In A Nutshell

This recipe comes from Fine Cooking Magazine; while there is a good chance for grievous bodily harm inflicted by this tart during the inverting portion of this recipe, it is worth the risk. Have the burn cream on stand-by.... A word about the apples: the recipe called for Granny Smith but I find them to be soulless and chalky. I prefer to get honeycrisp or other fresh Michigan apples for any apple dessert. For the pastry : 1 1/4 cup flour 1 t sugar 1/4 t salt 8 T unsalted, cold butter cut into cubes 1 large egg beaten with 1T water plus an additional 1-2 T if needed Pulse all the ingredients except the egg mixture in a food processor until coarse and crumbly; at this point, I prefer to take it out of the food processor and put it into a regular bowl. Using a fork, add the egg mixture in 3 additions, tossing with the fork until dough holds together when pinched-- don't overwork it. Gather it into a disc and refrigerate for 1 hour. For the Tart : 5-7 firm Honeycrisp ap

These cookies also come from BH&G 100 Best Pumpkin Recipes. They are soft and delicious- almost more like a little cake than a cookie. A couple of notes to self: I didn't have enough icing for all the cookies-- I think I spread it on a little too thick so either make more icing or use a thin veneer for each cookie. Also, don't crowd them on the cookie sheets; use 3 cookie sheets to give them space to spread out and bake. This uses 1/2 can of pumpkin but you can feel free to double the recipe in order to use the whole can. 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1 t pumpkin pie spice 1/4 t salt 3/4 plus 2 T canned pumpkin (half of a 15-oz. can) 1 egg 1 t vanilla 2 cups flour Preheat oven to 350º; beat butter for 30 seconds and add the next 5 ingredients (through the salt). Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping occasionally. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Add flour just until combined. Drop by 1/4 cup scoops (I

Delicious and hearty! This is adapted from BH&G 100 Best Pumpkin Recipes. 1 T veg oil 1 small onion, diced 1/2 lb Italian chicken sausage (I like spicy from Whole Foods) 32 oz. chicken broth 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley 1/2 t ground sage 1 T vegeta seasoning 15 oz. can pumpkin 1/2 T cider vinegar In a pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and sauté the onion for a few minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of the spoon. Add the pumpkin and cook for about 3 minutes; add the broth, barley and vegeta seasoning (or salt if you don't have vegeta which I highly recommend having) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

This is an absolutely fabulous salad! I set it up like a Cobb salad with the pita chips lining the bottom of the bowl because it just looks so beautiful like this. You can toss it right before eating. Obviously good tomatoes and cukes are the key. Adapted from Food & Wine. Greek Vinaigrette : 3 T red wine vinegar 1 minced garlic clove 1 t Dijon mustard 1 t chopped fresh oregano 1/2 t lemon zest 8 T extra-virgin olive oil For the Salad : grilled chicken, sliced  (this is my go-to recipe) diced tomatoes diced cucumber (seeded and peeled) diced red bell pepper sliced peperoncini diced feta pitted kalamata olives thinly sliced radishes salted pita chips, broken up with your hand Line the bottom of the bowl with some broken pita chips and arrange the remaining ingredients in the prettiest fashion. Drizzle with some of the dressing and then serve the dressing on the side as well.

 This recipe comes from Food Network Magazine- one of those Thanksgiving special publications. I made this two ways: one with rice and one with cauliflower rice to make it lower carb. Both were totally delicious. If you use cauliflower rice, buy the frozen bag (already riced) and using a tea towel, squeeze as much water out of it as humanly possible. If you have leftover cooked chicken, you can add that as well. 2 small acorn squash, halved and seeded olive oil for drizzling the squash 2 T butter 2 T flour 2 cups milk 1 cup ( very generous 1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese plus more for topping 1/2 t garlic powder 1/2 t onion powder 2 cups cooked rice (use a rice medley) or cauliflower rice 1- 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. Preheat oven to 425º; on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the acorn squash, cut side up, with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 35 minutes or until soft when pierced with a knife

A gorgeous drink! This is ever so slightly adapted from Food & Wine; it is originally from a restaurant in San Francisco called Tres Agaves which I hope to try next time I visit there. 1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila 1/2 oz. blackberry liqueur (créme de mûre) 3/4 oz. chilled, strong-brewed hibiscus tea 1/2 oz. lime juice 3/4-1 tsp agave nectar Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and strain into a pretty cocktail glass. Makes one drink.

Chickpeas are one of my favorite foods; I love them in most everything and also straight out of the can! This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine magazine. Because there are so few ingredients in this salad, it is important to have good quality tomatoes (preferably from the garden or your mom's garden!). 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed (I think Goya are the best) 1 cup of diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup diced cucumber (seeded) 1/2 red onion, small diced 2 T EVOO 1 T veg oil 2 T fresh lemon juice 1 t ground cumin 1/8 t cayenne pepper (or more, to taste) In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, oils and spices along with a generous pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Add the diced onion and let it mellow in the dressing for about 10 minutes (I prepare the remaining ingredients during this time). Add the everything else and stir. SO SO easy! 

Cauliflower rice is all the rage and with good reason! It's a delicious low-carb substitute for rice and believe me when I say, you won't miss the real stuff (this coming from someone who has never much liked the taste or smell of cauliflower). I really think of it as a vehicle for sopping up sauce or cheese or whatever delicious stuff you have on/in it! This is a variation of a Neelys recipe from Food Network. The key to keeping this from being a watery mess is to wring it out until you can't feel your hands. There is no other way.... sorry. 3 bags of frozen riced cauliflower, thawed (these are 12oz. bags from Trader Joe's) 1 small onion, minced 2 T butter 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/2 to 1 cup cream (this depends upon your dedication to the wringing process) 2 eggs 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for the top 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper pinch of cayenne Preheat the oven to 375º. In a s

 This is adapted from Food & Wine; you can either make the hummus and pizza dough from scratch or purchase those already prepared. Simple yet delicious. 1 lb pizza dough hummus (about 1 cup) shredded parmesan or ricotta salata for the top (I forgot that...) mixed greens, baby spinach, arugula vinaigrette For the vinaigrette : 3 T Champagne vinegar 1 T Dijon mustard 1/4 cup plus 1 T EVOO Whisk all ingredients and toss the greens with some vinaigrette. Preheat oven to 450º. Divide dough into 2 pieces and stretch out into an oval; bake on parchment paper for about 10-15 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. Spread a layer of hummus on each oval and top with lettuce.

Another delicious recipe from Food & Wine magazine; I modified and simplified this slightly. 1 1/2 lbs haricots verts or regular green beans, trimmed and halved 1 1/2 lbs small fingerling or new potatoes 1 cup chickpeas 1 large garlic clove 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 oz. finely grated Grana Padano (about 3/4 cup) 1 oz. finely grated Pecorino Romano 1/2 cup plus 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1 large bunch basil leaves 4 T lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Fill a large bowl with ice; bring a large pot of salted water to boil and blanch the basil for about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water- remove and pat dry. Add the green beans to the water and boil for about 4-6 minutes, depending upon how thick your green beans are. Transfer to the ice water to cool- remove and pat dry. Add the potatoes to the water and boil until tender (the recipe says 10-12 minutes but mine took about 20 plus minutes); drain and let cool completely. Meanwhile, in a food pr

Does anyone remember those little Martha Stewart magazines called 'Everyday Food'? I loved those mini-mags! That is the origin of these most awesome delights- sort of a brownie in cookie form. And the best part is you only have to use one pan! I love that! As always... slightly adapted from the original. 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder 8 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate (Aldi and Trader Joe's both have great chocolate!) 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1 cup chocolate chunks or chips 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans 1 cup dried cherries maldon sea salt for sprinkling on top Preheat oven to 350º. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate and cocoa powder. Whisk in the sugars and then the eggs until smooth. Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Gently fold in the chunks, pecans and cherries. Refrigerate the dough, covered, for 30 minutes. Using a cookie scoop

At Caputos, our local grocery, they have these wonderful little sandwich size tomato focaccias; if you can't find these, just use some other sort of very flavorful bread (for example, a kalamata olive bread). The homemade aioli makes the sandwich! I am only able to make aioli using a mini food processor- the instructions call for a mortar and pestle so if you know how to do it "old school", more power to you! For the aioli : 2 egg yolks 1 garlic clove 2 T lemon juice 1/4 t salt 1 t Dijon mustard 2/3 cup grapeseed oil 1/2 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles 1/2 t whole grain mustard 2 T chopped, fresh parsley Put the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, salt and dijon mustard in a mini food processor; process until combine. Add grapeseed oil (I do this through the top of the processor- there are two very small holes) very, very slowly- process until emulsified. Transfer the aioli to a bowl and add gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles, the whole grain mustard an

This recipe comes from Food & Wine magazine-- beyond delicious! I served it with hummus and pickled veggies and olives from the grocery store olive bar. The magazine recommends rosé (which I didn't have on hand) but I had a Côte du Rhône and it went quite well. I want to try it in the crock pot using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and see how that turns out. You could also use the wildly flavorful marinade for chicken breasts and grill them. 2 lbs skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs 1/3 cup EVOO 6 T lemon juice 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 t kosher salt 1 T sweet paprika 2 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t crushed red pepper 1/2 t turmeric 1/2 t black pepper 2 red onions, cut into wedges Whisk all ingredients up until the red onions and marinade the chicken and red onion wedges overnight. Preheat oven to 450º and arrange the chicken and the red onions on a rimmed baking sheet- scrape any excess marinade onto the chicken and onions. Don'

This recipe comes from a friend in my bunco group; April is an amazing cook/baker and I often badger her for recipes. I love these because they are dainty, tender and very very lemony. I picture having these at Downton Abbey with tea... 2 1/4 cup flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 3/4 cup sugar 3 heaping tablespoons lemon zest 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp 1 egg 1 t vanilla extract Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl (or not). Combine sugar and lemon zest; rub with your fingers to work the zest into the sugar until very fragrant. Add the butter and cream until very light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla until smooth and then flour mixture; beat only until combined. Preheat oven to 350º; using a 1 T cookie dough scoop, scoop onto parchment lined rimmed baking sheets (I was able to get 48 cookies if I didn't eat any dough). Press down gently with two fingers to flatten the dough a bit. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool and then spread glaze on top. Gla

This is another modified Rachel Ray recipe. You feel like you're eating buffalo wings but much healthier! If you want to unhealthy it a bit, serve with Fritos, sour cream and a beer!!! 1 T olive oil 2 T butter 2 lbs ground chicken 1 large carrot, finely diced 3 ribs of celery, finely diced 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T smoked mild paprika 1 bay leaf 2 t kosher salt 1/4-1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce (to taste) 1- 15 oz. can tomato sauce 1- 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 bunch cilantro, chopped Toppings: blue cheese crumbles shredded lettuce shredded carrots sliced celery sour cream? Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large pan and add the chopped vegetables; I cook those for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Add the paprika and stir to coat the veg. Add the chicken to the veg and increase heat to high; cook the chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add both types of canned tomatoes, s

This is adapted from Chrissy Teigen's book  Cravings ; my daughter got me this book for my birthday last year and I really really wanted to hate it!  A Sports Illustrated swimsuit model??? Really??? But I have to admit I love the recipes and she is just a damn hoot! This is delicious- low carb but you don't miss the carbs, I promise! For the Sauce : 3 T Thai sweet chili sauce 3 T hoisin sauce 3 T soy sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (depending how hot you want it) 2 T veg oil 1 t sesame oil 1 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar 2 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (I used the paste in a tube from Trader Joe's- awesome invention BTW) Combine ingredients. For the Filling : 2 lbs ground chicken 3 T veg oil 1 bunch scallions, white and green separated 1 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (again, I used the paste) 1/2 cup finely diced water chestnuts 1 sweet red pepper, finely diced Heat the oil in a skillet; add the white part of the green onion, the garlic and red peppe

This recipe is adapted from an awesome little cookbook my kids got me called  The Sriracha Cookbook ; I love the stuff! It was amazingly fragrant and flavorful and paired perfectly with beer. As a side dish, I sauteed spinach in some olive oil and lots of garlic- it was the perfect complement to the chicken. 2 lbs chicken breast or thigh, cut into cubes Marinade : 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1/8 cup Sriracha 1/8 cup lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1 t allspice 1 t cinnamon 1/2 T kosher salt freshly ground pepper Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken cubes; refrigerate overnight. Sauce : 1 T butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1/2 T coriander 1/2 T garam masala 1/2 T sweet paprika 8 oz. canned tomato sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (to taste) 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper chopped cilantro Melt the butter and add the garlic- cook until fragrant and add spices for about 30 seconds. Stir in the

This is an adaptation and simplification of a recipe from Rachel Ray. It is perfectly divine- I highly recommend a cold frosty beer with this burger. The leftover pimento cheese can be served with veggie slices, pretzel thins, pretzel bites-- the list goes on and on. bacon strips, cooked sourdough bread softened butter ground beef: form as many patties as you would like to serve (the original recipe has you add fresh parsley, Worcestershire sauce and onion to the meat but I've made it that way and also with plain meat and don't think that there is enough added flavor to merit the added work) For the pimento cheese spread: 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated 4 oz. roasted red peppers, drained 2 t hot sauce (such as Frank's) 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 t sweet paprika 1/4- 1 t cayenne pepper (to taste) 2 garlic cloves 1/4 cup mayo 1/2 t salt Put all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Grill the burgers to your liking; meanwhile butter

This is a lovely and refreshing cocktail adapted from Bon Appétit magazine. It is made up of a grapefruit base and topped off with sparkling wine; you can determine what ratio of each you like-- I did about 1/4 base to 3/4 sparkling wine. 2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice (I don't typically like to make extra work for myself, but it is worth using fresh grapefruits- trust me on this) 1/2 cup St. Germain liqueur 1/4 cup Campari sparkling wine Combine the juice, St. Germain and Campari and chill until cold. Pour a bit into a pretty glass and top off with sparkling wine. Enjoy!

This is adapted from Fine Cooking magazine. It is delightfully fresh; I served it with blue cheese burgers and it was the perfect foil to that rich main course. 1/4 cup chopped red onion 3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage 1 pink grapefruit, segmented 1 rib of celery sliced 1/4 cup coarsely grated carrot 1 small red pepper, small-diced 2 T grapeseed oil 1 1/2 T seasoned rice vinegar 2 t lemon or lime juice 1/2 small jalapeno, finely diced 1 t sugar salted pepitas (optional) Put the grapefruit and red onion in a large bowl while you are prepping the remaining ingredients. Add the cabbage, celery, carrot, jalapeno and red pepper; season with salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing ingredients and toss over the salad. Sprinkle pepitas over the top if desired (I forgot to do this).