Donut Army

The spaghetti squash had been sitting on the counter for a few days, mocking me. I knew I wanted to cook it, but I just didn't have the oomph. Googling around for new ways to use the squash got me inspired to put this dish together one morning. This is a protein-packed breakfast that yielded easy re-heatable leftovers for future breakfasts. Warning - proportions were a little disparate, as this was not the easiest dish to combine evenly. I'm thinking that, next time, I might bake the dish as a casserole, in an 8x8" pan. Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Cups Based on a recipe fr om My Heart Beets 1 spaghetti squash, cooked (4 c strands) 4 eggs, whisked 1 bunch asparagus To cook squash, preheat oven to 375. Cut squash in half. Scoop out seads and add a little oil, salt and pepper to the cut sides. Place face-down on baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the skin with a knife. Meanwhile, trim asparagus stalks. Dice and place in a strainer to...

When sumac became available through Penzey's, I had to buy some just to see what it was like. And that meant that I had to research recipes that called for sumac. Of the few that I have tried to date, this is the most immediately interesting, easiest to assemble, and most flexible. I serve this as an appetizer with crackers or bread. Leftovers can be served with eggs, on a green salad, or to top a baked potato. Very versatile. If you plan on having leftovers -- and, unless you are serving this for a large party, you will have leftovers -- then dress only the serving portion with olive oil; hold the rest back, dry, for storage in the fridge. If you need more on the day of your occasion, you can always quickly dress with olive oil and place on the table. Feta with Sumac and Black Sesame Seeds from Bon Appetit 1 1/2 lbs feta cheese, crumbled 1 T oregano leaves 1 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds 1/2 tsp sumac, ground olive oil, for drizzling (use the good stuff)

I have been making this dish for nearly 20 years and I still love it. It's rare for fennel and pomegranate to be available at the same time in the grocery, so I only get the chance to make it once or twice a year. Tabouli with Fennel and Pomegranate 50 Quick and Easy Vegetarian Dishes 1 c bulgur wheat 2 bulbs funnel 1 red chili pepper, seeded and diced (opt) 1 stalk celery, finely sliced 2 T olive oil zest of 2 lemons juice of 2 lemons 6-8 scallions, chopped 6 T mint, chopped 6 T parsley, chopped 1 pomegranate salt and pepper Place bulgur in a bowl and add water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, pressing out any extra water. Halve fennel bulbs and cut into very fine slices. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Season well, cover, and set aside 30 minutes before serving.

I'd been wanting to try this bread form for some time and finally came across a recipe that I found reasonable. Of course, the real unreasonableness here is needing a specific pan just to make this style of bread. But, it does make a super-spongy loaf that is far superior for sandwiches. Pan de Mie in a Pullman Pan From A Garden for the House blog 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1/4 c warm water 1 2/3 c milk, scalded then cooled 4 3/4 c flour 2 1/2 tsp coarse salt 6 T unsalted butter, cold Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mixing the dough — Pour flour, milk, salt, and the yeast mixture into the bowl of your standing mixer. Blend at low speed for about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes, or just until the dough masses on the hook attachment. Let rest for 2-3 minutes; blend at medium speed for another 2 minutes. Let rest while you prepare the butter. Pounding the butter — Use your rolling pin to smash down the cold butter. You want the butter to ...

Cheese and Walnut Spread (non-o panir-o gerdu) From A Taste of Persia 1/4 lb feta cheese 2 c walnuts, chopped 1/4 c scallion 1/4 c basil 1/4 c tarragon 1/4 c mint leaves 1 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 T lime juice 1/4 c oil In a food processor, mix all ingredients to create a grainy paste. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and place on a round platter. Cut lavash or pita into 4" pieces and arrange around the bowl on a platter.

There's no point trying to take a good picture of gruel. And, no matter how much you gussy up oatmeal, it's still just that - gruel. BUT, I can tell you that this overnight oatmeal is the first oatmeal I have ever eaten in my life without gobs of brown sugar. And for that, it gets four stars. This is delicious and filling and did tide me over more than typical oatmeal -- but probably more because of the absence of sugar, than the addition of quinoa. Who's to say. Quinoatmeal From Bon Appetit 1/4 c quinoa, red 1/4 c steel cut oatmeal 1/2 c almond milk pinch coarse salt pinch cinnamon Garnish: 1 T walnuts, chopped 1/2 apple, shredded The night before cooking, rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain. Combine oats and quinoa in a medium saucepan and cover with 1 cup boiling water. In the morning, bring oats and quinoa to a boil. Stir in almond milk, salt, and cinnamon and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until quinoa grains are tender, 8–10 minute...

I've craved this rice from one of our local falafel sandwich shops for years. I never realized what the secret ingredient was -- barberries! A mysterious combination of tangy and sweet. This dish, like everything that comes from this particular cookbook, is highly recommended. As described below, this dish is a complete meal with protein and starch. You could omit the chicken and use the rice as a side. This dish is seriously one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. Note - the tah dig part didn't work for me, and just made a sticky mess on the bottom of the pan that took several hours to soak out. Feel free to either approach the tah dig as practice, or, consider not worrying about that bottom layer too much. Barberry Rice From A Taste of Persi a, by Najmieh K Batmanglij 3 c basmati rice 3 lb whole roasting chicken 2 onions, 1 peeled and left whole, 1 thinly slicd 1 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp saffron threads, dissolve...

Absolutely the best dinner rolls I've ever made. I probably ate about half the tray when they first came out of the oven, knowing they would never be as good again. These come from Cooks Illustrated , and I found their instructions unnecessarily fussy with regard to dimensions. I know, I know - you should follow their directions to the letter. But frankly, I think with a couple of shaping adjustments, as included below, this is even easier to put together than what they suggest. Note - the dough will be very sticky. Very. Do not dust counter with additional flour. Instead, consider dampening your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Fluffy Dinner Rolls Cooks Illustrated Flour Paste: 1/2 c water 3 T bread flour Dough: 1/2 c milk, cold 1 egg 2 c bread flour (11 oz) 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast 2 T sugar 1 tsp table salt 4 T unsalted butter, softened 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted FOR THE FLOUR PASTE: Whisk water and flour together in small bowl until no lu...

A terrific addition to any spicy and/or Mediterranean dish. Very tart, but in a good way. Go full throttle with the add-ins and garnishes as that's what makes this dish so special. Yogurt and Cucumber Salad (Mast-o khiar) From A Taste of Persia: an introduction to Persian Cooking (Najmieh K. Batmanglij) 1 cucumber, seeded, peeled, diced (English preferred) 3 c yogurt 1/4 c scallion, chopped 2 T mint leaves, chopped 2 T dill weed, chopped 2 T oregano, chopped 1 T thyme, chopped 4 tsp tarragon, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3 T walnuts, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1/2 c raisins Garnish: Springs of mint leaves Springs of dill weed 3 T dried rose petals 2 T raisins 2 T walnuts, chopped 1 radish, sliced In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients except raisins. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasonings. Fridge at least 15 minutes, or up to 4 hours, before serving. If salad is refrigerated for more than an hour, remove from the fridge 10 minutes before se...