add carrot purée and cook, stirring, until mixture no longer looks soupy.

4. Add 1/2 cup hot broth, stirring often, until rice absorbs most of the liquid. Repeat process, adding 1/2 cup broth at a time and stirring often till each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until rice is al dente (about 20 minutes; at least 1 cup broth will remain).

5. Fold in reserved carrots (save 2 tbsp. for garnish), mascarpone, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1 tbsp. parsley, and the thyme. Add up to 1 cup broth (1/4 cup at a time) to loosen the risotto. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

6. Sprinkle each bowl of risotto with some of remaining 1/2 cup parmesan, remaining 1 tbsp. parsley, and reserved carrots. Serve immediately.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 302 (42% from fat); Protein: 9.1g; Fat: 14g (sat 7.1); Carbohydrate: 33g; Fiber: 4.1g; Sodium: 696mg; Cholesterol: 25mg

Sunset, APRIL 2008

Crispy Baked Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon milk

Slice the chicken into fingers. Combine the panko and seasoned salt in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow bowl, beat egg and milk together. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is done.

Rustic Cabbage Soup

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• a big pinch of salt
• 1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cups stock (see head notes)
• 1 1/2 cups white beans, precooked or canned (drained & rinsed well)
• 1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
• more good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes - it's o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning - getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is (varying widely between brands, homemade, etc)...

Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a generous dusting of cheese.

Serves 4.

from 101 Cookbooks

Notes: Made 9/08 with boxed chicken broth. A bit bland. Would benefit from better stock and some herbs. Be sure to cut the cabbage into fine ribbons. Makes way more than 4 servings.

Stacked Vegetable Enchiladas

• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small to medium-size zucchini or summer squash, peeled and diced
• 1 medium-size onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought tomatillo salsa
• 12 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• additions to try: chile peppers, corn, mushrooms, black beans

1. Cook diced vegetables over medium-low heat until caramelized. Add the cumin, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Pour about 1/4 cup of the salsa into the quiche dish and spread with a spoon. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, overlapping them slightly to completely cover the salsa. Top with one-third of the vegetables, then one-quarter of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Top with another layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with a final layer of tortillas, salsa, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

3. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through.

4. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.

partially inspired by a recipe from The Roasted Vegetable, by Andrea Chesman (The Harvard Common Press, 2002)

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad

• 1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chopped scallion (from 1 bunch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (note: I used 1/8 tsp. and it was plenty spicy; adjust to taste)
• 1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
• 1 (14-oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• Accompaniment: 1 (1/2-lb) piece ricotta salata, cut crosswise into thin slices

Roast eggplant and zucchini: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread in 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 pan and cool, reserving other pan for cooling barley.

Cook barley: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to reserved shallow baking pan and spread to quickly cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Make dressing and assemble salad: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well. Serve with cheese slices.

Cooks’ note: Salad can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Return to room temperature before serving.

Makes 4 (main course) or 8 (side dish) servings

from Gourmet, September 2006 via smitten kitchen

French Barley Salad

• 1/2 cup raw barley
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup halved or quartered mushrooms
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
• 1 cup cut green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 cup thinly sliced red or yellow bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard**
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (1 1/2 tsp dried or 2 tsp freeze dried)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Using a strainer, rinse the barley and drain. In a small heavy skillet on low heat, roast the barley until fragrant and beginning to brown. Place the barley and water in a small saucepan, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat until most of the water has been absorbed and the barley is soft, about 40 minutes.

While the barley cooks, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. In a separated bowl, pour half of the dressing over the mushrooms and set aside. Blanch the carrots in boiling water for about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large serving bowl. Blanch the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Stir the bell peppers and parsley and marinated mushrooms into the bowl of carrots.

In a skillet, heat the butter. When it sizzles, saute the walnuts until they are coated and the butter begins to brown. Remove from the heat.

When the barley is tender, drain it in a colander. Add the drained barley and the remaining dressing to the serving bowl and mix well. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Just before serving, gently toss the green beans and walnuts into the salad.

Notes: To make the recipe healthier, try using less oil. Also, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet or oven instead of in a skillet with butter. This recipe doubles very well.

from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special via eat me delicious