black-eyed pea hummus

I know I’m a little early, but here’s a little bit different way to get your black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day.

1 lb black-eyed peas, dry

Soak beans overnight. Drain and return to pot; cover with water and add

5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons of sugar

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer until peas are soft. Drain and spread out on a baking sheet; cool to room temperature. Put the peas and garlic in a food processor and add

2/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Turn on the machine and stream in

olive oil

slowly until the mixture has the consistency you want. I’ve never measured how much oil I add. You will process the mixture for four or five minutes.

Spoon out into a bowl and serve with pita chips or crackers. I like to garnish it with tear jerkers for a little extra something.

Peace,
Milton

spicy corn and red bean chowder

I made this soup for our Advent Fest at church today, mostly because these were the ingredients I had in my kitchen. I wasn't really measuring things when I made it, but this is a reasonable apporximation.

1 stick butter
1 onion, small dice
1 red pepper, small dice
1 cup celery, small dice
3 cups frozen corn

Melt butter, then add other ingredients and sauté over medium heat. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in all the juices the vegetables create. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and slowly add

1/2 cup flour

and cook for another three or four minutes, to make a roux. Add

4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cumin powder
salt and pepper
2 or 3 bay leaves

and cook, stirring occasionally once everything is mixed well, until soup begins to thicken. Add

2 cans red beans
2 cans Ro-tel tomatoes with green chiles, drained

and continue to heat until everything is heated through and soup is thick.

Peace,
Milton

chipotle sweet potato and pecan gratin

It still has the little marshmallows, but it spices up the table.

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Toss the sweet potatoes in the oil, salt, and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Put in a 375 oven for about twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the pecans, sugar, and chipotle powder. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar starts to caramelize and the pecans are coated. Spread and cool on a parchment lined baking sheet.

1/8 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Put the sweet potatoes, one third of the pecans, and the spices in the food processor and pulse until you have a chunky mix. Scrape into a 9x9 baking dish and cover with marshmallows. Cook about 25 minutes, until the marshmallows are golden. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans and serve.

Peace,
Milton

brown sugar buttermilk pie

I was intrigued by this recipe because they used brown sugar.

1 refrigerated pie crust

Heat oven to 400. Bake the crust about 12 minutes, until golden. Transfer to rack and cool.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Mix sugar and flour in a food processor, then add

3 large eggs plus one large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

until well blended; then add

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter

and blend again. Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake about 45 minutes, until it puffs and is almost set in the center. Cool on a rack and then chill until cold before serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato pie

I made a couple of these today to share with co-workers.

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg white, beaten

Paint the crust with the egg white before you fill it with the sweet potato mixture. This keeps the crust from being soggy.

Preheat oven t0 400.

1 15oz can candied yams
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Peace,
Milton

pumpkin pie

Smitten Kitchen has become my favorite food blog. Her pumpkin pie is amazing. You can get the whole deal, crust and all, here, but I opted for a refrigerated crust, so I'm just passing along my version of the pie part.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes. (I covered mine with a piece of foil and weighted it with pocket change.)

2 cups half and half
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together in medium bowl. Set aside.

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground because I’m not a huge fan of fresh ginger)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

Combine these ingredients and bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. (I then used my hand mixer to make sure the mixture was as smooth as possible.) Transfer to pre-baked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking until edges are set, 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. (The pie finishes cooking with resident heat; to ensure the filling sets, cool it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator.)

This is worth saving room for dessert.

Peace,
Milton

cornbread waffles

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but in this case,my mother was actually the mother of invention. For a while now I have been trying to figure out how to add my open faced chicken pot pie to my restaurant menu. The problem, for me, was putting the mixture on a biscuit, because biscuits are hard to make ahead, or to make in small batches. When I went to Texas for my college homecoming, my mother and I were talking about food and she said, "I've been doing something fun. I started making cornbread waffles."

And a new dish was born.

I played around with a couple of cornbread recipes and ended up with this version, which has corn kernels in it and is more savory, since it is going with the pot pie mixture. Just because I like to say the words together, we call it "Chicken and Waffles."

Here is the waffle recipe. The chicken mixture can be found here.

1 1/2 cups corn meal
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together

1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Add to dry mixture and then add

1 1/2 cups corn

Stir just until the ingredients are mixed together. Spoon into waffle iron.

Makes four to five double waffles in my waffle iron.

Peace,
Milton

chickpea and vegetable stew

I came across this recipe looking for a soup to make for a friend who leans toward the vegetarian side of things.

olive oil
2 cups zucchini, cubed
1 cup onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Heat your soup pot and cook these ingredients, covered, for about five minutes. Stir in

4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground pepper
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cans (15.5 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, with juice

Bring mixture to a boil , reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the chickpeas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Peace,
Milton

spicy shrimp and peanut butter pizza

One of the things I was asked to do on the retreat at Laity Lodge (read Gordon's post about it -- photo courtesy of RLP) was a cooking demonstration. As Ginger I talked about it, I decided I wanted to do something that had some metaphorical nutrition to it as well as something that tasted good. Since our retreat theme had to do with finding our vocation, which translates to me as figuring out what to make of the ingredients of our lives, I gave five people the chance to go into the pantry and refrigerator at the lodge and pick an ingredient. I promised I would use those things (along with a few additions of my own) to make our evening snack.

They chose

scallions
shrimp
jalapenos (we were in Texas)
phyllo dough

and peanut butter.

I spent the afternoon thinking and preparing and then we gathered after our evening session so they could see me assemble the dish and we could eat our Spicy Shrimp and Peanut Butter Pizzas together.

You, too, can make them at home.

½ cup melted butter
8 sheets phyllo dough

Take each sheet of phyllo, one at a time, paint with butter and stack them one on top of the other. Fold in the sides to make about a ½ inch border, or crust, and then put it in a 350 oven for about eight minutes, until it is lightly browned.

½ cup peanut butter
½ cup crushed pineapple
½ cup jalapenos, chopped
½ sweet chili sauce
¼ cup honey

Blend the mixture in a food processor and then heat in a sauté pan until it thickens a bit. Set aside.

10 medium sized shrimp

Boil, grill, or sauté the shrimp (your pick) and let them cool.

½ cup corn kernels
½ roasted red peppers, chopped
½ cup jalapenos, chopped
½ cup scallions chopped
½ cup cooked bacon, chopped
lime juice
salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients together to make a salsa of sorts.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the peanut sauce in the middle of the crust, leaving the turned in edges dry. Chop the shrimp and spread over the peanut sauce, then spread the salsa on top (you may not use all of it). The final touch is a layer of crumbled

queso fresco

and then the pizza goes in a 350 oven for five to seven minutes, until everything is warmed through. Sprinkle some more chopped scallions on top to serve.

A couple of notes: you could use a regular pizza crust if you don’t want to fool with the phyllo. You can use another kind of cheese; I used what was available. This isn’t a fast recipe, but it seemed worth it as I watched every last piece of pizza disappear.

Peace,
Milton

guiltless granola

I cook for a friend at church from time to time who is pre-diabetic. She asked if I could come up with a granola that has a low glycemic index and this is an amalgamation of a couple of recipes I found.

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup water

Combine and cook over medium heat until most of the water has either been absorbed or evaporated. Set aside to cool.

8 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried fruit (your pick)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl. Cook in batches by spreading a thin layer on a baking sheet and baking for about seven minutes. (It took me about four batches.) Put the mixture back in the big bowl. Add

1/4 frozen apple concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable oil

to the date paste and mix together. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Return the mixture to the baking sheet and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Peace,
Milton

triple a pesto

We invited some folks over for dinner last night who have just moved into the neighborhood, which sent me to the refrigerator and the pantry to see what I could make of what I had on hand. I have a couple of recipes to post, but I'll start with this one. I found

marinated aritchokes
dried unsulphured apricots (an equal amount)
almonds (about half the volume of the first two ingredients)
cinnamon basil (from our garden)

I added

a little lemon juice
salt and pepper

and pulsed it in the food processor. Once it was fairly well pureed, I began pouring a slow stream of

olive oil

into the food processor and let it run for a good bit, until the mix was the consistency I wanted. It turned out to be quite good.

Peace,
Milton

balsamic berry chicken

This has way more to do with the sauce than it does the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Grill the chicken or saute it. Remember, we're trying to get to the sauce. If you saute the bird, remove it from the saute pan and set aside. If you grill it, you can start the sauce while the chicken is on the grill. Add

8 oz raspberry fruit spread
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small finely diced onion

Cook over pretty high heat until it begins to bubble; lower the heat and let the sauce reduce by about half. You can either add the chicken to the skillet to coat, or plate them and pour the sauce over the top.

Note: I found a good deal on fresh raspberries at the grocery store and covered a pint of raspberries with water and added about 3 tablespoons of honey and let it simmer until the berries fell apart. Then I added the balsamic vinegar and finished the sauce.

Peace,
Milton

chilled minty carrot and orange soup

I made this soup for one of the people in our church and also made enough for our potluck Wednesday night.

1 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers
4 cups carrots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
4 cups vegetable stock

In a stockpot, sweat the onions with the oil for six or eight minutes and then add the peppers and cook until they soften. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in the juices created by the vegetables. Add the carrots and let the mixture continue to cook down until the carrots begin to soften. Add the vegetable stock, bring the whole thing to a boil and then lower the heat so that the soup simmers for a good fifteen minutes at least. When the carrots are good and soft, turn off the heat and use a hand mixer to puree the soup. (You can also do it in batches with a food processor.)

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Add the orange and lemon juices and make sure everything is mixed well. Season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more orange juice, or – if you think the orange taste is right – a little cold water.

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

The mint is the final touch. Do a fine chop on the leaves and then stir them into the soup. Cool it down before serving. You want it to taste like it just came out of the refrigerator. The easiest way to cool it is to put the soup in several smaller containers.

Peace,
Milton

shrimp salad

Here's the last of the recipes from the lunch I did last weekend.

1 cup corn
1 tablespoon olive oil

Get a saute pan hot and then add the oil. When it is hot, add the corn and cook until it begins to brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix together

1 lb shrimp, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1/2 cup scallions, diced small
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup roasted corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients well and serve.

Peace,
Milton

gigi's chicken salad

Answering the musical question: what do you do when she wants chicken salad but hates celery and is allergic to onions?

chicken, cooked and diced
granny smith apple, diced
lemon juice
dried cranberries
pecans, toasted and rough chopped
dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt and pepper

I didn't put amounts because I think chicken salad is one of those things best balanced as you go. I will say this, for a couple of pounds of chicken, you won't need more than a tablespoon of mustard. I pour a tablespoon or two of lemon juice over the apples while I'm getting everything else ready so they don't turn brown. To toast the pecans, set the oven at 400, put the pecan halves in a pie plate and cook for about five minutes. Chop them after they cool.

Peace,
Milton

caponata

I prepared lunch for a denominational workshop last Saturday and came across a couple of good recipes I adapted for the meal, which was different kinds of salads. They felt worth sharing.

2 lbs. eggplant, cubed
salt

Put the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and set aside to drain.

2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 red pepper, julienned
olive oil
1 sweet onion, julienned

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the zucchini and pepper slices at fairly high heat until the zucchini is slightly browned – about five minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan along with the onion slices and sauté on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent – about six minutes. Add the onion to the bowl with the squash and peppers.

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan, bring it to a fairly high heat and brown the eggplant. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Add more oil with each batch. Drain on paper towels.

Put everything but the eggplant in a large saucepan or soup pot, bring up the heat and add

1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 small jar manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos (about two dozen)
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about ten mintues. Remove from heat and cool. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for twenty-four hour to let the flavors absorb. Serve at room temperature. Just before serving, taste to season and add salt and pepper as you wish, along with a little more red wine vinegar.

Serves 8.

Peace,
Milton

lentil salad

This may sound a little plain, but it tastes good.

1/2 onion
4 cloves

Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a saucepan with

1 2/3 cups French green lentils
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin

Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Discard the onion and the bay leaf. Reserve the garlic cloves and chop finely. Combine the garlic with

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin

Whisk together well (or put in a blender) and stir through the lentils. Then add

2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped

Stir well. Taste to see if you need additional seasonings or salt and pepper. Let stand for at least thirty minutes to let the flavors absorb and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Peace,
Milton

chicken and rice

I made this dish for a church meal. It's quick and easy and tastes good, too.

Start by making a spice mix of the following:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper

Put the spice mix in a large bowl and add

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Toss them until they are well covered with the spices. Put a large sauté pan on the stove and get it hot on high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let the oil heat up as well. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan and brown, cooking about two minutes on each side. (You may have to do more than one pan full.) Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Sauté

1 medium onion, diced (optional)

until it is translucent. Set aside in a small bowl and turn off the heat. Add

3 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

to the sauté pan and stir to pick up the oil and the flavors. Stir in the onions, if you're using them, and spread the rice mixture in a large baking dish (it needs to be large to hold all the chicken broth). Slowly pour

6 cups chicken stock

over the rice and stir gently to mix. Lay the chicken thighs on top so that they cover the rice completely. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. (If you don’t want as much rice, reduce the rice by a cup and the broth by two cups.)

Peace,
Milton

cauliflower gratin

I went to the Durham Farmer's Market yesterday afternoon and found this awesome purple cauliflower, among other cool things. I decided to come home and make dinner out of it. Here's what I came up with:

Fill a saucepan full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add

1 head cauliflower (purple or otherwise), cut into florets

and cook for five minutes. Drain and set aside.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
salt, to taste

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and whisk until it comes to a soft boil. Add the pepper, nutmeg, mustard, and salt and keep whisking until it gets thick. Turn the burner to low and add

3/4 cup grated cheddar
3.4 cup grated swiss cheese

Pour a third of the sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Put the cauliflower on top of the sauce and then add the rest of the sauce to cover the cauliflower. Put

1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers

in a food processor and until they are fine crumbs. Spread on top of the cheese sauce and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 300 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

saturday night chicken

This was the first meal I ever cooked for Ginger and has become one of the rituals of our marriage.

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips
olive oil
Goya Adobo seasoning (con pimento)
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 pound fettuccine
alfredo sauce

Put a big pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. If you are using dry pasta, it will take longer to cook than fresh. Time it so the pasta finishes with the chicken and the alfredo sauce.

Put the chicken strips in a bowl and toss with the two seasonings. I use equal parts of both. We like it hot, so I use a good bit. Experiment to your own taste. You can also add more as you are cooking.

Get a saute pan good and hot and then add olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until they are cooked through and a little crispy.

Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl. Pour alfredo sauce over pasta and toss. Put pasta on the plate and the chicken on top. Open a nice bottle of wine and feel the love.

Peace,
Milton

simple alfredo sauce

Yes, it's butter, cream, and cheese. That's what makes it so good.

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cream, stirring well. Cook until cream is simmering, but not boiling. Take some time here. The longer it cooks, the more the naturally thickens. Keep stirring. Add cheeses and cook some more until the cheese is melted and well integrated into the sauce. When you add the salt and pepper, go slowly with the salt because the cheese has some already. You can also add other flavors -- garlic, cajun seasoning -- to your liking. If you don't want flecks in the sauce, use white pepper.

Serves 4.

summer steak salad

With summer closing in, here's a dish we served at the restaurant at Duke this semester that was one of the favorites.

6 oz. of steak per person
(we serve a 12 oz. New York strip and I cut a steak in half for this salad.)

Grill or cook the steak in the way that suits you. Once you reach the temperature you want, set aside and let it rest for about five minutes, which will give you time to assemble the salad.

chopped romaine lettuce
bleu cheese crumbles
Granny Smith apples, jullienned
cajun sweet pecans
balsamic vinaigrette

Toss the ingredients together and then add a light touch of dressing and toss again. To serve, place the greens on a plate and then top with the slices of steak.

Peace,
Milton

cajun sweet pecans

1 bag pecan halves
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cajun spice mix
2 tablespoons butter

In a large bowl, toss the pecans with the sugar and spice mix. Melt the butter and pour it over the pecans and toss until butter is absorbed. Put on a baking sheet and cook in a 350 oven for 3-5 minutes. Watch it closely; don't let the pecans burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet.

Peace,
Milton

mashed potatoes and cauliflower with cheddar

We had some extra cauliflower at the restaurant today that needed to be used, so it joined the potatoes that accompany the New York strip steak.

3 cups white potatoes, cut into one inch chunks
2 cups cauliflower florets

Put the potatoes and cauliflower in a large pot. Cover with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain and pour into mixing bowl. Add

1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix until cauliflower is the same consistency as the potatoes. Serve immediately.

Peace,
Milton

spicy orange hummus

I found this recipe in three or four places on the web and began serving it at my restaurant a few weeks back. It actually tastes better if it sits for a day or two.

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped onions
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons tahini(sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1(15oz.)can garbanzo beans, drained

Drop parsley, onion, and garlic through food chute with food processor on, and process until minced.

Add orange juice and remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.

Serve with pita bread and veggie sticks.


Peace,
Milton

spinach stuffed salmon

I found this recipe originally at Allreicpies.com.

2 salmon fillets
1/2 (10 ounce) package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts
salt and pepper

Make a slit two-thirds of the way through the center of each salmon fillet making sure not to cut all the way through. Season each fillet with the salt and pepper. In a food processor, combine the spinach, pesto, tomatoes, and pine nuts and pulse until mixed well. Spoon about a third of a cup of the mixture into each slit.

Place the fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the spinach mixture is heated through.

Peace,
Milton

red beet risotto

This is worth making for the look of it as much as the taste.

1 large beet, or one can of beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup red wine
3 cups of water
salt and pepper

If you are using a raw beet, wrap it in foil, place in a pie plate, and roast in the oven at 350 for about an hour. When it comes out of the oven, put it in the 3 cups of water and let it cool there. (You can actually do this a day ahead and the water will really get red.) Once it has cooled, scrape the peeling off the beet and dice it. puree half of the beet and add back to the water. Set diced pieces aside. If you're using the canned beets, empty the can, juice and all, into the water and let them soak for awhile, then follow the same instructions.

When you are ready to cook the rice, heat the oil on high in a large saucepan;add the shallots. When they become translucent, add the rice and stir for about a minute. Pour in the red wine and lower the heat a bit and stir until the wine is mostly absorbed; lower heat to medium. Add the beet water one cup at a time, stirring consistently. When you add the last cup of water, add the diced beets. When the water is mostly absorbed, remove from heat, cover, and let stand ten minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

salmon wellington

We had a special dinner tonight at the restaurant (I found out later I was cooking for Reynolds Price and friends as a part of the celebration of his fifty years at Duke). I needed something I could do that would allow me to serve up thirty plates at once, so rather than grilling the salmon, as we usually do, I opted for this recipe, which allowed me to use the oven. It worked out wonderfully.

First, for the mushroom duxelles:

1/2 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Put the onion and the mushrooms in a food processor and blend until they are almost pureed. Heat the oil in a skillet to medium heat and add the onion-mushroom mixture until it is tender (five minutes or so). Turn up the heat and continue cooking until the moisture is gone and the mixture is almost like a paste. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside to cool. (You can even make this a day ahead.)

1 package puff pastry sheets, thawed
4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz. each
1 egg, beaten well

Cut the pastry sheets in half and stretch them out, or roll them to activate the dough. Put 1/4 of the duxelles in the middle of the sheet matching the shape of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon with the best side down, facing the duxelles. Fold in the short sides and then wrap the long sides over to seal. Turn over and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the other three fillets. Brush tops with egg wash. Cook in a 350 oven for about eighteen to twenty minutes, depending on how well done you like your salmon to be. Let the fish rest for about five minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

scalloped sweet potatoes

At the restaurant this week, I had to use sweet potatoes because we ran out of whites. The dish turned out to be amazing and it's really easy. I made a huge pan -- I think these proportions will work well for the family at home.

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
(I use the slicing blade on my food processor)
3 1/2 cups of milk. scalded
6 tablespoons of butter
6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour to make a roux, cooking for about three minutes. Add the scalded milk in a steady stream, continuing to whisk, and bring it to a boil. Then simmer the sauce, still whisking, for a minute more, adding the nutmeg, salt and pepper, and the parmesan cheese.

Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish and then put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Put one layer of sweet potatoes, half of the sauce, and then half of the cheddar. Repeat with a second layer of potates, sauce, and cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Potatoes will be brown on top and should be fairly firm when you shake the dish. Let stand for ten or fifteen minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton