• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup peanuts (ideally raw peanuts with the skins, but roasted is ok, and if salted, omit the salt)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Have all ingredients measured out before starting.

Grease a large rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.

Instructions

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a heavy, 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.

4 cups vegetable/canola or peanut oil, for deep frying
1 pound cod, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup rice flour, divided
½ cup AP flour
2t fine sea salt, divided
1¼t baking powder
¼t cayenne pepper
1 cup cold lager beer
lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar for serving

In advance:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until 365ºF.
• Prepare a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Place 1/3 cup of the rice flour in a pie plate.

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

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 surprisingly easy and delicious... and it makes great leftovers. Winner!

Ingredients
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
9 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano or mint
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (your choice thighs or breasts)
3-4 mini cucumbers
1 large tomato
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

This New York Times cooking recipe was very easy (as promised), and seems easily adaptable. Want SW flavors? Replace herbs with peppers and lemons with limes. Looking for Levantine? Try oranges, cloves, and cinnamon! (Disclaimer: we used fresh herbs; I'm not sure which dried spices would be okay if you decide to mix it up.)

3-4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds discarded

You know, I wasn't sure what cuisine this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit was going to be. I assumed Levantine purely because it was an Ottolength recipe, but the combination of coconut milk, curry powder, and lime should have tipped me off to the final delicious bowl being somewhere closer to Southeast Asia than Eurasia.

In any case, I really loved this soup and would make it again and again as a filling yet relatively healthy meal.

A simplified version of this Kitchn recipe, this is a nice accompaniment to sushi and other Japanese meals.

2-3 Persian or mini cucumbers, cut to desired size/shape
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Furkiake seasoning (optional)

A cousin to our delicious mango chow, courtesy of Caribbean Pot.

1 Large Pineapple (peel, cored, diced into pieces)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno pepper (sliced thin)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3 large cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fine)
5+ oranges (juice)
2 limes (juice)
1 small red onion (sliced thin)

Mix all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar - will keep for up to a week.

• 4 cups callaloo (amaranth) green, or substitute collard greens, rinsed well, chopped and tightly packed
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat, olive oil, or coconut oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 Scotch Bonnet or habanero pepper
• Salt to taste

Billed as Cajun-Chinese fusion, we found this recipe to fit more with Chinese than the American south.  But, tasty either way.

Ingredients

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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

The fattoush salad has always been one of my favorite salads. It is a lettuce-less salad and has bread in it -- what's not to like! But fattoush salads are the kind of dish where everyone's grandmother makes it differently. This recipe is the closest I've found to my ideal fattoush salad.

Ingredients

1 whole wheat pita bread
[roughly equal parts cucumber, tomato, red pepper + half-part onion]
1 large English cucumber OR 2 small Persian cucumbers, diced

Tasty and easy Bon Appetit recipe, tweaked only ever so slightly.

Serve with steamed white rice and a vegetable side such as sunomono-style cucumbers or stir-fried broccoli.

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 3–4-lb. chicken parts (just boneless breasts worked fine)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 qt Peanut oil (for frying)

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

This recipe presumes a bread machine.

• 1⅓ c water
• ¼ c grains (fast-cooking better)
  ⅛ c gluten
  2 cups wheat flour
  1 c less ⅛ white flour
  2 T dry milk
  2 t salt
  3 T honey (use a T measure to make indents in the flour, pour in)
  3 T butter in small pieces
  just less than 2t yeast on top

Add ingredients in order - the gluten and flour will "float" on top of the water, make sure the grains you add are in the water to soak.

An untried recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 4

• 1 lb cod, haddock, or halibut filet
• 1 lb waxy potatoes, boiled (or microwaved) and roughly chopped
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 12 oz milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper
• (mustard? Curry? thyme? )
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated cheese (edam or mild, easy-melting cheddar)
• 2 tablespoons chives
• White wine (optional)

Serve with plenty of rye bread and butter!

Salt fish and turn on broiler to low

In a (very) large skillet, saute fish in half of the butter (and white wine if available) until cooked through and flaking, flipping halfway through and covering to heat through

Remove fish and set aside, reserving liquids.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and saute onions over medium heat until translucent [Add any additional desired spices, such as mustard powder.]

Sprinkle flour on and stir to coat, then add the reserved liquids and deglaze the pan if needed

Gradually add milk, slowly heat until steaming. (This would be another option to add additional seasoning, such as thyme or other herbs, to allow their flavors to infuse the milk.)
Simmer for 3-4 min, stirring often, until the mixture becomes creamy.

Add potatoes and stir briskly to break up the potatoes a bit.

Add fish & stir gently. Adjust seasoning / salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD:
Fish stew base can be made up to this point and reserved for serving at a later time.

DAY OF:
Spoon into ramekins or another baking dish.
Add bread crumbs and cheese.
If fish stew base is still hot, broil for 5 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown
If fish stew base is cold, heat through in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then broil briefly to brown cheese.

Sprinkle ea serving with 1/2 tbsp chives. Serve hot w/dark rye bread & butter.

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

Makes 16, 2-inch Brownies -- add food coloring (like yellow and red) to make it seasonal!

Cream Cheese Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Brownie Batter

• ⅔ cup (3 1/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine (Giaredehli or Hershey's)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Crust (enough for two crusts - note, Jon finds this recipe difficult to work with, especially when doubled, and would consider using a different crust recipe next time)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For Quiche:
5 large eggs
3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
dash nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

14 ounces skirt steak
2 1/2 tablespoons berbere rub (see above)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 large white onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 large tomato, cut into large dice (1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sliced jalapeño pepper (seeded or unseeded), or to taste

Cut the meat into 1-inch strips, placing them in a bowl as you work. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rub over them and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt half of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

¼ lb. kale (or other hearty greens), stemmed and cut crosswise into ¼"-wide strips
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. niq'r kibbe spiced, clarified butter
½" piece ginger, peeled and minced
⅛ tsp. black cardamom seeds
⅛ tsp. ground fenugreek
⅛ tsp. nigella seeds
1 jalapeño, seeded, and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
White wine vinegar, to taste

Heat butter in a 6-qt. pot over medium heat.

Add dry spices and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

1 C red lentils
3 T nit'r qibe / oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
⅓ C berbere spice
salt, pepper, sugar to taste

Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a little water if necessary.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the berbere spice and cardamom, stirring constantly to cook spices through, about 1 minute

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.

Why didn't I do this sooner? These proportions make about a quart.

6 medium apples (honeycrisp are a good choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice/cider (substitute water)

Core apples.
Slice into wedges.

In a large saucepan, combine juice, sugar, and apples.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes, until apples are soft.
If necessary, allow to cook with cover off for a few minutes to reach desired liquid level (remember it will leech a little liquid when pureed).

Allow to cool.

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

2 pounds small carrots or other hearty winter vegetable (we used brussels sprouts), salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander or fennel
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup labneh (or plain Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon harissa paste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more
Lemon wedges (for serving)

We took a lamb recipe from Jerusalem: A Cookbook and adapted it with a cooking technique from Cook's Illustrated to create a perfectly tender, medium-rare lamb roast with shawarma spices.

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.

I have previously discussed my introduction to Caribbean food through my college roommate. Of the dishes she made, my favorite was a brown stewed chicken.

From Bon Appetit 2014 Food Lover's Cleanse

This combination and modification of three Bon Appetit recipes goes excellent together and produces a follow-up salad for lunches or a dinner later in the week. The Tahini sauce needs to be done at least 1 day in advance, and the vegetable roasting can largely be done ahead as well.

Serves 2 with leftovers for a salad (see below).

From Bon Appetit 2014 Food Lover's Cleanse

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

While a perfectly ripe mango is delicious on its own, coconut sticky rice makes a marvelous pairing. The coconut sticky rice can also mask a less-than-perfect mango to make a delightful treat. Adapted from my favorite Thai food blog, She Simmers.

Serves 2-4

1/2 cup uncooked sticky rice, cooked
1/2 cup coconut milk, or whatever you have leftover in your can from whatever you made earlier
1/4 cup or less sugar, to taste

Take flat-leaf kale and cut the leaf only parts into chip-sized pieces. Toss lightly with olive oil, and spread out on a ceramic plate.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and spices (garlic powder works well), microwave for 3-5 minutes until crisp.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/super-quick-video-tips/20...

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith or Gold Rush apples, peeled and cored
1 cup + 3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 T Calvados or brandy
1 t lemon juice
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for topping

Preheat oven to 325F. You will be placing the cake on the bottom rack, so make sure the oven is set up for this.

Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan (NOTE: a 10" pan is too wide, and the layers will be too thin)

I've had versions of this dish in various restaurants, but never attempted it at home before. I found a lot of recipes online and cobbled together a best of breed. This recipe isn't difficult, but it does take about 4 hours from start to finish.

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.

My goodness was this delicious. You have to give Martha credit where credit is due.

8 oz smoked salmon, roughly chopped, divided
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise (for texture; can be omitted if you don't like mayo)
2 Tbsp diced red onion
1 Tbsp capers
1 tsp prepared horseradish
Juice of half a lemon

1 large egg (or two medium)
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vinegar
½ c. milk
1½ c. sugar
1 c. shortening
Flour (see below, but about 3 cups in the mix)

Mix all ingredients except flour. Gradually add flour until the shortening is mixed in and the dough is stiff enough to roll out. Roll on floured surface. Cut cookies out and bake at 400 degrees until brown, 10-12 minutes. Top with sprinkled sugar or icing:

Black And White cookie style frosting:

(Let cookies cool completely before starting)

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup boiling water

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Serves 2

1/2 lb spaghetti
Olive Oil
1 small shallot, minced (about 1.5 Tbsp)
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 Tbsp shredded fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a saucier pan.
Add 1/2 Tbsp salt and pasta to boiling water.
Cook, stirring frequently, until al dente.
Reserving 1 cup cooking water, drain pasta into a colander and set aside

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 recipe is courtesy of our friends Sarah and Jason. They gave us a wonderful wedding gift set of a deep dish pizza pan, italian spices, and a great cookbook. Helpfully, they included this recipe as well!

This was one of the first recipes I learned to make while living on my own. Not the fanciest thing in the world, but it is quick, easy, and not terrible for you. It is Rachel Ray's. A full recipe (shown here) easily serves 4, but it can easily be halved to serve 2-3.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons steak seasoning blend
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped

Courtesy of Post Express.

This recipe came from a cooking class my mom took many years ago (possibly before I was born). For several years, I've had a scanned copy of the photocopied recipe with her notes from the cooking class. We finally replicated the Mongolian Beef recipe. While we intend to play around with the sauce in future iterations, the "velveting" method of cooking the beef was a big success and will definitely be repeated.

Ingredients

Velveting:
1.5 lbs flank steak
3 egg whites
2 tsp white wine or sherry
Black pepper
1/3 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil

Sauce:
3/4 cup soy sauce

16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more

3 cups Pomodoro Sauce or other sauce

1 Grapefruit
1 Lemon
(other citrus as desired)
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, and some fronds
1 cup dried chickpeas, rehydrated and cooked
greens (optional)
5 oz feta, crumbled (optional)

Cut peel and pith from citrus; cut between membranes to release segments. Squeeze juice from membranes into a medium bowl; whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Toss in citrus, chickpeas, fennel, greens and feta, and a handful of fennel fronds.

Via http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/03/chickpea-fennel-and-ci...

SUSHI!

More to follow. Maybe.

This recipe yielded our best ham results yet: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58445/best-... :

• 1 (10-lb.) fully cooked whole ham (boneless or bone-in)
• ½ c. packed brown sugar
• ¼ c. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1½ c. apple cider

Preheat oven to 325º. Place ham cut side down on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and score diagonally.

Cover with foil and bake until warmed throughout, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

So, not really a true recipe, but pretty good and pretty easy. Maybe next time we'll get fancy and make our own empanada dough, but for the first try this turned out pretty good.

On our vacation to Thailand a few years ago, we spent one of our days in Chiang Mai at the Thai Farm Cooking School. Some of the dishes we made were really delicious and frankly quite easy (if somewhat challenging to find all of the ingredients in the DC metro area).

We had a butternut squash and some mascarpone in the fridge, and I was feeling like pasta. We've done ravioli before, so I thought we should try something new.  So I googled "butternut squash and mascarpone agnolotti" and came up with this recipe. We shamelessly copied it, and it turned out great. You absolutely must go to their site to watch the videos showing how to create the agnolotti.

We primarily used this extensive guide at Simply Recipes, with some tips from Bon Appetit and with consultations to the WaPo article, Julia Child, and my vintage Joy of Cooking from the 60s.

1 Goose (8-10 lbs, ours was 8.77)
salt, pepper, thyme and sage for rubbing
1 lemon
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, with the top cut off to expose cloves
1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered

We hosted family for Thanksgiving this year and found ourselves innovating to accommodate a gluten-free family member. We very easily modified David Lebovitz's original recipe to create a delicious dish that everyone loved.

​1 1/2-pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1 large onion, peeled and minced
1 cup quinoa (alternatively, for a gluten dish, use 1 3/4 cup Israeli couscous, or Italian pepe-style pasta)
1 small cinnamon stick
1 large or 2 small preserved lemons

This recipe is a hybrid of Sharon's recipe and and a very intense online recipe. My guess is that both are derived from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Serves 6. Bakes in a 9x9 pan.

Meat sauce:

Cook and stir together until meat is brown and onion is tender:

• 3 Italian sausages (approx 0.5 lbs, mixed between mild and spicy; can substitute ground beef for all or part)
• ½ cup chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms

Indigo, the Indian food stall at Eastern Market, makes a spectacular chana chaat - basically, a chick-pea/vegetable salad/snack thing.  It's quite frankly delicious.  In anticipation of an Indian dinner party were we hosting, I coaxed the main ingredients out of the very nice woman who does all the cooking at the stall.  While she wouldn't reveal her secret spice blend, some internet reserach gave us enough clues to fill in the holes.

Obviously, this is a very notional recipe and the proportions can be added to suit your taste.  The resulting product shouldn't be soupy, but dressed in the sauce blend as a salad would be.

Adapted from The Bitten Word, adapted from Food & Wine.  We didn't have any Harissa handy, so we improvised.  This salad provides a great, bright and spicy contrast to a tagine dish.

For the salad

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