Winter Crunch Salad with a Mind-Blowing Sauce

Food Network, Jamie Oliver

Makes 4 servings

    A few young carrot peel, fine slice                            
    A few small raw beet peel, fine slice                          
    A few sticks of celery trim, thin slice                        
    1/2 small Romanesco or cauliflower broken                      
    1 bulb fennel trim, fine slice                                 
    Handful beet leaves, washed                                    
    1 bunch radishes trim, wash                                    
    1/2 celeriac peel, fine slice        
                          
    FOR SAUCE:                                                     
    6 cloves garlic peeled                                         
    1 cup +1 tbsp milk                                             
    10 anchovy fillets in oil                                      
    2/3 cup evoo                                                   
    2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar                             

Prep Time:  10 minutes/Cook Time: 20 minutes

Its proper name is bagna cauda, which basically means "hot bath" in Italian, and the idea is that you have a load of raw or just cooked pieces of vegetable which you dip into a delicious, warm sauce. You may like your sauce to be thick and oozy but I prefer mine to be quite thin and delicate, like the texture of thin custard, with a lovely sheen to it. You can use any vegetables you want, and depending on the season you can do a light summer version or a more root-veg-based winter one. I actually prefer my veg to be raw, as I love the crunch you get from them, but if you want to boil them briefly until they're al dente, feel free.

First, prepare all your vegetables, because once the sauce is done you'll be ready to serve!

To make your sauce, put the garlic cloves, milk and anchovies into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer slowly for 10 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and tender, keeping a close eye on the pan to make sure the milk doesn't boil over. Don't worry if it splits and looks a little lumpy - simply remove from the heat and whiz the sauce up with an immersion blender. Gently blend in the extra-virgin olive oil and the vinegar a little at a time - you're in control of the consistency at this point. If you like it thick, like mayonnaise, keep blending. Now taste it and adjust the seasoning. Make sure there's enough acidity from the vinegar to act like a dressing. It should be an incredible, pungent warm sauce.

There are 2 ways you can serve this - with both you need the sauce to be warm. Either pour the sauce into a bowl and place this on a plate, with the vegetables arranged around the bowl, or serve the vegetables in a big bowl and drizzle the sauce over the top. Sprinkle over the reserved herby fennel tops and celery leaves and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

MY NOTE: This is actually full of veggies I don't really like, so I will prolly want to do some substitutions.

Tray-Baked Meringue with Pears, Cream, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Chocolate Sauce

Jamie Oliver

Makes 6-8 servings
                                         
    4 egg whites                                                   
    1 1/4 cups raw sugar                                           
    Pinch salt                                                     
    4 ounces hazelnuts no skin                                     
    28 ounces canned pears halved, with juice                      
    2 inch ginger thin slice (opt)                                 
    7 ounces bittersweet chocolate                                 
    1 1/2 cups heavy cream                                         
    2 ounces confectioners' sugar sifted                           
    1 vanilla bean scraped                                         
    1 orange zest                                                  

Preheat your oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with wax paper.

Put egg whites in clean bowl and whisk on medium until firm peaks are formed. With mixer still running, gradually add raw sugar and salt. Turn mixer up to highest setting and whisk for 7-8 minutes until meringue is white and glossy. To test, pinch some between your fingers--should be completely smooth, not grainy at all.

Dot each corner of the wax paper with a bit of meringue, then turn over so it sticks to the baking sheet. Spoon meringue onto paper. Use back of spoon to shape and whirl into rectangle. Place in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and soft and sticky inside. At the same time, bake hazelnuts in the over for an hour or until golden brown (use separate baking sheet).

Drain the pears, reserving syrup from one can. Cut each pear half into three slices. Pour the syrup into saucepan with ginger and warm on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Take off the heat and break chocolate into it, stirring until melted.

Take meringue and hazelnuts out of oven and cool. Then place meringue on serving platter. Whip cream with confectioner's sugar and vanilla until you have smooth, soft peaks. Smash hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and sprinkle half on top. Spoon over half the cream and some chocolate sauce. Divide most of the pear pieces over top. Pile on rest of cream and pears. More chocolate sauce. More hazelnuts. Grate orange zest on top. Serve immediately. If you make this in advance, prepare ingredients ahead of time and assemble just before serving (may need to reheat chocolate over double boiler).

MY NOTE: Crazy good and presents so nicely. Make sure meringue is spread to an even height so it all cooks evenly. I didn't love the pear since the chocolate is so strong, but you could use any fruit you wanted. My own photo.

MXF

Strawberry Salad with Speck and Halloumi

Jamie Oliver


    12 ounces strawberries hull, 1/4-in slice                      
    Balsamic vinegar                                               
    1/2 lemon juiced                                               
    Evoo                                                           
    Salt and pepper                                                
    Olive oil                                                      
    2 sprigs basil                                                 
    9 ounces halloumi 8 slices                                     
    2 sprigs mint leaves                                           
    1 handful mixed salad greens                                   
    8 slices speck                                                 

In a bowl, drizzle the sliced strawberries with a good splash of balsamic vinegar, the lemon juice and some extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. This will draw out and flavor the lovely strawberry juices.

Preheat a large nonstick frying pan to medium hot and add a splash of olive oil. Press a basil leaf onto each slice of halloumi. Place the slices, leaf side down, in the frying pan and fry for a minute. Turn over carefully and fry for another minute until the halloumi is light golden and crisp.

Get yourself 4 plates and place a couple of pieces of the crispy halloumi on each. Put the mint, the rest of the basil leaves and the salad leaves into the bowl with the strawberries and toss together. Pile some of the strawberry mixture in the middle of each plate and drape the speck over the top. Finish with more salad leaves. To serve, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Food Network, Jamie Oliver

Makes 4 servings

    1 pound spaghetti                                              
    2 cloves garlic fine chop                                      
    1 handful capers rinsed                                        
    2 handfuls black olives pitted                                 
    12 anchovy fillets rough chop                                  
    3 sm. dried red chili peppers crumbled                         
    1 tablespoon dried oregano                                     
    Evoo                                                           
    28 ounces tomatoes drain, chop                                 
    1 handful basil                                                
    Salt and pepper                                                

Cook the spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile fry the garlic, capers, olives, anchovies, chiles, and oregano in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until you have a lovely tomato sauce consistency. Remove from the heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into it, toss it over, and cover with the sauce. Rip all the basil over it, correct the seasoning, and drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil.

MY NOTE: So so good.  I used red pepper flakes and added quite a bit so it had a good bite.  Really easy. My own photo.

MXF

Orchard Eve's Pudding with Whiskey Jersey Cream

Jamie Oliver

    2 1/2 pounds apples quince, pear, plum (mixture of)            
    1 pat butter +M4 dish                                          
    1/2 cup brown sugar                                            
    1 pinch cinnamon                                               
    1 pinch nutmeg                                                 
    1 pinch ground ginger                                          
    3 bay leaves                                                   
    1 vanilla bean                                                 
    1 cup heavy cream                                              
    1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar                              
    1 swig whiskey     
                                            
    BATTER:                                                        
    3/4 cup +2 tbsp. butter soft                                   
    3/4 cup raw sugar                                              
    4 eggs                                                         
    1 3/4 cups self-rising flour                                   

Can use a variety of fruits, including pineapple and banana (will turn this cakey), but stay away from raspberries and kiwis.

Preheat oven to 350F. Peel and core the fruit and cut into large wedges (can leave skin on peaches or plums). Place in big saucepan with butter, brown sugar, spices and bay leaves. Stir and let stew gently for 20-30 minutes with lid on. When fruit is soft and cooked, remove pan from heat and discard bay leaves.

For the batter, cream butter and raw sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then fold in flour. Using slotted spoon, transfer half the cooked fruit (no juice) into the bottom of a round 8-inche butter ovenproof baking dish. Top with batter, then spoon over remaing fruit (no juices). Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 mintues until golden brown and risen (knife should come out clean when poked).

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and put them in a bowl with cream. Whisk with confectioner's sugar until you have soft peaks. Fold in the whiskey. Serve immediately with a drizzle of reserved fruit juices.

Incredible Baked Cauliflower and Broccoli Cannelloni

Food Network, Jamie Oliver

Makes 4-6 servings

    Sea salt                                                   
    1 pound broccoli chop                                          
    1 pound romanesco or white cauliflower chop                    
    Olive oil                                                      
    7 cloves garlic fine slice                                     
    1 bunch thyme leaves picked (small)                            
    1 ounce anchovy fillets drain, chop, save oil                  
    2-3 dried chilies crumbled                                     
    Pepper                                                         
    2 cups tomato sauce                                            
    Red wine vinegar                                               
    2 cups creme fraiche                                           
    7 ounces parmesan cheese fine grate                            
    16 cannelloni tubes                                            
    1 bunch basil leaves picked (small)                            
    7 ounces mozzarella cheese                                     
    Evoo                                                           
    4 handfuls arugula wash, dry                                   
    1 lemon                                                        

PREP: 1 HR 10 MIN

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the chopped broccoli and cauliflower. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked, then drain in a colander, reserving the cooking water.

Heat a wide saucepan, pour in a couple of good glugs of olive oil and add the garlic. Fry for a few seconds, then add the thyme leaves, anchovies, anchovy oil and chiles and continue frying for a few seconds more before adding the cooked broccoli and cauliflower with around 4 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Stir everything together, put a lid on the pan leaving a little gap, and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly - overcooking the vegetables not only intensies their flavor but gives you the texture that you need for this recipe. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to let the moisture evaporate, then use a potato masher to crush the vegetables. Take the saucepan off the heat, taste the vegetables and season carefully with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet to cool. Meanwhile, get yourself another baking dish or roasting pan (the right size for fitting the cannelloni tubes snugly side by side - I test this by actually laying the tubes into the dish, then remove them and put to 1 side) and pour in the tomato sauce with a pinch of salt and a swig of red wine vinegar.

Now, to make a really quick and easy white sauce, mix the creme fraiche with half the Parmesan, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a little of the reserved cooking water to thin it down.

Spoon your cooled broccoli and cauliflower mixture into a large sandwich bag and cut off the corner. Twist the top of the bag and squeeze it to pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes. (If you prefer, use a teaspoon to push the mixture into the cannelloni or use a piping bag.) Fill the tubes up - don't be stingy! - and place them in a single layer on top of the sauce. Lay the basil leaves over the cannelloni and spoon your white sauce evenly over the top. Season with black pepper, sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and tear over the mozzarella. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and bubbling on top.

Dress the arugula leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice and about 3 times as much extra- virgin olive oil. Serve the cannelloni with the arugula and some good crusty bread.

MY NOTE: Comments say this dish great, but time intensive. May want to use manicotti or large shells instead of cannelloni. May also need more sauce to cook pasta fully. Can also cover with foil (remove last 15 minutes).

Cheese and Onion Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing

Food Network, Jamie Oliver

Makes 4 servings

    8 shallots                                                     
    Salt and pepper                                                
    White wine vinegar                                             
    1 head romaine lettuce                                         
    1 Boston or bibb  lettuce                                      
    4 handfuls mixed salad greens                                  
    100 grams roquefort cheese                                     
    1 handful walnuts toast, chop                                  
    1 bunch (small) chives      
                                   
    DRESSING:                                                      
    Evoo                                                           
    2 tablespoons creme fraiche                                    
    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar                                  

In this recipe, you basically pickle the onions very quickly. Usually pickling is a lengthy process, but if you get the onions really finely sliced, the salt and vinegar get to penetrate them straight away. The main rule when you’re making a salad with any kind of onions in it is to make sure that they’re sliced wafer-thin or chopped very small. There’s nothing worse than salads with great big chunks of onion in them – clumsy, lazy, horrible!

Have a go at this recipe, even if you think you don’t particularly like onions in salads, as they’re quite mild. You can use sweet red onions instead of shallots if you like. And feel free to use any interesting mixed salad leaves.

Place the shallots in a small bowl with a generous pinch of salt and pour over just enough white wine vinegar to cover. You’ll pour away the excess salt and vinegar once the onions are pickled, so don’t worry if you think it’s a bit much! Scrunch everything together with your hands and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

To make the dressing, mix 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the crème fraîche and the red wine vinegar. Whisk everything together and season to taste.

Squeeze the shallots hard with your hands and drain. Place the salad leaves on a plate. From a height, sprinkle over the shallots and the crumbled Roquefort. Scatter over the crumbled walnuts – it’s really nice if they’re still a bit warm from being toasted. I like to drizzle over the dressing at the table. Finish by throwing over some torn-up chive or allium flowers, if you have them.

Cheeky Chili Pepper Chutney

Jamie Oliver

    8-10 fresh red chili peppers                                   
    8 ripe red bell peppers                                        
    Olive oil                                                      
    2 med. red onions chop                                         
    1 sprig rosemary chop                                          
    2 bay leaves                                                   
    1 stick cinnamon                                               
    Salt and pepper                                                
    100 grams brown sugar                                          
    150 milliliters balsamic vinegar                               

Place your chillies and peppers over a hot barbecue, in a griddle pan or on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened and blistered all over. Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl (the smaller chillies won’t take as long as the peppers so remove them first) and cover tightly with clingfilm. As they cool down, they’ll cook gently in their own steam. By the time they’re cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to peel the skin off easily.

When you’ve got rid of most of the skin, trimmed off the stalks and scooped out the seeds, you’ll be left with a pile of nice tasty peppers and chillies. Finely chop by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.

Heat a saucepan and pour in a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or so, until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.

Add the chopped peppers and chillies, the sugar and the vinegar to the onions and keep cooking. When the liquid reduces and you’re left with a lovely thick sticky chutney, season well to taste. Remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Either spoon into the sterilized jars and put them in a cool dark place, or keep in the fridge and use right away. In sterilized jars, the chutney should keep for a couple of months.

Cheat's Pappardelle with Slow-Braised Leeks and Crispy Porcini Pangrattato

Food Network, Jamie Oliver

Makes 4-6 servings

    5 leeks outer leaves trimmed                                   
    Olive oil                                                      
    3 pats butter                                                  
    3 cloves garlic fine slice                                     
    2 sprigs thyme                                                 
    1 sm. glass white wine                                         
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1 pint chicken broth                                           
    12 slices ham such as parma                                    
    16 ounces lasagna noodles                                      
    Flour                                                          
    2 handfuls parmesan cheese +M4G   
                             
    PANGRATTATO:                                                   
    -1 handful dried porcini mushrooms                             
    1/2 loaf ciabatta stale, chunked                               
    Salt and pepper                                                
    Olive oil                                                      
    2 cloves garlic crushed                                        
    1 sprig rosemary                                               

COOK TIME: 32MIN

For the Pangrattato:

Halve the leeks lengthways and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a wide saucepan, add a splash of oil and a knob of butter, and when you hear a gentle sizzling add the sliced garlic, thyme leaves and leeks. Move the leeks around so every piece gets coated. Pour in the wine, season with pepper and stir in the stock. Cover the leeks with the slices of Parma ham, place a lid on the pan and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the leeks are tender, take the pan off the heat.
To make the pangrattato:

Whiz the mushrooms and bread with a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic cloves and the rosemary and cook for a minute, then fry the bread crumbs in the oil until golden and crisp. Keep shaking the pan - don't let the bread crumbs catch on the bottom. Drain on paper towels, discard the rosemary and garlic and allow the bread crumbs to cool.

Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Lay the lasagne sheets on a clean working surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Place the sheets on top of each other and slice into 1/2-inch strips. Toss through your fingers to shake out the pappardelle, then cook in the boiling water 2 minutes or until al dente.

Remove the Parma ham from the saucepan, slice up and stir back into the leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan and the rest of the butter. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the leeks. Add a little of the cooking water if need be, to give you a silky, smooth sauce. Serve quickly, sprinkled with some pangrattato, extra Parmesan and any leftover thyme tips. Serve the rest of the pangrattato in a bowl on the side.

Marinated and Grilled Provolone

Food Network, Michael Chiarello

Makes 8 servings

    1 1/2 pounds provolone cheese                                  
    1/4 cup evoo                                                   
    1 tablespoon dry oregano                                       
    1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes                                 
    5-6 cloves garlic mince                                        
    1 tablespoon mince parsley                                     
    Salt and pepper                                                

Prep Time: 10 minutes/Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour/Cook Time: 3 minutes

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill.

Rub the pieces of provolone all over with the olive oil and season with the rest of the ingredients. Let marinate refrigerated for 1 hour. Grill the cheese on the hot grill over moderately-high heat for about 2 minutes per side until grill marks appear and the cheese just begins to soften.

Transfer the cheese to a metal plate or baking dish on top of the grill. Cook until the cheese just barely starts to melt and begins to brown on the bottom, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve hot with crusty bread or grilled bread slices.

MY NOTE: Oddly, this recipe included the following caveat.  Odd because I saw Chiarello cook it, so hasn't it been tested?  Hmm...
"A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results."

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Honey

Food Network, Tyler Florence

Makes 10-12 servings

    5 med. sweet potatoes                                          
    4 bananas unpeeled                                             
    1 cup unsalted butter room temp                                
    1/4 cup honey                                                  
    Salt                                                           
    3/4 cup dark brown sugar                                       
    1/2 cup flour                                                  
    1 1/2 cups chop pecans                                         

COOK TIME: 1 HR

You can roast the potatoes and bananas ahead of time, then put it all together just before serving. Then heat it up in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.

In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

MY NOTES: Some say 4 bananas is too much. May want to add cinnamon and nutmeg to mixture. This is really, really good--especially the crunchy topping (cover with foil so it's doesn't burn). Make sure sweet potatoes are thoroughly cooked so they mash up or else put them in a blender to puree.

MXF

Tomato Ginger Dressing

Food Network, Robin Miller

    1 italian plum tomato squeeze, rough chop                      
    2/4 cup chop sun dried tomato packed in oil                    
    1 tablespoon ginger mince                                      
    2 cloves garlic                                                
    1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar                               
    1/2 cup water                                                  
    1/4 teaspoon salt                                              
    1/4 teaspoon pepper                                            

PREP TIME: 10 MIN

In a blender, combine tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and vinegar. Process until finely chopped. Add water, salt, and pepper and puree until smooth.

NOTE: Some reviews complained of thick texture, so maybe leave tomato innards in or add more water.

Nutrition Information
Calories 38
Total fat 1g     Saturated fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg     Sodium 173mg
Carbohydrates 6g     Protein 1.5g
Fiber 2.5g   

Grilled Corn Salad with Lime, Red Chilies, and Cotija

Food Network, Bobby Flay

Makes 8 servings

    8 ears fresh corn de-silk, husk on, soak in cold water 30 min  
    Canola oil                                                     
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1/4 cup creme fraiche                                          
    2 limes juiced, 1 zested                                       
    1 tablespoon ancho chile powder                                
    1/4 cup chop cilantro                                          
    1/4 cup grated cotija cheese                                   

TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN

Heat grill to high. Grill corn until charred on all sides, 10 or so minutes. Take off the grill and remove the kernels with a sharp knife. While you are cutting the corn, put a cast iron skillet on the grill to heat.

Add the corn and the remaining ingredients to the hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and heated through. Serve with the steak.

MY NOTE: If fresh corn was out of season, Trader Joe's fire-roasted corn would probably be a decent sub. This is easy and tasty. Definitely needs lime and a little spice to cut the heaviness of the cheese.

MXF

Ricotta Pancakes with Banana Pecan Syrup

Food Network

Makes 4-6 servings

    SYRUP:                                                         
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter                                  
    1/2 cup chop pecans                                            
    2 sm. bananas thin slice (3/4 c)                               
    1 cup maple syrup       
                                      
    PANCAKES:                                                      
    2 cups flour                                                   
    2 teaspoons baking powder                                      
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                       
    1 tablespoon sugar                                             
    1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
    2 eggs separated                                               
    2 cups milk                                                    
    4 ounces ricotta cheese drained (1/2 c)                        
    Butter or veg oil 
                                           
Recipe courtesy Paula Lambert, The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide, Simon & Schuster, 2000

PREP: 20 min/COOK: 20 MIN

For the Banana-Pecan Syrup:
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the bananas and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the syrup and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the syrup is hot and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place.

For the Ricotta Pancakes:
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together onto waxed paper or a plate. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until stiff but not dry. Beat the egg yolks, milk, and ricotta together in a large bowl until well blended and smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently with a large spoon. Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula.

Warm a serving platter in a 200 degree F oven.

Heat a nonstick flat griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Grease with butter or vegetable oil. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per pancake onto the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the surface, then flip the pancakes over using a large wide spatula. Cook on the other side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the pancakes to the warm platter.

Serve immediately or hold in the oven while you cook the rest of the pancakes. Serve the pancakes on heated plates topped with the syrup.

MY NOTE: If you don't want to make the syrup, powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice is lovely. This was simple and very, very tasty.

MXF

Lemon Bars

Food Network, Ina Garten

Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles

    CRUST:                                                         
    1/2 pound unsalted butter room temp                            
    1/2 cup sugar                                                  
    2 cups flour                                                   
    1/8 teaspoon salt      
                                        
    FILLING:                                                       
    6 XL eggs room temp                                            
    3 cups sugar                                                   
    2 tablespoons lemon zest (4-6 lemons)                          
    1 cup lemon juice                                              
    1 cup flour                                                    
    Confectioners' sugar for dusting   
                            
Prep Time: 10 minutes/Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes/Cook Time: 55 minutes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

MY NOTE: After two separate occasions, these are still not my favorite. I feel like the flour makes them gummy. Everyone at dinner loved them and they do taste and feel better the next day, but still not amazing. I'm looking for a new recipe! My own photo.

MXF

Greek Gazpacho

Food Network, Ina Garten

Makes 8-10 servings

    2 slices thick day-old ciabatta                                
    6 cloves garlic                                                
    2 tablespoons fresh oregano                                    
    2 tablespoons fresh parsley                                    
    5 tablespoons red wine vinegar                                 
    5 tablespoons olive oil                                        
    1 red bell pepper seeded, de-rib                               
    1 yellow bell pepper seeded, de-rib                            
    2 red onions chop                                              
    4 lg. tomatoes ripe, chop                                      
    3/4 cup kalamata olives pit, chop                              
    46 ounces tomato juice                                         
    4 teaspoons salt                                               
    2 teaspoons pepper                                             
    8 ounces feta cheese       
                                 
Prep Time:  15 minutes/Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours

Place the bread, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped. Add the vinegar and olive oil and process again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Place the peppers, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives separately in the food processor and process until very coarsely chopped. Add to the mixing bowl. Add the tomato juice, salt, and pepper and stir well. Taste for seasoning, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Fold in the feta and serve cold.

MY NOTE:  Really easy to make and quite tasty.  Nice to serve some crunchy toast with it.  6 cloves is a bit too much garlic.  Def. down to 4.5-5 next time.  Also, the feta was a little too mild to impact the soup.  May want to try something with more tang (still semi-soft) or maybe salt the cheese before folding in?  I only used about 38 oz. of juice, which seemed about right.

MXF

Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce

Food Network, Giada de Laurentiis

Makes 4-6 servings
    CHECCA:                                                        
    1 pint cherry tomatoes halved                                  
    3 scallion coarse chop (white, pale green only)                
    3 cloves garlic chop                                           
    8 leafs fresh basil                                            
    3 tablespoons olive oil                                        
    Pinch salt                                                     
    Pinch pepper    
                                               
    LOAF:                                                          
    3/4 cup lentils (5 oz)                                         
    3 cups vegetable stock                                         
    1 cup uncooked short grain rice rinse well                     
    1/2 cup fine chop onions                                       
    1/2 cup shred carrots                                          
    1 rib celery sliced                                            
    1/2 cup frozen corn                                            
    2 tablespoons butter div.                                      
    10 ounces baby spinach (4 c)                                   
    1 1/2 cups cubed mozzarella cheese div. (8 oz)                 
    2 eggs light beat                                              
    1/4 cup + 2tbsp parmesan cheese   
    1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 tomato, sliced                             

Prep Time: 30 minutes/Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

For the Checca Sauce:
Combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, basil, and oil in a processor. Pulse the tomatoes until they are coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree. Set aside. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

For the Lentil Loaf:
Place the lentils in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring the water just to a boil over high heat. Carefully drain the boiling water and rinse the lentils. Meanwhile, in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the rice and return the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, cover the rice, and gently simmer without stirring for 10 minutes. Stir in the lentils, onion, carrot, and celery. Cover and continue cooking without stirring until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the corn over the rice and lentils and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the butter over a 10 by 4 1/2 by 3-inch loaf pan. In a heavy, large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a work surface and coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, gently mix the lentil mixture, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and half of the checca sauce. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a row over the lentil mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
Bake uncovered until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf into 2-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining checca sauce.