Farro, Kale & Squash Salad

Farro

• ¾ cup farro
• 1½ cups water
• Pinch of salt

Squash

• 4 cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Kale

• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
• 1 bunch kale (about 8 ounces)
• 1¼ cups water, plus more as needed
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

To prepare farro: Toast farro in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the farro is tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain, if necessary; fluff with a fork.

To prepare squash: Meanwhile, toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

To prepare kale: Combine 6 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, shallot, mustard and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Separate kale leaves from stems. Slice the leaves crosswise into strips and add to the bowl. Massage the dressing into the leaves until the volume is reduced by half.
5Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale stems and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Repeat four or five more times, each time adding ¼ cup water and steaming for 2 minutes, until the kale stems are tender. Transfer to a cutting board and slice on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces.

To assemble: Stir the farro and squash into the kale salad; arrange on a platter. Serve topped with the kale stems, feta and pepitas.

Serves 6; 372 calories.

VERDICT: I should have made this in January/February, when the magazine came out--in May, it was a bit hot to have the oven on and farro and kale steaming away.  It turned out well enough, but was a fair amount of chopping and roasting for a Thursday night.  Keep for winter weekends?

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Parsley-Chive Swirl

• 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets 
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoons ground pepper, divided
• 1 1/4 cups fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh chives
• 6 cups low-sodium no-chicken or chicken broth
• 2 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.

Toss cauliflower and leeks with ½ cup oil and 1¼ teaspoons each salt and pepper in a very large bowl (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Divide the vegetables evenly between the prepared baking sheets. Roast, switching the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway, until soft and browned on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place parsley, chives and the remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a blender; pulse several times to chop, scraping down the sides once or twice. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1 cup oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and rinse out the blender.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot and add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in a blender. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in vinegar. Serve with some of the herb sauce swirled on top.

To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serves 6; 329 calories.

VERDICT:  This reminded me strongly of our family spinach dip, which I think comes from the black pepper.  It's a fair number of dishes, but few enough ingredients, one of which is the ever-present chive!  We made this with the first chives of the season--just before they started to flower.  Keep.

Winter Squash Muffins with Cranberries

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded raw winter squash, such as butternut
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries or dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt, regular or Greek
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 small apple, peeled, if desired, and shredded

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners and lightly coat with cooking spray. (Alternatively, coat muffin tin with cooking spray and omit liners.)

Pulse oats in a food processor until ground to the texture of breadcrumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg. Stir in squash, cranberries and pecans (if using).

Whisk eggs, yogurt, oil and syrup in another mixing bowl. Stir in apple. Add the squash mixture and fold until evenly moistened. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.
Bake until the muffins are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or individually wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Yield: 12 muffins; 161 calories.  (I got 15.)

VERDICT:  These didn't turn out as prettily as the picture--they are oddly greenish, despite not having anything green in them.  They are not bad, though, and they are chock-full of healthy ingredients.  Keep, I suppose.

The best part: I finally broke out the food processor grating disc for the squash, and it was a wonder to behold.  I used it to grate the apple, as well, and threw the cranberries in with the chopping blade while I was at it.  Amazing!

Orzo and Grape Salad with Feta and Mint

• 1 cup orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups quartered or halved seedless grapes
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.

Meanwhile, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add grapes, feta, mint, onion and the orzo; toss to combine.

Serves 2; 202 calories.

VERDICT:  I made this for back-to-school lunches for Jen and Beth.  The mint may have been a little too astringent.  Apart from that, a fairly straightforward salad.  It's nice that the ingredients are often on hand, so I guess I'd make it if I was using things up.  Otherwise, toss.

Creamy Rye and Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 1/2 pounds butternut, kabocha or hubbard squash
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 5 cups 1-inch pieces stale rye bread without crust (see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Peel and seed squash. Cut into enough 1-inch pieces to make about 4 1/2 cups.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat with the oil. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Mash about half the squash against the side of the pot to create a thick broth. Stir in bread; return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread is beginning to break apart, 5 to 15 minutes (cooking time depends on how stale and/or dense your bread is).

Remove the soup from the heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

Serves 6 (1 1/3 c.); 176 calories.

VERDICT:  I certainly enjoy both squishy bread and caraway rye, so I didn't mind this soup, but I would never serve it to anyone else--it's weirdly gelatinous and visually unappealing.  Toss.  

Breakfast Blueberry-Oatmeal Cakes

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Combine oats and milk in a large bowl. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator until much of the liquid is absorbed at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray.

Stir egg, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into the soaked oats until well combined. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups (about 1/4 cup each). Top each with 1 tablespoon blueberries.

Bake the oatmeal cakes until they spring back when touched, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a 10 minutes. Loosen and remove with a paring knife. Serve warm.

Make ahead: Wrap airtight and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serves 6 (2 cakes); 264 calories.

VERDICT:  I made these with raspberries, as that's what the blueberries I thought I had turned out to be, and I stirred them in instead of sprinkling on top.  They're weird if you think of them as muffins, but good if you think of them as hand-held oatmeal.  Note: the recipe says to reheat for 40 seconds in the microwave, but that made them volcano-core hot, so I recommend less.  Keep.

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.

Thai Red Curry with Vegetables

• 1 14-ounce can “lite” coconut milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or to taste
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups water
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 fresh cayenne chiles or bird chiles, cut into long strips (optional)
• 2 whole lime leaves or 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 2 cups coarsely chopped dandelion greens or arugula
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai basil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 

Heat a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons coconut milk and curry paste, stirring to dissolve it. Cook, stirring, until aromatic, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the coconut milk and cook for 1 minute, then add sweet potatoes. Stir to coat the pieces and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes more.

Add water and bring to a boil. Cook until the sweet potatoes are almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk, asparagus, chiles (if using) and lime leaves (or lime zest); cook for 1 minute. Stir in dandelion greens (or arugula), basil and fish sauce until well combined. Continue cooking until the asparagus is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove lime leaves, if necessary, before serving.

Note: This flavorful Thai red curry recipe matches sweet potatoes with fresh dandelion greens and asparagus, though you can also substitute cauliflower florets, cubed Asian eggplant, squash or carrots. If using cauliflower or eggplant, add them earlier, when the potato is only partially cooked, as they will take longer to cook than asparagus. Classic Thai red curry is flavored with lime leaves and Thai basil. If you find them, use them, but even without them the vegetable curry will still be a knockout.

Serves 4; 180 calories.

VERDICT:  I left out the chiles and fish sauce, used lime zest, arugula, and regular basil, and this still turned out very nicely and is a nice, unfussy recipe.  Unrelated to the recipe, but contributing to my happiness with the meal: I also made the first--and probably last--perfect pot of rice of my life, using instructions from thekitchn.com.  Keep!

Slow-cooker Pinto Bean Stew with Dumplings

Stew

• 1 pound dry pinto beans, soaked (see Tip)
• 6 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Dumplings

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal, preferably whole-grain
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Garnish

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sliced radishes

Drain the soaked beans. Combine the beans, water, onion, bell pepper, celery, corn, garlic, chili powder and cumin in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours (or on Low for 8 hours).

To prepare dumplings: Just before the end of the 4 (or 8) hours, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and use a pastry blender, two knives or a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add jalapeño and lime zest and toss to coat. Add buttermilk and stir to form a dough.

After the stew has cooked for 4 (or 8) hours, stir in lime juice and salt. Using generous tablespoonfuls of dough, drop 8 dumplings on top of the stew. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Serve each portion of stew topped with a dumpling. Garnish with cilantro and radish.

Serves 8; 317 calories.


VERDICT:  This is hard to time right with going to work and also suffers from the slow-cooker malady of tasting one-note and being mushy.  Also, it didn't all fit in our slow-cooker.  Toss.

Pesto, Mozzarella & Egg Breakfast Sandwich

• 1 whole-wheat English muffin
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper
• 1 teaspoon prepared pesto
• 1 thin slice fresh mozzarella cheese

Toast English muffin. Combine egg and roasted red pepper in a small (about 8-ounce) microwave-safe ramekin or bowl. Cover and microwave until the egg is set, about 1 minute. Spread pesto on 1 English muffin half, then top with cheese. Place the egg on the cheese. Top with the remaining English muffin half.

Serves 1; 362 calories.

VERDICT:  This is easy, filling, fast enough for weekday breakfast, uses up leftover pesto, and takes advantage of BOGO mozzarella from Lund's.  Win!  Keep.

Carrot Cake Waffle Breakfast Sandwich

• 2 whole-grain frozen waffles
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

Toast waffles. Spread cream cheese on 1 waffle. Top with carrot, raisins and walnuts. Drizzle with maple syrup. Top with the remaining waffle.

Serves 1; 441 calories.

VERDICT:  Promising, but the cream cheese and carrots made the waffle cold.  Toss.