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Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.How many times does it take you to get a recipe just right?
The cooks at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston keep testing their recipes 20, 30 and 40 times to make sure a dish is foolproof. The testers even anticipate the short cuts a home cook might take -– like using frozen corn instead of fresh, or using a food processor instead of a hand mixer. They experiment with different temperatures and baking pans and even substitute different types of flour, sugar or syrups before they settle on a final recipe. One legendary tester tried an old-fashioned chocolate layer cake recipe 130 times before deciding it was right.
“It’s a dubious distinction,’’ said the editorial director Jack Bishop. “The frosting was driving the author working on the recipe absolutely insane. It just seemed to go on and on and he was covered with chocolate every day for six weeks.’’
The recipes developed in the kitchen are used for the PBS television series America’s Test Kitchen, as well as “Cooks Illustrated” and “Cook’s Country” magazines, as well as various cookbooks.
“We have one main goal at the company, and that’s to teach people to cook more successfully at home and do more cooking at home,’’ Mr. Bishop said. “We know people don’t always follow recipes perfectly, so we try to figure out the leeway you have and the kinds of substitutions people are going to make.”
And one of the most common ways home chefs change a recipe is to substitute more healthful ingredients, using low-fat dairy products or reducing the amount of salt or sugar in a recipe. As a result, the company decided to take a fresh look at hundreds of its recipes and figure out how to make them as healthful as possible. The result is the new “America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.”
For the Well Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, the Test Kitchen is offering four tried-and-true recipes from the new cookbook for last-minute nuts and dips you’ll want to serve to guests before the sit-down meal. You’ll learn how to spice up your almonds, blend parsley, tarragon and chives into a delicious Green Goddess dip, serve up a colorful and delicious Moroccan carrot dip and spice up your appetizer spread with fresh corn salsa and homemade pita chips.
You’ll find all the recipes, including a nutritional breakdown of each dish, below. And be sure to check out all of the dishes in the series by going to the Well Vegetarian Thanksgiving interactive recipe page.
America’s Test Kitchen
Spiced Almonds
Watch the nuts carefully during toasting as they go from golden and fragrant to burnt very quickly. The almonds can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Spices:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Nuts:
2 cups raw whole almonds
1 tablespoon canola oil
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the spices together. In a large bowl, toss the nuts with the oil, then toss with the spice mixture to coat.
2. Spread the nuts out over a rimmed baking sheet. Toast, stirring often, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the nuts cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
3. For Orange-Fennel Almonds: Mix 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together. Substitute the orange zest mixture for the spice mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil for the canola oil. Before serving, toss the nuts with 1 teaspoon more grated orange zest.
4. For Spicy Chipotle Almonds: Mix 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together. Substitute the cumin mixture for the spice mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil for the canola oil.
Yield: 2 cups.
Nutrition information per 1/4 cup serving: calories 230; fat 19 grams (saturated 1.5 grams); cholesterol 0 milligrams; carbohydrate 11 grams; protein 8 grams; fiber 4 grams; sodium 290 milligrams.
America’s Test Kitchen
Moroccan Carrot Dip
For the dip to have a brilliant orange color and clean flavor, it is important to avoid browning the carrots when cooking them in Step 1.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds carrots (about 12), peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
Salt
Pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, chili powder and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Off the heat, mash the carrots with a potato masher, leaving a few coarse pieces for texture. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the dip is chilled, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving. The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Season with additional vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information (per 1/4-cup serving): Calories 80; fat 4.5 grams (saturated 0.5 grams); cholesterol 0 milligrams; carbohydrate 9 grams; protein 1 gram; fiber 3 grams; sodium 180 milligrams.
America’s Test Kitchen
Toasted Corn Salsa
Do not substitute frozen corn for the fresh corn here. Be sure to use a nonstick skillet when toasting the corn. To make this salsa spicier, add the chile seeds. The salsa can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Season with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
4 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1/2 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded and minced (see note above)
1 scallion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer the corn to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper, jalapeño, scallion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Yield: Makes about 2 cups.
Nutritional information (per 1/4-cup serving): Calories 50; fat 3.5 grams (saturated 0 grams); cholesterol 0 milligrams; carbohydrates 6 grams; protein 1 gram; fiber 1 gram; sodium 75 milligrams.
America’s Test Kitchen
Green Goddess Dip
Fresh herbs give this classic dip its clean, fresh flavor and distinctive color; do not substitute dried herbs. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Season with additional lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
1 cup 1-percent low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup boiling water (see note above)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1. Process the cottage cheese and boiling water together in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the sour cream, oil, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information (per 3 tablespoon serving): Calories 50; fat 3 grams (saturated 0 grams); cholesterol 5 milligrams; carbohydrate 1 gram; protein 3 grams; fiber 0 grams; sodium 125 milligrams.
America’s Test Kitchen
Whole-Wheat Pita Chips
An oil mister filled with olive oil works best here, but you can also use olive oil spray. The chips can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days. If necessary, briefly recrisp in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for a few minutes before serving.
4 (8-inch) whole-wheat pita breads, cut into 6 wedges
Olive oil spray
1 teaspoon salt
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pita wedges, smooth-side down, over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Spray the top of each chip with oil and then sprinkle with the salt.
2. Bake the chips until they begin to crisp and brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the chips over so their smooth side is facing up and continue to bake until the chips are fully toasted, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cool before serving.
3. For Garlic-Herb Pita Chips: Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder and 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, basil or oregano with the salt before sprinkling it over the chips in Step 1.
4.For Chile-Spiced Pita Chips: Mix 1 tablespoon chile powder (or you can substitute curry powder or smoked paprika), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper with the salt before sprinkling it over the chips in Step 1.
Yield: Makes 48 chips.
Nutritional information (per 6-chip serving): Calories 110; fat 1 gram (saturated 0 grams); cholesterol 0 milligrams; carbohydrate 22 grams; protein 4 grams; fiber 3 grams; sodium 500 milligrams.
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