Biscotti

contributed by Kathy A.

serves 6-8

1 cup butter, warmed to room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

4 teaspoons anise seeds

2 teaspoons anise extract

1 cup chopped almonds

4 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar. 
2. Add eggs one at a time and combine. Add anise seeds, anise extracts and almonds.
3. Mix well, then add flour, baking powder and salt. Chill covered in refrigerator for at least two hours or preferably overnight. Dough can be stored covered for up to a week.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Form dough into two long cylinders and put on large baking sheet.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
6. With a sharp bread knife, cut loaves on the bias into 3/4" thick slices. Lay cut side down on cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
7. Optionally drizzle melted baking chocolate on top. Serve with coffee.

Fruit and cheese skewers

contributed by Kim L.

 

serves 5

10 cherry tomatoes

1/2 canteloupe

1/2 honeydew

10  slices of prosciutto

1 large mozzarella ball

10 bamboo skewers (4"-6")

black pepper

1. Peel honeydew and cantaloupes and cut into 3/4" cubes.
2. Slice mozzarella into 3/4" cubes.
3. Skewer everything together, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Quinoa soup

contributed by Filip T.

serves 2

1/4 cup quinoa

1 quart chicken broth

1 small Yukon potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes

1/2 zucchini, cut into 1/4" cubes

1/4 cup yellow corn

1/2 white onion

2 cloves garlic

10 cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced into halves

5 ounces pancetta or ham, cut in 1/4" cubes

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

black pepper to taste

vegetable oil

1.  Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Dice onion, add to pan and fry for about 1 minute. Add garlic and fry for another minute.
2. Add potato and fry for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add chicken stock, zucchini, corn, cumin, paprika and bring to a boil.
4. Add quinoa and pancetta. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
6. Add parsley and black pepper. Serve hot.

Whiskey salmon with vegetables

editor

serves 2

2 fillets of salmon

marinade:   1/4 cup whiskey

                   1/2 cup soy sauce

                   2 tablespoons vegetable oil

                   1 teaspoon black pepper

                   1 teaspoon paprika

vegetables: 5-6 florets cauliflower

                   1/2 red onion

                   1/2 zucchini

                   1/2 tomato

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons whiskey

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

 salt and black pepper to taste

1. Mix marinade together in a large baking dish. Marinade salmon in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat and slice vegetables thinly.
3. Remove salmon from marinade, sprinkle on several grinds of black pepper and put in pan. Turn heat to medium-high and fry until slightly blackened, about 2-3 minutes per side. 
4. Remove salmon from pan. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and whiskey.
5. Turn heat down to low. Add cauliflower, tomato and zucchini. Fry for 2 minutes, then add red onions and fry for another minute.
6. Remove vegetable from pan, add parsley. Plate with salmon and serve with rice.

Apple dumpling

contributed by Stephanie L.

makes 5 dumplings

5 Granny Smith apples

5 large rounds of biscuit dough

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Peel and cut apples into halves. Core and remove stems. 
3. Put apple halves face down onto biscuit rounds. Stretch dough around apple halves so they're almost completely covered.
4. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add water and sugar and mix well.
5. Put dumplings into a large baking dish. Pour buttered syrup on top.
6. Bake in oven until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Serve warm.

Berries compote a la mode

editor

serves 4

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

3/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons rum

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Bittersweet chocolate, for garnish (about 1 tablespoon)

1. Dissolve sugar in water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
2. Let syrup boil for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and lower heat to medium-low heat.
3. Slice strawberries in half, add to syrup and simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add blueberries and raspberries. Simmer until syrup reduces to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.
5. Add rum, nutmeg and cinnamon. Turn off heat and let syrup cool to room temperature.
6. Scoop ice cream into 4 ramekins. Add with berries and a bit of syrup. Shave chocolate on top and serve.

Turkish baklava

contributed by Serdar T.

Serves 4-6

Phyllo:  1 package phyllo dough sheets (~30 sheets), thawed

              3 sticks of unsalted butter

              1 pound unsalted shelled pistachios

Syrup:   4 cups sugar

              3 cups water

              1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Chop pistachios into fine bits, or grind with a food processor. 
2. Chop butter into small segments and melt over medium-low heat.
3. Preheat oven to 390F.  
4. Gently unroll phyllo sheets onto a large oven-safe pan with high sides slightly smaller than unrolled sheets.
5. Gently trim the edges of the sheets with a sharp paring knife so the sheets fit the pan.
6. Lift all but one phyllo sheet off the pan. Brush warm butter onto this sheet.
7. Carefully lay another phyllo sheet on top.
8. Repeat buttering and layering of phyllo sheets two more times, for a total 4 sheets.
9. Lay down a layer of ground pistachios. 
10. Repeat layering of 4 phyllo sheets, then pistachios, then 4 more sheets until phyllo and pistachios run out.
11. Cut the phyllo stack with a long sharp knife at 2-inch intervals  
12. Pour remaining butter on top,  then make parallel cuts at 2-inch intervals to make squares.
13. Bake in oven until brown, about 45 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, prepare syrup: dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lemon juice and boil for another 7-10 minutes. Keep syrup warm on low heat.
15. When phyllo sheets are baked, remove from oven and pour about a cup of syrup on top. Wait until some syrup has been absorbed (about 1 minute) and add another cup. Repeat until syrup stops being absorbed. 
16. Let cool and serve.

Enchiladas

contributed by Olivia M.

serves 2

4 - 6 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
vegetable oil

Sauce: 1/2 yellow onion 

            1 garlic clove, peeled

            1/2 cube of vegetable bouillon

            10 red dried chilies (guajillo, New Mexico or mirasol)
            8 cups water 

            sugar  

            salt

1. Remove stem and seeds from dried chilies.
2. Make the sauce: blend the 1/2 onion, peeled garlic, chilies,  bouillon and water until the sauce is very smooth. Add salt and sugar to taste.
3. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer and heat up in a small sauce pan.
4. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil to a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Place a corn tortilla into pan, fry until cooked through, about 10 seconds. Drip off excess oil.
6. Dip tortilla into sauce and lay it flat on your serving plate. Coat it with cheese and onion.
7. Repeat for remaining tortilla.
8. Serve with rice, beans and lettuce, or optionally, a sunny-side up egg.

Zucchini quiche

contributed by Tara L.

serves 4

Crust: 1 cup flour
           2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
           6 tablespoon corn oil

           1/4 cup chopped almonds
           1/2 teaspoon salt
           1/4 teaspoon paprika

Filling: 2 cups sliced zucchini
            1 clove garlic

            1 medium white onion salt to taste

            1 cup whole milk

            1 cup cream

            1 teaspoon butter

            1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Mix ingredients for crust together and press into large pie plate or several ramekins.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and  saute zucchini, garlic and onion until cooked through, about 1 minute.
3. Spoon vegetables into crust. Add milk and cream, then sprinkle mozzarella on top.
4. Bake at 375F until cheese bubbles, about 40-50 minutes.

Aloo paratha

contributed by Suchitra R.

Makes 4 pieces

Dough:   1 cup whole wheat flour ("atta") 

               1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

               1/2 cup whole milk

               Salt to taste

Stuffing: One mealy (eg. Russet) potato

               1/2 teaspoon garam masala

               1 pinch tumeric

               1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

               Red chili powder and salt to taste

Oil for frying

1. Bake potato in its skin until soft (about an hour at 350F). Cool, skin and mash. Add spices and form into 4 balls.
2. Heat milk until warm but not boiling, about 30 seconds in microwave.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt. Add half of hot milk and mix, wait about 2 minutes for mixture to cool. 
4. Knead until dough is moist but not sticky, adding milk as necessary.
5. Roll dough into a ball, cover with wet towel for at least 10 minutes.
6. Dust tabletop or large cuttingboard with flour. 
7. Break off a ball of dough roughly the size of filling balls. Pat flat and flour both sides. Roll out to a circle.
8. Place one ball of filling in center. Warp dough edges around and seal top, keeping filling inside. 
9. Roll paratha out, taking care not to spill filling. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
10. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a flat pan over medium-high heat. 
11. Add paratha one at a time until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Serve hot.

Cassoulet

contributed by Chris L.

Serves 6

Duck confit: 2 goose legs

                     1/4 cup kosher salt

                     1 tablespoon black pepper

                     1 teaspoon dried thyme

                      pinch of allspice 

                      1 small white onion, sliced

                      1 clove garlic

                      1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Stew:            4 cups uncooked large white beans like Great Northern

                     4 quarts chicken stock

                     2 medium white onions, thinly chopped

                     8 ounces bacon

                     1 lb pork shoulder

                     1/2 bottle white wine

                     10 cloves garlic

                     1 tablespoon olive oil

                     4 tablespoons fresh thyme

                     4 ounces tomato paste

                     8 ounces spicy sausage, sliced into rounds

                     1 cup bread crumbs

1. Make duck confit: rub goose legs with thyme, black pepper, salt and allspice and refrigerate for 2 days. Put goose legs into a pot with onion, garlic, fresh thyme and cook covered at 200F until very fragrant, 2-3 hours. Put both duck legs and fat in refrigerator.
2. Soak beans overnight in water.
3. Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof pot (eg. cast-iron casserole) over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in 2 quarts chicken stock. Drain beans and add to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender but not mushy, about 1 hour. Drain beans, reserve liquid.
5. Cut pork shoulder into 1-inch strips. Add pork to pot and sear over medium heat until browned. 
6. Add the remaining chopped onion, garlic, thyme, tomato paste, wine and 4 cups of bean liquid. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
7. Put pot in oven and bake for an hour at 350F. Check every 10 minutes and refill stock if dry.
8. Add beans, confit, sausage and bake for another 30 minutes.
9. Add bread crumbs and bake until bread crumbs form a browned crust.
10. Serve hot with a crusty bread.

Carrot cake Extraordinaire

contributed by Laury T.

Serves 8

Batter:    2 cups sugar
               1 1/2 cups canola oil
               4 eggs

               3 cups grated carrots

               2 cups flour
               2 teaspoon baking soda
               2 teaspoon cinnamon

               1 teaspoon salt
Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
               4 ounces butter, softened

               2 teaspoon vanilla
               1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

               Honey or powdered sugar to taste

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, canola oil and sugar and mix well.
2. Add grated carrot and combine to make wet mix.
3. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add this dry mix to wet mix.
4. Butter an 8-inch cake pan and fill with half of batter. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted into cake center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 
5. Cool first layer for about 10 minutes and remove from pan. Rebutter pan, add remaining batter and bake second layer.
6. Put cream cheese, butter, vanilla and honey/powdered sugar in a small bowl. Combine with immersion blender until smooth.
7. Frost bottom layer while top layer cools. Stack top layer, frost and add nuts as desired.

Paneer butter masala

contributed by Suchitra R.

serves 2

Sauce:      1 tomato, finely chopped

                 1 white onion, finely chopped.

                 1/2 stick butter

                 1 cup whole milk, chilled

                 10-15 half-inch cubes paneer

                 1 green chilli, finely chopped

                 1 teaspoon salt

                 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste - finely chopped ginger and garlic mixed

                 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Spice mix: 2 cloves

                  1 tablespoon cinnamon

                  1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

                  4 cardamom pods

                  1 star anise floret

                  2 teaspoons of poppy seeds

                  1 pinch each of tumeric, cumin, fennel seeds, black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Cilantro and black pepper to taste

1. Melt butter completely over medium-low heat in a sauce pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and spice mix. Roast until spices brown, about 1 minute.
2. Add chopped onion and saute till softened, about 2 minutes. Add green chillies.
3. Add tomatoes and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Cover and cook on a low heat for two minutes.
4. Set pan aside and add half a cup of chilled milk and let sauce cool.
5. Meanwhile, heat some oil over low heat in a skillet. Add paneer cubes. Keep turning the sides till all the sides are equally roasted. Keep aside.
6. When sauce is near room temperature, transfer the contents to a blender and grind till a smooth paste is obtained. Thin with milk if necessary.
7. Transfer sauce to a pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Add paneer cubes. Add salt and chilli powder and mix well. Cover the pan and let the mixture boil for a minute. 
8. Uncover the pan and let the mixture boil another minute. If too thick, add the rest of the milk. Garnish with onions and cilantro and serve with rice.

Blondies

contributed by Carly S.

serves 4

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking power

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
2. Gradually stir in flour and baking powder.
3. Mix in nuts.
4. Pour mix into 8x8" pan and bake at 350F until lightly brown, about 20 minutes.

Singapore noodles

editor

serves 2-3

1 lb of dry rice noodles

8 large shrimp in shell

2 eggs

2 large carrots

1 stalk of celery

1 white onion

1 bunch of green onions

1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons yellow curry powder

sesame oil

soy sauce

black pepper

1. Cut carrots, celery and white part of green onions into 2-inch long segments. Slice into matchsticks. Thinly slice white onions. Set aside. 
2. Boil rice noodles in a large pot until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat. Beat eggs and fry in pan until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Slice into thin ribbons.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to pan. Fry shrimp until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Take shrimp off heat and peel.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of sesame oil to pan and turn heat to high. Add garlic, carrots, celery, onions and stir fry until softened, about 2 minutes. 
6. Add rice noodles to pan, sprinkle curry powder and soy sauce and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. 
7. Slice green part of green onions, sprinkle on noodles, add black pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Kadaifi with custard

contributed by Idil U.

Serves 4

1 pound shredded kadaifi, separated into two halves

1 stick butter

1 stick margarine
 custard: 4 cups whole milk

              5 tablespoons rice flour
              2 tablespoons sugar

syrup:   4 cups sugar
             3 1/2 cups of water
             1 tablespoon lemon juice
ground pistachio

1. Melt butter and margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Let cool and pour over one half of kadaifi. Press buttered kadaifi onto a oven dish.
2. Put ingredients for custard into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and boil until it thickens to desired consistency. Let cool and pour onto kadaifi in oven dish.
3. Put the other half of kadaifi onto dish and press firmly.
4. Bake dish in preheated 375F oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes
5. Prepare syrup by dissolving sugar in water over medium heat mixing constantly. Add lemon juice when syrup boils. Let boil for 5 more minutes, turn off heat and cool.
6. Pour cooled syrup onto hot kadaifi. Cover dish to keep from drying out.
7. Sprinkle ground pistachio just before serving.

Kheer

contributed by Ritika T.

Serves 4

3 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for one hour

12 cups whole milk

1 can condensed milk

2 teaspoons cardamom

pinch of saffron

golden raisins

toasted almonds

1. Cook whole milk in a large saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes
2. Add rice, simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add 1 teaspoon cardamon and mix well.
4. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes until desired consistency.
5. Add 3/4 cans of condensed milk and stir. Add remaining teaspoon of cardamon.
6. Garnish with raisins and almonds and serve.

Cheesecake pie

contributed by Tara L.

serves 8 

cake:      2 8-ounce cream cheese packages
              2 eggs
              3/4 cup sugar
              2 teaspoons vanilla
              1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
              1 unbaked gram cracker crust

topping: 1 cup sour cream
              2 tablespoons sugar
              2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
2. Bake crust according to directions. This usually means wetting it with egg whites and baking at 350 for 10 minutes 
3. In a large bowl, combine ingredients for cake and pour into crust.
4. Bake in preheated over at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
5. Spread topping and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Turkish borek

contributed by Idil U.

serves 4

1 pack of filo dough sheets (thawed overnight in fridge)
1 egg yolk

black sesame seeds
sauce: 1/2 cup olive oil

           1/2 cup water
           2 tablespoons plain yogurt
           1 egg
filling: 1 pound ground beef 
            1 medium onion

            1/2 cup hot water          
            1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste

            1 bunch parsley, chopped
            2 tablespoons olive oil
            1 teaspoon black pepper
            1 tablespoon oregano

            2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

             1/3 cup of currants
             salt

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until liquid is gone.
2. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add hot water and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add currants and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn off heat, add parsley and spices and set aside.
5. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, water, yogurt and 1 egg
6. Take a sheet of filo dough, brush with sauce and lay another sheet on top.
7. Put 1 tablespoon of filling and roll into long rolls. Repeat with remaining filo sheets until filling runs out.
8. In a small bowl mix egg yolk with 1-2 tablespoons of sauce. Brush the tops of each roll with this mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
9. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and gently put rolls in.
10. Bake rolls in preheated oven at 375F until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and cover with damp paper towels to prevent drying out. Serve hot.

Spicy butternut squash soup

contributed by Kristin T.

serves 8

2 cups water

1/2 cup dry rice medley (2 or more of white, brown, wild or basmati rice)

1 large whole butternut squash, sliced in half and seeded

1 large white onion, chopped

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

4 spicy sausage links, cut into rounds

1 cup green peas

Greek seasoning

olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Put squash into large baking dish cut side down and bake until soft, about 45 minutes.
3. In the mean time, cook rice.
4. Put olive oil in a large pan. Cook sausage over medium heat for 1 minute, add onions and cook until sausage is done.
5. Stir cooked rice and peas into sausage mixture.
6. Scoop cooked squash out of peel with a large spoon, put into blender. Add broth and blend until smooth.
7. Stir everything together in a large pot. Simmer for 10 minutes do not boil.Add Greek seasoning and serve hot.

editor's notes:

You can lower spiciness by substituting mild sausage links

Greek seasoning can be substituted with lemon, parsley, salt and black pepper.

Creamy carrot soup

contributed by Tara L.

serves 4

1 white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter

5 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 potato, peeled and cubed
28 ounces chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons dried rosemary

sprig of fresh rosemary

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots, potato, chicken broth, ginger and dried rosemary.
3. Cover and cook over medium heat till soft, about 30 minutes.  
4. Cool for 15 minute. Pour half of soup into a large bowl, blend and return to pot. 
5. Add cream, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with rosemary sprig and serve.

Baltimore baked crab dip

contributed by Travis L.

Serves 4-6

1 pound crab meat

16 ounces cream cheese

1/2 pint sour cream

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

5 tablespoons mayonnaise

2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

a dash lemon juice

garlic salt

paprika

1. In a large bowl , mix together all ingredients but crab meat and half of Cheddar cheese with a fork.
2. Add crab and combine well. 
3. Transfer dip to casserole dish or ramekins and sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
4. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. 
5. Cool and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Sprinkle paprika and serve.