Orange Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled and cut into a large dice
1/4 cup buttermilk, warmed slightly
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 T unsalted butter, optional

Preparing the sweet potatoes:
Steam the potatoes in a large covered pan fitted with a steamer basket until they are tender, about 8 minutes.

In a large bowl mash the potatoes with the buttermilk and orange juice.
Stir in the zest, salt, and nutmeg. Serve the potatoes topped with the butter, if desired.

Serves 4

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Applesauce-Sweetened Fruit & Nut Cookies

Ingredients:
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 T canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts
2 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks
cooking spray

Preparing the cookies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add applesauce, egg white and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon and mix just until just combined. Add cherries, apricots, walnuts and chocolate and mix to combine.

Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray. Using 1 tablespoon cookie dough at a time, roll into balls and place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Press cookies down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly, as cookies will not spread as much as cookies with more butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned but still soft. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Makes about 20 cookies

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Healthier Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 T plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 T minced ginger
4 cups leftover cooked brown rice
3/4 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, corn
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 T low-sodium soy sauce

Preparing the fried rice:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

Serves 4

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Romaine Salad With Croutons & Garlic Dressing

Ingredients for the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed, and patted dry
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan, for garnish

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the garlic puree:
10 heads garlic (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the croutons:
1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 16 (1/4-inch thick) slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the garlic dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup reserved roasted garlic puree
3 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
2 T buttermilk
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the roasted garlic puree:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Cut the top quarter off each garlic head so the cloves are exposed. Place cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the garlic and season lightly with the salt and pepper. Turn the garlic cut side down. Roast until the cloves are soft and golden brown, 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool.

Squeeze the soft garlic flesh from each head into a bowl. Mash the flesh with a fork to blend it into a puree. (The puree can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.) Reserve 1/4 cup of the puree for the croutons and 1/4 cup of the puree to make the dressing.

* * * * * *

Preparing the croutons:
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Spread the slices of bread on a large baking sheet. Brush both sides of the slices with the olive oil, then season with the salt and pepper. Bake until lightly golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly. Spread the croutons with 1/4 cup of the reserved roasted garlic puree. Set aside.

* * * * * *

Preparing the dressing:
Mix the mayonnaise, remaining 1/4 cup of garlic puree, cheese, buttermilk, and lemon juice in a medium bowl with a rubber spatula. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. (The dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24 hours.)

* * * * * *

Assembling the salad:
Tear the larger leaves of the lettuce into bite size pieces, and leave the smaller, tender leaves whole. Toss in a large salad bowl with the sliced onions and desired amount of dressing. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the greens among 4 salad plates and arrange 4 croutons on the side of each salad. Garnish the tops of each salad with 1 tablespoon of shredded parmesan.

Serves 4

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Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 1/3 cup nonfat Greek style yogurt
1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 T mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 T finely chopped fresh chives
salt

Preparing the dressing:
If using plain yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a paper towel and place the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the strained or Greek-style yogurt and the rest of the ingredients. Add salt, to taste.

Makes 1 cup

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Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:
4 large bone-in chicken thighs, skins removed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 T grain mustard
2 T Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 T maple syrup

Preparing the chicken:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Combine mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup in a small bowl. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard mixture evenly on top of each chicken thigh, being careful to cover as much of the surface as possible to form a "crust." Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until mustard mixture has formed a crust and is slightly hardened, and juices run clear when the chicken is pierced.

Serves 2 to 4

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Florentine-Style Roast Pheasant With Pork Dressing

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced
6 ounces ground pork
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 handful fresh sage, leaves picked and chopped fine, plus more for serving
3 ounces (about 1 thick slice) stale bread, crumbled by hand
1/2 cup white wine
2 (2 1/2 pounds each) pheasants [chicken can be substituted]
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the pheasant:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the pancetta to the hot oil and render its fat. Once it begins to brown, add the ground pork and prosciutto and cook, while stirring, about 4 minutes. When the pork is no longer pink, add the garlic and sage and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the bread crumbs. Remove the stuffing mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

Season the cavity of the birds with salt and pepper.

Divide the stuffing evenly between the two pheasants' cavities.

Roast the pheasants 25 minutes. Add 1/2 cup white wine to the bottom of the pan. Turn the oven heat up to 425 degrees F and cook another 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving so the juices can redistribute.

Remove the dressing from the bird and serve along side. Garnish the dish with fresh sage leaves.

Serves 4

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Peppers and Potato Stew

Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, cut into 3 pieces
8 bell peppers (2 red, 2 yellow, 2 green, 2 orange), seeded and sliced
1/2 (28-ounce) can pelati tomatoes, blended smooth
1 pound russet potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 generous handful fresh flatleaf parsley
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the peppers and potato stew:
In a large Dutch oven saute the onion in about 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat, and when it is completely softened, and before it starts browning, add the garlic. Saute for an additional couple of minutes, then add the peppers, lower the heat to medium-low and stir well. Partially cover with a lid and let them soften up, about 10 minutes.

When the peppers have settled into the pan, add the tomatoes and the potatoes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, stir well over medium-low heat, cook for about 1 hour.

Use the vegetable stock to help the sauce come together, by adding a ladleful to the peperonata here and there while cooking. Depending on the tomatoes you are using and the degree of ripeness of the peppers, you might not need to use all the broth indicated in the ingredient list. Look for a nice balance between sauce and vegetables, at the end you are working on a vegetable stew...consistency of the final dish should be thicker than a pasta sauce.

Serves 8

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Chestnut Cake [Castagnaccio]

This cake has no leavening agents; it's a sweet flatbread.

Ingredients:
2 ounces raisins
16 ounces sweet chestnut flour
2 T sugar
zest of 1/2 orange
pinch of salt
2 cups water
3 T olive oil, plus more for pan
1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves picked
1 ounce chopped walnuts
1 ounce pine nuts

Preparing the chestnut cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the raisins in a bowl of warmed water to soften for 20 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, sift the chestnut flour. Add sugar, orange zest, and pinch of salt, mix well and then gently start adding the water to the mix.

Using an electric hand mixer, beat the mixture well making sure to eliminate any lumps, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and half of the raisins and mix again.

Lightly oil an 11-inch pie plate with 2-inch sides with olive oil and pour in the batter it should be no more than 1/3-inch thick. Sprinkle the cake with rosemary leaves, the remaining softened raisins, walnuts, and pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top and bake for about 40 minutes.

Serves 6

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Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

Ingredients:
4 medium poblano peppers
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 medium-large tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and quartered
2 small handfuls cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palmful
2 teaspoons honey
1 quart chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, juiced
2 pounds cooked chicken, meat pulled or shredded
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas or 16 (5-inch) corn tortillas, softened over flame or dry skillet
1 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (from about 1/2 pound piece)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (from about 1/2 pound piece)
raw red onion rings, for garnish

Preparing the chicken enchiladas suiza:
Heat the broiler to high. Arrange the poblanos on a sheet pan, put them under the hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Peppers can also be easily charred over and open stovetop flame if you have gas burners. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to sit until cool enough to handle. Peel and seed the peppers.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno, onions, and garlic and cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Put the tomatillos and a small handful of cilantro in a food processor. Coarsely chop the poblanos and add them to the processor. Process until almost a smooth sauce forms, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in the cumin, honey and stock, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, then add the lime juice and turn off the heat.

Pour a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of a medium casserole. Layer in 3 flour tortillas or 4 corn tortillas then top with some shredded chicken, dot with some sauce and small spoonfuls of Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream and sprinkle with a little Swiss and Jack cheeses. Repeat twice more. Cool and chill for a make-ahead meal.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the casserole on a baking sheet and bake until heated through and bubbly on top, about 40 to 50 minutes. The baking sheet will catch any drips of sauce or cheese. Garnish the stacked enchilada casserole with raw red onion rings and serve.

Serves 4

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