All-Corn Biscotti

10/12/2004

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