Herby Lemony Orzo Salad

4 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, water, or combination
1 1/2 cups orzo
2 large handfuls baby spinach or arugula leaves, chopped 
1 15-ounce can chickpeas/garbanzo beans or white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cucumber, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
1-2 lemons, zested and juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pour the broth/water into a heavy, large saucepan - add salt if using only water.  Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the orzo.  Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes.  Drain the orzo through a strainer.  Transfer orzo to a large bowl and toss until it cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Add remaining ingredients to bowl.  Toss evenly until combined.  Taste and season with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, or more to taste, and also add more lemon juice if desired.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Recipe combined from GimmeSomeOven blog and Giada De Laurentis from the Food Network

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

1 cup apple cider
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream

Cook cider in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool completely.  Refrigerate up to 1 week.  To reheat, microwave at high 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

From Southern Living

Sticky Fruity Upside-Down Cake

Topping:
1 apple or firm pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 cup dried blueberries, currants, cranberries, or raisins
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg or equivalent egg substitute

1 tablespoon apple or pear jam preserves (optional)

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Heat the oven to 400° F.

To make the topping, grease a 9-inch round cake pan well with butter.  Lay the fruit slices across the bottom and sprinkle evenly with the dried fruit.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the brown sugar and butter together until the mixture is foaming and the sugar has dissolved.  Pour the sugar-butter mixture over the fruit.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.  In a larger bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla.  Add egg, and preserves if using, and beat well.

At low speed, mix in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and mixing until just combined.  When fruit is baked, remove from oven and spoon batter into the baking pan, spreading it evenly across the fruit and smoothing the top.  

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Invert a flat platter over the baking pan and, holding them together, invert quickly and carefully.  Lift off the baking dish.  

Serves 4 to 8 people.

Assembled by me from various recipes.

Salted-Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/8 cups (301 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup (198 grams) light brown sugar

1/2 cup (99 grams) granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Fleur de sel (or other sea salt), for sprinkling over caramel 

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined.  Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream.  Microwave on high until the caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds.  This will take about 2 minutes.

Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Pour the hot caramel over the dough cookie dough and spread into an even layer, leaving about ½ inch around the border.  Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt.  Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the caramel and gently spread the dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered.  

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan.  Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the caramel layer to set.  Cut into squares and serve.  Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 16 bars.

From BrownEyedBaker.com

No-Soak Instant Pot Black Beans

1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups, no need to soak)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups water

Rinse and drain the beans and pick out any stones or bad, cracked-looking beans. Set aside.

Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and salt.  Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Stir in the cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and garlic and cook until the spices are very fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the water and beans and stir.  Cover and seal the Instant Pot.  Cook on HIGH pressure for 35 minutes.  When the timer goes off, allow the steam to release naturally for 20 additional minutes. Remove the lid.  Remove the bay leaves and discard them. 

Notes: To store, let the beans cool completely and divide into containers of desired size. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 or more months.

If you'd like the beans to have a completely neutral flavor so that you can swap them into recipes that call for canned black beans, omit all ingredients but the water, beans, and salt. Follow recipe according to the directions above.

Makes 6 cups.

From WellPlated.com

Buttermilk Cornbread

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375 F.  Grease an 8-inch square pan, unless planning to bake the cornbread in a skillet.

Melt butter in a large skillet or pan.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar.  Quickly add eggs and beat until well-blended.  Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into the mixture in the pan.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well-blended a few lumps remain.  Pour batter into the prepared pan (or bake in the skillet).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

From AllRecipes.com.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin

1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 pounds Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and both cut into 1-inch pieces (keep separated)

Pinch of nutmeg

2 cups heavy cream or whole milk

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons flour

2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese

Prep greens: Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened.  Add chard stems, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Increase heat to moderately high and add chard leaves by large handfuls, stirring, until all greens are wilted.  Season with salt and pepper, then transfer greens to a colander to drain well and press out liquid with back of a large spoon.

Make sauce: Combine cream or milk and garlic in small saucepan; bring to simmer, then keep warm.  Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour.  Cook roux, whisking, one minute, then slowly whisk in warm cream/milk and boil, whisking, one minute.  Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Heat oven to 400°F.  Butter deep 9×13 baking dish.  Spread half of sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a quarter of the thyme, and a 1/4 cup of the cheese.  Distribute half of the greens mixture over the cheese, then sprinkle another quarter of the herbs and 1/4 cup of the cheese over it.  Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers, then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese, and then the remaining greens and herbs.  Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, pressing the vegetables slightly to ensure that they are as submerged as possible.  Sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden and bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Do ahead: You can make the entire gratin but not bake it up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge.  You can also make and bake the gratin and reheat it. Gratins reheat well, but they take almost as much time to gently heat through as they do to bake in the first place, especially deep ones like this.

Serves 12.

From Smitten Kitchen, with very minor changes