Artichoke-Parmesan-Sourdough Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 onions (3/4 lb. total), chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• About 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 loaf (1 lb.) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2 jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg

Preparation

1. In a 12-in. frying pan over high heat, cook butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

2. Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make a well in stuffing. Add egg and beat with a fork to blend; mix egg with stuffing.

3. Preheat oven to 325° to 350° (use temperature turkey requires; see Note below). Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

Dal With Winter Vegetables

From The Farm to Table Cookbook, by Ivy Manning

Put 1 and 1/2 cup red lentils into a pot with 6 cups of water, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp. turmeric, and 2 tsp. of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are a muted amber color and the mixture is the consistency of a thick porridge.

Add:

2 cups 1" cauliflower florets

2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup roughly chopped cabbage

2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2" chunks

Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 T. olive oil in a large saute pan. Add 1 tsp. mustard seed, cover, and cook until the seeds pop, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat and add 1 tsp. cumin, 2 T. peeled, minced ginger, 2 T. minced garlic, 1 small serrano chile, finely chopped, and 2 cups minced onion. Saute until the onions begin to brown. Stir the mixture into the soup pot, season with salt and pepper, and serve in soup bowls, topped with chopped cilantro.

Joanne's Protein Muffins

These muffins are amazingly good for having no grain & no sugar....

- 1 cup cooked squash, pumpkin or sweet potato
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups almond flour (meal)
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 T. olive oil
- 14 - 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder

Prepare 12 muffin tins (unbleached muffin papers work well), preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs until creamy. With mixer going, add bananas, almond flour, squash, oil, baking powder, and salt. Add walnuts at the very end. Fill muffin tins to the very top. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from tin. These are best warm - just reheat individual muffins in the microwave.

Creamy Onion and Fontina Soup

1 Tsb olive oil
2 Tbs butter
5 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. black pepper
rounded 1/3 cup flour
2.5 cups milk warmed slightly in micro
2.5 cups water
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 cups grated fontina cheese
dash of nutmeg and fresh parsley for topping

Warm oil and melt butter in soup pot. Add onions and salt and saute, uncovered, on medium high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Add the thyme, nutmeg, and pepper and continue to saute until onions are lightly browned about 10 minutes.

Lower heat and while stirring constantly, gradually add the flour to make a thick roux the consistency of paste. Gently cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add one cup of milk and stir well to make a smooth thick sauce. Whisk in the remaining milk and the water, and increase heat to medium. Stir until smooth and beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Add the wine, mustard, and grated cheese. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and soup is hot.

Top each serving with a dash of nutmeg and parsley.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

From Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook

Coconut rice with edamame and sweet potatoes

1 tsp oil
1 cup peeled and diced sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
10-ounce bag shelled edamame
1-1/4 cups jasmine rice
15 ounce can coconut milk
1-1/2 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium low. Add the sweet potato, scallions and ginger and saute until the scallions have softened, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the edamame, rice, coconut, lime juice, salt and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 minutes.

Use a fork to fluff the rice, then stir in the lime zest. Top with peanuts.

Tim's b-day rice pudding cake

4.5 cups whole milk
1 cup arborio rice
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar

2 Tbs dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp almond extract
4 large eggs

Bring milk to boil in large saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until most of milk is desolved and mixture is thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. And 1/2 cup sigar and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter 10 inch diameter springfoam pan with 2.5" tall sides. Dust pan with breadcrumbs. Mix almonds, candied orange peel, lemon peel and almond extract into rice mixture. Whisk egg yokes and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Stir into rice mixture. Cool completely.

Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into rice mixture in 2 additions. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pan. It can be prepared 1 day ahead- cover and refrigerate, bring to room temperature before serving.

Run small knife around cake to loosen, release pan sides from cake and put it on a platter. Sift powdered sugar on top.

Yum!