Quick Lemon Bread

Bread:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt

1/2 teaspoon lemon oil OR 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

Glaze:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

Mix the buttermilk or yogurt with the lemon juice and lemon oil, and set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugar until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture.  

Pour into the pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the glaze: While the bread is baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients to dissolve the sugar.

Remove the bread from the oven, and poke it all over with a cake tester, skewer, or other long, thin tool.  While the loaf is hot, drizzle it gradually with the glaze, stopping periodically to allow it to soak in.  Set it aside, and let it cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan, and allow it to cool completely before slicing.  The bread will keep for 5 days on the counter, covered.  Freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes one 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf.

From King Arthur Flour 

Maple-Oatmeal Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Dough:

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) boiling water

1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup (3 ounces) maple syrup, or honey

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour

1 2/3 cups (7 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling:

1 large egg white

2/3 cup (5 ounces) packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons (5/8 ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the boiling water, oats, butter, salt, and maple syrup or honey into a medium bowl, stir, and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.  

Mix the remaining dough ingredients with the oat mixture, and knead - by hand, mixer, or bread machine - until you've made a soft, smooth dough.  Place the dough in a lightly-greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour; the dough should be doubled in bulk.

Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Gently deflate the dough - it will be sticky, so oil your hands - and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.  Pat and roll it into a long 8x24-inch rectangle.

Prepare the filling: combine the egg white, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Spread the filling over the rolled-out dough.  Starting at a short end, roll the dough up, gently tucking in the edges to contain the filling as you go along.  Seal the seam, and pat and smooth the roll into a 9-inch log.  Place it in the prepared pan.  

Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow it to rise until it has crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 1/4 to to 2 hours.  Near the end of the bread's rising time, heat the oven to 350° F.

Uncover the pan and set it on a parchment-lined baking pan, to catch any potential filling overflow. Bake the bread for 50 to 55 minutes, tenting it loosely with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning.  The bread is done when it's golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 190° F. Remove it from the oven and, after 5 minutes, loosen the edges and turn it out onto a rack.  Brush with melted butter, if desired; this will keep the crust soft.  Cool the bread completely before slicing.

Makes one 9x5-inch loaf.

From Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur Flour

Roasted Butternut and Kale Salad

1/2 cup peeled, cubed butternut squash
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale (lacinato or dinosaur), ribs removed, leaves finely sliced, about 2 1/2 cups
1/4 cup almonds, cut roughly in half
Fresh lemon juice
Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss the squash cubes in just enough oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper.  Spread on the baking sheet, leaving space between each piece.  Roast in the oven until tender and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes, tossing with a spatula every 10 to 15 minutes.  Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the same oven until they start to smell nutty, tossing once, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Reduce oven heat to 350 F.  Spread kale on baking sheet or sheets, and roast until crispy, about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl,toss the kale with the almonds and squash.  Season to taste with lemon juice and olive oil, using about 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the salad between two bowls.  Garnish with shaved cheese and serve.

Serves 2.

From Food52 Genius Recipes by Kristen Milgore, via 101 Cookbooks, with changes

Crispy Roasted Kale

2 bunches curly kale (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Arrange 3 oven racks evenly spaced in the oven.

Lay each kale leaf on a board and, with a small sharp knife, cut out the hard stem.  Tear large leaves in half.  Place the kale in a large bowl of water and wash it well.  Drain the kale and dry it in a salad spinner.  Dry the bowl, and put the kale back in the bowl.

Toss the kale with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Divide the kale among 3 sheet pans or roast them in batches.  If you put too much kale on one pan, it will steam rather than roast and will never become crisp.  Roast for 15 minutes, until crisp. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve hot.

Serves 6.

From Ina Garten / Barefoot Contessa

Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower and Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets (reserve stems for another use or chop and include)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Two 14.5 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup pitted green olives – if they are a marinated variety, so much the better

Ricotta salata, pecorino, or parmesan cheese

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Put a large, covered pot of well-salted water on to boil.

Toss the cauliflower with two tablespoons of the olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt.  Roast in oven, tossing occasionally, until completely tender and browned in many spots, at least 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and reserve.

Meanwhile, place large skillet over medium heat.  Add the remaining olive oil and, when it shimmers, add the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender (but don’t clean the skillet).  Add the tomatoes, cream, chili flakes, smoked paprika if using, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the blender.  Blend at high speed until perfectly smooth.  Return to skillet and bring to a simmer over very low heat.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Boil the rigatoni according to package directions.  When it is almost al-dente, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain and add to the sauce.  Add the cauliflower and olives and mix gently.  Taste and make any final adjustments to the seasoning.  If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with some of the reserved pasta water.

Divide the pasta among the serving bowls (or place in a large family-sized bowl).  Add several thin shavings of cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

From Herbivoracious, with minor changes