Upside-Down Cranberry-Ginger Cake

• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks 
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a 9-inch round cake pan over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter to pan, stirring until melted. Stir in ginger; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; arrange cranberries on top of brown sugar mixture.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine 1/4 cup butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter over cranberries in prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; run a knife around outside edge. Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan; invert cake onto plate. Top each serving with whipped topping.

Serves 10 (1 wedge and 1 T. whipped topping); 312 calories.

VERDICT:  I tried to melt the sugar and butter in the cake pan, but the cooking spray immediately turned black and started smoking, so I just did it in a saucepan instead and then poured it into a cake pan.  Perhaps that was the reason my cranberries looked black and not prettily red and glossy as in the picture?  No matter, the end result still tasted good, especially the fluffy, yummy, not-too-sweet cake layer.  Maybe keep and try again with a different topping?

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins and Pistachios

• 1 cup uncooked wheat berries (hard winter wheat)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons shelled pistachios
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

 Preheat oven to 350°.

Place wheat berries and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain.

Place pistachios on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes, stirring once. Cool slightly, and chop.

Combine oil, juice, honey, coriander, ginger, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add hot wheat berries and raisins; stir well to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

Add nuts, 1/4 cup green onions, and cilantro to wheat berry mixture. Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 6 (1/2 c.); 240 calories

VERDICT:  Nicely balanced and delicious.  I thought it was a bit wasteful to heat up the oven for 3 T. of pistachios, so I didn't, and I think it's still good. Keep.

Vegetable-Bean Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery 
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups finely chopped baking potato (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15.8-ounce) can Great Northern beans or other white beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage (about 1 pound)
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and celery; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and next 8 ingredients (broth through tomatoes); bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in cabbage; cover and cook 1 minute or until cabbage wilts. Stir in parsley.
Serves 9 (1 c.); 136 calories

VERDICT: This was a little too reminiscent of the cabbage-soup-diet cabbage soup.  Toss.

Herbed Cracker Stuffing

• 8 ounces white sandwich bread (about 9 slices), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)
• 2 onions, finely chopped (3 cups)
• 3 to 4 celery stalks, finely chopped (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 66), coarsely crumbled (4 cups)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, and celery, and saute until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine, and simmer 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in bread cubes, crackers, herbs, and 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Stir in broth, milk, and eggs until just incorporated.

If not stuffing turkey, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon stuffing into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with parchment, then foil, and bake 45 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Uncover stuffing, and bake until top is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes.

Serves 8.

VERDICT:  I was so excited about this.  I thought the crackers were going to be surprising and salty and good; in practice, they essentially disappeared and the whole dish was kind of bland.  Toss.
 

Vanilla-Scented Harvest Crisp with Pistachios

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried currants or dried cranberries 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (about 4 apples)
• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
• Cooking spray 

Topping:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces 
• 1 cup chopped pistachios 

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare filling, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apricots and the next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon stick); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until fruit is tender, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick. Place filling in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, place oats in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Place oats in a large bowl. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon to oats; stir to combine. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add pistachios; toss well. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Serves 12; 272 calories.

VERDICT:  Very good Thanksgiving dessert.  Very sweet, but vanilla ice cream cuts that nicely.  It's also a good recipe to use up whatever dried fruit you have in the cupboard--I polished off the apricots, currants, and craisins.  (I left out figs altogether.)  Keep.

Coconut-Sour Cherry Granola

• 2 3/4 cups organic rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup unsalted pistachios
• 1/3 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup dried sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the oats, coconut, pistachios, pepitas and salt in a large bowl. Warm the brown sugar, maple syrup and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Fold the sugar mixture into the oat mixture to evenly coat.

Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheets and bake, stirring often, until dry and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the dried sour cherries. Let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Serves 28 (about 1/4 c.); 119 calories.

VERDICT:  Best granola ever!  It has a definite, but not unpleasant saltiness, and notable brown-sugar goodness (I used dark brown, which I had on hand).  It's a little spendy, with the pistachios, cherries, and maple syrup, but it's worth it.  Keep!

Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash

• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, if you’re cilantro-averse

Cooking spaghetti squash in your microwave is super-quick, but roasting it isn’t much more work — I’ve made it both ways and it works equally well. This works great as a side, but I tried something different this time and bulked it up with canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. We had it with couscous but if I had thought of it sooner, it would also be great with some sautéed greens.

 

To cook the squash in a microwave: Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting. Cook in an 800-watt microwave oven on high power (100 percent) for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool squash for 5 minutes.

To roast the squash, two methods: If you’d like to roast the squash whole, pierce it all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting and bake it in a 375°F oven for one hour. If you are good with a big, sharp kinfe, you can save some time by cutting the squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and roasting the halves face-down in an oiled baking pan for about 40 minutes in a 375°F oven.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is barely golden. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

If you have microwaved or roasted your squash whole, carefully halve it lengthwise (it will give off a lot of steam) and remove the seeds.

Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with the spiced butter and cilantro.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  I made this because I had had a spaghetti squash lying around for a while, and I had all the other ingredients.  I can't say I recommend cooking the squash in the microwave--it was certainly faster, but it seemed really watery.  I also forgot to weigh my squash before I started cooking it and had to guess on how much of the butter to use, so it's probably my own fault that it seemed a little lackluster.  Toss.

Classic from the Vault: Spicy Cranberries

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 inches stick cinnamon
• 1 c. fresh cranberries

Combine 1/4 c. water and sugar in small saucepan.  Add cinnamon.  Bring to boil, stirring till sugar dissolves.  Add cranberries and boil rapidly till berries just pop, about 2 minutes.  Chill.  Remove cinnamon.  Serve in hollowed out lemon cups.  Makes 3/4 c.

VERDICT:  This recipe is marked "really good" in my mom's 1968 Better Homes and Gardens Cooking for Two cookbook.  It is really good, and has been made for Thanksgiving for many years.

Tomato and Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dried red chile pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add water, dried lentils, 1 tablespoon dill, bay leaves, chile, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon dill, vinegar, salt, and black pepper; discard bay leaves and chile. Sprinkle with cheese.

VERDICT:  This did not seem tomato-y enough to warrant the title.  Or soup-like, for that matter--there's barely any liquid in it by the end.  But it's good, nonetheless.  The fresh dill is nice, and the feta pushes it over the edge to being a keeper.

Brown Soda Bread

• Cooking spray 
• 11.25 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 1/2 cups) 
• 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup) 
• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann's)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Preheat oven to 325°.

Coat a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.

Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir just until combined.

Spoon the mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert bread onto a wire rack; cool completely. Remove parchment; slice bread into 12 slices.

Serves 12; 160 calories.

VERDICT:  A little crumbly for sandwiches, but nice toasted.  My loaf pan is smaller than indicated, so I left a little dough out and cooked it a little longer and it turned out fine, albeit with a weird hump on one side.  Keep.

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 cup wild rice 
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake (stems removed), and chanterelle, sliced into bite-size pieces
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon Porcini Powder (grind up dried porcini mushrooms in a coffee grinder)
• 1/2 cup sherry or Madeira
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil.  Add salt and wild rice. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain; set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned and tender, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl.  Repeat with remaining oil and mushrooms.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter; add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushroom powder; cook 1 minute. Add sherry and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more.

Add stock to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; return turn to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, cream, and parsley; adjust seasoning, and serve.

Serves 8-10.

VERDICT: Not bad.  I used No-Chicken broth instead of chicken stock.  I think it could have used WAY more wild rice.  Keep, I guess.  (Amendment: After a week of leftovers, I never want to eat this again.  Toss!)

Breakfast Polenta with Warm Berry Compote

Compote:

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Dash of ground cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) bag assorted frozen berries

Polenta:

• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup dry instant polenta
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To prepare compote, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, juice, cinnamon, and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

To prepare polenta, bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in sugar and salt, and cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve with compote.

Serves 4 (2/3 c. polenta, 1/3 c. compote); 285 calories.

VERDICT:  The compote was the world's easiest and tasted good, but it was also really runny, which made the polenta turn an unappetizing purply-gray.  Toss.
 

Pumpkin-Pear Bread

• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 c. low-fat milk
• 3/4 c. pumpkin puree (or 1/2 15 oz. can)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 15 oz. can pears, drained and diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat 8- or 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together sugar, flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in bowl.  Set aside.

Whisk together oil and egg in bowl until smooth.  Whisk in milk, then pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir flour mixture into oil-egg mixture until just combined.  Fold in pears.  Spread batter in prepared loaf pan, and bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 12; 272 calories.

VERDICT: I made what turned out to be fatal substitutions--regular whole-wheat flour for whole-wheat pastry flour and fresh pears for canned (guessing how much pear that might be).  The bread never cooked all the way through and fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan.  However, the crunchy top pieces that I picked off the soggy mess showed enough promise that I'm going to try it again as written.  Keep.

Lentil and Shiitake Mushroom Soup with Leafy Greens and Soy

• 6 c. water
• 1 T. peeled ginger, finely chopped
• 1 T. garlic, finely chopped, divided in half
• 1 c. dried brown lentils
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 5 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 c. scallions, white part, thinly sliced
• 2 T. tamari or soy sauce, plus more if needed
• 1 T. tomato paste
• pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
• 4 baby bok choy, base trimmed, cut into thin (1/8") crosswise slices
• 2 t. toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 c. green onion tops, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, heat water, ginger, and half of the garlic to boiling. Add the lentils and cook over medium heat until the lentils are tender but not soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet until hot.  Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the white part of the scallion and cook 2 minutes.

Add the tamari, tomato paste, and red-pepper flakes to the shiitake-lentil mixture and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Just before serving, add the bok choy and cook just until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the green onion tops.  Pass extra tamari to season to taste. 

Make it a meal: Cut 3 to 6 ounces of firm tofu into 1/2" cubes and add to the soup with the bok choy.

Serves 4-6.

VERDICT:  World's worst recipe.  The directions leave out information left and right.  For example, it tells you to put half of the garlic in with the broth, but not what to do with the other half (I opted to put it in with the mushrooms).  Likewise with the ginger--that I opted to put entirely into the broth.  It also tells you to add the tamari, etc. to the shiitake-lentil mixture, but at no point does it tell you to combine the shiitakes and the lentils.  I muddled through, really wanting to like an easy soup that used up tomato paste, lentils, and tamari, but the results didn't justify the trouble.  Toss.

Winter Vegetable Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 bunch kale ( 3/4 pound), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves torn
• 5 1/2 cups (43.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add squash and kale and cook until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth, beans, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash and kale are tender, about 12 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan, if desired.

 

Serves 4; 254 calories.

 

VERDICT:  This probably would have been incredibly easy if I'd actually had all of my ingredients prepped before I started cooking, a lesson I will apparently never learn.  I used vegetable broth instead of chicken, which I suspect robbed it of a little flavor.  Not bad, but not notable, either.  Toss.

Sweet Pear Cocktail

• 4 sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 ounces bourbon
• 2 ounces pear nectar
• 1 red pear slice, for garnish

Muddle sage, sugar, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker until fragrant. Add bourbon and pear nectar. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a pear slice.

Serves 1.

VERDICT:  Hmm.  The pear doesn't come through, nor the sage.  It just tastes like bourbon to me.  Stick with the much better Maple-Bourbon Sour.  Toss.