The best recipes of the past 40 years

ROAST GINGERED TURKEY BREAST

Serves 4.

Note: Plan ahead, as this needs to be marinated at least 8 hours. From "Fresh Ways With Poultry," by the editors of Time-Life books. From 1987.

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger root

• 1/4 c. unsalted turkey or chicken stock

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 (2 lb.) turkey breast half, skinned and boned

• 2 tsp. oil

Directions

To make marinade: Combine garlic, cinnamon, ginger root, stock, sesame oil and soy sauce in a shallow bowl just large enough to hold the turkey breast.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove turkey from marinade, scraping any clinging garlic and ginger back into the bowl. Reserve marinade and allow turkey to come to room temperature. Heat oil in a skillet (an ovenproof one could be used) over medium-high heat. Sauté turkey until golden on one side, about 4 minutes, and turn.

Use a pastry brush to baste with the accumulated juices and continue cooking for 1 minute. Put turkey in oven and roast until it feels firm but springy to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade to a boil, and baste turkey once with it. Let turkey rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve hot or cold.

CHICKEN, SPINACH AND PASTA DINNER

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: If you've forgotten to thaw the spinach in advance, it's quicker to cook it up rather than to defrost it for the recipe. Be sure to drain well. From "365 Ways to Cook Chicken," by Cheryl Sedaker. From 1987.

• 6 tbsp. butter or margarine, divided

• 1 c. sliced leeks (white part only)

• 1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced

• 3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. cubes

• 1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese

• 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

• 2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained (see Note)

• 1/4 c. heavy cream

• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook fettuccine until just tender; drain. In large bowl, toss pasta with 3 tablespoons butter.

In large frying pan, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms; cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces; cook, stirring constantly, until chicken turns white. Add ricotta, wine and tarragon. Blend well and cook until heated through.

Combine spinach with fettuccine; toss until spinach is well mixed with pasta. Add cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Toss again.

In a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or on a large ovenproof platter, arrange fettuccine around the edges, pour chicken mixture in center. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through.

MAMA D'S CABBAGE AND GREEN BEAN SALAD

Note: Mama D'Agostino owned Mama D's in Minneapolis and St. Paul. From 1974.

• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded

• 1 (about 15-oz.) can French-cut green beans

• 2 small carrots, washed

• 2 onions, cut up fine

• 2 ribs celery, cut up

• 3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Pinch salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 5 tbsp. oil

• 1 tbsp. wine vinegar

• 1 tomato, cut in wedges

Directions

Mix cabbage, beans, carrots, onions, pepper, celery, parsley and garlic in bowl. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Mix oil and vinegar together, pour over salad and toss gently together. Garnish with wedges of tomato.

Makes 2 loaves.

Note: As this recipe reflects, the "no-knead" phenomenon isn't new. From 1974.

• 2 c. boiling water

• 1 c. quick-cooking oatmeal

• 1/3 c. shortening

• 1 tbsp. salt

• 2 pkg. dry yeast

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 51/2 c. flour

Directions

Blend in eggs. Add flour until well blended (this will be a soft dough).

Place dough in greased bowl and cover. Refrigerated until needed, at least 2 hours.

On well-floured board, shape dough into 2 loaves. Place in greased 5- by 9-inch pans and cover. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour.

BARLEYBURGER STEW

Serves 4 to 6.

• 11/2 lb. ground beef

• 3 onions, chopped

• 3 tbsp. fat

•1/2 c. chopped celery

• 1 quart (4 c.) tomato juice

• 1 tbsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1/2 c. barley

Directions

GINGERED SQUASH SOUP

Serves 6.

Note: From "Come One, Come All/ Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus," by Lee Svitak Dean. This is the collection of recipes from decades of the Taste section. Use any hard-skinned winter squash for this soup, or substitute puréed cooked squash, available in the freezer. For extra flavor, grate your own nutmeg from the jarred nuts in the spice aisle. From 1997.

• About 3 lb. winter squash, such as delicata or butternut (about 4 c. cooked)

• 1 tbsp. (or more) grated fresh ginger root

• Salt and white pepper

• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 c. heavy cream

• Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together cooked squash, ginger, and stock. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, breaking up squash with a spoon. Remove soup from heat and purée with a food processor or blender until smooth. If desired, strain for a smoother texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add nutmeg.

Stir in cream and heat throughout. Serve hot, garnished with a small dab of sour cream.

COBB SALAD

Serves 4.

Note: In 2008, we asked four local chefs to offer some ideas for jazzing up the supermarket rotisserie chicken that many of us have come to call "dinner," and Lisa Carlson of Spoonriver created this colorful and vibrantly flavored salad. Carlson is now co-owner of the Chef Shack food truck, where she's still tossing awesome, seasonally conscious salads.

• 1/2 c. sherry vinegar

• 1 shallot, roughly chopped

• 6 fresh basil leaves, torn

• 6 fresh tarragon leaves, torn

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 1 c. extra-virgin olive oil

For salad:

• 6 slices bacon

• 1 bunch asparagus, woody tips removed and discarded

• 2 ears fresh corn (if available), cobs shucked

• 1 roasted chicken, skin removed and meat pulled from bones with a fork

• 3 tbsp. finely minced fresh herbs, such as tarragon, basil and thyme

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 head romaine lettuce, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled

• 1 avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced

Directions

To prepare vinaigrette: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together sherry vinegar, shallot, basil and tarragon leaves and sugar. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and reserve.

To prepare salad: In a pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. When bacon is cool, crumble and reserve. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil over high heat. Blanch asparagus for 30 seconds, plunge cooked asparagus into a bowl of ice water to halt cooking, remove asparagus from water and drain dry.

Cut asparagus into bite-size pieces. Blanch corn in boiling water for 1 minute, plunge cooked corn into a bowl of ice water to halt cooking, remove corn from water, drain dry and carefully cut kernels from corn cob, reserving kernels.

Arrange salad on a platter or on individual plates, garnish with blue cheese, hard-cooked eggs and avocado, and serve.

SLOPPY JOES

Serves 4.

"These hot sandwiches appeal because they take no time to make at all and are a combination of what most of us love best -- spaghetti sauce and barbecue sauce," writes Marian Burros in "Cooking for Comfort" (Simon & Schuster, $15.99) Another plus: They're just as good, and perhaps even better, as leftovers, and can be frozen up to a month; just reheat and serve. From 2003.

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/2 c. finely chopped celery

• 1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced

• 11/2 lb. ground beef

• 1 c. beer

• 1/2 c. ketchup

• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 4 tsp. white vinegar

• 1/4 to 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sauté onion for about 3 minutes. Add celery and green pepper, and continuing sautéing until vegetables are soft and taking on color. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Push vegetables to side of pan and add beef, breaking it up with a fork until meat is crumbled. Cook until meat is cooked through and no pink remains. Add beer, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and hot pepper sauce.

Stir, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until flavors are blended and liquid is slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper and serve on rolls as open or closed sandwiches.

CORNMEAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Note: From chef Scott Rosenbaum of Wilde Roast Cafe in Minneapolis. Rosenbaum suggests preparing the batter the night before and refrigerating it in a tightly sealed container. "That way the cornmeal softens a bit more," he said. "Although they're just fine if you use the batter right away, they'll have a nice little crunch. That's why the recipe calls for boiling water, because it begins that softening process." To use frozen berries, place them in a strainer and rinse until water runs clear. Spread on a paper towel to dry. From 2007.

• 1/2 c. flour

• 3 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 c. cornmeal

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 c. boiling water

• 1/4 c. milk

• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 c. fresh blueberries, or thawed frozen berries

Preheat griddle over medium-high heat (350 degrees if using an electric griddle).

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder and reserve. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add boiling water, stir and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in milk, butter and egg. Add flour mixture and stir until smooth. Pour batter onto a hot griddle. Sprinkle pancakes with blueberries and cook until pancake is bubbly all over and edges are crisp. Turn pancakes and cook an additional 2 minutes, until pancake is golden brown. Serve with butter and pure maple syrup.

PERFECT POPOVERS

Makes about 1 dozen.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. To prepare clarified butter, cut unsalted butter into small pieces and melt in a saucepan over low heat, simmering undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes but not allowing butter to sizzle, until fats separate. Strain mixture, discarding white milk solids and retaining clear yellow clarified butter. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed glass container for up to 1 month. Rick Nelson's formula, from 2009.

• 2 c. whole milk

• 6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm to the touch

• 1 3/4 c. flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 6 tsp. clarified butter for pans (see Note)

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and egg white until pale and frothy, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in microwave oven (or in a saucepan over low heat) until it is just warm to the touch. Add milk to eggs and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

Reduce speed to low, add flour and salt, and mix just until batter is consistency of heavy cream (a few lumps may remain) and lightly bubbled, about 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place 1/2 teaspoon clarified butter in each popover tin. Loosely cover pan with aluminum foil, place pan on a baking sheet and preheat pan for at least 15 minutes. Transfer batter into a container with a spout. When pans are hot, remove from oven, remove and discard aluminum foil and carefully pour batter into prepared cups, filling just under two-thirds full.

Return popover pan to oven (keep pan on baking sheet) and bake 25 minutes. Without opening door, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake an additional 14 to 18 minutes until popovers are golden brown. Remove from oven and let popovers rest 1 minute before gently lifting popovers from pans (some may require a little nudging with a dull-edged knife). Serve immediately.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: From Jane Yetter of the Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis. From 2000.

For cookies:

• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder

• 1 c. water

• 1 c. granulated sugar

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 1 c. raisins or golden raisins

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3 c. flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 tbsp. butter, at room temperature

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp. hot coffee

• 1 c. walnut halves, golden raisins or Craisins for garnish

To prepare cookies: In a small bowl, dissolve instant coffee in water. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine coffee mixture, pears, granulated sugar, butter, raisins, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Simmer gently until pears are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. When pear mixture is at room temperature, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. In a large bowl, blend flour, baking soda and salt. Add pear mixture and chopped walnuts; mix until just combined. Drop by heaping teaspoonsful onto prepared baking sheets and bake 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 2 minutes and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.