2 cups milkPlace milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, spice and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Whisk together constantly over medium heat until heated through. Stir in hot coffee until well blended. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Makes 2-3 servings.
1 (1-pound) beef top sirloin steak, boneless, 3/4-inch thickCut steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8-inch thick strips. Season with garlic powder and pepper; set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, pepper and mushrooms; stir-fry 30-60 seconds; remove from skillet and keep warm.
Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in same skillet until hot. Add half of beef; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and remaining beef.
Return beef and vegetables to skillet; cook and stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Top beef with cheese slices. Heat, covered, 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted; stir gently to mix. Place beef mixture on toasted bread and serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.
1 ounce ricotta salata cheeseShave ricotta salata cheese into strips with a vegetable peeler; set aside. Place olive oil, lemon juice, honey, poppy seeds and salt in a small jar. Cover jar and shake vigorously to combine. Place mixed greens in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with ricotta salata and top with nasturtium and borage flowers. Makes 4 salads.
1 can (5 ounces) tuna, drainedPlace tuna in a bowl and break chunks into small pieces with a fork. Stir in dill, celery, cucumber, onion, eggs, capers and lemon juice. Gently stir in extra virgin olive oil or Italian dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Slice off bottoms of lemons so they stand on their own. Scoop out pulp (save it to make lemonade, basil-lemon mayonnaise, lemon butter or sauces) and fill lemons with the salad. Garnish with fresh dill and serve. Makes 4 lemon cups.
1/2 teaspoon saltGlaze:
Cream cheese icing:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together salt, nutmeg and 4 cups flour until combined; set aside. In a small bowl, combine lukewarm milk, sugar and yeast. Stir and let rest about 10 minutes until yeast activates (you will notice bubbles forming). If yeast does not froth up, do not continue — your dough will not rise.
Add eggs and butter to yeast mixture and stir. Pour yeast mixture over flour and mix about 5 minutes using the dough hook attachment. Add raisins and mix another minute or until dough is soft and elastic. If dough is too wet, add more flour as needed. The dough is done when it doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl anymore.
Place a tablespoon oil in a large bowl and add dough. Roll dough around until completely coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface and divide into 15 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on the prepared pan, leaving enough space for dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with a clean damp towel and let rest 30 minutes until doubled in size. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
While baking, make glaze by mixing sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over low heat and then boil another minute or until glaze thickens; set aside.
Place icing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until combined. Add to piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use. When buns are done, remove from oven and brush with glaze. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes and then pipe icing over buns to form a cross. Makes 15.
4 cups mixed mushrooms (porcini, cremini, shiitake, etc.)Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Clean and thinly slice mushrooms. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. When garlic begins to color (about 5 minutes), add oregano and parsley; cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt to exude its juices. Cook about 7 minutes. Stir in vegetable broth and cook 8-12 minutes, until mushrooms are soft and cooked brown. While mushrooms are cooking, prepare pasta per package directions and drain. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve over pasta. Makes 2-4 servings.
Chicken:
Waffles:
Place buttermilk and hot sauce in a resealable bag and massage ingredients together. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to bag, coating chicken thoroughly. Marinate in fridge 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a medium heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven, heat about 1 inch canola or peanut oil over medium to medium high heat, until between 350 and 375 degrees. Add flour to a large mixing bowl and dredge chicken pieces until fully coated. Tap off excess flour and gently place chicken into hot oil (do not crowd pan). Fry 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs until crispy and a deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set on baking sheet in oven to keep chicken warm.
To make waffles, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs and place egg whites in a blender. Blend until frothy. Add egg yolks, vegetable oil, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Blend until mixed well. Pour into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until combined. Make waffles according to waffle iron instructions. Place chicken on waffles and drizzle with syrup. Serve open-faced or stack as sliders or towers. Makes 4 servings.
2 navel orangesPeel and cut oranges and grapefruit into 1/2-inch rounds, removing as much pith as possible. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer sliced oranges and grapefruit on a large serving platter and drizzle with honey vinaigrette. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve. Makes 6 servings.
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, dividedPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a round cake pan or spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Melt 4 tablespoons butter and the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it starts to bubble. Pour into cake pan and let cool. In a small saucepan, cook the cranberries and orange juice until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the cooled caramelized sugar.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. With a mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks (one at a time) and vanilla. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Mix in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, mix in the remaining flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually fold into the batter and pour over cranberries. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool 15-20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread pretzels evenly on parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch border between pretzels and edge of pan. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Spoon or pour chocolate over pretzels. Press in candy eyes and M&Ms. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Let chocolate set 2-3 hours and cut into serving size pieces.
4 cups cubed, seedless watermelonPlace watermelon and ice in a blender. Add lime juice, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 2-3 servings.
2 large zucchiniMake zucchini noodles with a vegetable peeler or spiralizer. Place in a large bowl and add tomatoes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss until combined. Garnish with crushed walnuts and serve. Makes 3-4 servings.
Crêpes:
Filling:
Place crêpe ingredients (excluding melted butter for crêpe pan) in a blender and pulse about 10 seconds. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (You can make batter ahead of time and refrigerate up to 48 hours.) Heat a nine-inch crêpe pan on medium-high heat and brush with melted butter. Pour about an ounce of batter into center of pan and immediately swirl batter so it covers bottom of pan in a thin layer. Cook about 30 seconds until bubbles appear and bottom of crêpe is golden brown. Flip and cook another 10 seconds until blonde but not as dark as the first side. Remove to a sheet of parchment paper and repeat with rest of batter. In small bowl, beat sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and pudding mix with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon filling down middle of crêpes and roll up. Garnish with powdered sugar and lemon slices. Makes 10-12 crepes.
1 box brownie mixPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownies according to directions for fudgy brownies; let cool completely. Remove brownies from pan and cut off edges. Mix brownies together with softened cream cheese. Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop into balls and roll with hands. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a bowl. Microwave 45 seconds, then stir until smooth. (If not fully melted, microwave an additional 10 seconds.) Insert cake pop sticks and dip brownie balls into white chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces. Let sit until chocolate is set.
1 1/2 cups (1 1/2 sleeves) chocolate graham crackersPlace graham crackers in a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Empty into a medium bowl; add sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Mix well. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Chill 5 to 10 minutes in the freezer until set.
Peel, core and slice apples. Sauté in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat 4-5 minutes until cooked through; set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Gently stir in the apple pie filling and whipped topping. Spread over the prepared crust. Spoon caramel sauce evenly over top of cheesecake. Garnish with cooked apple slices in a pinwheel pattern. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Lightly garnish with cinnamon before serving.