Fuyu persimmon salad with cumin-lime vinaigrette
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Note: By Russ Parsons. Fuyus are only slightly sweet, so when paired with an assertive vinaigrette, they make a refreshing salad.
Ingredients
2 pounds Fuyu persimmons
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and minced
Salt
1 Tbsp. walnut oil
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/4 pomegranate)
3 Tbsps. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 Tbsps. chopped cilantro
1. Cut off the tough green calyxes and slice each persimmon in 10 to 12 wedges.
2. In a small lidded jar, combine the lime juice, cumin, about half of the chile, a dash of salt and the walnut oil. Tightly cover and shake hard to mix well. Taste the dressing on a small piece of persimmon. There should be just enough chile to add a suggestion of heat. If you'd like it hotter, add more and shake again.
3. Combine the persimmons and the dressing in a work bowl and toss to coat well. Turn the salad out into a decorative bowl and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, walnuts and cilantro. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if necessary.
Each of 8 servings: 185 calories; 39 mg. sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.30 gram fiber.
from kcrw's good food
Persimmon, Celery and Pomegranate Salad
1 ripe pomegranate
4 ribs celery
2 small or 1 large fuyu persimmon
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 pound mixed baby salad greens
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled, optional
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Take out the pomegranate seeds: cut or split open the pomegranate and put the pieces in a bowl of water and use your fingers to loosen all the seeds. Drain and reserve. Use a peeler to pare off strings from celery. Slice celery thinly on the diagonal and place in salad bowl. Cut away stem from persimmon. Cut persimmon vertically in quarters and cut quarters crosswise into thin slices. Add to bowl along with nuts, greens, as many pomegranate seeds as you'd like, and cheese, if desired. Drizzle olive oil over salad, squeeze lemon juice on to taste, add salt and pepper and toss. Makes 8 servings.
Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm by Amelia Saltsman (Blenheim Press, 2007)
from newsday
Maple-orange glazed roast turkey breast
Be sure to use real maple syrup and not "maple flavored" pancake syrup.
Ingredients
1 (5- to 6-pound) bone-in turkey breast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a roasting pan and rack with cooking spray.
2. Trim the excess fat from the turkey breast; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the turkey, breast side up, on the rack in the roasting pan and pour the broth around it.
3. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup, orange juice, nutmeg, and allspice in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a quarter.
4. After the turkey has cooked the first hour, brush it with the glaze. Cook about another 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. During that time, brush the turkey with the glaze every 10 minutes or so.
5. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand 20 minutes before carving.
Herb-roasted baby potatoes and carrots
Boil the potatoes and carrots a day ahead (step 1) and bring them to room temperature before roasting. You can put them in the oven when you take the turkey out, and they'll be nicely crisped, tender and piping hot when you are ready to serve dinner.
Ingredients
3 pounds white and red baby potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 pound baby cut carrots
3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsps. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover by two inches with cold lightly salted water. Boil 8 minutes, add the carrots to the water and cook until both carrots and potatoes are still slightly underdone when pricked with a fork, about another 5 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.
3. Combine the potatoes, carrots, oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Arrange in a single, uncrowded layer on the baking sheets. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 20 minutes.
Balsamic-glazed green beans with almonds
This dish makes it easy to get the timing just right: Do everything ahead (steps 1 and 2) and just before serving, heat the green beans in the glaze.
Ingredients
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
3 Tbsps. butter
2 tsps. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the green beans; simmer for 4 minutes or until bright green and crisp-tender.
2. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; drain again. (If the beans are being held for more than an hour, pat dry).
3. Melt the butter in the pan. Add the vinegar, sugar, and salt and cook, stirring, until thickened to the consistency of maple syrup, about 2 minutes.
4. Just before serving, stir in the almonds and green beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
from the los angeles times
Apple oatmeal muffins
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Servings: 1 dozen muffins
Note: From Kim Boyce. Graham flour is available at Whole Foods markets and health-food stores. Use any apple sauce containing only apples and water.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray for coating muffin tins
1 1/2 cups milk, divided
1/2 tsp. plus a pinch of salt, divided
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 1/2 Tbsps. butter
4 Tbsps. white sugar, divided
2 medium apples, (a tart, crisp variety such as Braeburn or Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
2 tsps. cinnamon, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup graham flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup applesauce
3 Tbsps. melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a muffin pan with vegetable oil.
2. In a small saucepan, bring one-half cup water, one-half cup of the milk and a pinch of salt to a boil. Add the oats, cover and simmer at medium-low heat until cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid will evaporate.
3. Heat the butter and 2 Tbsps. of the white sugar over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add the apples and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon, toss, then allow to caramelize without stirring. Toss again, each time allowing the apples to color. Once finished cooking, the apples should have lost their edges and be caramelized, about 5 minutes.
4. Into a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, oat flour, graham flour, the remaining 2 Tbsps. white sugar, the brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, the remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon and one-half tsp. salt. Add any remaining grain from the sifter and stir to combine.
5. Whisk the remaining 1 cup milk, the applesauce, the melted butter, the egg and the vanilla with the oatmeal in a separate bowl. Pour in the dry-ingredients mixture. Add the apples and fold until the mixture just comes together.
6. Using an ice cream scoop (about one-half cup capacity), scoop the mixture into each of 12 muffin cups, about 1 scoop per muffin. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The bottom of the muffins will be dark golden brown.
Each muffin: 195 calories; 4 grams protein; 31 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 32 mg. cholesterol; 252 mg. sodium.
Whole-wheat sweet potato muffins
Total time: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 10 muffins
Note: From Kim Boyce. Use the dark-skinned sweet potatoes commonly referred to as yams.
Ingredients
1/2 pound (about 2 small) sweet potatoes
Vegetable oil spray for coating the tins
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
3 Tbsps. dark brown sugar
3 Tbsps. sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
12 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch pieces
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until they are tender when pierced with a fork and are caramelizing. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel and lightly mash with a fork. Set aside.
2. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the muffin tin with vegetable oil.
3. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, whole-wheat flour, whole-grain pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, yogurt, egg and vanilla together.
5. Scrape down the sides of the butter bowl and alternately add the dry and wet ingredients; do not overmix. Gently fold in the sweet potatoes, then the dates.
6. Using an ice cream scoop (about one-half cup capacity), scoop the batter into each of 10 prepared muffin cups, about 1 scoop per muffin. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The muffins will be dark golden brown on the bottom.
Each muffin: 267 calories; 6 grams protein; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 35 mg. cholesterol; 273 mg. sodium.