FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 T. canola oil
• 3 lbs. onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 T. paprika
• 2 t. dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 32 oz. beef broth
• 3 T. canola oil
• 5-6 lb. beef brisket
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 c. orange juice

LET'S COOK

Heat the first 3 T. of canola oil in a large saute pan, add the sliced onions and cook over a high burner until they soften. Add the paprika, thyme,bay leaves and garlic. Toss it all together and then add a cup of the beef broth. Turn off the burner and set the pan aside.

Heat the remaining canola oil in a heavy pan that can eventually be covered and placed in the oven. Liberally salt and pepper the beef on both sides. Gently place the brisket in the hot oil and brown on both sides.

Next, pour the onion mix over the brisket, add the remaining broth and the O.J. Gently combine the ingredients together well.

Cover the pan loosely and place into a preheated 375˚ oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning the brisket over at least twice. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the meat to cool in the pan liquids for at least 35 minutes. Then, remove the brisket, wrap it in foil and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the roasting pan liquids into a container and refrigerate overnight as well. The next day, unwrap the brisket, slice it and arrange the slices in a baking dish of appropriate size. Spoon off and discard the coagulated fat on the top of the refrigerated pan liquids. Also remove the bay leaves. Blend the liquid and onions to a smooth consistency. Heat gently and pour the sauce over the sliced brisket. Cover, place in a preheated 350˚ oven and heat for 25-30 minutes.

MORE IDEAS:

Serve the brisket slices with mashed potatoes and some dilled green beans.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2-3 T. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 c. fresh cabbage, sliced
• 1 lb. good quality ground beef
• 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can cannellini beans, partially drained
• 2 c. Dry pasta, bowties are good
• 1 T. capers, drained

LET'S COOK

Put a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over a medium high burner. Drop in and saute the onion until it takes on some color. Season with a dash of seasoned salt and ground pepper.

Add the cabbage, stir it all up and continue to cook. After a few minutes, crumble in the ground beef, turn the heat down to a medium setting and cook, stirring often.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until el dente.

Season the meat with some additional seasoned salt and pepper, stir in the crushed garlic and cook a few more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, capers and the partially drained beans. Mix it together gently and cook a few more minutes.

As soon as the pasta is just el dente, drain it and then add it to the saute pan, folding it into the other ingredients. Allow to simmer a few minutes longer, plate it up and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is a nice compliment. Chopped parsley or chives adds color and an additional fresh flavor lift.

It’s continuously fascinating how certain foods fit into the cross currents of culinary popularity. Pomegranate this and that is all the rage while the cheeks of land and sea creatures have found their way onto menus of upscale dining rooms in major cities.

Time was, just a couple of decades ago, when arugula could have been mistaken for a yoga position or the name of an impoverished nation struggling with new independence. Contemporary appreciation for arugula is all about fork and knife, and rightfully so.

Since the time of the marauding Romans, arugula has been served on dinner tables. With historical references in ancient western Asia and Europe, arugula has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity as a flavorful and peppery ingredient in fresh salads. In full possession of a spicy, horseradish-like burst of flavor on the palate, it’s pungent taste is more apparent in relation to the size of the leaves, (bigger is more intense) which can resemble slender, flat leaves like radishes or spinach. High in vitamins A and C, as well as a rich source of iron, arugula has many uses in the kitchen.

In the garden, arugula is easy to cultivate. Seeds sown in early Spring will surrender a delicate crop in due time, especially in well watered soils that enjoy dappled sun. Quick to go to seed, the plants do well if leaves are harvested individually from the bottom up. If seeds are allowed to sow themselves, the following year the crop will take on weed-like proportions, yielding ample leaves for kitchen experimentation.

Picked, the leaves are best cleaned by immersing them in a sink of cold water. Gentle rustling in the liquid will free any clinging soil, which sinks, leaving the greenery to be plucked from it’s bath, drained and then used in a meal. Tossed into a bowl of mixed greens, the arugula will donate bursts of flavor. As a sandwich green, the peppery interludes between slices of bread make for new eating dimensions.

A real show stopper for a luncheon salad is to start with an appropriate portion of washed and chilled arugula leaves as a salad plate base. Drizzle it all with extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Lace it all over with thin strips of sliced prosciutto ham. In a mixing bowl, combine quarters of cherry tomatoes with like sized cuts of seedless watermelon. Toss together with two parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar. Pile the tomato melon mix on the prosciutto topped arugula and serve with a crust of great Italian bread.

Just for kicks, heat a spot of olive oil in a hot saute pan, add a clove of crushed garlic and then drop in a bunch of cleaned arugula leaves. Mix vigorously with tongs to wilt the greens down, just like spinach leaves. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar tossed in will produce a lip smacking vegetable to pair with grilled pork chops or even a steak.

Other palatable possibilities include mixing arugula with soft goat cheese, tossing it into hot pasta and red sauce, as a base for tuna and chicken salads and as an additional ingredient in a vegetable saute in the last minutes of cooking. Bottom line? Buy it and try it.

FEEDS: 8-10

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Filling:

• 4 apples + 2 pears
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup butter (room temp)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup pastry flour
• pinch cinnamon
• 1 C chopped walnuts

• 1 ready made pie crust

LET'S COOK

Filling:

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch together. As you slice the fruit thin sprinkle with the sugar mixture.

Crumb Topping:

Combine butter and sugar. Add flour and cinnamon and mix up. Add walnuts and combine until you have a crumbly texture.

Place pie crust in a pie pan. Fill with fruit mixture and then spread crumb-mix on top of fruit.

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. Put pie on cookie sheet to catch any drips that might happen.

Turn temperature down to 350 degrees for another 45-50 minutes. It’s done when golden brown and bubbly.

MORE IDEAS:

You can use all apples if you prefer.

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 sm. onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 1/4 c. wild rice
• 2 1/3 c. broth
• 3/4 c. brown rice

LET'S COOK

Sauté onion in the oil, then add the garlic. Add the wild rice and then the broth. Bring it all to boil, stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn heat up to high and add brown rice. Stir, turn the burner down to a simmer and cook an additional 40 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 5-10 minutes.

MORE IDEAS:

Serve this dish atop a pile of sauteed baby spinach leaves. Presented with any meat item, it’s a great meal combination.

FEEDS: 6-8

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 5 T. flour
• 1/2 qt. whole milk
• 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 t. dry mustard
• 2-3 T. parmesan cheese
• 2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 lb. bowtie pasta, cooked el dente

LET'S COOK

In a sauce pot, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add and stir in the flour to create a roux. Next, add the milk. Using a whip, blend together the roux and milk to create a cream sauce. Add the grated cheese and whip into the sauce. Add the mustard, parmesan and Tabasco. Whip to blend the ingredients well.

Cook the pasta, drain and add directly to the cheese sauce while the pasta is still hot. Oil a 3 quart baking dish well, then pour in the macaroni and cheese. Dust the top with a couple tablespoons of bread crumbs and some additional Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes on the top rack or until the top is browned and bubbly.

MORE IDEAS:

Almost any type of firm cheese works well. Also consider that this recipe will make use of small pieces of firm cheese that may be left over in your refrigerator. Grating the cheese helps them to melt down easier in your cream sauce.

When boiling your pasta, use garlic salt to season the water. It adds a touch of flavor.

Get crazy and sprinkle a can of fried onion rings on top just before you bake this dish. Boom!

FEEDS: 2 dozen cookies

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. cake meal
• 6 T. potato starch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar

LET'S COOK

Mix oil and sugar together, then beat in 1 egg at a time. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until all is combined well.

Mix together cake meal, potato starch and salt. Add this to the sugar mixture. Then add walnuts and mix all ingredients together well.

Let sit for a few minutes until it firms up some. Combine the cinnamon and teaspoon of sugar together.

Form dough into 2 long loaves about 3” wide and 2” high and place on well grease cookie sheet. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon mix.

Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and carefully slice each loaf into 1/2” thick pieces and lay flat on another greased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon and sugar and return to oven for 5 minute. Turn oven off and leave for another 5 minutes.

MORE IDEAS:

Serve with coffee or tea.

FEEDS: Lots

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 fresh horseradish root
• 1 small beet
• dash salt
• dash sugar
• few drops of lemon juice

LET'S COOK

Use a sharp knife to peel the horseradish root. Cut into small chunks and place in enough cold water to cover.

Peel the fresh beet, cut into small wedges and place in a pot. Generously cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until the beet is tender. Allow to cool.

To make the horseradish, place half of the chunks of peeled horseradish in a food processor with a blade attachment. It’s O.K. that the root chunks are still wet when they go into the processor.

Turn on the machine and blend until the root begins to resemble a rough paste, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally. Turn off the processor, scrape down the sides and add half of the cooked beet and 3 tablespoon or so of the pot liquor. Also add a touch of salt and sugar and a drop or two of lemon juice. Blend to a relatively smooth consistency. Do this in 2 batches.

Blend it all together in a bowl, place in jars, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.

MORE IDEAS:

This horseradish is wonderful when added to a cocktail sauce to give it more snap when served with chilled shrimps.

Or, simply use it as you would normally use horseradish in your kitchen escapades.