RECIPES: Taste 50-inspired

CONGO BARS

Makes 24

Note: From Sandi Younkin and Kara Younkin Viswanathan of Bars Bakery in St. Paul.

For crust:

For filling:

Directions

To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine 11/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until a rough dough forms. Pat dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan and bake until lightly browned at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack.

Nutrition information per serving

Calories256Fat15 gSodium153 mg

Carbohydrates28 gSaturated fat7 gCalcium65 mg

Protein4 gCholesterol42 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 bread/starch, 1 other carb, 3 fat

Makes 1 cocktail

Note: From Dan Oskey of Joia Soda. "I hadn't really thought much about the name," said Oskey. "But then it just occurred to me that it could be called 'The Limey Derby,' which is funny to me, because it resembles some of my Kentucky Derby-inspired drinks, but with gin instead of bourbon. Hence, 'Limey.' And it has lots of actual lime in it, so I wouldn't think any Brits would get offended."

Directions

In a 16-oz. mixing glass, muddle blueberries, mint and lime juice. Fill glass halfway with ice and add gin and Grand Marnier. Shake well and pour entire contents into a tall glass. Top with soda, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

Nutrition information per serving

Carbohydrates22 gSaturated fat0 gCalcium9 mg

Protein0 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber0 g

CARAMELIZED ONION, FIG AND CAMEMBERT TART

Makes 12 small tarts

Note: From Josh Brown of Gather in Minneapolis.

For tarts:

Directions

To prepare caramelized onions: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

To prepare tarts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin pan cups. Place a puff pastry square in each muffin cup and press pastry to bottom of cup. Place 1 teaspoon of fig jam on top of each puff pastry, followed by 1 teaspoon caramelized onion and 1 piece Camembert cheese. Sprinkle each pastry with rosemary. Bake until cheese is melted and puff pastry is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, cool to room temperature, carefully remove from muffin cups and serve.

Nutrition information per serving

Carbohydrates11 gSaturated fat6 gCalcium123 mg

Protein7 gCholesterol25 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb, 1 high-fat meat, 1fat

SPRIGHTLY ASPARAGUS SOUP

Serves 4

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add spinach and cook until leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Scoop spinach out with a strainer. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible and reserve.

Fill a bowl with ice water. Place asparagus into boiling water and cook until stalks turn bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness of stalks. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus from boiling water to ice water. Remove from water, remove 8 asparagus tips for garnish and reserve.

In a soup pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, garlic and thyme and cook until onions sweat, being careful to not allow vegetables to brown. Slowly add 1/4 cup vegetable stock and deglaze pan. Add blanched spinach, blanched asparagus, parsley and remaining 53/4 cups vegetable stock, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, warm cream until it almost reaches a boil. Add cream to boiling soup mixture and remove soup pot from heat. Steep soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender on high speed (and working in batches), purée soup mixture until a creamy consistency is reached. Pass puréed soup mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl. Place bowl of soup in an ice bath to stop cooking process and retain maximum color. Serve cool (by chilling soup in refrigerator), at room temperature or hot (by carefully reheating). Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with asparagus tips and crème fraîche.

Calories245Fat20 gSodium290 mg

Carbohydrates16 gSaturated fat12 gCalcium99 mg

Protein5 gCholesterol65 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 vegetable, 4 fat

AL'S BREAKFAST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. This recipe first appeared in Taste on Oct. 26, 1994, after Jane and Michael Stern wrote about the Dinkytown institution in the October 1994 edition of Gourmet magazine.

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes but preferably overnight (if batter sits overnight, stir it well before pouring; you may need to thin it with a little more buttermilk). Berries may be stirred into batter at this point, if desired.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until hot enough to make drops of water scatter over surface. Brush grill or skillet with additional melted butter.

Working in batches, pour batter onto griddle or skillet to form pancakes about 6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle pancakes with walnuts at this point, if desired.

Nutrition information per each of 12 pancakes

Calories193Fat5 gSodium455 mg

Carbohydrates29 gSaturated fat3 gCalcium150 mg

Protein7 gCholesterol47 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 bread/starch, 1 fat.

Serves 6 to 8

Note: "People don't really seem to know what to do with tempeh," said Brenda Langton of Spoonriver in Minneapolis. "But we're always looking for ways to have more plant-based protein in our diets." From "The Spoonriver Cookbook" by Brenda Langton and Margaret Stuart (University of Minnesota Press, $34.95), with photographs by Mette Nielsen.

For tempeh:

For sauce:

Directions

To prepare sauce: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté onion until soft. Add garlic, carrots, celery and peppers and sauté until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer vegetables to a bowl and reserve.

Return pot to stove over high heat. Warm 2 more tablespoons olive oil and sauté mushrooms until they brown (you might have to do this in 2 batches, so mushrooms brown rather than sweat in their own juices). Remove from heat and add mushrooms to vegetables.

Return pot to stove over medium heat. Warm remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add flour, stirring constantly, to make a roux, and continue to cook until flour smells nutty and is golden in color.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, combine stock, wine, tomato paste, thyme, cayenne and marjoram, and bring to a boil. Whisk mixture into roux, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Add salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and vegetables.

Prepare fettucine according to directions on package. Serve tempeh and sauce over fettucine, garnish with sour cream and serve.

Calories325Fat22 gSodium366 mg

Carbohydrates18 gSaturated fat3 gCalcium92 mg

Protein15 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb, 2 lean meat, 3 fat