Honey Ricotta Ice cream with Lavender

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms

3 cups fresh ricotta cheese (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1) Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 45 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in lavender. Let stand 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Cover and chill 1 hour.

2) Combine fresh ricotta cheese, honey, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. With processor on, slowly add lavender syrup through the food chute. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm.

*Makes 1 1/2 quarts* (Serving size: about 1/2 cup ice cream)

Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions:

1) Place 2 1/4 cups milk in a heavy-saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Combine 1/4 cup milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Slowly add the sugar mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cool 4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove pan from heat.

2) Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring remaining 1/2 cup milk just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour hot milk over chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Stir chocolate mixture until smooth. Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 2 hours.

3) Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

*Makes 1 1/2 quarts* (Serving size: 1/2 cup)

Rhubarb Phyllo Stacks with Maple

Ingredients for Phyllo stacks:

2 tablespoons butter

10 (14x9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

5 tablespoons maple sugar

Ingredients for Filling:

4 cups chopped rhubarb (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1/2 cup maple sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash of ground cloves

Dash of salt

1/3 cup whipping cream, chilled

2 teaspoons maple sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup fat-free sour crema

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) To prepare stacks, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3) Lightly dab 5 phyllo sheets with half of browned butter; sprinkle each sheet with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Stack layers together; gently press. Cut phyllo stack into 9(4 2/3x3-inch) rectangles. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, browned butter, and 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Place rectangles on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes until crisp. Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

4) To prepare filling; combine rhubarb and next 8 ingredients (through salt) in a large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Place half of rhubarb mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining rhubarb mixture. Cover and chill completely.

5) Place whipping cream, 2 teaspoons sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in sour cream. Fold whipped cream mixture into chilled rhubarb mixture.

6) Place 1 phyllo stack on a dessert plate. Layer stack with 1/4 cup rhubarb mixture, 1 phyllo stack, 1/4 cup rhubarb mixture, and 1 phyllo stack. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo stacks and rhubarb mixture. Serve immediately.

*Makes 6 servings* (Serving size: 1 stack)

**My apologies for not taking a picture with the stacks, there is a reason behind that of course. :)

Rice Pudding (Kheer)

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk, diluted with 2 cups of water

1 cup rice

1 cup condensed milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon raisins

1 tablespoon of dry roasted cashew nut pieces

1 teaspoon finely powdered cardamom seeds

Instructions:

1) Boil the rice in the milk on a medium flame until the rice is cooked.

2) Make sure you stir frequently; otherwise the milk may burn at the bottom of the vessel.

3) Add the condensed milk, sugar, raisins, and nuts. Stir till the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens.

4) Add the cardamom, and serve piping hot or refrigerate and serve slightly cold.

Chicken Karahi Stew

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 green chilies

1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

Instructions:

1) Remove skin from tomatoes.

2) In a pot add chicken, garlic, ginger and salt. Cover and cook on low heat until the water from the chicken has dried and chicken is half cooked.

3) Add oil, tomato, green chili and onion. Cover and continue cooking. When the water dries and chicken is tender add black pepper, stir and remove from heat.

*Makes 4 servings*

Meatball Curry (Kofta Curry)

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

5 onions, chopped finely

2 tablespoons garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 tablespoons Garam Masala (can be purchased at any Indian store)

3 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons Cooking Oil

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 tablespoon garlic paste

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala (for gravy)

4 large tomatoes, cubed

Instructions:

1) Put the ground beef, 2 of the chopped onions, 2 tablespoons garlic paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 2 tablespoons garam masala, tomato ketchup and cilantro leaves in a large bowl and mix well.

2) Form the mixture into equal sized balls and place on a plate.

3) Heat oil in a pan and add the remaining onions. Fry till light brown then add the remaining ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.

4) Add all the powdered spices- coriander, cumin, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric- and fry for 3 minutes.

5) Add the tomatoes and mix well. Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.

6) Add 2 cups of warm water to the masala and season with salt to taste. Gently add the meatballs now. Do not stir for the first 5 minutes.

7) Stir gently to make sure the meatballs don't break.

8) Cook uncovered till the meatballs are done. The gravy can be as thick as you like so add or dry up the water as required, I prefer it slightly thick.

Beef Stew (Nihari)

Ingredients:

2 pounds Beef (with bone)

3 medium Onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 small piece Dry Ginger

2 Small White Cardamoms

2 Bay Leaves

1 Cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons Garam Masala Powder

2 tablespoons Aniseeds

1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

2 pinches of Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Garlic paste

1 tablespoon Ginger paste

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup Cooking Oil

Ingredients for garnishing:

1 medium onion (sliced, fried to golden and dried) or 1 cup of ready-friend onions

3 green chillies (chopped)

1 (2 inch piece) Ginger Root, cut into strips

A handful of fresh Cilantro leaves (chopped)

Instructions:

1) In a pot, heat the cooking oil. Once the oil gets heated add in the 3 sliced onions, turn the stove down to medium. Fry the onions to a golden brown, remove from oil and place on a paper towl to absorb any excess oil. Crush the onions by hand.

2) Add the meat and garam masala powder, yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, bay leaves, cinnamon and turmeric powder, continuously fry by stirring until the oil separates.

3) Add in the nutmeg, cardamoms, and aniseeds. Stir, add in enough water to cover the meat and cook on a low heat covered for 2 to 3 hours.

4) Once the meat is cooked and tender, add in the flour and cook on low heat for about another 10 minutes.

5) Garnish with cilantro leaves, fried onions, green chillies and ginger strips.

Beef Seekh Kebabs

Ingredients:

2 pounds Ground Beef

1 medium Onion (grounded)

Another medium Onion (chopped)

4 Green chilies

1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 bunch of Fresh Cilantro leaves (chopped)

8 Cardamom Pods

1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

4 tablespoon chick pea flour (freshly ground)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions:

1) In a bowl combine ground beef with all ingredients excluding oil, and mix well. Knead with hands for about 5 to 10 minutes. (It is very important to knead it because the ingredients must be mixed well in order to make the kebabs soft). Set aside for 2 hours.

2) Knead once again. Take a small portion of the mixture in hands and put on a barbecue skewer. These kebabs can also be roasted directly on a flame for a minute and later fried with a little oil in a frying pan.

*Makes 4 servings*

Tikka Boti (Skewered Chicken)

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless chicken, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 tablespoon chopped green chilies

1 Shan Tikka Seekh Kabab BBQ MIX (for marinade)

Instructions:

1) Mix together all the spices, put chicken into bowl and coat with spices.

2) Leave to marinate overnight.

3) Heat oven to 400 degrees, put chicken cubes onto skewers, leaving little or no space in between, but 1 inch spaces towards the end, put into oven and leave for 5 minutes.

4) Take out skewers 5 minutes later, take a butter stick and slightly rub onto chicken cubes (to keep moisture), you can also use margarine instead of butter, if preferred.

5) Place skewers back into oven, remove from heat 10 minutes later, or else they will dry out from direct heat.

6) Serve warm with skewers or without skewers.

Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 whole cloves

3 black cardamom pods

6 whole black peppercorns

2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons water

1 cup frozen vegetables, thawed

2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1) Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet over low heat. Add the cloves, cardamom seeds, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks. Cook for a few minutes to bring out the aroma of the spices. Stir the garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of water together to make a paste; mix into the pan with the spices.

2) Add the vegetables to the pan, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

3) Add the remaining 4 cups of water and rice to the pan. Season with a little salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Taste, and adjust the salt before serving.

*Makes 6 servings*

Cherry Ice Cubes

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) jar Maraschino cherries, you can also use fresh cherries.

Any drink or water

Instructions:

1) Rinse cherries well, if using fresh cherries. (You can also use blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, just not strawberries because they don't work well with being too big when whole and when sliced, their red color bleeds into the cubes).

2) Place 1 cherry, in each ice cube tray and fill with water. Freeze and use with lemonade, as an adornment for summer punches or fruity cocktails.

I actually chopped my cherries and then filled the cubes, but you may do so as you prefer.

Rainbow Punch

Ingredients:

2 (46 ounce) cans Fruit Punch

1/4 cup grenadine syrup

1 (2 liter) bottle Sprite or Mountain Dew

1/2 cup French Vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

1) Pour fruit punch into a large punch bowl. Stir in grenadine and soda. Add the ice cream, a scoop each-it will resemble a big fluffy cloud.

*Makes 36 servings*

Potato Tater Tots

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and hot

1 tablespoon flour

1 dash of pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons finely minced onions

Canola oil or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1) Finely shred or use a potato ricer while potatoes are still hot.

2) Stir in flour, salt, pepper and onion.

3) Heat 1/4-inch oil in heavy pan.

4) Form into small balls and drop in oil; fry until slightly golden.

5) Drain on paper towels, then freeze.

6) When ready to serve, remove from freezer.

7) Bake in single layers on a greased baking sheet; at 400 degrees until desired doneness.

*Makes about 40 tots*

Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt (Dahi Phulki)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup White Gram Lentils

2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar

2 tablespoons Chaat Masala (can be purchased at any Indian or Arabic Store)

3 tablespoons Green chutney (mint and green chilies blended together)

1 cup Plain Yogurt

3 cups Cooking Oil

Instructions:

1) Drain water from lentils and grind lentils in a blender or grinder. Add salt and red chili powder to the lentils and mix well. Add all-purpose flour, mix well.

2) Heat a wok with oil on low to medium heat until oil is well heated (do not over heat the oil otherwise the dumplings will burn from outside and remain uncooked from the middle).

3) While the oil is heating, separately, in a medium bowl take plain yogurt and add 1 1/2 tablepoon sugar and mix well (preferable with a whisk or blender). Blend well to make the yogurt creamy. Set aside.

4) Make little ball sized dumplings out of lentil mixture and add to the oil to fry. As the dumplings fry, they will start to come to the top of the wok as they cook. Fry the entire lentil mixture until dumplings turn a golden red color.

5) Separately in a large bowl, take some cold water and add the dumplings to cold water immediately after removing from oil. Dip the dumplings into water as to make sure they are wet from all sides, let them soak for 2 minutes.

6) Remove a few dumplings at a time with a bare hand and lightly squeeze to drain any excess water (don't squeeze too hard or they will break). Place soaked dumplings in a serving dish. Add the yogurt on top of the dumplings by coating each one.

7) Finally add chaat masala or green chutney seasoning on top of dumplings.

*Makes 8 to 10 servings*

Fruit Salad Mix

Ingredients:

1 Red Apple, skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

1 Pear, skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

2 Oranges, remove skin from the segments and half each segment

3/4 cup fresh Pomegranate seeds

1 cup Green seedless grapes

1 cup Red seedless grapes

1 ripe Mango, skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes

2 Bananas, cut into round slices, approximate 1 cm thick

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoons Chaat Masala (can be purchased at any Indian or Arabic store)

Juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges

Instructions:

1) Mix the 2 juices, salt, sugar, and chaat masala well in a large serving bowl. Add all the fruits one by one into the bowl. Mix well. Garnish with mint leaves and chill well before serving.

Garbanzo Beans Masala Mix (Chana Chaat)

Ingredients:

2 cups boiled garbanzo beans

2 large boiled potatoes, peeled and chopped

1-3 green chilies, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped

1-2 medium onions, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Chat Masala (Can be purchased at Indian or Mediterranean stores)

Instructions:

1) Mix all ingredients in a medium/large bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Serve cold.

*Makes 5 servings*

Vegetable Pakora's

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3/4 cup water

1 quart oil for deep frying

1/2 head cauliflower florets

2 onions, sliced into rings

Instructions:

1) Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and garlic.

2) Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.

3) Over medium high heat in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees.

4) Coat the cauliflower and onions in the batter and fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

*Makes 6 servings*

Beef Samosa's

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, peeled

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 bay leaf, crushed

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped green chili peppers

1 quart oil for deep frying

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

Instructions:

1) Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in potatoes and peas. Cook until potatoes are tender but still firm (about 15 minutes). Drain, mash together and set aside.

2) In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Brown cumin seeds and bay leaf. Mix in onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and fresh ginger root. Season with black pepper, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in the mashed potato mixture. Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until cooled.

3) Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat.

4) Mix cilantro and green chili peppers into the potato and beef mixture. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto each phyllo sheet. Fold sheets into triangles, pressing edges together with moistened fingers.

5) In small batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

*Makes 18 servings*

Stuffed Medjool Dates

Ingredients:

1 pound Medjool Dates (Sun ripened (soft) not Dry and wrinkly)

1- 8 ounce container Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 pound toasted pecan halves (325 degrees on a cookie sheet, about 15 minutes, pay close attention, they tend to burn really quickly!)

Instructions:

1) Make a cut the length of the date and remove pit. Place pitted dates on a plate and set aside.

2) In a small bowl combine cheese, honey and lemon zest with a spatula until mixed well.

3) Fit a small pastry bag with a 1/2 inch tip, fluted or plain. Place cheese filling in the bag. Carefully fill each date with about 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture for large dates and 1 teaspoon for smaller dates. Place a pecan on top of each filled date. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Rooh-Afza Drink

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews, pistachios and almonds (finely crushed)

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 gallon Milk

7 cups granulated sugar, to taste (for extra sweetness, add additional cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons Vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup Rooh Afza (can be purchased at any Indian store)

Instructions:

1) In a grinder, grind the cardamom seeds. Crush all the seeds and gather about 1 teaspoon.

2) Add the sugar into milk and stir well, then add Rooh Afza Syrup and stir for about 2 minutes, taste. If you would prefer the drink a little sweeter add the additional cup of sugar mentioned above.

3) Mix the nuts, cardamom powder and vanilla extract into the milk.

4) Refrigerate overnight.

*Makes 12 servings* (Also depending on glass/cup size)

Sincerest Apologies

I'm really sorry for not being able to post any recipe's for the last 3/4 days, I was occupied preparing for a dinner party that took place last night.

And so to apologize and make up for it, I will post all the recipes for items that were made for the dinner party today.

The theme for the party was all Indian, so recipes are mainly Asian/South-East Indian. V

I know a lot of the guests wanted the recipe's posted as well, so here you go, the order of recipes is below:

Part I:

1) Rooh-Afza (Indian Milk Drink)

2) Stuffed Medjool Dates (Starter, Appetizer)

3) Beef Samosas (Appetizer)

4) Vegetable Pakora's (Appetizer)

5) Chickpea Masala Mix (Apperizer, Side-Dish)

6) Fruit Salad Mix (Appetizer, Side-Dish)

7) Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt (Appetizer)

8) Potato Taters (Kids Meal, Side-Dish)

Part II:

1) Rainbow Punch (Drink)

2) Cherry Ice Cubes

3) Vegetable Pilaf (Rice)

4) Tikka Boti Skewers (Side-Dish)

5) Beef Kebobs (Side-Dish)

6) Beef Stew [Nihari] (Main-Dish)

7) Chicken Karahi Stew (Chicken, Main-Dish)

8) Indian Flatbread [Chapati] (Breads)

9) Rice Pudding-Kheer (Dessert)

Enjoy the recipes.

Almond-Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup regular oats, toasted

1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds, toasted

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook 2 minutes or until butter begins to brown (do not burn). Pour into oat mixture; stir well.

3) Place sugar and egg in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in vanilla.

4) Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir egg mixture into at mixture. Add almonds; stir well to combine.

5) Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Transfer parchment to cooling rack; cool completely.

*Makes 3 dozen* (Serving size: 1 cookie)

Rhubarb Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3/4 cup dried petite green lentils

Cooking Spray

2 cups finely chopped carrot

1 3/4 cups finely chopped celery

1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 12 ounces)

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

6 tablespoons creme fraiche

Dill sprigs (optional)

Instructions:

1) Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over lentils in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

2) Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add carrot, celery, onion, and parsley to pan; saute for 4 minutes. Add rhubarb, and saute for 3 minutes. Drain lentils, and add lentils to pan. Stir in chicken broth and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until lentils are tender.

3) Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. Place 3 cups lentil mixture in a blender or food processor. Remove center piece of blender (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in pepper.

4) Combine chopped dill and creme fraiche in a small bowl. Serve creme fraiche mixture on top of soup; garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

*Makes 6 servings* (Serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon creme fraiche mixture)

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients for Filling:

6 cups (1/2-inch slices rhubarb (about 2 pounds)

2 1/2 cups halved strawberries

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cooking Spray

Ingredients for Topping:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup regular oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) To prepare filling, combine the first 6 ingredients. Spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3) To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

*Makes 8 servings*

Cornmeal-Lemon Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through ground ginger); stir with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally. Add egg, beat well. Beat in grated lemon rind. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at a medium-low speed just until blended.

3) Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons batter 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned and almost firm. Remove from oven. Cool on pans for 2 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

*Makes 3 dozen* (Serving size: 1 cookie)

Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1/4 cup sugar

Dash of salt

5 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking spray

Instructions:

1) Lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2) Place butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed. Add milk and vanilla; beat until blended. Pat the dough into a 4-inch circle; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4) Unwrap and place dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with an additional sheet of plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into an 8-inch circle. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 16 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough. Pierce dough several times with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Cool complete on a wire rack.

*Makes 16 servings* (Serving size: 1 wedge)