1 pound fresh mushroom
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
chopped cranberries (optional)
fresh snipped parsley (optional)

Rinse mushrooms and pat dry; remove stems. Chop stems. Combine stems, sausage, garlic and chopped parsley in a medium skillet; cook until sausage is browned, stirring often. Drain pan drippings. Stir in cheese, mixing well.

Fill mushroom caps with sausage mixture. Place in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Garnish with cranberries and snipped parsley, if desired. Serves 8 as an appetizer.

4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped Planters Walnuts
1 cup ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
1/4 cup multi-colored sprinkles

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Grease foil. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts; spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.

Use foil handles to lift brownies from pan to cutting board. Cut into heart shapes with 2-inch cookie cutter. Reserve scraps for snacking or other use. Decorate cutouts with frosting and sprinkles.

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white flour
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons pine kernels
1 tablespoon parsley
salt and white pepper, to taste

Mix beef with herbs and chopped onions. Form into small balls of 1/2 ounce, dust with flour and fry in peanut oil until golden-yellow. Heat the tomato sauce and spread evenly in a shallow dish. Add the meatballs and sprinkle with the pine kernels and parsley leaves. (Note: The meatballs also can be deep-fried.)

2 cups cold fat-free milk
1 pkg. (1.4 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
6 Reduced Fat OREO Cookies, coarsely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Refrigerate 5 min.

Spoon 1/3 of the pudding mixture evenly into 4 mugs or parfait glasses; top with layers of half each of the berries and cookies. Repeat layers. Cover with remaining pudding mixture and COOL WHIP.

3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon marsala or other cooking wine, sherry, port or sweet vermouth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
focaccia bread, store-bought crust or refrigerated pizza dough
grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in skillet. Add onions and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add marsala and brown sugar and allow to simmer until thick and caramelized. Spread over focaccio or other crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 until onions are bubbly and cheese melts.

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cold milk, divided
3 tablespoons PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Beat pudding mix and 2 cups milk with whisk 2 min.; set aside. Gradually add remaining milk to peanut butter in medium bowl, stirring with whisk until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP.

Spoon half the pudding evenly into 6 parfait glasses; top with layers of peanut butter mixture and remaining pudding.

Refrigerate 30 min.

1 sourdough baguette
2 tablespoons olvie oil
6 ounces cream cheese
2 fresh plums
1 cup fresh basil

Slice baguette into 24 1/4-inch-thick peices. Brush with olive oil; toast in a 350-degree oven until golden brown. Spread each slice of bread with cream cheese. Slice plums into thin slices. Place a plum on each bruschetta. Garnish with fresh basil leaf. Makes 24 bruschetta.

3 cups broad beans
2 leeks, cut in strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 tablespoon dried molokhia leaves*
salt and pepper, to taste
2 onions, cut in rings and deep fried
4 sprigs of mint (one piece per plate)

Soak beans in cold water for 48 hours, changing water two or three times. Remove skin. Put beans in a pot with 5 cups of water and bring to a slow simmer for 1 1/2 hours until soft. Saute strips of leek in olive oil until tender and add to beans. Blend into a puree, put back in pot and add dried mint, molokhia leaves and salt and pepper. Cook gently, uncovered, until bubbling. Serve hot in small bowls, garnished with deep-fried onion rings, olive oil and fresh mint leaves.

*Spinach may be substituted for molokhia leaves

4 oz cooked or canned salmon
1/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
2 tablespoons sliced scallions (green onions)
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons Tofu Mayonnaise

Cook the edamame according to package directions until they’re barely done. Cut the salmon into chunks and mix all the ingredients with 2 tablespoons of the Tofu Mayonnaise.

1 Serving

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
269 calories
11 g total fat (1 g sat)
59 mg cholesterol
10 g carbohydrate
33 g protein
3 g fiber
99 mg sodium

one 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons whole milk
1/3 pound bay shrimp, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dillweed
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
One 17.5 oz. pkg. Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water

With mixer, beat together cream cheese and milk until smooth, then stir in shrimp, chives, dill, lemon zest, and Old Bay. At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Roll out each puff pastry sheet into a 16 inch square. Cut each square into 2 inch squares. You will have 64 small squares. Put a square into a muffin tin cup and spoon 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture into the center of the dough. Draw up corners of dough toward the center and twist together to seal it. Brush with a bit of egg wash.

If you are freezing the pastries, don’t brush with the egg wash.

Repeat until you have used up all the pastry.

At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours or freeze in the tins, then transfer to a zipper top plastic bag and keep frozen for up to 5 weeks.

Preheat oven to 400°. Bake puffins until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.

If they are frozen, put on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, foil or a silicone baking liner; brush with egg wash and bake at 375° for 15 to 17 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you don’t have muffin tins, you can make turnovers. Place some of the filling in the center of a square, then fold the dough over into a triangular shape and crimp the edges together all the way around. Brush with egg wash before baking. If you want to add more flavor, sprinkle some of the chopped fresh dill and grated lemon zest on the work surface before you roll out the puff pastry.

Serves 12 to 16