Butternut Kisses

Roasted Beet, Peach, and Goat Cheese Salad

1 . Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Wrap each beet in two layers of aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until beets are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow beets to cool slightly, then remove skins. Let beets cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Once cooled, thinly slice beets.

2 . Place mâche and arugula into a large mixing bowl. Add sliced beets and peaches; sprinkle with shallots, pistachios, and goat cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper until emulsified, and pour over salad mixture. Toss well, and serve.

Mediterranean Yellow Rice and Vegetables

1 . Pour the vegetable broth, chicken broth, and pineapple juice into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the brown rice, raisins, turmeric, and cumin, bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

2 . Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, red and yellow pepper for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

3 . While the vegetables are cooking, stir together honey, 1 tablespoon of oil, lemon juice, ginger, and black pepper in a bowl. Stir honey mixture, cooked vegetables, and pineapple into the cooked rice, bring the mixture back to a boil, and serve hot.

Authentic Mandelbrot

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread almonds onto a baking sheet and toast in preheated oven until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool, then coarsely chop the almonds.

2 . Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

3 . Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon zest, and orange zest in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4 . Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter-egg mixture and mix on low speed just until blended. Stir in chopped almonds.

5 . Divide dough in half. Grease hands to prevent sticking. On prepared baking sheet, shape each half into a flattened log, about 9 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch tall.

6 . Bake in preheated oven until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. Slice logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices flat on baking sheet. Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Flip cookies and bake until other sides are lightly browned, about 10 minutes more.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

1 . Sift flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon into a bowl.

2 . Beat molasses, brown sugar, water, and butter in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; stir in flour mixture; mix until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.

3 . When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4 . Roll out dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut dough into desired shapes with holiday cookie cutters, dipping the cutters into flour as needed so they don't stick to the dough. Transfer gingerbread cookies to ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.

5 . Bake in the preheated oven until firm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2 . Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3 . Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir to create a smooth paste. Slowly add half-and-half and continue to stir to prevent any lumps. Add soy sauce, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Taste mushroom gravy and adjust seasoning to your liking.

4 . Meanwhile, heat chicken broth in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add green beans to boiling chicken broth and cook for 6 minutes. Strain green beans and add to mushroom gravy. Transfer mixture to the prepared casserole dish.

5 . Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle French-fried onions on top and return to the oven. Bake for 5 more minutes and serve immediately.

Oatmeal Apricot Almond Bites

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2 . In a large bowl, blend the applesauce, brown sugar, and honey. In a separate bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture. Fold in the oats, vanilla extract, almond extract, apricots, almonds, and cranberries. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

3 . Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Marinated Mushrooms with Blue Cheese

1 . In a medium bowl, mix together the blue cheese, vegetable oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, garlic, seasoning salt, white sugar, dry mustard and hot sauce. Stir in the mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Crab-Filled Egg Rolls With Ginger-Lime Dipping Sauce

1 . Place an egg-roll wrapper on a work surface. Center 3 Tbs. crabmeat on the wrapper, forming it into a log. Fold the corner closest to you tightly over the filling, then overlap right and left corners. Then, as if forming a cigarette, roll wrapper tightly, moistening the end with wet fingertips. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and crab.

2 . Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 300 degrees. Cook rolls, 5 at a time, turning once, until blond, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool and refrigerate in a zipper-lock bag. (Can be prepared to this point up to 3 days ahead.) Reserve oil.

3 . Several hours before serving, mix dipping sauce ingredients together. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Reheat oil to 375 degrees in Dutch oven. Cook rolls again, 5 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on a rack set over a lipped cookie sheet and place in warm oven; can be held up to 20 minutes.

4 . Cut each roll into thirds, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with dipping sauce.

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2 . In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.

3 . Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Instant Pot® Cranberry-Apple Oatmeal

1 . Combine milk, apple, oats, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Stir ingredients together, then close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 4 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.

2 . Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Heavy Cream

1 . Combine 5 cups water, potatoes, onion, celery, butter, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a slow cooker. Cook until vegetables are tender, on Low for 8 to 9 hours or on High, about 6 hours.

2 . Mix cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Stir 1/2 of the cornstarch mixture, heavy cream, and evaporated milk into the soup and cook for 1 more hour until thickened, adding more of the cornstarch mixture if desired for consistency. Top with chives before serving.

Berry Apricot Smoothie

1 . Place all ingredients into blender and blend on high until smooth.