Spinach Salad with Roasted Golden and Red Beets, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Salad:

Spinach or baby spinach

1/2 red onion, minced

Red wine or white wine vinegar

Toasted Walnuts

Goat Cheese

3 beets, cooked, skinned, cooled and cut crosswise into thin medallions.  Golden + Red makes for a very pretty salad.

Dressing:

1/4 cup good balsamic

1/2 cup + a few tbs good extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp whole grain prepared mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

2 cloves garlic, smashed with a back on knife

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

At least 2 hours and up to one day ahead, add minced onions to vinegar, enough to almost cover.  Keep refrigerated until ready to use.  

For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together except for the oil.  Drizzle oil in slowly while whisking rapidly to make a nice, thick dressing.  Season to taste, add smashed garlic cloves.  Let sit out for a few hours until ready to serve, or refrigerate for later use.  Discard garlic cloves.

Compose salad, adding as much of the toppings and dressing as you'd like (including onions). 

Potato Latke - Maya's version

Ingredients

6 potatoes (unpeeled)

1 zucchini

2 medium onions

3 eggs

2/3 cup flour

S+P to taste

2 garlic cloves

Directions

- Work 1 batch at a time.  Grate potatoes and zucchini, place in a colander lined with a tea towel.  Add a generous pinch of salt, massage into grated mixture.

- Meanwhile, whisk eggs + salt and pepper.  Grate onions.

- Wring tea towel to remove as much liquid as possible, add solids to egg mixture. 

- Drain off as much liquid from onions, add to the rest of the ingredients.

- Sprinkle over flour, mix until combined

- Prepare two cookie trays with cooling wracks, place double paper towels on top of cooling wracks.

- Fry latkes, pressing out liquid with slotted spoon before adding to pan.  Transfer to lined cookie trays

- Put oven on warm, line a third cookie tray with double paper towels.  Once first two trays are full, place latkes into warmer tray in a scalloped fashion (slightly overlapping to fit more).

- Leave on warm uncovered until ready to eat

Comments

- Switch out oil every two batches to avoid smoking

Gabriel and Bella's Key Lime Pie

I made this recipe for Edgar's 90th birthday dinner, with some coaching from Gabriel.  Easy and delicious!  Love, Wendy

Ingredients

FILLING

1/2 cup (scant) fresh lime juice (juice of 3-4 limes)

4 tsp grated lime zest (from most of the limes) (zest the limes before you squeeze them)

4 egg yolks

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

(optional: 1+1/2 tsp ground ginger)

CRUST

(the easy way is to buy a box of graham cracker crumbs.... or grind graham crackers in the food proceesser)

 1 +1/2 cups fine crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unslted butter, melted

TOPPING

whipped cream slightly sweetened, with some lime zest mixed in

Directions

(Make filling first because it must sit and thicken)

Filling

1. Whisk egg yolks, powdered ginger (optional)  and lime zest together until the mixture is tinted light green all the way through

2. Beat in condensed milk, then lime juice, and set aside at room temperature until it thickens.

While it sits, make the crust

3. Preheat over to 350

4. In a pie plate, mix crumbs and sugar, then add melted butter.

5. Press firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.  Use a flat bottomed measuring cup to press the crumb mixture so it forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.

6. Bake on the center rack from 8 - 10 minutes until lightly brown, remove, and let cool to room temperature.

7. Leave the oven on.

Fill the pie

8. Pour the room temperature lime filling into the crust, spread evenly, and bake for 10 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.

9.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature

10 Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until well chilled.

Top the pie

11. Just before serving, beat the heavy cream with some lime zest.  Spread over the top of the pie.

Roasted eggplant (a version of Jerusalem cookbook)

Ingredients

1 eggplant quartered lengthways and scored crosswise
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion (1/3 pound) thinly sliced
¼ tsp cumin
25 gm feta cheese crumbed
½ lemon
small clove garlic crushed
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of chilli pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F
Liberally brush eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Roast on baking sheet for 45 minutes, cut side up

Fry onions on medium until dark and crisp.
Add cumin, cook 2 more minutes. Add feta, cook for 1 more minute.
Set aside. Re heat just before serving

Zest the lemon, remove remaining skin and pith. Chop flesh. Add cumin to zest, pulp and juice.  Add garlic and pinch of chilli pepper. Set aside.

Place roasted eggplant on platter.  Spread lemon sauce over eggplants. Sprinkle warmed up onion mix on to top.  Serve warm or cold.

Comments

Serves 2
Submitted by Allen

Swiss Chard Pie (Mirta's surprise) - submitted by A&N

Ingredients

1 Bunch green or red chard (Steamed and chopped with excess water removed)
1 package Pillsbury piecrust
1 package of Muenster cheese, sliced (about 10)
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 eggs, raw
Lemon pepper seasoning and salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Turbinado or regular sugar


Directions

Sautee garlic and onion in olive oil.  Add cooked chard and simmer uncovered to dry the mix.
Add salt and lemon pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a tart pan with 1 piece dough. Prick with fork. Bake for 10 min.
Fill with chard. Make 5 wells in the chard for the eggs.  Ladle the raw eggs into the wells.  Place cheese slices on top.  Cover with dough and press edges all around to seal the pie. Prick with fork and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 4-6 people

Implements

10” tart pan with removable bottom

Flounder Rollatini - Moosewood Cookbook (Tamar)

Ingredients

Filling:

1/3 cup finely chopped toasted almonds

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 pounds flounder fillets

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Oil a 9-inch square or an 11x7 inch baking pan.

In a bowl, mix together the almonds, parmesan, parsley, and basil.

If any of the fillets are large, cut them in half; when rolled, they should be about 2 inches thick. Rinse the flounder and place each fillet, skinned side up on a flat work surface. Sprinkle filling on the wide end of each fillet and roll it up. Arrange the flounder rolls, seam side down and close together, in the prepared baking pan. Melt the butter and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon butter over the rolled fillets and cover the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the fish is white and feels firm to the touch, and flakes easily with a fork.

Comments

Serves 4-6 

Prep time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

From Moosewood Cookbook - Submitted by Tamar

Chicken Marsala for Two! - Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

1 + ⅛ cups dry Marsala
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
2 x (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Kosher salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup all-purpose flour
7 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 ½ ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 small shallot, minced
1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

It is worth spending a little extra for a moderately priced dry Marsala ($10 to $12 per bottle). Serve the chicken with potatoes, white rice, or buttered pasta.

1. Bring 1 cup Marsala, gelatin, and porcini mushrooms to boil in small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and vigorously simmer until reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut each chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut thick half in half again horizontally creating 3 cutlets of about same thickness. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to even 1/2-inch thickness. Place cutlets in bowl and toss thoroughly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.

3. Strain Marsala reduction through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return Marsala reduction to saucepan, add broth, and return to boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. Spread flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, shaking gently to remove excess. Place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place cutlets in skillet and lower heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Return cutlets to wire rack.

5. Return now-empty skillet to medium-low heat and add pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits, until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms and pancetta to bowl. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and shallot to skillet and cook until softened, 1 minute. Add tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add reduced Marsala mixture, remaining 1/8 cup Marsala, lemon juice, and oregano and bring to simmer.

6. Add cutlets to sauce and simmer for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through simmering. Transfer cutlets to platter. Off heat, whisk in butter. Stir in parsley and cremini mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.


Comments

This is our new favorite chicken dish.  It's a bit more effort than other chicken dishes - but only really because of the sauce preparations - which, of course, is what makes this meal exquisite.  I'm sure it would be better with better mushrooms, but I used regular old mushrooms from the produce department here in remote Truckee and kept them in the dish, although separated from the sauce before serving using a slotted spoon.  I served the chicken on a bed of spinach leaves, but you could also used steamed kale or pasta.

This recipe came from the Cooks Illustrated November 2015 web site.

Israeli-Style Charoset (Jessie and Wendy)

Ingredients

3 apples, peeled, cored, and grated

1 pear, mashed

1 package of dates, ground in Cuisenart

½ cup blanched almonds, ground

1/8 cup matzah meal

Rind of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

Juice and rind of 1 orange

¼ cup red wine

1 tsp cinnamon

Honey to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients, adding enough wine to make a paste

Comments

David says: I use pistachios(unsalted) instead of almonds

Washington Post Meringe Blondies - (Jessie)

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
• Scrapings of 1 vanilla bean
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups crunchy Valrhona dark chocolate pearls (see headnote)
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11-by-14-inch baking sheet with cooking oil spray, then line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper as well.

Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda on a sheet of wax paper.

Combine the butter, the granulated sugar and 1 cup of the light brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla bean scrapings and salt; beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then add the egg yolks; beat (medium speed) until well blended. Stop to scrape down the bowl.

Add the milk and beat on medium speed until well incorporated; stop to scrape down the bowl, then beat (medium) for 30 seconds. Stop to scrape down the bowl.

Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Add the Valrhona pearls and beat (low speed) just until distributed.

Place the egg whites in a separate, clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment or use a hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed with 1/3 cup of the remaining light brown sugar. Once the mixture becomes frothy, add another third of the light brown sugar; beat (medium speed) to soft peaks. Add the remaining third of the light brown sugar; beat (medium) to somewhat firm peaks (a meringue).

Press the cookie dough onto the baking sheet in an even layer, within a half inch or so of the baking sheet edges. Spread an even layer of the chocolate chips over the cookie dough, then spread the meringue evenly over the chips. Bake for 30 minutes, until the meringue layer is golden brown. Cool completely.

To cut perfect squares, freeze the entire baked sheet. Loosen any edges stuck to the baking sheet corners, then release from the baking sheet. Discard the parchment paper. Use a sharp, clean knife to trim the edges before cutting into 24 or 30 squares (while still frozen).

Comments

These chewy squares with a marvelous baked-on meringue topping are a definite step up from blondies. They are named for pastry chef Alex Levin's grandmother ("savta" is Hebrew for grandmother).

Make Ahead: The baked squares can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Or the squares can be layered between wax paper and frozen for up to 3 weeks. Defrost completely before serving.

Where to Buy: Valrhona crunchy dark chocolate pearls are available at some Whole Foods Markets, at some chocolate shops and via online purveyors. Godiva chocolate pearls are available at Balducci's.

Makes a whole tray - good for a crowd, or a weekend full of house guests.