Honey Sponge Cake

6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Granted rind of 1 lemon
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup cake meal, sifted
1/2 cup potato starch
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks for 4 to 5 minutes until light. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in the juices, rind, and honey; blend well. Sift the cake meal with the potato starch; stir into the egg yolk mixture.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated 325-degree F oven for 55-60 minutes. Invert and cool. Serves 10 or more.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 Reynolds® Slow Cooker Liner 
1/4 cup water 
4 medium red potatoes, cut in quarters 
1 medium onion, cut in quarters 
1 bag (16 ounces) fresh whole baby carrots 
1 envelope (about 1 ounce) dry onion soup and recipe mix 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 
1 boneless beef chuck pot roast (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) 

• Place the slow cooker liner into a 5-quart slow cooker according to the liner package directions.
• 2
  Stir the water, potatoes, onion, carrots and soup mix in the cooker.  Season the beef with the black pepper and thyme.  Place the beef into the cooker.
• 3
  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are tender.

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

Serves 4

3 tablespoons flour, divided
Salt & pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each about 6 ounces
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced (buy pre-sliced, if you prefer)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup marsala wine (dry sherry and a splash of sweet vermouth make a good substitute—and if all you have is a bottle of regular ol’ wine, that’ll work too)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon honey or agave, optional

Coat the insert of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.

1. Put 2 tablespoons of flour plus a generous amount of salt & pepper into a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Add the chicken, seal, and toss to coat. Remove the chicken, tapping off excess coating, and place the chicken into the slow cooker. Top with the mushrooms, shallot, and parsley, and use your hands to toss the vegetables gently.
2. Combine the marsala and broth (I just measure them both into the same cup) and pour over the top. Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, mash together the remaining tablespoon of flour and the butter until well combined. Stir into the slow cooker, cover, and cook (or hold on WARM) until ready to serve.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If your palate tells you a little sweetness would be nice, stir in the honey or agave.
5. Serve with noodles, rice, or Israeli couscous—something that’ll sop up that sauce.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Prep 15 minutes
Bake 14 minutes
Oven 425 degrees
Cook 40 minutes

12 oz. dried rigatoni
1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (3.5 cups)
2 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 small sweet onions, cut into chunks
3 oz. sourdough bread
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter a 3-quart au gratin or baking dish; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine the squash and 2 1/2 cups of the milk over medium-high heat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour; stir into squash mixture. Bring to boiling; cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere until melted; keep warm.

3. In skillet, heat oil, add onion; cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and increase heat to high. Cook 4 to 6 minutes more, stirring, until onions are golden.

4. Add squash-cheese mixture and onions to pasta. Toss well to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.

5. Place bread in a food processor pulse with two or three on/off turns to form large coarse crumbs ( you should have about 2 cups). Transfer to a small bowl; mix with melted butter. Sprinkle remaining Gruyere and the bread crumbs over pasta mixture. Bake until top is browned, about 14 to 15 minutes. Cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving: 686 cal, 29 g fat, 79 mg chop, 668 mg sodium, 77 g carb, 5 g fiber, 30 g pro.

Gnocchi all'Amatriciana

Makes 6 servings
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 27 minutes
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz crushed tomatoes)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp grated or shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 packages (17.5 oz each) potato gnocchi

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of slated water to boiling.

2. In a skillet, heat oil, stir onion and saute 4 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, 2 Tbsp of the cheese, and the thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add gnocchi to salted water. Allow water to return to a boil and cook gnocchi for 1 minute. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return gnocchi to pot. Stir in tomato sauce and reserved pasta water. Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2 - inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese an dbake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbling.

Per Serving: 460 cal, 13 g fat, 15 g pro, 72 g carb, 8 g fiber, 1,081 mg sodium, 24 mg chol.

Vegetable Fried Rice

In a skillet; cook 4 beaten eggs in 1 Tbsp oil; slice cooked egg and reserve. Add 1 Tbsp oil, 2 ribs sliced celery and 1 each sliced onion, green pepper and carrot. Cook 6 minutes. Stir in 3 cups cooked rice, 1/2 cup vegetable broth, 3 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp ketchup. Heat; stir in egg. Top with 2 chopped scallions. Serves 4.

Mushroom Agnolotti with Corn, Tomatoes, and Arugula Pan Sauce

Total Time: 30 minutes

2 ears sweet corn on the cob

18 oz. wild mushroom agnolotti or ravioli

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

5 oz. baby arugula (6 cups)

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, finely shredded

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Shave corn off the eats with a knife and reserve. Add the cobs (to release corn starches and add richness) and agnolotti to water; set timer to 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for pan sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Add corn kernels to skillet; cook over medium-high heat until bright and crisp-tender, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and toss until they begin to release some juices, about 2 minutes more. 

4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; discard cobs.  Add pasta back to the pot with the reserved cooking water, corn mixture, and butter. Gently toss ove rlow heat to melt butter. Stir in arugula and toss until just wilted. Divide among four bowls and top with finely grated cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Each Serving: 566 cal, 31 g fat, 102 mg chol, 1,075 mg sodium, 55 g carb, 6 g fiber, 23 g pro.