Challah

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 2 ½  cups lukewarm water
• 1 package yeasr
• ⅓ cup sugar or honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 T salt
• ¼ c oil
• 1 c raisins (optional)
• 8 to 9 cups flour
• poppy and/or sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in water.  Add sugar or honey, oil, 2 eggs, and whisk together.  Add raisins if using.   
2. Add flour in 1 cup, and then ½ cup, measures, until dough is firm and no longer sticky.  Knead for 5 - 10 minutes.
3. Let dough rise in oiled bowl until double in bulk.
4. Punch down, knead for 5 minutes, and divide into half and then again into thirds.  Roll each piece into a rope about 1½ " in diameter, and form two braided loaves.  
5. Let rise on oiled baking sheet for 45 minutes [or in refrigerator for up to 3 days.]
6. Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.   Bake for 30-40 minutes in preheated 350° oven.  Remove and cool on rack.

Notes:   Unbaked loaves can be prepared in advance and stored in airtight bag in refrigerator.

Variations:

• Extra large challah for a crowd:  divide dough into unequal parts before braiding, place smaller braid on top of larger before rising.  Baking time may be up to 10 minutes longer.

Source:  Mollie Katzen, Still Life with Menu

Cold Tomato-Basil Soup

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes, plus time for chilling
 
Ingredients

• 5 ripe tomatoes, chopped [or ½ of 28-0z can]
• 1 (11-ounce) can vegetable cocktail juice
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 (14-ounce) can ready to use chicken broth
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream (nonfat is fine)
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 15 basil leaves, julienned
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 6 whole basil leaves

Instructions

1. In food processor, place tomatoes and cocktail juice; process until smooth. Place in glass bowl and add tomato juice and chicken broth; stir well and refrigerate. 
2.  In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into tomato mixture.
3. Stir in cream, pepper, and julienned basil and chill soup for 2-3 hours before serving. Garnish with more basil and chopped tomato. Serves 4-6

Notes:   I used only ½ cup cream and it was fine.

Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens, and Pine Nuts

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

Ingredients  

• 1/3 cup pine nuts  
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions, quartered lengthwise through root end, sliced crosswise (about 4 cups) 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 bunches 2-inch-diameter golden beets with fresh healthy greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips 
• 12 ounces farfalle or other medium textured pasta
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

 Instructions

1. Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir 2 minutes.
4. Scatter beet greens over onions. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl.
6. Return water to boil. Add pasta to beet cooking liquid and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
7.  Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. 
8. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, sprinkle in pine nuts, and serve. 

Notes: 

• You can use red beets if golden beets are unavailable, but your pasta will be pink.

Source:  Bon Appetit, February 2009.

Chilled melon soup with prosciutto, ginger, and mint

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

• 1 very ripe orange-fleshed melon, seeded and peeled.
• 1 pinch salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger [or more to taste]
• 2 oz prosciutto, diced or cut into thin slivers
• Several leaves fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau [optional]

Instructions

1. Set aside about 1/8 of melon for garnish, and process remaining melon together with salt, pepper, lime juice, and ginger in a food processor or  blender until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 
2. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Saute prosciutto until crisp, and drain.
4. Roll mint leaves into a cigar shape and slice crosswise very finely in a chiffonade.
5. Cut remaining melon into small dice.
6. Into chilled bowls, add diced melon and pour in one cup of the puree. Garnish with prosciutto and mint and serve immediately.

Notes:

• For smoother texture, run processed melon through a sieve before chilling - you can skip this step to save time, but in my opinion it is worth it. 

Clafouti

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1¼ c milk
• 1/3 c sugar plus more for sprinkling
• 3 eggs
• 1 T vanilla
• 1/8 t salt
• ½ c flour
• 3 c cherries

Instructions

1. Blend batter ingredients for 1 minute.
2. Pour 1/4" layer into 8-cup baking dish and set over moderate heat 1 minute until it sets.
3. Remove from heat, add cherries, sprinkle with up to 1/3 sugar, add rest of batter, and return to oven at 325° till done.Variations: (1)

Notes: Variations:

• Marinate cherries in 1/4 c kirsch or cognac, and reduce milk by same amount.
• Use 3 c pears with 1/4 c liqueur.
• Use 3 c blueberries, and increase flour to 1 cup

Source: Julia Child.

Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables | Mark Bittman

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausages, bone-in pork chops, confit duck legs, or duck breasts, or a combination
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 leeks or onions, trimmed, washed, and sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchinis or 1 small head green cabbage, cut into
• 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chopped tomatoes, with their juice (canned are fine)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups cooked white beans (canned are OK), drained and liquid reserved in any case
• 2 cups stock, dry red wine, bean cooking liquid, or water, plus more as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the meat, and cook, turning as needed, until the meat is deeply browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
   
   
2. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic, leeks or onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini or cabbage; and sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their liquid, the reserved meat, and the herbs and bring to a boil. Add the beans; bring to a boil again, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but continuously. Cook for about 20 minutes, adding the liquid when the mixture gets thick and the vegetables are melting away.
   
   
3. Fish out the meat and remove the bones and skin as needed. Chop into chunks and return to the pot along with the cayenne. Cook another minute or two to warm through, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.
   

Notes:

Variations:

• Slow-Cooked Cassoulet. Start with dried beans. After browning the meat in Step 1, leave it in the pan and add 1/2 pound dry white beans (they’ll cook faster if you soak them first) and enough water or stock to just cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Meanwhile, in a separate pan with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cook the vegetables as directed in Step 2. Add them to the pot of beans along with the tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, adding more liquid as necessary to keep them moist. This will take anywhere from another 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the age of your dried beans.
  

Source: Mark Bittman

Passover Seder shopping list

In general

• Eggs 
• 2 bunches of parsley 
• 2 bags onions
• 2 bags carrots [for tzimmes, soup, and gefilte fish]
• Celery (for soup and kugel)
• Chicken bones for soup
• 3 lbs potatoes 
• Leeks, turnip, parsnip (for soup and kugel)
• 1 lb prunes [for tzimmes and compote]
• 1 lb dried apricots [same]
• Matzo meal
• Matzo
• Grape juice
• Sweet wine

For seder plate

• One raw beet [instead of shank bone on seder plate]
• Piece of horseradish root
• Jar of red horseradish

For tzimmes

• 6 sweet potatoes

For charoset [Provencal and Ashkenazi]

• 1 lb dried figs
• 1 bottle ground cinnamon
• 3 apples
• ½ cup walnuts

For soup

• 1 turnip
• 1 parsnip
• 1 heavy chicken

For compote

• 2 cans dark cherries, with juice
• 2 cans sliced peaches
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemon

Notes:

Roast vegetables and half the chicken bones for soup

Kugel should be 50/50 between potatoes and other vegetables (a little cabbage is nice)

Fried Rice With Peas and Chicken

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil or neutral oil, like corn or canola
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 bell pepper, stemmed, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped boneless chicken
• 1 cup peas (defrost if frozen)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger, or to taste
• 3 to 4 cups cooked rice, cooled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup xiao shing wine, or sherry or white wine, or water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup minced scallion or cilantro
  

Instructions

1. Put 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to high. A minute later, add onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove to a bowl.
2. Add chicken to skillet and cook over high heat, stirring infrequently, until nicely browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add to bowl with vegetables. Drain peas if necessary and add them to skillet; cook, shaking pan, for about a minute, or until hot. Add them to bowl.
3. Put remaining oil in skillet, followed by garlic and ginger. About 15 seconds later, add rice, a bit at a time, breaking up clumps with your fingers and tossing it with oil. When all rice is added, make a well in the center and break eggs into it; scramble them a bit, then incorporate into rice.
4. Return chicken and vegetables to skillet and stir to integrate. Add wine or water and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat, stir in scallion or cilantro, and serve.
   

Notes: A big hit with the kids and super easy. Egg must touch pan or it will take forever to cook; try cooking it first, removing it, and adding back in at the end with the chicken.

Source: Bitten Blog - NYTimes.com

Albanian Burek

Yield: 4-6 servings as a main dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup oil, preferably extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound box phyllo dough, thawed (use the thick style, if possible)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra to taste
• 1 cup diced feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 eggs
  

Instructions:

1. Brush the baking pan with some of the oil, and start laying the pastry leaves inside. First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until half of the leaves are laid. They should cover the pan like a pie crust and hang over its edge by 1 inch.
   
   
2. Sprinkle spinach with salt, then mix well by hand. Add the feta cheese, onions, eggs and salt to taste and spread over the pastry leaves. Finish by covering the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves, repeating the earlier procedure. Roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the top of the pie (creating a thicker edge like that on a pizza crust).
    
3. Sprinkle top with oil and bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. 
   
   
4. Serve hot, accompanied with buttermilk or beaten yogurt.

Notes: commonly made in a large, round cake pan, but any medium baking dish will work.

Variations:

• Leek Filling: combine 2 large leeks, chopped and sauteed in 2 T butter, with 1 lb cottage cheese,  3 oz cream cheese, 3 eggs, and salt to taste.
•  

Source: NY Daily News,

Keep food from sticking by heating pans to exactly the right temperature

 Houseboat Eats explains how:  it's the Leidenfrost effect.

[HT: Lifehacker.com.]

Sengalese Rice with Fish

Yield: Serves 6

Time: 3 hr (start to finish: 3 1/4 hr)

Called thiebou djenne, this national dish of Senegal is traditionally eaten from a communal platter.  In Senegal, the cook would most likely use whatever fresh whole fish was available, so any 1-pound (12-inch-long) white-fleshed fish you can find will do.  If you live in an area where there are African markets and you like funkier flavors, look for dried fish such as stockfish to add as well—it lends an authentic smokiness. Be forewarned, however, that many find dried fish (distinct from salt cod) a decidedly acquired taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/8 cups chopped onion (from 3 medium)
• 1 1/4 cups peanut oil
• 5 large garlic cloves (2 cloves finely chopped and 3 cloves chopped)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz)
• 1 1/2 lb fresh cassava (also called yuca)
• 1/8 lb eggplant
• 3 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups)
• 1/8 lb cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
• 8 small fresh or frozen okra (2 oz)
• 1 (2 oz) piece of dried fish such as stockfish (optional), broken into 2 or 3 pieces
• 4 cups water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1/8 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 (1-lb) whole white-fleshed fish (each about 12 inches long) such as red snapper, cleaned, leaving head and tail intact
• 2 cups long-grain white rice (1/8 pound)

DIrections:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Cook 2 cups onion in 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add finely chopped garlic (from 2 cloves) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until caramelized, about 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring until tomato paste is incorporated, then remove from heat.
3. Trim ends of cassava, then halve crosswise and peel, removing all waxy brown skin and pinkish layer underneath. Quarter each half lengthwise, then cut away and discard thin, woody core. Cut cassava crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Cut eggplant into 1-inch pieces.
4. Put cassava, eggplant, carrots, turnips, cabbage, okra, and dried fish (if using) in roasting pan, then straddle pan over 2 burners and add broth mixture (reserve skillet), water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then transfer to oven and braise, uncovered, stirring twice, until vegetables are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Lay 1 fish on its side with gutted side facing you. Holding a sharp paring knife at a 30-degree angle from fish, cut 3 evenly spaced (2 1/2-inch-long) slits across center of fish's side to make shallow pockets. (Start at side farthest away from you; be careful not to cut through bone.) Turn fish over and cut 3 slits across center of other side in same manner, then repeat with remaining 2 fish. Pat fish dry, then stuff slits with parsley mixture (some mixture will come out of slits).
6. Arrange fish over vegetables and braise in oven, without stirring, until fish is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes (test for doneness in thickest part of fish). Transfer fish using tongs and spatula to a platter, then transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a large bowl and keep warm, covered with foil.
7. Bring liquid (4 cups), rice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to a full rolling boil in a 4-quart heavy pot, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, undisturbed, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
8. Spoon vegetable mixture into center of a very large platter, then spoon rice around vegetables. Arrange fish on vegetables.
   

Note: Stainless steel, glass, and enameled cast iron are nonreactive, but avoid pure aluminum and uncoated iron, which can impart an unpleasant taste and color to recipes with acidic ingredients in them.

Source: Gourmet, October 2005                                                                         

Julia Child's bouillabaisse

Mark Bittman writes about making Julia Child's bouillabaisse recipe:

I gently sauteed (the chefs would say “sweated”) leeks, onions, and garlic in a lot of olive oil. (There are those who argue that the most important element of this style of fish soup is the emulsion of olive oil in water, and that there must be plenty of the former.) To that I added parsley, thyme, basil, fennel seeds, and chopped tomatoes.

Then came 3 or 4 big, fresh and meaty skeletons of fish, and heads, roughly chopped. Am I forgetting anything? Water of course, and more olive oil, and I think I saw Bob sliding some Cointreau in there (we had no orange peel, always a nice addition). Cover and simmer for less than a half-hour. At that point I turned it off and left for an hour to allow it to steep and cool for a bit, then strained it and voila - as you see. Gorgeous, huh?

Now you can do whatever you like. We chose to add potatoes (noodles are good, too) and celery (and/or carrots, fennel is a natural also) then cooked it until they were almost tender, then added big chunks of white fish (nearly any seafood will “work”), while we made the garlicky-spicy mayonnaise called rouille and toasted some bread. But it’s all in the broth, and I must say Julia nailed that one.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

Yield: One 10-inch cake

Time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces bittersweet cooking chocolate
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus
• ½ cup blanched almonds, finely ground [optional]
• ½ tsp vanilla or other extract [e.g., orange, almond, mint] or 1 tsp flavored liqueur of your choice
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a 10-inch springform pan. [If no springform pan, then use a 10-inch round baking pan, lining bottom with a round of wax paper]. Separate eggs.
   

2. Melt chocolate with butter in a double boiler or in microwave, stirring until smooth. While chocolate is melting, beat egg whites until stiff. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in sugar. Add egg yolks and whisk well. Stir in ground almonds if using. Sift cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in egg whites.
   

3. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 35 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and remove from pan onto serving plate. Dust cake with cocoa powder or confectioner's sugar. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)
   

Notes: [1] Very nice served with berries, fresh whipped cream, or sorbet. [2] When halving recipe, reduce baking time to 25 minutes. [3] If pressed for time or just lazy, don't bother with separating the eggs, just beat and add to chocolate-sugar mixture.

Source: Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com, with my own adjustments.

Bebimbap

Yield: 4 servings.
Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 cup short-grain rice, rinsed well and drained
• 1 medium zucchini, julienned, in 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup packed spinach leaves
• 1 cup peeled and julienned daikon radish, in 2-inch lengths
• 1/4 cup peeled and julienned carrot, in 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake caps
• Salt
• 4 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, plus a pinch
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, plus a pinch
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried hot chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Korean red chili sauce (gochujang) or other hot chili sauce, more to taste.

Directions:

1. Place rice in a medium saucepan and add 2 cups water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
2. While rice cooks, place another medium pot of water over high heat to bring to a boil. Place zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; set aside to drain for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place a medium skillet over medium heat, and add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon garlic. Add zucchini, a pinch of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds. Sauté 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate; set aside. Wipe out pan and return to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic. Add shiitakes, pinch of salt and soy sauce. Sauté 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate; set aside.
4. Place bean sprouts in the boiling water until wilted, about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the colander to drain. Place sprouts in a bowl, and add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, pinch of salt and pinch of sesame seeds; set aside. Add spinach to the pot of boiling water and blanch until it wilts and turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Drain into the colander, rinse well with cold water until chilled, then drain, squeezing out excess water. Transfer to a bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds. Mix well and set aside. Place daikon in a bowl, and add hot chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.
5. Place a 9-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add 1 cup cooked rice and flatten it to form a pancake covering bottom of pan, about 1/3-inch thick. Cook until it is crisp and golden on underside, about 5 minutes. Use a large spatula to flip it over, and cook again until crisp, another 5 minutes. Break crusty rice into several pieces. Add remaining rice. Arrange vegetables on top in wedge-shaped piles (like pizza slices), topping with julienned carrots. Cook uncovered until well-heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Bring skillet to table, add chili sauce and toss mixture gently to combine ingredients. Serve hot.

Notes: [1] Vegetables may be prepared and stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days before serving. Also nice served with a fried egg on top, or with julienned poached tofu.

[2] To save time and trouble, you may want to skip dressing all the different vegetables with slightly different dressings; just sprinkle sesame seeds and sesame oil over the whole thing before baking.

Source: New York Times. Adapted from Eleazar Martinez, Bann and Woo Lae Oak SoHo.

Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyasleves)

Yield: 8 portions

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, minced
• 2 T oil
• 2 lb beef shank or chuck, cubed
• 2 t salt
• 1 T paprika
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 2 T flour
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• Salt
• Chopped parsley
  
  
• 1 egg
• Flour
• Salt
• Parsley, minced (optional)

Directions:

1. Saute the onion in fat until golden. Add the beef and stir until well browned.
   
2. Add salt, paprika, and tomatoes, and let simmer (adding a little water to prevent over-browning) for 30 minutes.
   
3. Sprinkle the flour over the meat, stir, and pour enough water to cover the meat well. Add carrot, parsnip, green pepper, and bring to a boil.
   
4. Turn to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
5. Add potatoes and more water, and salt to taste. Simmer until potatoes and meat are well cooked.
   
6. For pinched noodles, combine ingredients with enough flour to make a medium dough. Drop tiny noodles from a spoon into simmering soup. When the noodles float to the surface, they are done. (Alternatively, roll dough into thin rope, cut off 3/4 inch pieces to drop in the soup)
7. Boil a few minutes longer with the chopped parsley; serve in a deep bowl.

Source: RecipeSource.

Jamaican Rice And Peas

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 whole scotch bonnet chili (or substitute several cayennes)
• 2 c rice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the beans, garlic and salt until the beans are tender. Save three cups of the liquid, discarding the garlic.
   
2. Return the beans and the three cups liquid to the pot (if there's not enough of the cooking liquid use water), along with the coconut milk, scallions, thyme, chili, and black pepper and salt to taste. When it comes to a boil, add in the rice.
   
3. Let it boil for 20 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Stir with fork and serve.
   

Source: RecipeSource.

Quick Tomato Sauce

Yield: Dresses 3/4 pound pasta; serves 3.

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 can whole tomatoes ( not packed in puree or sauce)
• 2 medium cloves garlic , peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (about 8 leaves)
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 3/4 pound pasta

Instructions

1. If using diced tomatoes, go to step 2. If using whole tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid. Dice tomatoes either by hand or in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade (three or four 1/2-second pulses). Tomatoes should be coarse, with 1/4-inch pieces visible. If necessary, add enough reserved liquid to tomatoes to total 2 cups.
2. Process garlic through garlic press into small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon water (see note above). Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente in large pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water; drain pasta, and transfer it back to cooking pot. Mix in reserved cooking water, sauce, and remaining oil and salt; cook together over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and serve immediately.

Notes: okay to stretch to cover 1 lb pasta. Cooking pasta in sauce at the end is the key.

Variations:

• Bacon and Parsley: Saute garlic with 1/2 t red pepper flakes, using bacon fat instead of olive oil, Add 4 oz crumbled cooked bacon and 2 T chopped parsley along with sugar and salt, omitting basil.
  
  
  
• Vodka and Cream: Saute garlic with 1/2 t red pepper flakes. Add 1/2 cup vodka to tomatoes 5 minutes into simmering, Stir in cream and ground black pepper to taste along with basil, sugar, and salt. Using immersion blender or food processor, pulse to a coarse puree. Return sauce to heat; simmer over medium heat to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
  
  
• Anchovy and Olives: Add 1/2 t red pepper flakes and 3 minced anchovy fillets with garlic; substitute 1/4 minced parsley for basil. When cooking pasta in sauce, add 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced, and 2 T capers, drained.
  

Source: Cooks Illustrated, May 1997.

Apple Crisp

Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8x8 pan

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 3/4 cups pecans or whole almonds, chopped coarse (or chopped fine if mixing topping by hand) (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 1/2-3 pounds fruit of choice (6 cups cut)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice and 1/2 t grated lemon zest from one lemon

Method:

1. For the topping: Place flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade.
   
2. Add chilled butter and pulse until mixture moves from dry sand-like appearance with large lumps of butter to a coarse cornmeal texture, about three 4-second bursts.
   
3. Add nuts and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly sand, about five 1-second bursts. Do not overprocess or mixture will take on a smooth, cookie-dough-like texture. (To mix by hand, allow butter pieces to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Pinch butter chunks and dry mixture between fingertips until mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add nuts and toss to distribute evenly. Do not overmix.)
   
5. Refrigerate mixture while preparing fruit, at least 15 minutes.
6. Toss cut fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and zest (along with 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca if using plums as fruit) in medium bowl.
7. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Scrape fruit mixture with rubber spatula into 8-inch square (2 quart) baking pan or 9-inch round deep dish pie plate.
   
8. Distribute chilled topping evenly over fruit; bake for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees; bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is deep golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.
   
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations:

• APPLE-RASPBERRY CRISP
  
  Follow recipe for Apple Crisp, reducing amount of cut apples to 5 cups (about 3 medium Granny Smith and 2 medium McIntosh) and adding 1 cup rinsed fresh raspberries to fruit mixture.
  
  
• PEACH-BLUEBERRY CRISP
  
  Follow recipe for Peach Crisp, reducing amount of cut peaches to 5 cups (about 5 medium peaches) and adding 1 cup rinsed fresh blueberries and 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca to fruit mixture.

Source: Cooks Illustrated.

Borscht

Time: About 1 hour, plus chilling

Yield: 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds red beets, peeled
• 1 large onion, peeled
• 1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed and tied in a bundle
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon juice to taste
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered, optional
• 1 firm medium cucumber or half an English cucumber, diced, optional
• 4 medium red or white new potatoes, boiled until tender and kept hot, optional
• Sour cream

Method:

1. Grate beets and onion together on a box grater or food processor outfitted with basic blade (pulse carefully) or grating disk. Place mixture in large saucepan with dill-stem bundle and 6 cups of water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so liquid simmers steadily but not violently, until beets are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper, remove dill stems, and chill.
3. When soup is cold, taste and add lemon juice, salt and pepper as necessary. Chop as much of the dill fronds as you would like for garnishing.
   
4. Serve borscht in bowls, with garnishes of your choice and the dill. Pass sour cream at table.

Variations: Beat hot soup into beaten egg, 1/4 cup at a time, before chilling.

Source:: The Minimalist.

Tofu With Spinach Sauce

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds spinach
• 12 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 dried chilies
• 2 tablespoons garam masala or curry powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups light cream or half-and-half.

Directions:

1. Trim and wash spinach; do not dry. Chop leaves in one-inch pieces. Cut tofu in two horizontally and wrap in paper towels. Put it under a couple of plates.
2. Put butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add ginger, garlic and chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to color.
3. Stir in garam masala or curry powder and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until it wilts, then add yogurt and a cup of cream. Pick out chilies and discard.
4. Cook mixture over medium-high heat; liquid in spinach will boil off. When mixture is nearly dry, cut tofu into half-inch pieces and incorporate. When tofu is hot, add remaining cream and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Variations:

• Spinach sauce: In Step 4, omit tofu. Purée mixture with 1/2 cup remaining cream. Add squeeze of lime juice. Serve with grilled meat, poultry, fish or vegetables.

Source: NYT / The Minimalist.