Swiss Chard and Artichoke Pizza

Pizza dough (or puff pastry, if you defrost that instead by mistake - hee hee)
6 to 8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced or shredded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic (or roasted garlic), minced
1 bunch Swiss chard (about 12 ounces or 4 packed cups of leaves), leaves and stalks separated and both chopped into small pieces
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and rinsed, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a 4-quart or larger pot.  Add onion and chopped Swiss chard stalks.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes; do not let the garlic brown.

Stir Swiss chard leaves and chopped artichoke hearts into onion mixture.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and let chard mixture cool slightly.  Stir in Parmesan. 

Shape the dough on a baking sheet/pizza pan.  Spread the chard mixture evenly over the dough, then top with mozzarella.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is starting to brown.  Slice and serve.

From Food 52.

Saucy Tahini Noodles with Honeyed Sweet Potatoes

2 small sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

Crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

8 ounces rice noodles or soba noodles

For tahini sauce:

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons chili paste (I use sambal oelek)

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced or grated

Juice from 1 lime

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 bunch kale, spinach, or bok choy, chopped

Sliced cucumbers and toasted sesame seeds, for serving

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.  On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Arrange in an even layer.  Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, until the potatoes are caramelized.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the greens to the sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Cook until wilted.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Make the tahini sauce:

Combine in a food processor the tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, chili paste, ginger, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water.  Pulse until combined and smooth, adding additional water as needed to thin the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the hot noodles.  Add the lime juice, basil, and cilantro, tossing to combine.

Divide the noodles between bowls.  Top with sweet potatoes and greens.  Sprinkle on sesame seeds and finish with cucumbers.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

From Half-Baked Harvest blog

Crunchy Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup (92g) vegetable shortening or 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter

1 cup (198g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups (227g) unbleached self-rising flour

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar or coarse white sparkling sugar, to garnish

Beat together the vegetable shortening/butter, sugar, and vanilla, until fluffy.

Mix in the egg, then the flour.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix again, until thoroughly combined.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes or longer, to make it less sticky and easier to work with.

Near the end of the chilling period, heat the oven to 375°F.  Grease or line with parchment two baking sheets.  Place 1/4 cup granulated or coarse white sparkling sugar in a bowl.  Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to make 1" to 1 1/2" balls.  Drop them into the sugar, then place the balls sugar side up onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2" between cookies; they’ll spread as they bake.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.  The cookies will puff up and look soft, but they’ll fall and become crisp/crunchy as they cool.

Remove the cookies from the oven.  Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.   Store well-wrapped cookies at room temperature for a week or so; freeze for longer storage.

Makes about 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

From King Arthur Flour

Note: Can also add 1/3 cup cocoa powder to make chocolate sugar cookies, or several tablepoons powdered dehydrated fruit for fruit flavor.

Jam-Filled Doughnut Muffins

For the muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 to 6 teaspoons jam or preserves

For the topping:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Make the muffins:

Heat oven to 350° F.  Grease 10 cavities of a standard muffin pan, or use muffin papers.

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.  In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with batter, leaving about 3 tablespoons of batter in the bowl.  Place about 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the center of each filled muffin cup.  Top with just enough of the reserved batter to cover the jam.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the muffins are set.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Make the topping:

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Brush the melted butter over the tops of each muffin. Dip each muffin, top-side down, into the cinnamon-sugar to coat.

Makes 10 muffins.

From Bake or Break blog, recipe slightly adapted from Taste magazine

Sundried Tomato Tapenade

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained

1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives

1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves (thyme and rosemary would work, too)

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil or reserved oil from tomatoes, plus more to loosen if needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste

Blend ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped and spreadable.  Mixture will be thick.  You can thin it with more olive oil if needed, but no need to make it thin like a sauce.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

From Smitten Kitchen blog

Miso-Glazed Turnips and Black Sesame Soba Noodles

For Creamy Black Sesame Dressing:

1/4 cup black sesame seeds

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

2 tablespoons rice wine or apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1-3 tablespoons water

For Miso-Glazed Turnips:

2 teaspoon miso paste

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinagar

2 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 bunch of baby turnips, halved, or regular medium-sized turnips, cut into bite-sized pieces

A few large handfuls of turnip greens (stems removed), spinach, chard, bok choy, or your choice of greens, chopped

1 package (3-ish servings) of soba noodles, cooked according to package instructions.

Thinly sliced spring onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Make dressing:

Add the sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor and grind into a paste.  Add the remaining dressing ingredients, except for water, and process for about 3 minutes or until creamy.  Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin, if necessary.  Taste and adjust with extra soy sauce or sweetener, if necessary.

Make turnips:

Whisk the miso, honey, and vinegar, together and set aside.

In a cast iron skillet, warm the butter or ghee and lay the turnips in it (cut-side-down, if using baby turnips).  Cook for a few minutes on medium heat, until they're just starting to brown, taking care not to burn the butter.  Toss the turnips and cook for another minute or two.

Add the miso mix to the turnips and toss for another minute (they will sizzle), until the liquid thickens and the turnips are slightly cooked (but not mushy) and nicely glazed.

Remove the turnips from the skillet, return skillet to heat, and add freshly washed and chopped greens. Some water on the greens helps with the wilting process, so it's good to wash them right before cooking.

Cover the skillet, remove from heat, and let it sit for a few minutes until the greens are wilted. Toss with any remaining miso sauce in the skillet.

Toss the soba noodles with all of the dressing and thin with a little bit of water, if necessary to get a creamy consistency.  Top with wilted greens, turnips, and garnishes.

From Honest Cooking website, recipe by Sofia Eydelman

Falafel Naan Wraps with Golden Rice and Yogurt Sauce

For golden rice:

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup long grain or basmati rice

For falafel:

1 cup chopped veggies, such as carrots, cauliflower, or broccoli

1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, drained + rinsed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (use a gluten-free flour, if needed)

1/4 cup raw sesame seeds

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, parsley, or oregano

Kosher salt and black pepper

Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

For yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1 clove garlic, grated (use 2 if you love garlic)

6 fresh naan or pitas, warmed

Shredded lettuce, cucumbers, and harissa sauce, for serving

To make the rice:

Melt the butter with turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium pot over high heat.  Add the rice and toss to coat.  Stir in 2 cups water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible.  Allow the rice to cook 15 minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely.  Let the rice sit, covered, for another 10 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!).  Fluff the rice with a fork.

To make the falafel:

Add the veggies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the chickpeas, flour, sesame seeds, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Pulse until the mixture is combined and mostly smooth.  Roll the dough into rounded teaspoon-size balls.

Add a few inches of oil to the bottom of a heavy pot.  Heat to 375 degrees F.  Fry the balls for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through.  Drain onto paper towels and then sprinkle lightly with salt.

To make the yogurt sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adding 1-2 tablespoons water if needed to thin the sauce.  Taste and season with salt.

To assemble:

Stuff the rice into the wraps and top with lettuce, falafels, and cucumber.  Drizzle the yogurt sauce and harissa over the falafels.  Enjoy!

Serves 6.

From Half-Baked Harvest blog, with very minor changes

Greek Lemon Chicken Bowls with Sizzled Mint Basil Yogurt Sauce

For chicken:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 small shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

For sizzled mint oil:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

For basil yogurt sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Juice from 1 lemon

1 jalapeño, halved and seeded

1 teaspoon cumin

Kosher salt

2-3 cups cooked orzo or couscous, for serving

1 roasted red pepper, sliced

8 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

Sliced avocado, Persian cucumbers, olives, and basil, for serving

Marinate chicken:
In a gallon size zip top bag, combine the chicken, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, paprika, oregano, shallots, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, and a large pinch of salt.  Marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Make mint oil:

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  When the oil shimmers, remove from the heat and stir in the mint, it will sizzle up. Then set aside.

Make basil yogurt sauce:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yogurt, basil, lemon juice, jalapeño, cumin, and a pinch of salt.  Process until smooth.

Cook chicken:
Set your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat.  Thread the chicken pieces on bamboo skewers that have been soaked for 30 minutes.  Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total.

Alternately, heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Roast the chicken on a baking pan for 20-30 minutes.

To serve:
Spread the yogurt sauce onto plates and drizzle with the mint oil.  Add the orzo, peppers, feta, avocado, cucumbers, olives, and chicken.  Sprinkle on some greens and herbs. Enjoy!

Serves 6.

From Half-Baked Harvest blog, with very minor changes