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[nverland]

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Serving Size: 8

16 ounces dried garbanzo beans
3 quarts water
3 tablespoons garlic -- minced (divided)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup butter or margarine
8 ounces fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary -- crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 turnips, peeled -- cut into fourths
4 large red potatoes, peeled -- cut into fourths
1 rutabaga, peeled -- cut into 1" pieces
2 onions -- cut into eighths
6 carrots -- cut into 2" pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup oliveoil
2 x 14.5 oz cans vegetable broth
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

Sort and wash the garbanzo beans; place in a 6-quart Dutch oven.
Cover with water 2 inches above the beans; let stand 8 hours or overnight.
Drain.
Add 3 quarts of water, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and bay leaf.
Cook over medium high heat for 2 hours or until beans are tender.
Remove and discard bay leaf.
Set beans aside.
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of garlic, mushrooms, and next 3 ingredients.
Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes.
Add wine and tomato paste, cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
Add to beans.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon minced garlic, turnips, and next 7 ingredients.
Spread into an aluminum foil lined roasting pan.
Bake at 500 degrees F for 20 minutes, stirring once.

Spoon roasted vegetables over beans in Dutch oven, pour broth over vegetables.
Sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours or until vegetables are tender.

NOTES : Once the beans are cooked, the cassoulet is halfway done.
To streamline the process, cook the dried beans in a pressure cooker or cook them overnight in a slow cooker.
You could also cook the beans a day ahead and then prepare and assemble the remaining ingredients the following day.





Black Magic Cake
(this is one of my favorite cakes and a lot easier than it looks to make. Top with a dark chocolate butter cream or ganache icing)

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.