Make Your Own Spice Mixes

Five Spice Powder:

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground cloves
1 tsp. Fennel seed
1 tsp. Star anise
1 tsp. Szechwan peppercorns


Italian Herb Seasoning:

1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Sage


Cinnamon Sugar:

7/8 cup Granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. Ground cinnamon


Tamarind Paste:

1 tsp. Dates
1 tsp. Prunes
1 tsp. Dried apricots
1 tsp. Lemon juice


Chili Powder:

3 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Very tender and flavorful, this pepper steak is great to make ahead of time in the slow cooker and then serve over rice, egg noodles, or chow mein.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 4 Hrs 10 Min
Ready In: 4 Hrs 30 Min


Ingredients:

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt


Directions:

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Asparagus Lasagna

Serves 6-8, adapted from Giada de Laurentis


Ingredients:

9 lasagna sheets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 (8.5 oz) jars sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 packed cups fresh basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus another 1/4 cup
1 medium onion, diced
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes and basil and pulse until the mixture is combined. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Saute the leeks, onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Mix with the ricotta, salt and black pepper.

3. Sprinkle some of the sun-dried tomato pesto onto the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place some lasagna sheets, then half the asparagus mixture. Next sprinkle some mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat for one more layer. Top with lasagna sheets, some sun-dried tomato pesto, mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting.

All about honey

To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, start by substituting up to half of the sugar called for. With a little experimentation, honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.

When baking with honey, remember the following:

• Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
• Add l/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
• Reduce oven temperature by 25 F to prevent over-browning.

Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.

To retain honey's wonderfully luxuriant texture, always store it at room temperature; never in the refrigerator. If your honey becomes cloudy, don't worry. It's just crystallization, a natural process. Place your honey jar in warm water until the crystals disappear. If you're in a hurry, place it in a microwave-safe container and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Remember, never boil or scorch honey.

Cashew Shrimp Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peeled and diced eggplant
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons cashew butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped


Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil and add the flour, forming a roux. Cook until color becomes light brown.

2. Add onions, peppers and garlic and stir into roux, cooking slowly over medium heat. Add eggplant and incorporate.

3. Whisk in vegetable broth, cashew butter and curry powder. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Simmer for 20-30 minutes and add shrimp during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking.

5. Cook until shrimp turns pink and serve over jasmine rice.

Baked Pumpkin Risotto

This easy risotto recipe is a great way to bring some of the Fall pumpkin flavors to your table.

Total Time: 37 min
Prep Time: 2 min
Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, small dice
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2. Combine broth, rice, squash, puree, and onion in a 3-quart baking dish, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to evenly combine. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake, stirring occasionally, until most the water has been absorbed and rice granules are puffed, about 35 to 30 minutes.

3. Remove from oven, stir in remaining ingredients, season to taste and serve.

Fusilli Pasta with Lemon Garlic Greens

Ingredients:

1 zucchini
1/2 pack green beans
1/2 fine stem asparagus
1 cup frozen peas
3 garlic cloves
1 large lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper.


Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables – thickly slice the zucchini and cut each of the asparagus and green beans into three pieces.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o.) in a large pan, add the zucchini, season and fry for a few minutes ensuring not to let them color too much.

3. Finely chop the garlic. Zest the lemon. Add both to the pan with the zucchini along with the juice of half a lemon. Make sure the garlic doesn’t brown.

4. Bring a pan of water to the boil and quickly blanch the asparagus and green beans, then immediately rinse them in cold water to prevent them from cooking further.

5. Place the frozen peas in a bowl and cover with boiling water from a kettle. Leave to stand for a few minutes before draining.

6. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Salt generously, add the pasta and cook until al dente – err on the side of caution if using fusilli as it will lose its shape.

7. Add the remainder of the vegetables to the pan. Squeeze over the juice of the remaining half a lemon, drizzle over some e.v.o.o. and season. Drain pasta and stir through the veg. If you wish drizzle over a little more e.v.o.o. Allow the pasta to absorb some of the juices before serving. Grind black pepper on pasta before eating.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This tangy, creamy dip tastes just like buffalo chicken wings. It's best served hot with crackers and Celery sticks.


Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers


Directions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese



Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

2. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

4. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

Tortellini Gratinata with Mushrooms and Parsnip Béchamel

Ingredients:

12 ounces of parsnips
2 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/4 pounds baby portobello mushrooms (portobellini), thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
3 8-to 9-ounce packages cheese-filled tortellini or tortelloni
6 ounces imported creamy Gorgonzola dolce cheese, cut into small pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)


Directions:

Cook parsnips in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; reserve saucepan. Transfer parsnips to processor. Add 1 1/2 cups milk. Blend until smooth. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1 cup milk through feed tube. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and nutmeg; blend well. Return sauce to reserved pan. Simmer over low heat until reduced to 3 cups, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Season béchamel sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary. Sauté until mushrooms are brown and tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Béchamel sauce and mushrooms can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover separately, and chill. Rewarm béchamel sauce before using.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 12-cup- capacity baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Stir in mushroom mixture. Transfer pasta to prepared baking dish. Spread béchamel sauce over; sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake pasta until heated through and sauce is bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes. If desired, broil until top is golden, about 2 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Risotto with Leeks, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Truffles

Ingredients:

Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley


Directions:

For leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Market Tip: White truffle oil is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets. Black truffles are available at specialty foods stores and from igourmet.com. A flavorful substitute for the shaved truffles is the Truffle Gatherers Sauce ($19), which can be ordered from fungusamongus.com.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil

In this luxurious risotto, leeks take the place of the chopped onions that are traditionally used in the beloved Italian rice dish.


Ingredients:


3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 21/4 pounds squash)
3 cups 1/2-inch-wide slices leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups arborio rice
4 14-ounce cans (or more) vegetable broth
1 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)


Directions:


Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer squash to medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, leeks, and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Croque-Monsieur

This traditional French sandwich is topped with a classic Mornay sauce (a béchamel sauce with cheese).

Ingredients:

Mornay sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Hot pepper sauce

Sandwiches:
1 8-ounce package crimini (baby bella) or button mushrooms, trimmed
7 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallot
12 1/3-inch-thick slices egg bread
6 thin ham slices
12 ounces Gruyère cheese; 9 ounces thinly sliced, 3 ounces grated
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh tarragon leaves (optional)


Directions:

Mornay sauce:
Melt butter in heavy-medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high; whisk until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium; stir until sauce coats back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and nutmeg. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Sandwiches:
Place mushrooms in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely chopped. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot; stir until mushrooms are browned and dry, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.

Preheat broiler. Spread remaining butter over 1 side of bread slices. Place bread, buttered side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden, watching closely and rotating sheet halfway through broiling, about 3 minutes. Cool bread. Preheat oven to 450°F. Turn 6 bread slices over; top with ham and sliced cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, broiled side up. Press to compress. Spread about 2 tablespoons sauce over sandwiches, leaving 1/3-inch plain border. Divide mushroom mixture atop sauce. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère and Parmesan.

Bake sandwiches until cheese inside melts and cheese on top turns golden, about 10 minutes. Top with tarragon, if desired.