Spiced Nuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon salt

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the spices and set aside.

In a large dry skillet, place the nuts and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until the nuts begin to darken, about 1 minute. Add the spices, the sugar, water, and the salt and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, separating them with a fork. Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Emeril Lagasse

Ina's Asian Noodle Salad

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
• 1 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, and peppers in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

-- Dressig is the best part, toss just with veggies or use as dip

-- I make half of this at a time

--Don't dress too early, the noodles will degrade from the vinegar

serves 6

Crepes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Basque Soup

1/2 cup dried white beans such as Great Northern, navy, or cannellini, picked over and rinsed
1 whole clove
1/2 medium onion, peeled and left whole
2 1/2 lb smoked ham hocks(I used 4 strips of bacon, no ham hock)
1.5 qt water
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf(didn't have)
1 fresh thyme sprig
2 garlic cloves, smashed
.5 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold (3 to 4 medium)
.5 lb cabbage, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)


Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches at room temperature at least 8 hours, or quick-soak, or 12 hrs in fridge. Drain in a colander.

Brown cut up bacon in stock pot, drain of excess fat when done(Stick clove into onion. Bring ham hocks and 3 quarts water to a boil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot, skimming off any froth, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour). Add beans, onion, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

When beans are almost done, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and cabbage to beans, then simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove ham hocks. When ham hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Stir into soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf and onion.

Serve soup with toasts.

Moules Provencale

2 1/4 lbs mussels, cleaned
1/2 bottle dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
3 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
bouquet garni
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
fresh Parsley for garnish

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, celery, garlic, basil and bouquet garni, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned.

Mix in the tomato paste and tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Put the mussels in a casserole dish with the wine, over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes only, until the mussels have opened, stirring frequently to ensure they are evenly cooked.


Pour the cooking liquid and the opened mussels into the hot tomato sauce , discard any mussels that have not opened.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

Honey and Cinnamon Dressing

• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Chicken and Fennel Salad Sandwiches

2 cooked and diced or shredded chicken breasts
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and cooled, then lightly crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped fresh mint
3 cups chopped fennel bulb (sometimes called anise; from 2 to 3 medium bulbs, stalks discarded)
12 rolls or buns

Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, zest, lemon juice, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, mint, and basil, then pour over chicken in bowl. Add chopped fennel and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken salad in rolls.

Carrot and Radish Salad

• 4 medium carrots
• 6 large radishes
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Shred carrots with a mandoline or other manual slicer or in a food processor fitted with shredding disk. Julienne radishes. Whisk together zest, juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste and toss with vegetables.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

1 pound pasta
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/2 cup vodka
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente. Drain. In a cup, steep the red pepper flakes in the vodka and set aside while you get on with making the sauce.

In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion over medium-high heat until golden and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Add the vodka and pepper flakes and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream and grated cheese. Stir well and heat thoroughly. Toss with the drained, cooked pasta.

Beet and Apple Soup

1 large red onion, chopped ( I used 1/4)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 medium beets (2 lb without greens), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red apple such as Gala or Braeburn, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (used 2 small green)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 to 5 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar(used 2 tbs of white)

Cook onion in oil in a 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beets and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Add broth and 4 cups water, then simmer, uncovered, until beets are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in vinegar and brown sugar.

Purée soup in 3 batches in a blender until very smooth, at least 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl. Return soup to pan, then season with salt and pepper and reheat. If soup is too thick, add enough water to thin to desired consistency.

Salade Nicoise

For dressing
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoons minced dried thyme
1/2 tablespoons dried basil

For salad
3/4 lb green beans (preferably haricots verts), trimmed
1 1/2 lb small (1- to 2-inch) potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold)
1 1/2 lb (1-inch-thick) tuna steaks
Vegetable oil for brushing
1/4 cup drained bottled capers (1 1/2 oz) (I omitted)
Lettuce

1 pt cherry or grape tomatoes
2/3 cup Niçoise or other small brine-cured black olives
4 hard-boiled large eggs, quartered
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley and/or basil

Make dressing:
Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, and garlic paste in a small bowl until combined well, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Make salad:
Cook beans in a 4- to 6-quart pot of salted boiling water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Add potatoes to boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then drain in a colander. Halve potatoes while still warm (peel if desired) and toss with 2 tablespoons dressing in a bowl, then cool.

Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill on lightly oiled rack(I pan fried), uncovered, turning over once, until browned on outside but still pink in center, 6 to 8 minutes total. Let tuna stand 3 minutes, then break into large (3-inch) pieces. Transfer tuna to a large platter and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing and top with capers.

Transfer potatoes to platter with tuna, reserving bowl. Drain beans and pat dry. Toss beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss lettuce in bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss tomatoes in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.

Arrange olives and eggs on platter and sprinkle salad with parsley and/or basil. Serve salad with remaining dressing on the side.

I made the beans and potatoes earlier in the day, they held just fine. I did toss potatoes with dressing while still warm.

English Flapjacks with Caramel Topping

150 g Butter
75 g sugar
75 g Golden Syrup
250 g oats

1. Put the 150 g of margarine, 75 g of sugar & 75 g of golden syrup in saucepan (or microwaveable bowl if using a microwave oven) and heat until it is all liquid.
2. Meanwhile line the baking tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Mix all the oats (125 g of chopped rolled & 125 g of rolled) into the liquid.
4. Put the mixture into the baking tin & press flat.
5. Bake at 175 deg C (Gas Mark 4) for 25 to 30 minutes. Warning: the timing is tolerant but accuracy in temperature is critical.
6. Slice into 8 fingers (by cutting into half along the perpendicular bisector of two sides and into quarters perpendicular to the first cut) before it sets but leave in place in tin.
7. Leave to cool and set.

2 cups brown sugar
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk, more as needed

Stir sugar and condensed milk together; heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, till sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla and stir well. Add milk and stir well.

Mushroom Ragu

1 TB olive oil
8 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped
½ shallot chopped
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ c sherry
1 tbsp AP flour
1 tbsp butter
OPTIONAL: Heavy Cream

Heat oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallot. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and sauté until juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the sherry. Cover and simmer until the sherry has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Stir the flour and of butter in a small bowl to form a paste, then stir the paste in the mushroom mixture. Cover and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir parsley in, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you allow the sherry to completely evaporate it's ok to use up to 1/2 cup of water to thin.

OPTIONAL: You can replace water with heavy cream, makes it awfully rich.

Amy serves this over Polenta, I put it on pasta, was amazing. Also served over baked puff pastry.

Mint and Cucumber Relish

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice
Salt
1/4 cup minced shallot
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Place the diced cucumber in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Lightly salt and let drain for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a clean bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving. Stir well before serving.

Rack of Lamb

8 single baby rib lamb chops, frenched
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Shallot finely sliced
1 tsp thyme

Place lamb chops and above ingredients in zip lock bag and marinate in refrigerator for approximately 4 hrs.

Place the chops in a flat layer on a broiler pan. Cook chops at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 and continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Fingerlings and Aioli

For the Aioli:
1(1/2-inch thick) slice white bread, crust removed
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
6 large garlic cloves, chopped (roasted is nice too)
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
Chives, chopped

Rinse the potatoes and put them in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold water, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just tender.

For the aioli, tear the slice of bread into pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the vinegar over the bread, and set aside for 5 minutes.

Place the garlic cloves, egg yolks, zest, juice, saffron, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the bread, and puree into a paste. With the processor running, slowly pour the oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until it is the consistency of thick sour cream ( I used a hand blender). Place in a serving bowl.

Slice the potatoes in half and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and decorate with the chopped chives. Serve with the aioli.

Panzanella

1 French boule, or loaf of round Tuscan bread, torn into bite-size pieces (I used a baguette)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon, or as needed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar(could use balsamic)
1/2 a shallot minced
4 small tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1/2 cucumber diced
1 carrot diced
8 medium leaves of basil cut in chiffonade style

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the bread chunks with 1/4 cup oil until the bread is wet with the oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and back until the bread begins to brown, about 10 minutes. While the bread is going, make the dressing. Use a large knife to chop and mash the garlic, shallots, and salt to a paste on a cutting board. Scrape it into a large mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and stir together. Add all of the rest of the ingredients and gently stir. Taste for seasoning. Finally, add the toasted bread and toss it all together. Taste it and season one last time with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Hot Chocolate

12 oz of the best whole milk you can find (Jersey whole milk)
Handful of high quality milk chocolate
large pinch of cinnamon
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of good vanilla

Heat milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan until just before boiling, add chocolate and whisk until smooth and melted. Add cinnamon and cayenne and whisk again. Take off heat and add vanilla.

Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs — beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas — 5 bananas!

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9×5 loaf pan. In large bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. In separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Mango with Coconut Sticky Rice

1 Ripe Mango, peeled
2 tbs sugar
1 cup sticky rice
2 pinches salt
1 cup coconut milk

Soak the sticky rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a bowl. Soaking the rice is very important. I have tried this method without soaking the rice first and it was disastrous. The rice was undercooked and inedible. The water level should be just above the rice, which comes out to be 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more). I recommend using a non-plastic container because you may melt the plastic in the microwave. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave for at full power 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from the top to the bottom. You will notice that some of the rice is translucent or cooked and some still has white center or the uncooked portion.

Heat it up again for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it is done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent. If it needs more cooking, I recommend heating up and checking every 3 minutes or so. How long it takes to cook really depends on your microwave.

Putting it together:
Heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer. Hard boiled coconut milk will curdle. Add sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The sticky rice will absorb all the coconut milk. The rice should be a little mushy. Spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice at serving time.

Chicken Korma

1 kg Chicken breast or mini breast fillets
1 heaped tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
150g thick (plain) yogurt
1 dried red chilli (used red pepper flakes instead)
2 finely chopped onions
1 tbsp ghee or veg. oil
1 tbsp ground coriander
Pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
water
75g coconut milk
salt, to taste
2 heaped tbsps ground almonds
finely chopped Coriander Leaves, to garnish
juice of 1/2 lemon

Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks. Mix the chicken with the ginger, garlic and yogurt. Cover and marinade for 12 hours or in the fridge overnight.


Liquidise the chopped onion and red chillies, add a little water if you need to, blend until smooth.
Heat the ghee/oil in a pan. Add the ground coriander, ground black pepper, turmeric and garam masala and stir fry for about 1-minute over a low heat. Turn up the heat, add the onion and chilli paste and stir fry for 10-minutes.

Add the chicken and the marinade and continue to stir fry for another 10-minutes. Add the coconut milk and enough water to *just* cover the chicken and bring to the boil. Stir in the ground almonds. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is tender (30-40 minutes).

Remove from heat, add lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix well.

Apricots and Couscous

1 1/3 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup couscous
1/2 English cucumber
4 fresh apricots
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a 3-quart saucepan bring water, oil, honey, and cumin to a boil and stir in couscous. Immediately remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Seed cucumber and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Pit apricots and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in cucumber, apricots, mint, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

Orange and Mint salad

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ( used rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon orange-flower water( I omitted)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted)
4 large oranges
1 5-ounce package arugula (used mixed greens, Rex hates arugula)
1 cup fresh mint leaves (from about 2 bunches)
1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted oil-cured black olives
1 5-ounce piece ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta cheese), cut into 1 1/2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick slices (used mild feta)

Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.

Place onion in large bowl. Add 1/3 of dressing; toss. Let marinate 20 minutes.

Cut off peel and pith from oranges. Cut each orange crosswise into 8 slices.

Add greens, mint, and olives to bowl with onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Add remaining dressing; toss. Divide salad among 6 plates. Tuck orange slices and ricotta salata slices into salads.

Zucchini Gratin

1/3 cup long-grain white rice ( I used leftover saffron rice)
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced ( I used less onion)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Cook rice according to package instructions.

While rice cooks, toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking pan. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another baking pan.

Roast zucchini in upper third of oven and tomatoes in lower third, turning vegetables once halfway through roasting, until tender and light golden, about 10 minutes for tomatoes; 20 minutes for zucchini. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir together onion mixture, cooked rice, eggs, thyme, 1/4 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread half of rice mixture in a shallow 2-quart baking dish, then top with half of zucchini. Spread remaining rice mixture over zucchini, then top with remaining zucchini. Top with tomatoes and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake in upper third of oven until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

** I did this throughout the day and I think you could assemble this and bake it off later with no change to the flavor.

Ranch Dip (London style)

• 315 ml low-fat buttermilk
• 180 g low-fat mayonnaise
• 160 g low-fat sour cream
• 3 g garlic powder
• 2 g onion powder
• 2 g chopped fresh chives
• 1 g chopped fresh dill
• 3 g chopped fresh parsley
• 6 g salt
• 0.5 g pepper

Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a bowl. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, chives, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Coq au Vin

4 slices bacon
2 chicken breasts
2 thighs
2 legs
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups pearl onions, peeled (1 sliced onion works as well)
10 oz mushrooms stemmed and quartered
2 carrots, cut in small pieces
1-2 stalks celery
1 bottle Zinfandel wine (Barefoot brand was wonderful)
2 cups chicken broth ( I might have used 4 cups, and turkey base works well)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbs rosemary
1bay leaf
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Cut up bacon into small bits, then brown on a medium high heat in a dutch oven. Remove bacon and saute the mushrooms in bacon fat, remove when they begin to shrink. Reserve bacon and mushrooms for later.

Pat chicken dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. If need be, add some butter or olive oil to the dutch oven for frying the chicken. Place the chicken skin side down and brown on one side, then turn and brown other side. This will need to be done in several batches. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate, cover with foil. Add cut vegetables(onion, carrot, celery) to the dutch oven and "sweat" in the fat from the chicken, right before the veggies are done add the garlic. When the veggies begin to brown, add the chicken with juices back to the pot. Add the whole bottle of wine, broth and herbs, reduce heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes. 1 hr and 15 minutes would be ideal. Add the bacon and mushrooms with 30 minutes of simmering to go.

Every time I try to remove the chicken to serve it, I end up pulling it off the bone, so now I just pull all the chicken off and toss the skins and bones. Makes it very easy to eat and is more like a stew.

This is quite good over mashed potatoes, but can be served with noodles as well.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the condensed milk, egg yolks, and butter 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before spreading on cake.