tomato feta pasta

all quantities are rough estimates. this dish is an art, not a science.

1 yellow onion, or 4 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed, or finely minced
decent olive oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
8 oz good feta, preferably packed in brine, crumbled**
freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil chiffonade

If serving with pasta, start the water before you do any prep work. By the time you're done chopping, the water should be hot enough to add the pasta. The sauce doesn't take long to make but it does require frequent attention. We like thin spaghetti or angel hair with this sauce, but smaller pasta like penne works too.

Heat olive oil in a good sized skillet over medium high heat until shimmering, then add onion, stir for a minute, turn down heat to medium, and add garlic. Stir frequently so garlic does not turn brown. Throw in red pepper flakes to taste.

When onion and garlic are soft, add tomatoes including any juices they produced when chopped. cook for another few minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Turn heat to low, add feta, stir gently. Cook at least long enough to warm the feta through, but keep an eye on it as the feta chunks will break down quickly.

Remove from heat, add black pepper to taste. Serve over pasta, sprinkling basil on top.

**Good feta makes or breaks this sauce. I have been fond of a certain goat-sheep's milk imported blend from the DeKalb Farmers Market, but they don't seem to have it anymore. The Pastures of Eden feta from Trader Joe's is a very good alternative. It's not cheap, but has the right blend of creamy, tangy, and salty; and we consistently prefer it to other more expensive feta from Whole Foods.

mascarpone tart with fresh strawberries and port glaze

from Epicurious.com

For tart shell:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons cold water

For filling:
1 1/2 pounds strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup ruby Port
1 pound mascarpone (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To make tart shell:
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together.

Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.

Make filling while tart shell cools:
Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.

Assemble tart:
Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

two-bite brownies

about 72 mini-cupcakes

vegetable-oil cooking spray

4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

8 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

1/2 t salt

3 3/4 c granulated sugar

8 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line mini-cupcake tins with liners. Spray liners with cooking spray. If not using liners, mix 1 T cocoa powder with 1/2 c flour, spray tins with cooking spray and dust cups thoroughly with the cocoa-flour mixture.

Melt butter and chocolate in a 4-qt heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring until smooth. Whisk together flour, cocoa and salt. Remove pan from heat and whisk in granulated sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until incorporated, and stir in flour mixture until blended.

Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling cups to top, and bake in middle of the oven 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering. Cool 5 minutes in tins and turn out onto racks. Repeat with remaining batter.

cornmeal-crusted black bean cakes

1 16oz can black beans, drained but not rinsed
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 c diced red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 c corn flakes cereal, crushed, or finely crushed corn chips
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t chipotle chile powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t granulated garlic
hot pepper sauce
1/3 c cornmeal
2 T olive oil

Combine all ingredients except cornmeal and olive oil in medium bowl; refrigerate 1 hour.

Place cornmeal in large shallow bowl. Shape bean mixture into 6 3" patties, using 1/3 cup per patty. Gently press each patty in cornmeal to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Gently cook patties in batches, 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly browned, turning once. Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole or sour cream.

6 servings, 160 cals, 6 g fat, 6.5 g protein, 21.5 g cabs, 6.5 g fiber

citrus roast chicken

1 4 lb whole chicken
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh cilantro or rosemary
1 t kosher salt
1 t ground cumin
2 T butter, softened
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t paprika
5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
1 small orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Starting at heck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

Combine oregano and next 7 ingredients (through paprike) in a small bowl. Rub oregano mixture under loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Place garlic in body cavity, arrange orange, lemon, and onion quarters in cavity.

Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back, tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a roasting pan coated to cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 165 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin. Remove orange quarters, squeeze juice over chicken. Discard oranges, garlic cloves, lemons, and onions.

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.