Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, oats, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Serves 9; 208 calories.

VERDICT:  We made a double batch in a 9x13 inch pan for Thanksgiving--a decent and easy crisp.  There were no Rome apples at Lund's, so we used half Granny Smith and half Pink Lady.  Keep.
 

Classic Dressing

• 2 1-pound loaves country-style bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2½ cups low sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Tear bread into 1” pieces (you should have about 20 cups); spread out on baking sheets and let sit overnight to dry out.

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, sage, and thyme; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 10–12 minutes. Add butter, celery seeds, cayenne, and broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted.

Transfer to a large bowl; add bread and parsley. Toss, adding more broth as needed to moisten.

Transfer to a 13x9” baking dish; cover with foil. Bake until heated through, 45–50 minutes. Uncover; bake until dressing is browned and crisp, 15–20 minutes longer.

Serves 12; 350 calories.

VERDICT:  I made a half-batch of this for Thanksgiving, using half caraway rye and half sourdough, and it was everyone's favorite.  I will probably keep trying new recipes, but this one was good.  Keep.

Apple-Herb Stuffing

• 6 cups torn chunks French, sourdough or country loaf, torn into bits (I use 2 7-ounce demi-baguettes)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish or sweet onion, chopped small
• 1 large or 2 small stalks celery, diced small
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large or 2 small firm, tart tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced small
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 sage leaves, minced
• 1/2 to 1 cup cup turkey, chicken or vegetable stock or broth
• 1 large egg

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread bread cubes in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in pan while you prepare the other ingredients.

Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish (a 9×5-inch loaf, 8- or 9-inch square dish, etc.) with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, until becoming translucent. Add celery and cook for 2 more minutes. Add apple and saute until a bit tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Place bread in large mixing bowl. Scrape contents of skillet on top. Whisk egg and 1/2 cup broth or stock together and pour over. Stir in parsley and sage. Spoon into prepared pan. If mixture looks a little dry, pour remaining 1/2 cup broth over it. [This is a good place to pause, if needed. Nothing bad comes of the stuffing absorbing the liquids for longer.] Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until brown on top and no liquid appears if you insert a knife vertically into the center of the stuffing pan and turn it slightly. Serve immediately, or reheat as needed.

VERDICT:  Of the two stuffings I made for Thanksgiving this year, this was the lesser.  It was good, but the rye bread stuffing was better.  I will probably not make it again, as I'm on the quest for the perfect stuffing, but it's not the recipe's fault.  Toss.

Northwood #2

• 3 tablespoons gold rum
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Ice cubes 
• 2 thin apple slices 

Combine first 5 ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover and shake vigorously until cold. Strain into 2 coupe glasses. Cut slit in each apple slice and attach to rim of each glass.

Serves 2.

VERDICT:  Tiny, but strong!  Maybe amp up the cider, and serve in little glasses.  Nicely fall-like.  Keep.

Chickpea Stew Scented with Lemon and Cumin

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup instant dry polenta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions 
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• 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Cover and set aside.

While polenta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes. Add lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Stir in the green onions. Serve stew over polenta. Top with sour cream.

Serves 6 (1 1/3 c. stew, 2/3 c. polenta, 2 T. sour cream); 400 calories.

VERDICT:  "Scented" seems a strong word for the lemon and cumin flavors--I couldn't taste or smell them.  Bland and mushy, somewhat redeemed by lots and lots of tangy sour cream.  Toss.
 

Vegetarian Tikka Masala

• 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 14-ounce packages extra-firm or firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon canola oil plus 2 teaspoons, divided
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, quartered and sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup half-and-half

Combine garam masala, turmeric, salt and crushed red pepper (if using) in a small bowl. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and blot dry with paper towels. Toss the tofu in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour and the remaining spice mix; stir until fragrant and coated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Return the tofu to the pan; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in half-and-half.

Serves 5 (1 2/3 c.); 232 calories.

VERDICT:  Not bad, even with extra tofu, but better with some chopped peanuts on top and spinach mixed in.  Keep.

Gingerbread

• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour, or 2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup diced crystallized ginger (optional)

Grease and flour a 9" square pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  Melt the butter in a heatproof measuring cup. Add the molasses to the cup, and pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl, mixing to moisten.  Add the water, stirring until everything is moistened.  Whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Stir into the batter until it's evenly combined. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake just begins to pull away from the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before slicing; gingerbread is best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Serves 16; 170 calories.

VERDICT:  Easy (no creaming butter!) and pretty decent.  I only have an 8x8 pan, so I ended up cooking it a bit longer than indicated, but it seems to have turned out OK.  I'd be inclined to leave out the ginger in future--I like ginger as much as the next person, but it seemed a little much.  Keep.

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary

• 1 1/2 cups green split peas
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves, divided (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, divided
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock or 14.5 oz. can vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, Vegetable Stock, and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil.  (Note: If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt.)  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureéd soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup.

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and parsley. Stir parsley mixture into soup. Spoon soup into bowls; top each with sour cream.

Serves 6 (1 c. soup, 2 tsp. sour cream); 233 calories.

VERDICT:  Good!  Probably the last outing for the fresh rosemary from the garden--a good use of it.  Keep.
 

Stetson Chopped Salad

Dressing

• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup aioli (see note)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

• 1/3 cup cooked Israeli couscous
• 2 ounces chopped arugula
• 1/3 cup diced Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup diced smoked salmon
• 1 tablespoon crumbled Asiago cheese
• 1 tablespoon toasted pepitas
• 2 tablespoons dried black currants
• 2 tablespoons super-sweet dried corn

Note: Aioli is like garlicky mayonnaise. Look for it in gourmet food stores, or make your own by blending together 1 to 2 finely minced garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

For the dressing: Combine pesto, shallot and aioli in a food processor; blend thoroughly. With motor running, add buttermilk. Add pepper and lemon juice; blend to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  Makes about 1 1/4 c.

For the salad: Arrange ingredients in separate rows on a large platter. Toss salad at the table, using about half of the batch of dressing. (Refrigerate remaining dressing up to three days.) Makes 2 servings.

Serves 2.

VERDICT:  From AZCentral.com.  This is my attempt to recreate the incredible salad I had at Cowboy Ciao at the Phoenix Airport.  I made the dressing as indicated, making my own aioli.  It was good, but nothing like the dressing on the salad I had.  I think it'd be fine, and a lot less work, to substitute a pre-made buttermilk ranch.  I did not use smoked salmon, and substituted avocado.  Sadly, I couldn't find dried corn, which was really good--almost crouton-y--in the salad I had and used canned corn instead.  Finally, I didn't really follow the proportions above, but guessed by eye.  Mix together the cheese, pepitas, and currants before adding them to the plate.  Keep!

Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

• 3/4 cup steel cut oatmeal
• ½ cup almonds or walnuts halves, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ to 1 ½ cups blueberries
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix together the oats, the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, butter, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Store mixture in fridge (if desired) overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Give mixture a good stir. Scatter berries (if using) into an 8-inch square baking dish. Pour milk-oat mixture over the berries.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Serves about 6.

VERDICT:  From Alexandra's Kitchen.  I made it with skim milk and threw in a sliced banana as well as about a cup of frozen (unthawed) blueberries.  Not bad, but a lot of time and effort for a final product not any better than stovetop.  Maybe I'd be more impressed if I'd assembled it the night before and then was able to just pop it in the oven in the morning.  Toss.