Digmom3's Monkey Bread

Sumbitted by BeachBum! And it doesn't look like any monkeys are actually harmed in the making of this bread. Thanks, guys.

• 1/2 cup pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• 3 10oz cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10" bundt pan. If desired, sprinkle pecans in the bottom of prepared pan. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Cut biscuits in half (or even quarters). Roll each piece in cinnamon sugar mixture and layer in pan. Combine brown sugar and butter, pour over the dough. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving platter.

Mystery Contributor's Carrots in Dill Butter

My very favorite carrots-as-side-dish recipe. By Michele O'Sullivan, courtesy of allrecipes.com.

8 carrots, in 1-inch slices
(or, about 40 baby carrots)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar (white or brown, you choose)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill seeds

Throw everything in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until just tender. Devour.

blue lucia's basic lentil & sausage stew

A basic lentil & sausage stew. As written, it is very mild, stick-to-your-ribs type comfort food. Very adaptable and flexible dish, throw in whatever veggies and spices suit your fancy. I never make it the same twice!

16 oz green lentils, rinsed well
2 lbs kielbasa, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
14-oz can beef broth
3 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Throw everything in the crockpot, cook for 8 hours. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve with sourdough rolls. Leftovers freeze well.

Suggested additions/alterations: portobello mushrooms, apples, yams, red potatoes, water chestnuts, jicama, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatos, onion, baby spinach, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, dill, mint, lemon zest.... you get the picture.

jophan's Port and PrunesRecipe for MartianIceQueen

jophan found this online for MartianIceQueen. Thanks, jophan! This recipe is from Food & Wine, and there was a comment in the instructions that it's the perfect recipe for a clay cooker.

• 1 package pitted prunes
• 1 bottle port
• 2 pork filets -- butterflied
• 1/2 pound chorizo
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 2 carrots -- grated
• 2 cloves garlic -- minced
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• Salt & Pepper
• Juice of one small lemon
• 1 egg

Soak prunes in port wine for at least 12 hours.

Pound pork filets until thin. Salt and pepper lightly.

Saute chorizo, onions, celery, carrots and garlic until vegies and chorizo are soft. You might want to drain the fat from the chorizo.

Combine bread crumbs, egg and lemon juice and incorporate vegie/chorizo mixture.

Lay pork filets on a work surface and spread out stuffing mixture. Roll and tie.

Cover rolled pork filets with port and prunes. Place in clay cooker (which has been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes) in cold oven and set temp at 500. Bake for one hour. (You can also cook it in a regular roasting pan with a cover.)

Check at 30 minutes, you may need to add water. Baste pork periodically to give it a golden brown color.

Slice into 1 inch pieces and serve with port sauce and prunes.

Zalgon 26 McGee's Blue Cheese Steakettes

A recipe invented by Zalgon 26 McGee & which he offers as a wonderful way to die of both cholesterol & great taste.

Take a fresh round steak, and with a great deal of care, partially freeze it and then slice it into four thin slices, which should end up to be about 4"x8".

Tenderize them down to 5"x10", and then pound a mixture of blue-cheese and garlic into them with the tenderizer.

Roll them up super-tight, and quickly pan-fry them until they're brown on all sides.

Tie them with a little bit of string, and let them finish cooking in a pot of spaghetti sauce for about two hours.

When served, they make a nice big bundle on the top of everyones plate of spaghetti. They can be sliced up thin and arranged nicely on the plate, too, if you want, but they're usually TOO tender for that. Personally, I cut it up into four or five bigger pieces and just eat it like that.

Peanut-Crusted Fish Fillets with Fried Bananas (for MartianIceQueen)

This is one of the odder sounding recipes, perhaps, but a lot of the reviews mentioned that skeptical spouses, children & others who were grossed out by the concept ended up loving the dish. A lot of people warned that while absolutely delicious, the finished dish looks messy & completely inelegant - not something to make if you want to impress someone with fancy food presentation.

Personally, I think plaintains (though you'd want them ripe) would work well with this dish, too. Very popular dish - extremely high marks. Suggestions include: use a mix of macadamia nuts & peanuts; mix in a small amount of bread crumbs with nut mixture so it clings to fish better; make sure to chop nuts very finely; increase cumin (lots of people said this).

• 2 unripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• two 6- to 8-ounce skinless flounder or orange roughy fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice plus lime wedges as an accompaniment

Peel the bananas and cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a large ovenproof skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, in the fat sauté the banana slices for 1 minute on each side, or until they are golden, and transfer them with a spatula to a plate. Pat the fish dry and sprinkle it with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Have ready in separate shallow dishes the egg beaten with the salt and the peanuts. Dip each fillet in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, and dredge it in the peanuts. To the skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, heat it over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, and in it sauté the fillets for 3 minutes. Turn the fillets, top them with the banana slices, and sauté them for 2 minutes more. Drizzle the fish with the lime juice, transfer the skillet to the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven, and bake the fish for 5 minutes. Transfer the fillets with a spatula to 2 heated plates and serve them with the lime wedges.

Chicken Curry with Pineapple (for MartianIceQueen)

People loved this, but had lots of suggestions/comments: grated fresh ginger much better than the ground ginger; canned pineapple works just as well; add some garam marsala; add a little nutmeg & cloves; add plain yogurt to thicken the sauce.

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• a 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 carrots, chopped coarse
• a 14- to 16-ounce can whole tomatoes including the juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
• cayenne to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• cooked rice as an accompaniment

In a heavy kettle heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it brown the chicken, patted dry, in batches, transferring it as it is browned to a bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and in the remaining fat cook the onion over moderate heat, stirring, until it is golden. Add the garlic, the turmeric, the coriander, the cumin, the cinnamon, and the ginger and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the carrots, the tomatoes with the juice, the broth, and the chicken including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate, boil the sauce until it is thickened slightly, and stir in the pineapple, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, stir in the chicken and the parsley, and serve the curry over the rice.

Spicy Pork & Kumquat Stir-Fry (for MartianIceQueen)

Not too many reviewers suggested changes, except for kumquat substitutions (generally snow peas) which rather ruins the point of the fruit recipe! A couple people did warn that this was really hot & recommended cutting back a little on the hot oil and the five spice powder.

• 1 pound 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops (about 6) cut
• crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder*
• 5 ounces kumquats, quartered lengthwise, seeded
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hot chili oil or chili sesame oil*
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup canned chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Blend first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Combine kumquats and sugar in small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring kumquat mixture occasionally.

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ginger and stir 1 minute. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until pork is just cooked through, separating pork strips, about 3 minutes. Add kumquat mixture, broth and vinegar and stir until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Endive, Stilton & Pear Tart (for MartianIceQueen)

Another recipe with rave reviews. For those who don't want to deal with the puffed pastry, one reviewer recommended baking everything in a small casserole dish, then serving it warm as a spread for crackers. Which is how I might try it. Puffed pastry hates me. So does fillo dough. People didn't really have any other changes, but many recommended that you thoroughly drain the endive.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 heads Belgian endive, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 large pears, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (2 sheets)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend (glaze)
• 1 cup crumbled Stilton cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add endive, shallots and curry; sauté until endive is golden, about 8 minutes. Add pears and vinegar and cook until pears are tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place both pastry sheets on lightly floured work surface. Cut one 9-inch round from each pastry sheet. Place 1 round on heavy cookie sheet. Brush pastry with egg. Stir cheese and chives into endive mixture. Arrange endive mixture atop pastry round, leaving 1/2-inch border. Cover with remaining pastry round. Press and crimp edges to seal. Brush tart with egg. Using small sharp knife, cut small hole in center of tart. Freeze 10 minutes.

Bake tart until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let tart stand 1 hour before serving.

Red-Wine-Braised Duck Legs with Roasted Pears & Onions (for Martian IceQueen)

This one is cool because a lot of the reviewers said the best part of it was the pear & onion side dish that you serve with the duck. So, if you don't like duck or want to make something simpler, you can just make the pear part of the recipe. People raved about this one, by the way. Reviewer suggestions: mix in some oil with the butter to prevent burning; marinate duck overnight; have friends over for a Pinot Noir wine tasting & serve this dish.

• 4 large duck legs* (about 2 3/4 pounds total, cut from two 5 1/2- to 6-pound ducks)
• a 750-ml. bottle light fruity red wine such as Pinot Noir (about 3 1/4 cups)
• a bouquet garni of 10 lightly crushed juniper berries**, 3 whole cloves, a 4 by 1 inch strip orange zest, and 1 bay leaf tied together in a cheesecloth bag
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large onion , cut 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large fresh parsley sprigs plus 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

For roasted pears and onions

• 3 medium onions, halved or quartered
• 2 ripe Bosc pears
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a beurre manié made by rubbing together 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Trim excess fat from duck legs, reserving fat for the sautéed kale. In a large bowl marinate duck legs in wine with bouquet garni, covered and chilled, 2 hours.

Transfer legs to a plate, reserving wine and bouquet garni. In a heavy kettle large enough to hold legs in one layer heat oil over moderately high heat until hot. Pat legs dry with paper towels and season with salt. Cook legs, skin sides down, 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from kettle as it rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully pouring it off). Turn legs and cook until browned on other side, about 2 minutes, transferring as browned to a plate.

Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from kettle and sauté vegetables with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add duck legs, skin sides up, with parsley sprigs and reserved wine and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Braised duck legs may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mixture over low heat, adding 1/3 cup water, before proceeding with duck preparation.

Make roasted pears and onions during last hour of duck braising:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a shallow baking pan large enough to hold onions and pears in one layer melt butter in oven and swirl pan to coat. Add onion halves, cut sides down, and quarters, and bake 30 minutes. Add pears, cut side down, to pan and bake 20 minutes, or until pears and onions are tender and lightly browned. In a cup stir together lemon juice, honey, and salt and add to onions and pears, tossing to coat.

Transfer duck legs to a warm plate and keep warm, covered with foil. Discard parsley sprigs and bouquet garni and strain liquid into a 1-quart measuring cup, reserving vegetables. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. Return liquid to kettle and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups. Add beurre manié, a little at a time, whisking, and boil 2 minutes. Stir reserved vegetables and minced parsley into sauce and heat through if necessary.

Serve duck legs, with sauce spooned over them and garnished with parsley sprigs, with roasted pears and onions.

Chicken with Peaches & Jalapenos (for MartianIceQueen)

This recipe was generally popular, and not too many changes were suggested. Reviewers did say, though, that frozen peaches worked just as well & recommended using boneless, skinless chicken instead.

• 2 whole chicken breasts with skin and bones (about 2 pounds total), halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 firm-ripe peaches, quartered
• 3 medium onions, quartered lengthwise
• 6 jalapeño chilies, quartered lengthwise and seeded (wear rubber gloves)
• 6 large garlic cloves
• 1 lemon, quartered

Accompaniment: basmati rice

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and arrange, skin sides up, in an 18- by 11 1/2-inch roasting pan. Drizzle chicken with oil and roast 20 minutes. Scatter peaches, onions, jalapeños, garlic, and lemon over and around chicken.

Reduce temperature to 375° F. and roast chicken, covered with foil, 30 minutes more. Remove foil and roast chicken, basting occasionally with pan juices, until peaches and onions are soft, about 30 minutes more. Transfer chicken mixture to a platter, spooning any pan juices over it.

Serve chicken with rice.

Chicken with Sauteed Pears & Rosemary (for MartianIceQueen)

The reviews for this at Epicurious were great, people were almost crazed in their admiration of this recipe. A bunch of them did mention, though, that the sauce was a little too sweet & recommended that instead of 2 cups of apple juice, you substitute 1 cup of apple juice & 1 cup of chicken broth.Other reviewer recommendations: simmer sauce longer so that it thickens; double amount of pears; use olive oil instead of vegetable oil; substitute sage for the thyme, which might be fun to try for a different flavor; use more red pepper if you like it spicier; use pork instead of chicken; serve over polenta; add cinammon to the pears.

• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1 Bosc pear, quartered, cored, thinly sliced

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup Marsala

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add apple juice, red wine, vinegar, rosemary, thym and crushed red pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Strain mixture into small saucepan; discard solids. Add cream a simmer until reduced to sauce consistency, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 2 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pear slices; sauté until tender and golden brown, about 8 minutes. (Sauce and pears can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover seperately and refrigerate. Rewarm pears over medium-low heat before serving.)

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sauté until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add Marsala and bring to boil. Stir in reserved sauce, turning chicken once to coat. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

Divide chicken among 4 plates. Spoons some sauce around chicken on each plate. Garnish with pear slices.

Gorgonzola & Red Pear Risotto (for MartianIceQueen)

Very popular recipe. Suggestions from reviewers include: using more gorgonzola; add broth mixture a little at a time for a creamier texture; add shitake mushrooms;

• 3 1/2 cups (about) canned vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
• 1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1 ripe unpeeled red-skinned pear, halved, cored, diced

Bring vegetable broth and white wine to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; keep mixture warm.

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add all but 1/2 cup broth mixture to rice. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring often. Mix in sage. Cook until rice is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, adding remaining broth mixture 1/4 cupful at a time if risotto is dry, about 5 minutes longer. Mix in Gorgonzola and pear. Cook until cheese melts and pear is heated through,about 1 minute. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper.

Pinon (for MartianIceQueen)

I'd never heard of Pinon before, so I looked it up & it's either a classic Cuban or Puerto Rican savory pie. Both cultures seemed to stake an equal claim. Anyone of Cuban or Puerto Rican ancestry in the Hizzy who can chime in on this? ;) Regardless, though, it sounds amazing - I loooove platanos, so am going to have to try this at some point.

Some interesting suggestions from Epicurious reviews: if you don't like olives, subsitute capers; add a chipotle pepper & some chili powder for more heat; cook plaintains in microwave for a healthier version - 4 minutes per plaintain; use vegetarian ground beef substitute for a healthier and/or vegetarian version.

• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 small green bell pepper
• 1/2 small red bell pepper
• a 14- to 16-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup drained pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground achiote (optional)
  

• 6 semi-ripe (yellow with some spots) plantains
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cut onion and bell peppers into 1/4-inch dice. Drain whole tomatoes, reserving juice, and chop. Halve olives crosswise.

Heat a large nonstick skillet until hot and crumble beef into skillet. Sauté beef over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, black pepper, onion, and bell peppers and sauté, stirring, until vegetables are softened, any juices are evaporated, and meat begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with reserved juice, olives, and remaining filling ingredients and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Cool filling uncovered. Filling may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Cut ends from plantains and peel fruit. Diagonally cut plantains into 1/3-inch-thick slices. In a large nonstick skillet heat 1/3 cup oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté plantains in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil to skillet as necessary. With a slotted spatula transfer plantains as fried to paper towels to drain.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 2 1/2-quart baking dish (about 1 1/2 inches deep).

In a small bowl beat together eggs and water and pour half of mixture into baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Arrange about one third plantains over bottom and up sides of baking dish tightly in one layer. Spread half of filling in dish and sprinkle with half of Parmesan. Arrange half of remaining plantains on top of Parmesan in one layer. Top plantains with remaining filling and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Top pie with remaining plantains. Pour remaining egg mixture over pie, tilting dish so egg spreads to edges.

Bake pie, covered with foil, in middle of oven until heated through and bubbling at edges, about 1 hour. Cool pie 10 minutes. (If desired, unmold before serving: Run a thin knife around edge of pie, invert a serving plate on top of pie, and invert pie onto serving plate.)

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Blood Oranges (for MartianIceQueen)

Epicurious recommends serving this over couscous. Popular recipe, though there was a bit of a flame war! Some of the reviewers got very annoyed with each other - tres amusing. Anyway, suggestions/comments include: you can use regular or mandarin oranges if you can't find blood oranges; kick up the spices - increase amounts listed here, and add fresh garlic & cumin as well; substitute cilantro for the parsley.

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 1/2 pounds o-bone (round-bone) lamb shoulder chops, well trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 pounds lamb stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/3 cups water
  

• 2 large blood oranges
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon honey

Mix salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice in medium bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat with spice mixture. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Return all lamb to pot. Add onion, garlic and ginger to pot and sauté 5 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate peel from blood oranges and reserve. Cut all remaining peel and white pith from oranges and discard. Coarsely chop oranges. Add oranges and grated peel to lamb. Cover and simmer until lamb is very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in parsley and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples & Potatoes (for MartianIceQueen)

Brandy, apples and cream add a taste of France's Normandy region to this entrée. Well-reviewed and popular on Epicurious. Some recommendations included: adding oregano as well; making a day in advance to let the flavors meld; brown chicken before coating with flour.

• 3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 8 ounces parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 3/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples (about 2 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  

• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer parsnips to small bowl. Add potatoes and apples to same pot. Cover; simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and apples to large bowl; add 3 tablespoons butter. Mash until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour broth mixture from pot into medium bowl; reserve pot.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and 4 teaspoons thyme; dust with flour. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in reserved pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sautéed chicken to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. Top with parsnips, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and peas. Return broth mixture to same pot; add brandy and whipping cream. Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken. Cover with potato-apple mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole uncovered until potato topping is crusty and chicken filling is heated through, about 35 minutes (about 45 minutes if refrigerated).

Ham and Peach Kebabs (for MartianIceQueen)

Not too many suggestions from Epicurious reviewers - but it sounds like you can skip the mustard (but why would you want to?!?) and that adding a little balsamic vinegar is yummy.

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 8- to 10-ounce ham steak (1/2 inch thick), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk marmalade, oil, mustard and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Alternate ham pieces and peach chunks on 4 metal skewers. Brush with marmalade glaze. Sprinkle with pepper. Grill until ham is slightly charred and fruit is softened, turning and brushing often with glaze, about 6 minutes.

Cumin-Crusted Lamb with Apricots (for MartianIceQueen)

These flavors and aromas transport me to Marrakesh, where our friend Latif, son of the late imam of the great mosque there, guided us through the bustling and mysterious spice markets. Here's how I've recaptured the memory: a boned leg of lamb is stuffed with intensely flavored dried apricots, high in beta-carotene and potassium, then rubbed with aromatic cumin. Buy your cumin from a Middle Eastern market or spice store for the most flavorful results.

7 pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied by the butcher (net weight about 4 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/2 pound large good-quality dried apricots

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove all visible fat from the lamb.

In a small skillet, put cumin powder plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the aroma rises. Let cool.

Place apricots in a bowl. Pour boiling water over apricots to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes to plump. Drain thoroughly.

Open lamb and place on a work surface so that it remains flat. Sprinkle lamb with half the cumin-salt mixture and freshly ground black pepper.

Place drained apricots in a long, overlapping row, lengthwise down the center of the lamb. Roll lamb tightly around the apricot filling. Using heavy string, tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.

Rub roast with remaining cumin-salt mixture. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Coat a large shallow roasting pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Place roast in pan. Roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 135°F for medium-rare.

Remove roast from oven. Place on a large cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Pour off almost all the fat from the roasting pan and pour in the boiling water, scraping up browned bits. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into saucepan.

Carve lamb into thick slices. Add any juices from board to saucepan. Heat briefly, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour over lamb.

Fettuccine with Figs, Rosemary & Pancetta (for MartianIceQueen)

Egg fettuccine, rather than regular durum pasta, makes all the difference in this dish. It's usually sold curled in nests or loose in trays.

Hugely popular & well-reviewed recipe at Epicurious. Suggestions/comments include: use more rosemary; add sundried tomatoes; go easy on salt - pancetta is very salty; good with spinach fettuccine; normal bacon works if you can't find pancetta; people used all sorts of different figs from fresh to dried & it all seemed good; add chopped baby arugula.

• 3 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 oz sliced pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or to taste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 lb firm-ripe fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 3/4 lb dried egg fettuccine

Accompaniment: freshly grated parmesan

Tear bread into pieces and pulse in a blender or food processor until reduced to coarse crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pancetta, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and stir in broth, figs, parsley, half of pancetta, and lemon juice.

Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

Add fettuccine to fig mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat, tossing gently and adding more cooking water if mixture becomes dry, until just heated through.

Serve pasta topped with bread crumbs and remaining pancetta.

Pan-Grilled Sausages with Apples and Onions (for MartianIceQueen)

Extremely popular & well reviewed at Epicurious - might be the most popular dish I found today, actually. I'm definitely trying this myself. Comments/suggestions include: fresh sausage much better choice than pre-cooked; chicken sausage a good, healthier substitution; cut down on sweetness by halving the amount of apple cider & adding half a cup of chicken broth; serve with potato pancakes; good with chorizo sausage; add cabbage.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 fully cooked sausages (13 ounces total)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium-size tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until beginning to brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add onion and apple to sausages in pan; cook until onion and apple are tender and brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add apple cider and chopped sage; increase heat to high and stir until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using slotted spoon, transfer onion and apple to 2 plates, dividing equally. Top with sausages. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter into cider mixture. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over sausages and serve.