Welsh Rarebit

I fondly remember Welsh Rarebit as an adult dinner party favorite from my childhood. "Welsh Rarebit" conjures images of home cocktail parties, avocado-colored appliances and dial telephones. And it's not particularly healthy, but it is a meatless, hearty dish for an unseasonably cool day such as today.

This recipe is Alton Brown's recipe from the Food Network.

Start by melting two tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in two tablespoons of flour. When smooth, whisk in a teaspoon each of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Again, when it's smooth, add a half a cup of a robust Porter beer, and three quarters of a cup of heavy cream. Then add a cup and a half of sharp cheddar cheese a half a cup at a time, until the whole thing is smooth and the cheese is completely melted. This will take some time given the low heat, but do not increase the heat. You don't want this to boil. Serve it immediately over rye toast.

Tilapia Masala with Basmati Rice

Back to the healthy. This recipe also came from the Food Network website. I'm not sure I'd call it a masala, but it is tasty and healthy.

I started by preparing the rice. I put a cup of Basmati rice (rinsed) into my rice cooker, covered it one and a third cups of water, and let the rice cooker do its thing. When the rice is done, toss in a half a cup of frozen green peas.

Next, make a marinade by pureeing in a food processor a half a cup of plain yogurt, a clove of garlic, an inch-long piece of ginger (peeled and cleaned), one tablespoon lime juice, a quarter teaspoon each of cumin and Cayenne pepper, and three quarters of a teaspoon of salt. I recommend putting the garlic and ginger in first, to make sure that those solid ingredients get sufficiently minced.

Pierce each filet (I used four) lightly with a fork, and spread the marinade over the top. Let it sit for at least fifteen minutes.

While you're preheating the broiler, make another yogurt-based condiment from a quarter cup of plain yogurt and one tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

Broil the fish until it's opaque, six to eight minutes at the most. Serve with the Basmati rice and the yogurt condiment. Fresh lime wedges would also be a nice touch.

Baked Chard in a Bacon Mornay Sauce

Ok, this isn't healthy on a number of levels, but it sure was tasty.

The first step is to prepare a Bechamel sauce. I used Chef Mario Batali's recipe from the Food Network website. Over medium-low heat, I melted two and a half tablespoons of butter, then added two tablespoons of flour. Timing is everything in making a Bechamel, because your roux needs to finish about the same time as you finish scalding two cups of milk (bringing it to just below the boiling point). When your roux takes on a light golden sandy color, add the milk a cup at a time, gently whisking it until it's smooth. Bring the roux/milk mixture to a boil, then simmer for about ten minutes.

At this time, start boiling your chard, but just until the stalks are tender. It won't take long. The chard needs to be done about the same time you're finished with your Mornay sauce. Again, timing is everything.

Season with about a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, then add add a half a cup of grated gruyere to make the Bechamel a Mornay sauce. I also added bacon (an excuse to use up the bacon I had left in the fridge), for a really decadent twist, and kicked in some Cayenne pepper for some added zip.

I put the chard in the bottom of a casserole dish, covered it with the Mornay sauce, covered the sauce with Italian breadcrumbs (I really should have used a coarser breadcrumb), and baked it at 375 for about fifteen minutes, until the breadcrumbs browned and the Mornay sauce was bubbly.

Again, it ain't healthy, but man was it delicious. Just can't do it every day.

Sauce Positano

This recipe comes to us from Irish pianist John O'Connor, and supposedly originates with legendary pianist Wilhelm Kempff. Kempff had a home in Positano, Italy, where O'Connor studied with him, therefore the name. This sauce is healthy and pleasant-tasting, if not plain and a bit bland. Next time I prepare it, I will definitely be looking for ways in which to dress it up.

Start by lightly stewing two pounds worth of tomatoes to make them easy to peel. Drop them in boiling water and fish them out with a slotted spoon after about fifteen seconds or so. Peel, and to seed them, cut the tomatoes in half, side to side, not top to bottom. That way, it's easy to just fish out all the seeds and the gelatinous goo that holds them in place with your finger.

I then heated three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and sauteed about five cloves of minced garlic. After the garlic softened, I added the tomatoes (which I chopped coarsely), a quarter teaspoon of oregano, half a teaspoon of dried thyme and one teaspoon of chopped basil. Salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-low to medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated (about ten to fifteen minutes) and toss with your favorite pasta.

Szechuan Collard Greens

A great fusion twist on a southern staple, courtesy of Alabama-born flutist and conductor Ransom Wilson. The true beauty of this recipe lies, however, in the stir-fry sauce, which is leagues better than anything I've purchased in a bottle, and can be used in a variety of dishes.

To make the stir-fry sauce, whisk together a minced clove of garlic, a teaspoon of molasses, one and a half tablespoons soy sauce, one tablespoon of dark sesame oil, one tablespoon Japanese sake, two tablespoons white vinegar, one teaspoon red pepper paste and one teaspoon cornstarch.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large wok on high or medium high heat, and stir-fry three or four minced scallions for only about 30 seconds or so, before they brown. Add in three tablespoons of peanuts and a minced jalapeño, cook for another minute or so, and then add the garlic. After the garlic softens, add the bunch of coarsely chopped collard greens and cook for a couple of minutes, until the tough stalks become tender. Add the stir-fry sauce and cook until the collards are coated.

Holiday Eating for Vegetarians

Marsala Mushroom Nut Loaf first came on my radar when I ordered it from a local vegetarian cafe for my Thanksgiving meal. I liked it enough that I was thrilled to find a recipe for it on food.com. Being itinerant musicians, my wife and I spend our Christmas dinner with the rest of the Walt Disney World Orchestra, so I decided to bring two loaves of this dish to our annual Christmas potluck. It's a great substitute for ham or turkey on any major holiday.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and making a roux of sorts, consisting of half a cup of marsala wine, one tablespoon cornstarch, a quarter cup of whole-wheat flour (use sorghum flour for a gluten free version), a quarter teaspoon of dried rosemary, half a teaspoon of dried thyme and two and a half tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk it until blended.

Saute a cup of chopped onions in one teaspoon of olive oil until they turn translucent. Then, after the onions are soft, add two cloves of minced garlic, two cups of chopped mushrooms, one cup of chopped walnuts (I ran out of walnuts and substituted pecans for the remainder with acceptable results), and three quarters of a cup of RAW cashews. Continue until everything is cooked through, stirring constantly and adding more olive oil as needed.

Add the "roux" and let the mixture thicken, which won't take long at all. Immediately press the mixture into a small loaf pan and bake for half an hour. (I doubled the recipe since I was cooking for a crowd)

My next dish was roasted root veggies. The beauty of this dish is you can make it with whatever you want. I used a beet, a sweet potato, a turnip and half a rutabaga, which came to about three pounds. I chopped them up into bite-size pieces, coated them with salt and olive oil, and put them in a large roasting pan, along with pieces of a large onion. Roast for about half an hour at 400 degrees, stirring after fifteen minutes to insure everything roasts evenly. After half an hour, put in a head of garlic (peeled but not minced, so that the cloves are whole) and continue roasting for an additional fifteen or twenty minutes. The beet juice dyed everything red, making it even more Christmas festive.

After roasting, add whatever seasoning you like. I used a prepackaged mixture of French Provencal herbs, but you could also improvise with dried rosemary and balsamic vinegar.

Cilantro Pesto

One thing I really enjoy about living in Florida is its culinary diversity. I associate cilantro mostly with Latin American and Asian cuisines, so it was a pleasant surprise to find this recipe online at allrecipes.com, a fusion twist to the Italian classic.

Finely chop five cloves of garlic in a food processor, then add one bunch cilantro, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, a quarter of a cup of grated parmesan, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, half a cup of pecans (or walnuts), salt to taste, and quarter cup of olive oil. Let the food processor rip. Continue to add olive oil and process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.

Toss with your favorite pasta, or bake it on a flatbread, which is what I'll probably do with it.