• preparation

In large skillet, simmer asparagus in salted boiling water for 6 minutes or just until tender.
Drain on towels; transfer to platter.
Whisk oil, lime rind and juice, honey, salt and pepper; stir in mint and chives.
Drizzle over asparagus; garnish with red pepper.

From Canada Living Test Kitchen

• preparation

Mix all ingredients well. Spread on English muffin halves. Chill or freeze for future use.
Broil until golden brown. Cut muffins into quarters. Muffin halves can also be served as a luncheon.

• preparation

Buy the oysters. When buying oysters, look for a tag with the harvest date and use them within a week of that date. Also, make sure the oysters are fresh and alive; the shells should be tightly closed or should close when tapped.
An hour before shucking, scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any grit. Set them aside to relax muscles in shell. They will open with more ease.

Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster, curved-side down, in a towel on a cutting board. Insert an oyster knife between the shells at the narrow pointed end. (Use a real oyster knife-there is no substitute!) Press down firmly on the oyster to prevent slipping and twist the knife to pry the shells apart. Use the knife for leverage; do not use force. Cut the muscle that connects the oyster to the top shell with the knife, being careful not to pierce the meat. Remove the top shell. Slide your knife under the oyster to loosen it, keeping the meat and liquid in the shell. Use your knife to carefully scrape away any shards of shell.

Make the aioli. Blend the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running and process until thick. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate.

Prepare the ragout. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes, then add the butter and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the oysters. Preheat the broiler. Place the oysters, in their shells, in individual baking dishes or one large dish. (Put a crumpled sheet of foil underneath them to keep them steady, if necessary.) Top each with a spoonful of mushroom ragout.

Finish the dish. Top each oyster with a dollop of aeoli. Broil until the aeoli is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Process cheese with the flour. Add butter and spices and process until dough forms a ball. Scrape the side of bowl, and process for a few more seconds to blend.
Roll the dough into 2-inch thick cylinder. Wrap in wax paper. Chill. Slice into 1/4 -inch slices. Place on sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until wafers are crisp. Cool on rack.

Note: I also roll cylinder in ground almond.

• preparation

GUACAMOLE:

Peel avocados, cut in halves, remove stones, and mash the avocados.
Add remaining ingredients, and mix.

BLUE CHEESE DIP:

In bowl, combine all the ingredients well. Serve chilled.

SALSA:

In bowl, combine all the ingredients well. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

• preparation

Pick over crabmeat to remove any cartilage. put it in a food processor and add 2 tablespoons scallions, the ginger, cilantro, mustard, sesame oil and soy sauce. Pulse about 4 times, just to blend the ingredients without shredding the crabmeat too finely.
Transfer the crabmeat to a bowl and fold in half of the lime juice, the chili oil to taste and the egg whites.
Form the mixture into 8 equal size patties, about 2½ inches in diameter. Lightly coat each patty with bread crumbs, put them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
Heat a film of the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet. Sauté the crab cakes over medium-low heat until they are lightly browned on both sides. Serve with the mayonnaise mixture on the side and sprigs of cilantro for garnish.
For the sauce:
Mix the mayonnaise with the remaining lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions and set aside.

• preparation

Tenderize the conch to 1/8-inch thickness, using a meat mallet.
Place the conch in a pot of water. The water should just cover the conch. Boil for 20-30 minutes.
In a large pot, add the oil and allow to heat up for a minute.
Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Let the roux simmer for about 5 minutes. Don't let the roux burn!
Add the tomatoes, onions, thyme, pepper sauce/red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and let simmer for a minute or two.
Add the potatoes, tomato paste. Stir and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, take the conch out of the water and cut it into small chunks.
Add the water, conch and the juice of 1 lime to the large pot.
Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are done, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

• preparation

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, celery, garlic, thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste and ¼ cup water. Reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Reserve sauce.

To make fungi, bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Whisking constantly, gradually add cornmeal in thin stream. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until it holds its shape on a spoon but the cornmeal is tender, at least 15 minutes. Add more water if it becomes thick but the cornmeal is still tough. Add butter and okra. Add salt to taste.

In a wide saucepan, bring 8 cups water to boil. Add lime juice, and reduce heat to low. Add fish. Simmer 10 minutes, or until it flakes easily with fork. Drain well.

To serve, put 2 scoops fungi and a fish fillet on each plate. Spoon sauce over and around fish.

• preparation

Thoroughly wash the chicken pieces and reserve on paper towel to dry.
Combine the flour with half (half a teaspoon) of the salt and place in a large bowl and reserve.
Combine all remaining dry spices and herbs in a small bowl. Season chicken pieces and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the two eggs with the milk and whisk. Dip the chicken in the milk and egg mixture and then into the flour.
Repeat and reserve the chicken pieces.
Using a deep fryer or a large cast iron pan with high sides, fill the pan until it is almost half filled with the oil.
Heat the pan over medium high.
Place 4 pieces of the chicken into the pan and let them cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 6 - 10 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken and reserve.
Fry the last four pieces of chicken in the same manner. Serve the chicken warm.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash sweet potatoes, poke them with a fork a few times, and wrap them in foil. Place on a cookie sheet and roast for about 1hr, until they're soft and easily pricked with a fork. Set aside and let cool, then cut into a rough dice. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a little salt and freshly ground pepper.



Place black beans into a bowl, season with cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roughly mash with a fork, or puree in a food processor.

Preheat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add eggs and whites in a small bowl, a splash of milk and a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Once the pan is warmed, cook eggs slowly, stirring quite often, until they have just started to set. Turn off the heat.

To assemble burritos, place tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds.
On each burrito, place 3 to 4 T black bean mash, 1/3 c roasted sweet potatoes, 1/4 of the eggs and 2-3 T guacamole. Wrap up the tortillas to enclose filling, then top with salsa and goat cheese.

• preparation

Make the burgers: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a small baking sheet with foil.

Using a fork, prick deep holes all over the sweet potato. Brush it with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and black pepper and bake until completely soft, 45 to 50 minutes; a knife should easily slide through. Let it cool until you can handle it.

Peel the sweet potato and place the flesh in a medium bowl. Add the beans and mash the potato and beans together with a potato masher or large fork. Season the mixture with the spice blend, cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir in the almond flour and shape the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron pan and brown the patties until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Assemble the burgers: Place the burgers on a bed of greens and top each one with a few slices of avocado. Drizzle a little tahini dressing over each burger and serve immediately. You may also add your favorite burger toppings such as caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, or your favorite burger condiment. Any leftover sweet potato mixture can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

• preparation

Mix all ingredients well. Spread on English muffin halves. Chill or freeze for future use.
Broil until golden brown. Cut muffins into quarters. Muffin halves can also be served as a luncheon.

• preparation

In large skillet, simmer asparagus in salted boiling water for 6 minutes or just until tender.
Drain on towels; transfer to platter.
Whisk oil, lime rind and juice, honey, salt and pepper; stir in mint and chives.
Drizzle over asparagus; garnish with red pepper.

From Canada Living Test Kitchen

• preparation

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Process cheese with the flour. Add butter and spices and process until dough forms a ball. Scrape the side of bowl, and process for a few more seconds to blend.
Roll the dough into 2-inch thick cylinder. Wrap in wax paper. Chill. Slice into 1/4 -inch slices. Place on sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until wafers are crisp. Cool on rack.

Note: I also roll cylinder in ground almond.

• preparation

GUACAMOLE:

Peel avocados, cut in halves, remove stones, and mash the avocados.
Add remaining ingredients, and mix.

BLUE CHEESE DIP:

In bowl, combine all the ingredients well. Serve chilled.

SALSA:

In bowl, combine all the ingredients well. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

• preparation

Buy the oysters. When buying oysters, look for a tag with the harvest date and use them within a week of that date. Also, make sure the oysters are fresh and alive; the shells should be tightly closed or should close when tapped.
An hour before shucking, scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any grit. Set them aside to relax muscles in shell. They will open with more ease.

Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster, curved-side down, in a towel on a cutting board. Insert an oyster knife between the shells at the narrow pointed end. (Use a real oyster knife-there is no substitute!) Press down firmly on the oyster to prevent slipping and twist the knife to pry the shells apart. Use the knife for leverage; do not use force. Cut the muscle that connects the oyster to the top shell with the knife, being careful not to pierce the meat. Remove the top shell. Slide your knife under the oyster to loosen it, keeping the meat and liquid in the shell. Use your knife to carefully scrape away any shards of shell.

Make the aioli. Blend the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running and process until thick. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate.

Prepare the ragout. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes, then add the butter and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the oysters. Preheat the broiler. Place the oysters, in their shells, in individual baking dishes or one large dish. (Put a crumpled sheet of foil underneath them to keep them steady, if necessary.) Top each with a spoonful of mushroom ragout.

Finish the dish. Top each oyster with a dollop of aeoli. Broil until the aeoli is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F.)
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into wedges. Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.
Place a baking sheet inthe oven to preheat.
Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on the preheating the baking sheet, to help the fries get crisp.

Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

• preparation

This is a real hit with the Freekeh Foods team!
Try using roasted pumpkin or butternut squash instead of sweet potato for a delicious twist.
Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil on them. Bake in 375° oven for about 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, pour all ingredients into a large pot on top of the stove over high heat. Stir with a spoon and heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add roasted sweet potatoes. Cover partially and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Check occasionally and give a stir.
Continue to cook longer for richer flavor, adding water or more broth if desired.

options: Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.

• preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato to let steam escape, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake them until they're tender, about 45 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and pass them through a ricer, or a food mill with a fine grate.
3. Place the puree in a large bowl and add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sage, the salt and pepper, nutmeg and the cheese. Mix gently until just combined.
4. Flour a work surface and scoop the dough out onto it. Dust the top and sides of the dough lightly with flour, and perhaps rub some flour between your hands so that they don't stick to the dough.
5. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece under your palms so that it forms a long rope. [The original recipe says that the ropes should be about 1 inch wide and 20 inches long, but your mileage might vary.] Go ahead and sprinkle the dough with a bit of extra flour if it's sticking. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments, and roll each segment over the tines of a fork to form the characteristic indentations. (Use a gnocchi board if you're lucky enough to have one.) Collect the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet.
6. When you've finished forming the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt it generously. Drop several gnocchi into the boiling water (you'll need to work in batches so that you don't crowd the pot). Cook them for about 10 seconds after they rise to the surface. This could be only a couple of minutes, or up to five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi to a clean baking sheet, and cool completely.
7. Place a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Melt the butter and cook it, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids have turned a lovely chestnut color and smell nutty, about 5 minutes. If you plan to add fried sage leaves as a garnish, go ahead and fry them.
8. Once the butter has browned, add the remaining chopped sage and turn off the heat. The mixture will bubble up, so don't be alarmed.
9. Add the gnocchi to the sage butter, place over medium-high heat, and cook until the gnocchi are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. You might have to do this in batches, in which case it's useful to have the oven preheated to 300F/150C so that your earlier batches don't get cold. Divide the gnocchi and sauce among bowls, garnish with sage leaves (if desired), and serve.

• preparation

Peel and cut the onions into 1/4-inch thick slices; separate into rings. In shallow bowl, stir together milk or buttermilk and ½ teaspoon of the salt; add onion rings and soak for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a bag, combine flour, remaining salt and pepper. Add onion rings in batches and shake to coat.
In deep-fryer or large saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to 375 degrees. Deep-fry rings, in batches without crowding for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Drain and keep warm on paper towel-lined baking dish in 250 degree oven

• preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower slabs and toss to coat.
3. Arrange the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, flip the slabs, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, until softened and roasted. Set aside to cool but keep the oven on.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the raisins in wine or water for 10 minutes. Drain.
5. In a small pan over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios, dry or with a little oil. Let cool on a paper towel, then chop coarsely.
6.Arrange the cauliflower in a baking dish. Sprinkle with pistachios and raisins and top with the cheese.
7. Bake until the cheese melts, 7 to 10 minutes.
8. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

• preparation

Line a microwave-safe bowl with a paper towel and set the box grater in the bowl.
Working quickly, so the potatoes do not have a chance to oxidize, grate the potatoes into the bowl.
Give them a gentle press into the paper towel, then remove the paper towel. Add the salt and baking powder and mix with hands. Microwave the potatoes for 90 seconds. Add the garlic and pepper and mix again.
Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Divide the potato mixture into four equal portions and press each between hands to form an oblong ½-inch-thick patty. Lay the potato patties in the hot fat and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. If pan looks dry, add a little more oil.
Flip and rotate the patties so they color evenly and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve with ketchup.

• preparation

Mix the strawberry jam with the egg yolks.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to a boiling point. Pour over egg mixture and stir well. Heat over low heat stirring continuously until thick. Do not boil.
Strain the custard. Blend in the jello.
Refrigerate to cool.
Whip cream until thick. Fold into the strawberry custard. Pour mixture into a decorative mold. Refrigerate to set.
To serve, immerse mold in hot water. Unmold over a serving dish. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

• preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan that's about 8x5x3 inches with a nonstick coating. Combine together the flour, baking power, and salt until well blended.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until pale. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat well until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl well. Add the eggs one at a time beating well until blended. With the mixer on low, add the flour, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well. Fold in the blueberries.
Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake until the cake is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, about an hour.
Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes and then invert the pan on a cake rack and tap to release cake. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

• preparation

For Streusel Topping:
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Blend using on/off turns until nuts are coarsely chopped. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer streusel to bowl and refrigerate.

For Filling:
Combine apricots, sugar, flour and allspice in large bowl; toss to blend. Let stand until dry ingredients are moistened, about 25 minutes. Carefully fold in raspberries.
Roll out pie-crust disk on lightly floured surface to 12 1/2-inch round.
Transfer crust to 9-inch diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang under; crimp edges decoratively.
Spoon filling into crust.
Place pie on baking sheet. Bake until filling begins to bubble at edges, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over pie. Cover crust edges with foil to prevent overbrowning.
Bake until crust and topping are golden and filling is bubbly in center, about 50 minutes.
Cool pie on rack at least 2 hours.

• preparation

For Crumb crust recipe:
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 9-inch (24-centimeter) springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and flour with an electric mixer until smooth and add whole eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions. Transfer 2 1/2 cups filling to another bowl and beat yolks, spices, and pumpkin into remaining filling until smooth.
Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour half of pumpkin filling into crust, then half of plain. Repeat procedure with remaining fillings (springform pan will be completely full), drizzling the plain so that some of pumpkin filling is still visible. Gently swirl a small spoon once through batters in a figure-eight pattern without touching crust. Bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200°F and bake 30 minutes (do not open oven). Dome a piece of lightly oiled foil over cake and continue baking until mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour more.
Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

• preparation

Pie crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll the dough into a round 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface, drape it over a rolling pin, and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan.
Press the dough firmly into the pan and cut off any excess with the floured rolling pin. Freeze any leftover dough for future use.
Line crust with foil or parchment paper and weight with beans or pie weights.
Bake at 400 degrees until edge is light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, and continue cooking until bottom is dry, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
In 2-quart saucepan stir together 1 cup sugar and corn starch. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Stir in egg yolks. Whisking constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice, and butter.
Turn into pastry shell. In an electric beater, whisk egg whites at high speed until foamy.
Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating to form stiff peaks. Spread some meringue around edge of filling first, touching crust all around, then fill in center.
Bake in 325 F oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.