lemon-almond buttermilk loaf

from Epicurious.com

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

2 c sugar

3/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

1/4 t almond extract

3/4 c buttermilk

3/4 c ground almonds

1 T grated lemon peel

5 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5x2 1/2" metal loaf pan. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 c sugar and butter in large bowl until well-blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in almond extract.

Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each, beating until well blended after each addition. Add ground almonds and lemon peel and beat 1 minute. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until deep golden brown and cracked on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir remaining 1/2 c sugar and 5 T lemon juice in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Place rack on baking sheet. Turn cake out onto rack, top side up. using skewer or toothpick, poke holes 1 to 2 inches apart all over cake. Brush top and sides of cake with all of lemon glaze, allowing some glaze to soak into cake before brushing with more. Cook cake completely.

dilled new potato salad

from prevention.com

2 lb small waxy potatoes

1-2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1 c lightly mashed haas avocado (about 2 avocados)

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 T reduced-fat sour cream

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 T finely chopped fresh dill

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes in large pot and cover with cold water (add salt if desired). Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Chill in refrigerator for about an hour.

Slice potatoes and place in large bowl. Stir in celery. Mix avocado and lemon juice in small bowl . Add sour cream, scallions, dill and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine with potato mixture. Serve immediately, garnishing with more fresh dill if desired.

Add more lemon juice to leftovers to help maintain color. Keep tightly covered and chilled.

4 servings, 273 cal,10 g fat, 6 g protein, 43 g carb, 8 g fiber

oven-seared salmon with snap peas

4 6oz salmon filets, skin removed
4 T butter, divided
1/4 c minced shallots
4 T chopped fresh dill or tarragon
1 1/2 c diagonally thinly sliced sugar snap peas (1/8" slices)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle salmon lightly with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 T of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, increase heat to medium-high. Cook 60 to 90 seconds or until salmon just begins to lightly brown. Turn salmon, place on small rimmed baking sheet.

Melt remaining 2 T butter in same skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots, cook 10 seconds or until fragrant. Sppon 1 T of the shallot mixture over slamon; sprinkle with 2 T of the dill. Bake 4-7 minutes or until salmon just beings to flake.

Meanwhile, ad peas to skillet; toss to coat with shallot mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 T dill and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes or until peas are tender-crisp. Serve salmon wiht peas.

4 servings, 365 cals, 22 g fat, 38g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber

sun-dried tomato biscuits

from This Is Atlanta Cooking, Rathbun's episode

1 1/4 c buttermilk

1/2 t salt

1 t sugar

freshly ground black pepper

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c cubed unsalted butter, chilled

1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, warmed and softened, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomatoes. Pour in buttermilk while folding until most of the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and gently form dough together. Sprinkle flour on top and use biscuit cutter to cut into rounds. Bake on ungreased sheet for about 12 minutes.

spicy hot chicken soup

This soup is excellent for eating when you have a cold. From the Penzey's catalog.

about 8 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)

2 T vegetable oil

2 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 t cayenne pepper

1 t powdered ginger

8 c water

2 T chicken soup base

3/4 lb extra wide egg noodles

2 scallions

Cut the chicken meat into 3/4" cubes. In a large, heavy pot or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the onions and garlic until everything is starting to brown up, add the cayenne pepper and ginger.

Stir constantly for about a minute, and then add the water and chicken soup base. Let everything come to a slow boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Bring a separate pot of water for the noodles to a boil, add noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the bag. Drain the noodles and add to the pot of soup, turn off the soup, let stand 5 minutes and serve. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped scallions.

Noodles don't reheat very well, so if the soup won't be eaten all at once, add some cooked noodles to each bowl, top with soup, let stand a few minutes for the noodles to absorb the chicken flavor, and keep the rest of the noodles in a covered container in the fridge to add to the reheated soup the next day, or just cook new ones.

basic Brussels sprouts

from Alton Brown

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1/2 c water

1/4-1/2 t kosher salt

Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Cut each Brussels sprout in half from top to bottom. Place the Brussels sprouts, water and salt into a 3 to 4 qt saucier and cover. Place over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove, toss with a bit of butter, and serve immediately.

cinnamon-almond snaps

These are strangely addictive, especially with tea or coffee. Excellent for the holidays. I have no idea where we found this recipe, but we didn't create it ourselves.

makes about twelve dozen small cookies

3 c all purpose flour
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 c blanched sliced or slivered almonds

Sift first four ingredients into medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in both sugars. Add egg and egg yolk; beat to blend. Beat in vanilla and salt.

Add flour mixture and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Add almonds and knead gently in bowl wiht hands until blended.

David dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each into 10" long log, about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap dough in 2 layers of plastic and place in freezer until frozen, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 month ahead. Keep frozen.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Working with one log at a time, remove plastic and cut crosswise into 1/4"-thick-rounds. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies ot rack and cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature.

Russian tea cakes

from Epicurious.com

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 c butter, room temperature
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c finely chopped husked hazelnuts, toasted
powdered sugar for rolling

Sift flour and salt together. using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add 1/2 c powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients in three batches. Mix in hazelnuts. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form dough into 1" balls. Space 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until just firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool slightly. Roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Roll cookies in powdered sugar again. Store in airtight container for at least a few days.

cranberry orange oatmeal cookies

adapted from several similar recipes to suit our tastes

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
10 T vegetable shortening (preferably Crisco butter flavor), room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t orange oil
1 1/3 c old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
1 1/2 c dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two light colored baking sheets.

Stir dry ingredients in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars in large bowl until blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg, vanilla, and orange oil, and mix thoroughly. Stir in flour mixture and just incorporated, then stir in oatmeal an cranberries.

Using a tablespoon or a #50 disher, drop dough onto sheet. Bake until tops and bottoms are lightly golden, rotating baking sheets, front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking to ensure even browning, about 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

Will keep for several days in airtight container. Should freeze well.

quick italian breaad

from recipeland.com

makes 1 loaf

2 1/4 t yeast, active dry
7/8 c warm water
2 1/2 c bread flour
1 1/2 t sugar, divided
1 1/2 t salt
cornmeal

Proof yeast and 1 t sugar in 7/8 c warm water for 10 minutes in a warm place. In food processor fitted with dough blade, mix flour, remaining 1/2 t sugar and the salt for 20 seconds. With processor running, pour in the yeast mixture in a continuous stream. Dough should combine and pull away from the sides of the bowl within a few seconds. Add more warm water by the teaspoon if necessary. After dough combines, let processor run for 30-40 seconds to knead.

Remove dough and roll it with your hands to about 18 inches long. Place on baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent dough from sticking. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 minutes. Remove plastic and diagonally slash loaf with sharp knife at about three-inch intervals. Put in middle of the oven. Spray loaf with water and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.