Hi all --

Made this recipe for Eggplant Salad with Peppers, Mint, and Feta the other day and it was out of this world. I roasted the peppers, and didn't have much mint so I subbed fresh oregano. Also, it doesn't require nearly as much oil as the recipe calls for. But the flavors were out of this world -- loved the capers in it, and the whole thing made a fantastic accompaniment to grilled flatbreads and hummus... This is real keeper.

Emily

Here is a link that might be useful: Eggplant Salad with Peppers, Mint, and Feta

Emily I am not a fan of eggplant but everything else in that recipe is calling me.

Think I'll try it but sub cukes for the eggplant!

I actually wonder if you could sub grilled portobello mushrooms to give it the meatiness that the roasted eggplant does... Though I do think cukes would be delicious too -- it would just be a very different salad...

I tried this once before but re-tried it this weekend (so it's almost new) and everyone loved it. Can be prepped ahead and cooked an hour before serving. very nice for the summer served warm or room temp.

Only change I would make is prehaps cut down a little on the cooking time.

Enjoy,
Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Summer Squash Gratin

Emily~the eggplant salad recipe looks delicious. I will be trying it~thank you! Did you serve it warm?
I also toss cubed eggplant tossed with a quick salad dressing & other veggies on the grill for a quick side, so I'm sure we will love this recipe!

Hey Magothyrivergirl -- I served it at room temperature, though the tiny portion we had left over was good straight out of the fridge too! I think it needs to be cool enough when you put it all together not to melt the feta.

Also, while the recipe itself has a whole series of instructions, basically I just mixed a little oil and vinegar + S&P for roasting the eggplant, then when that was done and cool, gathered everything big bowl and drizzled on olive oil and lemon juice...

Sue, thanks for the reminder, I have a zucchini and tomato gratin recipe very similar to that, and I got zucchini on sale and a bunch of cherry tomatoes to use up that are leftover from the wedding veggie trays last week. It'll be this weekend's dish for sure.

Emily, I'm saving that eggplant recipe too. I love eggplant and just planted half a dozen plants, so if I get them cheap it'll be made sooner, if not, I'll sure have enough later!

Annie

Emily~thanks for the quick response.
I bought the eggplant today, so hopefully I'll try the recipe this weekend.
Like you, I will simply the prep. I eat leftover cold from the frig eggplant. I will also include the leftovers in wraps, as well as other roasted veggies, and serve on Friday nights after racing (sailboats)~everyone always raves about the unusual taste ~ I have to keep it as a secret ingredient, because of a very picky eater, who would not touch the food if she knew ~LOL.

Here is the bread recipe that I made for the market. I sold one loaf so Ive been "sampling" the other loaf. The flavor is really good and the loaf is very pretty. When I make it again I wonÂt bake it at 400 F as I think that is too hot. I will cut the temp down to 375 and see how that goes. Also, if anyone has any tips/tricks on keeping a rolled loaf from separating after baking, IÂd sure like to know. The dough rolled up so nicely, but when sliced it unrolls. Butter was spread on the dough to hold on the filling before rolling and baking if that makes any difference.

LeeÂs Rich Loaf (I labeled my loaves "Cinnamon Raisin Nut")
Source:Bernard ClaytonÂs New Complete Book of Breads, Simon & Schuster, 2006 paperback edition

Dough ingredients:
1 t. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5 cups bread or unbleached flour, approximately
1 package dry yeast or 2 1/4 t. bulk instant yeast
2 eggs, room temp

Filling (for 1 loaf)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup plumped raisins (boiling water poured over raisins in a small bowl and left to sit for one hour, drain and pat dry)
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 TB sugar
2 t. grated orange zest
1 TB butter softened or melted

Pans - 2 medium 8.5" X 4.5" loaf pans greased

In a small saucepan, measure the salt, sugar, butter, and hot water. Add in the dry milk and stir together. Heat over a low flame until the butter is melted, but do not boil.

Measure 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl or mixer bowl and pour in the liquid. Blend/mix into a light batter. Test temp with a clean finger to be sure batter is not too hot for the yeast. Let cool a few minutes if needed. Add the yeast. Stir in the eggs and beat with mixer 2 minutes or 50 strokes by hand, until batter is well mixed.

Add the balance of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time by hand or with a dough hook on the mixer. When the dough has formed a rough, shaggy mass turn out to knead on a floured surface or knead 5 minutes in the mixer with the dough hook. If the dough is sticky, add sprinkles of flour but do not use too much extra flour or you may end up with door stops!

Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic and let rise at room temp for about 1 hour or until double.

Punch down the dough, knead briefly and divide in half; form each half into a ball and let rest 3 minutes. For the plain loaf, pat dough into an oval, fold lengthwise, pinch seam tightly to close and put in prepared pan with seam under.

For a swirl loaf, let dough ball rest 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix filling ingredients except the butter. With fingers and rolling pin, roll out dough to a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Spread butter on the dough - leaving the top narrow edge not buttered. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the butter. Roll dough to the top edge and pinch the edge onto the body of the loaf. Tuck under the ends and place in greased pan.

Cover the two pans with wax paper (and a clean towel) and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan lip or about 1 hour.

Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 35-40 minutes. Check with instant read thermometer for 190 F to be completely cooked inside. Turn out loaf and cool on a rack.

note: as I mentioned, I plan to lower the heat to 375 F when I make this again as the top got a little more brown than I like.

Makes a pretty loaf with a delicious flavor from the cinnamon and orange zest. I made both loaves in the spiral form, doubling the filling ingredients.

Teresa

This was a hit - but I omitted the 'pre-bake' 1/4 batter part.

Julia Child's Clafouti
serves 6-8

1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar

In a blender blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour.

Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish.

Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour.

The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.

Emily:
Do you think Zuccini could be subbed for
Chase .
Don't know if she likes Zuccini ???
Lou

Hey Lou --

I think that's a great idea -- grilled or roasted zucchini chunks would be a very good sub for the eggplant!

Emily

That eggplant salad will definitely be on our lunch menu soon.

Jesse, I made cherry clafouti last week too. My recipe is similar but I soak the cherries in cognac for a while and then add the liquid to the batter in the blender.

I had this recipe in my To Try file and remembered it when DH came home with some beautiful strawberries from his friends field. I decided that we didnt need the extra calories of the piecrust so made it without. It was reminiscent of the fruit "fluffs" that used to be served in tea rooms.

Two caveats: Its made with raw egg whites so youd have to deal with that as you see fit. Also, although I dont like to, I did use a double boiler because of the low ratio of liquid to egg yolks. If I would have cooked it directly on the stove, even on low heat, I think it would have developed clumpiness and not had such a smooth texture.

I would definitely make it again.

STRAWBERRY CHIFFON PIE

One 9-inch baked pie shell
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup crushed fresh strawberries
Whole strawberries for garnish

Soften the gelatin in the cold water. In the top of a double boiler, beat the egg yolks together with 1/2 cup of sugar and the lemon juice. Cook and stir over boiling water until the mixture thickens. Add the gelatin-water mixture and stir until it dissolves.

Remove from heat and stir in the strawberries. Pour into a large bowl and chill about 30 minutes, or until the mixture begins to set.

Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, then beat in the 1/4 cup of sugar, a little at a time, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the strawberry mixture and pour into the prepared pie shell. Chill at least three hours before serving. Garnish with strawberries, if desired.

Ruthanna --

That strawberry chiffon looks fantastic. Since I'll be inundated with strawberries from the garden in a few weeks, this will definitely go on my to-try list!

Now I have another new recipe to add -- actually something I made up (modified from a BHG recipe). I felt like some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last night, but didn't have quite enough butter. Subbed the butter I was missing with peanut butter, added a handful of salted peanuts to the dough, and I had some of the best cookies I've ever made -- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookies! Just realized that I actually added only half of the oats the recipe called for, which I think actually was good -- made these slightly oat-ey, but not totally oatmeal. Not to mention I could barely make it to baking these since the dough was so good.

Here's the recipe...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies.

1 Stick + 1 Tbs Butter (9 Tbs total)
4 Tbs peanut butter (both creamy or crunchy would work)
1 & ¾ cup flour
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1.5 tsp vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. Then add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Mix flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to the butter mixture. Add oats, chocolate chips, and peanuts, and mix until combined. Drop by the tablespoon 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten with a fork (as this encourages them to spread out more than up) Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden

Emily

Wonder if I could halve or third the clafouti recipe?

Teresa

Emily, is the 1 cup oatmeal in your recipe the original amount or the reduced amount you used? The cookies sound so good.

I made Emily's Eggplant Salad with Peppers, Mint, and Feta~it is delicious!!! I even forgot to include the green peppers ~LOL~I remembered last night in my sleep & it woke me up! I used Greek oregano that I have growing in a pot on my deck instead of mint. I will also cut the eggplant in larger chunks in the future. We ate it all, so no leftovers to try cold from the frig. I served it with a brown rice rice medley(TJ's)and Pork Loin kabobs.
I am including a copy of the recipe - Emily's link wants me to sign in, but a search easily found the recipe. Now it will be posted here for us to reference.

Thank you again Emily!
Recipe: Eggplant Salad With Peppers, Mint and Caper-Feta Vinaigrette

Published: August 15, 2007
Time: 45 minutes

A Good Appetite: A Nonconforming Eggplant (August 15, 2007)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 pounds eggplant (any kind, or a mixture), trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 pound mixed bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, reserving the rest. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden around edges, about 30 minutes. Let eggplant cool somewhat. (It can be warm but not hot enough to melt feta or wilt mint.)
3. Whisk feta, garlic and capers into reserved vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and mint leaves. Toss with vinaigrette, and serve immediately or within several hours. (It holds up all day.)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One of the (many) wonderful things I ate on our January trip to SE Asia was "morning glory salad." I bought a packet of morning glory seeds so I could grow my own and duplicate the recipe. Oh, dopey me ... after doing my recipe research, of course I learned that it's not the same thing. Those seeds were for the flowering viney stuff that climbs the fence. So I planted them anyway and trotted off to the Thai market to buy what I now know is called "pak boong" -- aka swamp cabbage, water spinach, and a bunch of other rather unappetizing names.

I made a stir-fry Friday, and we loved it, so I am sharing my recipe (a combination of the ones I found on line -- all very similar).

CAUTION! I found this much too salty, especially the leftovers. I am putting the recipe as I used it, but in the future I will omit one or two of the soy sauce, fish sauce, and miso. Note that like most greens, this shrinks a LOT, so if you are serving guests, make more.

PAK BOONG FAI DAENG ("morning glory" stir-fry with oyster sauce) for 2

3 cups or more pak boong or other greens, washed, dried, trimmed, and cut to 2 inches or so
2 Thai peppers (crushed -- I removed seeds, and I think I will use more than 2 peppers in the future)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 tbsp. soy sauce and/or ...
1 tsp. fish sauce and/or ...
1 tbsp. fermented soybean [miso] fermented Chinese black beans
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. oil (I used peanut oil)
2 tbsp. water
Toasted sesame seeds

1. Heat up the pan as hot as you can get it. Put in oil and let it sit on the high heat for a few minutes. When the pan gets really hot put crushed peppers and garlic. Stand back or you might cough!
   2. Fry the peppers and garlic for 5 seconds. Then throw greens in the pan. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, fermented soybean and oyster sauce. Add 2 tbsp of water. Always use highest heat.
   3. Stir fry for about 3 minutes. Don't overcook.
   4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with jasmine rice.

ruthanna, that strawberry chiffon looks just delicious, our strawberries aren't quite ready yet, plus we had a late frost that hit a lot of them, it's not going to be such a good strawberry year, I'm afraid.

I made Peter Reinhardt's Buttermilk Double Corn Cornbread with Bacon. As some his recipes tend to be long and involved, so was this one, it involved soaking the cornmeal in the buttermilk overnight. The cornbread was too dense and didn't have enough "cornmeal" flavor, I was disappointed. It was definitely not worth the trouble.

I did make the Portuguese beans that Ann T posted a couple of "What's For Dinner"s ago, and Elery loved those. I did too, although they were too spicy for my taste, I'd leave the crushed red pepper out next time.

Annie

Any Real Housewives of New Jersey fans here? I love them!

Anyway, I'm making Caroline Manzo's meatball recipe.

Mama Manzo's Miraculous Meatballs
Ingredients
9 slices white bread, divided
1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mixture (a combination of ground beef, pork and veal)
1 egg
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper
A large handful Locatelli grated cheese
6 to 8 large cloves of garlic, ground fine in a food processor
Vegetable Oil, for shallow frying

Preparation
Pulse 6 slices of white bread in a food processor to make homemade breadcrumbs. Combine homemade breadcrumbs with meat, egg, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Cut crusts off remaining 3 slices of bread. Break the pieces up with your hands and combine with meat mixture. The mixture should be very loose.

Using 2 soup spoons, form the meat into balls and fry the balls in oil until brown.

bcskye -- the 1 cup was the reduced (cut in half) amount that I accidentally used... And I wondered at the time why my batch didn't make as many cookies as the recipe called for!

magothyrivergirl -- I'm so glad you liked the eggplant dish! Bet it would be so good with pork kabobs...

Em

I just started Weight Watchers and was looking for a low cal salad dressing and I found this recipe in an old cookbook I bought at our library for a quarter. (Better Homes and Gardens Calorie Counter's Cookbook.....1983.)
Tofu Dressing
8 ounces tofu-I used firm water packed
8 ounces plain non fat yogurt
1/2 cup chopped spinach- I used frozen instead of fresh
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 2 tsps of dried.
(I used a combination of fresh oregano, sage, baby bay leaf and lemon thyme.)
salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Store in your container of choice and refrigerate until cold.

I love this....I use it on sandwiches instead on mayo, I use it on fish and I love it as a salad dressing.
I didn't think it would be something I really loved but would eat.
But I absolutely love this stuff.
It makes over two cups.
No points for 2 tablespoons on Weight Watchers.

I tried a new fish recipe tonight - it was good, I'll make it again. My market was out of Kalamata olives so I subbed green olives. I served it with a long grain and wild rice blend and Caesar salad.

Becky

Spicy Sauteed Fish with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds tilapia, red snapper, or orange roughy fillets
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add half of fish to skillet and sauté until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter. Repeat with remaining fish. Add parsley and crushed red pepper to same skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, and garlic; sauté until tomatoes are soft and juicy, about 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper; spoon over fish.

Bon Appetit
May, 2002

Here is one I tried a couple of nights ago with some Albacore tuna steaks I picked up at Trader Joe's. It was good, and I decided I like albacore better than ahi, but I also finally confirmed in my mind that for some reason I am not fond of tuna in steak form! LOL I think it's a texture thing, but I like swordfish which has a similar texture....go figure.

But for those of you that like tuna steak, this marinade is quite tasty!

Citrus Ginger Tuna Steaks
from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 2 (8 ounce) tuna steaks

Directions
In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add tuna steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade from tuna. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting grill. Grill tuna, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with the reserved marinade.

Linda

I'm back! That is, I am cooking again. My A/C hiatus is over. I made an entire meal last night. Whew. With so many courses, I decided I needed a light easy dessert, but it had to be chocolate. I've been looking at the below, thinking, it's got to be missing something. No it isn't. I would call it simple. Delightfully simple and totally hit the spot. I topped it with just a splash of whipped cream, making it less than helthy. But c'est la vie! I used ordinary chocolate (is there such an animal?); I imagine good chocolate would just send me over the edge. Also, one could reduce the calories even more by using splenda, or whatever substitute you use.

LIGHT N EASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Makes 2 servings (may be doubled)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a medium saucepan until thoroughly mixed. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook until thick over medium heat, stirring regularly, especially as mixture gets hot. Stir in vanilla. Pour into two small dishes and refrigerate at least 15 minutes to continue the thickening process.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per serving: 133 Calories; 6g Protein; 1g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 26g Carb; 2g Fiber; 74mg Sodium; 2mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points This recipe has been 'Alanna-sized' with reductions in sugar, fat and portion size.

I couldn't resist tweaking this just a wee bit - I added about 1/4 cup of apricot preserves. These pork chops are wonderful!

MAPLE PORK CHOPS

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
1 Tblsp. vegetable oil
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 small onion, chopped (I used 1 tsp. onion powder for my extremely finicky daughter)
1 Tblsp. white vinegar (I used 2 Tblsp. cider vinegar)
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tblsp. chili sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Working in batches, brown chops on both sides. Place chops in a 9x13 baking dish. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chops. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through baking time.

Well Pat - you must have been peeking in my fridge! I have a mess of pork chops for tonight and was trying to decide what to do with them, and you answered my question. Thanks!

Alexa

I was looking for something new to do with rhubarb and I found this one filed in my Mastercook. We really liked it... and it was even better the next day. (hmmmm...I wonder how rhubarb clafouti would be?).

Creamy Rhubarb Dessert

Crust:
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Rhubarb layer:
4 cups sliced rhubarb (I tossed in some strawberries also)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cheesecake layer:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional chopped pecans (optional)

Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in pecans. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Combine rhubarb, sugar and flour; spoon over the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour over hot rhubarb layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla; spread over hot cheesecake. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with additional pecans if desired.

Thought I'd use this thread to report back on the Bananas Foster Gelato recipe that I mentioned in Alexa's banana thread.

It is seriously rich, but did not come out as creamy as I would like it. A couple of changes I would make next time are to start out with less cinnamon (it overpowered the bananas) and instead of mashing the bananas, I'd chop them. I think chunks of frozen banana would be better than banana mash.

I drizzled it with homemade caramel sauce (Ann's recipe from her bread pudding...thanks, Ann!). It was good, but as I said earlier....very rich. A little will go a long way.

Linda

The banana thread inspired me too. I made the sour cream banana bread but still had some very ripe bananas left over to deal with. So I tried a recipe from Beth Hesnberger's "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook." It was for Banana Oatmeal Bread with Macadamia Nuts.

It was a perfect use of bananas and turned out really well. It used some whole wheat flour, some rolled oats, and only 2 tbsp. each of butter and sugar. So it had some healthy additions plus a lot less fat and sweetening than banana quick bread recipes. It had a subtle banana flavor which was fine with me because I'm not a fan of banana flavored things. It makes good breakfast toast and pairs well with peanut butter and cream cheese. It would probably make delicious french toast too. All in all, I was very pleased with the end result.

The recipe called for salted macadamia nuts. I subbed unslated, toasted pecan pieces. I think you could easily use walnuts or even chopped peanuts instead of the macadamia nuts. Beth cautions that if you use unsalted nuts, to up the total salt by 1/2 tsp. to keep the bread from tasting flat. However, I did not add extra salt to offset the unsalted nuts I used and I lowered the yeast content accordingly.

Banana Oatmeal Bread with Macadamia Nuts

1 C milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 C bread flour
1 C whole wheat pastry flour (I don't know why the pastry flour; I'm sure white whole wheat or regular would work too)
2/3 C rolled oats
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1 tsp. salt
2 3/4 tsp. bread machine yeast (I only used 2 tsp. because Beth's recipes usually call for a bit too much yeast)
1/3 C chopped salted macadamia nuts

Oddly, I had never made a baked pasta dish but wanted to try one. I combined a couple of recipes from Cook's Illustrated Cover and Bake cookbook. My version is a lightened up variation with whole grain penne (no ziti at my store), eggplant, Italian chicken sausage, roasted red peppers, fire roasted tomatoes (canned), garlic, basil, smoked mozzerella, parmesan, and much less olive oil than they ask for. Yummy.

It would be a nice thing if the recipe for banana bread had some actual bananas in it. I cannot explain how I left them out. Here is the corrected recipe:

Banana Oatmeal Bread with Macadamia Nuts

1 C milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

ONE 6-OUNCE BANANA, SLICED (3/4 - 7/8 CUP) [I found it took two bananas to get 6 oz.]

2 C bread flour
1 C whole wheat pastry flour (I don't know why the pastry flour; I'm sure white whole wheat or regular would work too)
2/3 C rolled oats
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1 tsp. salt
2 3/4 tsp. bread machine yeast (I only used 2 tsp. because Beth's recipes usually call for a bit too much yeast)
1/3 C chopped salted macadamia nuts

I made Lindac's Rhubarb Cake recipe. It's excellent w/ the caveat that it's excellent on the second day after making it. Was so anxious to taste it that I had a piece while it was still warm out of the oven. At that point, I judged it 'so-so' but the next day, after the rhubarb worked it's moist creamy magic, it was soooo much better.

Rhubarb Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar, brown
1 Egg; beaten
1 ts Vanilla
1/8 ts Salt
1 c Buttermilk
2 c Flour (I used 1.5 c. AP & 1/2 c. WW flour)
1 ts Baking soda
3 c Rhubarb; finely sliced
1/2 c Nuts; chopped I omit (Linda omits, I used walnuts.)
1/3 c Sugar, brown
1/3 c Sugar
1/2 ts Cinnamon

* Added a scant 1 t. Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon to the cake batter--will use full 1 t. next time

Procedure:
Slice the rhubarb into 1/4" slices. Cream the margarine and 1¼ cups brown sugar; add the egg, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add the buttermilk, flour and soda; mix well. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour the batter into a well-greased "9x13" cake pan. Mix together 1/2 cup nuts, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; distribute this mixture evenly over the unbaked cake batter. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

This is a very nice coffee cake. I have 5 or so rhubarb plants that I've been growing for years & haven't harvested from. (They're huge!) Just like the way it looks & how it fills up big spaces on the edge of the woods. After making this cake, I promptly went out and harvested the heck out of the plant in the front yard. Had enough cut into 1/4'' slices (for this recipe) to fill a 1 gallon ZipLoc freezer bag.

Easy, fast & economical if you grow your own rhubarb. Plus, no special trips to the supermarket required. Love that!

Thank You, Linda!

I just wanted to say that I tried the Light 'n Easy Chocolate pudding recipe that Rob333 posted back on the 8th, and it was really good. I doubled it and my boys (big and little LOL) were both happy :-)

Becky

I made a variation of BBSTX's baked onions for the first time yesterday. I had about five zucchinis from the farmer's market that I needed to fix before they went bad. I also had almost an entire vidalia onion I had cut into for just a few slices.

So I sliced the squash & onion and put them in one large foil packet. I seasoned the vegetables with 1 tablespoon each of low sodium Worcestershire sauce, very low sodium soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. I sprinkled a lot of fresh ground pepper on everything and added about 2 cloves of slivered garlic. Tossed everything with olive oil and Salt Free Tony Chachere's seasoning mix & added a pat of butter.

I grilled it along with a steak and hoped for the best. Once I tasted the finished product, I could understand why so many people enjoyed the original baked onion recipe. Even with the reduced sodium content, the flavors were very good. I'm glad I tried it.

Thanks Becky! I seem to be trying a lot of dessert recipes lately.

I tried the below sauce on chickory ice cream, but I have to agree with Epicurious, it should be served on vanilla, in order to showcase the subtleties. It's really good. I made two changes. I used bittersweet chocolate and I melted it in a double boiler. But that was just my personal preference.

Mexican Hot Fudge Sundaes
Bon Appétit : January 2005

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (or more) freshly brewed strong coffee
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream
Toasted pine nuts
Bring cream and 1/2 cup coffee to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and cinnamon. Stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Scoop ice cream into bowls. Top with warm fudge sauce and pine nuts.

Well, I made an almost total GardenWeb dinner last night. I have always simmered my ribs and doctored up Open Pit sauce. Last night I made Sue's Roadhouse Baby Back Ribs and I am a total convert. My changes were minimal -- I seasoned the ribs with S&P and Montreal seasoning a few hours early so the seasoning could "penetrate" (that's what my mom called it). For the sauce, I changed Jim Beam to Jack Daniels because that's what I have and I probably used at least 1/4 cup. This was my first time making BBQ sauce and I will never buy bottled again. I also made Woodie's Potato Gratin with Boursin. My husband loved this (I didn't confess how easy it was to make). And, finally, I made Lpinkmountain's quick coleslaw. I used a half bag of sliced cabbage, grated a small onion and a couple of carrots, celery seed, and poppy seed dressing I bought from the refrigerated section of my grocer -- this was so much better than the prepared stuff grocers' sell. The only "non GW" recipe I made was my company herb bread. Thank you, forum members for some great recipes.

I don't know why it took me so long to make it, but dinner tonight was Lars' Crab Louis. I have had it on my to try list for a long time. Maybe because there are three pages to the recipe as I printed it I thought it would be time consuming. But it was super quick and easy!

No pictures, because I didn't arrange it all pretty on the plates, but it was good anyway! I used canned crab but next time I'll steam some crab legs and use that instead. I think chunks of steamed crab will take the recipe over the top!

Thanks for another keeper recipe, Lars!

Linda

I made this corn muffin recipe to take to the farmers' market sale today. Of course, I had to taste one to be sure it was good enough to sell..... it was. I will make these beautiful muffins again - maybe with fresh corn soon?

Dorie Greenspans Corniest Corn Muffins
Baking from My Home to Yours

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins or 48 miniature ones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons corn oil (I used olive oil since it was handy)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if youd like) fresh, frozen or canned (in which case they should be drained and patted dry)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, if youre using it. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Dont worry about being thorough the batter will be lumpy, and thats just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (12 minutes for minis), or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Tonight I made a recipe I got from the "chowhound" site almost two years ago:

"After reading countless threads on toffee I'm finally going to post the easiest, most fantasic English toffee recipe known to man. You'll feel like a superstar making it but once you share the recipe, your image will be shattered because of the simplicity (no candy thermometer needed!) But that moment of fleeting fame is worth it!

Munroe Tavern English Toffee

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (your choice - pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 ounces milk chocolate (again, could use dark) I find Hershey bars work best

Spread chopped nuts on the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Melt butter slowly in skillet (I used a small nonstick). Add sugar and water to melted butter. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium high heat. It will foam and cloud up. Cook and stir until mixture turns light brown (paper bag color) about 5 minutes. This color change will happen quickly so stay alert!

Pour over the nuts and immediately drop broken pieces of the chocolate over the toffee. Let the heat of the mixture melt the chocolate (about 2-3 minutes) and then spread.

The chocolate needs several hours to set. Do not refrigerate to encourage this. When set, break up into pieces and try not to eat the whole pan."

My Notes: I was afraid the person posting this recipe might have exagerated but this was very easy to make and really good. I used salted pecans, unsalted butter, and Scharffen Berger Extra Rich Milk Chocolate. I let it set for about three hours and the chocolate was pretty much set up. I thought I screwed up by using a 9 inch square pan with 3 inch sides and was afraid I wouldn't be able to get the toffee out of the pan -- but I turned it upside down over a piece of waxed paper and it popped right out.

Ci Lantro....I made the rhubarb cake this afternoon.......we love it!
I have so much rhubarb and this is a perfect way to use it all.
I recently started Weight Watchers and had second thoughts about making a cake.
However, I entered all the ingredients into their recipe maker and then divided by 24 pieces. The total points for that size piece is 3.
So it will be a good choice for breakfast as well as a snack.
Thanks to all.

Normally I make this cheesecake with a persimmon glaze and cookie crumb crust. Last week I decided to try a nut crust and leave it unglazed. It was a huge hit with everyone.

Lemon cheesecake with Pistachio crust
Use an 8" or 9" springform pan. This cheesecake is very soft in texture. This is not NY style.

Heat oven to 300º
Crust:
1 cup dry roasted pistachios (already shelled)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour (wheat can be subbed)
3 Tbls cold butter

Process in a food processor until nut are finely chopped and well blended with the other ingredients. Press mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Do not cover the sides, just the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool before adding filling.

Very often springform pans leak. Wrap a large square of foil around the bottom and sides of the springform pan to avoid this. Place in a roaster pan large enough to hold the springform pan, and add boiling water to a 1" depth.

Filling:
3 pkgs 8-oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp allspice or freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar taste mixture for sweetness
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (if using grocery store lemons, reduce to 1/4 cup juice)
4 large eggs

Beat well all ingredients together and taste for sweetness. We prefer a tangy lemon flavor. Pour cream cheese mixture onto crumbs and bake until filling is just set but NOT browned, about 1 hr and 15 minutes. Let cool for 90 minutes (or more) on a rack, but do not release the springform.

Refrigerate overnight to set, wrapping lightly with plastic wrap. To serve, remove the pan sides and let sit 45 minutes at room temperature before serving. Cheesecake can be garnished with red and black seedless grapes for color.

I added leftover baked apples to the below. I don't know if I should call my concoction "apple pie baklava", or strudel. Here's the recipe for the baklava. It was crispy and light, but still had substance:

Baklava
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Hi folks --

Made a new marinated chicken recipe tonight that was super easy and much more flavorful than expected given how simple it is. Made for great grilled chicken sandwiches...

Adapted from the Once Upon A Plate Blog:

For 1 Pound of skinless boneless chicken (either breast or thigh), use the following ingredients to create the marinade...

1/3 cup worsterchire sauce
1/3 cup lightly flavored oil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, crushed,
1/2 tsp salt

Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight... Grill or cook on the stovetop until cooked through.

I made Lindac's

RASPBERRY FRANGIPANE CAKE (Serves 12)
This is good made the day before and covered with plastic wrap.

7 oz. almond paste
7 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups whole raspberries

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. (I like to
use a springform pan.)
Use a food processor or a mixer w/ a paddle attachment to cream the almond
paste, butter, and sugar until smooth and light. (Some almond pastes stay
chunky for a while.) Add the vanilla and eggs, beating well and scraping
down the sides of the bowl after each addition. By hand, gently fold in the
flour until the batter is just barely combined. Fold in the raspberries.
Avoid overmixing, or the cake will be tough. Pour the batter into the
prepared pan and bake until the top is nicely brown and a toothpick comes out
clean, about 50-55 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the pan.
Serve this moist cake plain, or in a pool of raspberry sauce, or with whipped
cream topped with a few raspberries.

(Raspberry sauce: Press 2 c. raspberries through a fine strainer to puree
them and remove seeds. Make a simple syrup by stirring together 3 tbsp.
water and 1/4 c. sugar in a small saucepan and bringing to a boil. Cool.
Stir the puree and simple syrup together. Keeps in the refrigerator for a
week, or freeze.)

So so good!! Lindac - you never went back to the thread, but I'm wondering if I could do this with cherries. I like that it doesn't taste too sweet.