Garlic-Herb Potato and Green Bean Salad

2 pounds small or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
Pickled red onions, to taste

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cloves roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (from about 1/2 cup packed leaves)
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Add the halved potatoes to a large pot. Cover with 1 inch of cold water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the green beans for the last 2 minutes, or until they are just tender but still snappy. Transfer the potatoes and beans to a colander, run cold water over them, then leave to drain and cool.

Place the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, roasted garlic, black pepper, and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Whisk in the chopped herbs.

Mix together the potatoes, green beans, and pickled onions in a large bowl Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Serves 6.

Assembled from various recipes

Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough

5 cups (22.5 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 teaspoons table salt or 31/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil or solid vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon room-temperature water (70°F)
 
With a large metal spoon, stir together all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer until combined. Fit it with the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until all the flour gathers to form a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again on medium-low speed for an additional 2 minutes, or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and sticks just a little to the bottom. If the dough is too soft and sticky to hold its shape, mix in more flour by the tablespoonful; if it is too stiff or dry, mix in more water by the tablespoonful. The dough should pass the windowpane test.
 
Immediately divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Round each piece into a ball and brush or rub each ball with olive or vegetable oil. Place each ball inside its own zippered freezer bag. Let the balls sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then put them in the refrigerator overnight or freeze any pieces you will not be using the next day. (Or, if you are making the pizzas on the same day, let the dough balls sit in the bags at room temperature for 1 hour, remove them from the bags, punch them down, reshape them into balls, return them to the bags, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.)
 
The next day (or later the same day if refrigerated for only 2 hours), remove the balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to roll them out to take off the chill and to relax the gluten. At this point, you can hold any balls you don’t want to use right away in the refrigerator for another day, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
 
Makes four 10-ounce dough balls.

By Peter Reinhart

Double Chocolate Biscotti

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
 
Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and stir on low speed until just combined.

Dust a work surface with flour. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sticky dough out onto the work surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough ball (if it's still too sticky, dust with a bit more flour) and cut in half. Form the dough pieces into two short logs by rolling back and forth. Place the logs onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into longer logs about 3/4 inch high and 2 inches wide. Allow enough space for the logs to spread a few inches while they bake. Bake for about 35 minutes, until firm to the touch. Let the biscotti logs cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, or until just cool enough to touch (if you wait any longer, the biscotti will be difficult to cut); then, using a sharp knife, slice the logs on the diagonal into 3/4-inch slices. They will crumble just a bit but don't worry about it. Turn the biscotti on their sides so that the cut sides are down and place back in the oven for 10 minutes to dry and crisp up. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 30 biscotti.

From Once Upon a Chef blog

Note: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Shape the dough into logs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer, thaw the dough until pliable, and then proceed with recipe. To freeze after baking, after the cookies are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade

1 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
8 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
 
Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Let chill for 1 hour. Then strain the syrup through a sieve over a bowl and discard the basil.
 
Place watermelon in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour watermelon puree through a fine sieve into a large bowl, reserving liquid. Discard solids.
 
Combine watermelon liquid, basil syrup, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Chill.
 
Garnish with fresh lemon slices and basil sprigs when serving.
 
Serves 6.
 
From Just a Pinch blog

Strawberry Oatmeal Cookie Cobbler

Strawberry filling:
6-7 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, halved (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 
Cookie topping:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 
Heat the oven to 350° F.
 
Make the strawberry filling:
Combine the strawberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, and butter in a large, oven-safe skillet set over high heat. Bring the berries to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes until their juices are bubbling. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, tossing to combine.
 
Make the cookie topping:
In a bowl, whisk together 8 tablespoons of melted butter, brown sugar, an egg, and vanilla. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
 
Sprinkle the cookie dough over the fruit. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
 
Serves 8.
 
From Half-Baked Harvest blog

Red Lentil and Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup red lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated 
1/2 pound mushrooms (shiitake or cremini), sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons miso paste (or 1 tablespoon tahini and 2 tablespoons soy sauce)

Baby spinach leaves (optional)
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Sliced green onions, for garnish

Rinse the lentils, then set aside.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and then stir in the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 1 minute or until the shallot softens, and then stir in the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften.

Add the vegetable stock and miso (or tahini and soy sauce). Stir to completely dissolve the miso (or tahini), then increase heat to high, bringing the broth to a moderate boil. Stir in the lentils. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. As it cooks, stir the soup occasionally so the lentils don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add spinach leaves if desired and cook for another few minutes, until they are wilted.

Season with additional salt if desired and garnish with green onions.

Serves 4. 

From Food & Wine, with changes

Panko-Crusted Salmon with Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce

Panko-Crusted Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon - reserve juice for sauce)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 
Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup chicken broth (or dry white wine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
 
Heat oven to 425 F.
 
Prepare salmon. Arrange salmon fillets, skin side-down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper; mix well. Brush mixture evenly over salmon fillets. In a separate bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, fresh dill, lemon zest, and olive oil. Mix well to combine. Scatter panko topping evenly over salmon fillets, gently pressing to adhere. Bake until the crust is golden and salmon easily flakes with a fork, about 13 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness.
 
Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes, until softened. Add broth (or white wine) and gently simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced. Add heavy cream; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Stir in lemon juice and fresh dill. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
 
Assemble. Pour sauce on a serving platter (ideally a lipped platter with raised edges) and arrange salmon fillets overtop. Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Serves 4.

From Dishing Out Health blog