Meatless Monday

It's time for another Meatless Monday. Here are today's six recipes to help you wind-down the old year, including Boston Brown Bread, two kinds of macaroni and cheese and Peppermint Meringues. Enjoy!

VEGAN SLOW COOKER RED BEANS AND RICE

This comes from Sarah DiGregorio in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sarah wrote, "This vegan version of New Orleans-style red beans and rice omits the sausage and ham hock, and instead adds smoked paprika, miso and soy sauce for a savory, rounded flavor. If you have a favorite Cajun or Creole spice mixture on hand, use 1 heaping tablespoon of it in place of the sage, cayenne, garlic, onion powders and sweet paprika, and taste before adding any salt, as seasoning blends contain a varying amount of sodium. These vegan beans are not as creamy as the ones made with pork, so smash a few against the side of the pot before serving to thicken the liquid. Serve with hot sauce, preferably a vinegary, cayenne-based Louisiana-style sauce like Crystal, Louisiana brand or Tabasco."

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 7 1/2 hours

To view this absolute yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020816-vegan-slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice.

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 heaping tablespoon white or yellow miso paste

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground sage (optional)

1 pound dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight

3 dried bay leaves

3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Cooked rice, for serving

Sliced scallions, for serving

Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is limp and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, miso paste, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and sage, if using. Grind in a generous amount of black pepper and add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine until the miso has dissolved, then remove from the heat and scrape the mixture into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Add the beans, bay leaves, thyme and 6 cups water. Cook on high until the beans are very tender and creamy, about 7 hours.

Before serving, add the soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the slow cooker to make the mixture slightly creamy. (It will continue to thicken as it sits.) Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Top the beans with hot cooked rice and scallions; serve with hot sauce.

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.

Ingredients

1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.

Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.

This makes 4 – 5 servings.

Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)



BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Meatless Monday

It's time for another Meatless Monday. Today's vegetarian post deals with New Year's Eve recipes. Here are today's six recipes to help you wind-down the old year, including Boston Brown Bread, two kinds of macaroni and cheese and Peppermint Meringues. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Brett wrote, “Squash for dessert? Butternut squash makes a wonderful component for desserts. The complex flavor adds a nice dimension to your cake that your guests won't be able to figure out. The hazelnut frosting is the perfect complement to this sweet and moist cake.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Brett wrote for About.com has since changed into .dash, where you can find The Spruce Eats, as well as other channels. While I still haven't found a link for this recipe on here (there had been one on about.com, which no longer works), I'll continue to look for it.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:

1 lb unsalted butter, softened

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and beat for about half a minute until combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each one.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top evenly.

Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan.

When the cake is completely cool it may be frosted.

Make the Hazelnut Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the ground hazelnuts.

Frost cake. If you like, roughly chop some toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the cake for decoration.

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.

Ingredients

1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.

Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.

This makes 4 – 5 servings.

Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)



BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with New Year's Eve recipes. Here are today's six recipes to help you wind-down the old year, including Boston Brown Bread, two kinds of macaroni and cheese and Peppermint Meringues. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Brett wrote, “Squash for dessert? Butternut squash makes a wonderful component for desserts. The complex flavor adds a nice dimension to your cake that your guests won't be able to figure out. The hazelnut frosting is the perfect complement to this sweet and moist cake.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Brett wrote for About.com has since changed into .dash, where you can find The Spruce Eats, as well as other channels. While I still haven't found a link for this recipe on here (there had been one on about.com, which no longer works), I'll continue to look for it.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:

1 lb unsalted butter, softened

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and beat for about half a minute until combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each one.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top evenly.

Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan.

When the cake is completely cool it may be frosted.

Make the Hazelnut Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the ground hazelnuts.

Frost cake. If you like, roughly chop some toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the cake for decoration.

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.

Ingredients

1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.

Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.

This makes 4 – 5 servings.

Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)



BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

New Year's Eve - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with New Year's Eve recipes. Here are today's six recipes to help you wind-down the old year, including Boston Brown Bread, two kinds of macaroni and cheese and Peppermint Meringues. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Brett wrote, “Squash for dessert? Butternut squash makes a wonderful component for desserts. The complex flavor adds a nice dimension to your cake that your guests won't be able to figure out. The hazelnut frosting is the perfect complement to this sweet and moist cake.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Brett wrote for About.com has since changed into .dash, where you can find The Spruce Eats, as well as other channels. While I still haven't found a link for this recipe on here (there had been one on about.com, which no longer works), I'll continue to look for it.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:

1 lb unsalted butter, softened

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and beat for about half a minute until combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each one.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top evenly.

Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan.

When the cake is completely cool it may be frosted.

Make the Hazelnut Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the ground hazelnuts.

Frost cake. If you like, roughly chop some toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the cake for decoration.

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.

Ingredients

1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.

Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.

This makes 4 – 5 servings.

Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)



BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Sunday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to help you wind-down the old year, including Boston Brown Bread, two kinds of macaroni and cheese and Peppermint Meringues. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS

This came from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet Food expert. Brett wrote, “Squash for dessert? Butternut squash makes a wonderful component for desserts. The complex flavor adds a nice dimension to your cake that your guests won't be able to figure out. The hazelnut frosting is the perfect complement to this sweet and moist cake.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10

About.com has since changed into .dash, which has several sites. Brett Moore can now be found here. While I still haven't found a link for this recipe on here (there had been one on about.com, which no longer works), I'll continue to look for it.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:

1 lb unsalted butter, softened

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and beat for about half a minute until combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each one.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top evenly.

Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan.

When the cake is completely cool it may be frosted.

Make the Hazelnut Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the ground hazelnuts.

Frost cake. If you like, roughly chop some toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the cake for decoration.

HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

I had been looking for a really simple but good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this fits the bill. My daughter and granddaughter had come over on my granddaughter's birthday; while they were here, my daughter whipped up this recipe. She'd been making it for quite a while. It was a definite hit with everyone in the house.

1 box (16 ounce) cannelloni pasta (see Note)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Note: Just about any tubular pasta can be used in this recipe, though it seems to work best with something bigger than elbow macaroni. Some of the better substitutes for the cannelloni would be ziti, penne, rigatoni, or elicoidali.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the package gives you a bracket – say, 12 – 14 minutes – lean toward the lower time, since you don't want the pasta to be too mushy. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter on low heat, then add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add macaroni, stirring it into mixture. Add the shredded cheese, and stir in completely.

Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove carefully, as it will be hot. (You knew that, right?) Dig in.

This makes 4 – 5 servings.

Photo: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, on the left in the blue dish, and Benecol Macaroni and Cheese, on right, in orange casserole dish (from Avon)



BENECOL MACARONI AND CHEESE

For several years, there was a magazine dedicated to walking, titled Walking Magazine. It had many good articles, tips and recipes for those of us who feel a little more comfortable race-walking than running. Unfortunately, the magazine folded several years ago. This recipe was in it during its final year. Serves 4.

1/2 lb. small shell style macaroni

4 Tbs. Benecol

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C 2% milk, warmed

few drops Tabasco Sauce

1-pint nonfat cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C flavored bread crumbs

1 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9 inch pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shells according to package directions, strain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, melt Benecol in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in flour, add onions, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add Tabasco Sauce and cook an additional minute. Whisk in cheese and salt, and blend in shells; transfer mixture to prepared pan.

In small bowl, mix oil and bread crumbs together; spoon over top of macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 510 calories; 27.2% calories from fat; 3G saturated fat; 65G carbohydrates; 12MG cholesterol; 612MG sodium; 2G fiber

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. It begins, “These minty, pink-striped meringues are easy to make and use a clever decorating trick: Paint lines of food coloring gel up the sides of a pastry bag before filling it with meringue, and each cookie comes out striped as you pipe it. You can use this same trick with frosting for cupcakes.” Total Time: 3 hr 30 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 2 hr; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: about 42 meringues; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/peppermint-meringues.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 large egg whites

Pinch fine salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Red food coloring, preferably gel

Directions

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a round tip; a small paintbrush or cotton swab

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the peppermint.

Fold the top of a pastry bag fitted with a round tip over and down a few inches. Dip a paintbrush in the food coloring. Starting inside the pastry tip, brush a stroke of food coloring from the tip to the top of the bag. Repeat with 3 more evenly spaced strokes. Fill the bag with the meringue; try to spoon it directly into the center so as not to smudge the food coloring (though some smudging is inevitable). Pipe 1-inch-diameter mounds of meringue spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Open the oven for a few minutes, then turn it off and shut the door. Leave the meringues in the oven until they are completely dry inside, about 2 hours. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Boston Brown Bread and Meatloaf Express. Enjoy!

KATHARINE HEPBURN'S BROWNIES

This came in a recent New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. It begins, “Much like its author, this recipe is a no-fuss classic. It calls for just 1/4 cup of flour, which yields an incredibly rich and gooey brownie, and it's super easy to make. So easy, in fact, that baking a batch of these might just become part of your weekend routine.” Time: about 45 minutes; makes 12 brownies

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.

Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

CHEESY TACO MEATLOAF

This comes from Campbell’s Kitchen, begins, “It takes just 10 minutes and a few ingredients to put together this scrumptious meatloaf...and when it comes out of the oven you've got two family favorites, tacos and meatloaf, combined into one tasty dish!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes; Serves: 8 people

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/cheesy-taco-meatloaf/.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa - Mild or Pace® Picante Sauce - Medium

1 1/2 ounces tortilla chips, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1 egg

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Set the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly mix the beef, 1 cup salsa, tortilla chips, egg, chili powder, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Place the beef mixture into a 3-quart shallow baking pan and shape into an 9x4-inch loaf.

Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.

Spread the remaining salsa over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

MEATLOAF EXPRESS

This is also from Campbell’s Kitchen, begins, “Making them mini not only slashes the cook time, but makes mealtime fun, too. These single-serve meatloaves bake under a sweet and savory topping to ensure moist and flavorful little loaves that your whole family will love.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6 people

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/meatloaf-express/.

Ingredients

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup honey mustard (honey Dijon-style)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Set the oven to 425°F. Stir the soup, ketchup and honey mustard in a medium bowl.

Thoroughly mix the beef, bread crumbs, egg and 1/4 cup soup mixture in a large bowl. Season the beef mixture as desired.

Shape the beef mixture into 6 mini meatloaves. Place the mini meatloaves into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the meatloaves.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the meatloaves are cooked through.

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.

Total: 1 hr 17 min; Active: 12 min; Yield: 36 bite-size brownies; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/espresso-brownies-recipe.

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

Friday Recipes

It's Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Tex-Mex Rice and Bean Casserole and Boston Brown Bread. Enjoy!

FROZEN BLUEBERRY LEMONADE PIE

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “Blueberries give this frozen lemonade pie extra color and flavor, and it is a fabulous pie for a hot summer day. The pie takes just a few minutes to mix - just freeze and eat!” Prep Time: 6 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 6 minutes; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade

1 tub (8 ounces) whipped topping, regular or "lite," thawed in the refrigerator

1 deep dish graham cracker pie crust, homemade or purchased

Preparation

Put the blueberries, sweetened condensed milk, and frozen lemonade in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Pour into a bowl and fold in the whipped topping until well blended.

Spoon into the prepared crust.

Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours.

If frozen solid, take it out of the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: I used a "2 extra servings" deep dish ready crust for the pie. A smaller pie shell will leave you with extra filling.

Just freeze any excess in small ramekins or 4-ounce canning jars and serve as a frozen pudding.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

This comes from Jeff Gordinier in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Jeff writes, “Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. 'I had this growing up,' said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.” Time: about 2 hours; makes 2 coffee-can-size loaves, or 1 standard loaf

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons white rye flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons dark rye flour

1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 to 5 large eggs)

3/4 cup (scant) blackstrap molasses

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously coat the insides of 2 10-ounce coffee cans or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the white rye flour in a large skillet over medium heat and toast, whisking constantly, for 7 minutes. The flour will darken slightly and smell nutty.

Whisk the flours, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the doenjang and buttermilk until combined; set aside. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of the molasses until stiff, silky peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk the remaining molasses into the buttermilk mixture. Gradually stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the whipped egg whites in 2 additions.

Pour batter into the prepared cans or loaf pan. Coat pieces of foil with cooking spray, then cover the tops of the cans or pan securely. Set the cans or pan in a baking dish and add enough hot water to come about 1/4 inch up the side. Transfer to oven and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour 40 minutes for the cans, or 2 hours for the loaf pan. Let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then invert and remove the bread to a cutting board. Let cool completely before slicing.

BAKED BEANS

Of course, you can't have Boston Brown Bread without a helping of Baked Beans. This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times' Cooking newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

TEX-MEX RICE AND BEAN CASSEROLE

This is from Weight Watchers. Total Time: 55 minutes; Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 40 minutes; Serves: 6; Difficulty: Easy; Points: 5

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 cup(s) canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels

1 Tbsp canned green chili peppers, chopped, mild or hot

15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup(s) long grain cooked brown rice, fresh or day old

7/8 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese

3/4 cup(s) fat free sour cream

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), chopped (dark green part only)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine corn, chilies, beans, rice, 3/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir in scallions.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and casserole is slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up before slicing into 6 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes

Change the beans or cheese to your liking: white or black beans, reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses all work well.If you want to brown the cheese more, place the dish (make sure it's broiler safe) under the broiler for a minute or two.

AVOCADO AND MANGO SALSA

Yield: 3 cups

Servings: 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=703

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/703.shtml

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped ripe mango

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped jicama

Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)

Salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, mango, jalapeno pepper, jicama, and lime juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix in the cilantro.

Let the salsa sit 20 minutes for flavors to meld before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 35; Protein: 0.5 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 0.5 mg; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

BEEF STROGANOFF OVER BUTTERED NOODLES

This is from Tyler Florence of The Food Network’s Food 911.

Total: 3 hr 25 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/beef-stroganoff-over-buttered-noodles-recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups beef stock

1 carrot, chopped

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cognac

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

1 (1-pound) package wide egg noodles

Directions

Heat the beef stock with the carrot, 3 thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Fry the meat in batches so that it is browned on all sides. Lower the heat to medium and return all the meat to the pot. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the cognac and cook until the alcohol has burned off, about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock, discarding the carrot, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Cook, partially covered, over a very low flame for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until the mushrooms are browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the meat is done, remove it from the heat and fold in the mushrooms, sour cream, mustard, and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain the noodles well, toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the stroganoff over the noodles; garnish with more sour cream and chopped parsley.