Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook rice according to package directions; remove from heat. Stir in half of the onion, the butter, and 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning. Divide the rice mixture among three 2-quart baking dishes or casseroles; set aside. In a very large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add the remaining half of the onion, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, the chicken, and garlic; cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Stir in frozen broccoli, soup, the water, tomato, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon chicken mixture over rice in dishes. Cover baking dishes with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw one baking dish in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days (mixture may still be icy). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more or until heated through.

2 cups uncooked converted rice 1 cup chopped onion (1 large) 2 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized strips 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 24 ounce package frozen cut broccoli (6 cups) 2 10 3/4 ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup 1 cup water 1 cup chopped tomato (1 large) 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt Ground black pepper

Rinse and drain lentils; set aside. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook leeks or onion, red or green pepper, and garlic in margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Carefully stir in chicken broth, basil, oregano, rosemary, pepper, and the lentils. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in chicken or turkey, carrots, and uncooked barley. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes more or just until carrots are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes; heat through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1/2 cup dry lentils 1 cup sliced leeks or chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped red or green sweet pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons margarine or butter 5 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed 1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 3/4 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley 1 14 1/2 ounce can tomatoes, cut up

In a large bowl, crush berries with a potato masher. Stir in sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally. In a small saucepan, combine pectin and water. Bring to boiling; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Pour into berry mixture. Add lemon juice and stir about 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Stir in lemon slices. Ladle jam into clean half-pint freezer containers or jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. Let stand at room temperature about 24 hours or until set.

For the filling, heat milk with vanilla bean in medium saucepan, until small bubbles appear around edge. Meanwhile, whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a bowl; set aside. Remove vanilla bean from hot milk. Scrape seeds from bean and add to milk mixture. Gradually whisk half the hot milk into sugar-cornstarch mixture; then add mixture to saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in yolks. Stirring with whisk, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. (Once thickened the mixture might appear curdled, but it's okay.) Whisk custard vigorously 4 seconds, until smooth. Return custard to a boil; boil 1 minute more. Stir in peel and juice. Transfer to medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until cool, 2 hours. Beat cream in mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Gently whisk half the whipped cream into custard; fold in remaining cream with rubber spatula. For the cream puffs, heat oven to 400 degree F. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets. Bring water, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan; boil until butter melts. Reduce heat to medium, add flour all at once; stir until dough pulls away from side of pan. Continue stirring 1 to 2 minutes to dry. Transfer dough to a mixer bowl. Beat in eggs at medium speed, one at a time, until blended after each addition and mixture is stiff. Spoon warm dough into large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe into eighty 1-inch balls, 1 inch apart, on prepared sheets. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, switching pans after 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove pans from oven. Turn oven off. With a small, sharp knife, cut a small slit in the center of the flat bottom of each puff. Return puffs, bottom down, to cookie sheets and let stand in oven with door ajar, 1 hour. Transfer puffs to wire racks and cool completely. To prepare half the caramel, heat small skillet over medium heat 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons corn syrup to the skillet; cook, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar melts and turns golden, 7 minutes. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, swirling pan until sugar melts after each addition and caramel is light amber. Remove pan from heat. Carefully dip top of each puff into caramel and immediately return each puff caramel-side up to cookie sheet. (If caramel hardens, reheat over low heat until melted.) Spoon half the filling into large pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/4-inch tip. Insert the tip into the slit of a puff; fill and return to cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining puffs and filling. To form cone: Cover an 8-inch round cardboard circle with foil; set aside. Make remaining caramel: Clean and dry the skillet. Heat over medium heat 1 minute. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon corn syrup and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar melts and turns golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Dip bottom of each puff and arrange a circle of puffs along the edge of the foil-lined circle (about 14 puffs). Combine gluing and stacking seven more layers of puffs with caramel to form a cone, (If caramel hardens, reheat over low heat until melted.) Let stand until caramel completely hardens. To serve, transfer croque-en-bouche to serving plate. Then cut horizontally in rows through caramel with serrated knife to separate puffs, and transfer to serving plates. Makes 12 servings.

2 cups milk 1 vanilla bean, split 1/2 cup sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch 5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream 1 1/2 cups water 10 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut up 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 5 large eggs, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided 3 tablespoons light corn syrup, divided

In a medium mixing bowl combine mashed chickpeas, egg, bread crumbs, Cajun seasoning, and salt. Add ground chicken and mix well. Shape into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Preheat oven broiler. Place patties on an ungreased, unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 6 minutes. Turn patties; broil 6 to 8 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in side of patty registers 165 degrees F. Toast rolls under broiler, if desired. Serve patties in buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices, if desired and serve with chili sauce, taco sauce, or catsup. Makes 4 servings.

Thaw crab, if frozen; set aside. In a medium bowl combine egg, 1/4 cup of the fine dry bread crumbs, the finely chopped green onions, the 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing, 1 tablespoon parsley, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Add crab; mix well. Shape crab mixture into four 3/4 -inch-thick patties. In a small bowl combine remaining fine dry bread crumbs and cornmeal. Coat patties with cornmeal mixture. In a large skillet heat the cooking oil; add crab cakes. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes on each side or until crab cakes are golden and heated through, adding additional oil, if necessary. For tartar sauce, in a small bowl stir together the 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, chopped dill pickle or sweet pickle relish, 1 tablespoon sliced green onion, 1 tablespoon parsley, the pimiento, and lemon juice. Serve crab cakes on a bed of salad greens and top with tartar sauce, if desired. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Crab Cakes: 1 6 ounce package frozen crabmeat or one 6-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed (about 1-1/2 cups) 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs 2 green onions, finely chopped (2 tablespoons) 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 tablespoon snipped parsley 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 2 teaspoons Dijon-style or Creole mustard 1/2 teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons cooking oil Salad greens (optional) Lemon wedges (optional) Tartar Sauce: 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle or sweet pickle relish 1 tablespoon sliced green onion 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon diced pimiento 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. In a large nonstick skillet cook pork in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until browned but still slightly pink in center, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove from skillet; keep warm. In the same skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon; set aside. Wipe skillet clean. Add squash, apple juice, 1/4 cup water, and shallots to skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until squash is just tender. Add vinegar, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to skillet. Return pork and any accumulated juices to skillet; heat through. Serve over spinach. Sprinkle with bacon.

In a medium bowl combine vinegar, yellow and brown mustard seeds, salt, ginger, and allspice. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours (the seeds will absorb the liquid). Add honey and garlic to mustard seed mixture. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process for 1 to 2 minutes to reach desired texture and consistency (mixture will not get completely smooth), stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. Spoon mustard into four 4-ounce canning jars or airtight storage containers. For best flavor, chill for 1 to 2 days before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact if desired. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Place shrimp in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, tarragon, and salt. Pour marinade over shrimp. Seal bag; turn to coat shrimp. Marinate in the refrigerator while you start preparing the risotto (15 to 25 minutes). For risotto, in a medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add onion; cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Carefully stir in broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peas. Let stand about 1 minute or until heated through. (Rice should be tender but slightly firm and creamy.) Stir in Parmesan cheese. Meanwhile, cook shrimp in skillet or on grill as directed. Serve shrimp with risotto. If desired, garnish with lemon wedges. SKILLET: Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and marinade to skillet. Cook about 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring frequently. GRILL: Drain shrimp, reserving marinade. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between shrimp. Brush shrimp with the reserved marinade. For a charcoal or gas grill, place kabobs on the grill rack directly over medium-high heat. Cover and grill for 4 to 6 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once halfway through grilling.

In a small bowl combine apricots and enough boiling water to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain. Stir in almonds and green onions. Spread four of the bread slices with apricot preserves. Top with apricot mixture, cheese, and pepper. Add the remaining four bread slices. Lightly coat outsides of sandwiches with cooking spray. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches, half at a time if necessary, in skillet. Weight down with a heavy skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bread is toasted. Turn sandwiches, weight down again, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread is toasted and filling is heated through.