gina_w, I made your poached salmon with chimichurri for supper tonight -- right down to the garnish. My husband and I both LOVED it! It is a definite contender for the party. Do you think that it would be good at room temperature? I don't want to be cooking during the appetizers or the soup course, but I am afraid if I keep it warm in the oven it will dry out, and even a reheat in the microwave might overcook it. Here is how I did the chimichurri and poached the fish (I'm sure you know how to do both, but just in case some other reader wants to know): I took a big handful of flat leaf parsley, 4 cloves garlic, and a bit of onion and minced them in the food processor. Then I added about 1/3 c of arbequetta olive oil, a little red wine vinegar, a little lemon juice, about 1/2 t of dried oregano, and S&P. That's it -- and it was really terrific. I poached the salmon by putting it in a deepish pan with water to cover, added some mirin, some peppercorns, and a bay leaf, as you suggested. I brought it to a boil, and then immediately took it off the heat, covered the pan, and let it sit about 10 minutes. eandhl, here is my recipe for stir-fried tofu. It was my first stir-fry. Many years ago, when I was about 22, my aunt gave me a wok. It just sat there until one day in the newspaper's food section, in the "kids in the kitchen" column, I found this recipe for stir-fried tofu and vegetables (I've rewritten it to leave out all the super-basic instructions like "peel the onion and put it on a plate"). I figured if kids could do it, I could, too! Now I love to cook all kinds of Chinese dishes, but this is the one that got me started. My kids always loved it. I make all kinds of modifications now, depending on what vegetables I have on hand, and I use sherry, dark soy, hot oil, etc. This is the basic; you modify it the way you want (use more or different vegetables; include water chestnuts and bamboo shoots; add or substitute chicken or beef for the tofu; etc.). Enjoy! Stir-fried Tofu and vegetables ¼ pound mushrooms 1 large carrot 1 small onion 1 small green pepper 1 - 2 pkg tofu (firm works best) 1 clove garlic 2 T water (I like sherry or mirin instead) 1 t cornstarch 2 T oil (I like to use peanut) 3 T soy sauce 2 t honey Prepare vegetables. Mix water and cornstarch in one bowl, soy and honey in the other. Stir fry vegetables 1 minute, add soy/honey mixture, cover and cook one minute. Stir in water and cornstarch and tofu, stir gently until heated, about 1 minute.

I've had this hand-written recipe for 15 years. The woman who gave it to me said she remembered her mom making them while she was growing up. She thought her mom sometimes used pecans instead of almonds, but I've never tried it. Logical combination, though. I tweaked it with the streusal topping. PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS Heat oven to 350º 3/4 C sliced or slivered unblanched almonds (1/2 Cup for the muffins, 1/4 Cup for Streusal)...I prefer slivered 1 2/3 C Flour 1 C granulated sugar 1 heaping tsp cinnamon Scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 large eggs 1 C plain pumpkin 1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted 1 C chocolate chips STREUSAL TOPPING Here's the hard part. I don't have any amounts. I mix things together until they look right and are dry and crumbly enough. You'll get it right. Cold Butter Dark Brown Sugar Dash of salt, a little cinnamon Almonds 1) Toast almonds on baking sheet for 5 minutes, until slightly browned. Be careful not to brown. Cool 2) Grease standard muffin tins or use liners 3) Mix dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl 4) In another small bowl, break eggs, add pumpkin and melted butter. Whisk until well blended 5) Stir in chips and almonds 6) Pour wet mixture over dry mixture; fold in with spatula until just moistened 7) Scoop into muffin tins. Sprinkle with streusal 8) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and springy to touch. Cool on racks (or eat warm) They're also great as mini-muffins - just the right size to pop in your mouth. At Thanksgiving I also make Sparkling Cranberry Muffins - excellent seasonal pairing for brunch or when we have our second go-round in the evening, after the main dinner. Dinner HAS to have buttermilk biscuits! Sherry

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. Unfortunately I don't fix them much because they are kind of expensive in an urban grocery store usually, and they are a little touchy to prepare. Don't get me wrong, they are easy, easy as far as technique, but beet juice stains and I am a clumsy cook. A lot of people like roasting them. I like roasted beets, but I also like steamed beets which I think are a little easier to prepare. Just cut off the tops and bottoms of the beets, scrub them a bit, then roast or steam, or even boil. You have to peel off the outside skin of the beet after they cool. My preferred method for cooking beets is in my steamer. I also steam the greens along with them. Very good served just with butter and salt, or a little parm. cheese. I adore beet greens, they are my favorite green, but it sounds like you don't like greens in general, so you might not like beet greens. You can also eat the stems, at least the non-woody ones. If you don't like the texture of greens, you can sneak beet greens into lasagne or soup. The classic beet soup is borscht, which I love. Once the beets have cooled and you have peeled them, you can put the beets in salads. Below are my two favorite beet salads, and I think a good way to perhaps introduce yourself to beets. Another way to serve them is sweet and sour, sometimes called harvard beets, or there's beets in orange sauce. I never have them that way since I prefer them more savory, but you might prefer them the other way. I don't have any of those type of recipies, but there are plenty out there, I once even posted a beet thread about four months back you might be able to find that. I have the recipies saved some where so I may be able to get them some time but I'm pinched for time right now. Potato Beet Salad from "Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites" cookbook 4 med. beets, scrubbd and leaf stems trimmed off 5 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 cup minced red onion or scallions 1 cup non fat yogurt (when I make this I use a mix of 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup yogurt or lowfat sour cream) 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (or dried dill weed to taste) 1 tsp. cider vinegar 2 small dill pickles, chopped (about 1/2 cup) (Can also use plain cukes in a pinch) 2 tsp. prepared horseradish (optional, I never use it) 1 tsp. sugar (optional) salt and ground black pepper to taste Boil or steam beets until tender, immerse in cold water to cool, then peel. Check for tenderness by piercing them with a knife. If they can be easily pierced, they are done. After peeling, when they are completely cool, chop them into bite sized pieces. (I like little half moon beet pieces) In separate pot, boil potatoes until tender for about 20 min. Drain potatoes and cool. Put the beets, potatoes, onions and pickles in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Stir gently to distribute the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least 30 min. before serving. Note: depending on what else you're eating, you can also add feta or goat's milk cheese crumbles to this salad, and serve over a bed of lettuce. Beets with Goat Cheese and Dill from Williams and Sonoma "Vegetable" cookbook 6-8 small beets (or 3-4 large ones) 1 1/4 lb total, approx. 2 shallots or 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 tsp. sugar salt 1 TBLSP balsamic vinegar Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 TBLSP olive oil 1-2 TBLSP chopped fresh dill (or 1-2 tsp. dried dill weed, but fresh is so much better) 3 oz. fresh goat cheese (or feta if you don't like goat cheese, I love it) Clean beets and remove stem ends. Place in baking pan just large enough to hold them. Pour water into the pan to a depth of 1/2-1 inch. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or a cover. Bake in the oven at 375 until the beets are tender (easily pierced with a fork). This will take about 40 minutes for small beets and an hour for large ones. Replace the water if the pan looks like it's getting dried out. Once done, remove beets from the pan and allow to cool enough so you can handle them. Peel the beets and cut them into wedges. Place the warm beets in a bowl, add the onion or shallots. Combine the dressing ingredients and toss to coat. (It has been my experience that you need to make twice as much dressing as the recipe calls for to get a good kicky flavor). Spoon the warm dressed beets into a serving bowl or individual plates. Can serve on a bed of lettuce. Top with dollops of the goat cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can save leftover beets in the marinade, will keep for a couple of days. Both salads good with toasted sunflower seeds tossed onto them before serving, for extra protein and some crunch. I like to take the beet and potato salad to work with a lowfat swiss cheese sandwich, sometimes also add fake ham to the sandwich. The beet/goat cheese salad is good with a hummus sandwich, hummus and cukes on rye is one of my favorites. Can also serve with baked pita chips and hummus dip.

I have made this on several times and never have taken any home!! Marinated Cheese Rated: Submitted By: trish555 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 8 Hours 20 Minutes Servings: 16 "This is a very colorful and tasty appetizer. Because it has such a stunning presentation, it is a great appetizer for the holidays. I take this to every function and gathering we attend - only because everyone else requests it!" Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1 (2 ounce) bottle diced pimento, drained 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Marinated Cheese (continued) 2 of 3 Ingredients: (continued) 3 tablespoons minced green onions 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold Directions: 1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside. 2. Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. 3. To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers