Easy Fall Recipes

With country mustard sauce and celery root-potato purée

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Tilapia

• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) tilapia fillets, skin removed and patted dry
• 1 cup crushed tricolor tortilla strips
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 large eggs + 2 tablespoons water (egg wash)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Country Mustard Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Celery Root-Potato Purée

• 1 pound celery root, peeled and diced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup warm cream, or more/less to reach desired texture
• Salt and white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the purée:

• In a pot of salted water, combine celery root and potatoes. Boil until very tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• Drain well, return to the pot, and mash with butter and warm cream until smooth.
• Season with salt and white pepper. Keep warm.

2. Make the mustard sauce:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter and sauté shallots until translucent. 
• Add cream and simmer 3-4 minutes to reduce slightly.
• Whisk in both mustards and honey. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice.
• Keep warm. Adjust consistency with a little cream or water if too thick.

3. Prepare the fish:

• Combine tortilla strips, flour, and Cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl. 
• Season fish lightly with salt and pepper.
• Dip each fillet in egg wash, then press into the tortilla mixture to coat evenly.
• Heat oil and butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Sear fish 3-4 minutes tortilla side up, then transfer to a 370° F oven for 2 minutes only. Do not overcook — you are just finishing off the top.
• Remove and rest on paper towels.
• Serve with root-potato puree slightly off-center on each plate with fish alongside. Drizzle with mustard sauce and garnish with herbs.

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Yield: 10 portions

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 7 ounces tomato sauce
• 3 1/2 teaspoons tomato bouillon powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 medium carrots, diced small
• 1 1/4 cups frozen peas (do not thaw before adding)
• 5 cups hot water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the rice:

• Rinse under cold running water in fine-mesh strainer, stirring with your hand, until water runs completely clear.
• Shake off excess water and set aside.

2. Toast the rice:

• In a wide pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until simmering.
• Add the rinsed rice and stir immediately to coat every grain in oil.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. You will hear crackling and smell a nutty aroma.

3. Add aromatics and build the liquid:

• Add the tomato sauce, minced garlic, and finely chopped onion directly to the toasted rice. Stir well — the pan will sizzle.
• Add the tomato bouillon, salt, diced carrots, and frozen peas. Stir to combine.
• Pour in the water. Stir once more to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
• Add all the water at once and stir immediately. This keeps the seasoning evenly distributed throughout the pot.

4. Cook covered on low:

• Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Do not lift the lid during cooking. Peeking releases steam and throws off the water ratio.
• A tight-fitting lid is critical. If yours does not seal well, cover with foil first, then set the lid on top.

5. Rest and fluff (do not skip):

• After 20 minutes, remove the pot from heat. Keep the lid on and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and fluff gently with a fork or rice paddle. Work from the outside edges toward the center.
• Taste and adjust salt if needed.

6. To serve:

• Set out for family buffet style.
• Keep covered in the pot or transfer to a serving dish.

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Yield: 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract          
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour   
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or pinch of kosher salt)
• Sugar in the raw (as needed for rolling)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown the butter:

• Cut butter into four or five pieces and cook in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has a nutty fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a light brown, anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes. You can have a bowl of ice ready and submerge the bottom of the pan to stop the cooking process.
• Transfer butter to a bowl and chill until just firm, about 1 hour.

2. Make and chill dough:

• With a paddle attachment on an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in vanilla, then mix in flour and salt at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper or parchment and form into a 12-inch log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 1 hour. You can also freeze it at this point for future use, just defrost before slicing.

3. Slice and bake:

• Preheat oven to 350° F with rack in middle.
• Unwrap dough and roll it in coarse raw sugar, if using, and press the granules in with the paper you used to wrap it.
• Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, arranging 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake until surface is dry and edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Let sit on sheet for 10 minutes to cool. (Cookies will be fragile at first but firm up as they cool.)

4. Store:

• Dough keeps, chilled, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to one month.
• Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

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