2 cups whole unblanched almonds
1 cup each: yellow cornmeal, cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon each: baking soda, ground cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons almond oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch pan; cover the bottom with parchment or foil. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or foil.
Place 1 cup of the almonds in a food processor; pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl; add the remaining whole almonds, cornmeal, cornstarch, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir well to mix. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl; whisk in, one at a time, the sugar, honey, almond oil and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until stiff dough forms.
Scrape the dough into the pan; press with the palm of your hand to make an even layer covering the bottom of the pan, about 1/2-inch thick. Bake until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, leaving oven on. Cool biscotti in the pan 5 minutes; invert out onto a cutting board and cool completely.
Set the oven racks in the upper and lower third positions. Cut biscotti into three 13-by-3-inch strips; slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared cookie sheets; bake 10 minutes. Cool completely. Store between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with tight-fitting cover.
Yield: 60 cookies
Source: Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri.
Nutrition information per cookie: 55 calories, 35 percent of calories from fat, 2 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 3.5 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 5 mg sodium, 0.4 g fiber
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons log-style goat cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 ripe pear
1 bunch fresh watercress (about 4 cups)
Puree 1/4 cup of the goat cheese, milk, hazelnut oil and lemon juice in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper; set aside.
Cut pear in half; core. Thinly slice lengthwise. Arrange slices fanned out on four plates.
Trim lower third of watercress stems. Toss watercress with 1/4 cup of the dressing to lightly coat. Mound next to pears. Drizzle remaining dressing over salads. Crumble remaining cheese over tops. Grind pepper to taste over salad.
Yield: 4 servings
Source: Adapted from Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps by Leslie Revsin
Nutrition information: 135 calories, 66 percent of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 74 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
1 cup medium or coarse bulgur
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and onion; cook, stirring, until the walnuts are light golden, 3 minutes. Stir in the bulgur. Decrease the heat to medium; cook until the bulgur is lightly toasted, 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and salt; heat to a boil. Decrease the heat to low; cover. Simmer until the liquid is mostly evaporated, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat; let sit until fluffy and no longer moist, 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield: 6 servings
Source: Adapted from The Armenian Table by Victoria Jenanyan Wise
Nutrition information: 178 calories, 44 percent of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 416 mg sodium, 5 g fiber