Week of 10/25/1999

Warm Spinach Salad with Parmesan Toasts
Eating your spinach has never been more flavorful!

2 6-oz. packages fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan toasts (see recipe)

Parmesan Toasts
1 French-bread baguette
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 1/2 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice baguette on sharp diagonal to make 1/4 inch thick slices. Melt butter with oil and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Brush butter mixture over both sides of bread slices. Arrange bread in single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle cheese over bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until bread is crisp, about 13 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Rewarm in 350 degree oven 3 minutes.)

Put spinach in a large bowl. Bring oil, vinegar, wine and shallot to simmer in large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Immediately pour dressing over salad. Cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Toss salad to coat. Divide among plates. Sprinkle with nuts and serve with warm toasts.

Pork and Black Bean Chili
Adding hot salsa is a quick and easy way to punch up the flavor.

1 lb. lean boned pork loin roast
1 (16 oz.) jar thick and chunky salsa
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, undrained
1 cup chopped bell pepper (may be red, yellow or green)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup sour cream

Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1 inch pieces. Combine pork and next 7 ingredients in a 4 quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours or until pork is tender. Ladle chili into bowls; top with sour cream. Serves 4.

Raised Doughnuts
Nothing says Fall quite like doughnuts and cider!

1/2 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 pkg. 1/4 oz. active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for deep-frying
sugar glaze or cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl stir together milk, water and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and butter and whisk until combined well (lumps of butter will remain). Add salt, nutmeg and 2 cups flour and beat until a smooth batter forms. Stir in 1 1/4 cups flour to form a soft but manageable dough and on a lightly floured surface knead dough 2 minutes. Let dough stand 10 minutes. Continue to knead dough, adding enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour to keep dough from sticking. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Let dough rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1 /2 hours. Dough may be placed in refrigerator also overnight to rise.

On floured surface roll out dough 1/2 inch thick and with a floured 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter cut out doughnuts, transferring them and holes to a sheet of wax paper. Knead scraps together gently and continue to cut out doughnuts. Let doughnuts rise, covered loosely with wax paper, in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

In a deep kettle heat 2 inches oil over moderately hi heat to 375 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer. Working in batches, drop 3-4 doughnuts and holes into oil and fry, turning them as they rise to surface and 3-4 more times, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer doughnuts and holes as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

While doughnuts are still warm, dip tops in glaze or toss with cinnamon sugar.
Cinnamon sugar: 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon. Sugar Glaze: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup water, 1 tsp. vanilla. Whisk together, adding a pinch of salt until smooth.