5 Ingredients or Fewer
Spicy Garlic Soup
By Deanna Desin
Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Cherry Tomatoes, Onion, and Basil
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Mashed Turnips with Nutmeg
Turnip plants were brought to America by early French and English settlers.
Chocolate Almond Truffle Squares
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.
Seared Tuna Pepper Steaks
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
A spicy pepper coating and an Asian-style sauce give these tuna steaks an intense flavor. Joan serves mashed or oven-roasted sweet potatoes alongside. Look for the sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.
By Joan Brett
Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
(Arrosto di Agnello alla Toscana)
Roasted meats are simple by definition, and in Tuscany they are not just simple, but pure and filled with flavor, too. Lamb is one of the Tuscans' favorite meats to roast. The seasonings in this recipe reflect the Tuscan countryside, with its wild rosemary and the aroma of garlic in the air. Though garlic is ever-present in the cooking, it is generally used in moderation so that it doesn't overpower the other flavors.
Deviled Game Hens
(Pollo alla Diavola)
This entrée, a specialty of Florence, can be found at restaurants throughout Tuscany. If you see alla diavola on an Italian menu, it means that dish will be slightly spicy. Chicken alla diavola is usually flattened, then blackened on a grill or under the broiler, but the same technique works well on the stove, too. This recipe uses game hens to stand in for the smaller chickens of Tuscany, and a heavy pot takes the place of the brick.