Stuffed Jalapenos

6 large jalapenos, halved and seeded

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Mix cheeses together, season with salt and pepper. Fill each pepper half with about 1 tablespoon cheese. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until brown and bubbling.

Sausage-Cheddar Balls

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups grated cheddar (1/2 pound)

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

1/2 large yellow onion, grated on large holes of a box grater

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add sausage, onion, and butter. With your hands, mix until well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until balls are golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serve warm.

per 2

143 cal

10.3 g fat (4.9 g sat fat)

6.4 g protein

6.1 g carb

0.3 g fiber

Summer Breeze

1/3 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup pink grapefruit juice

2 ounces gin

Fresh mint leaves

Ice

Seltzer

In a large glass, combine pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, gin, and several mint leaves. Add ice and top with seltzer.

Serves 1

Lemon-Almond Biscotti

1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Let cool in sheet on a wire rack, then, using your hands, coarsely crush nuts. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice, and extracts. Stir in almonds, egg, and egg white. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until combined. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Using moistened hands, halve dough and place on two rimmed baking sheets. Form into two 1 1/2-by-16-inch logs (remoisten hands as needed). Bake until pale golden, about 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. With a large metal spatula, carefully loosen logs from sheets, then let cool on sheets on wire racks, 15 minutes.

With a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/3-inch slices on the diagonal and arrange, cut side down, on clean baking sheets. Bake until biscotti are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely. (Store biscotti in an airtight container, up to 1 month.)

Makes 60

Tomato, Celery, and Toasted Bread Salad

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
5 ounces rustic bread, torn into 3/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 pints (10 ounces each) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Fine salt
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil leaves (from 1 bunch)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed, soaked in cold water, rinsed again, and minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, cover onion with cold water. Swish water around, rubbing onion slices with your hand. Drain and repeat 2 or 3 times, letting slices soak and changing water every 10 minutes. Drain onion; pat dry. Arrange bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until edges are crisp and golden, 6 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack; transfer to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt; let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Drag the blade of a large knife at an angle across mixture until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in oil and vinegar. To tomato mixture, add onion, cucumber, celery, radishes, basil, parsley, capers, and dressing; toss to combine. To serve, season with salt and pepper and toss.

Serves 4

397 calories

 

Asian-style Sticky Ribs

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1-inch piece peeled and smashed fresh ginger

1 jalapeno or serrano chile, halved lengthwise

2 lbs pork spareribs, ribs separated

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together first 4 ingredients until sugar dissolves.  Add ginger, chile and ribs, toss to coat.  Arrange ribs in a single layer and cover with foil.

Bake 1 hour.  Remove foil, increase heat to 450 degrees and bake until sauce is reduced and ribs are glazed, 30-35 minutes, turning occasionally.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serve 6

570 calories

Tuna and White Bean Salad with Eggs

4 ounces green beans, trimmed
2 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, diced small
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium-cooked large eggs, halved

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. In a large bowl, combine tuna, beans, bell pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and chives. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve with green beans and eggs.

Serves 4

 

Thai Steak Salad

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound skirt steak, patted dry and cut into 4 pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium head romaine lettuce, leaves torn into large pieces
3 medium carrots, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large
1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
1 red chile, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, fish sauce, and sugar until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Season steak with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Cook steak, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, flipping once. Tent with foil on a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, peanuts, and chile. Drizzle with dressing and toss again. Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve on salad.

Serves 4

Peach Slab Pie

5 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 cups (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup ice water (plus up to 1/2 cup more for pulsing)
3 3/4 pounds peaches, thinly sliced (12 cups)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar until combined. Add butter.
Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Then, with machine running, add 2/3 cup ice water.

Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/2 cup ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

Divide dough into 2 disks and wrap each tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together peaches, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll out 1 disk dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Roll dough over rolling pin; carefully unroll into a 10-by-14-by-1-inch rimmed jelly-roll pan. Press gently to fit into pan.

Pour in peach filling, then lightly brush edges of dough with water. On floured surface, roll out remaining disk to an 11-by-15-inch rectangle. Roll dough over rolling pin and carefully unroll over filling.

Press along moistened edges to seal. Fold under any overhang, tucking it into the pan. With your fingers, crimp edges.

With a paring knife, cut slits on top to vent. Place pie in oven, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Double Chocolate Spice Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (scant 1 2/3 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, and baking soda; set aside.

Place unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup semisweet chips, and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Cook until chocolate begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 3 minutes.

Add sugars and, with a rubber spatula, stir until sugars dissolve, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. With spatula, fold in flour mixture just until flour is absorbed. Fold in remaining semisweet chocolate chips.
Scoop dough by level 1/4-cupfuls onto baking sheets, 3 inches apart. Bake until cookies are set at edges but still soft in center, 11 minutes (do not overbake), rotating sheets halfway through.

Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks, 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely, 30 minutes. (Store cookies in an airtight container, up to 2 days.)