Ingredients

• 3 lb. chicken pieces, skin removed (pref. dark meat)
• 4 tbsp. vegetable oil or ghee
• 3 lg. onions, finely sliced
• 10 black peppercorns, crushed
• 10 cardamom seeds, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom)
• 1 3-in cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon)
• 1 2-in piece fresh ginger, chopped
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 heaping tsp. chili powder
• 1 heaping tsp. turmeric
• 2 heaping tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. white wine

Preparation

Heat the ghee or oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add the onions, pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon and cook until the onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, chili powder, turmeric, paprika, and salt, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken pieces and cook until nicely browned, stirring often. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt with wine. Reduce heat to low and gradually add yogurt mixture, stirring constantly until fully incorporated. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with rice.

Serves about 6.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup medium-grind bulgur
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
• 16 to 20 untorn collard leaves
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation

Soak bulgur in hot water to cover until tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine bulgur with lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, mint, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch meatballs, handling mixture as little as possible.

Put olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat; when hot, add meatballs and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Serve immediately or cool and proceed with recipe.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Trim stem ends of collard leaves and discard. Put half the leaves in the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are just pliable. Use a slotted spoon to remove leaves from water and transfer to a colander; run leaves under cool water; drain and gently squeeze to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled. Repeat with other leaves.

Cut leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of stem, removing stem in process; trim top and bottom, making a large, rectangular-shaped leaf. Lay one leaf down with widest part facing you. Put a meatball in middle of leaf, bring two sides of leaves together and roll like a burrito to seal it. Put each stuffed leaf, seam side down, on a serving plate. Repeat, cooking and stuffing remaining leaves. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
• 4 ounces bacon, chopped
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• About 1 1/2 pounds leeks (2 or 3 large), trimmed, well rinsed, and chopped
• Salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• Black pepper
• 8 ounces any pasta

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.

Turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and leeks to the skillet, along with another tablespoon or so of oil if needed to keep things from sticking, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Transfer the garlic and leeks to a blender or food processor with the egg, parsley and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Return the purée to the skillet, off heat.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until it’s tender but not mushy, then drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Turn the heat under the leek mixture to medium, add about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the pesto, and toss in the pasta, adding more liquid as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the bacon and more parsley, and serve.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 pound pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce (about 6 ounces), cored, leaves cut into 3/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock or dry white wine, more as needed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Meanwhile, put one tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add prosciutto and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes; set aside.

When water boils, add pasta and cook until just tender; drain pasta, reserving some cooking liquid. Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook until shallot begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add peas, lettuce and stock or wine to skillet and cook until peas turn bright green and lettuce is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add pasta to pan and continue cooking and stirring until everything is just heated through, adding extra stock or some reserved cooking liquid if needed to moisten. Toss with Parmesan cheese, garnish with prosciutto, adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
• 4 large garlic cloves, grated
• 2 small jalapeño chiles, seeds and veins removed if desired, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger root
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, more to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil, more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, more if needed
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Sesame seeds, for serving
• Cooked rice, for serving
• Chopped cilantro or basil, for serving

[CP: As it stands, this is quite hot. Cut the jalapeños in half to make it merely warm, or cut them entirely for mild (the ginger still adds some heat).]

Preparation

Drain tofu, wrap it with a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels and place on a rimmed plate; top with another plate and a weight (a can works). Let drain further.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine garlic, chiles, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, fish sauce and honey.

Unwrap tofu and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Pat slices dry.

Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Add peanut oil and let heat for 30 seconds, then carefully add tofu. Don’t touch tofu for 2 to 3 minutes, letting it sear until golden brown. Flip and sear for another 2 to 3 minutes. Move tofu to one side of pan (or stack pieces on top of one another to make room in pan), then add sugar snap peas, scallions and, if needed, a few drops more peanut oil. Stir-fry vegetables until they start to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sauce and stir well, cooking until peas are done to taste, another minute or 2. Spoon sauce all over tofu, unstacking it if necessary.

Sprinkle sesame seeds over tofu and vegetables and serve over rice, sprinkled with cilantro or basil.

Serves 2-3.

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded carrots (~2 medium)
• 12 oz. fresh spinach
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation

In a small, non-stick pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until caramel-colored, stirring frequently. Let cool. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and saute the garlic for 1 minute. Add carrots and cook for another minute. Then add the spinach a little at a time until wilted. (Don’t overcook the vegetables.) Let cool for 2 minutes. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and toss. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Penzey’s

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon white rice
• 8 ounces skirt or flank steak, leftover or raw
• 6 cups torn salad greens (mixed is nice)
• 1 cup torn fresh herb leaves (mint, cilantro, Thai basil or a combination)
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled if skin is tough, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and diced
• 1 small fresh hot red chili, like Thai, or to taste, minced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

Heat paprika and cayenne in 8-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, shaking pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add rice, and toast, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to second small bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Grind rice with spice grinder, mini food processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles fine meal, 10 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 tablespoon rice powder).

If you are starting with raw meat, start a gas or charcoal grill or heat a broiler; rack should be about 4 inches from heat source. Grill or broil beef until medium rare, turning once or twice, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness; set it aside to cool.

Toss greens with herbs, onion and cucumber. In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon water and 1/4 tsp. paprika mixture; dressing will be thin. Use half of this mixture to toss with greens. Remove greens to a platter.

Slice beef thinly, reserving its juice; combine juice with remaining dressing and half of the rice powder. Lay slices of beef over salad, drizzle remaining dressing over all, and serve with the rest of the rice powder and paprika.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings (12 to 14)
• 1 onion
• a 1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman)
• 1 tbsp. medium-dry Sherry
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 6 cups vegetable oil

Preparation

Cut off wing tips, reserving for another use, and halve wings at joint. Coarsely chop onion and finely chop ginger root. In a large sealable plastic bag combine onion, ginger root, soy sauce, Sherry, five-spice powder, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add wings and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Turn bag until wings are completely coated. Marinate chicken wings in bag in a large bowl, chilled, turning bag once, 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Transfer wings and marinade to a roasting pan or large shallow baking pan and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven 1 hour. Cool wings until they can be handled and drain in a colander, discarding marinade. Wings may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Reduce temperature to 250°F.

In a small serving bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons salt and pepper. Put cornstarch in a small bowl and dredge each wing, knocking off excess cornstarch and transferring to a shallow pan. In a 5- to 6-quart heavy kettle heat oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 370°F. Working in batches of 6 or 7, fry wings in oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes, and with a slotted spoon transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep wings warm on a baking sheet in oven. Fry remaining wings in same manner, returning oil to 370°F. between batches.

Serve wings with salt and pepper mixture.

Serves 6 as an appetizer; 4 as a main course.

Gourmet, July 1999

Ingredients

• Grated zest of 1 large lemon
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro, cooked according to the package directions, then cooled (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 3/4 cups cooked or canned no-salt-added chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse)
• 6 1/2 to 7 ounces canned, oil-packed light tuna, flaked (may substitute water-packed light tuna)
• 4 ounces sweet onion, such as Maui, Vidalia or Walla Walla, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped, loosely packed parsley

Preparation

Whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the oil in a small bowl to form an emulsified dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the cooled farro, chickpeas, tuna, onion, parsley and the lemon dressing in a large bowl. Toss to incorporate. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Stephanie Witt Sedgwick, Washington Post, April 3, 2013

Ingredients

Spicy Afghan Green Sauce

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, depending on how spicy you want your sauce
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar

Meatballs

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds [you can substitute garam masala for the spice blend]
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• Seeds from 2 star anise
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 to 5 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped

Preparation

Make the Spicy Afghan Green Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. This can be done 1 to 3 days in advance. It is best to make the sauce at least 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to blend.

Preheat a grill to about 375°F for direct cooking.

Make the meatballs: Place the cumin, coriander, cardamom seeds, and star anise in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder. Add the turmeric, seasoned salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne and mix well.

Place the ground lamb in a large bowl. Add the spices along with the onion, ginger, garlic, mint, feta, and spinach and mix well, but do not overmix as this will result in a tough texture. Form the mixture into meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Place the meatballs on the grill grate and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer, rotating the meatballs frequently to ensure that they caramelize evenly.

Serves 10-12.

Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk, Epicurious, May 2013