973 west recipes

Pressure cooker ricotta cheesecake: a creamy Italian-style cheesecake with golden raisins and lemon zest, steamed to perfection in just 20 minutes under pressure. No cracks, no water bath fuss.

Honey-dipped cookies, the Greek melomakarona, are oval spiced cookies fragrant with orange, cognac, and cinnamon, soaked in honey syrup and showered with walnuts. An irresistible Christmas tradition from the Aegean kitchen.

Kutia, a traditional Polish Christmas pudding made with wheat berries, ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, almonds, figs, dates, and rum-soaked currants. A treasured holiday dessert.

Marinated olives steeped with lemon, fresh thyme, rosemary and slivered garlic in good olive oil. A no-cook, make-ahead appetizer that gets better as it sits. Serve with warm crusty bread.

A buttery, moist and delicious cake, whoever has it will definitely give you a big "wow".

Slow cooker beef shanks braised in beer and tomato paste with mushrooms, carrots, red potatoes, and garlic, finished with fresh lemon zest and juice. Set it and forget it for up to 9 hours.

Fresh strawberry scones layer sliced berries and strawberry jam between two halves of a citrus-scented scone dough, then bake into wedges. A bakery-style stuffed scone sweetened with orange juice concentrate.

Orange cake filling made with fresh orange juice, lemon juice, and orange zest cooked over a double boiler. Bright, citrusy, and thick enough to hold between layers.

Gateau sec aux noisettes: a French hazelnut macaroon tart with flaky pastry, raspberry puree, ground hazelnut filling, slivered almonds, and a caramelized sugar glaze. Elegant patisserie at home.

No-sugar raisin bars sweetened only with raisins and unsweetened apple juice, made with whole wheat flour and warm spices. Low calorie and naturally sweet.

Wild rice with dried chestnuts, currants, aniseed, shallots, and orange zest. Includes both pressure cooker and stovetop methods. An elegant vegetarian side dish.

Tiramisu made with mascarpone blended with cottage cheese for a lighter, less heavy filling. Coffee-soaked ladyfingers, a cloud of whipped egg whites, and a dusting of cocoa, with no baking required.

Fruit solitaire tarts with orange-scented butter pastry shaped like playing card suits, filled with cherry and blueberry pie filling. A festive New Year's Eve dessert.

Asparagus vichyssoise made in the microwave with fresh asparagus, potatoes, and skim milk. This light, low-fat cold soup is blended silky-smooth and chilled overnight for a refreshing make-ahead starter.

Quince and cranberry compote slow-cooked with cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and orange zest. The quince turns deep pink after two hours and gets balanced with balsamic vinegar.

Angel pie with crisp meringue crust holding a silky lemon curd folded into clouds of whipped cream. The shell bakes low and slow until shatter-crisp, then chills overnight for a tangy-sweet make-ahead dessert.