Macaroni & Cheese

Photo courtesy of Wegmans.com

I don't know what exactly it is about macaroni & cheese but it is deliciously comforting. This recipe fits that bill and, if you use a "super pasta" it's even a tiny bit healthy!

Macaroni & Cheese (adapted from the original recipe)

14.5 oz short cut pasta (elbows, ziti, etc.), cooked per package directions, keep warm
1/2 cup Italian sesaoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
5 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 lb Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 13x9 glass baking dish; set aside.

Mix bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in small bowl; set aside.

Heat butter in large sauce pan on medium until melted. Add flour; stir until smooth. Cook 3-4 min until light golden brown.

Add milk to butter mixture, one cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth; bring to boil. Cook 10 min on medium, whisking continuously.

Add Cheddar; stir until melted completely. Season with salt and nutmeg; set aside. Stir in cooked pasta.

Spread add pasta/cheese mixture into prepared pan; top with bread crumb mixture.

Bake on center rack 15-20 min, or until topping is golden brown and bubbling around edges.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Game ON! Vote for my Finger Lakes Fantastic Onion Burger (and four sides) by clicking here, or send an email to Rebecca@VisitFingerLakes.com with "FLX Ultimate Burger Vote: Laura Kenyon" in the subject line.

Thank you for your support and enjoy the recipes!

Finger Lakes Fantastic Onion Burger

Olive oil
2- 3 garlic cloves, minced (Mullala Garlic)
1 medium onion, diced ( Jones Brook Produce)
Round wholegrain loaf (Kitchen Blessings)
1 lb ground beef from Bedient farms
Salt and pepper
sliced tomatoes (Seneca Vegetables)
Baby arugula or salad greens (Ambrosia Acres Family Farm)
Franjo farms Onion Garlic Asiago spread
nasturtium flowers for plate garnish, optional (Ambrosia Acres Family Farm)

In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent; set aside and allow to cool to room temp.

Slice bread into four wedges, then slice horizontally to form buns; set aside.

Mix garlic and onion with ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Form four triangular patties (they should be similar in shape to the buns) about ¼-inch thick. Grill over medium-high heat, flipping once, to desired doneness.

While burgers are cooking, lightly brush the insides of the bun with olive oil, and place face-down on grill to toast.

When burgers are ready, place arugula or salad greens and tomato on bottom half of bun. Top with burger, then top with other half of the bun spread generously with Onion Garlic Asiago spread. Garnish plate with nasturtium, if desired.


Quick Pickles
1 pint of pickling cucumbers (Gale-Wyn Farm)
1 bottle of Roasted Garlic/Red Wine Balsamic Vinaigrette (Chef Lerman)
Sprigs of fresh dill (Firefly Farm)

Wash cucumbers and cut on a diagonal into ¼-inch slices; set aside. Heat vinaigrette in a small saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Add cucumbers, let simmer for a minute and remove from heat. Allow cucumbers to cool until slightly warm; add sprigs of dill and stir to mix. Cool to room temperature or chill before serving.


Height of Summer Tomato and Basil salad
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved (Gale-Wyn Farms)
Fresh basil cut in a chiffonade (Seneca Vegetables)
Maple Lemon-Lime Basil Vinaigrette (Canadice Kitchens/Sugarbush Hollow)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss tomatoes, basil, vinaigrette (start with a couple of tablespoons and add more if desired), salt and pepper.

Lime-kissed Fire Roasted Corn
Unshucked ears of corn (Jones Brook Produce)
Lime wedges
Salt and pepper

Heat grill to medium high. Peel back the corn husks, being careful not to remove them completely, and remove the corn silk. Pull the husks back up over the corn so the ear is covered by the husk. If necessary, tie a spare piece of husk around the end of the corn to keep the husk closed.

Place the corn in their husks on the hot grill; cover. Turn the corn occasionally, until the husks are charred on all sides, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove corn from grill and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove the husks from the corn, and rub the ears with lime wedges. Season with salt and pepper.

Market Fresh Peach Blueberry Lemonade
8 ripe peaches, washed and pitted
2 pints of blueberries, picked over and rinsed
1 whole lemon, rinsed
Honey, to taste

Combine peaches, blueberries, and lemon in a juicer and process. Taste, and adjust sweetness by adding honey if needed. Garnish with a lemon wedge and extra berries.

Roasting kohlrabi

See these things?


These are kohlrabi. Kohlrabi are in the broccoli family; both the root and the leaves are edible. Though they're available year-round (if you can find them; I only see them in this area through my CSA or sometimes at the farmers' market) they're most abundant in early summer.

So what do you *do* with them? Lots and lots; from Chow.com : "Cut into slices or wedges and add to Chinese stir-fry or Indian curry. Combine peeled kohlrabi with potato when making scalloped potatoes. Dip kohlrabi slices or sticks into tempura batter and deep-fry. Add shredded kohlrabi to coleslaw for extra crunch."

But for a very easy prep, remove the leaves, throw away the stems and any tough center ribs, then shred the leaves. Saute with a bit of olive oil and garlic; finish with salt and pepper. (Or use leaves in any recipe that calls for a slow-cooked green.)

As for the bulbs, pare away the tough outer skin then jump into Alanna's recipe for roast kohlrabi. Essentially, you'll dice the peeled kohlrabi, toss with olive oil, garlic and salt, then roast in a 450-degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring the cubes every five minutes once you've reached the 20 minute mark. Once they're done, serve immediately as is, or toss with your favorite vinegar.

It really doesn't get much easier than that. The finished product is reminiscent of broccoli but better as the roasting caramelizes the kohlrabi's sugars and the garlic perks the whole thing up. So easy, so delicious.

Chocolate Bread

Almost a year ago, I came upon this recipe for Chocolate Bread. Why did it take me so long to bake it? God only knows. But I finally did, and it was worth the wait.

While the final product is supposed to be have a "feathery yet rich texture," mine was denser, with a tighter crumb and a chewy crust. My guess is that, given the distinct chill in my house, I didn't allow enough time for the dough to rise before punching it down.

The flavor, however, is wonderful. The bread has a rich cocoa flavor accentuated by its chunks of dark chocolate. It tastes delicious alone but imagine spreading it with mascarpone cheese and topping it all off with a dollop of raspberry preserves? Mmm, divine.

Chocolate Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (or, if not using espresso powder, 1/2 cup warm water and 1 cup warm coffee)
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional (see above)
2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

Egg Glaze

1 large egg
1 teaspoon water

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes, until foamy. If the mixture doesn't foam, the yeast might be inactive and you should try again with fresh yeast.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, place the flour, the remaining 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, the light brown sugar, the cocoa, the espresso powder (if using) and the salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed for 1 minute, until combined. If mixing by hand, use a whisk and combine thoroughly.

Add the remaining 1 cup warm water (or warm coffee, if not using the espresso powder) and the egg to the yeast mixture. Add this to the flour mixture while continuing to mix at low speed. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. At low speed, beat in the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is incorporated into the dough. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. (Alternatively, you can knead by hand. Just make sure the butter is well softened.) Knead the dough at low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 2 minutes longer.

Add the chocolate chunks and knead just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl (the dough will be quite moist). Cover the dough closely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours (or until almost doubled in bulk).

After the chocolate dough has risen, punch the dough down and cover again with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the chocolate dough in half. Divide each dough half into 6 equal pieces so that you have 12 equal pieces in all. With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a smooth, round ball. Place 6 dough balls — two by two, at a diagonal (see photo above) — in each prepared pan, pressing them lightly together if necessary. Cover the pans with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until blended. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg glaze over the tops of the loaves.

Bake the loaves for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake the bread for an additional 30 minutes. Cool the bread in the pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the bread and cool the loaves on the rack completely.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

My new favorite vegetable to play with is Spaghetti Squash. Slice it open, cook it, shred it with a fork and poof! -- strands of squash that look like spaghetti.

It's dead simple to prepare: just slice it in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds, loosely cover each open half with plastic wrap and microwave until the sides are softened, about 10 minutes. Then carefully scrape the hot squash with the tines of a fork and you're ready to go.

Since this is a winter squash, and winter weather calls for rich and creamy comfort foods, I like using Spaghetti Squash in a gratin. This recipe has a bit of Italian flair; the creme fraiche or sour cream just provides creaminess, and the Parmesan, asiago, parsley, sage and garlic flavors take center-stage. (You can easily leave out the sage if you like, too.) The result is a flavorful, deeply satisfying dish that can be eaten either as an entree or a side.


Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 spaghetti squash (2-3 lbs), halved lengthwise (stem to blossom end) and seeded
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
8 oz Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream
1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of both


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place squash, skin side up (one half at a time), on microwave-safe dish; cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 10-12 min, until tender.

Carefully run the tines of a fork lengthwise over cut surface of squash to loosen spaghetti-like strands; scoop out strands. Drain excess liquid, if necessary, and set aside.

Combine garlic, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, creme fraiche/sour cream, and 2/3 cup cheese in small bowl. Fold into squash; place in shallow ovenproof 2 qt. casserole dish or glass pie plate. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 20 min or until lightly browned. (For a little extra browning, finish under the broiler.)

Amy Sedaris' Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball

I'm a leeeetle behind on posting this recipe.

You see, Chris and Shelly, our next-door neighbors, invited Shane and I for a backyard celebration. Excellent cooks in their own right, they had a full menu planned for their event, so I needed to find something I could bring that wouldn't interfere with thier impressive spread.

After thumbing through many, many pages of many, many cookbooks, I found the Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball in Amy Sedaris' I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. Not only did it work with Chris and Shelly's menu (Appetizer! And, après-dinner snacking!) but it appealed to my love of kitsch.

And my tastebuds, and everyone's tastebuds. The creamy, rich mouthfeel, the smoky taste, the nutty crunch. It's a winner, and perfect to pair with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine.

This recipe makes a GIANT cheeseball, so I separated it into two, smaller cheeseballs, both of which disappeared by the end of the evening.

Oh, and the event I made this for? Chris and Shelly's Fourth of July barbecue.



Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball (adapted from I Like You)

2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese, room temperature
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons steak sauce
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
Crackers, for serving

Place Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk and steak sauce in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until well combined. Transfer mixture to refrigerator. Let chill overnight. Roll cheese mixture into two balls. Place nuts in a shallow dish. Roll cheese in nuts to fully coat. Serve with crackers.

Baked Blue Potato Chips

You can make baked chips with lots of kinds of potatoes, but aren't Adirondack blue potato chips fun?

The chips taste best, whether blue or of a"regular" hue, when hot from the oven. But you'll still want to chow down on them when they cool down -- if they last that long.


Baked Potato Chips

Potatoes (one makes a lot of chips, so choose accordingly)
Spray oil
Salt


Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F; spray two baking sheets lightly with some oil.

Slice the potatoes thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, using a mandoline and arrange them in one layer on the baking sheets. Spray slices lightly with the oil and bake 20-30 minutes or until they are golden throughout.

Transfer baked chips to a serving bowl, sprinkle with salt and enjoy.

Daring Bakers -- Lavash Crackers & Baba Ghanoush

Our DB hosts this month, Shel of Musings from the Fishbowl and Natalie of Gluten A Go Go, challenged us to make lavash, a type of flatbread, and a vegan dip of our choosing.

Although we were given the option of baking the lavash without gluten, I went for gluten. The recipe came together fairly easily, although I did have difficulty rolling the dough evenly, which resulted in the crackers browning unevenly. (Que sera, sera.) Still, the lavash was snappy (as it should be) and tasty with sprinklings of cumin and sesame seeds plus a bit of salt.

As for the dip, I've had a yen to make baba ghanoush all summer and it was great to finally have an opportunity to make it! It's an adaptation of the "Best Baba Ghanoush in the World" and the result really is fantastic.

Thank you to Shel and Natalie for a fun challenge!

Please visit Shel's blog for the lavash recipe, available both in gluten and gluten free versions!

Baba Ghanoush

1 large eggplant
2 to 4 Tbsp. tahini, plus more as needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of one or two lemons, plus more as needed
1 pinch ground cumin
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place eggplant on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Roast eggplant for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.

Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste. (If you prefer a smoother dip, puree in a food processor.) Add 2 tbsp. tahini, garlic, juice of one lemon, and the cumin and mix well. Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Kosher-style Dill Pickles

Not that you'd know it by looking at my RSS feed, but I've done a lot of canning this summer. I started with blueberry jam, moved on to cherry jelly, and followed that up with salsa. But my favorite -- by far -- has been dill pickles.

Crispy and tangy with a hint of garlic (and of course, plenty of dill), these are perfect with a hot burger or a cold sub. They blow the storebought kind out of the water (...er, brine?).

KOSHER-STYLE DILL PICKLES
(adapted from a recipe by Sharon Howard)

Note: I didn't have eight, 1-quart jars, so I placed the extra cucumbers in a Tupperware container, covered everything with warm brine and added dill and garlic. After letting them marinate for two days in my refrigerator, they were ready to eat -- and delicious.

8 pounds pickling cucumbers, 4 to 5 inches long
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
24 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed Or 1/3 tsp. dill seed per jar

Prepare water bath canner and eight, 1-quart jars and lids.

Wash cucumbers, slice into spears, and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required.

In a large stainless steel pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.

In each jar, place 2 cloves of garlic, one head of dill or dill seeds, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar. Add one more garlic clove and a sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine, covering pickles completely while leaving 1/2-inch of head space. Seal jars, making sure to clean the jars' rims of any residue.

Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.5.Store pickles for a at least 3 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place. Note: the brine may turn the garlic a bluish or greenish color. This is completely normal and is safe to eat.

Cheesy Bread Bakers & the Gruyere-Stuffed Crusty Bread

You know what's irresistible?

Homemade bread fresh from the oven, and stuffed with ooey-gooey melted cheese.

How do I know this? Because the Cheesy Bread Bakers -- Helen, Ivonne, Kelly, Lisa, Mary, Sara, Stephanie and me -- gave the French Pastry School’s Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves recipe (found by Mary on the King Arthur Flour blog) a go last weekend. (Go look and see how beautifully their loaves turned out!)

We were not disappointed. This is a bread you have to tear into as soon as it comes out of the oven because it looks and smells so wondrous. First-degree cheese burns are but a small obstacle to overcome in the pursuit of deliciousness. Shane, Jenny and I ate our way through two "mini" loves (which were, by no means, actually mini) in under 10 minutes. I sent one loaf home with Jen and the final loaf will be devoured tonight at dinner.

I am so glad I got to bake in tandem (via skype) with these talented bakers; not only did I get to bake a fantastic bread and pick up some baking tips, I got to know these lovely, caring, kind and talented women a bit better. Yay food bloggers and yay cheesy bread!

Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves (click here for step-by-step photos)

Starter
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water

Dough
all of the starter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) to 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) lukewarm water*
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

*Use the greater amount of water in winter, when conditions are dry; and the lesser amount in summer, when the weather is humid.

Filling
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, or the grated/shredded cheese of your choice


To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined. (Note: it may look a rather dry. -- LR) Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.

To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a ¾"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it’s puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Yield: four mini-loaves or two standard-size loaves.

Carrot Soufflé

You know what's delicious?

Carrot soufflé.

To be honest, it's not a real souffle, but it does have a light and airy mouth feel similar to its namesake. It's also sweet, colorful, packed with vitamins and --most importantly-- flavor.

If you're not a sweet side-dish kind of person --you shun candied yams at Thanksgiving, for instance --this recipe will not float your boat. (I wonder, though, if you could simply remove the sugar and come up with a more savory result that maintains the texture ... If anyone gives that a try, let me know!)

But if you do love sweet sides, run to the store (or, is your local the farmers' market open yet?) and stock up on ingredients. It's that good.

Carrot Soufflé (adapted)

2 pounds of carrots, chopped
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. fat-free sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish or a 10-inch pie plate; set aside.

Boil carrots for 15 minutes or until very tender; drain. Place carrots in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to combine.

Spoon mixture into prepared dish and bake for 40 minutes or until puffed and set. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Piselli con Asparagi e Basilico (asparagus, peas, and basil)

It might actually be Spring.

I'm not totally committed to that idea yet, because I live in Upstate New York and we had several inches of snow on the ground about two weeks ago, but I am hopeful. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it's supposed to get up to 68-degrees tomorrow.

My hope is further pushed along by fresh asparagus, tender peas, and hand torn basil. So simple, so green, so delicious.

Piselli con Asparagi e Basilico (asparagus, peas, and basil -- adapted)

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound shelled fresh peas (2 1/2 cups; 1 3/4 pound in pods) or 1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Handful of torn basil leaves (about 3/4 cup)

In a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, cook onions in butter, stirring frequently until just tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, peas, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then seal skillet with foil. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender but still slightly al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in basil and sea salt to taste.

Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Back in December, I visited a new doctor (or, as I like to call him, "hot doctor" because, well, look at him), an MD with an acupunturist's license and a holistic approach to medicine. His practice is radically different from traditional practices: he's the only person there, the number of patients admitted into the practice is limited, co-pays can be paid through PayPal, his waiting room is pleasant and relaxing (the kind of pleasant and relaxing you'd expect when waiting for a massage, not when waiting for someone to potentially draw blood).

At my appointment -- required to be an HOUR long as I was a new patient (see, I told you this is different)-- we did a lot of talking about health, in part about healthy eating. After congratulating me on my weight loss and exercise regimine, he asked me to think more about the gylcemic index when choosing what eat. It's not enough to eat low-fat, it isn't even necessarily "good" to do so, but my goal should be to reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates I consume and increase the amount of vegetables and fruits I consume, supplementing that with lean meats and complex carbs.

Now, this isn't news to me, but my tastebuds don't want to hear it. I really love sweets. (As you may have noticed.) And to me, the glycemic index has a loopy kind of logic: a glass of skim milk and a packet of peanut M&Ms have the virtually the same glycemic index. On a low-fat diet, there's an incentive to choose the milk, but here? Pass the M&Ms, please!

I tried the South Beach diet a few years ago, and didn't make it past the two-week/no-sugar phase. (Spreading natural peanut butter on a sugar free fudgsicle to sate a craving didn't seem like healthy eating behavior to me.)

Still, it's been something I've been thinking about. I've lost quite a bit of weight on WW. But if you stay within your given calorie point allotment, and you choose to eat all those points using simple carbohydrates (potato chips, cookies, cupcakes, etc., etc.), you can still lose weight. It's not a balanced diet and WW doesn't advocate doing this. But if the primary goal is to lose weight -- and they are called "Weight Watchers" -- you can lose weight and not learn healthy eating habits.

Then again, what's a healthy eating habit? Gary Taubes argued in his article, What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?, that low-fat diets aren't really healthy, and were thrown upon the American public based on wonky policy:

While the low-fat-is-good-health dogma represents reality as we have come toknow it, and the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research trying to prove its worth, the low-carbohydrate message has been relegated to the realm of unscientific fantasy.

Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, [...] is the de facto spokesman of the longest-running, most comprehensive diet and health studies ever performed, which have already cost upward of $100 million and include data on nearly 300,000 individuals. Those data, says Willett, clearly contradict the low-fat-is-good-health message ''and the idea that all fat is bad for you; the exclusive focus on adverse effects of fat may have contributed to the obesity epidemic.''

Taubes goes on to challenge what we commonly believe about fats and their relationship to "good" and "bad" cholesterol:

Few experts now deny that the low-fat message is radically oversimplified. If nothing else, it effectively ignores the fact that unsaturated fats, like olive oil, are relatively good for you: they tend to elevate your good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (H.D.L.), and lower your bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (L.D.L.), at least in comparison to the effect of carbohydrates. While higher L.D.L. raises your heart-disease risk, higher H.D.L. reduces it.

What this means is that even saturated fats -- a k a, the bad fats -- are not nearly as deleterious as you would think. True, they will elevate your bad cholesterol, but they will also elevate your good cholesterol. In other words, it's a virtual wash. As Willett explained to me, you will gain little to no health benefit by giving up milk, butter and cheese and eating bagels instead.

Add to the mix the body fat acceptance movement (you can get started reading about this and related topics on The F Word), which advocates health at all sizes, and constantly questions what medicine and science say are "healthy" body types and you've got a big fat (ha-ha) pile of confusion on your hands.

In the face of all this, I plan to stick WW and an increased an effort to eat less sugar and other simple carbohydrates. There will still be PLENTY of dessert recipes on the blog, it's just that I'll be giving away a lot more of these treats to friends and coworkers.

But it's also why I turned to Kalyn's Kitchen . I thought if anyone would have scrumptious recipes emphasizing lean meats, vegetables and complex carbs, it would be Kalyn.

Naturally, she did. I cooked up her recipes for lamb souvlaki and tzatziki; both were excellent. The souvlaki was and as flavorful, with a nice herbal kick, and wonderfully tender. And her tzatziki -- well, it really might be the world's best.

So thank you, Kalyn. Thank you for providing us with a dinner that was not only easy-to-prepare, not only health-conscious, but delicious as well. I'm looking forward to exploring more of your recipes.
--

Lamb Souvlaki (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 lb. lamb shoulder meat

Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably Greek olive oil)
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
1 tsp. minced garlic or garlic puree

Cut lamb into pieces slightly over one inch square, trimming off some, but not all of the fat. Combine marinade ingredients. Place lamb cubes and marinade in small Ziploc bag and marinate in refrigerator for about 4 hours, no longer.

To cook, place lamb on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until done. Serve hot.


World's Best Tzatziki (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained )
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh parsley (substitute dill or mint leaves for a slightly different version)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Dice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Chicken and Parsnip "Fries" with Spicy Vinegar

Ohhhh, Parsnip. I love you.

Sure, you’re supposed to be the side complementing a roast chicken breast but, let’s be honest: you’re the star.

You made me eat each and every piece of you, sliced in thin strips, tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. The high temperature of the oven softened you and then crisped up your edges. It gave you lovely bursts of dark color, carmelizing your sugars – sugars I wasn’t even aware you had.

You’re flavorful. You’re sweet. You’re earthy. You’re marvelous.

The chicken, perked up by the fiery and tangy notes of a homemade chile vinegar, was jealous. You, without adornment, were delicious.

I look forward to seeing you next time, Parsnip. You will be mine again very, very soon.


Chicken and Parsnip "Fries" with Spicy Vinegar (adapted)
1 1/2 lb parsnips
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (1.75 lb)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450-degrees F with rack in middle. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray.

Peel parsnips and quarter lengthwise. (If large, cut lengthwise into eighths and cut out cores.) Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, spread onto prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, while preparing chicken.

Rinse chicken, pat dry, then sprinkle salt and pepper. Spray a 12-inch heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat on high until the oil shimmers, then brown skin side of chicken, about 3 minutes.

Transfer chicken, skin side up, to pan with parsnips, reserving skillet, and roast until chicken is cooked through and parsnips are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

While chicken roasts, reheat fat in skillet with remaining tablespoon oil, then add vinegar and red-pepper flakes and boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Pour into a cup and keep warm, covered.

Serve chicken and fries drizzled with spicy vinegar. Serves 2.

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole: pretty, by casserole standards.

I've never been a fan of the traditional green bean casserole but Shane really likes it, so I'll make it on occassion -- most recently, for Thanksgiving. I'm not crazy about green beans anyway, and the regular recipe yeilds a bland-tasting and grey-looking casserole.

For Christmas dinner, however, I set out to find a better recipe -- and I did! Not only is it delicious, with loads of onion flavor, it's creamy and even attractive (by casserole standards, anyway). It only requires a couple of extra steps and ingredients, but it makes all the difference (plus, it actually comes together more quickly than the original). They've taken a casserole I normally turn my nose up at into something I crave in the middle of the night -- or right now, even.

Kicked Up Green Bean Casserole (adapted)

20 oz. frozen French-cut green beans
2 large red onions, finely diced
6 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (I used reduced fat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (6 oz.) can French-fried onions


Blanch the French-cut green beans in hot water for about 3 to 5 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onion in butter. Then add the cooled beans and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the canned mushroom soup and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a greased casserole dish and top with French-fried onions. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes.

Nancy's Spinach & Mushroom-dressed Linguine

My friend Nancy made this FABULOUS pasta for the party. I can't even describe how fan-freakin-tastic it is. I ate the leftovers for breakfast and dinner on Sunday, and we all ate it for dinner last night.

There is one serving left. It is mine.

--

The following is written by Nancy, pictured below:

Laura's 30th Birthday Linguine

One and a quarter boxes of Barilla Linguine
One and a quarter pounds crimini (white button) mushrooms
Three portabella mushrooms
Three bunches of spinach
One head and three cloves of garlic (I used purple and white garlic)
One mild sweet onion (about as big as a baseball)
One stick of butter (or more depending on your taste)
One-quarter cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
Olive Oil
A splash of white wine
Salt
Parsley
Herbes d'Provence

Melt about one-half stick of butter slowly over less than medium heat in a medium to large-sized skillet. Slice garlic very thin (think Ray Liotta in Goodfellas) and chop onion and then place both in skillet.

Start slicing mushrooms (this is important—do not wash the mushrooms—I learned this from my friend Cathy Chou). Once garlic is browned and onion is softened begin adding sliced mushrooms to mixture. At this point, you may need to add some more butter to keep mushrooms moist.

Add a pinch of salt as mushrooms cook (this opens their flavor), add about a teaspoon of Herbs d'Provence (HP) and a 1/2 teaspoon of parsley. As mushrooms cook, add more. You may need to add more butter, but definitely drizzle more salt on the new cooking mushrooms, some more HP and parsley.

Begin chopping spinach—wash thoroughly in a colander. Once mushrooms are cooked through, add about a quarter-cup of Parmesan cheese. Add it slowly so the juice from the mushroom/garlic/onion mixture can absorb it and you don't add too much! You don't want the mixture to be thick, but slightly loose and free.

Remove the mushroom mixture from the skillet and place in a bowl. Add about two teaspoons of olive oil and then begin adding spinach. Once spinach is cooked through, add the mushroom mixture back into the skillet and then add a titch more butter and a splash or two of white wine.

While this is simmering, boil water for macaronis. When water begins to boil, add olive oil (instead of salt—the mushroom/spinach mixture is salty enough) and then add the linguine. Cook for 11 minutes—al dente!!!

Then drain the linguine and place in the skillet with the mushroom/spinach mixture. Place in bowl and serve with Parmesan cheese on the side and a good crusty Italian bread with butter.

Serves about 8 (or ten--12 if this is a first course and there will be an entrée).

Vegetable Tian

Our neighbors, Chris and Shelly, are about the nicest neighbors anyone could ask for, always ready to lend a hand. Or a vegetable -- Shelly sent over two giant zucchini and an equally large summer squash on Sunday, grown in their backyard garden.

The squash & 'zuke were perfect for the Vegetable Tian recipe I'd been eyeing. It was very simple to pull together, makes a very pretty presentation, and very tasty.

From what I can tell, the big difference between a Vegetable Tian and Ratatouille is the way the veggies are prepared. Tian vegetables are thinly sliced; ratatouille vegetables are chunky. Tian is baked; ratatouille is simmered. (Technically, the ratatouille featured in Ratatouille isn't ratatouille but confit byaldi . . . say THAT 3-times fast.)


Vegetable Tian
from Martha Stewart Living, September 2007 (adapted)

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, quarted lengthwise, rinese well, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 summer squash, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 small eggplant, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/4 dry wine (red or white)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
grated Parmesan for serving

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch gratin or round baking dish. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Spread into baking dish.

Arrange vegetables on leek and garlic in slightly overlapping circles, alternating zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. Top with wine, 1 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive and bake until vegetables are tender, 30 minutes more. Serve with Parmesan.

Roasted Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad

Next time, I'll reduce to amount of Jicama by half and increase the amount of corn by two or three. I couldn't get enough of the taste of roasted corn in this salad -- delicious! (And, yes, I left out the cilantro...)


Roasted Corn, Jicama and Mango Salad4 ears fresh corn, unshucked
1 large jicama, peeled and thinly julienned
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Citrus vinaigrette, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the ears of corn on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. When the corn has cooled, shuck it and stand it on end. Using a sharp knife, run the blade down the cob to cut the kernels off. Rotate the cob and repeat until all the kernels have been cut off.

Combine the jicama, mango, red onion and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled corn, and toss with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve.


Citrus Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sugar
Dash hot sauce
1 cup olive oil
Salt pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
In a large bowl combine the lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and hot sauce. Whisk together and slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and cilantro and whisk until combined.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Grilled Fish Tacos with fresh salsa

The marinade for the tilapia adds a subtle flavor. Kick things up with a healthy dose of salsa and a squirt of fresh lime juice.

Grilled Fish Tacos with fresh salsa

1 pound tilapia fillets
Marinade:
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives/cilantro/Italian parsley leaves
Squeeze of lime juice
Ground black pepper

Combine tilapia with the rest of the ingredients. Grill (or saute) until opaque. Serve immediately on warmed flour or corn tortillas with salsa and lime juice.


Fresh salsa
Ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 to 1/2 jalepeno, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients; let sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Hawaiian Salad

At the beginning of this summer, Jenny & I headed down to the north end of Canandaigua Lake for a picnic. We'd stopped by Wegmans to grab dinner: a sub with chips and soda for me, and roast turkey sandwich with a side of Hawaiian salad for Jen.

As we sat on our picnic blanket gazing out at the lake, she offered me a taste of the fluffy desert salad on her plate.

I'm not a big fan of ambrosia, so I took only a small forkful. And then, I proceeded to eat the rest of her salad. Fortunately, Jenny didn't mind. I don't think.

At the risk of losing friends, I knew I had to try and recreate it at home.

The pineapple flavor stands out the most, with notes of citrus and coconut poking their way through, but it's all tempered by the mellow undertones of sour cream and marshmallow.

The texture features prominently too -- it's cool and creamy, mildly crunchy and, because the fruits' acids dissolve the marshmallows a tiny bit, soft and springy. The one difference between this version and Wegmans' is that this is a bit more liquidy, probably because I used low fat sour cream. It should be noted, however, that when I first mixed all the ingredients together, the salad was downright soupy but, after an hour in the fridge, the salad thickened up.

Hawaiian Salad

20 oz. can of pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 Tbsp. sugar

2/3 c. low fat sour cream

11 oz. can of whole segment mandarin oranges (in juice), drained

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, coconut, marshmallows and sugar until evenly distributed. Add sour cream; mix to combine. Gently fold in oranges. (Mixture will be soupy.) Cover bowl and chill for at least an hour.