Glorious Gratin of Root Vegetables

This gratin is a delicious way to serve root vegetables available through the late fall and winter. It is perfect for Thanksgiving or other holiday events and is lovely as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course. Feel free to substitute any root vegetable for the ones listed here.
 
This recipes is adapted from my favorite cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," by Deborah Madison.

Butter for the dish
Bechamel for Gratins (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon butter
12 ounces yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into juilienne
12 ounces turnips, peeled and julienned
8 ounces carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-quart gratin dish.
 
Cook the bechamel sauce (recipe below).
 
While the bechamel is cooking, cook the onions in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, about 8 minutes.
 
Combine with the rest of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to gratin dish.
 
Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, cover with bread crumbs and bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 45 minutes.
 

Aromatic Bechamel for Gratins

2 cups milk
2 slices white or yellow onion
Aromatics: a few parsley sprigs, a few thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves plus 1 garlic clove, crushed -- (tie the aromatics in a cheesecloth or put loose in the pan)
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, slowly heat the milk with the onions, aromatics and garlic. When it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and set aside.
 
In another heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
 
Whisk in the hot milk at once, including the aromatics.  Cook until thickened, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes.  Check from time to time and stir to be sure the sauce does not scorch or cook too quickly. You want this to cook at a slow, easy simmer.
 
Discard the aromatics, season with salt and pepper.  The bechamel is now ready to use!

Healthy Holiday Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves.

Give the second loaf away, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. Ground flaxseed and water add moisture to the batter for a smooth-textured bread.

14.6 ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 cups)

2  teaspoons  salt

2  teaspoons  baking soda

1  teaspoon  baking powder

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1  teaspoon  pumpkin pie spice

1/2  cup  water

1/3  cup  ground flaxseed (ground in blender or coffee/spice mill)

1  (15-ounce) can pumpkin

2  cups  sugar

2/3  cup  canola oil

2/3  cup  honey beer (at room temperature)

1/2  cup  egg substitute

2  large eggs
 

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Combine flour, salt, and next 4 ingredients (through pumpkin pie spice) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.


Combine 1/2 cup water and flaxseed.


Place sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flaxseed mixture and pumpkin; beat at low speed just until blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined.

Divide batter between 2 (9 x 5–inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine 2008

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mission Fig Sauce

Serves 4

For Fig Sauce

2 ½ cups port (such as Tawny port)

1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth

8 dried black Mission figs, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the port, chicken broth, figs, rosemary, cinnamon, and honey.

Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Discard the rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks.

Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
Blend in the butter, salt and pepper.

Note: The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Warm over medium heat before using.





For the pork

Two pork tenderloins, roughly 1 ½ to 2 pounds each

Salt and pepper

Olive oil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork with salt and pepper.  
Put a small amount of olive oil in a large sauté pan and bring to medium high heat.

Sear the pork tenderloin in the pan, browning the meat quickly on all sides.

Place the pork in a baking dish and roast for 25 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the tenderloin.




Cut the pork crosswise into slices. Drizzle with warm fig sauce and serve.



Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Baked Halibut with Potatoes, Garlic and Olive Oil -- Genoese Style

Serves 6

From Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cuisine

1½ pounds boiling potatoes (such as Yukon Gold)
A bake and serve dish, approximately 10 by 16 inches, preferably enameled cast iron ware
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 halibut fillets, approximately 1 pound each, or the equivalent of other thick, firm fish fillets (such as bluefish, sea bass or sable)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the potatoes and slice them very thin, barely thicker than chips. Wash them in cold water, then pat them thoroughly dry with a cloth kitchen towel.

Put all the potatoes into the baking dish, half of the olive oil, half the garlic, half the parsley, and several liberal pinches of salt and black pepper. Toss the potatoes 2 or 3 times to coat them well, then spread them evenly over the bottom of the dish.

When the oven reaches the preset temperature, put the potatoes in the uppermost third of the oven and roast them for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are about halfway done.

Take out the dish, but do not turn off the oven.  Put the fish fillets over the potatoes (skin side down if you have left the skin on).  Mix the remaining olive oil, garlic and parsley in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the fish, distributing it evenly.  Sprinkle with liberal amounts of salt and pepper.  Return the dish to the oven.

After 10 minutes, take the dish out, but do not turn off the oven.  Use a spoon to scoop up some of the oil at the bottom of the dish and baste the fish with it.  Loosen those potatoes that have become browned and are stuck to the sides of the dish, moving them away. Push into their place slices that are not so brown. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow to settle for a few minutes.  Serve directly from the baking dish, scraping loose all the potatoes stuck to the sides – they are the most delectable bits – and pouring the cooking juices over each portion of fish and potatoes.

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemons

This roast chicken is so delicious and easy. The meat is moist and juicy with just the faintest hint of lemon. It is earthy and elegant and the perfect main course for a busy weeknight meal.

4- 6 servings

1 whole chicken
2 lemons
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rub chicken inside and out with kosher salt and pepper (liberal amounts).

Pierce 2 small lemons 30 - 40 times each and put in cavity of chicken.

Place chicken breast side down on rack inside a large roasting pan and roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes

Rotate chicken breast side up, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour.

Test for doneness and let rest a few minutes before serving.