Maple Meringues

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup maple sugar (plus more to top)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 225°F and line two cookie sheets with tin foil, shiny side up. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular bowl if you use a hand-mixer) combine egg whites and cream of tartar and beat until it starts to get foamy-looking. Add maple sugar a little at a time, continuing to beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Drop by large spoonfuls or pipe with a pastry bag and a large tip onto the baking sheet, sprinkle each dollop with a little pinch of maple sugar, and place in oven. Bake 2 hours, then turn oven off and allow to cool/dry in the oven overnight. (Note: They will get much larger while they bake, so be sure to leave room on the sheet for them to expand.)

Maple Fried Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)
• splash of milk
• 1 1/2 cups baking mix (I use Bisquick)
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1 teaspoon each cayenne, garlic powder, chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1 inch of canola oil*
• salt

Pound out the breasts until they are very thin; this will make them fry up faster. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine eggs, maple syrup, sriracha and a splash of milk. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine baking mix, maple sugar and spices. In a cast iron skillet or other deep-sided frying pan, heat canola oil to about 350°F. (Use a deep fry/candy thermometer if you’re not sure, and you don’t feel comfortable guessing. You can also use a deep-fryer with a regulated temperature if you prefer.) Coat chicken pieces one at a time with egg wash, then dredge in breading mixture, and place carefully in hot oil. Cook until golden brown, turning over once to ensure the breading all gets browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot. Note: If the breading starts to get too dark on the outside and the chicken isn’t cooked through on the inside, you can put it in the oven at 350°F for five or ten minutes afterward to ensure doneness and safety. Serve atop a waffle (I used the recipe on the Bisquick box, with the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg to tie in with the breading on the chicken) with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Maple Teriyaki Skirt Steak with Garlic Broccoli

For the steak:

• 1-2 lbs skirt steak
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, grated

Combine all ingredients in a large, zippered plastic bag and allow steak to marinate at least two hours; grill to your preferred doneness and serve with steamed rice.

For the broccoli:

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli (or about 2-3 cups frozen)
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• peanut or canola oil to prevent sticking
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple sugar (or 2 tablespoons maple syrup)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Drizzle a frying pan or wok with peanut or canola oil and add garlic. Heat until it begins to become fragrant, and add broccoli. Combine remaining ingredients (except cornstarch and water) in a small bowl or measuring cup, then add to pan. Toss to coat broccoli with sauce, and cover with a lid to steam the broccoli to your desired doneness; less time if you like your veggies with a little snap, and more if you want them softer. Mix cornstarch and water together separately, and add to sauce, cooking just until thickened, and serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders

• 2 chicken breasts, ground
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (plus 1/4 cup for mayonnaise)
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 pound shaved deli ham
• 1/4 pound sliced swiss cheese, cut into smaller squares
• lettuce
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 package of 12 slider buns

In a bowl, combine ground chicken with tarragon, garlic, black pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Form patties, coat lightly with bread crumbs, and cook in a hot skillet until golden brown on both sides and firm in the middle. Before removing from heat, top with a piece of shaved ham (use your discretion to not overwhelm the burger with ham) and a small square of swiss cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt before removing to a bun with lettuce. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine mustard and mayo for topping.

Chicken Curry Sliders

• 2 chicken breasts, ground
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (plus 1 teaspoon for mayo)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• lettuce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Major Grey’s chutney
• 1 package of 12 slider buns

In a bowl, combine ground chicken breast with curry powder, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Form into patties and cook in a hot skillet until golden brown on both sides and firm in the middle. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine mayonnaise with remaining curry powder. Place burgers on buns atop lettuce, then top with curry mayo and chutney.

Chicken Parmesan Slider

• 2 chicken breasts, ground
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (plus 1 teaspoon for bread crumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus 1/4 cup for bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 pound sliced mozzarella, cut into smaller squares
• your choice of tomato pasta sauce
• 1 package of 12 slider buns

In a bowl, combine ground chicken with basil, oregano, garlic and parmesan cheese. In another bowl, combine remaining garlic and parmesan with bread crumbs. Form patties and coat with bread crumb mixture. Cook in a hot skillet until golden brown on both sides and firm in the middle. Top with squares of mozzarella and cover until cheese has melted. Spoon tomato sauce onto both halves of each slider bun and sandwich patties between them.

With a toddler in the house, it’s important to me to make sure that we expose her to all kinds of flavors, and I try to get some lean proteins and green vegetables into at least our evening meal. (Breakfast is usually eggs or some form of pancake, and at lunch I tend to cater to her desire for Pasta Roni fettuccine Alfredo, because it’s easy and it’s the only thing I’ve ever seen her clean her plate of.) Salmon is one of my favorite lean proteins for this purpose, though we don’t get to have it as often as we’d like. Here’s one of my preferred ways to put a flavorful spin on our favorite fish.

Maple Horseradish Mustard-glazed Salmon

• 1 pound salmon filet
• 2 tablespoons Raye’s Maple Horseradish mustard
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• kosher salt, cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a foil-lined baking dish, place salmon skin-down. In a small bowl, whisk together maple horseradish mustard, butter and garlic, and pour evenly over salmon flesh. Sprinkle with as much or as little salt and pepper as you would like, and cover baking dish with another piece of foil. Place in oven for 25 minutes or until just done through. (A little less for a thinner filet, a little more for a thicker one.) Shown here served with roasted Brussels sprouts (drizzled with olive oil and dusted with maple sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper) and quinoa pilaf.

This is a simple dish that looks pretty, tastes great, and will come together quickly. That’s important, because the holiday season can be filled with hustle and bustle — shopping for food and gifts for visiting relatives and big family gatherings, trying to find the time to spend with everyone you care about even if you don’t get to see them often. It’s not uncommon to have a short period of time in which to prepare a meal, so relax. Let the bacon do the heavy lifting.

Fettuccine with Dried Cranberries and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

• 1 lb fettuccine noodles
• 1 lb fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 lb bacon, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c. black vinegar (or balsamic, if you don’t have black)
• 1 c. sweetened dried cranberries

In a pot, cook fettuccine noodles to al dente. In a large skillet or wok, render chopped bacon until crispy, then add garlic, red pepper flakes and Brussels sprouts. Saute until sprouts are nicely browned, then add cranberries. As the cranberries begin to plump, add vinegar and pasta, and toss well to coat the pasta before serving.

Most of the “copycat” recipes I found online for making chai syrup called for plain black tea and a number of spices (most of which I do actually have on hand at any given time) but in the interest of keeping it simple, and because I had a box of Stash chai teabags in my cupboard, I decided to allow the professionals to blend my spices for me. Tazo would probably be even closer to the actual Starbucks product, but Stash is one of my favorite tea brands, so I usually have it on hand.

Chai Syrup

• 15 chai teabags (I prefer Stash or Tazo)
• 5 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

In a saucepan, steep teabags in boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove bags and add sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by half. Store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator. To serve as an iced beverage, pour a few tablespoons over ice in a tall glass, and top off with your choice of milk.

Because it’s stuffed with cream cheese, this ‘french toast’ casserole could also be served as a dessert, sort of adjacent to bread pudding and cheesecake. (Not that I’m averse to cream cheese finding its way into a bread pudding, either!)

Maple-Strawberry Overnight French Toast

• 8 slices of your choice of bread
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• nutmeg & cinnamon sugar to top
• 2 c. sliced and macerated strawberries, divided