Tony's Breakfast Couscous

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in milk and remaining ingredients. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.)

Note: You can prepare it the night before and serve warm or cold. The recipe is easy to double to serve more people. Use any combination of dried fruits you like--cherries, apples, blueberries, or raspberries. You can substitute one cup fat-free milk for dry, and decrease the water to 1/4 cup.

Serves 3 (2/3 c.); 305 calories.

VERDICT: This looked nothing like the picture--in fact, it looked fairly disgusting. But it tastes like rice pudding and couldn't be easier, so I might try it again. Maybe with real milk instead of milk powder. Keep for now.

Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds--peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12 ounces romaine hearts, cut into strips (about 9 cups)
• 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup pita chips, broken
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat oven to 425° F, with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast on the bottom rack, tossing once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, oregano, the remaining tablespoon of oil, ⅓ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce among plates; dividing evenly, top with the squash, chickpeas, pita chips, and chives. Serve with the dressing.

Serves 4; 518 calories.

VERDICT: This recipe originally called for chicken, which I obviously just left out. (The full recipe is at here.) I also toasted the chickpeas in the oven with a little olive oil at the same time as the squash. A ton of calories for a salad, but very filling, and excellent flavors--roasty and savory and salty. Not so good once the squash gets cold. Keep.

English Muffin Toasting Bread

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don't have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.

Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Yield: 1 loaf.

VERDICT: Easiest bread recipe ever, and good. It's not a good sandwich bread, but toasted with butter, makes a nice breakfast or side. Keep.

Wheat Berry, Black Bean, and Vegetable Stew

• 1 cup uncooked wheat berries (hard winter wheat)
• 2 cups hot water
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

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• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced carrot
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cups chopped Savoy cabbage
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black soy beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Combine wheat berries and 2 cups hot water in a bowl; let stand 1 hour.

Drain mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid.

Combine wheat berries, 4 cups water, and salt in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Remove from pan.

Add oil to pan; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, celery, carrot, and rosemary; sauté 5 minutes.

Add the reserved soaking liquid and wheat berry mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in cabbage and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes; simmer mixture for 10 minutes or until the wheat berries are tender, stirring occasionally. Add soy beans; bring to a boil. Cook mixture for 10 minutes or until thick. Stir in chopped parsley.

Serves 4 (1.5 c.); 333 calories.

VERDICT: This takes such a looong time to make (I made a loaf of bread from start to finish before it was done) that it would have to be the best thing I'd ever eaten to keep the recipe. It is not the best thing I've ever eaten. It's not terrible, but it looks and tastes kind of drab. Toss.

Raspberry and Nut Smoothies

• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tablespoon natural almond or peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

Place the milk, raspberries, banana, almond butter, and agave nectar in a blender.

Blend until smooth and frothy.

Serves 1; 355 calories.

VERDICT: Meh. Toss.

Three-Grain Cereal with Sunflower Seeds and Fruit

• 1/4 cup flaxseed
• 1 1/2 cups steel-cut (Irish) oats
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dried sweet cherries
• 1/3 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup untoasted wheat germ
• 1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 9 cups water

Place flaxseed in a spice or coffee grinder; process until coarsely ground. Combine flaxseed, oats, and remaining ingredients except water in a large bowl, stirring well to combine.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; add cereal. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 (1 1/2 c. prepared--1/2 c. dry); 327 calories.

VERDICT: I followed the microwave directions for this, which did not work at all (in retrospect, I think I should have started with boiling water), but even once I got it cooked, this was ickily viscous and not very good. Part of my problem might have been the substitution of mixed dried fruits for golden raisins and cherries, but I will not make it again to find out. Toss.

Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 12 ounces good-quality chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups golden raisins, or 10 ounces toffee pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Starting with the mixer on low speed and increasing until it is on medium, beat until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix to combine.

Combine the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and wheat germ in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, then mix on low speed just to combine, 10 to 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from mixer stand, and stir in your choice of chocolate chunks, golden raisins, or toffee pieces.

Line the baking pans with parchment paper. Use a large (2 1/2 ounce) or small (1 1/4 ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of dough. Place the balls of dough about 4 inches apart on baking pans. Bake until golden and just set, about 18 minutes for large cookies and 14 minutes for small cookies. Remove from oven; let cool on pan 4 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Yield Makes 13 large or 3 dozen small cookies. (So says Martha--I ended up with 45 cookies that were not even close to "bite size.")

VERDICT: I didn't have outlandish hopes for these--oatmeal cookies are always good, seldom extraordinary--I made them because I had all the ingredients. And I wouldn't say these are spectacular, but they certainly exceeded expectations. They're crispy around the edges, soft in the middle (after 15 minutes in the oven). I used chocolate-covered toffee chips, which are delicious. Keep.

Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry

• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
• 5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled fresh pumpkin (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup dried small red lentils
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 lime wedges
  

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pumpkin and next 7 ingredients (through jalapeño); cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender. Stir in lentils; cook 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in salt and black pepper. Ladle stew into individual bowls; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 6 (1 1/3 c. stew, 2 t. cilantro, 1 lime wedge); 222 calories.

VERDICT: Very good--subtly sweet, with some definite heat, and pretty, to boot. I substituted butternut squash, which works well. Keep.

Baked Coconut French Toast with Tropical Fruit Compote

Compote:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 cup chopped peeled mango
• 1 cup chopped peeled papaya
• 1 cup chopped peeled kiwifruit
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

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French toast:

• 16 (1-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette (about 10 ounces)
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cups egg substitute
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
  

To prepare compote, combine first 6 ingredients. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

To prepare the French toast, arrange bread in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine light coconut milk, egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla, stirring with a whisk, and pour evenly over bread. Turn the bread over to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove bread mixture from refrigerator, and uncover. Turn bread slices over, and sprinkle evenly with flaked coconut. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 30 minutes or until coconut is golden. Serve warm with fruit compote.

Serves 8 (2 toast slices, 1/2 c. compote); 349 calories.

VERDICT: I messed around with this quite a bit: I halved the French bread and put it (plus a little extra) in an 8x8 pan, used real eggs instead of egg substitute, and substituted extra mango instead of disgusting slimy papaya. It turned out well in spite of all of that, and would be a good thing to make if you were having guests for brunch and didn't want a bunch of dishes lying around in the kitchen while you ate. Keep.

Barley Risotto with Roasted Winter Vegetables

• 2 cups diced parsnip
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked pearl barley
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine parsnip, cauliflower, bell pepper, 2 teaspoons olive oil, black pepper, and salt on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray, and toss well to coat. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 10 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Add 3 cups broth and barley; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and barley is al dente. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Stir in parsnip mixture and 1/3 cup cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup cheese, pecans, and parsley.

Serves 6 (3/4 c. risotto, 1 T. cheese, 1 T. pecans, 1 t. parsley); 325 calories.

VERDICT: Has the same richness and ooziness of real risotto. It's possibly better without the vegetables, even. Keep.

Falafel with Avocado Spread

Patties:

• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

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Spread:

• 1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 (6-inch) pitas, each cut in half crosswise
• 4 thin red onion slices, separated into rings
• Microgreens

To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.

To prepare spread, combine avocado and next 5 ingredients (through salt), stirring well.

Place 1 patty in each pita half. Spread about 2 tablespoons avocado spread over patty in each pita half; top with onions and greens.

Serves 4 (1 pita half); 281 calories.

VERDICT: I liked these a lot, even though they are not remotely falafel. I'm a big fan of crispy browned cheese, which they have in abundance. Keep.

Citrus-Spiked Jicama and Carrot Slaw

• 4 cups (1 1/2-inch) julienne-cut peeled jicama (about 1 pound)

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• 2 cups (1 1/2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
• 1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind

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• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

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• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
  

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro just before serving. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Serves 6 (1 c.); 65 calories.

VERDICT: This is refreshing, but I will not make it again until I figure out a better way to julienne. Toss.

Baba Gha-Hummus

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 375°.

Pierce eggplant with a fork. Place eggplant on a jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool and peel; discard skin.

Combine eggplant, tahini, and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Serves 8 (1/4 c.); 114 calories.

VERDICT: I'm kind of on the fence about this one--it has a nice bite from the garlic, but is otherwise a little nondescript. Maybe more cumin? Probably toss.

Winter Peach Oatmeal

1 c. steel-cut oats
4 c. water
1 c. dried peaches, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. white grape juice
6 oz. peach or vanilla flavored low-fat yogurt
6 T. English walnut pieces, toasted

To prepare oatmeal:
Combine oats and 4 cups water in 3.5-4 quart slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or until oats are tender and cereal is thick.

To prepare peaches:
Combine peaches, nutmeg and white grape juice in small saucepan. Cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 8 minutes or until peaches are tender. Uncover. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is slightly reduced.

To serve:
Spoon cooked oats into individual serving bowls. Top each with 2-3 T. warm peaches and syrup. Add dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Serves 6; 214 calories

VERDICT: I am giving up on trying to cook steel-cut oats in advance--such a mess of crusty-yet-slimy congealed oats. The peaches and yogurt together are good, but not good enough to buy white grape juice again. Toss.

Blueberry Buckle with Walnuts and Ginger

For the crumbs:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped, toasted walnuts

For the cake:

• 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 and 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare crumbs, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, then cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Stir in the toasted walnuts; set aside.

Lightly spoon 1 and 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour in a large bowl with the baking soda and salt, stirring with whisk. Combine granulated sugar, and the next five ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle the top with the frozen blueberries and the crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for ten minutes in the pan on a wire rack; remove from the pan. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 12; 189 calories.

VERDICT: Mmm! The crust got kind of chewy (in a good way), and the ginger is noticeable but not overpowering. Bonus points for using frozen blueberries. Keep!