Castella

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 60 minutes + 3 hours rest; Yield: 8 servings

Butter, unsalted	¾ teaspoon
Water, lukewarm	2 ½ tablespoons
Honey	5 ½ tablespoons
Eggs	6 larges
Sugar, granulated	200 grams
Flour, white bread	200 grams
Matcha powder	1 tablespoon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a 8-inch springform pan with butter, and line with parchment paper. 
2. Sift together the flour and matcha powder; set aside. 
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and honey, and whisk vigorously. 
4. Add the eggs, and blend vigorously until smooth. 
5. Add the sugar; whisk the eggs and sugar at high speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and falls in ribbons from the beater. 
6. Pour into a large bowl, and add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing very lightly with a hand whisk. 
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tapping lightly on the counter to release any small air bubbles. 
8. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. 
9. Remove from the oven, and turn over so the baked side is facing down. 
10. Release and remove the springform pan, and peel off the parchment paper. 
11. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel, and set aside at room temperature for at least 3 hours. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Portugal Recipes & Ingredients by Anaïs Bourny Delon.

Sheet-pan chicken with roasted spring vegetables & lemon vinaigrette

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 50 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

Lemon, zested, juiced	1
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon
Feta cheese, crumbled	1 tablespoon
Honey	½ teaspoon
Chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless, cut in half lengthwise	2
Mayonnaise, light	¼ cup
Garlic, minced	2 cloves + 4 cloves
Panko bread crumbs	½ cup
Parmesan, grated	3 tablespoons
Salt, kosher	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Black pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Olive oil cooking spray
Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces	2 cups
Cremini mushrooms, freshly sliced	1 ½ cups
Grape tomatoes, halved	1 ½ cups
Dill, freshly snipped

1. Preheat oven to 475°F; place a 15x10-inch baking pan in the oven. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the zest and juice together with 1-tablespoon oil, feta and honey; set aside. 
3. Using a meat mallet, flatten the chicken between plastic wrap until ½-inch thick. 
4. Place the chicken in a medium bowl, and add the mayonnaise, 2-cloves minced garlic; stir to coat. 
5. In a shallow dish, combine the panko, parmesan, ¼-teaspoon salt, and ¼-teaspoon pepper. 
6. Dip the chicken in the crumb mixture, turning to coat; lightly coat tops of chicken with cooking spray. 
7. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, 1-tablespoon oil, remaining garlic, ¼-teaspoon salt, and ¼-teaspoon pepper. 
8. Carefully place the chicken in one end of the hot pan, and place the vegetable mixture in the other end. 
9. Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender. 
10. Drizzle the chicken and vegetables with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with dill. 

Recipe by EatingWell Test Kitchen.

Braised turnips with miso

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

Turnips, white, peeled, halved	1 pound
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Water	¾ cup
Vinegar, sherry	1 tablespoons
Salt	Pinch
Miso, white	2 tablespoons
Honey	1 teaspoon

1. If the turnips come with greens, wash and chopped them; set aside. 
2. Place the turnips, butter, water, vinegar, and salt in a high-sided medium skillet. 
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat; simmer gently for 20 minutes. 
4. Uncover, and reserve about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid from the pan. 
5. Bring the heat up to medium-high; continue to cook the turnips in the remaining liquid until it has almost evaporated and the turnips are tender and glazed, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the reserved liquid with the miso paste and honey, until smooth. 
7. Pour the miso mixture in with the turnips, add the greens if you have them, mix well, and cook for 1 minute to heat through; serve warm. 

Recipe from Fred Hutch’s CookForYourLife.com.

Crack on a Cracker

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 30 minutes plus 6 hours refrigeration; Serves: 8

Saltine crackers, crushed	3 cups
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted; room temperature, cubed	½ cup
Cream cheese, whipped, room temperature	12 ounces
Peanut butter, creamy	1 cup
Honey, warmed to liquid state but not hot to touch	½ cup
Cream, heavy whipping	1 cup
Sugar, powdered	2 tablespoons

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the crackers and sugar. 
3. Add the butter; knead with your hands until the mixture holds together. 
4. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan; chill 15 minutes. 
5. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. 
6. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, honey, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
7. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until thick and light; add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. 
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. 
9. Pour into the pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours. 

Note: I’m still deciding if a peanut butter-honey drizzle is needed… Stay tuned!

This is what my brother and I called the gooey mixture of peanut butter and honey that we spread on saltine crackers. Our parents taught us the recipe but we perfected the peanut butter to honey ratio. This pie is my attempt to create the flavor but in a funner form. In a chat with my aunt, it seems the recipe came by way of my mother's side. My grandfather kept bees, and they grew peanuts. Thus the perfect combination was formed.

First attempt: The filling is perfect, but the crust needs more butter, like 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

The Blue Pig

Active: 30 minutes; Total: 4 hours; Serves: 12

Pork tenderloin	2  1-pound tenderloins
Pepper, freshly ground	2 teaspoon
Salt	2 teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Garlic powder	4 teaspoons
Blueberries, fresh	1 cup
Garlic; smashed,  minced	4 + 2 teaspoons
Thyme	7 to 8 sprigs
Honey	1 tablespoon
Balsamic vinegar	½ cup
Rice, rinsed	1 cup
Water	1 ½ cup
Butterfly-pea flowers	6 blossoms
Lemongrass purée	1 tablespoon
Pansy, fresh picked	Garnish

The Blue Pig:

1. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels.
2. Combine the pepper, 2-teaspoons salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl; rub the mixture all over the tenderloin.
3. Using a sous vide, preheat the water to 145°F; place each tenderloin in a separate foodsaver bag with two smashed garlic cloves and several thyme sprigs, seal, then cook them both for 3 to 4 hours. Let rest 15 minutes, then brown on all sides in a skillet over medium-high heat with oil.
4. Using an oven, preheat to 375°F; line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tenderloin on the baking sheet, and onto the center rack of the oven; bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until an internal thermometer reads 140°F to 150°F; rest for 15 minutes before cutting. 

Blueberry balsamic sauce: 

1. Combine the blueberries, garlic, honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Mash the berries with the back of a wooden spoon to release the juices. 
3. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the berries are softened. 
4. Add the balsamic vinegar, and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced and thickened. 

Blue rice: 

1. Beat the lemongrass stalk with a mallet, then tied it in an overhand knot. 
2. Place the rice, lemongrass, and butterfly-pea flowers in a small pot, add the water; bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. 
3. Let the rice rest for 15 minutes, fluff with a fork, and remove the lemongrass. 

Gussying up the pig:

1. Shape the rice onto a large serving platter with a crater in the center for the tenderloin. 
2. Slice the tenderloin into ¾- to 1-inch slices, and arrange in the center of the rice. 
3. Drizzle some of the blueberry balsamic sauce over the tenderloin, and serve the remaining with the dish. 
4. Garnish with flowers, and serve! 

Note: This is a work-in-progress for an upcoming color-themed dinner party. First attempt had the flavors but lacked the textures; might have been the meat thickness. Also, tried to dye the tenderloin in the sous vide by adding butterfly-pea flowers but was unsuccessful; it was a speckled sow. The sauce is addictive. Lastly, the forget-me-not flowers lacked any plate appeal as garnish. Second attempt: we baked one and used the sous vide on another tenderloin. I thought the baked was overcooked and was bland, and the sous vide was juicy and flavorful; however, James thought the baked was what his tastebuds expects, and suspects the sous vide version was undercooked. Non-jasmine rice worked better, and beware of overcooking the sauce.

Recipe from me having to figure out a “blue” dish for a color-themed dinner party.

Pistachio-crusted baked salmon

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Salmon, whole fillet	1 ½ pounds
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Lemon juice, fresh	1 tablespoon
Olive oil	2 teaspoons
Honey	2 teaspoons
Mustard, Dijion	1 teaspoon
Garlic, minced	1 clove
Panko	¼ cup
Pistachios, crushed	1/3 cup
Parmesan, grated	2 tablespoons
Lemon zest	1 lemon
Parsley leaves	Garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Place the salmon on a large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper; set aside. 
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the juice, oil, honey, mustard, and garlic. 
5. In another small bowl, combine the panko, pistachios, cheese, and lemon zest. 
6. Brush the salmon evenly with the lemon-honey mixture, evenly sprinkle the pistachio mixture onto the salmon, and then press lightly so it sticks. 
7. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. 
8. Serve with lemon slices and parsley. 

Recipe from the Costco Connection magazine.

Gingerbread cookies

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 2 hours 10 minutes; Drinks: 10 to 11

Honey	255 grams
Maple syrup	2 tablespoons
Water	¼ cup
Ginger, peeled, chopped	3-inch piece
Scotch, blended	1 ½ ounces
Lemon juice, fresh	¾ ounce
Ice

1. Combine the honey, maple syrup, water, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until almost boiling. 
2. Remove the pan from heat, and let the flavors infuse for 2 hours. 
3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the solids; makes 1 cup. 
4. Combine the scotch, ¾-ounce gingerbread syrup, lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. 
5. Shake vigorously, and strain into a coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Shape magazine.