Ina's Pasta with Pecorino & Pepper

Pasta with Pecorino & Pepper
From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes or as long as it takes to cook the pasta plus 3 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 box (8oz/250g) good quality Italian egg pasta (I used De Cecco Pappardelle)
1 tbsp whole black Tellicherry peppercorns
1 cup freshly grated aged Pecorino cheese (4oz/125g) plus extra for serving
(Note in the book: grate the cheese on the smaller teardrop holes of the box grater)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, minced
Large pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta to al dente in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven (or really large pot).

2. In the meantime, organize the rest of the ingredients so that you can quickly add them just before serving. Crush the peppercorns in either a mortar and pestle or small food mill (I use my coffee grinder, which comes apart for easy cleaning so my coffee won’t taste like pepper).

3. Drain the pasta, (reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water) and return to the empty pot and either reduce the heat to very low (or in my case, I just turned it off…it stays hot for quite a while). Add half the cheese, crushed peppercorns, cream, butter, parsley and salt, tossing constantly. Just before transferring to a serving bowl add the rest of the cheese, toss again and serve. Have more grated Pecorino handy for sprinkling.

I served it with a mixed green salad, but it was too tangy, so go easy on any dressing. You don't want to overpower the pasta. In fact, my Honey, thought we should have just had the pasta. Perhaps next time I'll listen.

Chocolate Nut Cookies

Chocolate Nut Cookies
From The Seven Sins of Chocolate

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration time: at least 2 hours, can keep in the fridge for at least a week…if that’s possible in your house!
Baking time: 12 minutes or until golden, if you like your cookies chewy, then just until the edges are lightly browned – 10 minutes or so.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
14 tbsp (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1½ cups confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup soft dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
10oz/283g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped (I used sliced almonds)
1 cup walnuts (I actually used pecan pieces instead)

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 350°F/170°C about 20 minutes before baking and prepare rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

2. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir into the butter mixture.

3. Coarsely chop the chocolate and nuts and mix them into the dough.

4. Shape the dough into logs about 2” in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours.

5. Unwrap the dough and cut into rounds about ½” thick. Place 1” apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes) or less if you like them chewy.

6. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Store in an airtight container.

Pappa al Pomodoro - Tomato & Bread Soup

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato & Bread Soup)
Adapted from 300 Sensational Soups

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2lb/950g tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped with juices, or, if you’re like me 1 large cans (28oz/954ml) fire-roasted diced tomatoes)
Day old Italian peasant bread (recipe called for 4 slices, I used a focaccia loaf I over cooked), torn into chunks
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I actually shaved some very thin slices)

Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and then sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes and then add the garlic slices. Continue to sauté just for a minute or two, until you get that wonderful aroma but don’t let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes start to break down (about 5 minutes).

2. Add the bread, broth, salt & pepper and simmer. The book calls for breaking the bread with the back of a spoon, until the bread has absorbed as much liquid as possible and resembles mush (about 15 minutes). Stir in the basil just a couple of minutes before serving.

At serving time, ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Greens Catalan Style

Greens Catalan Style
Adapted from Spain…On the Road Again, Episode 6

Serves 2 to 3
Prep time: 5-10 minutes (to clean and chop the greens)
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes (depending on the greens…spinach & beet greens are more delicate than chard, so need a little less time)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons dried currants ( I also mixed in some Barberries-also known as Zereshk(Middle Eastern tart dried berries)
1 large bunch spinach &/or Swiss chard, beet greens, washed and spun mostly dry (leave enough water to help cook the greens)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp good balsamic vinegar (my favorite…Boates Balsamic apple cider vinegar)

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and currants and stir for a minute or two, until the nuts start to brown.

2. Add the spinach, in batches if necessary, and stir and cook until the spinach is nicely wilted, 5 minutes or so. Add the vinegar, toss, and taste.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

I love it served as a bed for roasted salmon.

Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells with Chicken

Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells

Hands on time: 20-30 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes (or until bubbly around the edges and the cheese is golden and melted on top)
Broil time: just long enough to brown the top
Rest time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo pasta shells (250g/8oz)

Filling:
1 lb/450g ground chicken (beef would work too)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 huge or 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
8oz/250g cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4oz/125g spinach, cooked, drained and chopped
¼ cup tomato sauce (sometimes I use my lazybones marinara, sometimes from a jar)
1 tbsp dried basil
½ tsp chili pepper flakes (more if you like things spicier)

Topping:
1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
½ cup coarsely grated Asiago
2-3 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

Filling:
1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, sauté the ground chicken until it is no longer pink, breaking it up into chunks during the process (5 minutes or so). Remove to a large bowl, using a slotted spoon. Discard the juices.

2. Heat a little oil in the same skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent (5 minutes). Add the garlic, chili pepper flakes and basil and sauté for a minute or two for the flavors to come through. Add the 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, heat for a minute or two and then add to the chicken mixture.

3. In the same skillet, sauté the mushrooms in a little oil until they are golden (3-4 minutes) add the cooked spinach (I sometimes steam in the microwave or add to the mushrooms until the spinach wilts. If you use frozen spinach, boiling in a water in a small pot works best. Drain before adding to the mushrooms.)

4. Add the mushrooms and spinach to the chicken mixture and toss well. Taste for seasoning and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Pasta:
1. In the meantime, in a large Dutch oven, boil pasta shells until slightly undercooked (8 minutes or so). Drain in a colander and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process for a couple of minutes. Drain when ready to fill the shells.

Put it all together:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C

2. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven proof dish large enough to hold at least 12 pasta shells (my dish holds 18 and I did a quick freeze of the extras for another day – more about that at the bottom of the post).

3. Use a large soup spoon to fill the dry pasta shell and lay it open side up on the tomato sauce. Repeat until the dish is full.

4. Spoon the tomato sauce over the shells and add a thick layer of shredded cheese over it all. Sprinkle some Asiago on top.

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes. It’s ready when the sauce bubbles around the edges and the top layer of cheese is melted and golden. If it isn’t brown, turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes…Pay attention, you don’t want it to burn after all that work.

6. Remove from the oven and let it rest, uncovered on the counter/table for 5 minutes. This will let the dish “set” and still be hot.

Note: Often when I make filled baked pasta dishes, I don't quite seem to come out even...too much filling usually. So here's a trick....fill any extra cooked shells with filling, lay them in a ziplock baggie set on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour or two. Once they are firmly frozen, you can remove the tray and store in the freezer for up to a month. You can then either defrost or just put some tomato sauce in an ovenproof dish, add the stuffed shells, pour more sauce and cheese on top and bake.

Lamb & Lentil Soup

Lamb & Lentil Soup
Adapted from 300 Sensational Soups

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1lb/450g ground lamb
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, peeled
1 onion
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
¼ - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups dried brown lentils, rinsed (I actually used du Puy lentils, they hold their shape better)
1 (14oz/398ml) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
7 cups beef broth

Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and then sauté the ground lamb, breaking up the pieces with the back of the spoon. Cook until the meat is no longer pink (about 5 minutes).

2. In the meantime, use your food processor to coarsely chop the garlic (drop down the feeding tube with the machine running – do this first), cut the carrots, onion, celery into large chunks before adding to the food processor. Pulse until you like the consistency.

3. Add the chopped vegetables to the lamb in the Dutch oven and sauté until the vegetables are soft and onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper and stir for about 1- 2 minutes.
4. Add the lentils, tomatoes with the juice and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the lentils are soft but not mushy. Taste for seasoning and serve with crusty bread.

Quick Lentil & Chorizo Soup

Quick Lentil & Chorizo Soup
Using leftover Balsamic Lentils from Anita Stewart’s Canada

Prep time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Serves …depends on the leftovers

Ingredients:
1 smoked/cured/dried Chorizo sausage, cut into ½” coins
1 can (19oz/540ml) fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice (I had ½ 28oz tin left over from another recipe)
2 cups or so broth (my leftover was beef, but anything would do)
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 cups or so Warm Balsamic Lentils (of course, if you don't have leftover balsamic lentils, canned lentils or chickpeas would also taste delicious)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional, to drizzle just before serving)

Directions:

1. Sauté the chorizo in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for a few minutes to brown them and bring out their flavor. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and let all the flavors meld for about 5 minutes or so.

2. Add a little balsamic vinegar just before serving.

Great for a quick lunch or supper with a salad and crusty bread

Warm Balsamic Lentils

Warm Balsamic Lentils
Adapted from Anita Stewart’s Canada

Prep time: 30 minutes if you’re starting with dried lentils, 5 minutes or so if you’re using canned
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
3 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
¼ cup celery (I actually used very young celery from the market and used the leaves as well)
¼ cup sweet red pepper, finely diced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes (you can always add more at the end if you like it hotter)
1 can (19oz/540ml) lentils, drained or 2 cups cooked lentils
2-3 tbsp “high quality local vinegar”…I’m lucky enough to actually be within driving distance of the Boates orchards and absolutely love their balsamic style cider vinegar

Directions:

If you plan on starting with dry lentils, I recommend du Puy lentils. They’re small but hold their shape during cooking. One cup of dry will make at least 2 cups of cooked.
1 cup lentils, picked over for stones, etc.
1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
1 bay leaf
1 ½ - 2 cups water or broth (the lentils should be covered by about 1” of liquid)

Place ingredients into a medium sized saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes and check for doneness. They should be soft but not mushy. Remove from pan and drain.

1. Heat the oil in the same pot if you've cooked your own lentils (less pots to wash after). Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, red pepper and salt for 4 minutes or so. The vegetables should begin to soften and brown.

2. Stir in chili pepper flakes and drained lentils and heat through (about 4-5 minutes)

3. Add the vinegar, toss well and taste for seasoning. Cover and keep warm until serving.

I served it over Roasted Indian Spiced Salmon and it was perfect.

Roasted Indian Spiced Salmon

Roasted Indian Spiced Salmon
Adapted from Anita Stewart’s Canada

Prep time: 5 minutes…if that
Roast time: 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through to your liking
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 lb/450g salmon fillet, skin on ( you can cook in one piece or separate into serving size portions which will cook a little quicker)
Indian Spice Rub Mixture:
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

2. Combine all the rub ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. Rinse salmon, pat dry and lay skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Rub the spice mixture over the top of the salmon.

3. Roast salmon until cooked to the consistency you like. Some people like it rare (darker, wetter pink on the inside) and others like it a light pink right through.

4. Slide off the skin and serve.

The real Mark Mitchell recipe in the book calls for grilling, which would also be lovely and he provides two other interesting options…an Asian marinade and a Caribbean salsa.

I served it over Warm Balsamic Lentils and it was awesome.

Shrimp, Chinese Sausage & Shitake Stir Fry

Shrimp, Chinese Sausages & Shitake Mushrooms Stir Fry
Adapted from A Spoonful of Ginger

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lb/950g large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
Shrimp Marinade:
3 ½ tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 ½ tbsp minced scallions (green onions) white part only
1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into thin Julienne strips
3-4 links of smoked Chinese sausages (mine were pork & chicken and tasted of a hint of star anise), sliced across into ¼ - ½” rounds
1 cup dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water while the shrimp is marinating (drain them, reserving the liquid and slice across)

Sauce:
¼ cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup water (or even better…the mushroom liquid, strained)

Garnish: finely chopped scallion greens ( I didn’t have any, but it would have been so pretty)

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium sized bowl and add the shrimp. Toss and let them marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It will give you time to prepare the mushrooms and get the other ingredients ready.

2. Use a large non-stick skillet set over high heat, add the oil and once it gets hot add the garlic, sausages, sliced mushrooms and red pepper slices (about 1 minute). Add the sauce and heat until boiling. Add the shrimp with their marinade and toss well. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and turn the heat up again to thicken the sauce.

Serve over steamed rice or quick cooking Asian noodles…my preference is Hong Kong style Shrimp Noodles

Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.

Chocolate Spice Loaf

Chocolate Spice Loaf
More of a tea or coffee cake than a rich dessert cake
From The Seven Sins of Chocolate

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
¾ cup wildflower honey
1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ cup rye flour
¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or ½ tsp each ground cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger
1 large egg
½ cup milk
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (that’s ½ cup + 1 tbsp)
½ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 350°F/170°C and prepare a 8”x4” loaf pan (rub with butter and then lightly flour).

2. In a small saucepan, bring the honey to a boil and then remove it from the stove. Allow to cool to lukewarm.

3. In a large bowl, sift together both flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and spices.

4. Using an electric mixer and another bowl, beat the sugar and egg on high speed until the sugar mixture turns light yellow. Add the milk and butter and then the warm honey on a lower speed so you don’t have batter everywhere.

5. Stir in the dry ingredients (this is where I’d add the nuts) with a wooden spoon and mix well until smooth.

6. Pour in to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a wooden toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, it’s done, if not keep checking every five minutes or so.

7. Cool in the pan on a cake rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and continue to cool completely.

Puree of Roasted Vegetable Soup

Puree of Roasted Root Vegetables
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Prep time: 15 minutes
Vegetable Roasting time: 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender
Soup Cooking time: 10-15 minutes (see below if you want to make your own broth…add a couple of hours. I usually make my broth the day before if I don’t have any in the freezer)

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 lb/450g carrots, peeled
1 lb/450g parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash (about 2lb/950g), peeled and seeded
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

6-8 cups roasted vegetable broth

Directions:
Vegetables:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.

2. Cut all the vegetables into 1¼ - 1 ½” pieces so that they all cook at the same time and lay them in a single layer on the baking sheet….you might require two or more sheets. Do not crowd the vegetables and then drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

3. Roast for about 20 minutes or until soft, turning the vegetables once during the roasting. You might need to add more olive oil.

This step can also be done a day ahead.
Soup:
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 6-8 cups of broth and add the vegetables for 5 minutes or so.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables to a consistency you like. Some people like it totally smooth, others like to have part creamy with lots of vegetable chunks. Just remember that if you are going to freeze the soup, you should really puree the vegetables completely or else they will be spongy once you defrost it.

Great with a crusty bread and crunchy salad.

Spicy Pear Sorbet

Spicy Pear Sorbet
From The Healthiest Meals on Earth

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10-20 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour to overnight
Freezing time: at least 5 hours

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
4 medium ripe Anjou pears
½ cup pear juice or apple cider
1-2 tbsp ginger juice (see directions)
7 whole cloves
2-3 tbsp crystallized ginger, minced (do this using a knife rather than food processor or it will come out too sticky to use)
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make ginger juice: Finely grate 2” piece of fresh, peeled gingerroot over cheesecloth over a plate. Once you have grated it, lift the corners of the cheesecloth to make a pouch and squeeze out the juice over the plate.

2. Peel and core the pears. Halve, then quarter and quarter again through the middle.

3. In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, place pears, ginger juice, pear juice or cider and cloves. Toss and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to low, stir and cover for 10-20 minutes or until the pears are very soft.

4. Remove the pears and sauce to a stainless steel bowl, cover with waxed paper and cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour to overnight.

5. Remove the condensation moisture from the waxed paper and cover. Transfer to the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight.
6. Remove the bowl from the freezer and let thaw for 15 minutes. Run warm water under the bowl to thaw the bottom.

7. Remove the pears from the sauce and cut into large chunks, to fit in the food processor. Add extra juice if necessary (I didn’t have to). Process until creamy and stir in the minced crystallized ginger and vanilla.

8. Refreeze in a tightly covered container until ready to use. 15 minutes before serving, thaw at room temperature and stir well before placing in dishes and then sprinkle with a little more ginger as a garnish.

Fancy Round Challah with Raisins

Fancy Round Challah with Raisins
From Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Rest time: minimum…2 hours on the counter or (and my favorite way) up to 5 days in a lidded but not air tight container in the fridge. (after that you can freeze in 1 lb/450g portions in air tight containers in the freezer for up to 4 weeks). If you are going to freeze the bread, you need to defrost in the fridge overnight
Shaping and second rising: 30 minutes
Baking time: 25-35 minutes (depending on the size of the loaf(ves)

Makes 4 (1lb/450g) loaves (I made two large loaves)

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tbsp granulated yeast (I used the one for the bread machine, because … that’s what I had)
1 ½ tbsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
½ cup honey
½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or canola oil) I tried it both ways and the one with butter tasted like brioche…both excellent variations.
7 cups unbleached all purpose flour (dough will be very sticky to work with. Just oil your hands)
½ - ¾ cup sultana raisins
Egg wash (1egg beaten with 1 tbsp water)

Directions:
To mix & store the dough: I used my KitchenAid with dough hook attachment but you can use a 14 cup capacity food processor or a 5 litre/5 quart bowl and a wooden spoon. No kneading required!

1. Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter or oil with the water in the stand mixer or bowl. You can either add ¾ cup raisins at this point or wait until ready to make the bread. If you want to split the batch…some with raisin some without, then wait. If you are going to use the entire batch for fancy challahs, I’d mix them in at this point so the raisins can be more evenly distributed in the bread.

2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, food processor or my favorite, the stand mixer. The food processor and mixer require the dough blade or dough hook.

3. Cover (not air tight) and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses – about 2 hours (you can bake the bread from this state) or let it “rest” in the fridge for up to 5 days. After that, you can freeze the dough in 1 lb/450g portions in an air tight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost the frozen dough overnight in the fridge before using. Allow the usual rest and rise time.

Baking the bread:
1. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet: cover with parchment for easy cleanup or else lightly oil the pan.

2. Dust the surface of the refrigerated (or counter top) dough with flour and cut off a 1 lb piece (they say the size of a grapefruit, but if the recipe makes 4 loaves, just cut off a quarter of the dough. For dinner, I made 2 loaves out of the batch. Left overs make great toasted raisin bread.

3. Quickly (no more than a minute) shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, sprinkling with more flour, rotating the ball quarter turns as you go. My version of shaping the dough is slightly different than the book’s. When I tried their approach the shape warped, so I used my daughter’s version. The butter dough is firmer to work with but if you oil your hands, the oil dough is fine too.

If you are adding raisins at this stage rather than when you made the dough:
Using minimal dusting flour and a rolling pin, roll out the dough to ½” thickness. Sprinkle with raisins and roll into a long rope.

If you are using dough prepared with raisins just shape into a long rope and continue at this stage:

Cut the log in half across and form a coil on the center of the baking sheet. (I have a very large baking sheet that can hold 2 large loaves diagonally leaving enough room between the loaves for rising in the oven). Elongate the second half into a more slender, longer rope. Tuck one end under the already formed coil and continue to make 1-2 rings around the first. Tuck in the loose end under the loaf.

4. Allow the dough to rest and rise, for 1 hour 30 minutes (you only need 40 minutes if you are using fresh unrefrigerated dough). If you are using the oil based dough, it will look wider than tall at this point, but don't worry, it will continue to rise in the oven.

5. 30 minutes before baking time, place a baking stone (I use my pizza stone) in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Don't worry if you don't have a stone, it will still work fine. Because this dough will not crisp like some of the French or rye breads, the oven doesn't need to heat as high to come out perfectly.

6. Just before baking, brush the challah with the egg wash.

7. Slide the baking sheet directly onto the hot stone. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. The loaf should be dark golden brown and the center resistant to pressure.

8. Allow it to cool before slicing.

Leftovers are great toasted with a slather of honey.

Salmon Pesto Burgers

Salmon Pesto Burgers
From Burgers by Paul Gayler

Prep time: 5 minutes
Fridge time: 30 minutes or more
Cook time: 6-8 minutes

Makes 6 burgers

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb/600g fresh raw salmon fillet, skinless and boneless, cut into large chunks
2 tbsp pesto
1 egg white
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or …my favorite Panko (Japanese style) breadcrumbs
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

Directions:
1. Place everything except the oil into the food processor and pulse until the salmon is finely chopped but not pureed. If it’s not completely well blended, finish using your hands or a big spoon. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before cooking.

2. Lightly coat the burgers with a little more Panko crumbs. I probably should have used my Griddler, but this sort of reminded me of the salmon patties my mom used to make when I was a kid…hers was from a can…but I digress…so I fried them in a little olive oil in a non stick skillet. You only need to cook them for 3 minutes per side. Don’t over cook them. The extra Panko makes the crust really crispy.

The book got very fancy and served them open faced on a slice of toasted focaccia with a dollop of mascarpone and some roasted asparagus spears. We just slathered some mayo and basil pesto mustard on a hamburger bun…delicioso!

Lebanese Style Kebbeh Lamb Burgers

Lebanese style Kebbe Lamb Burgers
From Burgers by Paul Gayler

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 5-6 burgers

Ingredients:
¾ cup bulgur wheat
1 small onion, finely grated (do over a bowl so as not to lose the juice)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp sweet paprika
3 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lb/450 g ground lamb (or whatever ground meat you favor)
Salt & pepper

Pita pockets
Hummus

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, soak the bulgur in enough boiling water to at least cover the bulgur. Soak for 30 minutes, giving it a stir every once in a while. Drain any remaining water from the bulgur and dry. I line a strainer/sieve with double thickness of cheesecloth and pour the bulgur mix over it. Form a package with the corners of the cheesecloth, twist and press out any excess water.

2. Return the bulgur to the dry bowl and add the onion, garlic, spices and parsley. Mix well and let stand for 15 minutes. Add the lamb, mix well and shape into patties. The traditional way is to use a couple of soup spoons and shape into 8 bullets (logs that are sort of pointy at the ends), but I just formed hamburger shaped patties that would fit into the pitas.

3. I love using my Griddler but you could simply fry these in a little oil. If you are using, set it to sear or heat the pan over medium-high heat until hot, add enough oil just to keep the meat from sticking. (I spray Mazola’s Simplicity canola oil spray). Add the patties and turn once or twice for 10 minutes or so.

While they are cooking, prepare the pitas. Cut off the top of the pitas, leaving enough room to fit the bullets or patties in. Slather some hummus on each side and sprinkle with some extra parsley.

This would be great with Tabbouleh as a side salad.

Raw Spinach Soup

Raw Spinach Soup
From The Healthiest Meals on Earth


Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4oz/120g baby spinach, washed well, drained and dried
1 cup water
2-3 cloves roasted garlic or 1 clove raw garlic
1-2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 ripe avocado, cut in half and pitted
2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts

Directions:
1. (The book suggests using a blender, but mine had trouble chopping the spinach so I used my food processor.) Puree spinach, water, garlic, lemon juice and salt. I would start with less water and only add more at the end if it’s too thick.

2. Spoon the avocado out of its shell and into the blender/food processor and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning. (I didn’t like the texture of the spinach in the food processor so at this point I transferred the soup to the blender for a final buzz.)

Divide into 4 equal portions and garnish with toasted nuts.

Pasta with Pesto Chicken Meatballs

Pasta with Pesto Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from Ricardo Magazine recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Meatballs:
1 ½ -2 lb/ 675- 900g lean ground chicken
½ cup pesto (or one of the many great store bought pestos)
½ cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko, Japanese style)
1 egg

1/2cup flour

Pasta:
½ box (8oz/225g) pasta (I used Sobaya Natural Wheat & Buckwheat pasta – looks like spaghetti)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup white wine (Ricardo used heavy cream, which I’m sure will be delicious)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions
1. Prepare the meatballs….combine chicken, pesto, egg and breadcrumbs and for into golf-ball sized balls. Ground chicken is very sticky, so lightly oil your hands before forming balls. Place them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with flour…rolling them a bit before frying.

2. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (check the package for time – anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes)

3. While the water for the pasta is coming to boil, in large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and sauté the chicken meatballs (about 5-6 minutes). The flour gives a lovely crispy coating to the meatballs and thickens the liquids into a lovely smooth sauce.

4. Once you add the pasta to the pasta water, it’s time to add the chicken broth and wine (or cream) to the meatballs in the skillet. With heat turned up to high, allow the mixture to thicken. If you’re using the cream, you probably don’t even have to raise the heat. It doesn't take very long, so stay close to the stove.

5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a serving bowl, pour the meatballs and sauce over the pasta and toss. Sprinkle with additional chopped basil (and if you’re not worrying about mixing milk and meat)…some grated parmesan cheese.

Toss and serve with a salad. I like romaine hearts and lemony vinaigrette.

PS...I think the meatball recipe will make a great meatloaf too.