This was a spontaneous hack of a curry, after not quite finding a recipe I liked online. It turned out great, and is very scalable, in that you make a batch of curry sauce first, and can then use that in a variety of ways.

For the sauce:

(This makes ~ 4 cups of curry sauce)

• 3 T coconut oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 5+ cloves garlic, whole
• 2" ginger, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, shredded, optional
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 4 T of curry masala
• 2 t of cayenne
• 2 t curry powder
• salt to taste
• 1 14oz can tomatoes
• 1.5 cups broth
• 4 tbsp cashew butter

Adapted from Alice Waters's recipe (https://food52.com/recipes/14155-alice-waters-ratatouille)

Serves 3

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 bunch basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pinch dried chile flakes
• 1 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Salt to taste

1/2 jar Crosse and Blackwell's mincemeat pie filling
2 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c pecans, lightly chopped

Put in unbaked pie shell with a lattice crust top

Bake at 400° for 15 min, then at 350° for 45 min

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (170 g) liquid sourdough starter (3/4 cup flat, 1 1/2 cups or more bubbly)
• 1 teaspoon instant, rapid rise yeast (or 1 tablespoon fresh yeast) (you can omit this if your starter is very active)*
• 1 cup (120 g / 4 ¼ ounces) whole wheat flour (or more AP flour)
• 1 ¾ cups (225 g / 8 ounces) bread flour
• 1 ¼ cups (285 ml) water, lukewarm
• 2 teaspoons fine sea or kosher salt
• ¼ cup (55 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon or so crunchy salt, such as Malden or fleur de sel

Fast and easy weeknight meal from New York Times.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 packed cups baby spinach
1 lime, halved
1 fresno, jalapeño or serrano chile, thinly sliced

This New York Times cooking recipe was a nice combination of flavors and textures. We did what many reviewers suggested and served it decomposed for assembly tableside. Each component of this dish could easily be made ahead and served a day or two later.

Ingredients
~1.5 lb salmon fillets
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 limes, 1 zested and juiced, the other quartered for garnish

This New York Times recipe is good for a dinner party. It easily serves 4-6 and spends 40 minutes unperturbed in the oven, making it something that can cook during cocktails and chit chat. We made just a few tweaks to the original recipe.

I was intrigued by New York Times recipe, and honestly wasn't sure we were going to like it. But it turned out well, and we would make it again.

FOR THE TEMPEH:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
16 ounces/455 grams tempeh, cut into ¼-inch-by-2½-inch slices
¼ cup canola oil, plus more as needed

FOR THE SAMBAL:
¼ cup canola oil
4 medium tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
7 medium shallots, peeled and sliced

The free-wheeling cousin of sushi, a good poke bowl can be a make-your-own adventure meal with whatever you have on-hand. The fish can be sauced or un-sauced, depending on your preference. Here are some ideas:

To season your fish, mix together the following to taste:
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Ginger
Garlic
Green onion
Sriracha

To make your poke bowl, compose many or few of the following together in a bowl:
Sushi rice flavored with rice vinegar and sugar and/or mirin
Tuna or salmon, seasoned (or not) as above

This New York Times recipe uses a really interesting and tasty way to marinade chicken. The original also included a pineapple salsa recipe to accompany the chicken, but I think our pineapple chow recipe is better.

Also, the first time we made this we tripled the recipe. That created challenges in ensuring the chicken didn't marinate for more than 15 minutes, but I didn't think it was a problem.

Courtesy of The New York Times

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 (12- to 18-ounce) packages shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 pints small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape or Sungold
¼ cup thinly sliced or torn basil leaves (optional), plus more for serving

I wouldn't necessarily make this again if I didn't have pumpkin puree in need of a home. But it was a great use for a bag of frozen pumpkin puree! Mildly adapted from Food and Wine.

1 pound lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing
1 onion, finely chopped
2 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Three 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree (or whatever is lying around in your freezer!)

Who knew we'd been eating sushi wrong all this time? Apparently Filipinos and Hawaiians.

I used this website for guidance and accompanied it with this cucumber salad.

Jon was very skeptical due to lingering dislike of salmon patties from his youth, but he admitted these were actually quite good. Courtesy of Bon Appetit. Serves 4.

1½ pounds boneless, skinless center-cut salmon, patted dry
5 scallions, green parts finely chopped, white parts thinly sliced
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tablespoons plus ⅔ cup mayonnaise
Kosher salt

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

This is adapted from the https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-crackers-recipe">King Arthur recipe

• 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
• 4 T (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 T herbs (rosemary)
• olive oil, for brushing
• coarse / flakey salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and herbs to make a smooth (not sticky), cohesive dough.

A very tasty and very easy recipe from The New York Times. Especially easy if you use peeled and deveined shrimp.

3 ounces lime juice (from about 3 limes)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nam prik pao (Thai chile paste in oil -- we used our supermarket's sweet thai chili sauce)
2 finely chopped Thai bird chiles, or to taste
1 pound large shrimp
2 stalks lemongrass, outer layers removed and white parts finely sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced

Although not strictly necessary, the smashing of the cucumbers in this Bon Appetit recipe does yield a nice texture and, as Bon Appetit says, creates nooks and crannies for the marinade.

1 pound Persian or English hothouse cucumbers
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
3 scallions, sliced
4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Red chili flakes

This Bon Appetit recipe was good, but I've posted it here with a few tweaks we'd recommend for next time.

An easy way to use miscellaneous southeast asian ingredients at the end of the week. We took our cues from the kitchn.

• Rolls
• Protein of choice
• Crunchy veg - cucumber, jicama
• Pickled veg - carrots
• Spicy veg - jalapeno
• Herbs - cilantro, mint
• Mayo
• Other sauces of choice

Billed as Caribbean by Bon Appetit, this mango chow could go equally well with Indian, Thai, or other South/Southeast Asian cuisines. Sweet, spicy, salty, and sour -- delicious!

INGREDIENTS
1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ Scotch bonnet chile or habanero chile, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed if less heat is desired
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ripe but firm mango, peeled, cut into ½-inch-thick spears
½ English hothouse cucumber

1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 small onion, chopped
2 serrano chile, seeds removed if desired, chopped
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chaat masala
2 tablespoons prepared tamarind chutney, divided
pinch of sugar

1 cup raita yogurt

¼ cup sev or similar/fried noodles

A few years ago when we visited Iceland, we had an amazing langostine stew at Fjörubordid near Reykjavik. It was so good, we detoured to return on our way back through. This recipe (which we haven't made yet) looks close to replicating it.

• 2 lb. shell-on whole langoustines
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (for stock)
• 2 carrots, minced (for stock)
• 2 stalks celery, minced (for stock)
• 1 large yellow onion, minced (½ for stock)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. paprika

A simple, quick-marinating but tasty and hip steak recipe, Bon Appetit photo-shoot ready, serves 4.

• 1½ pounds hanger steak, center membrane removed, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 sprigs ea thyme, rosemary, chopped
• 1 Fresno or mild jalapeno, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Smoked salt, grill spice mix, and extra freshly ground black pepper

1-2 hours before grilling, take hanger steak from the fridge, remove center membrane, and salt with smoked (or just kosher) salt and a salt/pepper/spices grilling mix. Let sit for 15-30 minutes.

• cherry tomatoes halved or heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• chopped red onion

• diced celery, optional

• 3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided

• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Based loosely on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/flank-steak-with-bl...

A recipe not yet tried from Cook's Illustrated.

An untried recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

2 ripe Fuyu persimmons (wide, tomato/pumpkin shaped)
3 tablespoons Roughly Chopped Toasted Hazelnuts or walnuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses, for drizzling, optional
Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
1 piece fresh burrata cheese

Thinly slice persimmon and distribute on a plate. Serve with burrata (or sliced fresh mozzarella), and nuts, pomegranite seeds sprinkled on top, lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Via http://saltandwind.com/recipes/417-persimmon-carpaccio-burrata-r...

A tasty and relatively easy recipe with a great classic red sauce. The original recipe linked below uses canned chipotles, but this has been adapted to use more dried chiles, as the heat from the canned chipotles overpowers the eggs.

Sauce
* 3 whole dried ancho and/or pasilla peppers
* 1 canned chipotle chile
* 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
* 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
* 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (such as Muir Glen)

Bon Appetit called this recipe Tunisian-style eggs, but we instantly recognized it as a close cousin to the Berber Eggs we had for breakfast in Morocco. We tweaked the recipe slightly, and it was delicious!

Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored, chopped or thinly sliced into strips
1/2 large tomato, finely diced
3+ tablespoon harissa paste and/or dried spice mix

Cribbed from Marcela.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2-3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 cup long grain rice

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the poblano chiles and saute, about 8 minutes.

• 2 lbs pumpkin
• 14oz (1 package) Firm tofu, optional
• 4 cups (2 cans) coconut milk (can use light milk, and/or sub in a cup of water)
• 3-5 tablespoons Vegetarian Red Curry Paste
• 8 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 chili peppers (fresh red thai, or 1 jalapeno)
• 2" fresh galangal (peeled and thinly sliced), or 2 T galangal powder (or ½ equivalent ginger)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 sprigs Thai basil

We used a marina de chiogga pumpkin, but any firm, yellow-flesh, slightly sweet/nutty pumpkin will do.

• ½ tablespoon cumin, divided
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoona fresh lemon juice, divided
• 3 garlic cloves; 1 minced, 2 thinly sliced
• 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup semi-pearled farro (can add in barley and other whole grains)
• 1 tablespoons chopped Fresno chile or red jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
• ½ cup 1/2-inch cubes red onion plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced
• ½ 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Yogurt Sauce

Via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/carrot-tart-with-ricotta-and-herbs

2 cups ricotta
¼ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 large carrots (about 8 ounces), scrubbed, thinly sliced into coins
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons small dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk ricotta and cream in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Dry brine turkey for at least one day, uncovered, in the fridge. See http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-dry-brine-a-turkey-cooking-lesso... for guidance, we used:

• Salt (1/4 cup)
• sugar (1.5 Tbsp)
• sage
• ground rosemary
• thyme
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• smoked salt

Rub all over and under breast skin.

Prepare bird:

1-2 hours before grilling, remove turkey from fridge to bring up towards room temperature
Place pats of butter under skin

Prepare grill:

This is a modified recipe of "Mussels à la Buzara", trying to replicate a dish from http://www.dubravka1836.hr/

2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded; dispose of any mussels with shells that stay open.
2 medium tomatoes, diced
¼ cup breadcrumbs
4 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup parsley, chopped
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

2 C snapped green beans (2 parts)
1 large carrot, stick-cut (1 part)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1 tsp tomato paste

2 oz vegetable oil
¼ tsp black cardamom
¼ tsp corriander

jalapeno peppers, optional, to taste
salt to taste

Start with a hot (non-nonstick) skillet and 2 oz vegetable oil. Sauté the onions until caramelized.

Add finely mashed garlic, ginger and tomato paste, stir vigorously to combine.

Add a little water to prevent garlic from drying out. Add the carrots, stirring continuously. Add green beans.

So, I'm mildly obsessed with TaKorean's spicy kale slaw with hoisin tofu. The combination of flavors is so delicious that I forego the taco entirely to get a big bowl of this combination instead. When Bon Appetit posted a recipe that seemed similar in flavor profile to the kale slaw half of the TaKorean dish, I decided to try and recreate this treat at home. This is by no means the actual recipe that TaKorean uses, but I think it's a pretty damned good replica.

Makes four 1-cup jars

Something full-bodied and fruity works best here.

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
3¼ cups sugar (amount already minimized)
1 (3-ounce) envelope liquid pectin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon butter (to reduce bubbling)

Bring 1¼ cups wine to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook until reduced to ⅓ cup, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside. This reduction helps improve the wine flavor.

Merging some thoughts and recipes from http://www.audreyandjon.com/recipes/fruit-cobbler , http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/marilyn-batalis-blackberry-pie , and http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/mixed-berry-pie-made-... :

2 discs of Pie crust
4 cups fresh or frozen berries
½ cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 T lo/no sugar pectin (modify thickener choices to your preference)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Courtesy of The Washington Post Magazine.

Based on this Bon Appetit recipe and a modified recipe we had at the 2014 Literary Feast.

4 cups broccoli florets
Kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
1/4 cup oyster sauce (substitute soy sauce with a dash of Worcestershire)
4 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon (or more) 1/8'-thick slices of red Thai chiles
Pinch of ground white pepper
1/2 sake

1 cup pearled barley
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup parsley, thick stems removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon finely lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
⅓ cup chopped tender herbs (such as tarragon and/or chives)

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground sumac
Kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses or ½ tsp. honey
2 cups (lightly packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Toss onion, sugar, and sumac in a medium bowl; season with salt and let sit 30 minutes. Add oil, vinegar, and pomegranate molasses and toss to combine; let sit 5 minutes.

Just before serving, toss in parsley and pomegranate seeds; season with salt. Could add crumbled feta as well.

I found this recipe on the internet. It was easy to make and pretty tasty. Also, I would imagine you can use almost any green, making this a relatively healthy year-round dish.

4 cups stemmed and torn collard greens or swiss chard (about 1/4 lb or 1 bunch)
1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or about 2/3 cup dry beans, soaked and cooked)
3 medium to large cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp tahini
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 salt
1/4 black pepper

Based off of this recipe, we simply used a pre-made pizza dough and focused on the fillings.

Pre-heat oven to 400°F

½lbs minced beef or lamb (or pre-seasoned sausage, removed from casing)
1 Onion
2 or 3 Green peppers or red
1 large tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground sweet red pepper or paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
½ cup finely shredded cheese to melt on top

Finely mince onion, peppers and tomato

For some reason, Bon Appetit recommends using a whole butterflied fish, but that just presents you with many small bones to deal with. This dish will be equally good with filets. Serves 2 and can easily be doubled.

2 branzini/ Mediterranean sea bass filets
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or fresh coarsely chopped breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe was amazing. The balance of the sweet currants with the curry-spiced chickpeas was surprising and delightful and the fried onions sealed the deal. Yes, it's got a lot of components, but it is totally worth it. I have halved the proportions to serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main.

From Bon Appetit 2014 Food Lover's Cleanse

Serves 4, or 2 + 2 leftover portions to use in a salad (see below).

http://chickeninacherrysauce.blogspot.com/2012/06/torta-rogel.html

Bon Appetit comes through with another winner. We made this for Christmas 2013, and it was great. While total cooking time (roughly 5 hours) is a bit steep, most of that is hands off, and all but the last 30 minutes can be done ahead of time and frozen. Serves 8. Great for a dinner party.

• 8 skin-on, bone-in duck legs
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more freshly cracked
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 10 sprigs thyme, divided

These rolls from the The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook are deceptively easy to make and great par-baked and frozen. We make these for Thanksgiving - they're one thing we can check off our list a few weeks in advance.

Dough Recipe

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Each recipe makes 2-3 half-pints, depending on how long you let the cranberries break down for. If you want to preserve these, process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Basic Cranberry Sauce

1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Bring water and 1/2 cup sugar to boil. Add cranberries and cook over medium heat until berries have broken down to your desired level (15-20 mins). Stir occasionally and, if desired, mash with a potato masher to break berries down further. Add additional sugar to taste.

This recipe from Bon Appetit uses raw kale and brussels sprout to make a delicious, nutty salad.

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side.

For the salad:

1/2 bunch of Tuscan or lacinato kale (about 1/4 lb), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced or shredded in food processor
1/2 pint of brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely sliced or shredded in food processor
1/2 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino

For the dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper

For some reason, I always get compliments on my deviled eggs. They're really not that hard to make. I typically go to deviledeggs.com for advice on cooking, peeling, etc. the eggs, but their tricks don't always work that well. I usually find inspiration in one of their recipes, but frankly it's not that difficult. This here is what I call a "notional" recipe because you can and should adjust the proportions to your liking.

From M. Egan via S. Camfield

2 sticks (1c) butter, softened
2c flour
1.5 cups sharp cheddar, shredded and at room temperature
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t salt
2c rice krispies

Cut butter into flour until texture resembles chunky cornmeal. Mix in cheese, spices. Fold in rice krispies.

Mold small pices, place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes

1 ½ pounds beets, trimmed and halved horizontally
1 ¼ c water
salt and pepper
3 T light brown sugar, packed
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 t grated lemon zest
½ c whole almonds, toasted and chopped
2 T chopped fresh mint
1 t chopped fresh thyme

Place beets, cut side down, in a single layer in an 11-inch saute pan or dutch oven. Add water and 1/4 teas salt; bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low; cover and simmer until beets are tender, 45-50 minutes.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

1.5 lbs flap meat (skirt steak or hangar steak can be used as substitutes)
3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
6 tbsp cornstarch
2 oranges
3 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1.5 tsp sesame oil
1 jalapeño, inner seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 habañero, inner seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Cut beef along grain into 3" lengths.

This is tasty recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds lamb shoulder blade chops, cut into 3/4-inch square pieces, bones reserved

1 1/4 cups water, divided
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 10-ounce box plain couscous

This original recipe (attached) came from a cooking class we took at Lebanese Taverna for a friend's birthday. We finally made this at home, and frankly, the original recipe was way too complicated. I post here a simplified, notional recipe that I may refine in the future.

The basic thing you're making is a layering of chickpeas, chicken, pita chips, yogurt, and garnishes - "Lebanese nachos," if you will. To make this an easy weeknight meal, you're ideally using leftover chickpeas and chicken, buying pre-made pita chips, and doing only minimal preparation on the day of. It does require some pre-planning but makes the final "cooking" really easy. Yes, it's tastier if all of these things are freshly made and still warm, but whatever. I'm a working woman.

Courtesy of Jon's mom.

1 T yeast
1½ C warm water
3 C flour
1½ t salt

Mix together to form a dough

Divide into 3, shape (loosely) and place on one or two parchment-paper lined baking sheets.

Spray with olive oil, let double or more (approx. 30 minutes)

Poke dents across the top of each loaf.

Optional: sprinkle chopped rosemary and salt or other hardy spices on top.

Bake at 450°F until tops are dry and lightly browned.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) bag curly-leaf spinach, rinsed (roughly 6 cups)
3/4 lb mustard greens, stemmed and rinsed (sub: turnip greens, arugula) (roughly 4-5 cups)
1 package store-bought Paneer (or make your own, recipe below)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

This Bon Appetit rice salad was easy and delicious. It also could easily be made vegetarian (and is already gluten free) by omitting the fish sauce or replacing it with soy sauce. The fish sauce smell can be a bit off-putting on the first day, so if you're not a fan, just skip it.

Serves 2-4

1 orange
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
1 cup black rice (preferably Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice)

This tasty and relatively easy recipe came from this fantastic cookbook centered on one of my favorite cuisines. The recipe calls for a mix of lamb and veal, but lamb alone would probably be good too.

Makes 24 kofta.

1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground veal
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 large medium-hot red chile, seeded
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg