Radishes, Edamame, and Almonds

Not a recipe; just an idea for some things that go really, really well together in a stir fry type dish, to be eaten with noodles or rice. (And no photo, because three light bulbs in my kitchen went out today.) If you start out with a small onion cut into strips, add a clove of garlic and a couple drops of sriracha, then add a chopped-up radish, a bag of edamame, and some chopped almonds... wow. Especially if you garnish with another chopped-up radish (uncooked this time), and a dressing of lemon juice, sesame oil, and ginger. Almonds and edamame are SERIOUSLY good together!

Salad with Pears, Fennel, and Feta

This is not a recipe; just some things thrown together in a bowl. But I'm posting it because it illustrates something wonderful: pears, feta, and fennel. I've known for a long time how great fennel is with feta; I've also known how great the two of them are together with peas. I've discovered the pears-feta-fennel combination before, but I always forget it. Not this time. I've eaten this salad three meals in a row.

Salad with Pears, Fennel, and Feta

Some spinach
Some lettuce
Cut-up pears (1 per person if this is a main-dish type salad)
Feta cheese to taste
More fennel seed than you think you need (nearly 1 tsp/person)
Olive oil + balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients. Toss. Eat.

Spinach-Onion Pancakes with Watercress Pesto

You could just make scrambled eggs with spinach and onions, but this is waaaaay more fun. The watercress pesto is quite bitter. It's not the kind you want to serve as a dip for vegetables; it works better as an accompaniment to something with a complementary flavor. It's an acquired taste but one I really love. It's good in small doses with these pancakes; it's better as one component of a tea sandwich, on a challah roll with a slice of mozzarella -- the sweetness of the challah and bitterness of the pesto work really well together.

Spinach-Onions Pancakes

2/5 cup white flour (I started with 1/4 cup, and then added half of a 1/3 cup measure's worth)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup raw spinach, torn to shreds
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup skim milk
a little oil for the pan

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Beat in the flour, milk, and cheese; fold in onions and spinach. Heat a small film of oil in a pan over medium heat until very hot. Using two teaspoons, place spoonfuls of batter in the pan (four at a time fit in my pan). Cook until lightly brown, then flip, pressing down to thin the pancakes out if they are looking bulky. When lightly browned, remove from pan.

Makes 8 pancakes (dinner for one hungry person or for two people with some kind of side dish).

You could also leave out the cheese and serve these with a soy-based dipping sauce instead of pesto.

Watercress Pesto

1 medium bunch watercress, leaves only
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Small handful almonds
Enough olive oil to make a paste

Process ingredients in a mini-food processor (I suppose a large sized one would work too; I just like my mini one because it cost $2 at a garage sale and is easy to clean). Add enough olive oil to make a paste that has the consistency you desire in pesto.

Makes about 1 cup.

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

There was no good chocolate cake recipe in Joy of Cooking, so I had to scrounge around and adapt one from my old standby, Clotilde Dusoulier's yogurt cake -- I wasn't at all sure about the ratio of cocoa powder to flour, but it worked out very well. The yogurt really adds a depth of flavor. They are very chocolatey! Plus they use oil rather than butter, which I actually prefer in a cake.

(The yellow one is a lemon cupcake, with cornmeal and a little rosemary, based on this one, only with less rosemary so that it will match well with raspberry-rose frosting and no sugar crust because of said frosting; note that the lemon recipe makes a quite dense, heavy cupcake, albeit with a great flavor.)

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 oz plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt plus 2 oz water (or 1 cup regular yogurt)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, water, and sugar. Add eggs and stir well to blend . Add vanilla and oil; stir again. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spoon the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin, filling the cups about 3/4 full.

Bake 17-23 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Makes 12-14 cupcakes.

Cranberry-Apricot Muffins

Very good. Not much else to say.

Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 egg
2 tsp bourbon
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
3/8 cup sugar
1/6 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup skim milk
scant 1/2 cup chopped frozen cranberries
4-5 dried apricots, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients except fruit in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until nearly but not quite smooth. Fold in the cranberries and apricots.

Spoon into a paper-lined muffin tin. Bake 20 minutes.

Makes 6.

Little Calzones

The recipe still needs tweaking, so I'm not posting it yet, but these little calzones are so cute I could not resist.

Asparagus Risotto

This is a lovely, vegetarian light-purple risotto that contrasts very prettily with the asparagus. Not enough light to take a good picture, so you'll have to imagine it. You could also make it with white wine for a non-purple risotto, of course.

Asparagus Risotto

2 cups arborio rice
2/3 cup red wine
1 cup skim milk
lots of hot water -- approximately 6 cups
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 large garlic clove, chopped finely
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
grated rind of 1 medium lemon
1 tsp butter
1 large bunch asparagus, cut into 1.5-inch sections
a small amount of olive oil

Asparagus: you can either do this before the rice, which takes a lot of attention, or start it before and continue simultaneously. Wash asparagus, and do not dry thoroughly. Heat a very small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender and beginning to be brown and wrinkled in spots. Set aside when done.

Rice: Melt the butter in the bottom of a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the rice, and cook one or two minutes; lower the heat to medium-low. Then add half the wine, and stir until it has been absorbed. Add the other half, and do the same. Then add a cup or so of water and the soy sauce; stir occasionally until absorbed. (You don't actually have to stir the whole time to get a good texture, but it helps keep anything from sticking to the pan.) Add another cup of water, and do the same. Add half the milk, stir till absorbed, and add the other half of the milk. Continue adding water a half cup or cup at a time until the rice is cooked and has an al dente texture, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add the cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper; stir until incorporated.

To serve, stir in 2/3 of the asparagus. Spoon into bowls and top with remaining asparagus.

Serves 4 as a main course.