Donut Army

This dish is a colorful feast for the eyes and for the belly! The original instructions call for frozen spinach, which I have used here. But I find frozen spinach still comes out kind of clumpy and have adjusted the below for fresh spinach. Turmeric Ginger Chicken Saute Cooking Light 1 T olive oil 1/4 c red bell pepper , chopped 1/4 c green bell pepper , chopped 1 T red onion , finely chopped 1/2 c red cabbage , thinly sliced 2 tsps ginger , peeled and gratedd 2 cloves garlic , minced 2 lb chicken breasts , boneless, skinless, in 1" pieces 2 T parsley , chopped 2 tsps turmeric 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp paprika 10 oz baby spinach , chopped Heat oil in large skillet. Add bell peppers and saute 1 minute. Add onion and saute 1 minute. Lower heat to medium and stir in cabbage, ginger, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through paprika) and cook 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes or until chicke

I don't often bake something that I read about in the paper, but these were nice! They had soft interiors, but were chewy at the edges. Reminscent of graham crackers in flavor. Nice cookie, easy to put together. Not a showstopper, but nice and easy and filling. Brown Sugar Cookies with Maple Drizzle The News & Observer newspaper 2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 3/4 c unsalted butter , softened 1 c dark brown sugar 1/4 c + 1 T maple syrup 1 egg , room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 c powdered sugar Heat oven to 375. Prep 3 cookie sheets. Whisk flour, soda and sa.t In bowl of a mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1/4 c maple syrup pand beat until incorporated. Beat in egg and vanilla until belnded. Fold in the flour mixture and fold until no traces of flour remain. Use a 1 1/4" cookie scoop to drop dough onto sheets, spacing 2" apart. Bake 12 minutes, until dark golden brown. Cool com

 This month, due to an overage of apples, I am conducting a back-to-back taste test of easy fruit desserts -- crisps, cobblers, betties, buckles, and slumps. The first entry comes from Mariquita Farm, and is a basic (and easy but tasty) apple crisp. I baked this crisp for 45 minutes and the filling was perfect, though the top could have been crispier. No one was complaining, though, as the entire thing was demolished. Quick Apple Crisp Mariquita Farm Apples 1 c flour 1 c brown sugar 1 stick butter Cut a bunch of apples, peeled or not, into an 8x8" Pyrex sprayed with Pam. Pile enough so that the apples rest about 1/4" - 1/2" below the rim of the pan. Blend flour, sugar and butter together with a fork or your fingers. You can add cinnamon or other spices if you'd like. Blend until crumbly and mostly mixed. Press over apples until the surface is covered. Bake 45-60 minutes, until the topping seems nice and browned and the apples are soft.

  I recently joined a cocktail of the month club where they send you all of the fancy ingredients (except the liquor) and instructions on how to make drinks you would probably never otherwise make at home. This was definitely one of them! The flavor is subtle but pleasant. And I will never have "white sage hydrosol" on hand ever again. But in terms of daily use, I can absolutely see a combination of mezcal, simple syrup and muddled sage in my future.   Brush of the Bush 2 oz mezcal reposado 1/4 oz sage-agave syrup 4 dashes cherry vanilla bitters 1-2 spritzes white sage hydrosol Add mezcal, syrup and bitters to a dry mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir with a bar spoon until cold, 20-40 seconds. Strain into a serving glass over one large ice cube. Spray the hydrosol over top. If you have fresh sage at home, add a crushed leaf for additional flavor.

  In the fall of 2020, I joined a  cocktail of the month club . The membership includes all ingredients (except the alcohol itself) and instructions for several fancy cocktails. November of 2020 featured mezcal.   This cocktail -- the Abstract Distraction -- sounded like one I would hate. It sounded far too floral for my tastes and I literally put it off until I didn't have anything else in the house. But apparently, I "hated" it so much that I had several of them in a row.   Lovely color. Delightfully smokey and yet with hints of floral. I really enjoyed this! Abstract Distraction 1 1/2 oz mezcal reposado 1 tsp rose-infused strawberry jam 2 dashes lemon bitters 2 oz rose lemonade 3 rosebuds (food grade) Fill a ziploc bag with ice cubes and smash with a meat tenderizer until you have large chunks. Set aside. In a cocktail shaker, combine mezcal and jam. Stir vigorously to combine. Add bitters then fill shaker with normal ice cubes and shake 15-30 seconds. Add lemonade. Fi

Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Dressing Food & Wine 3 beets , different colors 1/4 c orange juice 1 1/2 tsps orange zest , grated 1 1/2 tsps honey 1 1/2 tsps balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Dijon style mustard 1/2 tsp olive oil 4 c salad greens 1/2 c red onion , thinly sliced Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the beets in foil and roast for about 1 1/4 hours, or until tender. Let cool, then peel the beets and cut them into 1/4-inch dice. In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest, honey, vinegar, mustard and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the beets and toss to coat. Arrange the salad greens on a large plate and top with the beets and red onion.

      I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it.   Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe belo

  Very easy to assemble with such simple enhancements - fat and garlic. We are garlic-lovers, so I served with the garlic in. But it hadn't cooked enough and is still pretty sharp to eat. I'd remove before serving next time, as indicated in my small edits below. Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Coconut & Lime   1/2 lb brussels sprouts, cut in half 5 cloves garlic, smashed 1 T butter 1 T olive oil   In a saucepan with a lid, heat oil and butter. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-3 minutes. Place brussels sprouts cut side down in the pan. Stir, then cover and let steam until cooked through, 5-10 minutes, depending on size. Stir occasionally. If they look dry or begin to stick, add a couple teaspoons of water and continue to cover. The brussels sprouts should be hot, bright green and almost carmelized on the cut side. Remove from heat. Remove garlic and serve.

 This bread is in my regular rotation, though I have only photographed it on my first attempt for some reason. Very flavorful. I do not have the decoration (the dimpling) down yet, but no one has complained about that yet -- they're just always pleased with the flavor of this seed combination. A versatile bread! Most of the blog sites will tell you to substitute poppy seeds if you can't find nigella seeds. I'm here to tell you that that is fine, but that nigella are far tastier. If you can't find them locally, you can definitely find them online. Nan-E Barbari Hot Bread Kitchen Dough 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 c lukewarm water 2 1/t tsp active dry yeast 4 c + 3 T bread flour 2 tsp coarse salt Glaze 2 tsp flour 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp canola 1/3 c tap water Topping 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp nigella seeds In bowl of a mixer,  combine the water, yeast, flour, and salt until well combined. Knead until you've made a smooth, fairly soft dough. The dough should barely cl

This pasta salad is flavorful and filling. Very good to have in the fridge as a side dish and particularly nice on a warm day. Orecchiette with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Feta and Mint Bon Appetit 1 lb orecchiette 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved 7 T olive oil, divided 1/3 c mint, chopped 1/3 c scallion, sliced 1/4 c cilantro, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained, coats removed 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled Cook pasta in  until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Combine tomatoes, 6 tablespoons olive oil, chopped mint, green onions, chopped cilantro, and garlic in large bowl. Season to taste with salt. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garbanzo beans and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and pasta to tomato mixture in bowl toss to coat. Add feta toss briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with mint and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.

These are my go-to potatoes, especially for breakfast. Homemade Hashbrowns Stomach Love 2-4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes 4 T olive oil Preheat oven to 425°. In a medium sized saucepan cover cut potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Drain water and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Replace lid and shake to coat potatoes. Pour out into a rimmed baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, flip potatoes, and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Bake until desired crispiness.

Quick Egg Bread Rolls Bon Appetit , October 1986 3 - 3 1/2 c flour 2 T sugar 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1 c warm water (about 110 degrees) 2 T vegetable oil 2 tsp sesame seeds Grease 9" round cake pan. Combine 3 c flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Separate 1 egg; set white aside. Add yolk and remaining egg, hot water and oil to dry ingredients. Mix vigorously with wooden spoon until smooth. Turn dough out and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover with mixing bowl and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces. Arrange pieces in prepared pan. Beat reserved egg white until foamy. Brush over rolls and sprinkle with seeds. Here, I used both white and dark sesame seeds as well as coarse salt. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes (mine took about twice that long, and they still weren't completely doubled in size). Preheat oven to 350. Bake until rolls are deep golden and soun

The mild, smooth curried coconut combination pairs well with something smoky and peppery, so I opted to make some Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Biscuits , a recipe for which appeared in the April 2005 issue of Bon Appetit . Make your basic biscuit dough by mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl. To the dry ingredients, add crumbled goat cheese and 1/4 c buttermilk. Roll the dough out and cut into biscuit shapes. Most recipes specify that you should use biscuit cutters (or cookie cutters). And there are some advantages to using a metal cutter that will cut the dough clear through to the counter. However, I free up my cabinet space and just re-purpose a drinking glass -- coat the rim with flour and use as a cutter. You'll need to twist your wrist a bit more than you would with a biscuit cutter since the rim of a glass isn't sharp, but, it's one less utensil to have in the kitchen. Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Biscuits Bon Appetit 2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons

 Mint? In a soup? With tomato-based broth? With paprika? Now, try it this way - omg, mint! What a stellar side kick in this tomato-based broth soup that also features paprika! The smokiness combines so interestingly with the mint. Highly recommended! Also, if you use rotisserie chicken -- as I did, with the recipe adjusted below accordingly -- this comes together in a snap. The original recipe also called to use only water for the broth; I subbed out 7c water with 7c homemade chicken stock. Chicken and Orzo Coup with Garlic and Paprika Milk Street 3 T olive oil 1/3 c tomato paste 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 T paprika, sweet 4 tsp mint, chopped (or 2 tsp dried) 1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded or cubed 1 c orzo pasta In a medium Dutch oven, heat oil. Add tomato paste and garlic and cook until the tomato darkens. Add paprika (and mint, if using dried) and cook until fragrant. Add 1/2 c stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom. Add the rest of th

There is no more fitting description for this dish than: hearty. It is satisfying, but not overly heavy. And is perfect for a crisp winter evening. I kept thinking of it as a "vertical lasagna." You can toy with the ingredients to meet your preferences. For example, the original recipe calls for 5 oz of spinach greens; I didn't like the proportions of that to the mushrooms, so wound up adding about 15 more oz of beet greens that I had in the fridge -- that seemed more proportional to the mushrooms. I'm not sure I would add liquidy things -- like tomatoes, though that does seem like an obvious choice. The dish did leak some moisture as it is, and, adding more wet things might just create a mess. The crisp topping was delicious and, next time around, I might toy with baking it in a sheet cake pan so that there is more crispy topping overall. Spaghetti Pie with Wild Mushroom and Spinach Food & Wine 1 lb spaghetti 3 T olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic,