Recipes  Photo: Lori Eanes Photography Here's an elegant version of a cozy standby. Any dried fruit or nut can be substituted for the almonds or cherries with fine results. A teaspoon of lemon or orange zest is a delicious addition. This also makes an absolutely scrumptious cold-weather breakfast. 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Dry toast the almonds in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet about 3 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and chop into small pieces. Place in a bowl with the dried fruit and cinnamon. Mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch salt in another small bowl. Stir into the nuts just until the mixture is moistened. Core the apples and peel a 1/2-inch band of skin around the middle of the apples to prevent them from splitting. Rub the peeled area with the cut lemon. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling into each apple. Place the apples on a baking dish or pie plate and pour the juice on the bottom. Bake uncovered until apples are tender, 45 minutes to an hour, basting every 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Photo: Lori Eanes Photography A quick spice rub makes this chicken extra flavorful. This is ideal if you have time to let your chicken sit with the spices for 24 hours. It is still delicious even if you roast it right away. 4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 to 1 1/4 hours Ingredients
Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. In a small bowl combine the maple sugar, salt, thyme, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and 1-2 tablespoons water, just enough to make a paste. Rub the spice mix all over chicken. Then use your fingers to loosen the skin over the breast meat and rub the mixture underneath. Set the chicken on a rack set over a plate in the refrigerator breast side down to air dry uncovered for 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the chicken all over with the oil. Place 1 cup water under the rack. Roast the chicken for half an hour. Remove from the oven and flip breast side up. Lower the heat to 350°F. Roast 30 to 40 minutes, until thigh registers 165 in the thickest part. Let sit for 5 minutes to absorb juices. Tips Note: To flip the chicken, use silicone gloves, or wadded paper towels, or aluminum foil to protect your hands. *Based on The Maple Sugar-Brined Southwestern-Style Turkey from The Healthy Hedonist Holidays  Photo: Lori Eanes Photography I like to cut the tofu before I press it, but I don't separate the pieces until after pressing, because it is easier to press the tofu when it's in a block. While this tofu is very tasty hot, it's also good cold in sandwiches or cut into cubes to go in a salad. It keeps well for days. 4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes plus 1/2 hour to press the tofu and 1/2 hour to marinate it Ingredients
Turn the tofu narrow-side up and make 3 cuts to divide the tofu into 4 pieces. Cut the pieces diagonally in half to make 8 triangles. Without separating the pieces, place them on a pie plate and top with a second plate. Weight the plate with a heavy can or two and press for at least 30 minutes. Drain. In a medium bowl, whisk the orange juice, rice vinegar, shoyu, oils, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to make the marinade. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Separate the tofu pieces and place them in a single layer in a baking dish and cover with the marinade. Sprinkle the top with scallion and cilantro. If using chilies, cut the stems off, remove the seeds, and place in the baking dish. Marinate at least 1/2 hour, and up to overnight. Pour off some of the marinade so that it reaches 1/2 way up the sides of the tofu. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes until tofu is golden and most of the marinade has been absorbed. Do not turn tofu while it is baking. Serve hot or at room temperature.  Photo: Lori Eanes Photography Olives and thyme make this simple roasted vegetable dish extraordinary. The olives shrivel and concentrate as they bake and the thyme leaves fall off the stems, deliciously flavoring the squash. 6 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the squash (a wide-mouthed peeler works best) and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. You should have about 6 cups of squash. Place the squash pieces in a medium bowl and toss with the olives, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Spread on a parchment or silicon-covered baking sheet and strew the thyme sprigs over the squash. Roast for about 40 minutes, tossing every 15, until the squash is completely tender. Remove the thyme stems and discard. Tips In the autumn, try this dish with delicata squash, yellow-orange oblong squash with green stripes. The peel is tender when roasted so all you have to do is half the squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into wedges. Recipes to come: Spring Summer Autumn Sign up for the mailing: (Please enter your email address) Newsletter will only be sent when there is new info including: special event notification, new class schedule, new book release (with author discount on direct purchase (15%)), and once in a while seasonal recipes. |
© 2012 Myra Kornfeld