Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes(2)

Ana Raquel laughed. “I ran out of muffins and there were still people in line. It got a little loud there in the park.”

The mayor smiled. “I believe that is what they call a high-quality problem. Now tell me about the cookbook you mentioned when you set up our meeting.”

Ana Raquel clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “I want to take what I’ve learned and share it with people on a larger scale. I want to create a cookbook based on the town and what we like to eat here. I thought I could collect recipes from locals who want to share them. I’ll also create some of my own. I was thinking the recipes should be delicious but not too complicated. People are busy and not everyone wants to spend all day in the kitchen. We could call it Fool’s Gold Cookbook.”

She squeezed her fingers, hoping she could hide her sudden nerves. She wanted the mayor to be excited about the cookbook idea.

Mayor Marsha leaned back in her chair. “That’s very interesting,” she murmured. “I like the concept. Ironically, someone else came to me last week with a similar plan. Given that you both came to me with cookbook ideas, I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of inviting him to join us.”

Even as she spoke, Mayor Marsha was standing and motioning for someone to enter the room. Ana Raquel knew who it was before she bothered to turn around. Because there was only one person who would invade her meeting and steal her idea.

Move Directly to Chapter 2

spring

Light Meals

Roasted Beet Salad with Farro, Fennel and Goat Cheese

Creamy Turkey Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Arugula Pesto, Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Pizza

Super-Healthy Chicken Salad Wrap

Tarragon Tuna Melt

Greek Salad Sandwich

Fajita Quesadilla

California BLT

Quick and Easy Nachos

Steak Stir-fry with Snow Peas

Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Mango-Lime Salsa

Seared Chicken with Lemon Spinach

Thai Peanut Chicken

Easy Sesame Peanut Noodles

Fettuccine with Citrus-Parsley Pesto

Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper and Kale Stir-fry

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine

SPRING

Roasted Beet Salad with Farro, Fennel and Goat Cheese

Farro is a chewy grain found at specialty and gourmet food stores. If farro is unavailable, you can substitute barley or brown rice, cooked according to package directions. This salad boasts both color and crunch.

Serves 6

3 medium beets, trimmed (or 1 package [500 grams] precooked beets)

3 cups water, plus more if needed

1 cup farro

Salt and black pepper

1 small bulb fennel, diced

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

4 ounces mild goat cheese, cut into small squares or crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Loosely wrap each beet in foil and roast 45 minutes, until fork-tender. Peel and dice beets.

2. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add farro and a pinch of salt. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook 25 minutes, until the farro is just tender. Add water if needed during cooking. Cover pan with a dish towel until ready to use.

3. In a large serving bowl, combine beets, farro, fennel, shallot, lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Garnish with tarragon and goat cheese.

TIP: Save time (and red fingers!) by using precooked beets, now available at many markets.

SPRING

SPRING

Creamy Turkey Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Mellow turkey chunks are studded with sweet cranberries and crunchy pecans in this light but filling salad.

Serves 4

1 cup mayonnaise (reduced-fat is fine)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼–½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and black pepper

4 cups cooked turkey meat, cubed

1 small stalk celery, chopped

1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons red onion, minced, or scallion, sliced

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Romaine lettuce, chopped, for serving

1. In a large serving bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in remaining ingredients except lettuce. Line serving plates with chopped lettuce. Top with a mound of turkey salad.

TIP: Round out the meal with a crusty baguette or whole-wheat rolls.

SPRING

Arugula Pesto, Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Pizza

Sharp arugula stands in for basil in this easy pesto sauce. It’s a great way to use up that almost-wilted arugula in your refrigerator.

Serves 4

Pesto

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bag (5 ounces) baby arugula

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup walnuts

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pizza

Vegetable oil and cornmeal, for prepping pan

1 large (1 pound to 1¼ pounds) prepared pizza dough

1 cup (6 ounces) ricotta cheese, preferably fresh

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large tomato, cored and very thinly sliced

For pesto:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, process garlic until minced. Add arugula, a handful at a time. Pour in oil; process until blended. Add walnuts, cheese, lemon juice and salt; process until smooth. You should have about 1 cup pesto; you’ll need about ½ cup for the recipe. Reserve remaining pesto for another use.