Amaretti-stuffed Peaches

I realized I forgot to post this one too, in case anyone wants to make some peach goodness.

*note - as a substitution for the amaretti, I followed one reviewer's suggestion and used macaroons with a little bit of almond extract - seemed to work.


From: Epicurious

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened


• 1 cup coarsely crumbled amaretti (Italian almond macaroons, preferably Lazzaroni brand)


• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 1 large egg


• 8 firm-ripe small peaches (about 2 lb), halved lengthwise and pitted

Accompaniment: mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche



Prep:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and pour into a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Pulse 3/4 cup crumbled amaretti in a food processor until finely chopped, then add flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Blend until butter is incorporated, then add egg and blend until smooth.

Scoop out just enough peach pulp from center of each peach half with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon to create a 1-inch-deep cavity. Arrange peaches, cut sides up, in baking dish, then brush skins with melted butter from dish. Divide amaretti mixture among cavities, then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crumbled amaretti over filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crisp, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Active time: 15 min - Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr


Makes 8 servings.

Carol's Dal Curry

From last week - the Dal Curry y'all loved.


From: Recipezaar.com

time to make: 1¼ hours/30 min prep

• 2 cups lentils, stones picked out and boiled till soft


• 1 large yellow onion, chopped


• 1 bunch cilantro, washed well and chopped


• 1 large tomato


• 1 can coconut milk


• 1 can tomato sauce (medium size)


• curry powder


• turmeric


• ginger (fresh or ground)


• ground cloves


• cumin


• cayenne


• salt

1. Cover bottom of saucepan with vegetable oil.
2. Fry onion about 5 minutes, add cilantro and continue frying over medium heat, until onion is golden.
3. Add tomato and let get a little soft.
4. Add rest of ingredients, including spices (add spices according to your taste!) and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Couscous with Spiced Zucchini

Okay all, posting to get it started again! Here's my recipe from two weeks ago...

• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 3/4 cup plain couscous


• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped


• 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes


• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander


• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder


• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint


• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring broth with 1/4 teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then stir in coriander, chili powder, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Gently stir zucchini mixture into couscous and cool to warm or room temperature. Just before serving, stir in mint and lemon juice.

Original from:

Gourmet, September 2005

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

from Betty Crocker

2 cups original bisquick
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Philip used pepper jack)
2 T margarine or butter, melted
1/8 t garlic powder

Heat oven to 450. Stir bisquick, milk and cheese until soft dough forms.
Drop dough by 9 spoonfulls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 -10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

from Cooking Light
aka ZoZo salad

1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup thinkly sliced green onions
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled feta
1/4 chopped fresh dill
1 (19 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (i think someone commented that it needed more garbanzos which was a correct statement because i used a 15oz can. i usually a make a 1.5 batch because i can't find 19oz cans of the beans)
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 T cold water
1/2 t salt
1.2 t bottled minced garlic

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with caold water, drain.

Combine pasta, onions, feta, dill, and garbanzos in a large bowl, tossing gentle to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a wisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture, toss gentley to coat.

Yield: 4 (1 1/4) cup servings.

Great to make the night before - gives flavors more time to infuse.

Mango Lassis + more love from Seattle

In the hectic pace of Microsoft life, Sean sends us more love from Seattle with... a Dildo song.

Sean: "This one's for cooking night." http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7561891079024207771

Healthy Mango Lassi
10-15 min. prep/5 min blender time

3 cups yogurt
1 cup water
4 ice cubes
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 tablespoons sugar
4 sprigs mint, 1 reserved for garnish

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend and garnish with fresh mint.
3. Serve chilled!


*recipe from www.recipezaar.com

Black-eyed peas with Dill

(A little late coming, but I'm just catching up to everything, including my RSS feeds....)

2 cups water
2 fresh dill sprigs plus 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
2 large scallions, white and pale green parts cut into 1-inch pieces and dark green parts chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (10-oz) package frozen black-eyed peas

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Bring water, dill sprigs, white and pale green parts of scallions, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, covered. Reduce heat to moderately low, then add peas and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, uncovered, then transfer mixture with any liquid to a serving dish and stir in chopped dill, scallion greens, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.


Cooks' note: Black-eyed peas can be cooked, cooled, and dressed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 4 servings (as part of mezedes).

We still get love from far away

You never really leave cooking night, even if you stop coming.

[18:16] Sean: i saw this today, and thought of cooking night.
[18:16] Sean: http://www.porn-bread.com/

Rice with Spinach, Lemon & Dill

from Deborah's Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

This was a super tasty, simple rice dish that had enough moisture in it that I ate it the next day for lunch cold and it was still good.

2T olive oil, butter, or mix
1C finely chopped scallions, including an inch or 2 of greens KC: I probably used 3/4 C of scallions
1C long-grain white or brown rice KC: I used white
1 large bunch of spinach leaves, finely chopped
2T chopped dill or 2t dried KC: I used dried
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper

Warm oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add scallions and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Add the rice, spinach, dill, lemon zest, and 1/2t salt. Cook until the spinach has wilted. If using white rice, add 1 3/4C water (brown rice- 2 1/4C). Bring to boil, then lower heat and cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, 15-18 minutes for the white rice (30-40 min for brown). Add lemon juice and gently loosen grains with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve.

nian gow - a chinese bean cake to celebrate the new year

(from about.com)

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), plus a bit extra for sprinkling on the baking dish (mmv - i couldn't locate sweet rice flour, used white rice flour instead)
1 stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar--depending on if you like it sweeter (mmv - i only used 1 cup. because i use regular flour, i should have possibly upped the sugar amount)
1 Tb baking soda
One can of red azuki beans
PREPARATION:
Mix everything* but the beans with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed.Sprinkle Mochiko flour over a 9"x13" baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with Pam.Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the baking pan Spread the red azuki beans (you can mix some batter into the beans if they are too thick to spread).Spread the other half of the batter over the red azuki beans. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick (this is Chinese New Year’s Cake after all)—if it comes out clean, it is done.Recipe by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, Asian American Village contributing editor.
* mmv: i softened the butter in the microwave, but then adding the cold milk hardened it again. this made it a pain in the rear to mix. i suggest setting the milk out to bring it to room temp before adding it. maybe nuking it for 20-30 seconds would suffice?