Tangy Marinated Rice Salad with Vegetables

Serves 8

½ cup basmati rice

1 cup water

½ 8-ounce package baked flavored tofu, diced

1 cup cherry tomato, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

2 green onions, chopped (¼ cup)

¼ orange bell pepper, chopped (¼ cup)

½ cup carrot sticks or baby carrots

½ small cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced (¼ cup)

½ small yellow squash, diced (¼ cup)

½ cup small button mushrooms, halved

¼ cup vegetable oil

14 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and black pepper to taste, if desired

1. Bring rice and water to a boil in covered saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and has absorbed all water. Cool. Transfer to small bowl.
2. Stir tofu, tomatoes, broccoli, green onions, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, squash, and mushrooms into rice.
3. Whisk together remaining ingredients in large bowl until mixture forms smooth marinade. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired.
4. Pour marinade into 1-quart canning jar with lid or large resealable plastic bag. Add vegetable mixture and shake to coat.
5. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight, shaking mixture occasionally, and serve.

Tangy Twice-Baked Tikka Masala Potatoes with Buttermilk Raita

Serves 8

POTATOES:

2 large russet potatoes

½ small butternut squash (about ½ lb.), halved and seeded

1 medium-size onion, peeled and quartered

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1½ cups low-fat buttermilk

1½ tablespoons tandoori spice blend

¼ cup chopped chives

1 tablespoon lime juice

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch of salt

Pepper to taste

1 8-ounce package tempeh, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ 15.5-ounce can tomato purée

½ 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon honey

1½ cups cauliflower florets

RAITA:

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (about 2 cups)

¾ cup low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup chopped mint

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place potatoes and squash halves (cut side down) on baking sheet. Bake 1 hour, or until both squash and potatoes are tender. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and again crosswise; scoop insides into large bowl, leaving thin layer of potato. Reserve potato skins.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop onions, ginger, and garlic in food processor. Add flesh of squash and spice mixture to potatoes; mash. Stir in butter until melted. Fold in buttermilk, tandoori spice blend, chives, lime juice, cheese, and salt. Season to taste with pepper.
3. Place tempeh cubes in 3x9-inch baking dish. Add potato mixture, and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours.
4. To make Raita: Combine all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; chill until cold, or overnight.
5. Increase oven to broil. Stir tomato, chickpeas, and honey into tempeh mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add cauliflower. Top potato skins with tempeh mixture, and place on baking sheet. Broil 25 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Serve hot with cold Raita; if making ahead, cover, refrigerate, and reheat before serving.

Cinnamon-Corn-Maple Applesauce

Serves 8 (serving size: about 1 cup)

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup water

4 cups chopped peeled apple (about 4 medium apples)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon canola oil

¼ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons maple sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine syrup and water in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cover and cook over medium-low heat 25 minutes or until tender. Mash apples with a potato masher. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes.
2. Add oil to apple mixture; increase heat to medium-high. Add popcorn, sugar, and salt to pan; cover and cook 3 minutes or until kernels begin to pop, stirring frequently. Continue cooking 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. When popping slows down, remove pan from heat. Let stand, covered, until all popping stops.

Sweet and Spicy Nut, Grappa, and Pretzel Mix

Serves 8
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup blanched almonds
¾ tablespoon butter
¾ tablespoon Nardini almond grappa
1½ cups tiny unsalted pretzels
¾ tablespoon Pages Verveine du Velay Extra Liqueur
½ cup crispy rice cereal squares (such as Rice Chex)
¾ tablespoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¾ tablespoon lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Combine brown sugar, ½ teaspoon thyme, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper in a small bowl.
3. Combine pecans and almonds on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown.  Combine the pecan mixture and butter in a medium bowl, stirring until the butter melts.  Gently stir in grappa, pretzels, verveine, cereal, maraschino liqueur, syrup, and lime juice.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over pretzel mixture; toss gently to coat.  Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes, stirring once.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme.  Cool completely.

Raspberries in Mustard-Yogurt Sabayon

Serves 8

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons framboise eau-de-vie (clear raspberry brandy), divided

10 tablespoons chilled whipping cream, divided

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

4 ½-pint baskets fresh raspberries

1. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, yolks, 2 tablespoon framboise, and 1 tablespoon cream in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water) and continue beating until mixture is thick and billowy and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160^o F, about 9 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Continue beating until mixture is cool, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Beat yogurt, remaining framboise, dill, mustards, remaining cream, and hot sauce in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold cream into yolk mixture in 2 additions. (Sabayon can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
2. Prepare broiler. Divide raspberries equally among eight 1¼-cup custard cups or shallow ramekins. Top raspberries with sabayon. Broil until sabayon is lightly browned, watching carefully to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Blueberry Tzatziki

Serves 8 (serving size: about 6 tablespoons 1 teaspoon)

½ cup blueberries

¼ cup simple syrup

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup grated peeled English cucumber (about ½ medium)

½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (such as Fage)

1½ cups crushed ice

½ tablespoon chopped fresh mint

¼ cup rum

¹/₈ teaspoon salt

1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

¹/₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and discard solids.
2. Pat cucumber dry with paper towels. Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in blender and process until smooth; cover and chill 1 hour. Serve with pita wedges or pumpkin bolani.

Garlicky Sparkling Lima Bean Sangria Spread

Serves 8 (serving size: 9½ tablespoons)

1 cup fresh lima beans

8 teaspoons fresh parsley leaves

½ cup cherries, pitted and halved

8 tablespoons water

½ cup blueberries

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup raspberries

½ tablespoon olive oil

½ cup quartered small strawberries

2 teaspoons roasted garlic paste

¼ cup chopped nectarine (about ½)

¼ teaspoon salt

8 teaspoons brandy

¹/₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup apricot nectar, chilled

¹/₈ teaspoon hot sauce

½ (750-milliliter) bottle cava, chilled

1. Sort and wash beans; drain and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Place beans and next 16 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving with summer vegetable crudites, such as whole radishes, baby carrots, endive leaves, zucchini, and/or yellow squash strips.

Chinese Five-Spice Jalapeño-Wine-Corn Pudding

8 servings

¼ cup water

¼ cup sugar

½ 750-mL bottle bold red wine (such as Zinfandel or Syrah)

½ cup ruby Port

3 cinnamon sticks

1 whole star anise

3 whole cloves

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon whole white peppercorns, cracked

1 tablespoon (¹/₈ stick) butter

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup fresh corn kernels cut from ½ large ear of corn

8 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño chiles

3 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup cornmeal

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup chopped roasted red bell peppers from jar, drained

¼ cup chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium eggs, separated

½ cup Cognac or brandy

½ cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese or sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. Bring water and sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat; reserve.
3. Combine red wine and next 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring mixture almost to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook just below simmer for 4 minutes.
4. Add butter to red wine mixture; increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, corn, jalapeño, and garlic; sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in cornmeal. Add milk and cream; stir over medium heat until thick batter forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in red peppers, green onions, cilantro, salt, and pepper; cool 15 minutes. Stir in egg yolks.
5. Using mixer with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites with Cognac and ¼ cup reserved syrup until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Transfer to dish. Sprinkle with cheese.