Recipes: Radicchio, Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Salad, Beef Bourguignon and Almond Torte with Pears and Whipped Cream

This comforting, simple French meal is perfect for winter. It's great for company, too — especially if you prep ahead.

Radicchio, Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Salad

Makes 8 servings

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 heads radicchio (about 1 pound total), torn

1/3 cup blanched hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (4 ounces)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add radicchio and hazelnuts and toss to combine. Serve salad topped with cheese.

Note: You can also use arugula, frisee or Bibb lettuce. Adjust the amount of dressing to taste.

Nutritional information per serving: 146 calories; 13 grams fat (3.3 grams saturated fat); 4.1 grams protein; 4.1 grams carbohydrates; 0.9 grams fiber

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Makes 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces button mushrooms (trimmed), quartered if large

3 pounds boneless beef rump roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt and ground pepper

5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups dry red wine

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

10 ounces pearl onions, peeled

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional), chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot. In batches, brown beef, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch (adding up to 1 tablespoon oil per batch if needed); transfer to plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add bacon and cook over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

3. Return beef to pot; add wine, broth, bay leaf and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer pot to oven; cook 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots and onions and cook until meat is very tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more, adding mushrooms 15 minutes before end of cooking. Stir butter into stew and serve topped with parsley if desired.

Note: Serve it with boiled or roasted new potatoes.

Nutritional information per serving: 538 calories; 29.8 grams fat (10.6 grams saturated fat); 37.1 grams protein; 12.3 grams carbohydrates; 1.8 grams fiber

Almond Torte with Pears and Whipped Cream

Makes 8 servings

For the Cake:

1 1/4 cups whole natural almonds (about 6 ounces), toasted

1 teaspoon cornstarch

4 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Poached Pears and Topping:

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cinnamon stick

5 wide strips lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

4 firm, ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and quartered

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend almonds and cornstarch until finely ground, about 15 seconds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in almond mixture. In another large bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third the whites into almond mixture; fold almond mixture into remaining whites just until combined. Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan.

2. Make pears and topping: In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add pears and cover pan with a piece of parchment to keep pears submerged. Cook until pears are tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce until thick and syrupy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk in sour cream and 2 tablespoons sugar; continue to whisk until soft peaks return. Serve cake with pears, syrup and whipped cream.

Note: This flourless cake is incredibly light and moist. If you don't have a corer, use a teaspoon-size measuring spoon to core the pears.

Nutritional information per serving: 501 calories; 26.2 grams fat (9.4 grams saturated fat); 9 grams protein; 62.8 grams carbohydrates; 5.8 grams fiber