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.

Creamy Edamame Dip

• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Carrots, for dipping

Boil edamame in salted water until tender, 8 minutes. Transfer to an ice-water bath; drain. Puree in a food processor with cottage cheese, cilantro, serrano, lime juice, oil, 3 tablespoons water, cumin, and salt until creamy. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and carrots for dipping.

Yield: 2 cups.

VERDICT: Super easy, healthy, and good!  I didn't read the recipe in advance and just thawed the edamame, and it hasn't killed me yet.  I used a jalapeño from Jen's CSA instead of serrano--seemed fine.  Keep!

Spinach Feta Slab Pie

• 2 bunches spinach (1 pound, 6 ounces), tough stems trimmed, washed, with water still clinging to leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, divided in half
• 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, such as Polly-O, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/3 cup)
• Kosher salt
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Place spinach in a large pot over high heat; cover. Steam until just collapsed, about 3 minutes; transfer to a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water; roughly chop.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with a rack in lower third. Brush a 9 1/2-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out and stretch one piece of dough into a thin 10-by-13-inch rectangle. (If dough is springing back, let stand 5 minutes.) Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Arrange mozzarella over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with spinach and sprinkle with feta. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes. Roll out and stretch remaining portion of dough into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Drape over filling. Pinch edges to seal; slash a few vents in top. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake until golden brown all over and filling is bubbling through vents, 40 to 45 minutes. (Check color of bottom crust by lifting corner with a spatula.) Immediately slide pie off sheet onto a wire rack. Let cool completely. Before serving, cut into squares.

Serves 12.

VERDICT:  I couldn't find the sesame seeds I thought I had, and instead off egg wash, brushed with olive oil.  It was a royal pain trying to get the dough as large as it said it was supposed to be, and I did not love the texture once it was fully cooled.  Warm, though, it was good, and I like the prefab nature of the recipe.  Probably toss, anyway.

Nectarine Blackberry Bars

CRUST :

• 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds 
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup sugar

FILLING

• 12 ounces plums (about 6), preferably Italian prune, cut into a 1/2-inch dice (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup blackberries (4 ounces) 
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup, if plums are very sweet) 
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 cup blackberries (4 ounces) 
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup, if plums are very sweet) 
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet; toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then coarsely chop. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.

Beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 3 cups of dough mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Stir almonds into remaining dough mixture.

Filling: Stir together plums, blackberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining crust mixture over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent with foil after about 50 minutes). Let cool 1 hour. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.

Serves 16.

VERDICT:  The recipe suggested that nectarines would be a nice substitute for plums, and they were.  A rare egg-free baked good that is actually good, especially served with ice cream.  Keep.

Classic From the Vault: Spicy Cashews

• 1 T. kosher salt
• 2 T. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 t. paprika
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 5 cups unsalted cashews

Heat oven to 300° F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cayenne, paprika and sugar and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a small whisk until foamy. Whisk in the spice mixture. Stir in the nuts. Spread the cashews in a single layer onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 250°F., rotate the pans in the oven, and cook for 10 more minutes. Immediately spread the cashews in a single layer on parchment paper . Set aside to cool. These cashews may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

VERDICT:  Addictive.  From Martha Stewart's Hors D'Ouvres Handbook.

Apple-Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 red or golden apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus 1 apple, finely diced and tossed in lemon juice, for garnish (optional)
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
• 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
• Sour cream, for garnish (optional) 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

 

 

Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

 

Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples, jalapeno slices, and sour cream if desired.

 

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I made this to use up the last of the butternut squash from the farmer's market, as well as some apples and froze it before we left for Ireland.  It reheated well and tasted good--spicier than I'd anticipated.  I skipped the suggested garnishes, but swirled in some yogurt and sprinkled on some pepitas.  Keep--a good pantry soup. 

Beet Hash with Eggs

• 1 pound beets, peeled and diced
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 large eggs

In a high-sided skillet, cover beets and potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and wipe out skillet.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add boiled beets and potatoes and cook until potatoes begin to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning and stir in parsley.

Make four wide wells in the hash. Crack one egg into each and season egg with salt. Cook until whites set but yolks are still runny, 5 to 6 minutes.

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT:  Delicious and super easy--I'm back to beets.  Keep!

 

Indian-Spiced Bean and Tomato Soup

• 1 tablespoon safflower oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 1 or 2 green Thai chiles, jalapeno chiles, or other fresh chiles, finely chopped, plus more, sliced, for serving
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 can (15 ounces) peeled plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
• 4 cups cooked beans, plus 2 cups cooking liquid
• Pinch of coarse salt
• Yogurt, cilantro sprigs, and pita chips, for serving

Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add ginger, chopped chiles, and spices; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice, beans and their liquid, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
 

Coarsely mash a third of the beans in pot using a potato masher or an immersion blender; stir to blend into soup.
 

Top with yogurt, cilantro sprigs, and sliced chiles, and serve with pita chips. 

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT:  Good, especially with lots of yogurt and pita chips.  Keep.

 

Ricotta Pizza with Fresh and Roasted Tomatoes

• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 large tomato, preferably heirloom, cut into half-moons
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Combine ricotta and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and stir in egg. On a baking sheet, drizzle pizza dough with 2 tablespoons oil and stretch or roll into a 16-inch-long oval. Spread ricotta mixture on dough, leaving a 1-inch border.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cherry tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake cherry tomatoes on bottom rack and pizza on top rack until tomatoes are soft and skins have burst, 15 minutes. Remove tomatoes and bake pizza until crust is deep golden brown, about 8 minutes more. Toss cherry tomatoes with sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and top with tomato mixture and oregano. 

 

Serve 6.  (More like 4.)

 

VERDICT:  The whole kitchen filled up with smoke and the crust on the pizza was already very dark when the tomatoes were done.  Apart from that, not hard and quite good.  Keep.

Chilled Plum-Oatmeal Pudding

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1 plum, pitted and chopped
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine oats, 3/4 cup each almond milk and water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until oats are tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool slightly. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup almond milk and 1 teaspoon maple syrup; chill overnight.

Toss plum, remaining 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and cinnamon in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve oatmeal topped with fruit and accumulated juices. 

 

Serves 1.

 

VERDICT:  The pudding itself is bland, but it's nice with the plums.  You could put anything on it, probably, and it's easy and filling.  Keep.

 

Eggs and Morels Baked in Cream

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for dishes
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 8 fresh morel mushrooms, (about 1 cup), halved lengthwise
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallot. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallot has softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream; bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from heat, and let mushroom mixture cool 5 minutes.

Butter four 6-inch shallow baking dishes (such as gratin dishes). Place dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Crack 1 egg into each baking dish, keeping yolks intact, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mushroom-cream mixture into dishes, dividing evenly, and sprinkle with chives. Bake on baking sheet until the egg whites are just set, 9 to 12 minutes. Serve with bread, for dipping. 

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT: We didn't have a shallot at the same time we had morels, so we used a little leftover green onion.  Not an intense flavor, but good.  Keep.

Rye Bread

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
• 2 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, plus more for topping
• 4 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
• 2 1/2 cups rye flour
• 1 large egg white
• Nonstick cooking spray

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining 1 3/4 cups water to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, along with remaining 3 tablespoons honey, butter, caraway seeds, and salt. Mix on low to combine. Gradually add both flours, one cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.

Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.

Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubled in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide in half.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a 7-by-7-inch square. Fold dough into thirds; press seam to adhere and pinch ends to seal. Place seam-side down in loaf pan. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.

In a small bowl, mix egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; drape loaves with prepared plastic wrap and let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees on a conventional oven or 425 degrees on a convection oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees (conventional) or 375 degrees (convection).

Uncover loaves and transfer to oven. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing. 

 

Yield: two loaves.

 

VERDICT:  Perfectly respectable rye bread.  A few notes: when I put the yeast, etc. in a glass measuring cup to proof, it completely overflowed--use a bigger small bowl.  Also, the recipe never says when to add the yeast mixture--I stuck in in after mixing together the remaining water, etc.  Finally, I found the bread got brown really fast, so I tented it with tin foil.   

 

Also notable: Michael Ruhlman, in his rye bread recipe, suggested toasting it, rubbing it with a clove of cut garlic, then buttering it.  I tried it with this--fantastic.  I could eat that all day.  

 

Keep.

 

 

 

Zucchini Quesadillas

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• Salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more.

Add zucchini and frozen corn kernels; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is soft and corn is tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, if using.

Brush one side of all tortillas with remaining tablespoon oil; lay 2 tortillas, oiled side down, on a baking sheet. Place half of the filling on each, and sprinkle with half the cheese. Place remaining 2 tortillas on top, oiled side up; press down gently with a spatula to seal.

Bake until cheese has melted and tortillas are golden brown, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. To serve, slice each quesadilla into wedges.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  The zucchini filling was good on its own, but it got overpowered by the pepper jack.  Toss.

Poached Egg with Rice and Edamame

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sliced clove garlic
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen edamame beans
• Coarse salt
• 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 large egg

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add edamame and cook until heated through. Season with salt. Transfer to a bowl with rice and top with cabbage.
 

In a small pot, bring 2 inches water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Crack egg into a teacup and gently slide into water. Cook until white is just set but yolk is still loose, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve over rice and vegetables. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. 

 

Serves 1.

 

VERDICT:  So disappointing.  The colors are so vibrant--greens and purple and bright yellow from the yolk--but it didn't taste exciting.  All the ingredients just tasted like themselves and didn't add up to anything more interesting.  Toss.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

• 2 Tbsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 diced large onion
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 minced cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes
• 1 diced (stemmed, seeded) red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups rinsed red lentils
• 6 cups Cleansing Broth
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook cumin, turmeric and curry powder until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion with a few pinches salt, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and bell pepper and cook 1 minute.

Add lentils and Cleansing Broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro before serving.

 

Serves 4.

 

VERDICT:  Good, and with easy-to-come-by ingredients.  I used water instead of creepy-sounding "Cleansing Broth."  Keep.

 

Coconut Eggnog

• 2 cans (14 ounces each) light coconut milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces spiced rum
• Ice
• 1/3 cup toasted, large unsweetened coconut flakes, for garnish

Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and pale.

Gradually whisk half the hot coconut milk into the egg mixture, then pour into pot with remaining coconut milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and mixture nearly coats the back of a wooden spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in rum, and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to overnight. Pour into a pitcher, and serve over ice, garnished with coconut flakes.

 

Serves 6.

 

We just had about half a can of coconut milk leftover from a curry, so I made a quarter-batch of these.  We were sorry we didn't have more--so good!  Keep.

Healthy Morning Muffins

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 4 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

 

Serves 12.

 

VERDICT:  Good!  Based on the batter, which seemed to be entirely made out of carrots, I did not think this was going to work at all, but these muffins turned out beautifully.  I substituted 1/2 c. of whole wheat flour for 1/2 c. of the white flour and used light brown sugar.  I ate one with a salad for lunch and thought myself incredibly healthy.  Keep.

Spicy Asian Brittle

• 1 1/2 cups almonds, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups cashews, toasted
• 1/2 cup wasabi peas
• 1/2 cup sesame sticks
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the almonds, cashews, wasabi peas, sesame sticks, sesame seeds, pepper flakes, and ginger.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, stir together sugar and 1/2 cup water until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, brushing down sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

Cook until mixture registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard-crack stage), about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the soy sauce, and add nut mixture, stirring to coat.

Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Use the back of an oiled spoon to flatten; let cool completely. Break brittle into bite-size pieces. Nut brittle can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week.

 

Makes 1 1/2 pounds.

 

VERDICT:  Meh.  This was a present for Dad and Connie.  I did not particularly care for it--toss.

 

 

Neapolitan Coconut Strips

• 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use
• 4 ounces finely shredded unsweetened coconut (1 1/4 cup)
• 4 ounces finely shredded sweetened coconut (1 1/3 cup)
• 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted
• 1 drop red gel-paste food coloring

Line an 8-inch square cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Combine white chocolate, condensed milk, butter, salt, and vanilla seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in both types of coconut.
 

Divide mixture among 3 bowls. Stir milk chocolate into 1 batch and food coloring into another. Leave third plain.
 

Spread milk-chocolate mixture into bottom of pan. Gently dollop plain mixture over top, covering as much surface as possible. Gently spread, then repeat with the remaining mixture. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
 

Unmold coconut square using plastic overhang, and discard plastic. Trim about inch each from 2 parallel sides. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Cut each slice into 1 1/2-inch-long strips. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

 

VERDICT:  Huge disappointment.  Martha's picture looked just exactly like those coconut candies you used to be able to get from the Brach's Pick-A-Mix, and I was super excited to take them to Christmas.  My finished product did look pretty much like a somewhat squished version of the classic, but it tasted chalky and overly sweet.  I know part of this is my fault--Lund's did not have finely shredded unsweetened coconut, so I used all sweetened--but I don't think that was the whole problem.  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.