This dish comes from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way cookbook, which I highly recommend.  The dish itself is buttery and delicious – and very restaurant-tasting, in a good way!  (Note – these can also be made in a large dish instead of individual gratin dishes. I believe I used a glass pie plate. Jacques says this is the perfect party dish, as it can be prepared hours head and cook at the last minute. I assume you’d want to pop it in the fridge though, and then bring it to room temp for a few minutes before broiling, but he doesn’t specify. But I think this is what he’s referring to when he says “about 30 minutes before serving time, heat the oven”. If you’re planning on cooking them right away, I would start preheating the oven before you begin assembling the dish.)

Little Shrimp Casseroles

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white button mushrooms (about 2 mushrooms)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps canola oil
1 lb large shrimp (about 24), shelled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (from about 3/4 slice white bread processed in a food processor)
1/4 cup dry white wine

Mix the butter in a large bowl with the garlic, scallions, mushrooms, salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the shrimp and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture among four individual gratin dishes with about a 1-cup capacity, or spoon into one large gratin dish or shallow baking dish.

In another bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, so that they are lightly coated but still fluffy. Sprinkle the crumbs over the shrimp mixture and pour the wine on top.

About 30 minutes before serving time, heat the oven to 425 degrees. When the oven is ready, place the gratin dishes or dish on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned and the shrimp are just cooked through. Serve immediately.

Ah, the bliss of feeling virtuous as you inhale a third helping!  This delicious dish is remarkably filling (due to the 2 kinds of potatoes, sweet and Yukon Gold) and it doesn’t even need a bed of rice.  I wasn’t sure if it would turn out okay, but it was scrumptious and well worth the time spent on it.  I picked up the garam masala kind of curry specifically for the dish, and I was glad I did.  

Five-Vegetable Curry

4 servings
A substantial dish with a light, spicy curry flavor. The ingredient list may seem long, but the method is very easy. Although you can serve this dish with rice, there are already potatoes and sweet potatoes in the curry, so a bowl of plain yogurt, some chopped tomato and fresh fruit are all that’s really needed for a meal. Garam masala, an Indian spice mixture, is available in gourmet or Indian food stores. 
 

1 Tbsp. canola oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 
1 tsp. ground cumin 
1/4 tsp. turmeric 
2 tsp. sugar 
1 tsp. salt 
1 cup water 
1 1-lb. eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 
3/4 lb. potatoes (3-4 potatoes), preferably Yukon Gold, peeled and cut 
into 1-inch cubes 
3/4 lb. sweet potatoes (2-3 sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 
1/2 lb. ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped 
1/4 lb. green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths 
2 Tbsp. chopped blanched almonds, coarsely ground 
2 tsp. curry powder, preferably garam masala 

1. In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add jalapeño, cumin and turmeric and stir to combine. Stir in sugar, salt and water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, 
covered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add green beans and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes more. 

2. With the back of a spoon, mash a few pieces of the potato and sweet potato and mix into the sauce. Stir in ground almonds and curry powder. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I haven’t made this yet myself, but I had it at a summer cookout party and I scarfed it all up!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound rotini or fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pastas)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 ounce (1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained well
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
a 1-pound can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 ounces sliced hard salami, cut into julienne strips
10 to 20 bottled small peperoncini (pickled Tuscan peppers)
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, minced

Directions: In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the rotini until it is tender and drain it. Refresh the pasta under cold water and drain it well. In a blender blend the garlic, the mustard, the vinegars, the water, the oil, and salt to taste until the dressing is emulsified. In a very large bowl toss the pasta well with the dressing and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, the mozzarella, the garbanzos, the salami, the Tuscan peppers, the red pepper flakes, and the parsley. Chill the salad, covered, for 1 hour. The salad may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Few dishes are as easy, delicious and impressive. This recipe from Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa, has recently replaced our family’s previously favorite recipe for rack of lamb. This is the new winner!

Note: “Frenching” refers to scraping the meat off the tips of the bones. Ask your butcher to leave 1/8 inch of fat on the meat.

This could easily be called Banana Bread Oatmeal.  I only ever have whole milk in the house, which makes this almost too rich for me.  But it’s pretty amazing!  I’ve made it several times now.  I might doctor the recipe one of these days to try less liquid and a tad less maple syrup.  Not to be snobby but you should really use real maple syrup here – no Log Cabin stuff. 

Combine milk, water and salt in a medium saucepan; heat until almost boiling. Add oats and cook, stirring, until creamy, 1-2 minutes. (I’m pretty sure they mean 10 to 12 minutes!) Remove pan from heat and stir in mashed banana and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Divide between 2 bowls, sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Two words: sheer heaven.  From Martha Stewart – can’t remember if it was from her Everyday Foods cookbook or Living.

Whip cream with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until soft peaks form. In alternating layers, arrange cake cubes, whipped cream, and blackberries in 8 serving glasses or dishes (or one large, deep serving dish, preferably glass). Chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

I saw this recipe on one of Nigella Lawson’s shows on the Food Network.  I wish they’d give her a steady show, as is seems she’s on one day and off the next.  All her recipes look scrumptious, and I should try to make more.  Here’s one that worked out beautifully, though the next time I think I’ll be tempted to throw another piece of salmon into the mix.  Also – I think English mustard is called Coleman’s.  It’s fairly yellow like French’s but not quite that neon colored. 

Unwrap the salmon fillets, removing them to a wooden board for carving as you do so. Arrange some freshly boiled rice on 2 plates, and slice the salmon fillets into thin slices. Lay the carved salmon on top of the rice and spoon over the sauce, letting it gloss the fish and drip here and there over the rice.  Scatter the cilantro on top.

This recipe comes from the delicious cookbook COOK 1.0, A Fresh Approach to the Vegetarian Kitchen by Heidi Swanson, who also writes the popular and award-winning food blog 101cookbooks.com.  The recipes in the cookbook are displayed in an intriguing grid layout that doesn’t translate perfectly to the traditional recipe format, but you should be able to follow along just fine.  These are delicious for breakfast or a snack – not too sweet and a perfect, warming foil for the rich honey drizzle. 

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased nonstick baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the tops and bottoms are golden, roughly 12 minutes. Drizzle with honey.

Here’s a recipe that’s much more than the sum of its parts.  It’s delicious without the guilt, as the fajitas are pared down to their healthy essentials.  You might want to up your nutrient quotient by using whole wheat tortillas instead.  From Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine.

3. Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken crosswise. Stack and wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel; microwave on high until warm, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken and pepper mixture to a platter, and serve with tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.