Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Mustard Seeds

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 containers (10 ounces each) Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, with the shredding disk of a food processor, shred Brussels sprouts (if you don’t have a food processor, halve and thinly sliced with a chef’s knife). In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally until tender and beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with pecans.

Porcini Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

3/4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (1 cup)
6 cups tepid water plus 2 cups hot water, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

Directions:

Soak porcini in 2 cups hot water 15 minutes.

Cook onion in butter with 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer porcini with a slotted spoon to pot and strain soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measure. Add white mushrooms to pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, remaining 6 cups water, and porcini-soaking liquid. Simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes.

Purée 1 cup vegetables and 1 cup liquid in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to pot. Stir in parsley, dill, and salt to taste.

Cashew Curry Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb whole cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
5 shallots, thinly sliced (or green onions)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup peas (optional)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 lemon, zest of (or 2-in piece of lemongrass)
1 tablespoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 green chilies, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 slices ginger, thin slices
15 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions

Sauté the shallots, red bell pepper, and peas(if using) in the olive oil or butter, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add the curry, lemon, turmeric, chiles, garlic, ginger, and salt, and cook until fragrant, 5-10 minutes more.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, another 5-10 minutes. Serve with rice. Garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

Ginger Jeweled Salad

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice, made by grating a 4-5-inch piece of ginger into a pile and then pressing it against a strainer to extract the ginger juice

2 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar
fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno, very finely chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup dried figs, stems trimmed, quartered
1/3 cup dried pluots, chopped
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, loosely chopped
1 1/3 cup cooked wild rice, room temperature
5 big handfuls of leafy salad greens (see headnotes), washed and dried

Directions:

In a big jar or medium bowl make the ginger vinaigrette by whisking together the ginger juice, vinegar, jalapeno, and a couple big pinches of salt. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the jar whisking all the while. Stop when the dressing takes on a slightly creamy appearance. Taste and adjust the flavors if needed. Set aside.

Hold off dressing the salad until just before you are ready to serve it. This will help to keep the lettuce vibrant and lively. In a large bowl toss the figs, pluots, hazelnuts and wild rice with a generous splash of the dressing. Once they are nicely coated, add the lettuce, a bit more vinaigrette, and a pinch of salt. Gently toss until the lettuce is evenly coated. Taste and adjust if needed.

The little bits of fruit and nuts tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl, so before serving scoop them back up from the bottom so you end up with plenty of rice and fruit on top. Serves about 7.

Fantasy-ish Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

1 9.7-ounce bar of good-quality semi-sweet chocolate (62% Scharffen Berger)
3 cups organic cane sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup lite coconut milk (regular is fine too)
7 ounces Ricemellow Crème (or the marshmallow creme of your choice)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter a 13×9 baking dish. Alternately, you can line it with parchment paper. Finely chop the chocolate bar and set aside.

Directions:

Combine the sugar, butter, and coconut milk in a thick-bottomed medium-large saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to an active boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for five minutes over medium heat - if you are using a candy thermometer it should reach about 235F degrees. Remove from heat, stir in the chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate is melted, add then add the Ricemellow Creme, vanilla, and nuts (if you are using them).

Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish, and let cool. After 5 minutes or so, I use a spatula to make a swirl texture on the top of the fudge (optional). You can let it set at room temperature, but I like to let it cool in the refrigerator overnight, where it sets up nicely, making it simple to slice into 1/2-inch cubes. Tip: A thin knife is best for cutting, or (even better) a large pizza cutting wheel.