One more trick for a Thanksgiving treat

Here is something you can do quickly, cleanly (not much mess) in good taste. It's also perfect for the gluten-free vegans at your gathering. And did I say it's nutritious? 

Soy Sweet Potato Slices

These can be a  cocktail canape, an appetizer or part of the main meal. They also make great snacking and lunch box fare. It's hard to be exact about the recipe due to the size and number of the sweet potatoes you use but it's really hard to screw this up so don't worry about precision.

What you see in these photos are two medium sweet potatoes (could be yams) coated in 3 tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp soy sauce. 

Heat oven or toaster oven to  450º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Peel however many sweet potatoes you need. Slice as thinly as you can on a diagonal so you get large, oval slices. I'd say the diagonal angle is what the Navy might call 1:00.  Considering how many slices you now have get out a bowl large enough to fit them in its bottom half. Fill that with equal measures of olive oil and soy sauce. Put the sweet potatoes in the liquid and using your hands move them around so they all get coated. Spread them out on a baking sheet.  

Bake at 450º 12-15 minutes or until they are glossy, tender and a bit crunchy. Every oven is different so work with what you've got. It could be longer or shorter time. If they are burning lower oven to 425º.

Comfort Food for frenzied days

In between the Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas ham/roast beef and all those cocktail canapes, you probably need some comfort food.  Fast to produce, easy on the wallet, nourishing and tasty-- all the comforts of food. So here are a few old favorites perfect for the moment.
 
Hamburger Pinwheels

Hamburger with mashed potatoes is about as comforting as winter food gets for all ages. This is a recipe from my own childhood which turned out to be very popular in my catering business.  I just made it for a senior shut-in who wanted nursery food and found it could be done lickety split by buying the mashed potatoes at the supermarket hot table. I bought too much but loved eating the excess. 

         
serves 4-6  

3 c mashed potatoes*
1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1 lb lean ground beef    
1 med onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2  lg garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
3 tbsp ketchup
1 egg 
Salt to your taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c fine breadcrumbs 
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil

*if you are making your own mashed potatoes:
 2/3 lb (3 chubby) yellow or red boiling potatoes
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
 3 tbsp milk or light cream
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter   
Salt to your taste
Freshly ground black pepper 
  
To make mashed potatoes
 In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water 2 " higher, salt the water, add rosemary and boil the potatoes until tender to a fork. Drain and cool. Peel the potatoes and in a mixer or large bowl  combine them with the milk, salt, pepper and lastly butter.  Do not overbeat or you will have glue potatoes.  A hand masher works great. 

Heat oven to 375º. 
In the bowl of a food processor, chop the onion and garlic. If you have no processor, grate them into a medium bowl. Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, the egg, salt, pepper and 1/2 c breadcrumbs.  Process until it all comes together like a dough ball.

On a piece of waxed paper, press the hamburger into a large rectangle, 12 -14" long and 1/2" thick. It's like playing pattycake. Leaving a 1" margin at both ends, spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil evenly over them.   

Now using the waxed paper to help you,

carefully lift up one end and start rolling like a jellyroll, careful to let the wax paper go before the meat hits the potatoes. Roll as tightly as you can to the end. Get out a baking sheet and brush as much of the bottom as the roll will cover with 1 tbsp olive oil. Using a long spatula, left the roll onto the baking sheet. 

Sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil on top.  Spread the remaining ketchup on top. Combine the remaining 1/2 c breadcrumbs with the grated cheese and evenly distribute over the top.  

Bake at 375º 30 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes before attempting to slice         .                 
         

Chicken thighs with quince

Quince is the queen of autumn fruits. It seems aloof because it can't be eaten raw, but once it's warmed up, it becomes a luscious pink, perfumed pear. Chicken is its boon companion and this version of the two together looks elegant on the table even though it's pretty simple to put together. In this photo it's served over maftoul/mahgrebiah sometimes called pearl or Israeli couscous.  It is more usually served over couscous or freekah.    

Serves 6

¼ c vegetable oil
2 lbs chicken thighs
2 onions, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp Aleppo pepper or ground chipotle

1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
a pinch of saffron
½ tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp raisins or 8 pitted fresh dates
1 lb quince, cut in half and cored, then the cut pieces into wedges

1/4 c butter or ghee

sliced quince

Season the chicken with the paprika, chili and black pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken, skin side down, and brown it. Flip it and sauté another 5 minutes. Remove from the pot, add the onions and soften them in the oil. Do not burn or brown them.

Put the chicken and onions in a large casserole pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3 cups chicken stock to the pot—or enough to cover the chicken. Add the saffron, ginger and fresh cilantro. Add the raisins or dates. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer 30-40 minutes. The chicken should be falling off its bones.

While that’s happening, melt the butter or ghee on low heat in a small sauté or frying pan. Add the quince and sauté five minutes.  Add the quince to the chicken in the oven. It should be tender when the chicken is.

Lemony kale pasta 
This recipe from Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, is my blend of the popular American-Vietnamese garlic noodles and a Zen Buddhist recipe I had for lemon kale pasta. It's colorful, very nutritious and fast. It also makes you feel virtuous eating something so tasty and pretty that doesn't harm animals or the environment. BTW, if you don't want to be vegetarian, you can start this dish by frying up 2 tbsp pancetta in the pan you plan to use for the onions. 

serves 4-6

½ lb spaghetti

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale or Asian mustard green leaves (no stems)

1 sm onion, cut into thin rings, halved then halved again                                

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ tsp ground black pepper

salt to your taste

juice of ½ large lemon

1 tbsp butter

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Halfway through add the kale or mustard greens to the pot.

While the spaghetti cooks, in a large sauté pan, heat the butter and 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for over medium low heat until they are soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and  black pepper and continue to sauté another minute. Add the cheese and reduce heat to lowest setting.

Drain the cooked spaghetti and kale well. Toss into the sauté pan and raise heat to medium low. Add the salt and lemon juice and toss the spaghetti to coat with the garlic and oil. Heat 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, blending it in to serve.

                                         

Festivity food: Patés

It's that time of year when we have festivity food on the mind and need fast food on the plate. Everybody's busy and as days get short and cold, our metabolism needs calories to burn. It is true we need to bulk up in winter, which is why meals tend to be hearty and carb loaded. So I'll alternate between festivity food you can think about preparing for the hoopla at hand and what you can pull together for a hearty meal in the meantime.

This post will focus on festivity foods known as patés.  If you look carefully you can see what that French word means by scrambling the letters: paste.  Patés are molded preparations that can be sliced or spread. They are very useful cocktail fare, appetizers, sandwich filling or even main dishes.  Some are complex: a hash of various meats cooked several ways. I'm sticking here to simple fare that looks great and tastes better.

I've already posted pecan paté in the last post (Thanksgiving) so I won't repeat it here. Nevertheless, some of what follows are repeats from posts long past. I put them here to spare you scrolling. You need the time. And also it's best to have a repertoire of known dishes you can count on again and again.

Georgian Spinach Walnut Paté

This is an unforgettably vivid vegan and gluten-free gem from the Caucasus. Just be sure nobody in sight is allergic to walnuts. I like to put one on top to signal. I have posted this before. It's a keeper that comes in handy any time of year.  I mold it in a small ceramic bowl.
 
 

1 lb baby spinach leaves, washed and dry
1 lg garlic clove
1/2 c walnut pieces or halves
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt                                                
1/2 tsp ground chili (Aleppo works great)
1/2 tsp coriander seeds or 1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 c chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp cider vinegar

Black pepper to your taste
to garnish: walnut halves and/or pomegranate seeds or finely crumbled feta.

Blanch or steam the spinach until it wilts. Drain reserving 2-3 tbsp of the water and squeeze it as dry as possible. Chop it finely.
Put the walnuts, sea salt and garlic in a food chopper or processor and grind to an oil paste. This means grinding until the nuts release their oil. If it seems too thick add 2 tbsp spinach water to get it to the consistency of thick hummus. Grind in the chili, coriander, parsley and cilantro. Add the vinegar and push in the chopped spinach. Before you grind season with freshly ground black pepper. Grind everything into a smooth paté. (Note: this is my adaption using modern equipment. In Georgia cooks do a lot of pounding and pestling.)

Oil a small bowl and pack in the paté, pushing down and leveling the top. Put a pot lid or something

heavy the fits and put a weight on that. Wrap everything in a plastic bag to seal it, put it in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours. Using a small spatula to loosen the edges, unmold the paté onto a round plate. Garnish with walnuts and whatever else. 
Surround with bread and a knife for spreading.
This can also be a pitta sandwich filling which you can embellish as you wish with sour cream or cheese or chopped red onion and cucumber.

       

 Salmon, scallop and spinach paté
This one's a loaf. It's eye catching color scheme, cream richness and delicate taste made it very popular in my catering business. I prepared this many times, all of them before photography became the most requisite ingredient of cooking. It takes time and costs more than the others on this relatively thrifty list but if you bother, everyone will remember you.
 serves 10-12

1 lb scallops, rinsed
3/4 lb salmon fillet
 3 egg whites
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp sea salt  
 freshly ground black pepper
pinch ground cayenne pepper
2 tbsp brandy or cognac
2 c (1 pint) heavy cream  
1 tbsp unsalted butter 
1 tbsp shallots, minced
1 lb baby spinach leaves, washed (it's okay if they're wet)
 2 tbsp fresh dill, minced

 Put the 3/4 lb of the scallops and the salmon  in a food processor or chopper and blitz 1 minute. Scrap down the sides. Add the egg whites, nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, pepper, cayenne and brandy. Blend 10 seconds. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in 1 c cream. Blend in 3/4 c more cream and get the mixture is very smooth. Refrigerate. 

In a small frying pan over low heat, melt the butter.  Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat to cool. 
  Put the wet spinach leaves in a large sauté pan over high heat and stir until they are totally wilted. Cool and coarsely chop. Put the spinach and the shallots in a food processor with 1/2 tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper and the dill. Blitz 10 seconds to combine. Add   the remaining 1/4 lb scallops and process into a smooth paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining 1/4 c heavy cream.
Refrigerate.

Heat oven to 350º. 
Butter a  5-6 c rectangular mold or bread pan.
Spread 2 1/2 c of the salmon mixture in the bottom. Be sure it's level.
with the back of a wet spoon, make a trough down the center, not touching or exposing the bottom of the pan. Arrange the spinach mixture in this trough.  Top everything with the remaining salmon mixture.  Level and smooth the top. Lay a piece of waxed or parchment paper on top and then cover the top tightly with foil. 
 Find a pan much deeper and slightly larger than the one with the paté in it. Put the pan inside and then fill the larger pan with hot water halfway up the side of the paté filled pan.  
Bake 55 minutes at 350º. 
Cool to room temperature before unmolding.
To unmold, run a spatula around the rim, invert it onto a plate and re-invert it onto your serving plate. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate until it is chilled through. Overnight is fine. 
Serve cut in slices, wiping off the knife between slices.
                           
Chicken Liver Paté 
Fowl liver is a traditional paté element in France. Chopped chicken liver is a traditional Eastern European deli food. So here are two versions you can use on crackers at parties or as sandwich filler at home. Both can and should be made ahead of when you need them.

Version 1: simple chopped liver
 makes 12 canapes or 5 sandwiches (spread thickly) 
  
2-3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil not olive
1 med yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 lg garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried ground sage or 1 tbsp dried leaves
1 lb chicken livers, fat and gristle removed
salt to your taste (at least 1/4 tsp)
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
 2 tbsp Cointreau or Grand Marnier liqueur (in a pinch Calvados)
 1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp Dijon type mustard 
 1 tbsp mayonnaise 
1 egg, hard boiled and peeled
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, minc e d 

  Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with corn oil  and heat on medium. Add the onion and sage, then the garlic. Stir and sauté over medium/low (so nothing burns or gets very brown) until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken livers and stir so they reach the skillet bottom. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the livers are thoroughly cooked and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. (They will be brown inside and not release any trace of blood.)   Turn heat to high, add the liqueur and rapidly stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat immediately.   

In a food processor or chopper , combine fennel seed, mustard, mayonnaise,  hard boiled egg, parsley and finally the liver skillet contents. Process quickly only until everything is blended into a paste. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. The paste should be creamy but no totally smooth. 

You can now lightly oil a small bowl and fill it tightly with the liver paté, pressing down as you go. Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight before turning the bowl upside down on a serving plate. You can also just serve it from the bowl surrounded by crackers.          
   
Version 2: a more formal paté
 This one is more French so full of butter and cream. It can be served in a crock or bowl or, see tuna paté below, you can stuff it into a baguette to make elegant pickup food. It's the sort of paté that calls for cornichon pickles on the side.

1/2 lb bacon, diced 
2 c yellow onion, diced (2-3 large)
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 shallots, peeled and minced 
1 tsp five spice powder or 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 star anise
 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves or 1/4 tsp fennel seed
 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sage 
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb chicken livers, fat and gristle removed 
1/4 c brandy or cognac
 1/4 c heavy cream     
3 sticks (3/4 lb) unsalted butter at room temperature

 In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon until the fat comes out.  Add the onion, shallots, garlic, spices, herbs and salt to the pan. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add chicken livers and brandy.  Stirring, sauté   until the livers are brown on the outside but still pink in the middle.  Remove from heat and cool.

Cut each stick of butter into 5-6 pieces.
Put the contents of the skillet in a food processor or chopper and as you turn it on, add the cream in a steady stream.  Add the butter piece by piece to create a smooth paté. Pour the mixture into a 5 cup crock or serving bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
   
Tuna Paté
This one is kid stuff: hard boiled eggs and tuna held together with cream cheese. One of the fun ways to gussy it up is to get hold of a long baguette, slice it lengthwise leaving a hinge on the far side, rip out as much of the soft center on both sides as you can and then fill those hollows with the paté. Line one side with sliced gherkins, then push the two sides together and wrap the whole loaf as tightly as you can in foil. Put it in the fridge a few hours or overnight. Then slice it down horizontally. 
 serves 8-10  

 2 lg hardboiled eggs, peeled   

6 pitted black olives

6 oz cream cheese                      

1 tsp flat parsley leaves, chopped

1 tsp dill seeds                            

1 7oz can tuna in olive oil

1 tsp celery seed                     

 freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp fennel seed                     

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend into a thick paste.

*To mold: coat a 3¼ x 5¾” loaf pan or porcelain bowl with olive oil. Spoon the pâté mixture in, pressing to remove air bubbles. Smooth the top and refrigerate at least 6 hrs. Unmold and garnish the top with gherkin pickles or pitted black olives or parsley sprigs or strips of pimento.

*To make sandwiches: Cut a baguette along the side, almost to the far side. Leave enough bread crust to have a “hinge.” Pull a bit of the bread out on both sides. Fill with pâté and run some along the cut edge to “seal.” Wrap in foil and refrigerate to harden the pate´. Slice into 1” thick sandwiches to serve.

 

More Thanksgiving recipes

Without experience, Thanksgiving dinner can be bewildering. I just had to explain to a working mother in her late 40s how to cook her first turkey as well as what she might serve with it to please not only elementary school boys but her own parents. Earlier I posted the way I cook turkey nowadays: in my own Asian-American barbecue sauce. A small turkey too. If you have a large crowd, it's much better to cook two 12-14 lb turkeys than a gargantuan one not only because you cut the roasting time in half but you get double the legs and breasts so everybody gets what they like best. Plus smaller is juicier.    

Anyway, here are a few more ideas for the table. The first four are a
way to cope with vegetarians or have glamorous side dishes for the turkey. The dessert is easy enough to have the kids make it. 

Winter vegetable cake

I published this recipe as a winter timbale (molded dish) in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. It's made in a bundt/ ring/ tube pan--that round one with a hole in the center.  I sometimes serve it on a bed of lightly sauteed greens (kale, collard or spinach). Because of the breadcrumbs it's not gluten-free but it could be if you substituted chickpea flour or cornmeal for them. (I haven't tried it.)

serves 8

1 parsnip, peeled and grated

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 small rutabaga, peeled and grated

1 small winter squash (e.g. red kuri, sugar pumpkin or butternut), peeled and grated

1 red onion, peeled and diced

4 tbsp butter

6 eggs

¾ cup breadcrumbs, matzo meal or panko

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 cup heavy cream

Optional: ¼ tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325º and butter a Bundt pan, ring mold, or medium sized tube pan—any baking pan with a hole in the center.

Mix the grated vegetables. You will need 5 cups.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and sauté until slightly soft. Add 5 cups of the mixed grated vegetables and blend.  Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and start to cling together, 10-12 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl whip the eggs. Add the cooked vegetables, stirring well to coat. Add salt, then cheeses, breadcrumbs, chives and parsley. Stir in cream, add optional smoked paprika and nutmeg, and blend everything well.

Pour the mixture into the buttered pan or mold. Bake until a tester (a skewer, strand of spaghetti or cake tester) comes out clean. The ring mold will cook faster than pans with higher sides, so the cooking time will be between 35 and 45 minutes, faster in convection ovens. Let it cool at least 5 minutes before unmolding. 

 Pecan Paté                                       
This is a festive recipe I include here because back in the 80s I always had a nutmeat paté on the Thanksgiving table to welcome vegetarian friends. Everybody else wanted some too. If you're going to somebody else's dinner and have to bring something, this is handy. Feeds many and carries easily.

This serves 10 as a meal entrée, 16 as an appetizer, and 24 as an hors d’oeuvre.

1 14 oz. can cannellini beans

½ lb. walnut pieces or halves, lightly toasted

½ pound pecan pieces or halves, lightly toasted

¼ lb shelled unsalted pistachios (lightly roasted or not)

¼ lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 cup Parmesan, Asiago or Grana Padano cheese shredded

4 scallions (green onions) cleaned with some green left on

5 parsley sprigs, stems off

3 garlic cloves, peeled

½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried marjoram

½ tsp. ground allspice

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 scant tsp black pepper

1/3 cup heavy cream

6 tbsp butter

2 eggs

1 tbsp brandy or Calvados

4 pitted Kalamata or similar black olives, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350º . Butter a large loaf pan (best size is 8”x4x3”; if you use the 7 ¾ “x 3 5/8” x 2 ¼”, you will need another small loaf pan for the remainder). Line the loaf pan or pans with parchment paper and very lightly butter it.

Puree the beans in the bowl of a food processor. Add the walnuts and pecans and continue processing until the nuts are in tiny pieces. Add the cheeses, scallions, parsley, garlic and spices plus the salt and pepper and process into a smooth, solid paste.  Add the cream, butter, eggs, brandy and pistachios and process to blend everything.  Stir in the chopped olives. (These will end up looking like the truffles in liver paté.)

Fill the loaf pan or pans evenly to the top with the paté, pressing down as you go to remove air holes. Smooth the top. Cover the loaf tightly with aluminum foil.

Put the paté into a large baking or roasting pan filled 1” with hot water and bake for one hour at 350. (A good convection oven may reduce this cooking time but in any event, a cake tester should come out clean.)

Cool for 10-15 minutes before inverting the paté onto a platter. Unmold it and carefully remove the parchment. 

You can garnish this with cornichons, or black olives, small cherry tomatoes and/or finely chopped parsley.  Also slices of baguette.

Serve hot or at room temperature. This amazing paté slices cleanly.

Corn Pudding
 

not my photo

This is a Southern favorite that an Indian-American friend surprised me with one Thanksgiving. I made it for several years after that. The texture accents turkey and the yellow color brightens the room.  Plus kids love pudding. Best of all, it's one of the easiest glamour dishes you'll ever make.

½ c all purpose flour                       

1 tsp ground chipotle chili powder

1 chopped green chili pepper

10-12 ears corn, husked, or 3 boxes of frozen corn defrosted

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

6 lg eggs at room temperature        

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 c half and half                               

4 tbsp soft butter, cut in bits

1 tbsp light brown sugar                 

Butter a pie or baking dish 2½” deep and 10” round. 

Heat oven to 350º.

If using fresh corn, scraping upwards with a small, sharp knife, cut the corn kernels into a bowl. Using the back of the knife scrap downward to catch remaining kernels and corn milk. 

Put the fresh or frozen corn in a food processor with eggs, half and half, flour, salt, pepper, chili powder and sugar. Process 3-4 seconds to blend. Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle top with nutmeg and butter bits.

   Place baking dish in a large baking pan, put into the hot oven and fill the bottom pan with water halfway up the sides of the pudding container. Bake one hour or until a tester comes out clean. Serve hot.

             
Pumpkin stuffed with jewel rice

this is the filling

With saffron, pistachios and apricots, this is  a celebratory dish from the center of Turkey, often prepared for wedding feasts. It requires work but every step is so simple you can't fail. You can also stuff red kuri or other large winter squash instead of a sugar pumpkin. This dish is an attention getter. If you have to carry something to somebody else's table, this is it.

1 lg (2 1/2 lb) red kuri squash--or sugar pumpkin
1 cup (heaping) long grain Basmati or Jasmine rice (rinsed)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
a big pinch of saffron threads
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Peel of 1/3 orange (no pith please), sliced into very thin strips
1/4 cup pistachio nutmeats
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup dried cherries soaked in boiling water 5 minutes and drained
8-10 dried apricots, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tsp rosewater
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to your taste
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 bunch mint coarsely chopped or 1/2 cup dried mint leaves
1 bunch dill, coarsely chopped
1 lemon cut in wedges for garnish
1 cup thick fresh yogurt for serving

Preheat over to 400º. Soak the saffron threads in 1 tsp hot water.

Wash the squash and microwave it just long enough to soften it so you can put a knife in.
Cut off the stalk end to use as a lid. Scoop out all seeds and strings. Put the lid back on the squash, put the squash on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 1 hour.

Now, put the rice in a pot with just enough water to cover it. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, partially cover the pot and cook 10-12 minutes until all the water is absorbed. (The rice will not be totally cooked, no worries.)

Meanwhile in a wide lidded skillet or casserole, heat oil and butter until butter melts. Stir in coriander, orange peel, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, drained cherries and apricots. Sauté one minute. Add the rice, saffron (with water) and rose water. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a clean, dry dish towel and press the pan lid down over it to a tight fit. Let the pilaf steam for 10 minutes. Toss in the parsley, dill and mint.

When squash is ready, lift off the lid and fill it with the pilaf, gently stuffing it in. Put the lid back on and put the stuffed squash back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid to serve. Slice the lemon into wedges. There are two ways to present this: one is to simply put the wedges all around the squash on a serving plate, put 1/4 of the yogurt on top of the pilaf and pass the rest in a separate bowl, and let everybody dig in. Or you can slice a 1/2" thick round off the top of the squash, lay this ring on a plate, fill it with the pilaf, top this with yogurt and place a lemon wedge to one side.

Apple or Pear Sour Cream Pie

This recipe is so easy--you make the crust from crumbled cookies,

 a few cranberries for garnish here

kids can do it. I taught it in Mongolia to the cooks trying to turn around a restaurant, women who'd never baked dessert before. It was an immediate hit --with them and with the customers. I love pies you don't have to fuss making crust for. This one just requires a box of vanilla cookies or tea biscuits.  You can use either apples or pears.    
serves 8        

To make the crust:

1 2/3 c crushed graham crackers, tea biscuits or vanilla wafers*

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

3 1/4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

1/4 c granulated white sugar

Butter a 9" pie plate.

Heat oven to 350º      .

In a food processor, bowl or hand mixer, combine all the ingredients until they stick together in clumps. Do not make a ball. Dump the contents of the mixer into the buttered pie plate and press against the plate everywhere to make a complete crust. Try to keep it equal  on all sides and level on the bottom. Think of this as "patty cake."

To make the filling: 

  2 tbsp all purpose white flour
1/2 c white or turbinado sugar
1/4 c light brown sugar  
1 scant tsp ground cinnamon
large pinch of salt

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten 

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract  

1 c sour cream
6 medium apples or pears, peeled and sliced thin

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt.
In a  smaller bowl, beat together the egg, vanilla and sour cream to blend. Spoon this into the dry ingredient bowl and with a wooden spoon blend. Fill the crust with this mixture. Arrange the apples or pears around the top.

Bake at 350º 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.