• preparation

In large skillet, simmer asparagus in salted boiling water for 6 minutes or just until tender.
Drain on towels; transfer to platter.
Whisk oil, lime rind and juice, honey, salt and pepper; stir in mint and chives.
Drizzle over asparagus; garnish with red pepper.

From Canada Living Test Kitchen

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, egg, sugar, honey and milk.
Stir together these two mixtures and carefully fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter in a greased 12-muffin tins.
Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from cups while hot.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Streusel
In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the chopped pecans and melted butter. Continue mixing with the fork until the sugar and pecans are fully mixed and evenly moistened by the butter. Reserve; this is your streusel topping.
Muffins batter
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cut the butter into cubes and place them in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed, then medium, to cream the butter for a minute till it becomes light and airy.
Slowly add sugar to the bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes more, increasing the speed gradually and scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula periodically, until the color becomes lighter and the sugar is fully integrated into the butter.
Beat in the eggs, then the sour cream, then the almond or vanilla extract.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir till evenly moistened. Do not over-mix.
Line a cupcake tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each tin halfway with batter. I've found the easiest way to do this is with a small ice cream scoop-- use one small (not heaping) scoop per tin.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of streusel onto the top of the batter in each tin.
Fill the tins the rest of the way with batter, all the way to the top of the tin (another small ice cream scoop of batter in each tin).
Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of streusel on the top of each cupcake.
Bake the cupcakes for 30-35 minutes till they test clean with a toothpick or skewer. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Glazing:
When ready to frost, make your vanilla glaze. In a small mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar.
Add the rest of the glaze ingredients. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients till a creamy frosting forms. You want the consistency of thick honey; if you need a little more moisture, add milk a few drops at a time. Just a drop can take it from a thick honey to a runny texture, so add with care.
Line a glass with a plastic bag, wrapping the edge of the bag around the outer rim of the glass. This will help you fill it with frosting. Use a spatula to scoop the frosting into the bag.
Place cupcakes on top of a piece of parchment paper or paper towels to catch drips.
Work the frosting into the corner of the bag and snip off a small corner with scissors. Gently squeeze and drizzle the frosting in a zig-zag pattern across the top of the cupcakes.
Let the frosting dry for at least 30 minutes to set (it may take longer depending on the weather).

• preparation

INSTANT PANCAKE MIX
Sift all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 months. Shake well before each use.
PANCAKES
Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F or set a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Heat the oven to the lowest possible temperate (not more than 200 degrees F).
Place the pancake mix in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk the egg whites and the buttermilk in a second bowl.
Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled melted butter.
Whisk the butter mixture completely into the buttermilk mixture.
Combine the wet team onto the dry instant pancake mix and quickly bring together with a large whisk. Do not over mix.
Ladle 1 ounce (by volume) of batter onto the griddle. Spread the batter out to a disk about 4 inches in diameter. Cook for 3 minutes, or until bubbles around the upside edge set. If you wish to integrate the fruit into the pancake itself, add it after the batter has been on the griddle for about 30 seconds.
Carefully flip with a wide spatula and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom.
Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven by placing cakes on a half sheet pan and covering them with a tea towel for up to 20 minutes.

• preparation

1. Coat two 9­inch round (and at least 2½­inches deep) pie pans (OR a 9 by 13­ inch baking dish) with butter
or nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Divide butter mixture between prepared
pans and tilt so that it evenly coats the bottom of each pan.
Arrange pecan halves in an attractive pattern
at the bottom of your pans. Cover and refrigerate pans until you're ready to assemble baked French toast.
3. Place bread and apple pieces in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla,
and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and stir until all bread and apples are coated.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the bread and apple mixture over the pecan praline layer. Bake for 45 to 55
minutes or until golden and puffed. If you used pie pans, allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto
serving platters.

• preparation

Buy the oysters. When buying oysters, look for a tag with the harvest date and use them within a week of that date. Also, make sure the oysters are fresh and alive; the shells should be tightly closed or should close when tapped.
An hour before shucking, scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any grit. Set them aside to relax muscles in shell. They will open with more ease.

Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster, curved-side down, in a towel on a cutting board. Insert an oyster knife between the shells at the narrow pointed end. (Use a real oyster knife-there is no substitute!) Press down firmly on the oyster to prevent slipping and twist the knife to pry the shells apart. Use the knife for leverage; do not use force. Cut the muscle that connects the oyster to the top shell with the knife, being careful not to pierce the meat. Remove the top shell. Slide your knife under the oyster to loosen it, keeping the meat and liquid in the shell. Use your knife to carefully scrape away any shards of shell.

Make the aioli. Blend the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running and process until thick. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate.

Prepare the ragout. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes, then add the butter and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the oysters. Preheat the broiler. Place the oysters, in their shells, in individual baking dishes or one large dish. (Put a crumpled sheet of foil underneath them to keep them steady, if necessary.) Top each with a spoonful of mushroom ragout.

Finish the dish. Top each oyster with a dollop of aeoli. Broil until the aeoli is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter two 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch inch loaf pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add cornmeal and blend well. In a separate bowl, combine and beat milk, egg, and butter. Pour the wet ingredients over dry mixture. Stir to blend. Pour batter into pans. Bake for about 50 minutes. Cool corn bread on rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool completely. Refrigerate wrapped for 2 days, or freeze for 2 weeks.

• preparation

Pick over crabmeat to remove any cartilage. put it in a food processor and add 2 tablespoons scallions, the ginger, cilantro, mustard, sesame oil and soy sauce. Pulse about 4 times, just to blend the ingredients without shredding the crabmeat too finely.
Transfer the crabmeat to a bowl and fold in half of the lime juice, the chili oil to taste and the egg whites.
Form the mixture into 8 equal size patties, about 2½ inches in diameter. Lightly coat each patty with bread crumbs, put them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
Heat a film of the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet. Sauté the crab cakes over medium-low heat until they are lightly browned on both sides. Serve with the mayonnaise mixture on the side and sprigs of cilantro for garnish.
For the sauce:
Mix the mayonnaise with the remaining lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions and set aside.

• preparation

Tenderize the conch to 1/8-inch thickness, using a meat mallet.
Place the conch in a pot of water. The water should just cover the conch. Boil for 20-30 minutes.
In a large pot, add the oil and allow to heat up for a minute.
Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Let the roux simmer for about 5 minutes. Don't let the roux burn!
Add the tomatoes, onions, thyme, pepper sauce/red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and let simmer for a minute or two.
Add the potatoes, tomato paste. Stir and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, take the conch out of the water and cut it into small chunks.
Add the water, conch and the juice of 1 lime to the large pot.
Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are done, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

• preparation

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, celery, garlic, thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste and ¼ cup water. Reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Reserve sauce.

To make fungi, bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Whisking constantly, gradually add cornmeal in thin stream. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until it holds its shape on a spoon but the cornmeal is tender, at least 15 minutes. Add more water if it becomes thick but the cornmeal is still tough. Add butter and okra. Add salt to taste.

In a wide saucepan, bring 8 cups water to boil. Add lime juice, and reduce heat to low. Add fish. Simmer 10 minutes, or until it flakes easily with fork. Drain well.

To serve, put 2 scoops fungi and a fish fillet on each plate. Spoon sauce over and around fish.

• preparation

Thoroughly wash the chicken pieces and reserve on paper towel to dry.
Combine the flour with half (half a teaspoon) of the salt and place in a large bowl and reserve.
Combine all remaining dry spices and herbs in a small bowl. Season chicken pieces and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the two eggs with the milk and whisk. Dip the chicken in the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour.
Repeat and reserve the chicken pieces.
Using a deep fryer or a large cast iron pan with high sides, fill the pan until it is almost half filled with the oil.
Heat the pan over medium high.
Place 4 pieces of the chicken into the pan and let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 6 - 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken and reserve.
Fry the last four pieces of chicken in the same manner. Serve the chicken warm.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash sweet potatoes, poke them with a fork a few times, and wrap them in foil. Place on a cookie sheet and roast for about 1hr, until they're soft and easily pricked with a fork. Set aside and let cool, then cut into a rough dice. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a little salt and freshly ground pepper.



Place black beans into a bowl, season with cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roughly mash with a fork, or puree in a food processor.

Preheat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add eggs and whites in a small bowl, a splash of milk and a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Once the pan is warmed, cook eggs slowly, stirring quite often, until they have just started to set. Turn off the heat.

To assemble burritos, place tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds.
On each burrito, place 3 to 4 T black bean mash, 1/3 c roasted sweet potatoes, 1/4 of the eggs and 2-3 T guacamole. Wrap up the tortillas to enclose filling, then top with salsa and goat cheese.

• preparation

Make the burgers: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a small baking sheet with foil.

Using a fork, prick deep holes all over the sweet potato. Brush it with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and black pepper and bake until completely soft, 45 to 50 minutes; a knife should easily slide through. Let it cool until you can handle it.

Peel the sweet potato and place the flesh in a medium bowl. Add the beans and mash the potato and beans together with a potato masher or large fork. Season the mixture with the spice blend, cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir in the almond flour and shape the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron pan and brown the patties until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Assemble the burgers: Place the burgers on a bed of greens and top each one with a few slices of avocado. Drizzle a little tahini dressing over each burger and serve immediately. You may also add your favorite burger toppings such as caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, or your favorite burger condiment. Any leftover sweet potato mixture can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs, add sugar, honey, oil and carrots. Mix well. Add dry ingredients along with buttermilk.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer muffins on a rack to cool.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, egg, sugar, honey and milk.
Stir together these two mixtures and carefully fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter in a greased 12-muffin tins.
Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from cups while hot.

• preparation

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork until almost smooth. Whisk in the eggs, then add the milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour the banana mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture. Fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula until just blended; do not over-mix. The batter will be thick and lumpy.
Set a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat until hot. Put a pad of butter and one tablespoon vegetable oil onto the griddle, and swirl it around. Drop the batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto the griddle, spacing the pancakes about 2 inches apart. Cook until a few holes form on top of each pancake and the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is puffed, 1 to 2 minutes more. Using the spatula, transfer the pancakes to a serving plate.
Wipe the griddle clean with paper towels, add more butter and oil, and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes while still hot with maple syrup, sliced bananas and confectioners' sugar if desired.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard-size muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup and set aside.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Stir in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
Using a rubber spatula, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup. (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a wire scraper for this.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Set pan on rack to cool for a few minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the topping: melt the butter in a small dish and combine the cinnamon and sugar in another small dish.
When the muffins are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with butter, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. If you have cinnamon-sugar left over, sprinkle muffins again. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store at room temperature. Reheat muffins briefly in microwave for that fresh out of the oven taste.

• preparation

Mix first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
Stir in buttermilk, oil and egg yolks.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until medium-firm peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
Heat a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat; lightly brush skillet with melted butter. Drop batter by ¼ cupfuls into skillet; spread to 4 inch rounds. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons blueberries over each round. Cook until tops are covered with small bubbles and bottom are golden, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until second sides are golden, about 1 minute.
Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries, brushing skillet with melted butter for each batch.

• preparation

INSTANT PANCAKE MIX
Sift all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 months. Shake well before each use.
PANCAKES
Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F or set a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Heat the oven to the lowest possible temperate (not more than 200 degrees F).
Place the pancake mix in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk the egg whites and the buttermilk in a second bowl.
Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled melted butter.
Whisk the butter mixture completely into the buttermilk mixture.
Combine the wet team onto the dry instant pancake mix and quickly bring together with a large whisk. Do not over mix.
Ladle 1 ounce (by volume) of batter onto the griddle. Spread the batter out to a disk about 4 inches in diameter. Cook for 3 minutes, or until bubbles around the upside edge set. If you wish to integrate the fruit into the pancake itself, add it after the batter has been on the griddle for about 30 seconds.
Carefully flip with a wide spatula and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom.
Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven by placing cakes on a half sheet pan and covering them with a tea towel for up to 20 minutes.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F.)
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into wedges. Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.
Place a baking sheet inthe oven to preheat.
Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on the preheating the baking sheet, to help the fries get crisp.

Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

• preparation

This is a real hit with the Freekeh Foods team!
Try using roasted pumpkin or butternut squash instead of sweet potato for a delicious twist.
Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil on them. Bake in 375° oven for about 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, pour all ingredients into a large pot on top of the stove over high heat. Stir with a spoon and heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add roasted sweet potatoes. Cover partially and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Check occasionally and give a stir.
Continue to cook longer for richer flavor, adding water or more broth if desired.

options: Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.

• preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato to let steam escape, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake them until they're tender, about 45 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and pass them through a ricer, or a food mill with a fine grate.
3. Place the puree in a large bowl and add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sage, the salt and pepper, nutmeg and the cheese. Mix gently until just combined.
4. Flour a work surface and scoop the dough out onto it. Dust the top and sides of the dough lightly with flour, and perhaps rub some flour between your hands so that they don't stick to the dough.
5. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece under your palms so that it forms a long rope. [The original recipe says that the ropes should be about 1 inch wide and 20 inches long, but your mileage might vary.] Go ahead and sprinkle the dough with a bit of extra flour if it's sticking. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments, and roll each segment over the tines of a fork to form the characteristic indentations. (Use a gnocchi board if you're lucky enough to have one.) Collect the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet.
6. When you've finished forming the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt it generously. Drop several gnocchi into the boiling water (you'll need to work in batches so that you don't crowd the pot). Cook them for about 10 seconds after they rise to the surface. This could be only a couple of minutes, or up to five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi to a clean baking sheet, and cool completely.
7. Place a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Melt the butter and cook it, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids have turned a lovely chestnut color and smell nutty, about 5 minutes. If you plan to add fried sage leaves as a garnish, go ahead and fry them.
8. Once the butter has browned, add the remaining chopped sage and turn off the heat. The mixture will bubble up, so don't be alarmed.
9. Add the gnocchi to the sage butter, place over medium-high heat, and cook until the gnocchi are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. You might have to do this in batches, in which case it's useful to have the oven preheated to 300F/150C so that your earlier batches don't get cold. Divide the gnocchi and sauce among bowls, garnish with sage leaves (if desired), and serve.

• preparation

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes.
Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.
Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

• preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower slabs and toss to coat.
3. Arrange the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, flip the slabs, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, until softened and roasted. Set aside to cool but keep the oven on.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the raisins in wine or water for 10 minutes. Drain.
5. In a small pan over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios, dry or with a little oil. Let cool on a paper towel, then chop coarsely.
6.Arrange the cauliflower in a baking dish. Sprinkle with pistachios and raisins and top with the cheese.
7. Bake until the cheese melts, 7 to 10 minutes.
8. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat the oven at 350 F and brush the cut sides of each squash using olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place cut sides of squash down on two baking sheets. Roast 25 minutes or until tender.
Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add celery with leeks, salt and pepper, cooking on medium heat for about eight minutes, stirring now and then.
Add apples and thyme, cooking on medium high about five minutes, or until until the apples begin to soften.
Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Work in bread, parsley, stock, chestnuts, and cream, tossing to mix well; salt and pepper.
Turn the squash so cut sides face up. Fill the cavities with stuffing and bake 20 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

• preparation

Line a microwave-safe bowl with a paper towel and set the box grater in the bowl.
Working quickly, so the potatoes do not have a chance to oxidize, grate the potatoes into the bowl.
Give them a gentle press into the paper towel, then remove the paper towel. Add the salt and baking powder and mix with hands. Microwave the potatoes for 90 seconds. Add the garlic and pepper and mix again.
Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Divide the potato mixture into four equal portions and press each between hands to form an oblong ½-inch-thick patty. Lay the potato patties in the hot fat and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. If pan looks dry, add a little more oil.
Flip and rotate the patties so they color evenly and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve with ketchup.

• preparation

1. Trim broccoli: cut the last 1/4 inch from the end of the stalks and use a paring knife to trim any gnarly stumps or little branches from the stalks.

2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer skin from the stalks, starting at the base of the flower and going to the end of the stalks. Some larger stalks have a fairly thick skin and may need two passes of the peeler. (You can tell when you got it all when the inner flesh of the stalk is exposed -- it has a softer wet-green look, with no fibers visible and a texture like a cut radish or potato.)

3. Cut the broccoli pieces crosswise into three pieces: the flower and two pieces of stalk about 2 1/2 - 3" long. Divide the flowers from each other as necessary and halve or quarter the stalk pieces lengthwise so that the pieces are all about the same size (for uniform cooking).

4. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket in a pan with about 3/4" of rapidly boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for 5 min.

5. Remove broccoli to a bowl. Add any of the optional ingredients you are using and toss with tongs briefly to mix.

6. Season to taste and allow to rest, partially covered, for a few minutes.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Bake the walnuts for 5-8 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them; they burn quickly.
Combine the brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl.
Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the vegetables. Add most of the walnuts and cheese, reserving some to garnish the platter, and toss well. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to a few hours in the fridge) to allow the flavors to meld and the vegetables to soften. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the remaining walnuts and cheese over top. Serve at room temperature.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1.Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make sure to cut a large-enough sheet of parchment paper so that there is overhang on all sides. Then fold the excess up so that the drippings don’t seep through any cracks.
Lay the bacon strips flat, making sure pieces do not overlap.
2. Bake until crisp and browned, 15 to 18 minutes, 24 minutes (thick-cut bacon), rotating the sheets once.
3. Transfer strips to a paper towel to drain.
Let the drippings cool slightly, lift up the parchment, and store the drippings into a container.

• preparation

CRUST:
Combine first 4 ingredients. Press mixture on bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
FILLING:
Beat cream cheese with sugar. Add the eggs. Stir in the strong instant coffee, chocolate and sour cream. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until center is barely set. Refrigerate.
GLAZE:
Shave a few curls of chocolate for garnish. Heat the cream with remaining chocolate until melted and smooth. Spoon over cake. Garnish with curls.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter 9-inch-square baking dish.
Cut each bread slice into 4 squares with crusts trimmed.
Arrange half of bread squares in single layer in prepared dish.
Melt 2 teaspoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add apples; sauté 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar; sauté until apples are golden, about 5 minutes.
Arrange apples atop bread in dish. Sprinkle with currants.
Top with remaining bread slices in single layer.
Bring milk to simmer in small saucepan.
Whisk eggs and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium mixing bowl to blend.
Gradually whisk in hot milk, then vanilla and cinnamon.
Pour over bread and apple mixture.
Place pie dish in roasting pan.
Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pie dish.
Bake bread pudding until top is golden and custard is set, about 40 minutes.
Remove from water. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Butterscotch Sauce

In saucepan, bring sugar, syrup and butter to boil; stirring; boil for 3 minutes. Stir in cream and bring back to boil. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

• preparation

Partially blind-bake the pie shell: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out chilled pie dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan. (Glass is best.) Trim and flute or crimp the edges, pierce the bottom crust with a fork. then cover with a large square of parchment or foil. It should hang over the edges. Carefully pour 2 or 3 cups of dried beans or pie weights onto the foil or parchment, and spread evenly so they reach up the sides of the pie. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. If crust edges are browning too quickly, make a little collar from foil and cover for remaining baking time.
Make the filling:
Scald milk by placing it in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until it just begins to foam and bubble around the edges. Set aside to let cool slightly. In the top of a double boiler, or in another saucepan that will fit over a pot of boiling water, beat together egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch. Stir in melted butter, then add the milk.
Place the saucepan over the boiling water and whisk until the mixture thickens. This will take 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and sweetened coconut until well distributed. Pour into the pie shell.
Make the meringue: Toast the unsweetened coconut lightly in a small sauté pan on the stove over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Set aside. In a stand mixer or with a bowl and whisk, mix egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture is foamy. If using a stand mixer, keep speed on medium. Then, turn mixer to high and gradually pour in sugar, a tablespoon at a time. If whisking, make sure sugar is dissolved before each new addition of sugar. Keep beating until the meringue is glossy and forms soft peaks. Be careful not to whip into stiff peaks.
Pour the meringue over the pie filling. Using a spatula (an offset version works well), scoot the meringue to the edge of the crust so it forms a seal. Swirl the spatula through the rest of the meringue, distributing it evenly and dipping the edge of the spatula across the top of the meringue to make little peaks. Sprinkle evenly with the unsweetened coconut.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 500 degrees.
Cut the grapefruit in halves crosswise. Cut off the sections, and discard the membranes from grapefruit. Chill shells upside down on a baking tray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the grapefruit sections with the grenadine. Chill for 30 minutes Strain grapefruit sections and save 2 tablespoons of the grenadine juice.
In an electric mixer, combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar. Beat the egg whites until light and fluffy, then stir in the grenadine juice and sugar.
Continue beating until meringue is thick and firm.
Scoop the raspberry sorbet into the grapefruit shells, filling the shells half way.
Arrange the grapefruit sections on top of sorbet.
Spread meringue over the grapefruit, sealing well at edges of shells.
Bake for about a minute in oven, or until golden brown