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

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

½ cup peeled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Salt and black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook 5 minutes, until just tender.

2. Meanwhile, warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add nuts and cook 2 minutes, until golden, stirring.

3. Drain beans; add to skillet. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl.

TIP: If hazelnuts are unavailable, substitute any nut you like.

WINTER

Roasted Beet and Baby Arugula Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

This salad is full of color and crunch. It’s more work than a simple tossed salad, so make it for a special meal. If champagne vinegar is unavailable, use white-wine vinegar instead.

Serves 6–8

Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 teaspoon honey

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Salad

1½ pounds red beets, trimmed and rinsed

6 cups baby arugula leaves

2 cups mixed baby salad greens

⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted

For vinaigrette:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients until blended.

For salad:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in a medium ovenproof pan with a lid. Add water to come about ½ inch up sides of the pan. Cover the pan. Roast 1 hour, until fork-tender. Remove and let cool slightly. Peel, quarter and thinly slice beets.

2. In a large serving bowl, toss beets with greens, vinaigrette and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

TIP: Roasting time for beets will depend on their size.

WINTER

Lemon and Herb Roasted Turkey

Simple and straightforward. This recipe is for those who prefer not to stuff the bird.

Serves 10–12

1 fresh or frozen thawed turkey (about 14 pounds)

2 lemons, halved

Salt and black pepper

1 small bunch fresh rosemary

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

½ cup dry white wine

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse turkey and pat dry. Squeeze two lemon halves into the cavity of the turkey; stuff squeezed halves into the cavity. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with rosemary branches. Squeeze the remaining lemon halves over the turkey; season with salt and pepper. Secure the turkey with skewers or sew shut with a trussing needle. Tuck wings under the back. Tie legs together.

2. Place a wire rack in a large roasting pan. Set turkey on the wire rack, breast side up. Rub the turkey breast with butter. Loosely tent the breast with foil.

3. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the pan, then scatter carrots, celery and onions around the turkey in the bottom of the pan. Roast 10 to 12 minutes per pound, until an instant-read thermometer inserted midthigh registers 165°F. Baste several times with pan juices. Remove foil in the last hour of cooking. Using tongs, transfer the turkey to a carving board. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

For gravy:

1. Set a colander atop a large liquid measuring cup. Pour contents of the roasting pan into the colander. Press down on the vegetables in the strainer to extract juices. You should have about 1 cup of juices; add broth to measure 1½ cups. Discard vegetables in colander.

2. Place the roasting pan (no need to clean) over 2 burners set at medium-heat. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to release browned bits. Add the strained pan-juice mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook 5 minutes, or until gravy is reduced and thickens slightly, stirring often. Slice turkey and serve with gravy.

TIP: If you have a stuffing you want to use, omit the rosemary branches.

WINTER

WINTER

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

No holiday table is complete without a steaming bowl of creamy mashed potatoes.

Serves 8

3 pounds Yukon gold or boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chopped

¾ cup sour cream

⅔ cup whole milk

Salt and black pepper

1. Combine potatoes, salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by at least 3 inches in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in a potato slides out very easily. Drain; return potatoes to the hot empty pot over low heat. Shake pan to evaporate any water left on potatoes.

2. Add butter, sour cream and milk to the pot, still over low heat. Mash until the potatoes reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP: Full-fat sour cream can withstand heat better than reduced-fat versions.

WINTER

Southwestern Cornbread Sausage Dressing

If your cornbread is extremely fresh, allow it to dry out a bit before using it.

Serves 8–10

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing pan

1 pound sweet sausage, removed from casing and crumbled

2 yellow onions, diced