November Dinner - Dinner & a Movie Theme

For our November dinner, I thought Dinner & a Movie would be a fun theme. The dinner theme I selected was Pie and the movie was Waitress. We had a fantastic range of different kinds of pie for dinner and then watched the movie. Its a good movie to watch on a full stomach, because you're sure to get a craving for pie while watching it. ;)

Partway through the movie we enjoyed a wonderful dessert pie & coffee/tea.


I (Lauren) made empanadas using a whole wheat-cornmeal crust recipe and I made a sweet potato puree with ancho chile and maple syrup by baking the sweet potato, adding some grilled onion and plumped raisins, maple syrup and ancho chile powder.

I baked them based on the instructions in the sweet potato samosa recipe. I used this recipe as a guideline even though I did not use the same ingredients. The amount of sweet potato, onion and baking time/temperature were the same. I believe I used 1/4 to 1/3 cup raisins andI added the maple syrup and chile powder to taste.

I thought the dough was a little thin, so I might make only 8 or 10 empanadas instead of twelve with the same amount of dough. I enjoyed the movie and I look forward to our next dinner.
I (Dani) made a Shrimp Pie from Cooking Light. It's a traditional souther pie and the savory crust turned out really well.

I (Cindy) made a Kale, Butternut Squash and Pancetta Pie. It's wrapped in phyllo sheets. You can see the whole pie above and the sliced piece is pictured below. I was really pleased with how this came out. The recipe is from Epicurious.

I (Kim) came across a lot of good options for main course pies. At first I thought I'd do a Shepherd's Pie or Sunset Magazine had a Turkey Potpie with Sweet Potatoes that really sounded good. But, it seemed like a lot of us were thinking about pies with squash. Sweet potatoes seemed a little too similar to me, so I decided to make this Curried-Chicken Potpie instead. I'm glad I did! It was a little different with the curry powder, which I liked, and it was easy to make, too.

I (Rebecca) made a Pear Pie with Streusel Topping and Caramel Sauce from Cooking Light. The pie is made of sliced, firm pears and topped with a crumble crust. The caramel sauce isn't really necessary, but it was delicious on the pie (and would be good on other desserts as well). The pie was very juicy, so it's helpful to bake it on a sheet pan to keep it from bubbling onto bottom of the oven and then let it cool to room temperature to firm up before slicing. Instead of using a pre-formed, purchased pie crust, I made a home-made light pie crust that came from the book Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri and David Joachim. This is my favorite light pie crust recipe which I make any time I make a sweet, single-crust pie.

Sweet Pastry Dough (119 calories per 1/8 serving)

1 cup all purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into 6 pieces
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. cold water

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a couple times to sift togther. Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times to mix the butter in finely. Add the egg and water and pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball. Form the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate several hours or up to 3 days. You may also use it immediately, but it will be stickier. Before rolling out, knead it gently a couple of times and reform into a disk (I seldom do this because I forget). Roll out on a floured surface (I roll it on floured plastic wrap as it's sometimes a little sticky even chilled). Grease your pie plate before transferring the crust

Mushroom and Spinach Pie with Oat Crust
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=520954

I (Christine) decided to make this pie primarily for the oat crust because I thought it would be interesting to have a variation. Despite the decent reviews on the website, I found the crust hard to work with. I was unable to roll it out between two sheets of wax paper as directed, and ended up pressing it into the pie dish as best as I could. After it was cooked, I did enjoy the different oat-y taste but not enough that I'd want to make this again!

Vegetarian Dinner on Sept 14th

I have a couple of family members who are vegetarians so I was interested in some new recipes. The October issue of Eating Well magazine had an article on dried beans, and I found a pinto bean burger recipe that looked interesting. It is served with spicy guacamole, lettuce and tomato.

The recipe is available at the Eating Well website.

I had extra tomatoes from my garden so I made a simple bruschetta - sourdough bread, homemade pesto, and sliced tomatoes - toasted briefly in my toaster oven.

For a side dish, I (Rebecca) brought a roasted vegetable couscous salad, based on a recipe from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. I've been making this salad all summer to take to events as it's easy, versatile, and has no mayonnaise.

Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad

1 package Israeli Couscous (pearls)
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
vegetables (enough to fill one sheet pan when chopped*)
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (optional)

Toast the couscous in 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the couscous is toasted, cook it according to the package instructions. When cooked, move it to a mixing bowl.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the vegetables (*I used zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes but you can use whatever vegetables you like) into chunks and toss with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Spread the vegetables out on a sheet pan, making sure not to crowd them. Add the two unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of your veggies, until the vegetables are caramelized. Let the vegetables cool on the pan.

Remove the garlic from the pan and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl. To the garlic, add 1/2 tsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and 1 tbsp. of olive oil and mix well.

Toss the couscous with the roasted vegetables and lemon zest. Add the garbanzo beans, if using. Dress the salad with the garlic and lemon mixture and then correct the seasonings if necessary.

This salad keeps very well, but you may need additional dressing if it's not being served right away. It's equally good served warm, at room temperature or chilled.


I (Cindy) made vegi summer rolls with a peanut dipping sauce. The recipe can be found here on the epicurious website. I made extra dipping sauce.


I (Kim) decided to bring a vegan chocolate cake recipe that I've been wanting to make. I highly recommend the cookbook it comes from, too: Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

Lower-fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake
Serves 12

1 3/4 cups fresh brewed coffee
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8- or 10-inch bundt pan.

Bring the coffee to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is simmering, turn down the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until the sugar and applesauce are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts. Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minutes with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a whisk.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick or butter knife inserted through its center comes out clean. If your pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Once cool, sift confectioners' sugar over the top and enjoy.

Summer Fruits Dinner on July 25, 2009

This was a really great dinner. We talked about a lot of cool ideas for the future. Themes like things that are stuffed and some field trip ideas like going to see Julie and Julia came up. All sorts of discussions were enjoyed by everyone.

Kim brought some Hummus and pita bread to enjoy it with. It does have tomato in it, so it actually fits the theme.

Hummus
By Joanne Garlow, Programmer, NPR Online

16 ounces canned chickpeas -- drained
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 garlic cloves -- (to 6 garlic cloves)
1/4 cup fresh parsley -- leaves only
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne -- (to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon paprikasalt and pepper -- to taste
8 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

Throw everything except the tomatoes in a food processor. You can add more garlic if you prefer - I think you really can't add too much garlic. Add about half of the tomatoes and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more tomato until you are happy with the consistency. Taste and adjust the proportions accordingly.
Joanne Garlow's notes: When my husband and I lived in Istanbul we ate a lot of hummus. This very non-traditional recipe is adapted from Gabe Mirkin, and it has the advantage of being low in fat and high in garlic. It is a big hit at parties, because there is no guilt at all in this dip. Serve with pita bread and/or vegetables. This can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to a couple of weeks.

from "NPR Cooks! Our Favorite Recipes"

[Lauren] I made Jamaica Margaritas using Hibiscus blossoms. This fit the theme if I count the Hibiscus (Jamaica) as a fruit, but it also worked because it has lime juice in it. I have wanted to try this recipe for a while and I thought the color was beautiful. Here is a link to the recipe from Cooking Light: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1197144

The Mango Gazpacho Cindy made was very good.We all agreed that we want to make this one again. Here is the recipe:

Mangospacho
By Steven Raichlen
Serves 6
Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients

* 1/2 red bell pepper, very finely diced
* 3 large or 5 to 6 small mangoes, peeled and very finely diced (about 6 cups)
* 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and very finely diced
* 1/4 cup finely chopped, fresh cilantro
* pinch of salt (optional)
* 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon Asian hot sauce, such as Thai Sriracha
* 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 small red onion, very finely diced
* 1 cup cold water, or as needed
* 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped, fresh chives, or cilantro

Cooking Instructions
1. Combine the diced mangoes, cucumber, pepper and onion in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Place 2/3 of the mixture in a food processor (reserve the remaining 1/3 for later) and grind to a smooth puree. Work in the water, vinegar, oil, hot sauce and sugar. If the mixture is too tart, add more sugar. If too thick, add more water.

2. Strain the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cilantro and the reserved diced mango, cucumber, bell pepper and onion. Correct the seasoning, adding vinegar or sugar to taste, or even a pinch of salt. The soup can be served right away, but it will taste better if you refrigerate it for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.

3. To serve, ladle the mangospacho into bowls and garnish each with a sprinkling of chives or cilantro.

And here is the link to the recipe on the FoodFit.com website. Cindy originally found the recipe in a book called Diabetes Fit Food by Ellen Haas.


Rebecca made a Mixed Green Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette from Cooking Light. The salad was made up of mixed greens, red onion, feta cheese and fresh blueberries and served with a vinaigrette made from home-made Blueberry Vinegar.

[Lauren] I also made pork with Blackberry Sage Sauce. The sauce, which is not shown, was a rich dark purple color similar to that seen in the blueberry dessert below. This came from the June 2009 issue of Cooking Light. The recipe can be found at: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1898555

Kim also brought the Tomato and Cheese Tart. She had hoped to be able to use fresh tomatoes from her garden, but the weather this year has been uncooperative. Instead, she bought a nice mixture of red cherry and sungold cherry tomatoes at the farmer's market.

Tomato and Cheese Tart
By Rose Murray

Serving Size: 6

1 9-inch pastry crust

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 pound gruyere cheese -- shredded

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 pinch pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Prick pastry base all over with a fork. Line pastry crust with parchment paper; arrange pie weights or dried beans in the pie crust. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Remove weights from pie crust; prick pastry with a fork. Bake 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Cut tomatoes in half; arrange cut side down on paper towels. Set aside while you prepare remaining ingredients.

Spread pie crust with mustard; sprinkle with half the cheese. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on top of cheese; sprinkle with basil, thyme and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over tomatoes; drizzle with oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese melts. Let cool slightly in the pan on a rack; remove crust from pan. Serve warm, cut in wedges.

from "A Year in My Kitchen"

[Lauren] I also made a dessert using Syrah, Pepper, and Blueberries. I added a dollop of Greek yogurt with Honey to the top to add creaminess. You can get lowfat/nonfat greek yogurt from Trader Joe's that already has the honey in it. It would look even better with a sprig of mint decorating the top. Here is the link: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1227791

Sunday Brunch on May 3rd

I (Cindy) hosted this month's Supper Club get together and the theme was Sunday Brunch...

I made an Overnight Artichoke and Ham Strata (pictured above), the recipe can be found here. It's a great recipe because you make it the night before and just put it in the oven an hour before you plan on serving it. I will definitely make this again!

I (Lauren) made a quinoa salad with latin flavors I found in Eating Well. I wanted to make something using quinoa, since I visited Peru as it was used a lot in the food I ate there. The salad has onion, green chiles, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. The recipe had me toast and then rinse the quinoa. I know that you need to rinse quinoa before cooking it because there is a bitter coating that must be removed. Toasting the quinoa gave it a nuttier flavor. I will make this again, but I think I will up the lime juice and maybe try a slightly hotter pepper as I like spicy food.

For a while I (Kim) had wanted to try one of the savory breakfasts that Mark Bittman posted on his blog back in February. I finally settled on the Coconut Oat Pilaf and was pretty pleased with the results.

Coconut Oat Pilaf

2 tablespoons peanut oil or butter

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (not rolled), rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger

1 tablespoon mustard seeds (brown or black are both fine)

3 cardamom pods

1 or 2 dried red chilies, like Thai (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated dried unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, mint, scallions or parsley, or a combination.

1. Put oil or butter in a pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When oil is hot or butter melts, add oats and ginger and stir until coated. Add spices and a pinch each of salt and pepper; stir until fragrant, just a minute or two.

2. Stir in 2 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat so mixture gently bubbles. Cook undisturbed, until most of the water has been absorbed and holes begin to appear on surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for at least 10 (or up to 20) minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toast coconut in a skillet over medium-low heat, shaking pan and stirring until it is toasted and fragrant, several minutes (watch carefully that it does not burn). Toss coconut and cilantro into oats, fluffing mixture with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.

• pilaf

I (Dani) brought Lemon & Sugar Puff Pancakes (above) with Berry Bircher (below) from Donna Hay's Instant Entertaining cookbook. I did modify them slightly to reflect the "light" cooking theme.

Lemon & Sugar Puff Pancakes (makes about 20 small pancakes)

NOTE: The recipe actually calls for less zest. I included what I used, but feel free to cut back.

1 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/3 cups sugar

7 ounces skim ricotta cheese

4 tablespoons lemon zest

2 ounces butter

2 eggs, seperated

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and 1/3 cup sugar into a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the ricotta, milk, 3 tbsp lemon zest, butter and egg yolks and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.

3. In a shallow dish, combine 1 cup of sugar and the remaining 1 tbsp of lemon zest. Set aside. This is to dust the pancakes with.

4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Coat with cooking spray and add spoonfuls of the mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and puffed. Remove from pan and roll in sugar mixture. Serve with Berry Bircher.

Berry Bircher ( makes 4-6 servings)

NOTES: The recipe actually calls for chopped raw unsalted pistachios. I substituted Hazelnuts instead.

For serving dishes I used 1/2 pint mason jars.

1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup apple juice warmed

1/2 cup chopped unsalted hazelnuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup plain fat free yogurt

2 cups mixed fresh berries

5 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Place the oats and warmed apple juice in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes or until the oats are soft.

2. Mix the yogurt, nuts, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of maple syrup. Add the oats and mix well. Carefully mix in 1 cup of berries. Divide the mixture evenly among 4-6 serving dishes.

3. Mix the remaining berries and maple syrup. Divide evenly over the yogurt and serve.

I (Rebecca) made Cooking Light's Orange Bubble Bread, a fragrant citrus version of pull-apart bread, pictured above. A sweet, yeasted bread-machine dough is rolled into balls and then tossed in butter and coated with granulated sugar that has been mixed with orange peel. The bright citrus is a great flavoring for the sweet dough. I did need twice the amount of sugar and orange peel that the CL recipe called for as I ran through the specified amount about halfway through the process. I also modified the preparation so that I could make and assemble the bread the night before but bake it the morning of the brunch. To do this, I made the bread as directed up to the point of placing the dough balls into the bundt pan (another departure from the recipe, which called for a tube pan). Instead of rising the dough at room temperature and then baking, I covered the pan with a towel and let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, I let the pan sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes and then baked the bread as directed. After cooling and removing the bread from the pan, a light glaze made from powdered sugar and orange juice is drizzled over the rolls. To eat the bread, pull a roll loose from the bundt. I dare you to eat just one!


The next club meeting will be in July at Lauren's house.

Chinese New Year

Lion's Head Meatballs in a Spicy Coconut Sauce made by Dani

My husband always talks about Lion's Head meatballs when he is traveling for work in China, so I decided to give them a try! This recipe is from Cooking Light, January 2002 (found on MyRecipes.com). This makes approx. 8 servings.

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced hot red chile pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• Meatball Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground round or ground pork
  
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced hot red chile pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare meatballs, combine ground pork and next 9 ingredients (pork through salt) in a large bowl, and shape mixture into 8 meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides. Drain well.

Place sauce in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Garnish with basil and rind.

I wanted to make a noodle dish because it seems that every Chinese banquet I attend, there is a noodle dish. So it must be good luck! I asked my personal expert - my mom - as to what kind of noodles would be significant. She suggested going for the savory version of 'nian gao'. I honestly didn't expect that Rebecca would make it as a dessert, so I thought it was a good idea. See Rebecca's writeup below about the auspicious meaning of 'nian gao'!

The noodle itself comes in two different forms, both of which look identical to me. The difference is that one is dried and the other fresh. The dried version is hard oval white disks about 1-1/2 inch long in a bag on the supermarket shelf. The fresh version is also hard oval white disks of the same size but in the refrigerated section. Both versions need to be soaked. The dried version needs to be soaked overnight (according to my mom). I used the fresh version which I soaked for about an hour.

I made up the recipe with mom's help:

1 bag of nian gao (rice sticks) from local Asian supermarket
1 tsp minced garlic
small head of cabbage, finely sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 lb of pork (or chicken), julienned
dark soy sauce,
salt,
pepper

Use a nonstick pan as the nian gao can get sticky. Adding a little oil to pan, I stir-fried the cabbage, carrot, and pork together first. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove from pan. Add more oil to the pan, and cook the garlic for a minute and then add the nian gao. When it starts to soften and begins to stick a little, add some dark soy sauce. This will help it from sticking too much as well as flavor it. I wish I had the exact measurement, but I started with a dash or two, mixed it in, tasted, then added a little more. Repeat until you're satisfied! (Some of the disks were sticking to each other, so I had to peel them apart.) The nian gao is done when it's soft and chewy. Add the cabbage, carrot, and pork back in and mix thoroughly.

New Year's Dumpling Delight - brought by Kim

Knowing I didn't have much time to devote to making dumplings on Saturday, I made them the night before and planned to just steam them at Dani's house right before our dinner. Unfortunately, the wonton wrappers turned very doughy after a day in the refrigerator. They were sticky and difficult to move to the steamer without tearing the wrapper. Next time if I needed to make them ahead, I would freeze them and steam them a little longer.

In addition to the dipping sauce that was contained in the Cooking Light recipe, I also made the following dipping sauce from Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medeiros

Spicy Apricot Sauce

1 cup apricot glaze or jelly (I used apricot preserves and removed the large chunks)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons mirin

Combine the apricot glaze, vinegar, soy sauce, pepper flakes, ginger, and mirin in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until sauce becomes smooth, whisking frequently. If you find that the sauce is too thick, add a little water.

• Chinese Almond Cookies (Dani) from Sunset December 2001, MyRecipes.com
• About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/3 cup blanched whole almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter and sugar until smooth. Add whole egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add flour and baking powder; stir to mix, then beat until well blended.Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten each slightly, and place about 1 inch apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with milk to blend. Brush cookies lightly with egg mixture; discard any remaining. Press an almond into the center of each cookie and sprinkle with about 1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds.Bake cookies in a 325° regular or convection oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Dessert - brought by Rebecca

Choosing a dessert for the Chinese New Year's get-together was a bit of challenge! I finally decided on Baked Chinese New Year Cake (Nian Gao)

and oranges.

According to my research, this cake is considered good luck to eat during Chinese New Year because "nian gao" is a homonym for "every year higher and higher." Additionally, the rice flour gives this cake a sticky texture which represents the sticking together of family and friends. I made the recipe a little lighter by using lite coconut milk and replacing one of the eggs with 2 egg whites. I got the original recipe for this cake from a former co-worker, who brought these bars to work for Chinese New Year many years ago at my first job. I've long since lost track of her, but I've still got her recipe! Unfortunately, she included no mixing instructions with her recipe, just baking instructions, so I mixed it up like a regular cake. There are a number of optional ingredients listed in this recipe. I chose to add the zest of one orange to the batter and to sprinkle the top liberally with sesame seeds. Yum!

Baked Chinese New Year's Cake (Nian Gao) - Recipe by Linda Yang Hardman

1 lb sweet rice flour
2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 c granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 c lite coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
sesame seeds (optional)
orange zest (optional)
shredded coconut (optional)
1 can red bean paste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

Mix together the eggs, sugars, vanilla and butter in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the rice flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture and coconut milk alternately to the egg/sugar/butter mixture, mixing well between additions and ending with flour. Fold in the orange zest and/or coconut, if using.

If using red bean paste, pour half of the batter into the pan, cover with red bean paste, and then pour in the remaining batter. If not using red bean paste, just pour the full amount of batter into the pan. Smooth out the top and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.

Cover the pan with foil. Bake covered at 350°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and bake for 20 minutes more. Uncover and finish baking for 10-15 minutes or until done (a chopstick or toothpick should come out clean). Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

Cut into bars and serve.