Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Fool's Gold #12.1)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse the dried porcini mushrooms lightly, to remove grit. Place dried mushrooms in a bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a medium-heavy ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 6 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally. Add button and Portobello mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; cook 8 minutes, until liquid is released and mushrooms are golden, stirring occasionally.

3. Drain dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Add the mushrooms to the pot; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add rice and cook 3 minutes, stirring a few times, until mixture is thick and dry. Increase heat; add wine, broth and reserved mushroom steeping liquid. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Cover pan with a tight-fitting lid; place in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until rice is cooked through and liquid mostly evaporated. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish servings with cheese.

TIP: Don’t skip the dried porcini step—it adds a depth of mushroom flavor.

FALL

Curried Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

Serve this vibrant and nutritious stew over rice.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil (or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon coconut oil)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

½inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 cans (14 ¾-ounce size) reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

1 cup dried lentils

1 bay leaf

Salt and black pepper

⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Warm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook 5 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add garlic, ginger, curry, garam masala and jalapeño. Cook 1 minute, stirring often.

2. Stir in broth, sweet potatoes, lentils, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Liquid should just cover vegetables; if it doesn’t, add water to cover. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 40 minutes, until lentils are tender and sweet potatoes are cooked through. (Add water if needed during cooking time.)

3. Remove stew from heat. Remove bay leaf; stir in cilantro and lime juice.

TIP: For the sweetest flavor and the most tender texture, use the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (sometimes mistakenly labeled as yams) for this recipe. Drier, less sweet, white-fleshed sweet potatoes cook up crumbly.

FALL

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Serve this sweet casserole for breakfast, tea or dessert. The caramel sauce sends it over the top!

Serves 8

Pudding

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, chopped

6 cups day-old challah or crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1½ cups whole milk

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Caramel sauce

1¼ cups dark brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup heavy cream

For pudding:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Put butter in a 2-quart casserole; place in oven to melt. Remove pan from oven; add bread cubes and toss until coated.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk milk, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, egg yolk, salt and all spices; evenly pour over bread cubes. Bake 25 minutes, until set.

For caramel sauce:

1. In a medium-heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk brown sugar and butter until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

2. Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

TIP: Make sure to use solid-pack pumpkin, not pumpkin-pie mix.

FALL

Sunday Dinner Chicken Potpie

Rich puff pastry covers this homey, filling potpie. If you can’t find it in your local store, use a prepared pie crust.

Serves 6

3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

3 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, chopped

8 cups water

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, cut into small dice

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed

½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash