Anise Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons aniseed
Cooking spray
Preparation
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking powder, stirring well with a whisk. Place sugar, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in butter. Gradually add flour mixture, almonds, and aniseed, beating until well blended (dough will be sticky).
Divide dough in half. Turn each half of dough out onto wax paper; shape each portion into an 8-inch roll. Wrap rolls in wax paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Unwrap rolls, and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each roll crosswise into 24 (3/8-inch) slices. Place slices on baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Turn slices over, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on wire rack.
Yogurt Cheese Torte
6 cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons sliced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced shallots
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Preparation
Place a colander in a large bowl. Line colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth, allowing cheesecloth to extend over outside edges.
Spoon yogurt into colander. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 12 hours. Spoon yogurt cheese into a medium bowl, and discard liquid. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Combine garlic and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Place half of yogurt cheese in a serving bowl; spread with half of herb mixture. Repeat with remaining cheese and herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate torte at least 12 hours and up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature.
Eggplant Caponata
1/4 cup golden raisins
6 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced seeded plum tomato
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 teaspoons capers
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 15 minutes; drain. Set aside.
Place eggplant in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Rinse well; pat dry with paper towels.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant; sauté 9 minutes or until well browned. Spoon eggplant into a large bowl; set aside.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until golden. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato; sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato mixture to eggplant.
Return pan to heat. Add sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in raisins, olives, and capers. Add eggplant mixture, stirring to combine. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Triangles
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 ounce)
1 pound button mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
24 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
Preparation
Cover porcini mushrooms with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain well; chop.
Place half of button mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped. Remove from processor. Repeat procedure with remaining button mushrooms. Add onion to processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add button mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates (about 10 minutes). Stir in porcini mushrooms, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in parsley.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying). Cut sheet in half lengthwise; lightly coat with cooking spray. Fold each phyllo piece in half lengthwise to form a (3 1/2-inch-wide) strip. Spoon a level tablespoon of mushroom mixture onto 1 short end of each strip, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, cooking spray, and mushroom mixture. Place triangles, seam side down, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops with cooking spray.
Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Spicy Meringue Kisses
If you don't have a piping bag and star tip, snip a corner from a large zip-top plastic bag, and use it to pipe meringue onto a baking sheet.
Ingredients
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of ground black pepper
Dash of ground cloves
Preparation
Preheat oven to 225 .
Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; secure with masking tape.
Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high; gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Add cinnamon and remaining ingredients; beat just until blended.
Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 60 mounds onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake meringues at 225° for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off, and cool meringues in closed oven for 1 1/2 hours or until dry. Carefully remove meringues from paper.
Pineapple Margarita
1/2 cup tequila
3 tablespoons triple sec
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Crushed ice
Lime slices (optional)
Preparation
Place first 5 ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice; shake vigorously until blended. Garnish with lime slice, if desired.
or
Blood Orange Sangria
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups apple juice
2/3 cup Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1/2 cup sugar
4 whole cloves
3 seedless blood oranges, each cut into 16 wedges
2 (750-milliliter) bottles fruity red wine
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Discard cloves and cinnamon sticks. Pour sangría into individual glasses, including the fruit.
or
Spiced Red Wine Sangria
Ingredients
1 cup apple juice
1/3 cup Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1/4 cup sugar
4 whole cloves
3 blood oranges, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 Bartlett pear, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-milliliter) bottle fruity red wine
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove cloves and cinnamon sticks before serving