The Cooking Class Cookbook

Оглавление

Linda PhD Marcinko. The Cooking Class Cookbook

Inspiration for this book

My Story

Tips and Advice

Great for Grazing

Asparagus and Brie Triangles. These little pastries are a variation of spanikopita, but asparagus and brie are used instead of spinach and feta cheese. The almonds lend a nice crunch to the creamy filling. Makes about 24 triangle pastries. Ingredients: One bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces. 2 medium leeks, white part only, washed well and thinly sliced. 2 tablespoons butter. Half pound of brie cheese, trimmed of the white rind. 1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds. 1 tablespoon each of chopped chives, mint, dill and parsley. Salt and black pepper to taste. Dash cayenne. 4 oz melted butter. One 8 oz. package filo dough, thawed (filo is usually sold in 16 oz. packages that have been divided into two wrapped 8 oz. portions) Procedure:

Pecan Bleu Cheese Crackers. These little crackers are nice with cocktails or red wine or even a salad. I made them as part of a holiday gift giving class. The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to four weeks as long as it is wrapped up well. Then, the crackers can be sliced and baked off and are ready to give as a nice gift. I have used Danish bleu, Stilton or Roquefort to make these crackers. Makes about 45 crackers. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups pecan halves. 1 egg. 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened. 8 oz. bleu cheese, softened. 1 cup flour. Procedure:

Cabbage Wrap. When wraps were all the rage, I taught a class called” It’s a Wrap!” at Kitchen Classics. Phoenix Magazine was doing a feature article on wraps and came to the store to take pictures of the wraps during preparation and after completion. However, I guess my hands were not photogenic enough so I had a hand “stand-in”. I would do some prep on the wrap and then the hand model would hold what I had done for the picture! The article did turn out well, and they used three recipes from the class including this cabbage wrap. Makes six wraps. Ingredients: 1 Savoy cabbage. 1/4 cup rice vinegar. 4 teaspoons soy sauce. 3 teaspoons garlic, minced. 1/4 teaspoon sugar. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chilies. 2 tablespoons peanut oil. 1/2 cup red onion, finely julienned. 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced. 4 oz. medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half, lengthwise. 1/2 cup carrots, finely julienned. 2 green onions, finely julienned. 1 tablespoon oyster sauce. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Procedure:

Note: The reason that the filling is sautéed in 2 batches is that liquid is released from the chicken and shrimp when they are cooked, and if the carrots and green onions were just added in, they would steam as opposed to being sautéed. Julienne cut simply means cutting the vegetables to look like thin matchsticks. Crunchy Almond Squid. My husband Dave loves squid, especially this almond squid. The nuts make it very crunchy and the flavor is fantastic. I don’t eat a lot of fried food, but this squid is one dish I do enjoy occasionally. I made this appetizer as part of a class that featured Spanish foods. The saffron mayonnaise can be made ahead of time and kept chilled until you are ready to serve the squid. Makes six servings. Ingredients: One pound cleaned squid, washed and patted dry. 5 cups all-purpose flour. 2 teaspoons salt. 2 teaspoons black pepper. 2 cups almonds, finely chopped. 8 egg whites. Oil for deep-frying. Procedure:

Saffron Mayonnaise: 2 egg yolks. 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. Dash salt and white pepper. 1 tablespoon white vinegar. 1 and 1/2 cups olive oil. 1 tablespoon saffron threads mixed in 1 tablespoon hot water. Procedure:

Creamy Hummus. I probably make this dip more than any other. I always have canned garbanzo beans in the pantry so this is very easy to whip up quickly. In addition, it is a very healthy dip, as it contains a lot of fiber and vitamin C. I serve it with pita bread wedges, or fresh raw vegetables. For variation, I will sometimes puree a roasted red bell pepper or some kalamata olives and fresh herbs like basil or oregano with the beans. Makes four cups hummus. Ingredients: 3/4 cup water. 1/2 cup tahini. 6 garlic cloves, peeled. 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. 1 teaspoon ground cumin. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Two (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed. Procedure:

Note: Tahini is a sesame seed paste. I have found it in the imported foods section of the grocery store or any international market will probably carry it. When I serve the hummus, I make a little indentation in the center of the dip, and pour on a little olive oil and sprinkle on some paprika or ground cumin to give it a little more color and flavor. Jarlsberg Cheesecakes. I like savory cheesecakes more than I like the sweet variety. These mini cheesecakes were made as part of a holiday appetizer class and make a nice addition to a buffet table. They can be made a day ahead of time and kept chilled. Makes about twenty-four mini cheesecakes. Ingredients: 2 lbs. cream cheese, softened. 1/2 cup sour cream. 3 eggs. 1 1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg cheese. 1 teaspoon salt. 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. 1 tablespoon dried dill. 1/3 cup diced black olives. Procedure:

Fresh Mozzarella in Herb Sauce. One summer when I was teaching at Kitchen Classics, we started a large container herb garden in the back of the store. I loved being able to go out the door and pick fresh herbs to use in our classes. This great appetizer came about as part of a class I taught featuring fresh herbs. It can be prepared very quickly and is great served with slices of crusty baguettes. I am not a huge fan of anchovies, so I prefer using only two in this recipe. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. 3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley. 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves. 4 large fresh mint leaves. 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves. Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme. 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 2 or 3 anchovy fillets, drained. Freshly grated pepper to taste. 2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained. Procedure:

Gila Bend Cheesecake. This was the first savory cheesecake I had ever tasted. My buddy Ken Jackman was the originator of this recipe. He was probably one of the most talented chefs that I ever worked with. Since we were in Arizona, he wanted to give the cheesecake a southwestern name so it was named after the small city of Gila Bend. We served this cheesecake when we had buffets at Gainey Ranch Golf Club and it would be cut into small wedges. As a lunch entrée, cut the cake into large wedges and heat it just until warm about 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. I have also made this into mini cheesecakes for quite a few appetizer classes. Just use cupcake liners and bake them in muffin tins as in the Jarlsberg Cheesecake recipe. The baking time is shortened to 25-30 minutes and the mini- cheesecakes can be served after refrigerating them for 2 hours. This recipe makes a cake for 24 buffet portions, 10 lunch-sized portions or about 24 mini cheesecakes. Ingredients: 3/4 cups plain breadcrumbs. 3 Tablespoons butter, melted. 2 pounds 8 ounces cream cheese, softened. 5 large eggs. 2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated. 1/2 cup ham, diced. 1/2 cup mild green chilies, diced. 1 jalapeño pepper, minced. 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder and salt. Procedure:

Note: If you are making this cheesecake for a gathering where people do not eat meat, you can eliminate the diced ham and the cheesecake will still taste great. Depending on the muffin tin size, you should get about 24 of the mini-cheesecakes, just like you would when making the Jarlsberg Cheescakes on page 17. The tin size that I use for both recipes holds about 4-5 oz. of batter. Grilled Brie

I adapted this recipe from an appetizer that I really liked at Citrus Café in Chandler, Arizona. My friends Jeff and Dennis owned Citrus and unfortunately, they closed the café in 2007. I taught this as the appetizer in my camping cooking class and it was a hit! Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour. 2 eggs. 1 tablespoon water. 1 1/2 cup almonds, crushed. One 8-ounce piece of brie cheese cut into 8 wedges. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 2 medium-sized apples cut into wedges. 1/2 of a crusty baguette, sliced. Procedure:

Note: I explained to class participants that if this was something that they would make on a camping trip, that it could be made ahead of time at home and then packed in a plastic container, and then transported in a cooler. Then the brie can be grilled at the campsite. Similarly, if you are making it at home, it can be made ahead of time and kept chilled until ready to grill. Mushroom Crostini

This is one of my favorite before dinner nibbles. I have even had people that aren’t crazy about mushrooms like these. I have used this recipe many times in hands-on cooking classes. They are usually ready before the rest of the food, so the class participants could eat them as they were preparing the rest of the food, because they can be made quite quickly. Brie is nice to use as it melts so easily, but Camembert could also be used. If you like goat cheese, Montrachet would be good to top these crostini with, or use a goat cheese that is seasoned with black pepper. Makes sixteen crostini. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter. 1 lb assorted mushrooms, sliced (use white, crimini, or shitake) and stems removed. 2 shallots, finely diced. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. 1/4 cup brandy. 1 cup heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste. 1/2 of one baguette cut into 16 thin slices. 4-oz brie cheese, sliced thin. Procedure:

N’awlins Shrimp

I adapted this recipe from one that I used when I was a chef at Oscar Taylor’s in Phoenix. I am sure it was adapted from somewhere in New Orleans, but am not sure how it originated exactly. On a busy Friday or Saturday night, we could literally make 100 orders of this, so this meant going through 150 lbs of shrimp! It was the most popular dish we made and I think it is the sauce that everyone loves so much. Make sure you have a lot of bread on hand for mopping up the sauce! Makes six appetizer servings. Ingredients: Seasoning mix: 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. 1 teaspoon black pepper. 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed. 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves. 24 ounces (1 1/2 lbs.) medium sized shrimp, shells and veins removed. 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. 1 cup beer, at room temperature. 12 oz. cold butter. Warm French bread, sliced. Procedure:

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dip with Cumin Pita Crisps. I have made this chip and dip combo in many classes, for parties at home and at work to use for health fairs. Both the dip and pita chips are low in fat, and make a great alternative to regular potato chips and high calorie creamy dips. You can further reduce the calories by using an olive oil type spray on the pita crisps instead of the ¼ cup olive oil and they will still be very good. If you don’t want to take the time to roast the peppers, a good jarred variety will work out just fine. Makes eight to ten servings. Ingredients: 5 red bell peppers roasted and skinned. 3/4 cup olive oil. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 4 garlic cloves, minced. 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano. 1 package pita bread (6 pitas) 2 teaspoons ground cumin. 1 tablespoon cumin seeds. 2 tablespoons poppy seeds. Procedure:

Smoked Trout Mousse. This mousse is not as light and fluffy as some fish mousses, but I like it because it holds it’s shape when un-molded. Leaving it in a crock or mold is fine too. I’ve also made this with smoked salmon, and flavor it with fresh dill instead of the tarragon. It may be made a few days ahead, just make sure you wrap it well, so that it doesn’t dry out. This is great to use on a buffet to serve with cocktails. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 pound smoked trout fillets, skin and bones discarded. 1/4 cup heavy cream. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. 1/2 teaspoons salt. 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped. Procedure:

Stilton, Bacon and Scallion Puffs. I love bleu cheese and Stilton is one of my favorites. These are little puffs are great, because they can be done in a short time if you have unexpected guests. They freeze well too, so it’s nice to bake an extra batch to have on hand for a later time. This recipe was in a class for holiday hors d’oeuvres that could be made ahead of time so that entertaining could be made a little easier. I based this recipe on a classic French hors d’oeuvres called gougere. In the Burgundy region of France, gougere is served with the great red wine that is made there. It will be formed into individual puffs as with this recipe or made into a ring and people can tear off pieces and pop them in their mouths. If Stilton is unavailable, substitute Gorgonzola or Maytag bleu cheese. Makes about thirty-six puffs. Ingredients: 1/2 cup water. 1/2 stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter. 1/2 cup all purpose flour. 2 large eggs. 4 oz. Stilton cheese. 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and. crumbled into small pieces. 3 tablespoons green onion, minced. 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely. Salt and pepper. Procedure:

Tapanade Crostini

I have taught classes featuring these crostini so many times and serve them at home because they are so quick and simple to make! I try to keep French bread in the freezer and olives in the pantry so they can be whipped up fast if we have friends over unexpectedly or simply want something to munch on before dinner. Pay the extra money to get pitted Kalamata olives. Pitting them is no fun and plus it is hard on the fingernails! The bread could be sprayed with an olive oil spray to save on calories and also save on time if you like. If you do that decrease the olive oil in the tapenade to 3 tablespoons. Makes 12-14 crostini. Ingredients: 1/2 stick French bread, sliced thinly into 12-14 slices. 1/4 cup olive oil. 1 1/4 cups drained, pitted Kalamata olives. 1 clove garlic, minced. 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts. 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves. Approx. 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese or goat cheese. Procedure:

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel. These great little nibbles are wonderful to serve at a cocktail party or before dinner. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you have a lot of guests. Makes twelve appetizer sized servings. Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter. 1 large shallot, minced. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 1 lb mushrooms, diced. 1/4 cup white wine. 3 oz log mild goat cheese. 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves. 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves. 12 filo dough sheets ( about 8 oz.) Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: You can use a variety of mushrooms in the strudel. Choose white, portabella, crimini, or shitake. Cut off the woody stems if using shitake mushrooms

Let’s Do Breakfast! Or Brunch!

Avocado Baked Eggs

I love baked eggs and they are a preparation that you don’t see too often. You can do the eggs in individual ramekins like in the picture above or if you have larger gratin dishes, you could put two eggs in with the appropriate amount of the other filling ingredients. This easy egg dish can be baking while other items are being prepared. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced. Salt and pepper to taste. 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated. 1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. 1/4 cup sour cream. 8 large eggs. 1/2 cup heavy cream. 2 tablespoons butter. 4 teaspoons chopped basil. Procedure:

Note: The shorter cooking time for the eggs will result in the whites just being set and the yolks still slightly runny. If you like the egg yolks harder cooked, bake them for the full 14 minutes. Seafood Huevos Rancheros. This is a twist on the normal huevos rancheros that is usually prepared with chili or beans. It is best to prepare this for no more than four people unless you are really good at cooking a lot of sunny-side up eggs! Makes four servings. Ingredients: Four large flour tortillas. 2 tablespoons olive oil. One half of a medium onion, diced. One small can diced green chilies. One jalapeño, diced. 8 ounces medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined. Salt and pepper to taste. 2 to 3 tablespoons butter. 1 cup salsa, either purchased or homemade. 8 eggs. 3/4 cup sour cream. 1 cups cheddar cheese, grated. Procedure:

Baked Blueberry, Almond, and Lemon French Toast. This is a great way to make French toast because it can be made the day before you serve it. As it sits, the bread absorbs the custard resulting in a creamy textured dish. Just before it is baked a melted butter and brown sugar mixture is drizzled on top for extra richness. I have used both fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe depending on the time of year that I am making it. If you use the frozen berries, do not thaw them out. Trader Joe’s sells frozen wild blueberries now that are grown in Canada and they are great in this French toast. Serves eight people. Ingredients: One 24-inch long baguette. 6 large eggs. 3 cups whole milk. 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. 2 teaspoons lemon zest. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 3/4 cup sugar. 1 cup sliced almonds. 2 cups blueberries (about 12 oz.) 1/4 cup butter. 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar. For the syrup: 1 cup blueberries. 1/2 cup pure maple syrup. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Procedure:

Brandied Spiced Coffee. I first made this great boozy coffee drink at a brunch class. It’s also perfect as an after dinner drink. The coffee is heated for only about 5 minutes with the brandy, so all of the alcohol will not evaporate. This is important to know if you are serving it to someone who does not wish to partake of alcohol. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar. 2 large cinnamon sticks, broken up. 3 whole cloves. 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom. 3/4 cup high quality brandy or cognac. 8 cups strong, freshly made coffee. Whipped cream for garnish (this is optional) Procedure:

Chile Ham Croque Monsieur. You may have heard of the French classic dish called Croque Monsieur. I have seen it prepared in many ways, sometimes as a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a creamy white sauce, or the sandwich may be dipped in an egg batter and then grilled or fried. This recipe is a southwestern version of the Croque Monsieur. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons softened cream cheese. 1/2 cup canned green chiles, chopped. 1 cup ham, diced. 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, grated. 8 slices firm, home-style white bread. 4 eggs. 1 1/2 cups milk. 2 tablespoons butter. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard. 1/2 cup prepared salsa. 1/2 cup sour cream. 1 small avocado, peeled and cut into slices. Procedure:

New Joe’s Special. Joe’s Special is an egg dish that originated in San Francisco. A chef that I worked for called Louis Ludwig introduced the dish to me when I was a pastry chef at Gainey Ranch. He said that it was served at breakfast at many restaurants in the City by the Bay and was a combination of ground beef, eggs, and spinach. This version that I made in one of the breakfast classes features chard instead of spinach and Italian sausage in lieu of the ground beef. I like to serve it with hot buttered sourdough toast. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and tough stems removed. 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings. 1 small onion, peeled and chopped. 3 tablespoons olive oil. 2 tablespoons butter. 12 large eggs. 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated. Procedure:

Spicy Breakfast Patties. Move over Jimmy Dean sausage! These sausage patties are not only delicious, but are a healthy addition to any breakfast or brunch. I made these in a class to accompany a vegetable quiche for a New Years Day Brunch class. These spicy patties contain less fat than ones made with pork. If you want to keep the fat content low, just make sure that you use all white meat ground turkey. Some of the regular ground turkey contains the skin which is very high in fat and that isn’t the kind you want to buy. The mixture can be made the day before and chilled. The next day, all you have to do is shape the patties and cook them. Makes twelve 2 ½-inch in diameter patties. Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey. 1/2 cup onion, minced. 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped. 1/4 cup parsley, chopped. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. Freshly ground black pepper to taste. 2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs. 1 egg, lightly beaten. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Procedure:

Note: Because all white meat turkey is very low in fat, these patties could stick a little to the pan, although if you use a good non-stick pan, this should not occur. However, if you find that the patties are sticking, add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, cover the pan and let the patties sit for about 30 seconds. They should not be stuck by then as the steam acts to release them from the pan’s surface. Flavored Cream Cheeses. I have included these two recipes for flavored cream cheeses that can be used on toasted breakfast bagels. I think they are much better than the ones you can buy. Each recipe makes about three pounds and keeps in the refrigerator for about 1 week, but the recipes can easily be cut in half if you want to make a smaller quantity. Vegetable Cream Cheese. Ingredients: 2 pounds cream cheese, softened. 1/2 cup radishes, sliced thin. 1 bunch green onions, sliced. 2 large carrots, peeled and grated. Salt and pepper to taste. 1/2 cup fresh parsley minced. Procedure:

Apricot Ginger Cream Cheese. Ingredients. 8 oz. dried apricots. 2 pounds cream cheese, softened. 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced. 1/3 cup honey. Procedure:

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Compote and Honey Mustard Bacon. I demonstrated these pancakes and accompaniments for a Halloween breakfast class one year. Not many people had tasted pumpkin pancakes, but they really like these. Kids like them too and it is a good way to get them to eat pumpkin, which is so nutritious. The apple compote goes great with the pancakes instead of maple syrup, and the bacon adds a nice salty note. The compote can be made ahead of time and then warmed up when served with the pancakes. The bacon can be laid out on the pan the night before covered with plastic wrap. Just top it with the mustard and sugar and it can bake while the pancakes are being made. This would be a great brunch menu also. Serves four. Ingredients: Pancakes: 2 large eggs, separated. 1/4 cup vegetable oil. 1 3/4 cups milk. 2 cups all-purpose flour. 1/4 cup sugar. 2 tablespoons baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice. 3/4 cup solid pack pumpkin. Procedure:

Chunky Apple Compote: 4 medium tart apples, such as Pippin or Granny Smith, peeled and cored. 1/2 cup sugar. 1/4 cup water or apple cider. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Honey Mustard Bacon: 8 slices Canadian bacon slices. 3 tablespoons honey mustard. 1/2 cup light brown sugar

The Warming Bowl

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. This was another recipe I demonstrated in a Thanksgiving Side Dish class. Butternut squash is loaded with beta-carotene making this a nutritional knockout. The apple lends a little sweetness to the soup, and roasting the squash intensifies the flavors. Evaporated skim milk may be used in place of the cream or half to half to really reduce the calories thus making this an extremely heart-healthy soup. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 or 2 butternut squash (total weight is about 2 and a half pounds) 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil. 1 large leek, white and pale green part only, washed and thinly sliced. 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced. 5 to 6 cups chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Freshly grated nutmeg. 2 cups cream or half and half. 2 tablespoons minced parsley. Procedure:

Note: Many people are unfamiliar with leeks. They look like large green onions and have a delicate onion flavor. The dark green leaves are usually discarded, unless you use them to make homemade stock. Be aware that they need to be washed thoroughly as the layers trap dirt, so rinse them well under cold running water. I tell you to use a blender or immersion blender in this recipe. If you use a blender, make sure that you start it on low speed when you start pureeing the soup. In addition, remove the little plastic plug that is in the lid of the blender and cover it with a kitchen towel when you start to puree the soup. This will release some of the steam and pressure so that the lid won’t blow off. An immersion blender is like a blender on a stick, that you place in a soup or sauce and then you can puree it right there in the pan. You just have to make sure that you don’t pull up the head of the immersion blender out of the sauce or soup while it is running, or you’ll have a mess on your hands. Celery Root Soup

Celery root or celeriac is one of my favorite root vegetables. In appearance, they are the ugly ducklings of the vegetable world since they are brown and knobby, but they make up for it with their taste. I have taught this recipe in many classes and people are always amazed at how good it tastes. This soup is a great first course and I have included it as such in many holiday meal classes. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 2 pounds celery root, peeled and cut into chunks. Approximately 4 cups chicken stock. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 1 cup heavy cream. Salt and white pepper to taste. Procedure:

Chicken Ginger Wonton Soup

I came up with this soup for a class that featured all types of soups. I made cream, broth-type and cold soups in the class. This soup can be time consuming if you wish to make the wontons from scratch. So, if you have the time; by all means make the wontons from the ground up. However, when I want to make this soup and I am pressed for time, I use prepared frozen pot stickers. I like the ones that Trader Joe’s carry, made with either chicken, pork or vegetables. They call them gyoza. Simply add the frozen pot stickers to the soup after the last ingredients have been added and heat through on a simmer until wontons float, about 5 minutes. You don’t want the soup to be boiling hard, because this may break up the wontons Using frozen wontons cuts down the prep time to about half an hour which is pretty good for near-homemade soup! Serves: 6. Ingredients: Filling: 12 ounces chicken breast, boneless and skinless and trimmed of fat. 3 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry. 1 tablespoons cornstarch. 2 teaspoon minced ginger. 2 teaspoon sesame oil. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. 24 wonton wrappers. Soup: 6 cups chicken broth. 1 cup bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces. 1 carrot, peeled and cut julienne. 3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, cut julienne. 2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger. 2 green onions cut on a bias. 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce. 2 teaspoon sugar. 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Procedure:

Curried Asparagus Soup. I confess that I love the flavor of curry and try to get it in as many dishes that I can! This soup is a real winner, rich and creamy and full of asparagus flavor. Use the thinnest spears that you can find- they’ll be the most tender and tasty. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 5 cups tender asparagus, trimmed. 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock. 5 tablespoons butter. 4 tablespoons flour. 2 tablespoons curry powder. 3 cups cream. Salt and white pepper to taste. Procedure:

Hungarian Goulash Soup. I created this soup for a class I taught in Phoenix that featured lower fat soups. It was a very popular recipe. It is really important that sweet Paprika be used for the soup instead of the Spanish variety. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 2 pounds lean beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks. 1/4 cup water. 2 tablespoons butter or oil. 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced. 1 red bell pepper, diced. 1 tablespoon flour. 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 4 cups beef stock. Salt and black pepper to taste. 1/2 cup light sour cream. 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds. Procedure:

Note: Mixing the sour cream and caraway seeds and adding in a little of the hot soup before adding it back into the main soup batch is called tempering. By doing this, you are warming up the sour cream and not adding it cold to the soup, which could cause the soup to curdle. Indian Style Lentil Soup. When you use ingredients like garam masala, ginger and chilies you add incredible taste but no fat. No one will think this is a low-fat soup; they will be too busy enjoying its spicy goodness. This recipe was another that was featured in a lower fat soups class. I like to use masoor dal or split red lentils for this soup. They cook to a tender consistency much faster than the brown lentils. The soup can be made ahead of time. It also freezes well. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced. 1 large onion, diced. 2 stalks celery, diced. 1- 16-ounce bag of lentils. 8 cups low fat chicken broth. 1 bay leaf. 1 tablespoon grated ginger. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 2 tablespoons garam masala. 2 teaspoons ground coriander. 2 teaspoons ground cumin. 1 jalapeño chile, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. 3/4 cup plain yogurt. 1/4 cup green onion tops, chopped. Procedure:

Note: Garam masala is a mixture of many different spices including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cumin. You will find it at most Indian foods markets or at a store like Cost Plus that carries a lot of imported foods. Buy a couple of different types to see which you like best. This soup may be pureed in a blender after step 2 if a smoother soup is desired. Lower Fat Creamy Vegetable Chowder

This creamy chowder is a hit with vegetable lovers! Chowders can be quite heavy and thick, but this vegetable version is not. Make sure you use a sharp cheese. The sharper the cheese, the stronger its flavor is, which means you can get away with using less and saving on fat and calories. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 cups sliced fresh mixed vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, celery, etc.) 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes. 6 cups low fat chicken stock. 3 cups broccoli florets. 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. 1/4 cup chopped chives. 3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese. Procedure:

Pho Bo. This is my version of a Vietnamese soup. From what I understand in Vietnam many people eat it on a daily basis, even for breakfast! I came up with this recipe when I was a consultant at a small restaurant chain in Phoenix called YC’s Mongolian Barbeque. The owner wanted a nutritional analysis of all his menu items, which I did. Then, he asked me to develop a couple of soups for the restaurant and this was one of them. It is typical of many Oriental type soups, in that it is light and based on a flavorful broth. The star anise and cinnamon add a nice flavor. Try cutting the rice noodles with scissors after they have drained. It will make the soup easier to eat. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 large onion cut in half, skin left on. 1 large piece of ginger, sliced, skin on. 1 1/2 quarts beef broth. 2 cinnamon sticks. 5 whole star anise. 1 cup diced onions. Half pound thinly sliced beef, like top sirloin. 12 ounces rice noodles, softened in hot water, and then drained. 2 cups bean sprouts cut into bite-sized pieces. 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves. 2 tablespoons lime juice. Dried red chili flakes to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. 1/2 cup green onion tops, diced. Procedure:

Note: The reason that the skin on the onion and gingerroot is left on when preparing the flavored broth is that they are both strained out, so it does not matter if the skin is left on. Thai Inspired Curry Soup. Thailand has given us so many unique and wonderful soups. We went to a favorite Thai restaurant one chilly night when I had the sniffles and I had hot curry soup. My sinuses were cleared almost immediately. What great medicine for a cold! Eating that soup inspired me to come up with a similar soup and this one just about duplicates the one that I ate in the restaurant that night. If you want to make a wholly vegetarian soup, you can omit the chicken and chicken broth. Use vegetable broth instead and when you are simmering the soup, substitute 1 ½ cups peeled, diced potatoes for the chicken. Remember to use coconut milk, not coconut cream. If you do choose to use the reduced fat coconut milk, it may have a more curdled look when it is finished simmering, but will taste fine. Serves four. Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced. 2 large carrots, washed and diced. 1 cup diced red bell peppers. 8 oz. chicken breast, skinned, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2 in pieces. 2 tablespoons salad oil or peanut oil. 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (mild variety or hot) 2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth. 1- 14 oz. can regular or reduced-fat coconut milk. 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh mint leaves. 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves. 1/4 cup thinly sliced lemon grass. 1/2 cup chopped spinach leaves. Procedure:

Mushroom and Onion Soup with Gorgonzola Crostini. This is an absolutely decadent soup that starts with slow cooked onions sautéed in a lot of butter and oil. This soup makes a great first course so should be served in small 1-cup servings, as it is so rich. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil. 4 tablespoons butter. 1 cup diced onions. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. 3 cups assorted mushrooms, chopped. 4 1/2 cups beef broth. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves. 1/4 cup brandy. 6 slices French bread. 3 oz Gorgonzola cheese. 3/4 cup heavy cream. 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives. 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: You can use white, portabella, shitake or criminal mushrooms in this soup. The dark mushrooms like shitakes will give the soup the most flavor. If using shitake mushrooms, make sure to discard the tough stems. You could also use dried mushrooms like porcini, which have been soaked in warm water for about 1 hour. The soaking liquid can be used instead of some of the beef broth because it will have a lot of mushroom flavor. Just strain it first to remove any grit or sand

Not Just Lettuce…

Black-eyed Pea Salad. It seems that many people think that eating black-eyed peas is reserved for New Years Day only, when they are supposed to ensure good luck in the coming year. These legumes are far too good to be relegated to eating just once a year! I prepared this dish for a summer salad class. At home I like to serve it with grilled or barbequed meat and poultry. This salad is good served at room temperature or chilled. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 pound dried black-eyed peas. 3/4 cups olive oil. 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar. 2 tablespoons sugar. 1 large jalapeño, diced. 1/4 cup green onions, sliced. 6 slices crumbled crisp bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: Remember when working with jalapeños, that it is important to wear rubber gloves when chopping them or to wash hands thoroughly afterwards if you choose not to wear gloves. If you discard the seeds from the jalapeño, the heat will be diminished somewhat. Celery Root Remoulade. I fell in love with celery roots when I first ate them in Paris. I had them prepared in this Remoulade sauce as a first course. Celery root has a wonderful nutty flavor that tastes mildly of celery. They are not very pretty to look at, but taste so good! I demonstrated this recipe in a French-themed class and it was great to introduce people to this wonderful root vegetable. They may be hard to find in the supermarket, but I have asked to have them ordered in and it has never been a problem to do this. They are usually easiest to find November through March, at least here in St Louis. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups celery root (about 1 large root weighing about a pound) 1 egg yolk. 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. 3/4 cups olive oil. Lemon juice to taste. Water. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Procedure:

Note: When making the sauce, it helps to wrap a damp kitchen towel around the mixing bowl so it does not move around which can make it difficult when you are pouring in oil and whisking at the same time. Salad of Mixed Greens, Asian Pears and Walnuts

I developed a hands-on team building series of classes when I taught at Kitchen Classics. We had some large companies in Phoenix that wanted to do something different for a team-building exercise so I came up with these classes. Each one would have a different theme and we sometimes would have up to twenty people participate. They were a lot of fun and it was so great to see people who did not cook a lot create some really great food. This salad was in the Bistro Class and it is so easy to do. The Asian Pears add a nice color to the salad and go well with the walnuts. The recipe may be easily cut in half if you are only serving four people. Serves eight. Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped. 8 cups mixed greens. 1 cup walnut pieces. 2 Asian pears, washed and diced. Procedure:

Greek-Style Garbanzo Bean Salad. This is a favorite salad of mine that I make a lot at home in the summer. I think I like it so much because it is made with ingredients that I always have on hand, so if I need a side dish at the last minute, I know I can whip this up very quickly. The recipe was created for a summer salad class that I did one of the first years that I taught classes at Kitchen Classics. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed. 1/2 of an English (or hot house) cucumber, peeled and seeds removed. 3-4 green onions, washed and chopped. 2 roma tomatoes, chopped. 1-2 cloves minced garlic. 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 1/4 cup olive oil. 1 tablespoon (or more if you like) fresh, minced oregano. 3 oz. feta cheese crumbled (can use regular or the low- fat variety) Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: Hot house or English cucumbers are the ones that are long and skinny. They are usually found wrapped in plastic at the store. A small red bell pepper that is diced can be used instead of the tomatoes if you wish. Grilled Veggie Salad

I prepared this salad in a class that featured main dish summer salads. I have to say it is one of my favorites. It is really colorful and uses the best of fresh seasonal vegetables. It is a good way to use a lot of zucchinis and peppers if you’ve grown a lot in your garden. The grilled vegetables may be made hours before the salad is assembled or even the day before. If grilled the day before, store the vegetables on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bring the veggies to room temperature before serving. You will notice that some stock is used in the herb dressing instead of all oil, which lowers the fat content. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 3 pounds seasonal vegetables, like zucchini, Japanese eggplant, shitake or portabella mushrooms, bell peppers, summer squash etc. Extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper. 1 cup mint leaves, packed. 1 cup cilantro leaves, packed. 3 cloves garlic, peeled. 1/2 cup or more vegetable or chicken broth. 1/2 cup toasted walnuts. 1/2 loaf of artisan-type bread. 5-oz. log of soft goat cheese. Procedure:

Mediterranean Orzo Salad. I made this salad in a class that was held in August and which featured easy to make salads. This sort of class was great for the Phoenix summer as most people want to cook as little as possible and keep both themselves and their kitchens cool! You use jarred roasted red peppers for this recipe, as this keeps the prep time to a minimum. I prefer Greek Kalamata olives in this salad, but natural black olives can be used as well if you prefer them. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 8 oz. dry orzo pasta. 1/2 cup olive oil. 2 cups water. 1/4 cups fresh oregano, minced. 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled. 3/4 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, drained. 1/2 cup black olives, sliced. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: Remember that feta cheese and olives are salty, so be careful of the amount of salt you use. I usually take the chilled salad out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before I serve it as I think it tastes better closer to room temperature. Jicama and Orange Salad. Jicama is one of those vegetables that many people have not tried, at least here in the mid-west. It looks like a large brown round potato. It is usually eaten raw. To prepare it, just peel and cut into the desired sized pieces depending on what you are using it for. Jicama has a wonderful, slightly sweet nutty taste. It retains its crunch so it is a nice addition to a tuna or chicken salad. It is also good on a veggie tray for a change from carrot or celery sticks. In Mexico it is dipped in lime juice, and sprinkled with chile powder and eaten as street food. This salad is nice to serve with other Mexican foods because it has a nice cool flavor that will contrast with spicy foods. It is good with any grilled meats also. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 medium-sized jicama weighing about 1-1/2 lbs. 3 Navel oranges, peeled and sliced. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves. 1/4 cup diced red onion. 1/4 cup orange juice. 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Procedure:

Red Potato, Gorgonzola Cheese and Bacon Salad. There is a gourmet supermarket in Lake Arrowhead, CA called Jensen’s and I first tasted this potato salad there. I fell in love with it and had to duplicate it. This is the recipe that I came up with and it tastes just like Jensen’s salad. It never fails to please either when I have served it at home or if I demonstrated it in a cooking class. Make it early in the day because it tastes better if it gets a chance to chill for a few hours. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds small new red potatoes, washed. 4 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled into 1-inch pieces. 3 green onions, sliced. 1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles. 1 cup sour cream. 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Salt and white pepper to taste. Procedure:

Roasted Beet Salad. This is one of my favorite salads. My husband and I like to cycle down to the St. Charles Farmer’s Market and buy fresh beets and other produce on an early Saturday morning. June is when the beets are at their best and we have made friends with one of the farmers who saves them for us. The beets are juicy and sweet. This salad is also good with goat cheese instead of the blue cheese. When choosing a blue cheese, try a variety that is not too pungent like a Gorgonzola, or Stilton. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 2 large or 4 small beets, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch thick wedges. 1 teaspoon olive oil. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. 1 teaspoon sugar. 1/4 cup walnut oil. Salt and pepper. 2 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces. 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled. 3 cups escarole leaves, washed. Procedure:

Calamari and Shrimp Salad. The first time I had calamari it was deep-fried and served with marinara sauce. I really liked it, but it isn’t exactly the healthiest way to prepare it. My husband is a big fan of calamari also, so I wanted to find an alternate way to prepare it instead of just frying it. I came up with this salad one hot summer night in Phoenix when I wanted to make something fast and cool. I try to keep individually frozen calamari and shrimp in the freezer for times when I need to make a quick meal because they can both be thawed out rapidly under cold running water. This salad can be prepared within 30 -45 minutes and it is colorful and full of different textures. If you wanted to prepare it a few hours ahead of time, it will have even more flavor. Simply divide the mixture over the salad greens when ready to serve. This makes a great main dish salad to serve on a balmy evening. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 8 oz. shelled and deveined medium-sized shrimp. 8 oz. cleaned calamari rings. 1 bay leaf. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper. 1/4 cup chopped green onion. 1/2 cup peeled chopped cucumber. Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup olive oil. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar. 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Juice of one lemon. 1 bag favorite of your favorite lettuce mix, washed and dried well. Procedure:

Note: I know that most bagged lettuce mixes say that they are already washed, but I really like to wash them myself. I love my salad spinner for this. I can wash all my greens and then spin them until they are very dry. A dry salad mix needs less dressing, so there is a savings in calories, as well as making the greens safer to eat. Thai Beef Salad

When I was the pastry chef at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Arizona, we had two Korean ladies who worked in the cold food area of our kitchen. They made incredible Asian dishes from Japan, Korea, China and Thailand. All of their dishes would be garnished beautifully as well. This salad soon became a favorite with our customers and also with all of the staff. We would serve it as a lunch entrée or arrange it on a big platter and feature it on a buffet. I have taught this recipe in many classes. I make it regularly at home as it is a favorite with both my husband and myself. Makes four entree servings or eight buffet servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced. 1 teaspoon garlic, minced. 1 tablespoon sesame oil. 1/2 cup soy sauce. 1/2 tablespoon sugar. 3 green onions, diced. 1 teaspoon white pepper. 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves. 1/4 cup lemon grass, thinly sliced. 8 oz package cellophane noodles. 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick sized pieces. 1 cup baby spinach leaves. 1/2 of a hot house cucumber, peeled, and thinly cut on a bias. 3 tablespoons olive oil. Procedure:

Note: Cellophane noodles are also known as bean thread or crystal noodles. They can be made from mung beans starch or yam or potato starch. They become transparent when cooked. If I can’t find them I use Mai Fun noodles and they work too, though they stay white after they are cooked. Cutting the noodles after they are cooked makes eating this salad much easier. The lemon grass adds so much flavor to this dish. If you are unable to find fresh lemon grass, it is available sliced in jars. I have found a brand called Roland and bought it in a global foods store that featured foods from all over the world. This salad is good after it has chilled for a few hours or if eaten at room temperature

Versatile Vegetarian

Stuffed Poblano Chiles. These chilies are both scrumptious and packed with things that are good for you like Vitamin C and fiber! Poblano chilies have a medium heat level, a little bit more heat than an Anaheim chile. They are a beautiful dark green color and are shaped like an elongated heart The chilies may be made ahead of time and then baked through, just allow about 10 minutes more cooking time, if they have been refrigerated. Makes 4 servings. Ingredients: 4 poblano chilies. 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice. 2 cups water. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped. 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped. 1/2 cup onion, chopped. 1 large jalapeño chile, minced. 1 tablespoon garlic, minced. 2 tablespoons pumpkin or sunflower seeds. 1/2 cup green onions, sliced. 1-tablespoon fresh cilantro minced. Few drops Tabasco sauce. 1 tablespoon limejuice. 2 cups tomato juice. 1 cup (4 oz.) Mexican white cheese, like Cotija, or Queso Seco, crumbled. Procedure:

Four Bean Chili

I did a series of healthy cooking classes and this was one of the recipes I developed for that series. The chili is not only loaded with fiber and antioxidant vitamins, but it can be put together very quickly. Much better than going out for fast food after a busy work day! Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 can each black beans, garbanzo or soy beans, dark red kidney beans and pinto beans. 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. 3 cloves garlic, minced. 1 medium red onion, diced. 1 large poblano chile, diced. 2 tablespoons chile powder. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon ground cumin. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves. 2 chipotle chiles, diced. 3 cans chopped low sodium tomatoes, reserving the juice. 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped. 4 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt (optional) 1/2 cup grated reduced fat Cheddar cheese (optional) Procedure:

Black and White Bean Burgers. I really love these vegetarian burgers and they were a hit in my burger class. They taste great and you get a lot of fiber from the beans and oats. I use the jicama and cabbage slaw on these burgers that is used on the Southwestern Pork Sandwiches in the Class Winners section. You don’t have to make the slaw, if time does not allow for it, but it does add a nice crunch to these burgers. If you don’t make the slaw, serve the burgers with leaf lettuce and slices of red onion and tomato. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 cup onions, chopped. 4 garlic cloves, minced. 2 teaspoons olive oil. 1/2 cup carrots, grated. 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder. 1 teaspoon ground cumin. One 15 oz. can black beans, drained. One 15 oz. can great Northern beans, drained. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. 2 tablespoons soy sauce. 2 tablespoons ketchup. 1 1/2 cups rolled oats. Salt and pepper to taste. Flour for dusting cakes. Olive oil for sautéing cakes. Procedure:

Four Cheese Pasta Bake. I made this casserole in a Super bowl Party class. I wanted to do a class that featured some dishes beyond the chips and dips or chili that you find at most Super bowl parties. I had recently discovered broccoli rabe or as it is also known, rapini or raab. This is a mildly bitter vegetable and I adore the stuff. It is great in this dish because the creamy sauce and cheeses complement its bitterness. The pasta bake is a hearty dish and I think it is perfect on a cold January day (or February if that is when Super bowl Sunday falls). I have given the Gorgonzola in either 4 or 6 oz amounts depending on how much you like blue cheese. Makes eight to ten buffet servings. Ingredients: 1 pound dry ziti or penne pasta. 1 leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced. 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, chopped. 4 large cloves of garlic minced. 6 tablespoons butter. 1/4 cup flour. 3 cups whole milk. 1/2 cup white wine. 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated. 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated. 1 cup Fontina cheese, grated. 4-6 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled. 1/4 cup toasted walnuts. 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped. Procedure:

Healthy Roasted Vegetable Quiche. This was one of the dishes I made in my healthy cooking series. Quiche can be a very fattening dish when made the traditional way with a crust made with solid shortening, and filling that contains a lot of cheese and cream. This crust made with olive oil is very good and the recipe came from a book called The Skinny Vegetarian. I developed the filling using fat free evaporated milk and less cheese than my normal quiche recipe. It is chock full of vegetables and the olives add a nice touch. This makes a nice lunch or brunch entree. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: Crust: 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. 1/8 teaspoon salt. 5 tablespoon canola oil. 1/4 cup cold water (divided) Filling: 1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced. 1/2 cup leeks, washed and thinly sliced. 1/2 cup zucchini, diced. Vegetable spray. 2 oz. reduced fat Swiss cheese. 2 oz. Parmesan cheese. 3 large eggs. 4 egg whites. 1 3/4 cup evaporated skim milk. 1 teaspoon flour. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg. Large pinch white pepper. 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced. 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, diced. Procedure:

Note: If you do not like using vegetable sprays, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to the vegetables instead before you toss and roast them. This will only add a few more calories to the quiche. Mexican Pizza. This pizza came about because my husband and I craved pizza one night, but had no mozzarella cheese or pepperoni. However, I did have the ingredients for enchiladas so I improvised a little and Mexican pizzas were born! This was one of the pizzas featured in a class at Kitchen Classics where we also did a spinach pizza and one with fresh clams and garlic. This Mexican pizza was a little off the beaten path, but it was well received and devoured by the class. The crust has cornmeal in it- so it has a nice, somewhat gritty, texture. The recipe can be cut in half if you wish to make only one pizza. If you make two pizzas and don’t eat them both, cool down the leftovers and refrigerate them. This pizza reheats well in the oven. Makes two pizzas, each about 12-inches in diameter. Ingredients: Cornmeal Pizza Dough: 3/4 cups warm water. 2 teaspoons yeast. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 1 1/2 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour. 1/2 cup cornmeal. 2 teaspoons salt. Topping: About 1/4 cup olive oil. 3 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, sliced thin. 2 teaspoons chili powder. 1 can black beans, drained. 1 cup pre-made enchilada sauce. 3 or more chipotle chilies, minced. 1 small onion, diced. 2 Anaheim chilies diced. 8 oz jalapeño Jack cheese, shredded. 8 oz. Mexican white cheese, like Cotija, crumbled. 1/3 cup chopped cilantro. Salt and black pepper to taste. Procedure:

Southwestern Black Bean Pasta. Many years back when I was in Arizona, the Parade magazine ran a contest for main dish meals that could be made in 30 minutes or less. They would print the recipes that they liked the best. I decided to enter the contest and developed this recipe. I timed myself to make sure it could be done in the allotted time. Unfortunately, my recipe was not chosen, but I had created a simple healthy meal that was quick to prepare so that was a good thing. I like it also because it can be made from ingredients that are on hand in the cupboard and refrigerator. You can use reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese instead of the cheddar if you like. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 12 oz dried spaghetti or linguine noodles. One 14.5-oz. can Mexican seasoned tomatoes. 1 medium-sized onion. 1 large red or yellow bell pepper. 1 jalapeño pepper. 2 teaspoons chili powder. 1 can black beans. 4 oz (about 1 cup) grated reduced fat cheddar cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: To cook pasta al dente- means that is should still feel firm to the tooth when bitten. To test for this, remove a piece of pasta from the water. Bite into it and it should feel firm, but not crunchy or mushy. If you look at the pasta after you have bitten it- you should not see a lighter uncooked area in the middle of the pasta. If you do, this means that the pasta needs a couple of minutes more cooking time. This is the best way to test for doneness, and a lot less messy than throwing a piece against the wall to see if it sticks- which supposedly is a test for doneness! Vegetable Lasagna. I developed this recipe for my brother Gary after he had a heart attack and was told he needed to lose some weight and cut down the fat in his diet. He likes lasagna and when he visited my mom, she wanted to fix the dish for him, but the only one she was used to making contained a lot of ground beef and cheese. So, I came up with this and he really liked it. This entire recipe can be doubled and one pan can be frozen. The fresh basil leaves really add a lot of flavor to this. When cutting fat, it is important that you add ingredients that add great flavor and the basil really does that for this lasagna. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 12 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a regular sized box of noodles) 1 eight-oz. container low-fat ricotta cheese. 1 egg white. 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 small onion, diced. 1 small red bell pepper, diced. 1 cup sliced mushrooms. One 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped. 3 cloves garlic, minced. One 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 1/2 cups (approx. 5 oz.) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese. Procedure:

Note: You may be tempted to use fat free ricotta or mozzarella cheese in this recipe to cut the fat down even more. I do not recommend doing this. The fat-free versions of those two cheeses will not give the same taste, mouth feel or melting capabilities. Sometimes, you need some fat to have a dish taste good. I find that if the fat is cut back too much, the person is not satisfied and then seeks out more fatty food later on. Like the old saying goes “everything in moderation”. Enjoy this dish in the portion size given and you will be consuming a lot less fat than if you ate regular lasagna and you’ll be eating a lot of healthy fiber and anti-oxidants too. Vegetable Pot Pie

To my mind, pot pie ranks up there as one of the best comfort foods along with homemade macaroni and cheese and rice pudding. I have always loved them and guiltily confess that when I was a lot younger I just loved the little Swanson frozen ones and ate a fair share of them! I have since discovered that a homemade potpie is far superior. They are also so versatile and can be made with all sorts of meat, poultry or seafood. This vegetarian one is very colorful and the cheese in the crust adds a lot of flavor. If you want to make individual pot pies, just use oven proof ramekins that can hold about 2 cups. These individual pot pies will take about 20 minutes to bake. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: Cheddar Cheese Pastry Dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 6 oz butter, cut into pieces. 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese. Approx. 1/2 cup ice water. Filling: 3 cups milk. 1 bay leaf. 6 tablespoons butter. 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour. 2 leeks, white part only, cut julienne. 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed. 1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise. 2 cups frozen peas. 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: If fresh asparagus is not in season, frozen spears can be used. They do not have to be blanched, simply cut them into bite-sized pieces. Be sure to use sharp cheddar for the crust, a mild or medium one will not give the best flavor. A little Parmesan or even crumbled blue cheese could be substituted for about 1/4 cup of the cheddar

Class Winners

Asian Pork Burgers. I developed this recipe for a burger class that I taught. I made veggie burgers, Greek burgers with lamb, a beef burger with bleu cheese and this Asian inspired burger. It was a great class and my students learned that you could make hamburgers with other ingredients besides ground chuck. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. 4 oz. lean ground pork. 1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely diced. 1/2 cup bean sprouts, finely diced. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 2 teaspoons soy sauce. 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce. 1 beaten egg if needed for binding. Salt and pepper to taste. Slaw: 1 1/2 cups shredded Napa cabbage. 1 carrot, peeled and shredded. 2 tablespoons soy sauce. 2 teaspoons sesame oil. 2 teaspoons sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. Buns of choice. Procedure:

Note: If you like a little heat, stir in ¼ teaspoon dried red chile flakes into the slaw. Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake. The most popular classes I taught at Kitchen Classics were ones that featured new ideas with chicken breasts. I could easily have 40 people at a chicken breast class. I have to admit that after teaching one of these classes, the last thing I would eat for at least a week was a chicken breast! However, chicken breasts are so versatile, so I understand why people would want more recipes featuring them. I like this recipe for many reasons. This dish is rich and creamy and is comforting to eat on a cold evening, and it can be prepared quickly. It is nice enough for company and is good served with a green salad. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 12 oz dried pasta shells or penne. 8 oz broccoli, cut into very small florets and the stems thinly sliced. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced. 6 oz baby portabella or white mushrooms, quartered. 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato paste. 1 package of Boursin or Rondele cheese. 8 oz heavy cream. 1 bunch of green onions, finely sliced. 3/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Procedure:

Chicken Apple Sausage with Caramelized Fennel. While I was teaching at Kitchen Classics, I met Brett Hobe, who owned a wonderful butcher shop called Hobe Meats. He not only prided himself on selling the best meat and poultry in town, but also made wonderful sausage. He and I teamed up to teach classes together. I would pick some of his products and create recipes for them. He would be in class with me and impart his knowledge about meat, poultry and fish, and also meat cutting, so the class learned a lot about the business of being a butcher. These chicken sausages were one of his best selling items and go very well with the fennel. I notice in the stores that fennel is sometimes called anise. I think it depends on what part of the country you are in. It can be served raw in a salad or cooked and it has a mild black licorice-like flavor. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. chicken-apple sausage. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 2 oz. unsalted butter. 1 onion, sliced thinly. 1 large fennel bulb, sliced thinly. 1 tart green apple, peeled and sliced thinly. 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves. Salt and black pepper to taste. Procedure:

Chicken Paillards with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

This is another chicken dish from the classes that were probably the most popular at Kitchen Classics. I like this dish a lot because it is quick to prepare and so makes it ideal for dinner after a busy day. Paillard just means a thin piece of meat and this can apply to chicken, pork or beef. By having the meat so thin, it cooks quickly and evenly. At home I serve this chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and glazed carrots and the combination makes a really attractive plate presentation. Makes four servings. Ingredients: Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each weighing 6 oz. Salt and freshly ground black pepper. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 5 tablespoons butter. 1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar. 1/4 cup chicken broth. 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves. Procedure:

Chicken Breasts with Sun dried Tomatoes and Pasta. Yes, this is one more recipe from my chicken breast class! I think I ended up doing about six of those classes. This is a nice recipe for either a family meal or when you have company over. It is fast and easy to cook and uses ingredients that are usually on hand in the pantry. If you like the sauce to have more of a spicy kick, increase the amount of dried red chile flakes. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 1/2 cup flour. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 3 tablespoons dry white wine. 1 cup heavy whipping cream. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves. 8-10 sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped. 4 cups spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, cooked and drained. Procedure:

Crispy Parmesan Catfish. When I was going to school for my dietetics degree, I taught classes at Kitchen Classics part time. The owner, Muriel, asked if I would teach a series of healthy cooking classes. One week would be appetizers, another would be vegetables, another week would be fish, etc. The classes were hands-on, which I find is the best way to really learn. Learn by doing as it is said. All the class members made some great healthy dishes, and at the end of the evening we would all sit down and enjoy everyone’s creations. This fish dish is one that was quite popular. Instead of frying, the fish is oven baked. It would come out with a crispy exterior and a nice cheesy flavor. This fish has much less calories than fried fish. If catfish is not your favorite, other fish can be used like cod or grouper. If using them, you may need to bake either variety for 3-5 minutes longer as usually both cod and grouper tend to be a little thicker than the catfish. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons peanut oil. 4 catfish fillets, each weighing about 4 ounces. 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated. 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons flour. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. 1 egg, beaten. 2 tablespoons milk. 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce. Vegetable spray. Procedure:

Greek Feta Burgers

These burgers are delicious and a bit messy to eat, but they are worth getting the yogurt-feta sauce dripping through your fingers! I originally made this recipe in my hamburger class that featured four different varieties, including one bean burger. This Greek burger can be made with beef, but I think lamb is better. But certainly use beef if you aren’t a lamb lover, they will still taste great. Hothouse cucumbers are also called English or seedless cucumbers, though they do contain a few seeds. They are less prone make a person burp, however, so many prefer them to regular cucumbers. The sauce can be made 1 or 2 days ahead of time, as can the patties, so these burgers can be quickly cooked for a wonderful weeknight dinner. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. 8 oz. lean ground lamb. 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced. 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh oregano. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. 1/2 teaspoon salt. Yogurt Feta Sauce: 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt. 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled. Zest of 1/2 of a lemon. 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano. 1/3 cup sliced black olives. 1/2 of a hot house cucumber, washed and thinly sliced. 6 large buns of your choice, like Kaiser or onion, toasted. Procedure:

Grilled Cod with Tapenade Sauce. I have made this dish in many classes that I have taught at Kitchen Classics. This cod preparation is low in fat but loaded with flavor. Using strong flavored ingredients like Kalamata olives allows a cook to add a lot of taste with a small amount of calories. I add tomatoes to the sauce, providing some additional Vitamin C. I like serving the cod with grilled or roasted asparagus. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 tablespoon each fresh oregano and basil leaves. 2 cloves garlic, peeled. 1 fresh tomato, roughly chopped. One and a half pounds fresh cod, cut into 4-pieces. 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts. Cooking spray. Salt and pepper. Half of a fresh lemon. Procedure:

Halibut with Red Bell Pepper Sauce. Here is another recipe from a class that featured healthy ways to prepare fish. If there is one fish that most everyone likes it’s halibut. With its beautiful white flesh and mild flavor, many different sauces complement it. I like this sauce a lot because of its bright red color. You could use Chilean sea bass or cod for this recipe if halibut is not available. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil. 1/2 jar roasted red bell peppers. 1 small onion, finely chopped. 2 tablespoons wine or cider vinegar. 1 teaspoon sweet paprika. 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped. Four 6-ounce filets of Alaskan halibut. Procedure:

Note: Smoked paprika is widely available now and has a wonderful full flavor and can be used instead of the sweet paprika in this recipe if you like. Also, a sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes could be added, if you like your food a little spicy. Polenta, Sausage and Tomato Casserole. Some of the classes that I taught at Kitchen Classics would feature certain pieces of equipment that we sold at the store or perhaps some new type of gadget or serving vessel. We got in a beautiful assortment of casserole dishes in different shapes and sizes, so Muriel, the owner, asked me to teach a casserole class. We wanted to show people how nice a simple casserole could look in a beautiful dish so we could hopefully sell a lot of them! Now in my family casseroles were made in simple Pyrex dishes that never made it to the table because they were not too attractive. I now own a lot of casserole dishes because I think it is nice to serve something like this polenta dish straight from the oven in a good looking dish. Emile Henry and Le Creuset make my favorites dishes. I have them in red and blue and I think what I like best about them is that they are very easy to clean afterward. This polenta and sausage casserole is great to serve on a cool evening with a green or Caesar salad. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups whole or 2% milk. 1 tablespoon butter. 1 tablespoon sugar. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 cup yellow cornmeal. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 12 oz. hot Italian sausage links. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 1/2 cups bottled Italian-style tomato sauce. 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch slices. Procedure:

Italian Shepherds Pie. My heritage is having a father from Puerto Rico and a mother who is English. I grew up in England surrounded by my mother’s relatives. Consequently, I had Shepard’s Pie a lot. My Granddad made it with ground beef or mince as they call it in England. It would include carrots, onion, and gravy and be topped with plain mashed potatoes. It was a good dish that stuck to one’s ribs on a cold day, and I do confess that I love it even now. It must be something to do with childhood nostalgia. However, because my Granddad had been a cook in the army during World War II, he was used to making Shepards Pie for 50 men at a time and he seemed to continue this practice. So, we would have a lot of leftovers! When I did a casserole class at Kitchen Classics I thought of Shepard’s Pie. This Italian version is much more sophisticated than its English cousin but it is still a comfort dish that would be great to serve on a cold winter’s night. I think it is tasty enough for company also, served with a nice green vegetable like broccoli. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 6 oz bacon, cut into small dice. 3 lbs. beef sirloin cut into 1-inch cubes. 1 medium-sized onion, chopped. Salt and black pepper to taste. 1/4 cup flour. 3 cups Chianti wine. 3 cups beef stock or broth. 2 tablespoons tomato paste. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped. 3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced. 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced. 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks. 4 oz butter. 1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk. 6 oz. Asaigo cheese, grated. Procedure:

Kielbasa Casserole. This is one of those recipes that I make on a regular basis on weeknights during the fall and winter. It is not a fancy dish by any means, but my husband really likes kielbasa and this dish can be prepared from start to finish in about 30 minutes. If you use low fat or turkey kielbasa you can trim the fat back by quite a bit and since it has brown rice and kidney beans included, it contains a healthy amount of fiber. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 medium onion, diced. 1/2 red bell pepper, diced. 2 teaspoons olive oil. 2 cloves garlic, minced. One-12oz package kielbasa, sliced. 2 cups cooked brown rice (follow directions on rice package) 2 chopped tomatoes. One 14.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained. Few dashes hot sauce. Salt and pepper. Procedure:

Pork Piccata. This is my rendition of the classic dish veal piccata. I’m personally not fond of veal. This does not mean that you can’t use veal for this recipe. I have used this recipe for pork and turkey breast, and it works well for both. I made this dish on Thanksgiving weekend and my husband and our two guests were glad to eat something that was not left over turkey! You can use more capers if you like. I love these piquant little berries and will eat them straight out of the jar! Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat. 2 oz. butter. 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice. 1 lemon, washed and cut into slices. 1/4 cup capers, drained. 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Savory Bread Pudding. I developed this recipe for a Christmas dinner class. At the time savory bread puddings were in vogue and I thought they were a nice alternative to stuffing. I came up with this herby bread pudding, which goes very well with the pork. Because it is cut into rounds it makes a nice presentation, much nicer than just a mound of stuffing served on the side. It sounds like a complicated dish to make, but really it is not. The bread pudding could be made the day ahead and kept chilled. Simply remove it from the fridge and cut it into the rounds. Then, put them on a greased cookie sheet and heat them through while the sauce is being finished. By all means do not throw out the scraps of bread pudding! Just heat them up the day after and eat them yourself! They may not look like that attractive, but they will taste great! Makes six servings. Ingredients: 2 lbs. 4 oz pork loin. Oil for rubbing on pork. Salt and pepper to taste. One 1- pound loaf home-style white bread, cut into cubes. 1 medium onion, diced. 1 rib celery, diced. 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage. 3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme. 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, skins removed, and chopped fine. 6 eggs. 2 cups half and half. Sauce: 1/2 cup ruby port. 1 large shallot, chopped. 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth. 1/2 cup heavy cream. 6 oz butter. Procedure:

Note: An easy way to skin hazelnuts is to toast them until they are light gold in color and then rub them in a kitchen towel. You won’t get every bit of skin off, but that is okay. Puerto Rican Rice and Beans with Pork Loin. A person will have different ideas of what a comfort food is. I find that in most cases, it’s an individual thing. Whatever a person may have eaten that makes them feel happy or cozy, will be their comfort food. Most comfort foods are warm and bland, like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or rice pudding. However, ask a person of Mexican heritage and their idea of a comfort food might be a green chile posole, which certainly isn’t bland. I think its what you grow up eating and what makes you feel good. One of my comfort food dishes is Puerto Rican rice and beans with pork. My dad was from Puerto Rico and this was his favorite dinner. We would have it with avocado and fried bananas or plantains. It was the one dish he taught my mom, who is from England, to make. We always had enough for at least one meal of leftover rice and beans. In Puerto Rico, a sauce called sofrito is used to cook beans in or as an accompaniment to meat or chicken. Sofrito is really easy to make and most Puerto Rican cooks keep a large container of it on hand to use on an almost daily basis. The recipe here for sofrito is the one my father would make and that his mom taught him when he was young growing up in San Juan. My dad used cilantro to make the sofrito, but in Puerto Rico epazote is often used. It is a bitter tasting herb. We had a hard time finding it on a regular basis, but I now find it dried in Hispanic markets. So, if you use dried epazote, just use 2 tablespoons. This recipe seems like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. The sofrito can be made ahead of time and then the pork and rice can be made on the day you are serving this. I did make this in a class that featured comfort foods from around the world. Makes four servings with leftover rice and beans. Ingredients: Sofrito: 8 oz. salt pork cut into cubes. 1 medium onion, diced. 1 small green bell pepper, diced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. One 6-oz. can tomato paste. 8 cups water ¼ cup cilantro, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. One pound white beans, soaked overnight. One pound pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes, and dried with a paper towel. 1/4 cup olive oil. 1 teaspoon granulated garlic. 4 cups cooked white rice. Procedure:

Note: As I mentioned above, we would have enough beans for leftovers. This will probably be the case with the amount of beans prepared in this recipe. My mom would make fresh rice and then stir in the beans and that would be dinner and we loved it! Simple Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I used to make these chicken breasts at some of the restaurants I worked at and have taught this recipe in many classes, both hands-on and demonstration. I like them a lot because they can be made from 2 hours to one day in advance with just the last step of sautéing them to be done. Then they are ready to eat. Because the chicken breasts are wrapped in parchment paper and then microwaved and cooled, the cheese acts as a sort of glue, which holds the chicken breast together when it is sautéed. The plate looks very colorful with the green spinach leaves, creamy Provolone and bright red pepper sauce. Makes four servings. Ingredients: Four- 7 to 8 oz. chicken breasts. 2 Italian sausage links, casings removed. Approximately 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry. 8 oz. jar of roasted red bell peppers. 4 thin slices Provolone cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 cup heavy cream. Olive oil to sauté chicken. Procedure:

Note: Reducing a sauce simply means that you are evaporating the liquid, and as this happens the sauce naturally thickens. You need to use heavy cream for a reduced cream sauce, half and half or milk will not work. Make sure that you don’t buy the pre-sweetened cream, it would not taste good used in a savory sauce. Nowadays, places like Trader Joes carry the higher fat content cream like restaurants use and this is what works best in a sauce like this. In this recipe, the chicken breasts are a higher weight than in some of the other recipes. This is because they have a fair amount of stuffing in them, so you need to use a larger breast so that it holds the stuffing. Grilled Sirloin Steak with Tomato Basil Butter. Sirloin steak can be wonderfully flavorful. Because it is not as tender as loin or filet, it benefits from being marinated before it is cooked. I made this recipe in a class that featured grilled foods. The steak develops a nice charred surface as it grills. A 10-oz. portion may seem like a lot, but there is usually a thick layer of fat on the outside of the sirloin steak that will not be eaten. The compound butter can be made in advance. Compound butters are great to have on hand. When I was a chef’s apprentice, I learned how to make a lot of compound butters and keep them wrapped in parchment in the freezer. That way, you always have a fast way to add flavor to any poultry or meat dish or even stir them into cooked pasta. As the butter melts, it creates a sort of sauce. These steaks should be marinated for at least 2 hours, but they are really good if they can marinate overnight. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 sirloin steaks, each weighing about 10 oz. 2 tablespoons. dark soy sauce. 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 8 oz. unsalted butter. 1 tablespoon tomato paste. 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped. 2 tablespoons minced Kalamata olives. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Procedure:

Southwestern Pork Sandwich. These were a part of a class I did featuring sandwiches made with chicken, pork, beef and vegetables. The pork sandwich is most definitely one that could serve as a dinner meal. The recipe looks like it takes a lot of time because it has three components, the pork, jicama slaw and chipotle mayonnaise. However, both the mayonnaise, and the slaw can be made in advance. The pork could even be cut and pounded out the night before. These are really great sandwiches, so I hope you will give them a shot! Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat. 1 cup flour. 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water (egg wash) 2 cups dried breadcrumbs. 2 teaspoons ground cumin. 1 teaspoon garlic powder. 1 teaspoon chili powder. 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Chipotle Mayonnaise. 1/3 cup mayonnaise. 2 chipotle chilies, minced. 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Jicama Slaw. 1/2 cup shredded cabbage. 1/2 cup shredded carrots. 1/2 cup jicama, peeled and thinly sliced. 1 jalapeño pepper, minced. 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar. 1/4 cup olive oil. 1 tablespoon sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. 4 large soft rolls cut in half. Procedure:

Note: I mentioned some facts about jicam in the salad section for the recipe of Jicama and Orange Salad. For those that are not familiar with this vegetable, it looks like a round brown potato and is usually found by where the beets and other root vegetables are in the produce section. The jicama needs to be peeled to reveal the white flesh. It has a crunchy texture and nutty taste. You’ll notice I have another slaw similar to the one in this recipe for the black bean burgers. I like to use a slaw on burgers or sandwiches to not only add some crunch, but also to add some healthy vegetables to the dish. Turkey Meatloaf Roulade. As I have mentioned in some of the other recipes, in January at Kitchen Classics, both myself and our guest chefs would feature many classes that emphasized lower calorie recipes. The New Year is the time to start that dieting resolution that many people make for themselves. I taught this turkey meatloaf in one of those January classes. I am not overly fond of meatloaf myself; I think it is a kind of boring dish. I developed this recipe and really like it because it contains a lot of vegetables and because it is a roulade or rolled meatloaf, it makes a colorful presentation when served. The turkey keeps the fat down and the vegetables help to keep the meatloaf moist. The red onion gravy that is served with it is also low in fat, but tastes rich due to the low-fat sour cream. Serves six to eight. Ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped. 1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped. 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped. 1 lb. 4 oz. ground white meat turkey. 2 egg whites, lightly beaten. 1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs. 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley. 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves. 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. 1 teaspoon salt. Approx. 4 oz. spinach leaves, washed and dried. 8 oz. jar roasted red peppers. 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise. 2 large shallots, peeled and finely diced. Procedure:

Red Onion Gravy. 3/4 cup red wine. 1/2 cup red onion, sliced thinly. 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. 2 cups beef broth. Cornstarch and water. 1/4 cup light sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: Letting the meatloaf sit for about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven will allow it to firm up a little and so it will slice easier and not crumble. I think that one tool that every kitchen needs is a thermometer. You can get a dial type one or a digital one. They are the best gauges to tell if something has cooked long enough. This is especially important when you are making a product with ground meat or poultry for food safety reasons. In addition it is a good way to check the internal temperature of a casserole, which should be 160 degrees. They cost about $10-12, and are definitely worth the price. The cornstarch and water mixture used to thicken the gravy is a simple slurry and this is how you may see it referred to in other books. Always use cold water when making a slurry and bring the sauce back to a boil to completely cook the starch so that it thickens properly. Taking out some of the hot gravy and mixing it with the sour cream is called tempering and decreases the possibility that the gravy will have a curdled look to it

When Company Comes

Roast Tenderloin of Beef with Mushroom Ragout. Couples Valentines Day classes were popular because so many people didn’t like to go out to eat on the actual holiday as most restaurants were over crowded. We would have the class and serve a little wine for a very laid back Valentines! This recipe was featured in one of these couple’s classes. You can multiply this recipe if serving more than two people. Makes two servings. Ingredients: 1 oz dried porcini, chantrelle, or morel mushrooms. 12 oz beef tenderloin, trimmed. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped. 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms. 1/2 cup portabella mushrooms, trimmed and sliced. 1/2 cup red wine. 2 shallots, peeled and sliced. 1 tablespoon butter. Salt and pepper to taste. 1/3 cup heavy cream. Procedure:

Note: Dried mushrooms are usually found in the produce section of the grocery store, sold in ¾ oz or 1 oz bags. This sounds like a small amount, but after soaking the mushrooms their volume increases by about 3 times. Fontinella Cheese and Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

These chicken breasts are so simple to make yet elegant enough to serve when you have guests for dinner. The sauce is a pan reduction that is made at that last minute after the chicken breasts have been sautéed and simmered. Makes four servings. Ingredients. Four 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 4 tablespoons prepared pesto. 4 oz fontinella cheese. 4 oz proscuitto ham, thinly sliced. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 2 shallots, finely chopped. 1 cup white wine. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: To keep the chicken breasts hot while the sauce is being prepared, place them on a warm plate and tent the plate with foil. The chicken breasts may be stuffed and wrapped in the proscuitto ahead of time and then only take 20 minutes or so to finish. Hoisin Glazed Grilled Salmon with Sesame Noodles. I have taught this recipe in classes at Kitchen Classics and also in private hands-on events at an individual’s home. I have to say that this is probably one of my most popular recipes. People love this dish, both because it tastes so good, and also because it makes a beautiful presentation. I love to see the look on the person’s face that has prepared this when they see the final product and realize that they actually created a dish that looks so fabulous. You can grill the salmon outside if you prefer, or use a grill pan in the house. This is also incredibly healthy, so feel no guilt when enjoying it! Makes four servings. Ingredients: Four- 6 oz. pieces of salmon cut on the diagonal. 1/3 cup hoisin sauce. 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry. 3 tablespoons soy sauce. 1 tablespoon sesame oil. 1 tablespoon minced ginger. 2 teaspoons minced garlic. 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder. For the noodles: 1/2 pound thin spaghetti or linguine. 4 tablespoons sesame oil. 3 scallions (green onions) sliced. 2 cloves of garlic, minced. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste. 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar. 1 teaspoon sugar. 1 tablespoon soy sauce. 1/2 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts. 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro. Procedure:

Salmon Wellington

I really like the concept of the Wellington. Of course the classic dish is beef Wellington made with filet mignon, mushroom duxelle, pate and puff pastry. The name is supposed to be in honor of the British Duke, Arthur Wellesley Wellington. It is a very impressive dish especially if the chef who prepares it decorates the puff pastry in a fanciful way. My only problem with this dish is that the puff pastry would be brown and crispy on the outside but soggy inside by the meat and duxelles. I solved this by making Wellingtons with filo dough which bakes up crispy, both inside and out. I have made a beef Wellington in this manner using roasted peppers and filet mignon which was served with a smoked tomato buerre blanc. I created this Salmon Wellington for a fish class. It looks very colorful with the pink salmon, brown pastry and pale green leek filling. Best of all, the Wellingtons can be made 8 hours in advance and then baked off. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil. Six 6-oz salmon fillets. 5 tablespoons butter. 2 leeks, white and pale green part only, washed and sliced. 1 1/2 cups heavy cream. Salt and white pepper to taste. One 8-oz. package filo dough. 3 tablespoons white wine or dry vermouth. 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced. Salt and white pepper to taste. Procedure:

Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter

I was asked to do a class featuring gourmet foods that could be made while camping. I felt that the whole cooking experience should be authentic, so I borrowed 4 Coleman stoves and the whole menu was cooked on these stoves. I did not think it would be right to cook the food on a regular gas stove and wanted to use equipment that campers would use. Of course this can be made on a regular stove at home. The steak will be just as good and you won’t have to be worried about mosquitoes like you would if you were camping! This is a very easy dish to prepare. The butter can be made at home and then simply cook the steaks at your campsite and enjoy! Makes four servings. Ingredients: One pound eight ounces filet mignon cut into four 6-ounce steaks. Salt and pepper to taste. 3 tablespoons olive oil. 1/4 cup red wine. 2 tablespoons sliced shallots. 1 stick butter. 1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. 2 tablespoons parsley, minced. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Procedure:

Sea Bass Fillet in Parchment. I think that preparing fish intimidates a lot of people. I’ve had many class participants say that they are never sure how long to cook fish and usually, they end up over cooking it. There are no hard and fast rules on cooking fish, because it will depend on the type of fish and also the size and thickness of the fish. In general, a thin piece of fish, for example sole, will only take about 5-7 minutes to cook. A thicker piece of fish, perhaps 1-inch thick, will take 7-10 minutes at most to cook. I just tell people to give preparing fish a shot and learn by trial and error. Always start with the shortest cooking time and see if this works. Many fish like tuna, and salmon taste great if slightly undercooked anyway. This recipe is pretty fool proof. Baking fish in parchment is a great way to keep it juicy and flavorful as it steams inside the paper. Also, you don’t have to use a lot of fat when using this method so the fish is very healthy. The chili paste and sesame oil add a lot of exotic flavor to the mild sea bass. Makes four servings. Ingredients: Four 6-oz pieces of sea bass. 2 teaspoons Thai chili paste. 4 teaspoons sesame oil. 1 small white onion, thinly sliced. 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger. 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce. Procedure:

Delicious Sidekicks

Confetti Cous Cous

This side dish was featured in a Valentine’s Day Class. The main dish was a stuffed chicken and this cous cous paired with it well. Diced apricots or raisins could be used instead of currants if desired. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 1 medium-sized fennel bulb (sometimes called anise) 2 tablespoons olive oil. 1 large garlic clove, minced. 1 1/4 cup water. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 2 plum tomatoes, seeds squeezed out and diced. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. 1 teaspoon lemon zest. 1 cup cous cous. 1/2 cup dried currents or chopped dried apricots. 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds. Procedure:

Note: Cous cous is a product made of wheat. I have found it in regular and whole-wheat varieties and either can be used in this recipe. It is a good product to keep on hand, because it cooks so quickly and makes a great substitute for rice. I had a friend’s husband try some of these recipes to see if a person who usually does not cook would have trouble following the instructions and making the food. He commented that this was an easy recipe to prepare, and that it could be served with anything from grilled chicken to steak. He also said except for the fennel, it could be something that could be whipped up at a moment’s notice since all of the ingredients are usually items that people have on hand. He wanted to know if a substitute for the fennel could be used. I love the fennel and think it adds a wonderful unique flavor, but chopped onion could be used if you don’t have a fennel bulb on hand. Boursin Cheese Mashed Potatoes. These potatoes were one of the side dishes I made in a Thanksgiving Side Dish class. They are easy to prepare and have a ton of flavor. This potato dish is great with turkey, beef or ham. Boursin cheese is a creamy garlic and herb cheese. Rondele makes a similar version and it may be a little easier to find in the supermarket. In addition, Rondele has a lower fat version if you would like to cut out a few of the calories. The potatoes will still taste very good! Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes. One- 5 oz. package Boursin cheese. 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed briefly in the microwave. 1/4 cup fresh chives, washed and snipped into small pieces. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Note: These potatoes can be made 30 to 45 minutes before serving the meal so if you wish to do so, add the larger amount of cream. The potatoes may seem a little loose initially, but as they sit they will thicken up. Just keep the pan covered with a lid or foil to keep the potatoes warm. Vegetable Pancakes. I started making these pancakes when I was a chef at Red Mountain Ranch Country Club. Since we only made 20 to 30 dinners a night then, it was easy to make these as a side dish. For more people than that it could get a little labor intensive! I prepared these pancakes in my vegetable classes and people loved them. They are also a good way to add more vegetables into a child’s diet. I find children will eat potatoes easily, so you can get them to eat carrots and zucchini too by mixing them in with the potatoes. These are great plain or served with herbed sour cream. Makes about 12 pancakes. Ingredients: 1 large potato, peeled and shredded. 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded. 1 medium zucchini, washed and shredded. 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced. 1 egg white. 1/4 cup flour. Salt and white pepper to taste. 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced. Vegetable oil for frying the pancakes. Procedure:

Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta. I think that polenta is the ultimate Italian comfort food like mashed potatoes are here in America. Also like mashed potatoes polenta can have other items added in like the Gorgonzola cheese here in this recipe which really makes it stand out. You can get special polenta corn meal or just use regular cornmeal that is found in any grocery store. I did a series of classes with Brett Hobe the owner of a meat market in Phoenix called Hobe Meats. In one class we combined this polenta with his home made grilled Sicilian ring sausage. It was delicious! Makes 6 servings. Ingredients: 3 1/3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth. 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, minced. 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced. 1 teaspoons fresh sage, minced. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 3/4 cup polenta or coarse cornmeal. 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Procedure:

Dried Fruit and Nut Stuffing. If you are a person that likes a fruity stuffing, this is a recipe to try. It goes especially well with goose or duck. If making it for either of those birds, adding about one tablespoon of orange zest makes it even better. I like it with pork also and of course it can be an accompaniment to turkey. The added bonus with this stuffing is that it is prepared with no added fat, so this recipe is quite healthy. You can keep it even healthier by not stuffing it in the bird. As the bird roasts, its fat will go into the stuffing, which will add calories. The stuffing instead can be heated in a greased, covered, 9-inch square pan at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. If you like your stuffing a little crisp, remove the cover 10 minutes before the stuffing is done. I developed this recipe for a holiday class that featured different cuts of meat or poultry that could be served at Thanksgiving or Christmas if people wanted something other than a turkey. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: One and a half pound loaf of home style type white bread. 1/2 cup pitted and chopped prunes. 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped. 1/2-cup raisins, either golden or black. 1 cup walnut pieces. 1/2 cup port. 1 onion, diced. 4 celery ribs, chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. 1 teaspoon dried marjoram. Chicken broth or vegetable broth as needed. Procedure:

Garlic Cream Potatoes. I first encountered these potatoes when I was working as a pastry cook at Vincent’s French Cuisine. I immediately fell in love with them and could not believe how easy they were to make. The most complicated step is slicing the potatoes. We used a stainless steel mandoline, which is a great piece of equipment, but they are a little pricey at about $200. There are some more economical versions that are plastic with stainless blades from Germany and they work really well. I have seen them advertised on the Internet or you can find them in cooking stores. However, if you have a sharp knife and a little patience, you can prepare the potatoes by slicing them by hand. The garlic cloves can be minced by hand, or you can use a garlic press. There are a lot of garlic presses these days where you don’t even have to peel the garlic beforehand. You just press the garlic and then use a small sharp knife to remove the peel. If you mince the garlic by hand, sprinkle your cutting board with a little salt and the garlic will mince easier without sticking to your knife. The finished dish can be cut into neat squares that present very well on the plate if you let them rest about 5 minutes after baking. Be warned these are quite rich, but it is still easy to eat a lot of them! I have demonstrated this recipe in many classes and the potatoes go well with any chicken, beef or pork dish. You can save a step and pour cold cream over the potatoes instead of heating it, but this will add about 10 minutes more to the baking time. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened. 5 large garlic cloves minced. About one pound peeled Russet potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. 16 fluid ounces heavy cream. Procedure:

Garlicky Potato Wedges and Grilled Asparagus Spears

These are the two side dishes that I prepared in my camping cooking class, where everything was cooked on Coleman stoves. The appetizer was the almond-encrusted grilled brie, and the entree, the filets with Gorgonzola cheese butter both recipes of which are included in this book in other sections. The class was a lot of fun and people were amazed that such gourmet food could be made on camp stoves. Of course, the asparagus can be grilled on a regular grill and the potatoes roasted in a conventional oven if you are making these dishes at home. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed. 1/4 cup olive oil. 2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic. 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano. 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary. 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon black pepper. Procedure:

Grilled Asparagus. 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and stalks peeled. 3 tablespoons olive oil. 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Gratin of Potatoes and Fennel. I used one of my favorite recipes, the Garlic Cream Potatoes, as a base for this recipe. I taught this recipe in a Thanksgiving side-dish class. If possible it is even richer than the original recipe since it has the cheese in it. It contains two of my favorites, fennel and Gorgonzola cheese. I don’t discard the feathery-like tops of the fennel; I use them to garnish the gratin. I probably have too many Gorgonzola recipes in this book, but I do love it so! Remember that sharp cheddar can be substituted if you are not a blue cheese lover. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons softened butter. 3 cloves garlic, minced. 3 large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. 2 medium heads fennel, root end trimmed and sliced thinly. Salt and black pepper. 1/3 cup minced parsley. 3 cups heavy whipping cream. 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese. 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Procedure:

Note: In this recipe and in the Garlic Cream Potato one, the pans has to be covered during the initial baking. This makes it possible that the cream may boil over a bit it the oven. So that you don’t have a mess to clean up, place a piece of foil or a cookie sheet on the shelf below the pan that can catch the cream if it does spill over. Gingered Carrots. I developed a series of hands-on cooking classes when I was at Kitchen Classics. Each series ran for six weeks and the most popular series was the one that featured Basic Cooking skills. This series taught the students the important foundations of cooking. It started with a knife skills class and ended with Meat Cookery. As there were 12 people in the class, they all got to try many different dishes every week. This really broadened their culinary repertoire and introduced new food items to many of the class members. One of the classes featured vegetables and they made this simple, but very tasty carrot dish. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 6 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut diagonally. 1 tablepoon olive oil. 1 tablespoon white wine. 2 tablespoons brown sugar. 2 teaspoons candied ginger, diced fine. 2 scallions, green part only, cut diagonally. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Leek and Walnut Stuffing with Cardamom Applesauce. October through December was a very busy time at Kitchen Classics, especially with holiday themed classes. I made this stuffing and applesauce in a class that featured alternates to turkey or roast beef for the Christmas meal. I used smoked pork chops, which are really great with the stuffing and sauce. Leeks are not eaten in this country as much as they are in Europe and more Americans need to discover them! They have such a wonderful, subtle onion-y flavor and are a beautiful pale green when cooked. They really do need to be washed well as the layers can hide soil. The applesauce is made with ground cardamom. Cardamom is a wonderful spice used a lot in both Scandinavian baked goods and Indian food. The sauce complements the pork and stuffing so well. I have included how these recipes were made in class with the smoked pork chops. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 3 large leeks, white and light green part only. 4 tablespoons butter. 1 large loaf of homestyle-like bread, torn into pieces. 1 1/2 cups toasted walnut pieces. 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves. 2 teaspoons caraway seeds. 2 cups, approximately, chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Six 8-10 oz smoked pork chops. Olive oil. Procedure:

Cardamom Applesauce: Makes about 2 cups. 3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks. 2 Gala Apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks. 3/4 cup sugar. Zest of 1 lemon. Water to cover apples. 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom. Procedure:

Note: The applesauce may be made ahead of time and served with the pork and stuffing at room temperature. Leeks Nicoise. I love leeks. They are a member of the allium family, which includes onions, shallots, and garlic. I created this recipe when I was an apprentice chef. Then, when I started teaching, I used it in vegetable classes and it was very popular. The dish is very colorful with the pale green leeks, red tomatoes and black olives. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 10 medium-sized leeks, white and pale green part only. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 1 cup chicken stock. 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly. 2 large tomatoes, chopped roughly. 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 1/4 cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Creamy Mashed Rutabagas aka Swedes. I grew up in England and have an English mother. She would make rutabagas, or swedes, as they are called in England and I thought they were simply horrible and would not try them. I don’t think I had ever tasted them as a child, but they smelt funny, so I wouldn’t touch them. When I started cooking as a professional, I knew that it was important to try all foods just once to see if you like them or not. I tasted rutabagas and realized I really liked their nutty and unique taste. I make them now roasted, or add them to soups or mash them as in this recipe. I made this as a side dish in a Thanksgiving class as an alternate to mashed potatoes. They are good with a nice roast chicken too. The marjoram really adds a nice flavor to the rutabagas. They are a good source of fiber and Vitamin A, so they are healthy as well as tasting great. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 lb. rutabagas, peeled. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 tablespoons butter. 1/2 cup heavy cream. Salt and black pepper to taste. 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped. 1 teaspoon dried marjoram. Procedure:

Note: I tell you in this recipe to serve the rutabagas at once. However, I know when a person is making a holiday meal it sometimes is hard to have everything ready at once, and keep it warm as there are usually more dishes involved than with a normal meal. So if you are doing a lot of side dishes liked mashed potatoes or these rutabagas, add about ¼ cup more cream than the recipe calls for. This creates a looser mashed vegetable, but cover the pan with a lid and the vegetable will keep warm for about 15 minutes and thicken up and be the proper consistency when you are ready to serve. Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If more people knew what a nutritional powerhouse the sweet potato is, I think they would be eaten more than just during the holidays in that casserole with the nasty marshmallows melted on top! However, I am glad to see sweet potato recipes featured more often now throughout the year and also it is pretty common to see sweet potato fries offered on many menus. They are wonderful simply baked with a little butter or roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sweet potatoes are high in fiber and Vitamin A and their beautiful color makes them a lovely addition to any holiday diner plate. I made these sweet potatoes in a Thanksgiving side dish class and nothing could be simpler and more delicious. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 5 sweet potatoes, peeled. 1/2 cup warm milk. 4 tablespoons melted butter. Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. 1/3 cup real maple syrup. Procedure:

Orzo Pilaf

I have prepared this recipe in many classes. I really like orzo, which is a rice-shaped pasta and it is nice to introduce it to people who have never tried it. Orzo makes a nice change from rice. This pilaf is great with just about any meat or seafood. It can be made with water or vegetable broth if you don’t have chicken broth. I sometimes stir in a little grated Parmesan cheese after it is done, which makes the orzo a little sticky. If you do this, you can put it in a ramekin, press it down firmly with a spoon and then unmold it onto the plate, which makes for a nice presentation if topped with a sprig of fresh rosemary or marjoram. Alternately, you can stir in a few chunks of feta cheese and this adds a nice flavor to the pilaf. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil. 1 medium onion, chopped. 1 teaspoon marjoram, minced. 1/4 teaspoon rosemary, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 cup dried orzo. 2 1/4 cups chicken broth. 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Procedure:

French-Style Potatoes

I believe these potatoes have a proper name, but I am unsure of what it is. My friend, Steve Schultz, who is an excellent chef, showed me how to make these potatoes. He had learned how to make them when he was at La Varenne, which is a cooking school in Paris. I think that particular branch of the school is closed now, and moved down to Burgundy. I made this recipe as part of a four-part series of classes featuring vegetables. In typical French fashion; the ingredients are simple and produce a dish that tastes wonderful. Make sure you use all of the butter and if you don’t have home made chicken stock, use a high quality store bought one. Do not use chicken bouillon cubes! These potatoes are good served with meat, chicken or fish. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 6 large Yukon Gold Potatoes. 1 large sweet onion. 4 oz. butter. 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Potatoes with Chipotle Chilies. I first made these potatoes for my own Thanksgiving dinner and they were well received especially with the people that like spicy foods. The following year I made them in a class that featured side dishes to be served with a southwestern style Thanksgiving dinner. Chipotle chilies are smoked jalapeños. They are sold canned in adobo sauce. You will find them in the Mexican food aisle of most any supermarket. They have a wonderful smoky flavor, and the adobo sauce is good, too. It can be stirred into chili, for example, which adds a lot of flavor, so don’t discard it. Chipotles are very hot, so be careful when using them. Taste your potatoes after adding half of the chilies to see if you have achieved the desired flavor and spiciness. You may not need the three that are used in this recipe. Sweet potatoes can also be used instead of russets if you like. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces. 1 medium onion, peeled and diced. 1 to 1 1/2 cups half and half. 2 oz butter. 3 chipotle chilies, mashed to a paste. Salt and pepper to taste. Procedure:

Potato Beignets. This potato recipe is a little work, but worth it. You may want to use it when you have company over, because your guests will be impressed by how good they are. The recipe starts out by making a choux paste, which is the same dough that cream puffs and éclairs are made of. Mashed potatoes and some flavorings are stirred in and then the batter is scooped into hot oil and fried. I have tried to make the batter beforehand, but the beignets turned out heavy. The original recipe for the choux paste is transformed from metric, which results in the weird 9-ounce amount of water. Makes approximately 25 beignets. Ingredients: 1 lb. potatoes (use a starchy kind such as a russet) 9 ounces water. 4 oz. (1 stick) butter. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. 7 eggs. 1 tablespoon minced garlic. 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper. 2 green onions, sliced. 1 teaspoon salt. Oil for frying. Procedure:

Roasted Vegetable Gratin. This is a sure way to get people to eat their vegetables! It is creamy and rich with a slightly crunchy Parmesan cheese and breadcrumb topping. This is a super dish for holiday dinners, because it can be made the day before and baked in the oven with the roast if that is your main course. If parsnips are unavailable, try rutabagas or turnips. It is very important to cut the vegetables thinly, or they won’t cook through. Alternately, the vegetables could be cut thicker and then parboiled for 5 minutes prior to assembling the casserole. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 4 oz. butter. 1 cup flour. 6 cups whole milk. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. 1 bay leaf. 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves. 1 teaspoon ground marjoram. 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped. 2 large leeks, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced. 8 oz. parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced. 8 oz. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced. 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. Salt and pepper to taste. 6 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated. 1 1/2-cups fresh bread crumbs. Procedure:

Wheat Berry and Mushroom Pilaf. I always think it is interesting to try new grains. There is such a variety to choose from now. It is easy to find quinoa, teff, different types of rice and these wheat berries. I decided to create a class that used all different types of grains in a variety of recipes. I did quinoa stuffed peppers, a wild rice salad (although, technically wild rice in a grass and not a grain- but people love it), and a buckwheat groat stuffing. I think I made a brown rice maple crème brulee for that class too. It was fun introducing the class participants to some new grains. Wheat berries are simply the kernels of wheat that would be ground up to make flour. They are packed with fiber, protein, and iron. They have a nice chewy texture and can be made into salads, stuffings or pilafs like in this recipe. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 3/4 cup wheat berries. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 2 shallots, minced. 1 cup mushrooms (any variety like white, crimini, shitake or portabella) sliced. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves. 2 1/2 cups (approximately) chicken stock or broth. Salt and pepper to taste. 1/2 cup dried cranberries, (optional) Procedure:

Tomato and Tillamook Cheddar Betty

When I was at Kitchen Classics teaching I decided to have a class that featured crisps, cobblers, pandowdies, etc. The class was scheduled in the summer when fruit was at its best. I had learned my lesson in previous classes to never feature all sweet items in a class because it was sugar overkill. I had once done a cheesecake class with all dessert cheesecakes and it was too much. I introduced a savory cheesecake in the next class, which kind of gave the palate a bit of a rest between all of that sugar. This philosophy was the catalyst to create this savory tomato Betty recipe for the class. The tomatoes need to be really ripe; homegrown is a bonus, if possible. The leeks and marjoram are also so important to give this dish a really original flavor. This was probably one of the most successful recipes I created while at Kitchen Classics and it was requested to be featured in other classes on more than one occasion. Makes eight side dish servings. Ingredients: 8 large ripe tomatoes. 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced thinly. Salt and pepper to taste. 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, minced. 3 cups Tillamook cheddar cheese, shredded. 4 cups fresh white bread crumbs. 2 oz melted butter. Procedure:

The Staff of Life

Boulder’s Corn Bread. There is a beautiful resort in Carefree, Arizona called The Boulders. They had a couple of restaurants on the property and the food that they served always got rave reviews. My friend, Jo Ann, worked there and she used to make this bread a few times a weeks. It was served in one of the resort’s restaurants and was extremely popular. Because of the high percentage of butter and sugar that it contains, it is quite rich and the corn and chiles help the bread to stay nice and moist. I used this recipe in a Southwestern Foods class and make it at home now a lot. It makes two pans, so I usually freeze one of the pans to enjoy at a later time. This bread is a snap to make; you’ll find the procedure is very simple. Makes two 9-inch pans or 32 pieces. Ingredients: 12 oz. (3 sticks) butter. 3/4 cups sugar. 2 cups cornmeal. 8 eggs. 3 cups flour. 2 tablespoons baking powder. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. One 4 oz. can diced green chiles. Two 15 oz. cans creamed corn. 2/3 cups grated Cheddar cheese. 2/3 cup grated Jack cheese. Procedure:

Cottage Cheese and Dill Bread. I think that I first found this recipe in a book called “Beyond Parsley” which I recommend wholeheartedly- it has some great recipes in it. I used to make this when I was a pastry chef at Gainey Ranch and then taught the recipe in a lot of my bread classes. The cottage cheese keeps it moist and it is redolent with the flavor of onion. I have served it as my Thanksgiving bread and made turkey sandwiches with it the next day and it is really yummy. Makes 2 loaves that are about 8-inches in diameter. Ingredients: 2 teaspoons dry active yeast. 1/2 cup warm water (105-110 degrees, should feel very warm but not hot if you put a few drops on the inside of your wrist) 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds. 2 tablespoons sugar. 1/4 cup red onion, minced. 1 tablespoon minced dill weed. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. 1 egg. 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour. Procedure:

Gorgonzola Cheese Scones

I made these scones in a Valentines Day class and used heart shaped cutters. I think this is probably my favorite scone recipe, as I do love Gorgonzola cheese. If blue cheese is not your favorite try sharp cheddar instead, they will still be wonderful. Makes twenty small scones using a 2-inch in diameter heart shaped or round cutter. Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour. 1 tablespoon baking powder. 2 teaspoons dry mustard. 3/4 teaspoon salt. 4 oz unsalted butter. 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled. 2 eggs. 1 cup milk, plus 1-2 tablespoons for brushing the scones. 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine. Procedure:

Herbed Focaccia Bread. This is one of the first breads that I started to make regularly at home and at Gainey Ranch when I was the pastry chef. I like to teach this recipe a lot in a demonstration class because it has a relatively short rising time and we can make it completely in a 3-hour bread class. Even better is when I have taught hands-on bread making classes and students make this focaccia and see how easy and satisfying bread making can be. The herbs I usually use are basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme. Makes two 6 to 7- inch round flat loaves. Ingredients: 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast. 2 tablespoons warm water (105-110 degrees, should feel very warm but not hot if you put a few drops on the inside of your wrist) 1 cup water at room temperature. 2 tablespoons olive oil plus a little extra for brushing on the breads. About 3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. 1/4 chopped mixed herbs of your choice. 2 tsp. minced garlic. Procedure:

Linda’s Cholesterol Lowering Muffins. Okay, so I don’t have clinical proof that these muffins can lower your cholesterol! However, they do contain both oat bran and oat milk, which have soluble fiber in them. This fiber can help in lowering cholesterol. I came up with this recipe during the time when oat bran was all the rage, and there was a lot of press about how it could help to lower cholesterol. The muffins were part of a healthy foods series of classes that I did. They do have a dense texture and are filling. You may notice that they are quite low in fat. The banana helps to keep them moist, but as the recipe makes 12 muffins, they can tend to dry out if not eaten within 1-2 days. I just pop them in the freezer and pull out one or two, as I want them. The oat milk is usually found in health food stores or Whole Foods. Trader Joes sometimes carries it also. If you can’t find it, regular milk can be substituted, but this will lower the soluble fiber content. Makes 12 medium sized muffins. Ingredients: 1 cup oat bran. 1 cup whole-wheat flour. 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 cup oat milk or regular milk. 2 egg whites. 2 tablespoons olive oil (the light flavored variety) 1 mashed banana. 2 tablespoons dried pineapple, diced. Procedure:

Pear, Pine Nut and Cardamom Scones

I think that scones can be a busy person’s secret weapon as far as making homemade bread is concerned. They are categorized as a quick bread and the name definitely describes them. They are quick to produce and rely on chemical leaveners such as baking powder or baking powder to make them rise. Scones can be either sweet or savory. If you want to serve a home make bread for breakfast or dinner, and time is short, the scone will fit the bill. Dried pears can usually be found in health food stores or Trader Joes. If you can’t find them, you could use a fresh pear as long as it is not too ripe. If you do use a fresh pear, you can omit combining the dried pears, sugar and milk that is listed first. Simply add the milk, sugar and pears to the dry ingredients and stir to make a soft dough. Makes twelve scones. Ingredients: 1 cup milk. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. 1/2 cup dried pears, diced. 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats. 1 cup all purpose flour. 1 tablespoon baking powder. 2 teaspoons ground cardamom. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 stick unsalted butter. 1/2 cup pine nuts. Procedure:

Provolone Cheese, Bacon and Black Pepper Bread. I made this bread in the second day of a three-day bread making series. The first day, we made plain breads, the second day we made flavored breads and the third day featured sweet breads. This is very good to eat as is because of the great flavors from the cheese and bacon. It’s a great partner with home made soup also. The large amount of black pepper is what really makes it tasty. Bread making is made easiest if you use a good sturdy mixer like a Kitchen Aid or a Bosch. However, sometimes I like to do the kneading part by hand just to get a feel of the dough. I think it is really therapeutic to work with bread dough. I always feel calmer after I make bread, so this recipe is good for your stomach and your head! Makes two loaves. Ingredients: 1/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F) 1 cup room temperature water. 2 1/ teaspoons active dry yeast. 2 tablespoons sugar. 1 teaspoon salt. 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour. 3 tablespoons margarine or butter. 6 oz. Provolone cheese, cut into small cubes (about 1 ½ cups) 8 oz. bacon, cooked and diced (approx. 1/2 cup) 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Procedure:

Note: The best way to get the cubes of Provolone for this bread is to buy a large piece of unsliced cheese from the deli and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Pizza Dough

This is the pizza dough that I use for all the pizza recipes that I taught except for the Mexican Pizza. It is the recipe that I use at home also. When I make pizza at home, I prepare the recipe as written and make two crusts and freeze one for later use. I poke the dough all over with a fork before baking each crust. This is called docking and it keeps the pizza crust from bubbling up. I par-bake the crusts for about 7 minutes. Then, I will make one pizza and cool the other crust, wrap it in foil, freeze it and use it on another occasion. Makes two crusts. Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F) 1 teaspoon sugar. 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour. 2 teaspoons salt. Procedure:

Note: Par-baking the crust ensures that the finished pizza will not be soggy. Roasted Vegetable Flatbreads. I demonstrated these flatbreads as part of a summer party class featuring recipes that could be served buffet-style. I wanted to use a lot of fresh summery vegetables in many of the dishes and this one features peppers, eggplant, and zucchini. Makes twelve buffet sized servings. Ingredients: 1 recipe of Pizza Dough (from the recipe that proceeds this one) 1 eggplant, peeled. 2 zucchini, washed. 2 red bell peppers, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces. 1/4 cup olive oil. One 5oz package- herb flavored cheese, like Rondele or Boursin. Freshly ground black pepper to taste. Procedure:

Sour Cream and Dried Cherry Muffins

Moist sour cream cherry muffins- all they need is a smear of butter. I love muffins and these have always been one of my favorites. The orange liquor really adds a nice flavor. They aren’t too sweet; which I like and also, they stay moist. When I was a pastry chef at Gainey Ranch Golf Club, we made these everyday as part of our breakfast bread basket, because they were the member’s favorite. We did not want to soak the cherries every day, so we would plump about 3 pounds of them, and then drain off the water. We would add some Grand Marnier or Triple Sec to the cherries, enough so that they would stay moist and were always ready to use. They keep like this for about 2 weeks. This is something you can do at home with about 1 pound of cherries and they can be used for other cakes or cookies if you like. Makes twelve to fourteen muffins depending on the size of the tin. Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried cherries. 2 cups boiling water. 2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, softened. 1 cup sugar. 1 teaspoon. vanilla extract. 2 eggs. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. 3/4 teaspoon baking powder. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda. 1 1/4 cups sour cream. 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. Procedure:

Sweet Temptations

Apricot Chocolate Rugelah. I developed this recipe in my business, Linda’s Gourmet Desserts. I used to make about 50 pounds of rugelah a week, which is a lot of rugelah!! I would use this recipe at holiday hands-on cookie classes because it’s ideal to use when you may want to bake a lot of cookies to give as gifts. Traditionally, rugelah is made by rolling the dough out into circles, cutting the dough into wedges, adding the filling and then rolling the dough up to form little crescents. The method below is less labor intensive and produces great results. The recipe may be cut in half. Makes 5lbs or about 130 pieces. Ingredients: 1 lb. dried apricots. Water to cover apricots. 3 cups sugar. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 lb. 4 oz (5 sticks) unsalted butter. 1 lb. 4 oz cream cheese. 5 cups all purpose flour. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 1/2 cups dried currants. 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts. 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips. 2 eggs. Procedure:

Note: The rugelah should be kept in an airtight container like a tin. Bernie’s Carrot Cake. My friend, Susan Schop, gave me this recipe when she worked with me at Gainey Ranch Golf Club. She said she got it from her mom who got it from a bakery in New York. Susan is not exactly sure who Bernie is, and her mom does not know either. I wish I knew who he was so I could tell him thanks for the wonderful recipe. I was never a fan of carrot cake, because the ones I had eaten always seemed to contain too much oil and tasted greasy to me. This cake is not greasy, and the pineapple gives it a nice fruity taste. I used this recipe in classes that I taught and also in my jobs as a pastry chef and bakery owner. It was one of the top sellers. I use a cream cheese icing with drained, crushed pineapple and toasted coconut as the filling and also to ice the cake with. The basic cream cheese icing is included in this book. Makes two 10-inch layers. Ingredients: 1 cup raisins. 1 1/4 cup corn oil. 2 cups sugar. 3 eggs. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 2 cups all-purpose flour. 2 teaspoons baking soda. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. 3/4 teaspoon salt. 3/4 cups chopped walnuts. 1/2 cup crushed pineapple. 2 cups grated carrots. Procedure:

Bizcochitos with Fresh Fruit Compote. These are Mexican cookies, and are usually made with lard. Some people in the class had an aversion to using lard so I used Crisco when I demonstrated this recipe. With new health information, it has been found that because of the trans fats that Crisco contains, it is a worse fat to use than lard. However, because many food manufacturers want to remove trans fats from their products, you can now buy Crisco that is trans fat free. By law labels have to declare if the product contains trans fats, so consumers can be assured that they are not using a product that contains these unhealthy fats. The shortening behaves like lard so the cookies will taste and look very similar to traditional bizcochitos You can use butter in the recipe if you wish, but the flavor will not be quite as authentic. The cookies will be a little crisper, but still taste great. So choose the fat that you wish to use. The cookies and fruit compote make a great combination for dessert after a Mexican dinner. Try to find sanding sugar if you can to sprinkle on the cookies before you bake them. It gives the cookies a sparkly finish. This type of sugar is usually found in cooking or cake decoration stores. Makes 20 cookies and fruit compote for eight persons. Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour. 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. 1/2 teaspoons salt. 3/4 cup vegetable shortening. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. 2 eggs. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 1 tablespoons milk. 1 tablespoons anise seeds. Additional sugar for topping. Procedure:

Fresh fruit compote with orange syrup: 1 cup sugar. 1 1/2 cups water. 1/4 cup orange liqueur, like Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. 8 cups mixed fresh fruit like melons or strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces

Blackberry and Apple Crumble. I grew up in England where blackberry and apple is a classic combination. The fruit combo is mostly found in pies. In my family, my grandmother (Nanny) would stew the two fruits together and it would be served warm with custard. My cousin Karen and I took great pleasure in mixing up the blackberry and apple with the custard to form a wicked looking purple mess. It still tasted good though! Our custard was made from Bird’s custard powder and it is basically crème anglaise (English cream) also known as vanilla sauce. This crumble is good eaten whether eaten with vanilla sauce or vanilla ice cream. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen. 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced. 3/4 cups sugar. 1 tablespoon cornstarch. 1 tablespoon lemon zest. For the crumble: 1/2 cup sugar. 1/2cup brown sugar. 8 oz (2 sticks) butter. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 2 cups flour. 1/2 cup rolled oats. 1 cup almonds, sliced. Procedure:

Chile Pine Nut Brownies. When I prepared these brownies in Arizona, the combination of chilies and chocolate was looked upon as fairly normal. Now, that I live in St. Louis, I have gotten some weird comments about this combo. Once people try the brownies though, and just taste the subtle flavor of the chilies, they are sold on chilies and chocolate together! I have included these brownies in gift baskets at holiday time. They stay very moist due to the large amount of chocolate and butter. They also freeze well. I like to wrap each brownie individually, and then put them in a freezer bag and they can be frozen for up to 2 months. Makes 24 brownies. Ingredients: 12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped. 12 oz. unsalted butter, cut into chunks. 6 eggs. 2 1/4 cups sugar. 2 teaspoons vanilla. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. 1/2 cup diced poblano chilies. 1/2 cup diced semisweet chocolate. 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts or pecans. Procedure:

Note: Poblano chilies are dark green and are mildly hot. They are easy to find in the supermarket where the jalapeños or Serrano chilies are kept. I started out using only 1/3 cup of diced chiles in this recipe, but you could barely taste that they were there at all, so I increased the amount and the flavor was more pronounced, but certainly not overwhelming. The chocolate and butter can be melted in one of two ways. Either put them both in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 80% power for a total time of about 3 minutes. Stop the process every minute and stir the chocolate and butter; this will help to speed up the melting process. Alternately, the chocolate and butter can be put in a heat-proof bowl and placed over a pan of simmering, not boiling water. This is called a water bath. Stir the chocolate and butter as it melts and it should take about 5 minutes to melt. Chocolate Mocha Flourless Cake with Raspberry Sauce. When I was a pastry apprentice it would be nothing to make 3000 chocolate truffles a week. Then, when I owned my bakery, I would easily go through 200 pounds of chocolate a week in the different cakes and cookies we would prepare. After working with so much chocolate it is no wonder that chocolate was less than appealing to me. Since I am no longer immersed in so much chocolate, I do enjoy it now, in small amounts with dark chocolate being my favorite. This cake is on my list of chocolate desserts that I like a lot because it is moist and not too sweet. It is best when eaten warm or at room temperature and it is REALLY good with whipped cream and fresh raspberries, or with raspberry sauce. Makes twelve servings. Ingredients: 12 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped. 6 oz. unsalted butter. 2 tablespoons strong coffee. 5 egg yolks. 1 cup sugar. 5 egg whites. Procedure:

Raspberry Sauce: 2 pints fresh raspberries. Honey to taste

Cream Cheese Frosting. This is my favorite icing for many cakes, including carrot cake. I have also mixed in a little ground cinnamon and chopped toasted walnuts and use it on an apple spice cake. Mixing in some orange zest and about 2 tablespoons orange juice turns it into a nice icing for angel food cake. I prefer using this frosting on cinnamon rolls rather than a plain powdered sugar glaze. As you can see, this is a versatile recipe! Makes approximately 7 cups of frosting. Ingredients. 1 1/2 pounds (24 oz.) cream cheese, softened. 12 oz butter, unsalted, softened. 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted. 1 tablespoons vanilla. Procedure:

Note: This recipe makes a large amount of frosting and it will keep in the refrigerator for at least two weeks, It also freezes well, so you can make the large batch and use what you need and then simply freeze the rest in a tightly covered container for no longer than six months. Cuban Ice Cream Sundae. I developed this recipe for a class that featured foods that might be served in Miami, Florida. I made Cuban sandwiches as one of the dishes and this sundae for dessert. I also made mojitos and quite frankly those rum laced cocktails were the favorite of the class! Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice. 2/3 cups brown sugar. 2 1/2 cups fresh diced pineapple. 1/4 cup dark rum. 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. 2 tablespoons cornstarch. 1 tablespoon lime juice. 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. 3/4 cup grated toasted coconut. One-pint vanilla ice cream. 2 bananas, sliced. Procedure:

Gingerbread Ice Cream Roulade. This is a challenging recipe to make, but the results are worth it. Just make sure that you read the recipe all the way through before you make the roulade. The cake roll is light and spicy and the filling is simply good quality vanilla ice cream. I made it for a class featuring lighter holiday desserts and it really is good after a heavy holiday meal. Best of all is that it can be made 2 weeks in advance and then served as a completely frozen dessert. Just wrap it well in double layers of foil. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so and this will soften it up for slicing. If you really want to add more ginger flavor (I recommend this as I adore ginger) sprinkle on ¼ cup chopped candied ginger onto the ice cream before rolling the cake up. Makes 12 servings. Ingredients: 1/3 cup sifted cake flour (measured and then sifted) 3 tablespoons cornstarch. 4 large eggs. 1 egg yolk. 1/2 cup molasses. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. 1 tablespoon sugar. 1/2 gallon good quality vanilla ice cream. Powdered sugar for dusting cake. Procedure:

Note: Cornstarch will make this cake have a beautiful, fine texture. Also, whisking the dry ingredients then sifting them adds lightness to the cake. If you don’t want to use ice cream in this roulade, the cream cheese frosting that is in this chapter would be great with it too. Creamy Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps. I originally created this beverage for a winter breakfast menu. It is great at breakfast, but is so rich that it would almost substitute for dessert at dinner. I am sure you will enjoy this drink at any time you prepare it. Keep in mind that this is definitely an adult’s hot chocolate! Makes six servings. Ingredients: 3/4 cup heavy cream. 3 1/4 cups milk. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped. 3 oz. peppermint schnapps. Procedure:

Note: Chocolates such as Valrhona, Callebaut or Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate would all be good choices to use in this recipe. Irish Coffee Cheesecake. I used to make this cheesecake when I had my bakery. It was the second most popular cheesecake after the Kahlua Mousse Cheesecake. You will notice that I like to bake all of my cheesecakes in water baths. This method results in a creamy cheesecake that usually will not crack on top. One of the first classes I taught at Kitchen Classics was a cheesecake class featuring 5 different cheesecakes. I guess I was sort of blasé about cheesecakes having made so many when I had my bakery, so I was astonished when 40 people signed up for the class! Since a cheesecake cannot be normally baked and served in a 2-hour class, I had to make 14 cheesecakes ahead of time that would be ready to be sampled in class! Needless to say, I was really tired of cheesecake at the end of that class, but all the participants loved them so that really pleased me! Makes fourteen servings. Ingredients: Crust: 6 oz. oatmeal cookies. 3 tablespoons brown sugar. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 3 oz. butter. Filling: 2 lbs. 8 oz cream cheese. 2 1/2 cups brown sugar. 3 tablespoons flour. 5 eggs. 2 egg yolks. 5 tablespoons whiskey. 3 tablespoons Irish Cream Liquor like Bailey’s. 2 tablespoons coffee extract. Topping: 1 1/2 cups sour cream. 3 tablespoons brown sugar. 1 teaspoon coffee extract. Procedure:

Kahlua Cheesecake

When I had my bakery, this cheesecake was the most popular one that I sold. I used to spread a layer of chocolate mousse on top, and garnish it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The cheesecake is great even without the mousse, but a little whipped cream and shaved chocolate really make it look nice. Makes one cheesecake that serves fourteen. Ingredients: Crust: 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs. 1/2 cup sugar. 6 tablespoons butter, melted. Filling: 2 lbs. 4 oz cream cheese. 2 1/2 cups sugar. 3 tablespoons flour. 5 eggs. 2 egg yolks. 2 teaspoons vanilla. 1/2 cup Kahlua. 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, cut into small chunks. Procedure:

Kahlua Brownies. Coffee and chocolate are a great combination and this recipe has them both. These brownies easy and delicious so had to be included in this book. Just remember to use real butter, not margarine and the result will be fabulous, moist brownies! Makes thirty-two small brownies or twenty-four medium-sized ones. Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter. 4 oz (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate. 2 cups sugar. 2 tablespoons Kahlua. 4 large eggs. 1 cup flour. Pinch of salt. 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces, optional. Procedure:

Kahlua Cinnamon Coffee. I love this coffee either for brunch or after dinner. The recipe was originally done for a Southwest brunch class. But it’s great served after a dinner party as dessert with some simple crisp cookies. It is perfect on a crisp winter morning or chilly evening, two things I never got to experience much when living in Phoenix! If you serve it in the evening you can use decaffeinated coffee. This recipe can be cut in half. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 seedless orange. 6 tablespoons sugar. 6 whole cloves. 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half. 3/4 cup Kahlua. 1/3 cup orange liquor (like Grand Marnier or Triple Sec) 8 cups of strongly brewed coffee. 1 cup whipping cream. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Procedure:

Layered Apple Bread Pudding. I needed a dessert for a casserole class that I was teaching and this pudding really fits the bill. I based it on English-style bread and butter pudding that my mom told me her mother made when she was growing up. The pudding can be put together really quickly and can be baking in the same oven as another casserole that has been prepared for the main course. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups milk. 1 cup cream. 1 large cinnamon stick. 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg. About 12 slices home-style white bread cut in half. 1/4 cup softened butter. 3 eggs. 1/2 cup sugar. Pinch salt. 3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced thin. 1/2 cup seedless raisins. Procedure:

Maple and Brown Rice Crème Brulees. I was asked to do a class featuring grains at Kitchen Classics. I used barley in a soup, quinoa in some stuffed poblano chilies and buckwheat groats in a pilaf. Rice pudding would have been a natural dessert, but I wanted to do something different, so I came up with these brown rice brulees. Be sure to use real maple syrup, grade B is less expensive, darker and has the best flavor. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown rice. 1 cup water. 2 cups whole milk. 3 cups half and half. 3 eggs. 2 egg yolks. 3/4 cup real maple syrup. 1/3 cup sugar for sprinkling on brulees. Procedure:

Mexican Bread Pudding. This pudding has the classic south of the border combination of chocolate and cinnamon. The jalapeño offers a little kick and a nice chile flavor. It may seem odd to pair chilies with chocolate and cinnamon, but if you are familiar with the wonderful Mexican mole sauce you know that it also contains all of these ingredients and is incredibly tasty! This is wonderful served warm with vanilla bean or coffee ice cream or a large dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. Makes eight to ten servings. Ingredients: One 16 oz loaf of home-style white bread. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. 1 jalapeño, minced. 1 quart half and half. 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces. 2 cinnamon sticks. 1/4 cup brandy. 1 cup raisins. 8 egg yolks. 1 cup sugar. Procedure:

Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. These crisp cookies were one of six flavors of biscotti that I used to make when I had my wholesale bakery. These, along with the lemon anise biscotti, were my personal favorites. However, I used to have to make so many pounds of biscotti each week that for a while I just could not eat them! I enjoy indulging in them now though with a hot cup of coffee. I used this recipe in a class for holiday gift giving because the biscotti can be made in advance and stored in an airtight tin for at least a week, or the dough can be made a few days ahead of time and then be baked off. Also, this recipe makes a large quantity making it perfect to use when giving cookies away. Makes about forty-eight biscotti. Ingredients: 8 oz unsalted butter. 1 1/2 cups sugar. 4 eggs. 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. 1 tablespoon baking powder. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 4 oz milk chocolate, chopped. 4 oz hazelnuts, chopped. Procedure:

Pumpkin Custards. This dessert was made as part of a hands-on healthy cooking series. Because these custards are made with evaporated skim milk, instead of half and half or cream, they are much lower in fat than classically made custard would be. Some of the whole eggs have been replaced by egg whites, which also lowers the fat content. They will be a little firmer than custard that was prepared in the classic way because of the egg whites. The pumpkin will also add some firmness to the texture. Make sure to use real maple syrup in this recipe to get the best flavor. Makes eight custards. Ingredients: 2 cups cooked pumpkin-(16 oz.) can. 1 1/2 cups evaporated skimmed milk. 2 eggs. 3 egg whites. 3/4 cup pure maple syrup. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Procedure:

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. When I had my business, Linda’s Gourmet Desserts, I would sell so many of these cheesecakes at Thanksgiving. The cake is a nice alternative to pumpkin pie and is quite easy to make. Best of all, it can be made three to four days ahead of the holiday. It tastes best if it is allowed to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes one cake which serves 14. Ingredients: For crust: 1 1/2 cups gingersnaps, crushed. 1/4 cup butter, melted. For filling: 2 pounds 4 oz. cream cheese. 2 1/4 cups sugar. 2 tablespoons flour. 4 eggs. 2 egg yolks. 2 teaspoons vanilla. 1 cup pumpkin. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Procedure:

Ricotta Cheesecake. A friend in Phoenix, Janice Vitelli, gave this recipe to me. She said it was a family recipe. Her family is Italian-American, which accounts for ricotta cheese being included in the recipe. I am not a huge lover of cheesecakes and the few that I like are usually simply flavored and not topped with a lot of gooey or fruity toppings. This cheesecake is one of my favorites. The cake is not very sweet and the ricotta gives it a mildly grainy consistency that is very interesting on the palate. I serve it simply dressed with fresh sliced strawberries or blueberries. Makes one cake that serves fourteen. Ingredients: 1 lb. cream cheese, softened. 1 lb. ricotta cheese. 1 1/2 cups sugar. 2 cups sour cream. 1/2 cup flour. 6 eggs. Zest of 1 lemon, grated. 2 tablespoons lemon juice. 1 tablespoon vanilla. Procedure:

Note- The best tool for making citrus zest is a micro plane grater. They are easily found at kitchen stores or a department store like Target. They are also great for grating ginger, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and chocolate. They make sharpeners for them now also, so this tool can virtually last you a lifetime since it can be sharpened when the grating surfaces get dull. Tiramisu Parfaits

All of the yummy flavor that’s in Tiramisu, but a lot less work. Tiramisu literally translated means “pick me up” or “carry me up”. Maybe that is because of the caffeine from the espresso. Regardless, this easy to assemble dessert is very good and because you purchase the ladyfingers, it can be put together in a snap. I have some martini glasses with thick stems and have used them instead of a taller parfait glass. These are the glasses that are featured in the picture above this recipe. A glass with a wider mouth is best because this makes it easier to build the parfait. I have been to some restaurants that make tiramisu in a rectangular pan and then cut it into squares to serve it. You cannot do this with this recipe because the cheese filling is a little too soft. Your package of ladyfingers should weigh about 4 ounces and contain about 36 two-inch long ladyfingers. This will give you enough to make six parfaits. These are best made about 8 hours in advance, as the flavors will get a chance to combine. Makes six servings. Ingredients: 1-package ladyfingers. 1 cup water. 1 cup sugar. 1/2 cup strong espresso. 2 tablespoons rum. 1 pound mascarpone cheese (softened) 1 cup heavy cream, whipped until stiff. 3/4 cups sugar. Chocolate shavings or cocoa. Procedure:

Velvas

I am sure that many cooks have a variation of this unbaked cookie in their repertoire. This is my mother-in-law’s recipe and she would make them every Christmas. Because she worked in a flower shop, she would have to work a lot of hours the week before Christmas, so she tried to get all her baking done at the beginning of the month. My husband, Dave has three other siblings, and they all would try to eat her baking early, so she would hide all the goodies at the bottom of the freezer. Dave was especially determined to find the loot, so he would dig out cookies and eat them frozen. He developed a taste for frozen cookies so when I make these, I have to freeze them or he feels they don’t taste quite as good! I prefer them a little warm myself or at least at room temperature. Neither he nor I are sure why they are called Velvas. Makes about thirty-six cookies. Ingredients: 2 cups sugar. 1/4 cup cocoa. Dash salt. 4 oz. butter. 1/2 cup milk. 1/2 cup peanut butter. 3 cups rolled oats. 1 teaspoon vanilla. Procedure:

Note: If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test for the softball stage in a glass of cold water. After 2 minutes of boiling time, drop a little of the hot mixture into a glass of cold water. If you can form it into a soft little ball- it is ready. If not, continue cooking and test it every 30 seconds

Fruity Favorites

Fresh Melon and Strawberry Compote. This is a refreshing dish that is perfect in the summer when both melons and strawberries are at their peak. I developed this recipe to use in a brunch class. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 1 cup fresh mint leaves. 1 1/4 cups sugar. 1 1/2 cups water. 1 medium sized honeydew melon. 2 pints fresh strawberries. Procedure:

Grape and Yogurt Parfait. I made this parfait in one of the breakfast classes that I taught on Friday mornings. In Greece yogurt and honey are often combined, and makes a great duo. If you use Greek-style yogurt, this recipe is even better. This yogurt is thicker and less watery than regular yogurt. Greek yogurt also has higher protein content, so this adds a health bonus. Grapes and yogurt go very well together and the nuts contribute nice crunch. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 cups plain yogurt. 1/4 cup honey. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint. 2 cups seedless red grapes, washed. 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds. Procedure:

Honey Crunch Baked Apples. These baked apples were made in a brunch class. I like to make them for dessert too, and they are a perfect light dessert on a cool fall evening. I like to use Granny Smith apples because of their tart flavor, firmness and color. However, other varieties may be used like Fuji, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady. A piece of the peel is removed from around the middle of the apple, so that they won’t burst during baking. It gives them a nicer look as well. Makes eight servings. Ingredients: 8 Granny Smith apples, washed. 1/2 cup of granola. 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped. 1/3 cup pecans, chopped. 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg. 1 tablespoon lemon juice. 1/4 cup honey. 1 cup apple juice or cider. 1/2 stick melted butter. Procedure:

Ginger Pears

I developed this recipe for a brunch class that featured lighter calorie foods. I love ginger and try to put it in many recipes! The great thing about ginger is that it is strong flavored so when you make foods with it, you can cut down on the fat because the ginger will give you the flavor. I have used these pears for dessert also served with low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt. The ginger lemon marmalade is something I usually find in the British food section of a global foods type store or in an English food shop. I have used orange marmalade in place of the ginger lemon marmalade and the pears still taste great. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 ripe pears, any variety. 2 oz. marzipan. Zest of 1 lemon. 2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped. 1/4 cup golden raisins. 2 tablespoons slivered almonds. 1/3 cup ginger lemon marmalade. 1/2 cup water. Procedure:

Spiced Brandied Pears. I have made these pears in breakfast and brunch classes as part of the menu. Alternately I have used these pears in my healthy cooking classes for dessert, as they are fat free. Leaving the peel on the pears adds a little fiber too. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 4 ripe pears cut in half lengthwise and cored. Rind of one lemon. Two cinnamon sticks. 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves. 1 tablespoon cardamom pods. 1cup brandy. 1/2 cup sugar. Procedure:

Spiced Fruit Compote. Fruit compotes are very easy to make, store well and are nice to eat either as part of a brunch or breakfast meal or as dessert. This compote was part of a class that I taught in January, when everyone is looking to make lighter foods after all of the holiday eating indulgences. As the recipe states it can be served with a little vanilla flavored sour cream or you could use vanilla fat-free yogurt. I often will double this recipe so that I have some available in the refrigerator if I want a quick dessert, because it tastes better as it sits. Makes four servings. Ingredients: 2 pears, peeled and cored and cut into 1-inch chunks. 1/2 cup pitted prunes. 1/2 cup dried apricots. 2 tablespoons dried cranberries. 1 cinnamon stick. 1 piece orange or lemon rind. 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. 1 teaspoon ground cardamom. 1/4 cup sugar. 1/2 cup red wine. 1 cup water. Procedure:

Отрывок из книги

I know what you might be thinking: “Not another cookbook!” There are so many cookbooks out there now, can there really be any new recipes to put down in a book? Well, I certainly think so and this book is the result of that belief.

My background is as chef, Registered Dietitian and I also have a Masters degree in food science. I have worked in many aspects of the food industry, but my favorite job is as a cooking teacher. I love cooking and enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. I have taught demonstration classes, hands-on classes and even just one-on-one private classes with someone who really wants a lot of the teacher’s attention! I can’t tell you how rewarding it is for me when a student successfully prepares a dish that they may have thought they would never be able to make. Or when I’ve shown a group of students how easy it is to create a fabulous holiday menu and they now have the confidence to go home and duplicate that menu themselves.

.....

Place the oil in a skillet and heat it until it is very hot, but not smoking. Place the brie wedges in the skillet and lightly brown the nuts on each side. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the apple wedges and the baguette.

The mushroom crostini topped with Brie and ready to bake.

.....