Fruit and Spice Make It Nice

Boost the flavor of your family's everyday favorites.

Add a little of this and a little of that, and before you know it, you've put a fresh twist on familiar dishes. Make beef, fish, vegetables, or even muffins special by adding a dash of spice or splash of fruit flavor. These recipes will make tempting choices for any day of the week.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 35 MIN.

These roasted veggies get their zing from ginger. You can also try them with ground cumin or Italian seasoning.

PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 medium-size red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 medium-size sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon pepper

Coat a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray.

Place potatoes, bell pepper, and onion in pan; sprinkle evenly with salt, ginger, and pepper. Toss until vegetables are evenly coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 450° for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Orange-Date Muffins

MAKES 1 DOZEN

PREP: 10 MIN., BAKE: 15 MIN.

1 (16.6-ounce) package quick bread-and-muffin mix with dates

1 cup FLORIDA'S NATURAL Premium Brand Orange Juice

½ cup butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Stir together all ingredients; spoon batter evenly into lightly greased muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.

Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

Ginger-Marinated Flank Steak

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., CHILL: 8 HRS., GRILL: 20 MIN., STAND: 5 MIN.

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (2-pound) BEEF Flank Steak

Combine vegetable oil and next 6 ingredients in a shallow baking dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add steak, turning to coat. Cover or seal, and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over mediumhigh heat (350° to 400°) 8 to 10 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into thin slices diagonally across the grain.

Baked Lemon-Dill Catfish

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 20 MIN.

½ cup HELLMANN'S Real Mayonnaise

¼ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced

4 (4- to 6-ounce) catfish fillets

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

Stir together mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place half of mayonnaise mixture in another small bowl to serve with fish; cover and chill until ready to serve.

Rinse fillets, and pat dry with paper towels. Brush fillets evenly with remaining half of mayonnaise mixture; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in breadcrumbs. Arrange fillets on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foillined broiler pan.

Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout. Serve immediately with chilled mayonnaise mixture.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Pie

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 30 MIN., BAKE: 30 MIN., CHILL: 8 HRS.

Using a convenient ready-made crust allows time to dip cherries in chocolate for an eye-popping pie topper.

1 (12-ounce) package NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

½ cup whipping cream

¼ cup butter, cut into pieces

1 (6-ounce) ready-made chocolate crumb piecrust

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon almond extract

16 maraschino cherries with stems

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

Microwave morsels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk in butter until smooth. Let cool, whisking occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Spoon half of chocolate mixture into piecrust. Cover and chill remaining chocolate mixture.

Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over chocolate mixture in piecrust. Place piecrust on a baking sheet.

Beat cream cheese and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over cherry pie filling. (Pie shell will be very full but will not overflow when baking.)

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Drain maraschino cherries on paper towels; pat dry.

Microwave reserved chocolate mixture at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute. Remove from microwave; stir until spreading consistency, reheating if necessary.

Dip cherries in chocolate mixture, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper; chill 15 minutes. Spread remaining chocolate mixture evenly over top of pie. Spoon 8 dollops of whipped topping around outer edge of pie; place 2 chocolate covered cherries in center of each dollop.

Orange Tea Cooler

MAKES 4 QUARTS

PREP: 10 MIN., STEEP: 5 MIN.