Smoked Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls (Involtini di Melanzane)

Eggplants have that hearty, meaty texture of some kinds of mushrooms. This is one reason why they are beloved by vegetarians. Cheese-stuffed eggplant rolls are wonderful for a meatless Monday, especially when a friend has just given you beautiful, shiny lavender eggplants from her garden. If you don't have eggplant, a similar dish can be made from other long summer squashes like zucchini.

The creamy smoked of the cheese is the highlight of this dish. We urge you to splurge on some really good melty high-quality kind if you can afford it. The rest of the recipe is really inexpensive, and you are worth it.

Try pronouncing this in-vole-TEE-nee dee may-lon-ZAH-nee. Melanzane is the Italian word for eggplant.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 20-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp capers
1 large eggplant (a long, thin one works best for this recipe)
1/2 pound smoked provolone, gouda, or scamorza cheese, sliced sandwich-thin
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions

Take the cheese out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until wavy. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the oinon and red bell pepper and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the thyme, salt, and capers, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is ready to be stuffed.

Cut off the top of the eggplant. Slice it lengthwise into 1/4 thick strips. On a medium grill, cook the eggplant for several minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is tender and pliable.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x11 casserole pan.

Lay an eggplant slice flat on a cutting board. Place 1/2 slice of cheese on the slice. Rip a basil leaf in half and place each half on the slice. Roll up the slice and place it in the casserole pan. Repeat with each slice. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls. Tear up the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the top.

Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes,until heated through and bubbly. Serve with a tossed green salad and crusty bread, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

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Tuscan Marinated Eggplant Salad (Ensalata di Melanzane)

Joe and I spent the first day of our honeymoon in the airport in Rome waiting for a flight to Pisa, where our luggage had gone and where our rental car was waiting. We missed our connecting flight because of slow lines going through Customs. After several hours, and a couple more cancelled flights, we decided to rent a car and drive up to our cottage in Tuscany.

I didn't even make it out of the parking garage before crawling into the back seat and going to sleep. I was struggling with jet lag and exhaustion from weeks of wedding arrangements. I couldn't drive a stick shift anyway, so I wasn't much use in driving the Autostrada.

We were hours late in arriving at the Agriturismo where we would spend the next week. Our hosts at Rosa dei Venti, who operated the hotel and villas on an ancestral working farm, welcomed us with prosecco and a meal they'd made especially for us: an antipasti plate of sausages and cheeses, marinated eggplant salad, a meaty pasta sauce called Ragu di Carne, a stewed rabbit and chicken dish (coniglio in umido alla toscana), an apricot tart, and fresh figs from the tree next to our cottage.

They also brought two bottles of hearty Barbaresco wine, and we toasted everything we could think of. The family's German Shepherd, Azzo, nosed his way into our villa and sat down by the hearth. We tossed him scraps of rabbit and practiced our Italian. Azzo pricked up his ears no matter which language we spoke to him.

Later, we lay out in the grass and listened to the festival in the tiny town of Creti below us, the high-speed bullet trains rushing from town to town, and the sunflower heads rattling against each other in the vast field to the north. It was a beautiful day.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chopped Roma or plum tomato

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh basil, snipped

Directions

Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Heat a dry griddle and sprinkle it with salt. Toast the eggplant on each side until brown and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Finely chop the parsley.

Place the eggplant on a platter. Drizzle with vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil and scatter the parsley evenly over the slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.

Cut the tomatoes into a small dice and let the juices drain out in a colander or sieve. Stir in the last tbsp of olive oil, the garlic, and the basil. Spoon the tomatoes over the eggplant just before serving it at room temperature.

Serves 4-6 as a side salad, or 8-10 as an appetizer.

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Red Wine-Marinated Pot Roast

This red wine-marinated pot roast is an old-fashioned recipe with ties to both Germany and France. The juniper berries and cloves are typical of a German beef roast, while the cloves and bay leaves are more typically provincial French. Joe thinks this is the most flavorful, rich way to cook a pot roast, and the herbs and seasoning make it a bit different. This is perfect for a special dinner party or a nice weekend supper.

Start the recipe one a day ahead so that the beef marinates in the red wine sauce for a good long time. Slowly braise the beef the next day with some hearty root vegetables like carrots and onions and you'll enjoy the smells wafting from the kitchen all afternoon. I bet you won't even need to call the family to dinner - they'll be sitting there waiting for it.

When we made this pot roast for Sunday night dinner, we used my great-grandma Therese (Hopfner) Detzner's cream-and-gold china. Seems a shame to just store the china in the cabinet all the time.  I'm sure my very German ancestors would have loved this German-inspired recipe, too.

Ingredients

For the Marinade

2 cups dry, medium bodied red wine (try a pinot noir, syrah/shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon)

1/2 cup carrot, cut into matchstick pieces

1/2 cup onions, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup celery, cut into matchstick pieces

2 garlic cloves, smashed

3 whole cloves, or 1 tsp ground cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tsp whole juniper berries, or 2 tbsp gin (look for juniper berries in a jar at a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or  specialty store; keep them in the fridge or freezer for future recipes I will share with you)

For the Roast

3-4 lb nicely marbled boneless chuck, eye of round, or shoulder roast

2/3 cup olive oil
2 large yellow onions

4 large carrots

4 cloves of garlic, minced

6 large potatoes
2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix together all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Place the meat in the bowl and turn in over several times to coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (at least 4 hours, but it is best if it marinates for a whole day).

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Drain the meat, retaining the marinade. Pour 2 tbsp of oil into a dutch oven or large pot. Heat the oil, then sear the meat on all sides until well browned (a few minutes per side, including the short sides and ends). Pour the marinade over the meat, cover, and place in the oven. If you prefer to cook this on the stove, bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce heat as low as possible and allow to simmer. Cook the roast for 3 hours, turning and basting occasionally, and adding a little water if the liquid gets very thick or falls below 2" .

Near the end of this cooking time, peel the onions and carrots. Slice the onions into small wedges. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, then brown the onions on all sides. Remove them to a plate or bowl. Slice the carrots into 1" wide pieces on a bias. Heat up 2 more tbsp oil and brown them quickly on all sides. Add them to the onions.

Add the onions, carrots, and 2 of the garlic cloves to top of the meat. Do not mix the vegetables into the pot, or they will get brown and mushy. Cook for 45 minutes more.

In the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, scrub the potatoes and cut them into 2" pieces. Heat the last of the oil and add the potatoes. Brown them on all sides, then add the last two garlic cloves. Add 2 tbsp of water and cover the frying pan. Reduce the heat to low and allow the potatoes to cook slowly.

Remove the roast and set it on a carving block. Discard the cloves, berries, and bay leaves. Strain the vegetables out of the pan juices and put them into a bowl to keep warm in the oven. Pour the cooking liquid back into the pan and add the beef broth. Bring to a boil. Stir together 1/2 cup cold water and the corn starch. Slowly pour it into the broth, stirring constantly. Continue to boil until the broth becomes a thick gravy.

Serve hearty slices of the roast with the sides of vegetables and potatoes, and plenty of gravy. Dinner rolls are great for sopping up the extra sauce.

Serves 6-8.

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Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Cheap, easy, and hearty fall food...this one fits all the First Apartment Food requirements, Jessie and Jenn. And if you buy a low fat sausage like a turkey or chicken sausage, this tomato-y pasta topper is nearly fat-free, also. This dinner can be on the table 30 minutes after you enter the kitchen.

First, you cut up the string of sausage. Heat up a  frying pan and when it is hot, turn it to medium heat and stir in the sausage. Brown the sausage on all sides, stirring occasionally. While the sausage is cooking, slice the peppers and onions into strips. I like to use a couple of different colored peppers because they look pretty in the finished dish, but green bell peppers are usually the cheapest and they all taste pretty similar. When I made this one, I also added some cut-up zucchini that needed to be eaten. You can put in whatever vegetables sound good to you.

Heat some oil in another pan. When it is hot, put in all the peppers, onions, and garlic and cook on medium heat until they start to soften, stirring now and then. While this is cooking, put a paper towel on a plate and then spoon off the sausage onto it. This will drain off any grease from the sausage. You're done with the sausage pan now.

Next, put the sausage into the pan with the cooked veggies and stir it up. Open up a 20 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce and pour it over the sausage and peppers. After I've poured out a jar of sauce, I like to add about 1/2 cup of water to the empty jar, swish it around to get the rest of the sauce, and then pour it all into the pan. In my opinion, there is so much flavor in this dish that it is OK to use cheap spaghetti sauce. Heat the pan until the sauce is boiling, then turn it to medium-low and put a lid on it.

Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Heat it until it is boiling well. Pour in the pasta and stir it right away so the pasta is coated with water on all sides so they don't all clump together. I happen to like linguine for this recipe, but any kind of larger pasta would work well. Really thin pastas like angel hair will be too delicate for the big chunks of sausage and vegetables.

If you can afford it, buy whole wheat pasta. It has more fiber which is good for your stomach and your digestion. It's also more nutritious.Cook the pasta for as long as the package says. I recommend only cooking it to the lower end of the time range because I like my pasta a bit firm. When the time is up, pour it into a colander and let it drain for 2-3 minutes. Stir it at least once so that the pasta doesn't clump together.

Put a serving of hot pasta onto a plate and ladle some of the sauce over it. Let's eat!

If you have left-overs, I suggest storing the pasta and sauce in separate containers so the pasta doesn't absorb all the juice and get soggy.

Ingredients

1/2 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large red, orange, yellow, or green bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 20-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
1 box of pasta

Directions

Cut up the sausage into 1" wide pieces and brown it in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Slice the peppers and onions into 1/4" wide strips. In a separate frying pan, heat up the oil. Add the onions and peppers and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the minced garlic. Pour in the spaghetti sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. To serve, place a helping of pasta on a plate and top with the sauce.

Serves 4-6

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Tuscan Spring Vegetable Soup (Garmugia)

Spring comes earlier to Tuscany than it does to Northern Illinois, and we're wishing the warm weather would get a move on up here and get things blooming. Garmugia is a traditional soup in the western part of Tuscany, around Lucca. Once the first spring vegetables ripen, this quick and cheery soup is a welcome change from the root vegetables and cabbages from our winter diet. Can you imagine how much more welcome these fresh vegetables would have been centuries ago, before the advent of frozen foods and fast worldwide shipping?

When I saw these pretty asparagus spears and fresh English peas, I was craving this soup. It's typically made with fresh asparagus, peas, fava beans, and artichokes, and pancetta and ground veal for richness. Don't they look delicious down there?

We had some ham broth left over from our Easter dinner, so I passed on the ground veal just to lighten up the recipe. It was so satisfying.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound ground veal (optional)
1/2 cup pancetta, cut into matchstick pieces
6 cups ham or chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh fava beans
2 baby artichokes
1/2 tsp fresh sage, snipped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
1 cup fresh peas
1 cup fresh asparagus tips

For the croutons

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cups French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

In a large stock pot, saute the onion, veal (if using), and pancetta until the onion is soft and the meat browned on all sides. Pour in the meat stock and bring to a boil.

Quarter each artichoke. Cut all of the tough outer leaves off the the artichokes, trimming them to just around the meaty heart. Add the artichoke hearts, fava beans, sage, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peas and asparagus and simmer about 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are tender.

Saute the garlic in the oil until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the bread cubes and brown them on all sides. Drain on paper towels.

Serve the soup with the croutons sprinkled across the top, and a little grated Romano cheese if you like.

Serves 4-6.

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Napa Cabbage Crunch Salad

This salad is a refreshing way to get some leafy greens into your diet, without making the same old tossed salad or coleslaw. We love the Asian-inspired vinaigrette. Joe's a master at blending a creative oil and vinegar dressing!

This salad keeps well when it is refrigerated, and doesn't get soggy.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tbsp)
¼ cup Mirin (sweet soy sauce)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, grated

2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup Daikon radish, peeled and shredded
10 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped peanuts or almonds
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Directions

Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Combine the salad ingredients and toss with the dressing.

Serves 6-8.

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Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On Super Bowl Sunday, there's nothing better than a houseful of football fans and a big pot of pulled pork sandwiches. If you keep the meat hot in a crock pot or on the stove, and put a big pile of sandwich buns nearby, people can help themselves whenever they're hungry. These are especially good with a spoonful of our giardiniera.

This recipe is my grandmother's, who also made barbecue beef sandwiches with this same recipe, using a beef roast instead of pork. She was a Bears fan when she lived in Chicago, and a Vikings fan when she moved to Minnesota. I loved her either way.

Recently, I made these barbeque pork sandwiches for a church meeting that was going to begin directly after the worship service. Halfway through a sermon on patience, the savory BBQ smell started to fill the room, and I realized I hadn't stirred the pot in a while! I didn't want to walk out in the middle of my friend Al's sermon, so I practiced my patience and waited. It turned out fine.

Ingredients

2 cups onions, chopped

1 tbsp oil

3 lb beef pot roast or pork shoulder

2 cups beef broth

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp dry mustard

1/2 cup honey

1 can tomato soup

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup hot sauce

Directions

In a large pot, fry onions in oil until brown. Cut meat into 2 inch cubes, and brown with the onions. Pour in the beef broth and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 1 hour.

Transfer to a crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until sauce is thick and the meat is tender and shredded.

Makes 6 cups, or 24 1/4-cup portions.

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Pork Roast with Sauerkraut, Apples, and Onions

The German branch of my family came to Chicago in the early 1900s, and settled on the North side of Chicago in the Lincoln Square and West Rogers Park area. This are was heavily populated with German families, and the Hopfner branch of the family had a bakery at 4754 N. Lincoln Avenue where my grandmother worked as a kid.

My grandmother, Therese Detzner Tarr, was part of the first generation born in the U.S. Unfortunately, she came of age as World War II was beginning and anti-German attitudes were rampant. The trend was to assimilate into U.S. culture. I don't have a lot of German recipes, stories, or memories from the family, but one of my favorite meals from Grandma Tarr was pork roast with sauerkraut.

I've updated this recipe in a couple of ways. Joe, not growing up with much sauerkraut on his plate, doesn't like the strong tartness, so I drained and rinsed the kraut before cooking it. Also, I added apples and onions to the pot. It truly becomes autumn on a plate with these extra ingredients.

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

3 lbs pork roast (any cut will do)

16 oz. sauerkraut

1 1/2 tsp carraway seed

2 cups yellow onion, thickly sliced

2 cups tart apple (Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh), cored and cubed

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Brown the meat on all sides.

Drain the sauerkraut and lightly rinse, if desired. Place the kraut in the bottom of a roaster pan, Dutch oven, or large crock pot. Sprinkle with half of the carraway seed. Place the apples and onions on top, then place the roast on top of the apples and onions. Sprinkle with the other half of the seeds. Cover.

Roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until meat is tender. Add a bit of water if the pot becomes dry. If using a crock pot, cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Serve by placing the fruit and vegetables on a platter, then topping with slices of the roast pork.

 Serves 6-8.

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Norwegian Poached Salmon

Joe, being true to his Norwegian roots, loves salmon and every other type of seafood he's ever tried. I'm a little more picky about strong-tasting seafood. I have heard the saying that you have to try something seven times (or twenty or thirty or whatever) before you develop a taste for it, but even though I tasted bits of Joe's salmon whenever he ordered it, I could never get past the strong fishiness.

When I took a Humanities course in the United Kingdom, I developed a bad ear infection in Inverness, Scotland. Left behind by my classmates, I wandered around the deserted hotel and watched the staff take down holiday decorations.

Marriott hotel, Inverness, Scotland

At lunch, the waiter told me they'd just gotten salmon that was caught the day before in Norway. I decided to try their poached salmon recipe, and really liked it. If you have trouble eating salmon, you might just like it this way, even if your salmon fillet wasn't swimming in the Atlantic a few hours earlier.

Highway in Northern Scotland

That night, our Irish bus driver attempted to heal me by ordering me a hot toddy of Highlands whiskey, hot water, lemon peel, and honey. I felt better until the next morning, when I made an appointment with a local doctor and got a prescription for antibiotics. Their public health system was top-notch. 

The Scots told me this is an authentic Norwegian staple recipe.You can skip the drizzle of melted butter if you're watching your fat intake.

Ingredients

2 tsp fresh dill

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp anchovy paste

2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine

1 bay leaf

4 4-6 oz. Norwegian salmon fillets

2 tbsp melted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Whisk together the dill, cream, anchovy paste, broth, and vinegar. Lay the salmon in a large skillet and pour the sauce over the fish. Break the bay leaf in half and lay it in the sauce. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat, and let it steam for 15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky when poked with a fork. 

Remove the bay leaf. Put the fish and sauce on a serving plate. Drizzle the melted butter over the fillets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving. 

This is really good with Mushroom and Pine Nut Wild Rice Pilaf.

Serves 4.

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Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

During the Vietnam war, my wonderful stepdad Paul was a peace volunteer working in agriculture in Vietnam. He has had a love for Vietnamese food since then, which he has passed down to my four half-Vietnamese step-siblings and my mom, who is always willing to try something new. He has kept most of his Asian recipes a secret up until now, but I hope to wheedle them out of him to share with all of you.

Do Chua is a daikon radish slaw 

We'll start with Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad). Mom gave us a mint plant out of her garden a few weeks ago, and we were looking for new ways to use fresh mint leaves. I plan to take a jar of this pickle back to them when I visit next month.

This recipe is a sort of Vietnamese version of Giardiniera; this ubiquitous condiment is found at table in Vietnamese restaurants and homes. The daikon radish, mint leaves, and hot pepper make an unusual and delicious contrast to salads, sandwiches, or alongside meat dishes.

I needed to get back into serious cooking last weekend. The Chicago Area has broken heatwave records for the past week, and Saturday was the first day below 90 degrees in I don't even know how long. Windows opened, fan on, it was perfect to start canning again, since my canning mojo is in full swing this summer.

Note: I hadn't used fresh daikon until I made this salad, and I was surprised that it smells somewhat like mild mushrooms, and isn't as pungent as an ordinary red radish. If you can't find daikon, I would recommend replacing it with jicama. It's not exactly the same, but still delicious!

 

Sa Lach Dia (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

Daikon, carrot, cucumber

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled
1 large daikon (white radish), peeled
8 oz fresh bean sprouts
1 cucumber, peeled
1 small red chile (Szechuan, birds eye, or red Cayenne)
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

Cut cucumber, daikon, and carrots into matchstick slices. Put vegetables into a glass bowl and sprinkle with the salt and water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Drain vegetables. Finely chop red pepper, being careful not to get the volatile oils on skin or eyes (these are STRONG peppers!). Toss peppers with vegetables, then tightly pack into sterile glass jars.

Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables, tapping the jars to release air bubbles. Allow 1/4" head space at the top of the jars. Wipe the rims with a clean wet cloth and screw on lids. Let marinate for a couple of days before using. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

If you plan to can these for later use, process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before tightening lids and storing.

Makes approximately 3 pints.

You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Tashkent Carrot Salad

When we had an anniversary dinner at the Russian Tea Time restaurant in downtown Chicago, I promised to develop some of the recipes we love from there. The first one is the Tashkent Carrot Salad, a fresh, light side dish that will give you something new and easy to do with carrots. Adjust the amount of seasoning to your taste.

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots
1 tbsp. sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. ground coriander*
1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Peel carrots and chop off ends. Coarsely grate the carrots, then mix with sugar and minced garlic. Combine the rest of the ingredients, and let marinate for 4-6 hours. Mix thoroughly before serving as juices tend to drain to the bottom of the bowl. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Makes 4 side servings.

*Coriander, the seed of the cilantro plant, is widely used in Mediterranean, Asian, and some African cooking. If you buy whole seeds, like we do, they can be easily ground in a coffee grinder or food processor, or mortar and pestle or molcajete if you have one. We like the seeds coarsely ground to add some texture and an extra zing of flavor.

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Russian Beet Vinaigrette Salad

Beet vinaigrette salad, bottom left.

This recipe is a traditional Russian salad that we've developed after our trip to the Russian Tea Time restaurant in Chicago. Though neither of us have ever been beet fans, this dish changed our minds about the lowly root. Serve this salad as a selection on a buffet, and see what your guests think!

Ingredients
2 fresh beets, about the size of a small fist
1 large potato
1 large carrot
2 small dill pickles
1 small can of peas, drained
1 small onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt to taste

Directions
Peel beets, carrots, and potatoes. Boil the beets in one pot, and the potato and carrot in another pot, so the beet does not stain the other vegetables. Cook until fork-tender, then drain and cool.

Chop beets, potato, carrot, onion, and pickles. Stir in all other ingredients. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Serve slightly chilled.

Makes 4 side servings or 2 main-dish servings.

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Winter Squash, Pine Nut, and Golden Raisin Lasagna

I
 think that this recipe originally came from Weight Watchers, but Joe has made some magically delicious modifications. The result is an unusual and hearty winter dinner that we also like to serve at fall dinner parties.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
10 oz dry lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (about 12 noodles)
10 oz cooked winter squash, thawed if frozen
1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup golden seedless raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place flour in a small saucepan and very gradually whisk in milk and garlic. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce simmers and is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Spread 1/4 cup of cheese sauce over bottom of a 9 X 13-inch glass or metal pan and cover with 3 lasagna noodles; top with 1/3 of squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of raisins.

Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and spread with 1/3 of remaining squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup of raisins. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and top with remaining squash and raisins; cover with last 3 lasagna noodles, pressing sheets firmly down. Top with remaining cheese sauce; sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cook for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbly.

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Jessie's Chicken and Feta Rollups

Angela: "I have always loved having daughters. First it was playing with them, then trading clothes and jewelry, and now sharing recipes. Jessie gave me this recipe recently,  She didn't have a meat tenderizer, so I think she flattened the chicken breasts with a hammer. Her boyfriend Erich even likes this recipe, though they are both somewhat picky eaters.You're going to love this one, I promise."






Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, snipped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 1/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed (or bread crumbs)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 12-18 large spinach leaves
• 6 oz. thinly sliced deli ham

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butterfly each breast by cutting lengthwise through the chicken breast, almost to the opposite side. Spread chicken open flat. Place between parchment paper or plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4 inch thickness.

In a bowl, combine cheeses, herbs, and pepper. Blend well. Chop red peppers. In another bowl, combine milk and egg and whisk until mixed.

Cover each chicken breast with a layer of spinach leaves, a scoop of cheese mixture spread evenly, and 1 tablespoon of peppers. Roll up, jelly roll fashion, tucking in ends where possible. Place seam side down in pan.

Bake 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serves 4-6.

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Coriander Pears

My parents have been growing pears on their farm for years. They are big proponents of organic gardening, so their pears are sometimes oddly-shaped and full of...ahem...wildlife. But their sweetness and healthiness make up for everything else.

 Last fall, my mom hurt her back badly at just about the same time my dad was scheduled to go on a charity trip to help people stranded in the desert in the Southwest. I spent a week with her canning produce and peeling fruits to put up in jars. It was wonderful bonding time.

Pears can be a little insipid and sweet when they are canned, so the addition of spices and lime juice made a delicious improvement.

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened apple juice

2 cups water

Juice of 3 limes (about 1/4-1/3 cup)

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

4 pounds ripe pears

Directions

Sterilize quart jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Combine juice, water, lime juice, nutmeg, and coriander seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Peel pears. Cut them into quarters lengthwise and cut out the cores and any bad spots. Press them into the quart jars, leaving as little room as possible between the fruit. Pour the juice mixture into each jar, ensuring that an even number of coriander seeds are in each jar. Fill the jars to 1/2 inch of the rim.

Wipe the rims of the jars. Screw on lids hand-tight and slowly lower into a hot water bath canner. Boil 15 minutes once the pot reaches a full rolling boil. Remove from the canner and allow to cool. Test the seals before storing.

Makes about 6 quarts of pears.

See more canning recipes in my book The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Caprese Salad

I made this salad for Joe one summer evening as part of  a birthday picnic. Since then, we've enjoyed the same salad at the courtyard restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago, where they used several colorful varieties of heritage tomatoes. We also had this salad during our honeymoon in Tuscany, where the dish originated. In Tuscany, they often use buffalo mozzarella instead, which gives it a subtle musky taste.

When the tomatoes come on heavy in summer, and even the neighbors won't take any more, this salad is a wonderful way to use up your produce. If you grow an herbal garden, like we do, you can pick your fresh tomatoes and fresh basil at the same time. If you're buying tomatoes, make sure they are excruiciatingly ripe so that the flavors pop. One of the best features of authentic Italian cooking is that they insist on buying the freshest, best produce at the beginning of the recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh soft mozzarella cheese, sliced as thinly as possible
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
3-4 large fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
Freshly ground salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, if desired

Directions

On a large serving plate, alternate mozzarella, tomato, and basil in a circular pattern, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, drizzle with oil and vinegar.

Makes 4 side salads. 

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Panzanella - Cucumber, Tomato, and Italian Bread Salad

Panzanella is a traditional summer salad in Italy and a thrifty way to use up bread that is getting dry and hard. This fresh and light salad is perfect for the dog days of summer, when you don't feel like cooking and it's too hot to eat something heavy, anyway.


When we honeymooned in Tuscany, the midday sun was fierce and most people observed the very civilized custom of closing everything down for a few hours, lunching and napping, and then going back about their business later in the day. Night was a time for socializing. Everyone turned out on the streets and parks to visit, have a drink, and play games with their kids. Lovely.

This salad was one of the refreshing ones we tried before our midday siestas, and we've made it many times since we came home. One of the most wonderful things about having a backyard garden is that we can go out and pick our own lunch or dinner any day of the week. Now that tomatoes and cucumbers are weighing down our vines, dinner is ready in less time than it would take us to run to the store for produce.

Ingredients

4 cups coarse hard bread, such as ciabbata, baguette, or French loaf

4 plum tomatoes

2 medium cucumbers (we like the seedless ones the best)

1 small red onion

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Immerse in warm water for two minutes, and then allow to drain in a colander. 

Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into 1-inch pieces. You can peel cukes if you like, but we like the skins on as long as they are not too scarred or dark green and bitter. Peel and cut the onion in half. Thinly slice each half. Place these vegetables and the bread in a serving bowl and toss them until mixed. 

Chop the basil and olives and put them in a small bowl. Pour the olive oil and vinegar into this bowl, along with the salt and pepper. Mix well and pour it over the salad, tossing it well to coat. Serve at room temperature.

If you have leftovers, eat them within the next day or two, before the bread gets mushy and unappealing.

Serves 2-3 as main-dish meals, or 4-6 as side salads.

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Jalapeno Dill Pickles

If you're like us, the beginning of August is the time you're drowning in cucumbers and tomatoes. Like generations before us, we have begun canning our produce, and enjoy the fresh taste of summer in the middle of winter. This recipe is featured in Angela's book, "The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food."

Ingredients

4 lbs. small pickling cucumbers
8 cups cold water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. pickling spice (if desired, remove extra allspice and coriander)
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
4 Tbsp. dill weed, or 2 to 3 heads of dill, chopped
6 peeled garlic cloves, crushed
4 jalapenos, thinly sliced length-wise

Directions

1. Sterilize canning jars.
2. Scrub cucumbers well. Slice off the ends of cucumbers and cut cucumbers lengthwise into spears.

3. Place layers of cucumbers and salt in a large bowl, and cover this with a layer of ice. Place in the refrigerator for two to three hours to make the cucumbers crisper. Drain well.

4. Mix together the spices and vinegar in a medium pot or saucepan. Bring to boil and stir well.

5. Place half of a garlic clove in each jar. Pack cucumber wedges vertically in jars, alternating with slices of jalapeno, leaving little space between each spear. Ladle the brine over cucumbers, leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace. Slide a knife or spatula inside the jar to remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if necessary. Dampen a kitchen towel and wipe around the rims of the canning jars. Screw the canning lids onto the jar just until finger-tight.

6. Process in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes.

Yield: About 6 pints




You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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White Summer Sangria

We made this refreshing punch for a BBQ party for Joe's birthday. It went so fast that I didn't get the time to take a photo!

1 cup whole strawberries
1 bag frozen sliced peaches
1/2 cup white rum
1/2 cup Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
1 orange, sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups lemon-lime soda
1 1/2 cups white grape juice
1.5 liter bottle of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc wine
Ice cubes

Place the berries and peaches in a  large pitcher or punch bowl and pour the rum and Triple Sec over the fruit. Let it marinate in the fridge for an hour. Add the orange slices. Pour the wine, grape juice, lemon juice, and soda over the fruit. Stir and pour over glasses of ice cubes to serve.

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Mama Nona's Arracheras (Mexican Beef Barbeque)

Some people would call this a Tex-Mex fajitas-style barbeque, but in the central ranching area of Mexico, this is a staple recipe that uses the rather tough skirt steak or flank steak beef cut. Angela learned this recipe from her Mexican ex-MIL, and anywhere you find people from the state of Guanajuato grilling, they may just have this on the coals.

We made this on Jenn's request for her high school graduation, and our midwestern family had never seen or tasted soft corn tortillas before. In the Chicagoland area, we prefer El Milagro brand corn tortillas, made right in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. Flour tortillas also work, if you can't find or prefer to eat flour instead of corn.

Ingredients

2 1- to 1 1/4-lb. skirt steaks, trimmed of membrane and excess fat
1 12-oz. bottle or can beer
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tbsp. Mexican hot sauce
3-4 cloves minced garlic
12 corn tortillas (8 in. each), warmed until they are soft and pliable
 Lime wedges
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped white onion
Fresh red or green salsa, hot sauce, or pico de gallo
1 cup chopped tomatoes 

1 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Instructions

If you get the meat from a Latino butcher, ask them to put the meat "En la machina", or in a mechanical meat tenderizer. Otherwise, pound the meat flat with a meat tenderizer mallet. 

Cut meat into 4-5" wide sections. Put the meat in a large resealable plastic bag or on a platter. Stir together beer, lime juice, hot sauce, and garlic, then pour over steaks. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high heat. Drain meat, then grill it  3 to 4 minutes per side, turning often, till crispy on the edges and fully cooked. Spray flare-ups with water.

Warm tortillas on a hot dry griddle, turning frequently, until soft and pliable. Watch your fingers!

Slice or pull apart meat into 1-2" sections. Build arrachera tacos with meat, chopped cilantro, onions, salsa, tomatoes, cheese, and a squirt of lime, as desired.

Serves 4-6

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