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Lime - Ginger - Mint Sorbet Serves 10 as Dessert. Worked really well, the very first time I made it! Icy, spicy, minty, refreshing sorbet/ice. This would be excellent as a palate cleanser for an Asian meal. 1 c Sugar 3 c water 1 bunch fresh Mint leaves, washed (it is not necessary to remove from stems, but if you don't then trim the stems into short lengths) 2 oz finger of fresh Ginger, peeled and finely diced 1/4 tsp Salt 2 Limes (zest one) 1 tsp Lime Zest, finely grated 2 T White Rum Combine sugar and 2 cups of water in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved, reduce heat to low. Add 1/4 of mint and ginger. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place remaining 1 cup of water, and the rest of the mint and ginger in a blender or food processor. Puree for 1 minute. Pour into a large bowl through a wire mesh strainer. Press and squeeze to remove as much juice as possible. Discard pulp. Place steeped mint and ginger into blender or food processor along with about 1 cup of the sugar syrup. Puree and pour into the bowl through the strainer. Do the same with the remaining sugar syrup. Press and squeeze to remove as much liquid from the pulp as possible. Discard pulp. Add salt to mixture in bowl. Squeeze 2 limes through the strainer into the bowl. Taste to see it needs more lime or sugar. Add lime zest and rum, stir. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Freeze as per your ice cream maker's directions. Spoon into airtight container and firm in freezer for a few hours before serving. Makes approximately 1.25 quarts. Keywords: Dessert, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Fruit, Hot and Spicy, Blender, Food Processor ( RG568 )

Lychee & Key Lime Sorbet Serves 8 as Dessert. Served at the Second Annual NY Potluck Dinner. 1 c Sugar 1 c Water 1/4 tsp Salt 1 lb fresh Lychees 6 Key Limes, juiced 2 T White Rum Combine sugar and water in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, add salt. While sugar is dissolving, peel lychees and remove seeds. Puree in blender or food processor for a minute. Strain and press fruit through fine mesh sieve, discard pulpy brown bits remaining in sieve. Juice key limes through strainer into lychee puree. Add fruit puree to sugar syrup. Taste - you may need another key lime or a little more sugar if the limes were very tart. Add rum, stir. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Freeze as per your ice cream maker's directions. Spoon into airtight container and firm in freezer for a few hours before serving. Makes approximately 1 quart. Keywords: Dessert, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker, Fruit, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Southeast Asian, Blender, Food Processor ( RG567 )

Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes Serves 2 as Sideor 4 as Appetizer. Best crispy, crunchy fried green tomatoes 2 Medium Green tomatoes 1 c Flour 2 Large eggs 2 T Milk 1 tsp Red Tabasco sauce (or more if you like) 1-1/2 c Finely crumbled crackers (I use a mixture of Ritz and Saltine) Oil for frying salt, pepper, cayenne ( to taste) Mustard/Caper sauce 2 T Mayonaise 2 T Yellow mustard 2 tsp Green Tabasco sauce 2 T Red wine Vinegar 1 Garlic clove finely minced 1 T Coarsly chopped capers 1 T Finely chopped parsley Slice the tomatoes into thick rounds (about 1/4 inch). Pat dry with a paper towel. Put the flour in one plate. In a seperate bowl whisk the eggs with the milk and red Tabasco sauce until light and fluffy. Spread the crumbled crackers in a third plate.* Dredge each tomato slice in the flour, shake off excess, then dip in egg mixture, shake off excess, then coat with the crackers. Heat about 1/4 of an inch of oil in a pan and fry the tomatoes on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Move them to a rack and season them with the salt, pepper and Cayenne. Serve still hot with the Mustard/Caper sauce and extra Tabasco. To make the Mustard/Caper sauce: Just mix all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Be carefull with the salt as the capers are pretty salty and usually no more salt is needed. Always taste first!! *to crumble the crackers I put them in a ziploc bag and crush them with my hands. I think it gives a better texture than pulsing them in the food processor, which is always an option. Keywords: Appetizer, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables ( RG554 )

Chocolate Chip Cookies ala Blue Smoke This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe developed by Jennifer Giblin, the pastry chef at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York. I liked the cookies so much I asked for the recipe, and she was good enough to share. 1 lb Unsalted Butter (Plugra brand is best) 1 c Brown Sugar 1 c White Sugar 1 T Corn Syrup 4 Eggs 1 T Vanilla Extract 4 c Flour 1 T Salt 2 tsp Baking Soda 3 c Good Quality Dark Chocolate Chips Cream together the butter, sugars, and corn syrup until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract gradually. Sieve together all of the dry ingredients and add all at once. Mix until well blended. Add chocolate chips and incorporate throughout. Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown (about 12 minutes depending on size). Keywords: Dessert, Snack, Vegetarian, Cookie, Easy, American, Chocolate, Stand Mixer ( RG549 )

Lentejas -- Lentils For me, the lentils are the best of all the legumes; humble and yet incredibly good. They are a very important part of the Spanish diet & have now also become stylish. You can find them in many famous restaurants as the ingredient of choice for many dishes. See more of my Spanish Recipes here. Ingredients: 1 c brown lentils (well washed; cover & rinse with cold water several times) 1 bay leaf of parsley 1/2 head of garlic 1 tsp sweet pimentón (found in most specialty stores; substitute with good paprika) 4 oz salt pork or bacon (make sure to blanch bacon for a minute to remove the strong smoky flavor) 4 T olive oil 1 medium size onion (chopped) 1 carrots (peal & chop into ¼ inch slices) 1 potato (peeled & cut into small chunks) 1 T of tomato paste, tomato sauce or whole fresh tomato 1 T of red wine vinegar (totally optional) Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Directions: 1. Put the lentils in a pot & cover with cold water (lentils "grow" so be generous; you can also add more water as they cook); add the bay leaf, a clove or two of garlic, the salt pork, ½ the paprika. Bring to boil, lower the heat to a high simmer & cover partially (some of the steam should escape); cook for ~ 1 hour. 2. Heat the oil in a frying pan; add the onion & sauté for a few minutes. Add the carrot, remaining garlic & cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the tomato paste, cook for another 5 minutes & add the sweet pimentón. 3. Add the sautéed vegetables to the lentils, the chopped potato, salt and pepper. **Add more water if the lentils look dry. Cook another ½ hour. 4. Before serving taste for salt & pepper; add the vinegar. TIP: If you eat the lentils the day after they might be a little thick & dry; boil ½ cup of water & add to the lentils. Warm for a couple of minutes. TIP: If you have any leftovers (I seriously doubt that!), puree the lentils & add a few spoonfuls of stock or milk. YUM! More of My Spanish Recipes Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Spanish/Portugese, Appetizer, Beans, Main Dish, Lunch, Easy, Dinner ( RG548 )

Judiones -- Succulent Melt in Your Mouth Giant White Beans Serves 10 as Sideor 12 as Appetizeror 6 as Main Dish. Enjoy this typical Spanish dish on its own or with a tasty vinagreta (Spanish vinaigrette) accompanied by a rich red Marques de Cáceres. If you get the chance use La Granja's famous judiones, for a real melt in your mouth experience! See more of my Spanish Recipes here. 1 lb of judiones (substitute broad beans) 1 medium size onion 4 cloves of garlic 1/2 tsp pimentón agridulce (bittersweet Spanish paprika) 1/2 c olive oil 4 l of water 1 red or green pepper [Directions: 1. Soak the judiones overnight (~ 12hrs). 2. Chop the pepper into long strips. 3. Cut the onion in half & slice into thin semi-circles. 4. Pound the garlic in the mortar. 5. Put the cazuela (shallow clay dish) on the stove at medium heat & add the olive oil, garlic, onion & pimentón. Let it cook slowly for ~ 5 minutes; remove from heat. 6. On a second burner put the rinsed judiones in a pot with all of the water. Bring to a boil then lower to medium heat & let cook for approximately ½ hr. 7. Add the judiones to the cazuela. Put the cazuela on medium heat & simmer for an hour. Start tasting early; the judiones should taste tender but with a bite; add salt as required. More of My Spanish Recipes Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Spanish/Portugese, Appetizer, Beans, Side, Lunch, Vegetarian, Dinner ( RG547 )

Vinagreta -- Spanish Vinaigrette This vinaigrette is especially good on hot summer days. Serve with beans (all kinds: garbanzo, broad, white, judiones....), fish or whatever you want! Ingredients: 1 whole fresh tomato 1 hard boiled egg (remove yolk & chop the egg white & yolk separately) 1 shallot (finely chopped) 1 T finely chopped parsley 1/2 c olive oil 1/4 c vinagre de jerez (sherry vinegar: typical of Andalucia; substitute with wine vinegar) Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Directions: 1. Put the shallots, finely chopped tomato & chopped egg white in a medium size bowl. 2. In a separate bowl whisk the oil & vinegar; add salt and pepper. 3. Add the oil & vinegar to the tomatoes, shallots & chopped egg white. 4. When serving sprinkle with chopped egg yolk & parsley. More of My Spanish Recipes Keywords: Easy, Vegetarian, Sauce, Spanish/Portugese ( RG546 )

Gazpacho -- Cold Refreshing Soup Serves 4 as Main Dishor 8 as Appetizeror 6 as Soup. Spaniards like soups & use the season's products to make many different types of soups: light & refreshing in summer, thick and nutritious in winter. Originally there was neither refrigerators nor freezers, this has also influenced the cooking styles. Gazpacho is perfect on a hot summer day with a refreshing beer! See More of My Spanish Recipes Here. Ingredients: 6 tomatoes 3 cucumbers 4 garlic cloves 2 tsp of ground cumin 1 tsp of salt or more to your taste. 1/2 c of sherry vinegar 1/2 c olive oil 1 c of cold water and some ice cubes at serving time Optional Ingredients: 1/2 green pepper finely chopped 2 T finely chopped onion 1/2 c croutons Directions: 1. Peel & cube the tomatoes & cucumbers & set-aside. 2. Pound the garlic, cumin & salt in a mortar until it is a paste. 3. In a bowl add half the tomatoes & cucumbers to the pounded garlic, cumin & salt. Continue pounding until thick soupy consistency. 4. Add the remaining tomatoes & cucumbers to the soupy mixture. Taste for salt and vinegar. It should be strong flavored! Remember you’ll add water and ice. 5. Serve chilled with ice & water. Add croutons, chopped green pepper and onion on the side if desired. More of My Spanish Recipes Keywords: Easy, Spanish/Portugese, Blender, Vegetables, Lunch, Appetizer, Soup, Dinner, Main Dish, Vegetarian, Snack ( RG545 )

HUMMUS This is my version of a recipe given to me by my good friend Mary Ann who makes the very best hummus I’ve ever tasted. If the oil in the tahini has separated (you’ll see it floating on the top), put it into a blender and blend until smooth. 2 15 1/2 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 garlic clove pounded into a paste with 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 c tahini Juice of 2 lemons, or more, to taste, plus 1 tablespoon, for garnish 1/4 c cold water, or more, as needed 3/4 tsp toasted, ground cumin 2 T olive oil, for garnish 2 T finely chopped parsley, for garnish 1. Place the chick peas, tahimi, the juice of 2 lemons, 1/4 cup water and the cumin into a food processor and blend to a thick, grainy consistency. (Do not overprocess; what makes a hummus taste nice is the coarse texture; a mousse-like hummus does not have the same taste). Add more cold water if the hummus is too thick and more lemon juice, if you like. 2. Scrape out onto the serving plate. Drizzle with the olive oil and then with the lemon juice, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with warm toasted pita bread or fresh vegetables. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Dip, Vegetarian, Middle Eastern ( RG521 )

Muhammara This recipe was first mentioned on eGullet on the Raw Sauce thread. This is one of the outstanding dips of the eastern Mediterranean, as delicious and striking as the far more famous hummus and bab ghanoush. I urge egulleteers to take the time to make it. I promise it will be a revelation. Try it with meat or fish kabobs, or simply with crisp pita triangles or warmed floppy lavash. The dip will keep well for up to one week in a closed container in the refrigerator, improving a little each day. REturn to room temperature before serving. 2-1/2 lb red bell peppers 1 small hot chili, like Fresno or hot Hungarian 1-1/2 c walnuts, coarsely ground 1/2 c crumbled wheat crackers 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 T pomegranate molasses, more to taste 1/2 tsp ground cumin, more for garnish 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 2 T olive oil, more for garnish 1. Roast peppers and chili over a gas burner or under a broiler, turning frequently until blackened and blistered all over, about 12 minutes. Place in a covered bowl to steam for 10 minutes. Rub off skins; slit peppers open and remove stems, membranes and seeds. Spread peppers, smooth side up, on a paper towel and let drain for 10 minutes. 2. In a food processor, grind walnuts and crackers with lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, salt and sugar until smooth. Add bell peppers and process until pureed and creamy. With machine on, add olive oil in a thin stream. Add chili to taste. If paste is too thick, thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Refrigerate overnight. 3. To serve, let dip come to room temperature and sprinkle with cumin and olive oil. Yield: about 3 cups. Keywords: Vegetarian, Middle Eastern, Dip ( RG474 )

Three Garlic Pasta Serves 4 as Main Dish. 1 head plus 8 cloves garlic 1 lb spaghetti 2 T olive oil 3/4 c dry white wine 1 c loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1 tsp red-pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Parmesan cheese for grating 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap garlic head in foil, or place in garlic roaster; roast until soft and golden, about 1 hour. Let cool, trim tip of head; squeeze out cloves, using back of knife. Transfer to small bowl; set aside. 2. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and run under cold water to stop cooking. 3. Thinly slice five cloves of unroasted garlic. Finely chop remaining three cloves. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add sliced garlic; toast until golden and crisp. Remove garlic with slotted spoon; set aside. Add chopped garlic; sauté until translucent, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add roasted garlic and white wine; let simmer about 3 minutes. Add pasta, parsley, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste; toss. Serve sprinkled with toasted garlic slivers. Grate Parmesan over each serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Easy, Pasta, Italian ( RG458 )

Parisienne Potatoes Potatoes, peeled Olive oil Butter 1 Garlic clove chopped finely, for each 10 potato balls Kosher salt Black pepper, freshly cracked Parsley, chopped finely Using a melon baller, make rounded balls from large peeled potatoes. It looks best on the plate to serve either 3 or 5 or 7 potato balls per person. They can be made the day before and put into cold salted water, covered and refrigerated. When ready to cook the potato balls, drain them well and pat dry. Heat skillet on medium heat, add an equal amount of olive oil and butter. Saute the potato balls in a large frying pan until done, shaking the pan periodically (this takes about 10 to 15 minutes). Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Remove from heat, plate up on each individual plate, add chopped parsley and serve. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Potatoes, French ( RG455 )

Zhoug This is a hot Yemenite paste often served to accompany falafel, shwarma and salads. It is very potent and is reputed to have the ability to extend your lifespan, if you eat enough... but treat it (and eat it) like wasabi -- a teaspoon would be very painful indeed! The hotter the chillis, the better -- and if you have the time, muscles and energy to bother crushing your chillis to a paste by hand, your zhoug will be even hotter. The "h" in zhoug is an aspirated sound and the "z" is quite soft (although IANAY so my pronunciation is far from perfect) 400 g green chilli peppers (fresh, not dried) 100 g chopped flat parsley 100 g chopped coriander (cilantro) 20 g finely chopped garlic 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground cardamom salt and pepper The amounts given are relatively arbitrary, especially given how much chilli peppers will vary in potency -- you should experiment to see what you like. Either crush or process the chilli peppers to a rough puree. Add the herbs and crush or process again. Add the spices and do the same once more. Taste (carefully!) and adjust the spicing/seasoning accordingly. Eat and enjoy! Zhoug keeps for a long time in the fridge -- several weeks. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables, Kosher, Dip, Hot and Spicy, Middle Eastern, Food Processor ( RG454 )

Apple Dumplings Serves 6 as Dessert. This is a recipe I got from my Mom for apple dumplings she used to make when I was little. It's a very unusual recipe in that she used diced rather than whole apples, the crust has quite a bit of baking powder and milk so it's halfway between a biscuit and a pie dough, and the whole thing is baked in a spiced syrup making it almost like a cobbler or pudding. Mom made a few changes to the original recipe and I made some as well (and will probably make more changes next time I make it). Syrup: 1-1/2 c sugar 1-1/2 c water 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg 3 T butter Apples: 4 granny smiths, cored, peeled and chopped into 3/4" dice 1/2 c sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg Pastry: 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2/3 c shortening (I used butter, Mom used Crisco) 1/2 c milk Make syrup: combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool to room temp For pastry: Combine flour, baking powder and salt. cut in butter using pastry blender or food processor until it forms coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once and stir quickly with a fork just until all the flour is moistened. don't over mix - treat it like a biscuit dough. Push the dough together and roll out a little larger than a 18x12 rectangle (do not chill first). Cut into squares a little larger than 6x6. For apples: stir together sugar and spices and toss with apple chunks. Mound in center of pastry squares. moisten edges of pastry, bring corners together over apples and seal seams. don't worry about being neat and tidy or making sure the apples are completely sealed in - this is a very rustic, homey dessert. Put the dumplings in a 9x13 baking dish and pour the cooled syrup over them making sure to moisten all of the top surfaces. Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar and bake at 375 F for 35 minutes until the apples are tender. server warm (these also reheat in the microwave quite well). I think this recipe might be even better using 4-5 cups of rhubarb instead of apples, and the the spicing could be played with. Also it's quite sweet, so some tinkering with the amount of sugar might be in order. Keywords: Dessert, American, Vegetarian, Easy, Fruit ( RG435 )

Asparagus With Orange & Hazelnut Serves 4 as Side. This recipe works great as a side dish, or the base for a lighter lunch salad. It's incredibly simple, and incredibly tasty. 2 T finely chopped hazelnuts 1-1/2 lb asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed 1/4 tsp freshly grated orange zest 2 tsp fresh orange juice 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 2 T extra-virgin olive oil Coarse kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375°F. Toast hazelnuts in a small shallow baking pan until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Cook asparagus in a large frying pan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, and drain well in a colander. Transfer hot asparagus to serving platter or individual serving plates. In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon orange dressing over top or asparagus and sprinkle with nuts. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables ( RG398 )

Sweet Potato Soup With Apple and Cinnamon Serves 8 as Soup. Perfect "winter" soup, or for when you just need some good old comfort food. Very soothing. 8 c vegetable stock 1 c apple, juice 1 c apple sauce 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, and, cubed, (about 4 cups) 2 potatoes, peeled, and, cubed 2 apples, peeled, cored, and, cubed 1 small onion, chopped 1 T lemon, juice 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 bay leaf In a large soup pot, combine the stock, apple juice and applesauce. Bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes, potatoes, apples, onion, lemon juice, basil, cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes; reduce heat and simmer another 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and potatoes are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Serve hot. Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Easy, Potatoes, American ( RG393 )

Pear and Celery Soup Serves 8 as Soup. 3 T butter 5 c finely chopped celery 4 onions, sliced 1/4 c minced fresh chives 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 6 c vegetable stock 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and, sliced 1/2 c 10% cream In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook celery, onions, chives, thyme, salt and pepper, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until softened and translucent. Pour in stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until celery is very tender. Add pears; cook for 5 minutes or until pears are tender. In batches, puree in blender. Return to saucepan; pour in cream and heat through without boiling. Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables, French ( RG392 )

Roasted Pineapple and Avocado Salad Serves 4 as Salad. A really simple, but really flavourful salad. Big bursts of flavour in the chunked pineapple really make it a crowd-pleaser. 2 c peeled and cored fresh pineapple (3/4" chunks) 1/2 tsp light brown sugar Kosher salt 1-1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 T balsamic vinegar 2 Hass avocados, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 4 oz cleaned baby spinach (4 cups) 12 mint leaves Freshly ground pepper Lime wedges, for serving 1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, toss the pineapple with the brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spread the pineapple on a baking sheet and roast in the upper third of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to brown. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar. Add the avocados, spinach and mint, season with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer the salad to plates, top with the pineapple and serve with lime wedges. Keywords: Salad, Vegetarian, Easy, Snack ( RG390 )

Vegetable Summer Rolls Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 hr For peanut sauce 3 T finely chopped onion 1 small garlic clove, minced 3/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes 1 tsp vegetable oil 3 T water 1 T creamy peanut butter 1 T hoisin sauce 1 tsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp sugar For summer rolls 1 oz bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles) 1 T seasoned rice vinegar 4 (8 inch) rice-paper rounds, plus additional in case some tear 2 red-leaf lettuce leaves, ribs cut out and discarded and leaves halved 1/4 c fresh mint leaves 1/4 c fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai) 1/2 c thinly sliced Napa cabbage 1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves 1/3 c coarsely shredded carrot (1 medium) Make sauce: Cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Whisk in remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer, whisking, 1 minute, then cool. Make summer rolls: Cover noodles with boiling-hot water and soak 15 minutes, then drain well in a sieve. Pat dry between paper towels and toss with vinegar and salt to taste. Put a double thickness of paper towel on a work surface and fill a shallow baking pan with warm water. Soak 1 rice-paper round (make sure there are no holes) in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels. Arrange 1 piece of lettuce on bottom half of soaked rice paper, folding or tearing to fit and leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Spread one fourth of peanut sauce over lettuce and top with one fourth each of mint, basil, cabbage, and noodles. Roll up rice paper tightly around filling and, after rolling halfway, arrange one fourth of cilantro and carrot along crease. Then fold in sides and continue rolling. Transfer summer roll to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels. Make 3 more rolls in same manner. Serve rolls halved on the diagonal. Summer rolls may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, wrapped in dampened paper towels in a sealed plastic bag. Bring rolls to room temperature before halving and serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Thai ( RG388 )

Cauliflower and broccoli with a walnut sauce Serves 4 as Side. This is a twist on goma-ae or sesame dressing using walnuts instead. Feel free to use either all broccoli or cauliflower. This uses a suribachi, if you don't have one you can try using a spice grinder. 1/2 small head of cauliflower 1 medium head of broccoli 100 g walnut pieces 2 T soy sauce 2 T sugar salt 1.Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets and steam until done to your liking. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 2.Toast the walnuts in a small frypan, then add to a suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle) while still hot, pounding well. It should not be smooth, there will be quite a few small pieces. 3. Add the soy sauce and sugar mixing well. Adding more sugar or soy to taste and a little salt. 4. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and stir to combine. Serve Keywords: Side, Japanese, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables ( RG337 )

Tomato donburi Serves 1 as Main Dish. This is a great lunch when tomatoes are in season! Though I never refrigerate tomatoes, it makes a difference here. 1 large COLD tomato, diced 1/2 T minced ginger 1 tsp kosher salt yaki-nori, shredded hot Japanese rice 1. Combine the tomato, ginger, and salt in a bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes. 2. Place the hot rice in a bowl and sprinkle the nori on top, using a slotted spoon (or your hands) scoop the tomatoes out of the juices and place on top of the nori. 3. Eat immediately Keywords: Main Dish, Lunch, Vegetarian, Japanese, Easy, Vegetables ( RG335 )

Ｓhira-ae: tofu and sesame dressing for vegetables Serves 3 as Side. This is a very simplified version of shira-ae. Sesame paste should be available in most Asian stores, either Chinese versions or the Japanese neri-goma work well, do not substitute tahini or other non-toasted types. Though this can be made with just one vegetable, it is more common to see 2 or 3. Most vegetables are blanched before adding to the dressing. Good with spinach, chrysanthemum leaves and flowers, broccoli rabe, shiitake, mitsuba, ginko nuts. aburage, edamame, konnyaku, various types of seaweed, etc 150 g silken tofu 1-1/2 T sesame paste 1 T mirin 1/2 T sugar kosher salt 1. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds, set it aside until it is cool. If you are more pressed for time, place it into a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. 2.Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. 3. Add to vegetables of choice. Keywords: Side, Japanese, Vegetarian, Easy, Sauce ( RG328 )

goma-ae: sesame seed dressing for vegetables Serves 4 as Side. It is easiest to make this in a Japanese suribachi, though a mortar and pestle can be used. If you don't have either you can try grinding the seeds in a spice grinder then finishing the dish in a bowl. I like to serve this in the suribachi that I made it in, it saves on bowls and also shows my (Japanese) Mother-in-law that I made it from scratch! She uses a packet mix.... The ingedients are to taste and I add more sugar or soy depending on what vegetable I am using. This will dress about a pound of a leafy vegetable or about 3/4 lb of broccoli. It is good with spinach, broccoli rabe, green beans, broccoli, etc The vegetables should parboiled before adding to the sauce. 1/4 c sesame seeds tsp sugar 2 tsp soy sauce T dashi (instant is fine) salt 1.Toast the sesame seeds in a small frypan until toasted and fragrant. Add the hot seeds to the suribachi and crush well with the pestle. 2.Add the sugar and mix to combine. 3. Add the soy and dashi and a pince of salt and mix almost with a whipping action to blend well. Taste and add more dashi if too thick or more sugar or soy if needed. 4. Add the parboiled vegetables, mix well and serve. Keywords: Side, Japanese, Vegetarian, Easy, Sauce, eGCI ( RG327 )

Mel's Mother's Fruit Kugel This came from the mother of my husband's best friend from high school via his wife. This is one of those where an accidental mistake produced a better result. Apparently, the original recipe included sugar and only half the amount of prunes. With all this fruit, no additional sweetening is necessary. It's very moist and the perfect accompaniment to your Passover meal. This is not gourmet but good home cooking. 1 c water 4 eggs 2 T vegetable oil 1 tsp cinnamon plus more for topping 1 c matzah meal 1 lb pitted prunes 4 pippin apples Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish or lasagna pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix water, eggs, oil and teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in matzah meal. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, core but do not peel the apples. In a food processor, or by hand, dice the apples and pitted prunes together. The fruit mixture can be as smooth or chunky as you like. Stir the fruit mixture into the matzah meal mixture and place into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle generously with additional cinnamon. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate. This can be made ahead and stored for several days and reheated. Keywords: Side, Jewish, Kosher, Vegetarian, Fruit, Passover ( RG320 )

Grandma's frittata di zucchine Serves 4 as Main Dishor 8 as Appetizer. This is my Grandma's zucchini frittata, that I still look forward to eating when I visit her house and she never disappoints me. 3 T extra virgin olive oil 2 T basil, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 1-1/2 lb zucchini, thinly sliced in half circles 6 large eggs salt and pepper 1/2 c grated romano(pecorino) cheese or parmigiano (about 2 ozs) 1. In a 12 inch heat 2 Tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat, add the onions and saute until wilted about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the basil just before taking off the heat. Pour into a colander and let drain. 2. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork, add the cheese and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the drained zucchini and onion. 3.Heat the remaining tablespoon of EVOO in the skillet over medium heat, when it is hot add the egg mixture, using the fork to distribute it evenly. Lower the heat to low and cook until set 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and place a large dish on top of the skillet and invert, slide the upside down frittata back into the skillet and cook a couple of minutes longer. Invert one more time onto a dish to serve. *Alternatively it can be placed under a broiler until just browned. Can be eaten hot, but tastes better at room temperature and is even great the next day cold. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Vegetables, Main Dish, Italian, Vegetarian, Easy ( RG311 )