Masks for Stepping into Fairyforms

    1 tablespoon prepared pesto

    ½ tablespoon cider vinegar

    1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    Salt and pepper to taste

    ½ pound orzo pasta

    ½ (6.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes

    ½ jar marinated artichokes

    2 tablespoons flour, plus more for work area

    2 cups fresh baby spinach

    2 tablespoons parmiggiano-reggiano, grated

    2 tablespoons powdered sugar

    ½ roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough

    Small pretzel sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the pesto and vinegar together in small bowl until well combined.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until fully mixed.  Continue to whisk for an additional 1 to 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.  Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then add the pasta.  Cook until al dente.  Drain in a colander.
4. Remove from jars sun-dried tomatoes (cut into strips) and artichokes (cut into pieces).
5. In a large bowl, knead cooked orzo, artichokes, tomatoes, flour, spinach, cheese, pesto dressing, and powdered sugar into cookie dough.  Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
6. Dust work area with flour and roll out dough about ½ inch thick.  Using a 2 to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 2 hearts per mask.  Lay hearts on cookie sheet overlapping the pointed ends of each heart and press down slightly to shape the dough into one piece.
7. Insert two small pretzel sticks along the plane of the mask but perpendicular to its length to form the antennae.
8. Using a very small cookie cutter, or with the tip of a butter knife, cut out oval-shaped circles in center of each heart for the eyes.
9. Bake cookies for 12 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and cool ten minutes.  Then frost and decorate with assorted candies.

Luau Beet, Coconut, and Fennel Soup with Kefir

    Serves 3

    2 teaspoons sugar

    2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped fennel bulb

¾ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 lime slice

1 large (2½- to 3-inch diameter) beets, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 maraschino cherry

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 fresh young coconuts (green skin cut away)

2 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons light rum

½ cup unflavored kefir

2 tablespoons gold rum

4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon pineapple juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring sugar and water to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cool simple syrup.
2. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds.  Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.  Add lime slice, cubed beets, and maraschino cherry, and stir to coat.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover; reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut off top 2 inches of coconuts; reserve coconut water.
4. Puree soup in batches in blender.  Return to same saucepan.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons simple syrup, coconut milk, light rum, ½ cup unflavored kefir, gold rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and ¼ vcup reserved coconut water, and season soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Rewarm soup.
5. Ladle soup into coconuts, dividing equally.  Drizzle with additional unflavored kefir; garnish with fennel fronds.

Chocolate-Dipped Steak Pizza-Layered Cannoli with Pistachios

      Serves 4

    ½ pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch slices

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

¼ teaspoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

½ tablespoon fresh oregano

½ (28-ounce) can unsalted whole tomatoes, undrained

⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon ⅓-less-fat cream cheese

1 ounce shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about ¼ cup)

½ teaspoon grated orange rind

⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 (1-inch-thick) slice ciabatta bread, cut lengthwise into 4 strips

4 (5-inch-long) cannoli shells

1½ tablespoons finely chopped roasted pistachios

2 tablespoons torn basil leaves

½ teaspoon finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Combine steak and ½ teaspoon oil in a large bowl; toss to coat.  Sprinkle steak with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.  Add steak to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.  Remove steak from pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high.  Add remaining oil to pan, and swirl to coat.  Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add oregano, remaining salt, remaining pepper, and tomatoes.  Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes, mashing tomato mixture with potato masher.  Return steak to pan, and toss to coat.  
4. Place ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella, orange rind, and vanilla extract in a mini food processor; process until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, and pulse until well combined.  Place cheese mixture in a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal bag.
5. Place bread on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over bread strips; place 1 strip bread at bottom of each cannoli shell. Snip a ½-inch hole in one bottom corner of bag containing cheese mixture.  Squeeze cheese mixture into top of cannoli shells until shells are full.  Broil 2 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.
6. Combine pistachios, basil, and chocolate in a small bowl.  Evenly dip ends of cannoli in pistachio mixture.

Jicama, Butternut Squash, and Pomegranate Au Gratin with Wild Mushrooms and Crispy Bacon

    Serves 7 (serving size: about 13 tablespoons)

    1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

    1 thinly sliced green onion

    4 cups finely diced peeled butternut squash, divided (about 2 pounds)

    ⅜ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

    1 center-cut bacon slice

    2 ounces sliced chantarelle mushrooms

    2 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps

    ¾ tablespoon chopped fresh sage

    2 tablespoons unsalted beef stock (such as Swanson)

    1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about ¼ cup)

    1½ cups julienne-cut peeled jicama (about ½ medium)

    1 tablespoon part-skim ricotta cheese

    ¼ cup pomegranate arils

    8 teaspoons vertically sliced red onion

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

    Cooking spray

    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    ½ tablespoon agave nectar

    3 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced

    ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ½ tablespoon oil; swirl to coat.  Add green onion; sauté 30 seconds.  Add 3 cups squash; sauté 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in ⅛ teaspoon salt.  Cook, covered, 15 minutes or until tender.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Cook, uncovered, 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently.  Place squash mixture in a large bowl; mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.
3. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; crumble bacon.  Add chantarelles, shiitakes, and sage to drippings; sauté 8 minutes or until mushrooms are browned.  Add stock; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.  Add mushroom mixture, remaining squash, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ½ ounce Parmigian-Reggiano cheese, jicama, ricotta cheese, pomegranate, red onion, black pepper, and cilantro to mashed squash mixture, stirring to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover with foil; bake for 1 hour.  Remove pan from oven; discard foil.
4. Preheat broiler to high.
5. Combine bacon, remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining oil, remaining salt, lime juice, nectar, oyster mushrooms, and red pepper in a bowl, stirring with a whisk; pour over gratin.  Broil 6 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cider’n’Cream-Roasted Olives

     Serves 4

    1 cup apple cider

    ½ cinnamon stick

1 cup mixed olives (with pits)

½ cup vanilla ice cream

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tablespoon caramel sauce

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Grated nutmeg to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ sprigs thyme

¼ lemon, zested and juiced   

1. In small saucepan, heat cider with cinnamon stick.  Remove stick; combine cider and all other ingredients in 2-quart baking dish and bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit-and-Egg Muffins Baked in Tomato Cups

    Serves 10

    ½ cup organic mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, chopped figs, et cetera

    10 large tomatoes

    Salt and pepper

    8 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

    ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

    ¼ cup all-purpose flour

    6 tablespoons turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling

    1 tablespoon orange zest

    ¾ teaspoon baking powder

    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

    ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

    ⅛ teaspoon salt

    5 medium eggs

    6 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt

    ½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as oregano, chervil, basil, or sage

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.  Place dried fruit in heatproof bowl.  Cover with boiling water, and let stand 5 minutes to plump fruit.  Drain, and set aside.  Slice tops off tomatoes, and scoop out seeds and pulp.  Place tomatoes in shallow baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, and sprinkle cavities with salt, pepper, and pinches of cheese.
2. Combine flours, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together eggs and yogurt in separate bowl.  Stir egg mixture into flour mixture.  Fold in fruit.
4. Fill tomato cups with batter.  Sprinkle tops with salt, pepper, herbs, remaining sugar, and remaining cheese.  Bake 20 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes in pan and serve.

Smoky Banana-Chocolate Penne with Corn, Fruit, and Cherry Tomatoes

    Serves 5

    1½ medium-size bananas

    6 ounces penne pasta

    ½ dried chipotle chile, soaked in hot water 10 minutes, or ½ chile from 4-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

    1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

    2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

    ½ 2-ounce log goat cheese, plus more for crumbling and sprinkling, if desired

    6 tablespoons reduced-fat unsweetened coconut milk

    8 teaspoons water

    6 tablespoons vegan semisweet chocolate chips

    8 teaspoons maple syrup

    8 teaspoons chopped cilantro

    ⅜ teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

    1½ cups strawberries, stemmed and quartered

    1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

    1½ kiwis, peeled, halved crosswise and sliced

    1 mango, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

    Salt and pepper, to taste

    2 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Bake whole unopened bananas 15 minutes, or until black and soft.  Cut tips and squeeze flesh into bowl of food processor.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, remove seeds from chipotle chile and finely chop.  Heat ½ tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-low heat.  Add chile and garlic, and sauté 1 minute or until fragrant.  Stir in goat cheese, coconut milk, and water, and cook 3 minutes, or until smooth sauce forms, stirring constantly.  Stir in chocolate chips and simmer 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and add syrup, cilantro, vanilla, and remaining oil.  Purée sauce with bananas until smooth.
4. Drain pasta, and return to pot.  Add tomatoes, strawberries, corn, kiwis, chocolate-cheese sauce, and mango.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to warm serving bowl.  Sprinkle with coconut and extra goat cheese crumbles, and serve.