Satsuma Vodka-tini

• 1 cup fresh cranberries 
• 1 cup vodka 
• ½ cup sugar 
• 4 satsumas 
• ¾ cup Grand Marnier 
• ¼ cup lime juice 

Combine cranberries, vodka, sugar, and satsumas in a food processor; process until pureed. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. 

Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl, pressing to extract juice. Discard solids. Stir in Grand Marnier and lime juice. 

Place 1 cup satsuma mixture in a martini shaker with 1/2 cup crushed ice; shake. Strain mixture into 2 martini glasses. Repeat procedure to yield 10 cocktails.

Serves 10; 187 calories.

VERDICT:  Made with only things already in the house, and delicious!  (I did use Cointreau, and then Triple Sec in place of the Grand Marnier.)  Would be a good Christmas/Thanksgiving cocktail--make-ahead and batched.  Keep.

Mushroom Cauliflower Bolognese

• 12 oz. mushrooms, such as shiitake or crimini, stems removed
• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2¼ lb.), broken into florets
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 chile, such as serrano, Holland, or Fresno, thinly sliced, or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
• ⅓ cup double-concentrated tomato paste
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb. rigatoni
• 2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• ½ lemon

Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out food processor bowl.

Working in 3 batches, pulse cauliflower in food processor until pieces are about the size of a grain of rice (some smaller and some larger ones are fine), transferring to a medium bowl as you go.

Heat ¼ cup oil and 2 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 4–6 minutes. Add onion and 2 Tbsp. oil to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic, chile, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened and mixture is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, yes, still stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is cooked down slightly and begins to stick to bottom of pot, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt, then keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with sauce. Add 1 cup Parmesan, remaining 2 Tbsp. butter, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and sauce is clinging to pasta, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (it'll probably need another pinch or two). Finely zest lemon over pasta and toss once more.

Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan, then drizzle with oil.

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  This was not as hard as I expected it to be--the bulk of the chopping happens in the food processor--it has achievable ingredients, and it's delicious. Keep!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

• 2 tbsp. avocado or olive oil
• 6 scallions, sliced, dark-green parts reserved for garnish
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 can (about 15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
• 1 can (about 14.5 oz.) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/3 cup bulgur
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• Sour cream, for garnish

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add the white and light-green scallion parts, the bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, stock, beans, tomatoes with juices, bulgur, chili powder, and chipotle pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash and bulgur are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Divide the chili among bowls. Garnish with sour cream and the dark-green scallion parts.

Serves: 4

VERDICT: I made this to use up some scallions and a sweet potato (which I subbed in for the butternut squash) and was surprised by how much I liked it.  The bulgur adds nice texture.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 large onion, finely diced 
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced 
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, such as Annie's Naturals 
• 1 dried bay leaf 
• 1 cup French green lentils, picked over 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 1 cup frozen peas 
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add Worcestershire, bay leaf, 4 cups water, and lentils; season with salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in peas; remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes and garlic in a medium saucepan; cover with 2 inches of cold water. Season generously with salt; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until a knife pierces potatoes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; return potatoes and garlic to pot. Add butter and milk; mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer lentil mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Dollop with mashed potatoes; spread evenly to edges. Transfer to a baking sheet; bake until golden and bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes; serve.

Serves: 8

VERDICT: This was not wildly exciting, but I also did not get sick of the leftovers, which is a huge plus and pushes it over into "keep" territory.

Chia Seed Pudding

• 1 cup vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup plain low-fat (2 percent) Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B), plus 4 teaspoons for serving
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with the remaining 4 teaspoons maple syrup. Mix in the almonds. Spoon the pudding into 4 bowls or glasses; mound the berry mixture on top and serve.

Serves 4; 201 calories.

VERDICT:  I like this chia seed pudding better than others I've tried.  I made it with macadamia nut milk from Trader Joe's, and just threw fresh raspberries and blackberries on instead of the strawberries.  Keep!  

Granola Pudding Bowls

Granola and Chia Pudding

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup coarsely chopped skin-on hazelnuts or pecans
• ½ cup skin-on almonds
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. flaky sea salt
• 3 cups brewed rooibos tea, cooled
• ¾ cup chia seeds

Assembly

• 4 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp. honey
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp. apricot jam

Preheat oven to 300°. Toss oats, hazelnuts, almonds, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and kosher salt in a large bowl.

Heat honey, oil, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low, whisking until melted and combined, about 2 minutes. Pour over oat mixture and mix thoroughly to coat. Spread out on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake granola 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Let cool on baking sheet.

Combine tea and chia seeds in a 1-qt. jar or airtight container. Cover and shake to combine. Let sit 5 minutes, then shake again. Let sit at least another 15 minutes before serving. (You’ll have enough granola and chia pudding for about 16 servings. Keep on hand for making more bowls or other uses (try a scoop of chia pudding in a smoothie!).

Do Ahead: Granola and chia pudding can be made 10 days ahead. Store granola airtight at room temperature and chill chia pudding.

Serves 16 (if you buy more yogurt).

VERDICT:  This takes a little bit of time to assemble in the morning, but I genuinely looked forward to eating it every day, and none of the advance work is difficult at all.  I also had everything to make the granola in the cupboard already (I used pecans instead of hazelnuts)--all I bought was rooibos, yogurt and jam.  I skip the step of adding honey and vanilla to the yogurt and don't miss it at all.  A tiny bit fancy and delicious.  Keep!

Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice

• 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 pounds (about 4) Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, quartered and very thinly sliced
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Herb bundle (see Note)
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices baguette
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces Maytag or other young, not too sharp, blue cheese, at room temperature

Note: This soup calls for an herb bundle that’s roughly 3/4 cup of your favorite fresh herbs, chopped. (He calls for 3 tablespoons chopped chives, basil, flat-leaf parsley and 4 tablespoons chopped tarragon, though I don’t think you need to be overly rigid in adhering to a formula.)

Cook the wild rice in a small saucepan according to package directions.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and season the onions with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for another 15 to 25 minutes, until they are tender, limp and sweet. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Wrap the herbs (see Note up top) in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string. Trotter suggests you drop the bundle into the broth for one minute, then remove it, but after going through such an effort to make one, I decided to leave mine in a little longer; it made me feel better. Adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with oil. Bake on a baking sheet until light golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. While the croutons are still warm, spread them with cheese.

To serve, divide the rice among four bowls, and ladle broth and onions on top. Float two croutons in the center of each bowl, and sprinkle with more pepper. Eat immediately.

Serves 4.

VERDICT: I took some liberties.  Instead of chopping herbs, tying them up and floating the bundle for ONE MINUTE, I grabbed a bunch of un-chopped chives, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley with tongs and floated them in the soup for a few minutes.  I also added chopped tarragon, parsley, and chives to the soup and left them there, which was pretty and delicious.  I also somehow neglected to buy either baguette or cheese, so there were no croutons.  But, it was still good--slightly sweet, with a really nice note of tarragon.  It's relatively cheap to make, especially if you have millions of chives in the garden.  Keep.