Chef/Co-Owner
BEACON Restaurant, Bar, Bakery (NYC)

Author
THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY COOKBOOK: A Leading American Chef Savors the Region's Bounty

HIGH HEAT

Unilever Bestfoods' kitchens and Chef Waldy Malouf

These delicious recipes are brought to you by the good folks at Unilever Bestfoods' kitchens and Chef Waldy Malouf -- a renowned chef and television food personality.

“Margarine works wonderfully in most recipes in place of butter, as long as you use the right margarine product.”

• Onion-Walnut Muffins
• Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins
• Chocolate-Mocha Angel Food Biscotti
  served with Strawberry Whipped Topping
• Crisp Polenta Cakes with Smoked Salmon and Caviar Spread
• Waldy's Bangers and Mash
  chicken-apple sausage with herbed mashed potatoes and sauteed baby tomatoes
• Chocolate Almond Pancakes with Roasted Red Fruit raspberries, strawberries, currants and plums
• Simple Heart-Healthy Ingredient Substitutions
  
  

Onion-Walnut Muffins

Makes 20 Muffins

1 large yellow onion, or more if needed to make 1 cup puree
1/2 cup 70% unsalted tub margarine
2 extra large eggs
6 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
Non-stick margarine spray

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick margarine spray.

Peel onion; cut into quarters and puree in food processor to fine consistency. Measure puree to make 1 cup. Squeeze out most of the liquid.

Beat together margarine, eggs, sugar, and add the onion puree. Stir in remaining ingredients in the order given and mix batter thoroughly. Fill muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are puffed and well browned. Serve warm.

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Makes 20 Muffins

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup 70% unsalted tub margarine
2 extra large eggs
6 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 T. freshly grated orange zest
Non-stick margarine spray

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick margarine spray.

Mix margarine, eggs, sugar, and add pumpkin puree; beat. Stir in remaining ingredients in the order given and mix thoroughly. Fill muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are puffed and well-browned. Serve warm.

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com

Chocolate-Mocha Angel Food Biscotti with Whipped Strawberry Topping

Makes about 40 biscotti

For the Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup toasted, skinless, peeled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
2 T. instant espresso
10 large egg whites
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift 3/4 cup of sugar with flour and cocoa; set aside.

Using whisk attachment of electric mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle remaining sugar over egg whites, two tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla extract. Gently but thoroughly fold in dry ingredients in three additions.

Pour batter into ungreased 10" loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until cake is tall, lightly golden, and springs back when lightly touched.

Cool cake by turning upside down and placing on parchment paper for 1 1/2 hours. Slide thin spatula around the sides and bottom to loosen before turning cake onto a plate.

(The cake can be made two days ahead.) Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cake into 3/4" slices, and then into 1" wide bars. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet and bake again for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

For the Strawberry Topping

1 1/2 pint fresh strawberries
3 T. brandy
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. 70% unsalted tub margarine, at room temperature

Puree the strawberries with sugar and brandy in food processor. Combine room temperature margarine with strawberry mixture and whip. Refrigerate until ready to use.

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com

Crisp Polenta with Smoked Salmon & Caviar Spread

Makes 24 Squares

For the Polenta

2 cups chicken broth (low-sodium if canned), or water
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup instant polenta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 T. 70% unsalted tub margarine
12 slices smoked salmon, cut in half to be rolled into 24 rolls
Non-stick margarine spray

Bring broth, milk, and margarine to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat and add polenta in thin stream, stirring constantly with whisk. Continue cooking, stirring with the whisk for 5 minutes, or until polenta is quite thick. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. You may add extra salt to taste if using water. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking pan; smooth top with rubber spatula and remove to cool for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut chilled polenta into 1" x 2 x 1/2" rectangles. Remove polenta from pan and place on baking sheet that has been liberally sprayed with non-stick margarine spray; bake 10 minutes. Turn over and bake another 10 minutes or until both sides are crisp.

For the Spread

1 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped chives (plus 24 1" lengths for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped dill
2 oz. domestic caviar or sevruga
1/2 lb. 70% unsalted tub margarine, at room temperature
1 t. black pepper

In bowl with margarine, whip together chopped chives, dill, pepper and lemon. Fold in caviar. Spoon mixture into small pastry bag with a 1/2" plain tip and decorate polenta top.

Stack in the following order:

1. Place smoked salmon roll on polenta.
2. Pipe dime size dot of margarine spread onto each piece.
3. Place chive stick into each dot for garnish.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve.

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com

Waldy's Bangers and Mash

Serves 6

For the Sausages and Tomatoes

12 chicken-apple sausages
3 T. 70% unsalted margarine

1 pint baby red tomatoes
1 pint baby yellow tomatoes
6 basil leaves for decoration
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped basil

In a sauté pan in two batches, brown sausages in two tablespoons margarine. Set aside and keep warm. In another sauté pan, use last tablespoon margarine and cook tomatoes 4-5 minutes so they are cooked but not broken down. Add 1/4 cup chopped basil, salt, pepper, and cook for another minute.

For the Potatoes

2 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 T. 70% unsalted tub margarine, room temperature
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 T. chopped parsley
1 T. chopped chives
1 T. chopped basil

Boil potatoes in large pot of lightly salted water. Cook until tender. Drain and put through potato ricer, food mill or hand masher.

Using wooden spoon or rubber spatula work potatoes as little as possible. Add margarine, chives, basil, parsley and milk. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serving suggestion: Put large dollop of potatoes in center of plate. Rest two sausages on top with tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves.

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com

Chocolate Almond Pancakes with Roasted Red Fruit

Makes 18 pancakes

For the Pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 T. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 T. 70% unsalted melted margarine
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Non-stick margarine spray
1 cup sliced toasted almonds (reserve half for garnish)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
6 mint leaves for decoration

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with knife. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, almonds and salt in large bowl. Make a well in center of the mixture. In another bowl, combine milk, margarine, egg, pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and stir until smooth.

Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto a hot non-stick griddle or skillet coated with non-stick margarine spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look crisp. As each batch is completed, set aside.

For the Fruit

3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
Zest of 1 lemon
2 pints raspberries
2 pints strawberries
1 pint currants
3 red plums, each pitted and cut into 6 wedges

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place sugar in large bowl. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and use tip of paring knife to scrape vanilla pulp into the bowl with the sugar. Add lemon zest and rub sugar between fingers to evenly distribute ingredients. Add fruit and toss with sugar.

Spread fruit on rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes tossing once until the juices are thick and bubbling.

Serving suggestion: Stack 3 pancakes in the center of plate. Pour roasted fruit and syrup over the pancakes. Sprinkle with sugar and serve. 7

by Waldy Malouf Chef / Co-Owner Beacon Restaurant www.beaconnyc.com