Dayrecipe Food Community

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4lb sliced bacon
• 1small onion, chopped
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 4ears corn, kernels cut off and cobs discarded
• 1large fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1(10-oz) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1/2lb okra, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 3/4lb cherry tomatoes (1 pint), halved
• 2tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste
• 1/4cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS Cook bacon in a large skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving fat in skillet.

Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in corn, jalapeño, lima beans, okra, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in vinegar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve succotash with bacon crumbled over.

If mini pita breads are unavailable in your area, split larger pita breads horizontally in half and cut out smaller pita rounds using a 3-inch-diameter biscuit cutter. You can streamline the process by preparing both the chicken salad and the toasted pita rounds one day in advance.

Makes 40.

INGREDIENTS

• 202- to 3-inch-diameter mini pita breads, cut horizontally in half
• olive oil2large garlic cloves
• 1cup tahini (sesame seed paste)*
• 2/3cup fresh lemon juice
• 2teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel
• 1/2cup water
• 1cup chopped fresh cilantro4cups shredded skinned cooked chicken (from two 2-pound roast chickens)1/2cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush cut side of pita bread rounds lightly with olive oil. Arrange rounds on heavy large baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 6 minutes. Cool pita rounds.

Mince garlic in processor. Add tahini, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and lemon peel. Blend well. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup water, blending until mixture is smooth and thick. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in large bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 cups sauce, 1/4 cup cilantro, and remaining lemon juice (reserve remaining sauce for another use). Season chicken salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store pita rounds airtight at room temperature. Cover chicken salad and refrigerate.)

Spoon generous 1 tablespoon chicken salad atop each pita round. Arrange on platter. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve.

*Available at Middle Eastern and natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

This is a classic French preparation that is easy to prepare and quite light.
Once you have mastered the base, you can add any fruit that you have on hand.
It is a great brunch dish since it is not quite an entrée nor is it sweet enough to be a dessert. One omelette is just enough for two people, and since I think that it is almost impossible to make an attractive omelette large
enough to feed six, it is best to make one recipe at a time when feeding more
than two people. You can keep the finished omelettes warm in a preheated 300° oven while you make the necessary number.

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 to 2 apples, pears, peaches, etc. peeled, cored (or pitted), and thinly
  sliced, or 1 cup berries
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS 1. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar with the cinnamon. Place the fruit in a
small bowl and add the cinnamon-sugar. Toss to combine.

2. Heat the 3 tablespoons butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the fruit and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the fruit begins to
caramelize. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

5. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until
very light and fluffy. Fold in the vanilla and lemon zest. When well blended,
fold in the beaten egg whites.

6. Pour the melted butter into a 7-inch, ovenproof omelette pan over medium
heat. Place the fruit (if sliced, fan it out) into the pan and pour in the
batter to cover the fruit. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Place in the preheated
oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the omelette is puffed and golden.

7. Remove from the oven and carefully invert onto a serving plate. Dust with
confectioners’ sugar and serve.

NOTE: If desired, you can garnish the plate with fresh fruit and mint.

Use any cookie-cutter shapes you like; to purchase ornament-shape cutters, call Jane’s Cakes and Chocolates at 800-262-7630.

The frosting recipe yields enough frosting to make four colors, plus about a cup of extra white base for adjusting the shades, if necessary. If you’d like to make additional colors, increase ingredient amounts accordingly.

Makes about 36 cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• for cookies
• 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1large egg
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3cups all purpose flour
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon ground nutmegfor frosting
• 9cups (or more) powdered sugar (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 4 1/2tablespoons just whites (pasteurized powdered egg whites)*
• 12tablespoons (or more) water
• assorted food colorings, preferablywilton concentrated gel pastes ingolden yellow, violet, moss green,red (no taste) and sky blue**4(or more) small disposable pastry bags**plain round metal tips (1/16 to
  1/8 inch in diameter; optional)**

DIRECTIONS Make cookies: Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg over; stir to blend well. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 1 minute. Shape dough into 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 4 equal pieces; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter large baking sheet. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, lifting and turning dough often and dusting surface very lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Using floured 3- to 4-inch cutters, cut out cookies. Pull away excess dough from around cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (cookies will not spread). If using cookies as hanging ornaments, push 1 end of drinking straw through dough near top of each cookie; lift straw, then removesmall dough round from straw. Gently reroll dough scraps; cut out more cookies. Transfer to same sheet.

Bake cookies until light brown, about 11 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheet. Transfer cookies to rack; cool.

Repeat with remaining dough pieces, baking 1 sheet of cookies at a time. Cool baking sheet completely and butter sheet lightly between batches.

Make frosting: Whisk 9 cups sugar and powdered egg whites in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 12 tablespoons water. If necessary, whisk in more water by teaspoonfuls or more sugar by tablespoonfuls until frosting is medium-thick and very smooth. Place 1/2 cup frosting into each of 4 small bowls; mix colors using instructions in box on previous page. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover bowls and remaining frosting with plastic wrap to keep frosting from drying out. Store at room temperature.) Thin frosting in each bowl as needed by mixing in 1/4 teaspoon water at a time.

Using pastry brush or small metal offset spatula, spread frosting on cookies; set cookies aside and let frosting dry, about 30 minutes. Cut off small tip from end of 1 disposable pastry bag (cut off slightly more if planning to insert metal tip). Fold down top 2 inches of bag, forming collar. Holding bag under collar and using small rubber spatula, fill bag with 1 color of frosting. Repeat with remaining pastry bags, filling each with 1 color of frosting. Pipe decorations onto frosted cookies in desired patterns and colors. Let cookies stand until decorations are firm and dry, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Place cookies in single layer between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container; store at room temperature.)

*Can be found in the baking-products section of most supermarkets.

**Wilton food colorings, disposable pastry bags and metal tips are available by mail from Jane’s Cakes and Chocolates; call 800-262-7630.

Makes 6 main-course servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4ounce dried shiitake mushrooms11- to 1 1/4-pound crosscut beef shank
• 3teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 1/2cups chopped peeled parsnips
• 1cup chopped celery
• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 7cups hot water
• 1141/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2cup pearl barley
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon ground black pepper6ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

DIRECTIONS Place mushrooms in bowl; pour hot water over to cover. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut off stems; discard. Slice mushroom caps; transfer to 6-quart slow cooker.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 4 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining oil to same skillet. Add leeks, parsnips, celery, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Stir in 7 cups hot water, tomatoes with juice, barley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high until meat falls off bone and barley is tender, about 4 1/2 hours.

Remove meat from slow cooker; cool slightly. Discard bone and fat. Shred meat; return to slow cooker. Add green beans. Cover; cook until beans are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve.