SWEET POTATO AND CRANBERRY BAKE

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4 lg or 6 small white OR orange sweet potatoes, peeled & halved lengthwise
salt and pepper
2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 large orange
4 tbs butter, chilled and cut into pieces

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

steam or microwave the sweet potatoes until almost tender, 12-15 minutes. arrange in a buttered 1 1/2 qt casserole and season to taste with salt and pepper. sprinkle the cranberries over the sweet potatotes. in a food processor, process the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, orange rind, and butter until crumbly. or mix the dry ingredients and orange rind, and cut the butter into the mixture. sprinkle the flour mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. bake 20 minutes, or until the cranberries are tender, and serve hot.

serves 4-6

EGGPLANT PANCAKES

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1 med eggplant, peeled & sliced
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup minced jarred roasted red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 lg egg, well beaten
1 tbs olive oil OR more as needed
4 green onions (scallions), trimmed to 3″ and minced

steam the eggplant over boiling water until just tender, 8-10 minutes. drain and mash the eggplant with the lemon juice, red pepper, salt, flour, and baking powder. beat into the egg. in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the green onions 3 minutes. with a slotted spoon, transfer the green onions from the skillet to the eggplant mixture and mix. add a few more drops of olive oil to the skillet. drop the eggplant batter by the spoonfulsi into the hot skillet. when the bottoms are golden brown, turn the pancakes and brown the other sides. remove the cooked pancakes to a heated dish and keep warm. add a bit of oil for each set of pancakes. serve hot.

FLAMBEED CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH OYSTER MUSHROOMS

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2 tbs roasted garlic oil OR olive oil
2 lg shallots OR 1 thick onion slice, chopped
4 tbs butter, cut up
8 oz fresh oyster OR other wild mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tbs brandy, warmed
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp freshly grated orange zest

in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and saute the shallots or onion 1 minute. add the butter and mushrooms, and saute until golden, 3 minutes. with a slotted spoon, lift the mushrooms onto paper towels. season with salt and pepper. return the skillet to the heat and saute the chicken for 3 minutes on each side flambe with the brandy (see note). stir in the broth, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. stir in the cream and the mushrooms, and simmer until thickened. adjust the seasonings. serve sprinkled with orange zest.

serves 4-6

LEMON-PEPPER MARINADE

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1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbs freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup + 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

in a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, pepper, salt,and the parsley. marinate fish for 30 minutes, chicken up to 2 hours. (if marinating for more than 1 hour, cover and refrigerate.

srves 6-8

THYME-SCENTED DUXELLES CROSTINI

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1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium shallots, minced
2 lbs white mushrooms, stems trimmed & wiped clean
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves OR 1 tsp dried
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup regular OR tofu cream cheese
3 tbs dry white wine
1 loaf french braed, cut into rounds and toasted

place the oil and shallots in a 4 qt slow cooker. cover and turn the setting to HIGH to soften the shallots while you prepare the mushrooms.

using a food processor or by hand, coarsely chop the mushrooms. add them to the slow cooker and change the setting to LOW. cover and cook until the mushrooms are very soft, 6-8 hours.

after the mushrooms are cooked, strain the excess mushroom liquid into a bowl and reserve for use in another recipe.

transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor, add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and pulse to combine. add the cream cheese and wine and process until blended. taste to adjust the seasonings.

when ready to serve, spread the duxelles mixture onto the toasted bread rounds. alternatively, you may put the duxelles mixture in a bowl and allow guests to spread it on the toasted bread themselves.

makes about 2 1/2 cups

BAKING

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ADD A LITTLE SOMETING EXTRA TO YOUR PIES – Most pie recipes call for the same plain piecrust – BORING! Instead, create your own variation by adding spices to your dough such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or even ginger. Another great idea is to add ground nuts or even cookie crumbs on top of the bottom crust before adding your filling. Be sure to press them down a little though so they stay as part of the crust.

PASTA, RICE & POTATOES

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COOKING DRIED PASTA – The most common mistake when cooking dried pasta is not having enough boiling water. Have a large saucepan of rapidly boiling water ready, add a little oil & pasta to the pan, and stir for 20 seconds to separate the pasta. Boil for 10-14 minutes, depending on the shape of the pasta and the flour used. Drain it & eat immediately without any extra oil or butter if you’ll be having it hot. For cold pasta, rinse it under warm water and then cold water.