Laura’s Fifth Annual Best Recipes of the Year

2012 Edition

Dear Friends and Family, This book is an eclectic mix of recipes suitable for cookouts or Thanksgiving or dinner parties or potlucks. There are different ethnic types featured – Jewish, Vietnamese, Sicilian and more. As usual, the cookbook includes recipes from some of you all and there are plenty of vegetables featured thanks to my farmshare (tatsoi is new favorite). I hope you find something you enjoy!

~~Laura~~

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The Recipes Soup and Salad

Faux Pho 5 Pumpkin Sage Soup 5 Warm Red Cabbage Salad 6

Sides

Black Bean and Corn Salsa 8 Sweet Potato Casserole 8

Noodles

Lo Mein 10 Peanut Egg Noodles with Tatsoi 10

Burgers

Eggplant Burger 12 Veggie Burger 13

One Dish Dinners

Caponata 15 Mexican Stuffed Pizza 16

Sweets

Autumn Spice Truffles 18 Honey Nut Cookies 19 Raspberry Coconut Macaroons 20 Toasted Coconut Shortbread 21

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Soup and Salad

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Faux Pho Vietnamese soup (Pho) is a filling, affordable meal that, like chicken-noodle soup, is a feel-good remedy for the cold. It can be an easy “home remedy” with this simple version. Serves 2 Ingredients 1 tsp vegetable oil ½ small onion 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 3x1" piece peeled ginger 2 ½ cups low-salt beef broth

1 whole star anise 1 3"–4" cinnamon stick 1 scallion, thinly sliced Kosher salt

4 ounces (2 cups) mixed mushrooms (such as oyster or stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced 2 packages instant ramen or pho noodles if you can find them 1 1/4–1/2-pound piece beef eye round, sliced crosswise 1/8" thick Bean sprouts, basil leaves, and thinly sliced serrano chilies Directions Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat add onion, cut side down, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, broth, star anise, and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until flavors meld, 7–8 minutes. Add mushrooms; simmer 2 minutes. Add scallion. Season with salt Meanwhile, boil ramen until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; divide among bowls. Add beef slices to soup; simmer until just cooked through, about 20 seconds. Using tongs, transfer beef to bowls. Discard ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon; ladle broth into bowls. Garnish with bean sprouts, basil, and sliced chilies.

Pumpkin Sage Soup

This is a great soup to usher in the cold months. Hold onto this recipe for the fall when pumpkins are in season. Serves 4 Ingredients 2 medium (6 lbs total) sugar pumpkins or pumpkin pie pumpkins 1 T butter (olive oil for dairy-free) ¾ cup shallots, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 4 cups fat free, low sodium vegetable or chicken broth 1 T fresh sage, plus more for garnish salt and fresh pepper to taste reduced fat sour cream for garnish, (optional) Directions Heat the oven to 400°F. Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop out seeds and place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 - 1-1/2 hours. When the pumpkin is cooked and cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. This should make about 5 cups. Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven, on medium heat; add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add pumpkin and broth to the pot, along with sage, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Blend in a blender or immersion blender and blend the soup until smooth.

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Warm Red Cabbage Salad

Cabbage crops were good for my farmshare in 2012 and I made this salad multiple times with the large red cabbages. From the 101 Cookbooks blog Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients ½ cup sunflower seeds 1 tsp natural cane sugar (or brown sugar) fine grain sea salt 2 Ts extra-virgin olive oil 1 red onion, diced 3 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 pound head of red cabbage or radicchio, quartered and cut into thin ribbons 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced 2 ounces golden raisins (or other plump, chopped dried fruit) 1 ½ Ts balsamic vinegar 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish Directions Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Sprinkle on the sugar, and a couple pinches of salt Stir until the sugar melts and coats the seeds (you pan will need to be hot enough). Transfer the seeds immediately to a plate so they don't stick to the pan. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion for a minutes or two with a couple pinches of salt Stir in the garlic, and the cabbage, and a few more pinches of salt Stir and cook for just a minute or so, or until the cabbage softens up just a touch. Then stir in the rosemary, most of the raisins, and the vinegar. The cabbage will continue to get more and more tender even after you remove it from the heat, so keep that in mind, and do your best to avoid overcooking it - where it collapses entirely. Fold in half of the feta cheese, most of the sunflower seeds, then taste. Season with more salt if needed. Serve garnished with the remaining raisins, feta, sunflower seeds and Parmesan cheese.

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Sides

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Black Bean and Corn Salsa Also deemed “crack salsa” because of how hard it is to stop eating! Always a crowd pleaser. Courtesy of Allison Morin Ingredients 1 bag frozen corn 2 cans black beans 1 red pepper, diced ½ red onion, diced 3 T each lime juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar ¾ tsp cumin ½ tsp seasoning salt 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped Directions Mix all ingredients together in large bowl; taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Sweet Potato Casserole

My thanksgiving dinner hosts requested to keep the leftovers of this casserole. At my family gatherings where everyone already knows how good this is the double batch is normally gone before the last person to gets food. Courtesy of Kathleen Redford Serves 6 to 10 Ingredients 3 cups sweet potatoes ¾ - 1 ¼ cups sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be) 2 eggs ½ tsp salt ½ stick melted butter ½ cups milk 1 ½ tsp vanilla topping: ½ cups packed brown sugar 1/3 cups flour ½ cups chopped nuts 1/3 cups melted butter Directions Boil potatoes, peel, and cut into smaller chunks. Use mixer to combine all ingredients until smooth. In separate bowl mix together topping. Pour into dish, add topping, and bake until bubbling.

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Noodles

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Lo Mein I made this recipe with spaghetti squash, but noodles would be great too. Very easy version of a Chinese food favorite. Serves 4 Ingredients ½ pound vermicelli or spaghetti (or use spaghetti squash) 3 Ts peanut oil, divided 2 Ts sesame oil 3 Ts soy sauce 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp cornstarch ½ tsp ground ginger 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 scallions, chopped (about 1/2 cup) ½ cup diced red bell pepper Directions Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 2 Ts peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic. In a large skillet or wok, heat remaining peanut oil over medium-high heat and add scallions and red pepper; sauté 1 to 2 minutes, then add pasta to skillet and stir-fry. Pour sauce mixture into skillet; toss well and cook until heated through and sauce has thickened slightly. Serve immediately.

Peanut Egg Noodles with Tatsoi Tatsoi is my new favorite cooking green. There are substitutes if you can’t find it and want to make this recipe… which you should. Serves 4 Ingredients 6 cup Tatsoi (or Bok Choy or Spinach), raw-chopped 1 ½ cup, raw-chopped carrots 3 cloves garlic 2 T olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil ¼ cup onions, raw-chopped 3 ½ egg noodles, enriched Sauce: 5 T natural peanut butter 1 T white wine vinegar 3 T soy sauce (tamari) 1 T olive oil Directions Sauté oil and garlic 5 minutes. Add carrots and onion sauté 5 minutes. Add tatsoi sauté till tender. Mix together ingredients for sauce. Poor over mixture. Stir fry a few minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

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Burgers

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Eggplant Burger Another year with a bumper crop of eggplant led me to find this delicious veggie burger recipe. Makes 4 burgers Ingredients 1 large eggplant, or 2 medium, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes (approx. 2 1/2 cup) (could try zucchini or mushrooms) 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce, tamari or aminos 1 T tahini or peanut butter 2 T organic Worcestershire sauce 1 T Dijon mustard 1 T minced garlic 1 T fresh basil, minced ½ cup non-dairy or shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup almond flour, oat flour or breadcrumbs your choice of sandwich buns, condiments and toppings Directions Place a large skillet over medium low heat and lightly mist with oil or cooking spray. Add eggplant and sauté until it is starting to grey and is very soft in texture. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soy sauce, tamari or aminos, tahini or peanut butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, basil, cheese and flour or breadcrumbs. Add eggplant and combine mixture well, slightly smashing eggplant in with the back of your mixing spoon. Refrigerate mixture for at least thirty minutes, and then form into four equal patties. Recoat skillet with oil or spray and place over medium high heat. Fry patties until browned, about five minutes on each side. Serve on toasted sandwich buns with condiments and toppings of your choice.

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Veggie Burger I’ve had this recipe for years and finally got around to making it. This veggie burger isn’t trying to be like meat and it’s very flavorful. Courtesy of Mom Makes 8 burgers Ingredients 2 tsps olive oil 1 small onion, grated 2 cloves crushed garlic 2 carrots, shredded 1 small summer squash, shredded 1 small zucchini, shredded 1 ½ cups rolled oats 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 egg, beaten 1 T soy sauce 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour Directions Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat, and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the carrots, squash, and zucchini. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and mix in oats, cheese, and egg. Stir in soy sauce, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat the grill for high heat and/or frying pan at medium heat. Place the flour on a large plate. Form the vegetable mixture into eight 3 inch round patties. Drop each patty into the flour, lightly coating both sides. Oil the grill grate, and grill patties 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and nicely browned.

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One Dish Dinners

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Caponata I probably would have looked at the ingredients of this recipe and passed over it in a cookbook because I’m not a fan of olives or capers… however, mom made this for me and it’s great! Courtesy of Mom Ingredients 3 lbs eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 T salt ⅓ cup olive oil 4 stalks celery, trimmed, cut diagonally into ½ inch pieces, blanched 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 2 cups passata (pureed, sieved tomatoes) or canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped ½ cup large green olives, pitted and roughly chopped ½ cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped 3 T capers (preferably salt-packed, rinsed) 2 T pine nuts, lightly toasted 2 T currants, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and patted dry 2 T granulated sugar (or 1/8 tsp stevia) ¼ cup balsamic vinegar salt and fresh ground pepper ½ cup roughly chopped mint ½ cup roughly chopped basil Directions Put cubed eggplant in a colander set in the sink. Toss with salt. Let stand 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse eggplant under cold running water; drain and pat dry with paper towel. Toss eggplant with 3 T of the olive oil; spread onto baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; stirring occasionally, or until softened and starting to brown. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat Add celery, garlic and onions; cook for 6 minutes or until onions are softened. Do not let garlic brown. Stir in passata, green and black olives, capers, pine nuts, currants, sugar and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in mint; cook 5 minutes longer. Transfer to large serving dish. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours to develop flavors. Serve at room temperature, sprinkle with chopped basil.

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Mexican Stuffed Pizza I should have put this extremely easy recipe in my very first cookbook, but better late than never. Serves 4 Ingredients 1 (15 oz.) can chili with beans 1 (4 oz.) can diced Green Chiles 2 packages refrigerated crescent roll dough ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups toppings (shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced ripe olives and shredded cheddar cheese) Directions Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine chili with beans and chilies in medium bowl. Slightly overlap crescent dough triangles around edge of 10-to 12-inch-round pizza pan, positioning top half of each triangle so that it is hanging over the edge of the pan. Spoon chili mixture in center of each crescent roll triangle; bring top half of each triangle over chili and tuck under pointed end. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with toppings.

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Sweets

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Autumn Spice Truffles I finally got around to using dates as a base and sweetener in desserts. Makes 12 truffles Ingredients 8 pitted Medjool dates (about 4 oz), chopped (about 2/3 cup chopped, lightly packed) 4 Ts roasted unsalted sunflower seeds 2 Ts pumpkin puree (canned is fine; look for solid-pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) 1 T cocoa powder 1 T flaxseed meal* 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp coconut oil, melted ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground ginger 1 pinch ground cloves 1 pinch salt Topping Ideas: Chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or pistachios Seeds, such as sunflower seeds or sesame seeds Unsweetened shredded coconut Cocoa powder Melted dark chocolate (if you want to dip the truffles) *Flaxseed meal is just ground flaxseed; if you don’t have flaxseed meal on hand, you can grind your own. Directions Pulse together all ingredients (except toppings) in a food processor until it comes together to form a ball. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized truffles, roll into balls, and then coat in any topping(s) you like. Store the truffles in an airtight container up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

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Honey Nut Cookies Be careful not to eat too many of these little cookies. They’re addictive. Courtesy of Sarah Yeung Makes Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsps baking soda ¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon ¾ cup chopped walnuts ¾ cup butter ½ cup brown sugar ¾ cup honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix in the walnuts. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy; stir in the honey, vanilla extract, and egg until thoroughly combined. Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until well combined (don't over mix), and chill the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight. Scoop up about 1 T of dough per cookie, and roll into a ball; place onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are just puffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on racks.

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Raspberry Coconut Macaroons This recipe caught my eye because I thought they’d make a good gift for my mom since she loves raspberries. I ended up loving them as well. From the Smitten Kitchen blog Makes 50ish 1 1/4-inch cookies Ingredients 14 ounces (400 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar 3 large egg whites Heaped 1/4 tsp flaked sea salt or level 1/4 tsp table salt ½ tsp almond extract ½ pint (6 ounces, 170 grams or 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries (if washed, patted very dry) Directions Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor, blend the coconut for a minute. Add sugar, blend another minute. Add egg whites, salt and almond extract and blend for another minute. Add raspberries and pulse machine on and off in short bursts until they are largely, but not fully, broken down. Some visible flecks of raspberry here and there are great When you open the machine, you’ll see some parts of the batter that are still fully white while others are fully pink. Resist stirring them together. With a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop, scoop batter into 1-inch mounds. You can arrange the cookies fairly close together as they don’t spread, just puff a bit Scooping a little of the pink batter and a little of the white batter together makes them look extra marble-y and pretty. Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they look a little toasted on top. Let them rest on the tray for at least 10 minutes after baking. They’ll firm up as they cool, but still remain softer and less dry inside than traditional macaroons.

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Toasted Coconut Shortbread I used a lot of coconut-based ingredients in 2012 from coconut milk to coconut oil to coconut butter. On one of my baking kicks, I found this recipe and liked the twist on shortbread. From the Smitten Kitchen blog Makes 36 Cookies Ingredients ½ cup (about 1.5 ounces) unsweetened shredded coconut

[or use sweetened and dialed back the sugar by 2 Ts] ¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature ½ cup plus 1 tsp sugar ½ to ¾ tsp coarse kosher salt (For unsweetened coconut, the smaller amount; sweetened, the larger amount) ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour Directions Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely, then grind in a coffee grinder, food processor or blender until coarsely ground. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out) Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured work surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies. Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.

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