Preparation time: 1/2 hour; cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 8
20 lasagna noodles
2 large red peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded domestic mozzarella
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 quart half-and-half
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 pounds lump crab meat
1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced into thin discs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until they are nearly al dente. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Saute red peppers and onion in olive oil in fry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted, about 10 minutes. Make cheese mixture by combining ricotta cheese, domestic mozzarella, eggs, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Make bechamel sauce by combining butter and flour in a fry pan over medium-low heat. When butter and flour are a smooth paste, or roux, gradually stir in half-and-half and sherry. Whisk together for several minutes till smooth and heated through.
Assemble lasagna in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. Cover bottom of pan with a thin layer of bechamel, and layer on four noodles. Top this with sprinkled layer of cheese mixture, crab, pepper and onions, and douse with more bechamel.
Repeat layering, eventually using all the cheese, crab, pepper and onion, and ending with a layer of noodles. Top this with last bit of bechamel, and then cover all with discs of buffalo mozzarella.
Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, and uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Let sit outside oven for 10 minutes before serving.
These effortless little pickles make a perfect garnish for roast goose, pork, duck, ham or turkey and add a festive touch to holiday martinis.
Makes 2 1/2 -3 pints
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup water
5 to 6 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon peeled and roughly chopped fresh gingerroot
Combine all of the ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. To avoid cracking skin of berries, stir carefully, if at all. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pack cranberries into decorative glass jars or plastic containers. Cover with the liquid and seal. Pickled cranberries can be kept for several months in the refrigerator and improve with age.
Serves 6
1 disjointed 3 1/2 -pound fryer chicken
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon flour
2 quarts okra, sliced and chopped
water
salt and pepper, to taste
Wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Melt butter and saute chicken, onion and flour over medium-high heat in a tall stockpot until nicely browned. Add okra and 1 quart water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.
Simmer until okra is dissolved, about 2 1/2 hours, adding water occasionally to keep quantity the same. Remove chicken pieces, cool slightly and strip meat from bones. Return meat to soup. Season to taste.
Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "I would definitely add the tomato to the dish - it adds both flavor and visual interest (otherwise the resulting soup takes on a gray-green color that might not be universally appetizing).
"The basic gumbo is very satisfying and delicious, but a spicy-food fan might think of adding 1 tablespoon creole seasoning or a half-pound of sliced andouille sausage. Since fresh okra is not always easy to find, two 10-ounce packages of frozen, sliced okra could be substituted."
Makes 6 servings
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly cracked
1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted
1 teaspoon coarse salt
6 monkfish steaks (6 ounces each, 2 1/4 pounds total)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably canola
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place walnuts, pepper, cumin and salt in food processor and process, using on-off pulses until mixture looks powdery but not damp. Transfer to a shallow pan.
Place pieces of fish in nut mixture, turning to coat evenly. Gently press mixture into fish. Set aside.
Film oven-proof skillet with oil and place over medium-high heat. When very hot, add a piece of fish and sear about 2 minutes per side, until brown and crusty outside. Transfer to a 450-degree oven for about 5 minutes, until fish is firm but not overcooked. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 357 calories; 37 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 21 grams total fat (3 grams saturated fat); 118 milligrams cholesterol; 322 milligrams sodium
--Walnut Marketing Board
Makes about 24 cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (Grandma's preferred)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 tablespoon-size pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Combine 1 tablespoon of the flour with crystallized ginger in a small bowl and toss to coat; set aside. Combine the brown sugar, molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium-heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Immediately add the baking soda and stir as the mixture becomes thick and foamy and rises to the top of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the egg. Gradually stir in the remaining flour in 3 or 4 additions, adding the chopped ginger after the second addition. The dough will be stiff.
Scrape the dough onto a sheet of waxed paper and knead it briefly to mix well. Cool to room temperature. Adjust two oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with cooking parchment or silicone liners. Transfer the dough to an unfloured work surface and pat or roll it to a 3/8 -inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gather the scraps and pat them out again, and cut more cookies.
Bake for about 15 minutes, reversing the sheets from top to bottom and front to back once during baking, until cookies look puffy and feel soft; do not overbake. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then, with a wide metal spatula, carefully transfer them to racks to cool completely. Store airtight. These keep fresh for days.