Baklava

Popular in Greece and Turkey, this sweet pastry is made of many layers of butter drenched paper-thin dough with a filling of spices, ground nuts, rosewater and a honey citrus syrup. I have eaten this a few times over the years and have always loved the different textures; the stickiness of the syrup, the crunch of the nuts and the crisp of the cooked dough. So, when I saw this made on the "Good Eats" by Alton Brown, I had to try it. This recipe is a time consuming one, requiring about an hour of prep time plus 8 hours of sitting time, but the outcome is so worth it. I made a few modifications to Alton's version, but the recipe below yields 32 pieces. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. I didn't have any rose water so I made my own by adding some rose petals and lavender to the water and let it soak for 30 minutes.

2. I also didn't have any pistachios handy so I used macadamia nuts and they worked great.

INGREDIENTS
Filling
1 (5-inch piece) cinnamon stick, broken into 2 to 3 pieces or 2 tsp ground
15 to 20 whole allspice berries or 3 tsp ground
6 oz blanched almonds
6 oz raw or roasted walnuts
6 oz raw or roasted pistachio
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp rose water
1 box (2 packages) phyllo dough, thawed
8 oz clarified unsalted butter, melted

Syrup
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece fresh orange peel

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F for metal pan, 325 degrees for glass.
2. Place the cinnamon stick and whole allspice into a spice grinder and grind.
3. Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and freshly ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.
















4. Combine the water and rose water in a small spritz bottle and set aside.
















5. Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan.





















6. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter.
















7. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo.
8. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly.
9. Spritz thoroughly with the rose water.
















10. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water.
11. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water.
12. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet.
13. Brush the top generously with butter.
14. Place in the fridge for 1 hour, then remove and cut your pieces halfway through.
















15. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
















16. Remove pan from the oven and recut your pieces, this time going all the way through.
17. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
18. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for an hour and a half.
















19. Once cooled, combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat.
20. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
21. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
















22. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
23. Recut your pieces one more time, following the same lines as before, then pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan.
















24. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool.
















25. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving.

26. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Spaghetti with Mozzarella Meatballs

This recipe is my own. Who doesn't love the combination of meat and cheese, especially when that cheese is stuffed inside a meatball and paired with a delicious homemade tomato sauce and noodles. I get hungry just looking at the picture above! The recipe below yields 12 good sized meatballs. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. Ensure that the meat entirely surrounds the cheese so that the cheese doesn't leak out while in the oven.

2. Be very gentle with the meatballs when adding them back into your sauce. If you're not careful they may break which won't add any points for your presentation.

INGREDIENTS
Meatballs
¼ cup milk
2 slices white bread, cut into cubes
1 pound lean ground beef
½ medium onion, diced
1 egg
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
1 stick mozzarella string cheese, cut into 12 small cubes

Sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
2 Tbs freshly chopped basil leaves
2 Tbs freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
16 oz spaghetti

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread. Let the bread absorb the milk.
















3. Add remaining meatball ingredients except the cheese.
















4. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.
5. Take about 3 Tbs of the meat mixture and roll into a ball and press into a patty.
6. Plaze a mozzarella cube onto the patty and bring up the sides around the cheese and roll between hands to form a ball.
















7. Place onto a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining meat and cheese.
















8. Place the meatballs into the oven and cook for 12 minutes.
9. Remove baking sheet from the oven and set aside.
















10. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
11. Add onion, garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
















12. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
















13. Gently stir in the meatballs and any pan drippings from baking sheet.
















14. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
15. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes.
















16. Drain and place pasta on a large serving platter.
17. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti. Pour the sauce on top and serve immediately.

Vertical Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I saw the picture of this appetizer in a very old Better Homes and Garden magazine and I knew I had to make it. I'm not sure why I'm on such a blue cheese and pear kick lately but this one is not only delicious, it's fun to make and look at. The recipe below yields 4 servings. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. Make sure you use ripe pears. If using Bartlett, the more yellow, the more ripe. If it's not as yellow as you'd like it to be, leave it out on the counter for several hours before using.

INGREDIENTS
½ tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup plus 2 oz crumbled blue cheese
4 smooth-skinned pears
2 cups watercress or spring mix salad
2 Tbs walnuts, candied

DIRECTIONS
1. In small bowl, mix oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar
2. Slowly add olive oil while whisking mixture together
















3. Add 1 cup blue cheese, then set vinaigrette aside
4. Toss salad with walnuts, 2 oz blue cheese and vinaigrette































5. Core pears from the bottom, using a melon ball scooper, leaving the stem intact
















6. Slice pears in four horizontal slices
7. Reassemble pears with salad mix in between

8. Drizzle with honey and serve

Brie Fondue Hash Browns

This wonderful recipe comes via Alex Guarnaschelli from foodnetwork.com. The smell of this in the oven was heavenly and the taste was every bit as good. I am a huge brie fan so the combination, though unusual, was a hit. I think this would be great for breakfast or dinner or even an "amuse bouche" at a dinner party. The recipe below yields 6 servings. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 large Idaho potatoes, washed, peeled and diced
Pinch paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup apple juice
1 8 oz Brie cheese, rind trimmed off the bottom side

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
3. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the butter and the potatoes.
















4. Season with a pinch of paprika and salt and pepper, to taste.
















5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they become tender but crispy, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the onions and the juice. Season again with salt and pepper and increase the heat.
















7. The potatoes should eventually start to brown. Add more butter, if desired.
















8. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so that potatoes brown on all sides.
9. Put cheese in the middle of the skillet on top of everything and place the pan in the center of the oven.
















10. Bake until the cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Plate by putting a base of the hash browns on a plate and topping with a small wedge of the brie and a few sprinkles of green onion.
12. Serve immediately.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I started with an Emeril Lagasse recipe and then made several modifications including substituting potato instead of onion, regular milk instead of cream, colby jack instead of cheddar, and I changed a few of the other ratios. The result? One of the best soups I've made yet. It was creamy with just the right amount of saltiness. I'm not a broccoli fan but I would make this again for sure, especially as it took only about 30 minutes from start to finish. The recipe below yields 4 healthy size portions. Enjoy!

HELPS

1. An immersion blender is definitely the way to go on this one. Not too expensive (about $30), it makes the soup blending process so easy since you can blend everything right in your pot on the stove without having to transfer everything to a blender.

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1 cup shredded potato
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese, extra for garnish
Croutons, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
2. Add potato, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring about 1 minute.
4. Add the flour and cook, stirring about 2 minutes.
5. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil.
















6. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes.
















8. Remove the pot from the heat and puree with an immersion blender.































9. Add milk and bring to slight simmer.
10. Add cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted
















11. Serve and garnish with cheese and croutons if desired.

Ratatouille

Anyone that loves a good Disney show knows about Ratatouille. It is my all-time favorite movie and it might have just become my all-time favorite healthy meal.

Ratatouille is a popular dish from the French region of Provence that combines eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic and herbs - all simmered in olive oil. It can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, either as a side dish or as an appetizer with bread or crackers. In this recipe, from Cook's Illustrated, we ate it as our main meal and included all the core ingredients except the bell peppers, and the tomatoes and fresh herbs came from our garden!

As wonderful as the finished product tasted, I think the most enjoyable part of cooking this were the aromas permeating the kitchen for the hour and a half it took to make. All the different ingredients and herbs combined to make the kitchen a place I did not want to leave. I will definitely make this again, especially because Jeni's been asking me to add some healthier recipes to my repertoire. So here you go! The recipe below yields 6 good size portions. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggplants (about 2.5 lbs total) cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt
2 large zucchini (about 1.5 lbs total), scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs minced fresh thyme
Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Place eggplant in large colander set over bowl.
















2. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs salt and toss to distribute evenly.
3. Let eggplant stand at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
4. Rinse eggplant well under running water to remove salt and spread in even layer of paper towels.































5. Cover with another triple layer of paper towels.
6. Press firmly on eggplant until eggplant is dry and feels firm and compressed.
7. Adjust 1 over rack to upper-middle position and second rack to lower-middle position.
8. Heat oven to 500.
9. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.
10. Toss eggplant, zucchini and 2 Tbs oil in large bowl.
















11. Divide evenly between baking sheets, spreading in single layer on each.
















12. Sprinkle with salt and roast stirring every 10 minutes until well browned and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through roasting time. Set aside.
13. Heat remaining 2 tbs oil in heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat until simmering.
14. Add onion, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
15. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
















16. Add tomatoes and cook until they release liquid and begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
















17. Add roasted eggplant and zucchini, stirring gently but thoroughly to combine, and cook until just heated through, about 5 minutes.
















18. Stir in parsley, basil and thyme.

19. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
20. Serve warm or at room temperature.