Dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand 8 to 10 minutes, until foamy. Stir to dissolve. Combine flours and salt in processor bowl. Add yeast mixture and process for 10 to 12 seconds. Add oil, honey, and 1 egg plus 2 egg whites (or 2 eggs). Process until dough gathers and forms a mass around the blades. Process 45 seconds longer, until dough is smooth and elastic but still somewhat sticky. (In case the processor slows down and begins to stall, add a little extra flour through feed tube to let the processor return to normal speed.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 1 to 2 minutes by hand, until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl. Cover bowl and let rise in a warm place until dough is double in bulk, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down. If you have time, let dough rise once again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or shape it at this point.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape 3 portions of dough into long ropes, flouring your hands for easier handling. Place portions on a greased baking sheet and form them into a large braid, tucking ends under. Divide the fourth portion of dough into 3 smaller ropes and form a small braid. Place it on top of the larger braid. Pinch dough in several places to join the two braids together.

Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake loaf in lower third of oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Loaf should sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. Yield: 1 large loaf (16 slices). Freezes well.

126 calories per slice, 3 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 13 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 171 mg sodium, 75 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 2 g fiber, 9 mg calcium.

Drain chickpeas, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. (For canned chickpeas, rinse under cold running water to remove excess sodium; drain well.)

Process parsley and garlic until finely minced, about 15 seconds. Add chickpeas and process until puréed. Add remaining ingredients and process until very smooth, adding enough of reserved chickpea liquid for a creamy texture. Processing time will be about 3 minutes. Chill before serving. Serve as a dip with raw or steamed vegetables, crackers, or toasted pita wedges. Great as a spread on grilled bread, foccaccia, or bagels. Yield: about 2 cups. Chumus keeps about a week in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

23 calories per tablespoon, 1.1 g fat (0.1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 mg sodium, 34 mg potassium, trace iron, <1 g fiber, 7 mg calcium.

Meatballs

Sauce

Place meat in a large mixing bowl. Process chickpeas, garlic, onion, and carrot in the processor until fine, about 20 seconds. Blend in egg whites. Add to meat along with remaining ingredients for meat mixture. Mix lightly to blend. Shape into 1-inch balls, wetting your hands for easier handling. You will have about 60 balls.

Bake meatballs, uncovered, in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet at 350°F for 20 minutes (or microwave on HIGH for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking pan to mix meatballs at halftime). Meatballs should be lightly cooked and fat will have drained out of the meat.

Combine sauce, water, brown sugar, lemon juice, and spices in a large pot. Heat until simmering. Add drained meatballs; cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: Serves 10 as a main dish or 15 to 20 as hors d’oeuvres. Reheats and/or freezes well.

218 calories per serving, 7.6 g fat (2.1 g saturated), 17 mg cholesterol, 14 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 619 mg sodium, 575 mg potassium, 3 mg iron, 4 g fiber, 48 mg calcium.

Chop the peppers, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, and green onions. Combine together in a large bowl with garlic, dill, and basil. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving. Yield: 7 to 8 servings (about 10 cups). Soup will keep 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator.

84 calories per serving, 2.8 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 610 mg sodium, 646 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 3 g fiber, 37 mg calcium.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add onions and celery. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add green or red pepper and cook 5 minutes longer, until golden.

Meanwhile, combine water and chicken breasts in a large pot. Bring to a boil; skim well. Add sautéed vegetables, carrots, rice, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from pot and let cool briefly.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken to the pot and simmer 5 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with parsley and green onions. Yield: 8 servings. Reheats and/or freezes well.

155 calories per serving, 2.9 g fat (0.6 saturated), 37 mg cholesterol, 15 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 504 mg sodium, 272 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 2 g fiber, 36 mg calcium.

Coarsely mash avocado. (A potato masher works well, or use quick on/offs in your processor.) Immediately sprinkle with lime or lemon juice. Combine with remaining ingredients and mix lightly. Transfer to a serving dish. Place plastic wrap directly on food to prevent discoloration. Serve chilled as a dip with pita or tortilla chips. A scoop of guacamole can also be served as a salad over assorted greens, or as a vegetarian sandwich spread for corn tortillas or pita pockets. Yield: about 2 cups. Mixture keeps a day or two in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

17 calories per tablespoon, 1.4 g fat (0.2 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, trace protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 2 mg sodium, 68 mg potassium, trace iron, <1 g fiber, 2 mg calcium.

Turkey

Glaze

Remove giblets from turkey. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Squeeze juice from two of the oranges over turkey, both inside and out. Rub with garlic and sprinkle with seasonings. Slice the remaining orange; place slices under the turkey skin to keep turkey moist during cooking. (Turkey can be prepared in advance up to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to two days.)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place turkey breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the pan. Cover turkey loosely with foil, leaving the ends open. Roast turkey for 3 hours. While turkey is roasting, prepare glaze. Heat oil, mustard, honey, and jam in a small saucepan, until hot. Remove from heat and stir in orange liqueur. Uncover turkey, turn it breast-side up, and brush with glaze. Roast uncovered about 1 hour longer, until golden, basting with glaze occasionally. When done, a meat thermometer should register 180°F.

Transfer turkey to a cutting board or serving platter and cover with foil. Let stand for 20 minutes for easier carving. Remove skin and discard. Yield: Ten 4-ounce servings, plus leftovers. Leftover turkey can be refrigerated or frozen.

253 calories per 4-ounce serving, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 86 mg cholesterol, 34 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 196 mg sodium, 367 mg potassium, 3 mg iron, trace fiber, 48 mg calcium.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Sauté onions and celery, until golden. Add mushrooms and carrots. Cook 5 minutes longer; remove from heat. Cut bread into cubes and add to skillet with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Makes enough for a 10-to-12 pound turkey. (Stuffing can be prepared 24 hours in advance and refrigerated, but don’t add broth until just before cooking.)

Remove excess fat from turkey neck and cavity. Stuff turkey loosely. Fold neck skin over and attach it with a skewer to the turkey. Cook turkey as per recipe directions, allowing 25 to 30 minutes per pound. Yield: 10 servings. Reheats well. Freezing not recommended.

132 calories per serving, 2.6 g fat (0.7 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 245 mg sodium, 182 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 3 g fiber, 43 mg calcium.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick spray. Combine eggs and oil in a mixing bowl or food processor. Mix well. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Mix to make soft dough.

Turn onto floured board and knead briefly, until smooth and not sticky. Break off pieces of dough and roll into pencil-thin ropes. Cut into half-inch, marble-sized pieces. Place dough pieces on cookie sheet; they should not touch one another. You should have 80 to 90 pieces, depending upon size. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned.

While tayglach are baking, combine honey, sugar, and remaining ginger in a large pot. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Carefully add a few baked tayglach at a time to hot syrup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add nuts and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring often. When done, tayglach should be golden brown and crisp.

Spoon tayglach and syrup onto a wet cutting board. Flatten into a single layer. Let cool until syrup begins to hold together and mixture is cool enough to handle. Either cut into 1-inch diamonds or roll into 3-inch balls. Roll in coconut, if desired. Serve in candy paper cups. Yield: about 30 diamonds or 3-inch balls. Store in single layer to keep them from sticking together. Do not freeze.

112 calories per diamond, 2.7 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 21 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 19 mg sodium, 30 mg potassium, <1 mg iron, trace fiber, 6 mg calcium.

In a saucepan, combine wine with honey and ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Discard ginger.

Use a melon baller to scoop out balls from the melons. Place in a large bowl along with the strawberries and blueberries. Pour the cooled wine over fruit and mix gently.

Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to blend the flavors. Spoon fruit into chilled serving dishes. Drizzle wine over fruit. Yield: 8 servings.

162 calories per serving, 0.6 g fat (0.1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 40 mg sodium, 876 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 4 g fiber, 30 mg calcium.

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla, until light. Add applesauce and mix well. Add water, flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix just until flour disappears. In another bowl, mix apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Spray a 7”x11” Pyrex pan with non-stick spray.

Spread half of batter in pan. Spread apples evenly over batter. Top with remaining batter and spread evenly. (If you wet your spatula, the batter will be easier to spread.) Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown. Yield: 12 servings. If frozen, cake will become more moist. Just reheat it for 10 minutes at 350°F.

198 calories per serving, 1.4 g fat (0.3 saturated), 35 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 52 mg sodium, 139 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 3 g fiber, 20 mg calcium.