Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound pearl onions (about 2 cups), peeled, trimmed, or 1 pound frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 pounds bags frozen peas, thawed
• ¼ cup crème fraîche, whole-milk Greek yogurt, or sour cream

Preparation

Bring milk, cloves, and bay leaf to a boil in a small saucepan; reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Strain into a medium bowl; discard solids. Cover milk and keep warm. Meanwhile, place onions in a large skillet (at least 12”). Add water to half-cover the onions (about 1 cup). Add 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. salt, and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onions are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Gently transfer onions to a large plate. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in same skillet over medium heat; add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved milk, adding ¼-cupful at a time. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in remaining ½ tsp. salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add peas and onions; stir until heated through. Gently fold in crème fraîche.

Bon Appetit, November 2012

Ingredients

• 1 c. dry black beans
• 2 c. black bean stock
• 3 strips bacon (or, for vegetarian, 1/4 c. vegetable oil)
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 sweet red or green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 2 c. long-grain white rice
• 1/2-1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 lg. bay leaf

Preparation

Soak the beans overnight in a pot of water and drain well (or fast-soak). Place on the stove with plenty of fresh water. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until nice and tender but not mushy. Reserve 2 c. of the stock and then drain the beans. Sautee the bacon (or heat the oil) in a pot with the onion, garlic, and peppers until the onion is golden. Add rice, salt, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf, then bean stock and beans. Cover and place on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Stir to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pot, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice looks completely dry. Should take 10-15min. Stir and serve.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice
• 1/4 c. walnuts, roasted and chopped
• 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds, lightly roasted
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1/4 c. minced celery
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 lg. onions, diced
• 3/4 c. cashew butter
• 1/2 c. tamari
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sage

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 11 ingredients (until and including the cheese) and mix well. Put in a greased 8 1/2x4 1/2" loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and pulling away from the sides a bit, 60-90 minutes.

Meanwhile. heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Add cashew butter, tamari, water, and spices, and cook until heated through. Place in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. lentils, rinsed
• 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/3 c. diced carrot
• 1/3 c. diced celery
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 1/2 c. dry red wine
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp. spice blend (optional)
• 1/4-1 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper
• 12 red pearl onions
• 1 lg. bunch kale, washed and chopped coarsely
• 1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
• loaf rustic bread

Preparation

Parboil the lentils for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and celery. When slightly browned, add garlic and tomato paste and mash into the vegetables. Pour in the wine, water, and mustard. Add the drained lentils, herbs, and a bit of salt. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and peel. Put them in a heavy frying pan with the other tbsp. of olive oil and cook over medium heat until tender and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water or wine near the end to deglaze the pan. Season with salt and pepper and remove from skillet.

Wilt the kale in the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Stir into the lentils. Serve with a swirl of walnut oil, a garnish of pearl onions, and with a thick, toasted slice of rustic bread.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• Soy sauce

Preparation

Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until their juices release and they begin to dry out slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Crumble the tofu with your fingers and add it to the pan along with the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through and dried out a bit, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, drizzling with soy sauce at the table. Note: To make Scrambled Tofu With Corn, Tomatoes and Basil, use olive oil instead of neutral oil and reduce the amount of tomatoes to 1 cup. Substitute 3/4-cup corn kernels for the scallions and stir in some chopped fresh basil before serving. Skip the soy sauce and drizzle with a little more olive oil at the table if you like.

Mark Bittman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 blocks firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
• Chopped scallions for garnish

Preparation

Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

With your hands, crumble tofu into the pan. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet occasionally and adjusting heat as necessary, until tofu browns and crisps as much or as little as you like, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon; stir and cook, continuing to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the mixture is fragrant, a minute or two. Stir in vinegar and adjust the seasoning taste. Garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve with warm corn tortillas or over rice.

Mark Bittman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation

Put the quinoa, a large pinch of salt and 2 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cover, and cook, stirring once, until the grains are very tender and begin to burst, 25 to 30 minutes. When they are starchy and thick, transfer them to a large bowl to cool for a few minutes.

Heat the oven to 200. Fold the almonds, shallots, rosemary and mustard into the quinoa, and add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. With your hands, form the mixture into 8 patties.

Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, cook 4 cakes at a time until the bottoms are nicely browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip, and brown on the other side, another 4 minutes. Transfer the cakes to the oven to keep warm while you cook the second batch with another tablespoon of oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

Alternatives: Instead of the almonds, shallots, rosemary and Dijon – 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, or – 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, and 1 tbsp Sriracha.

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 2 tsp. harissa paste
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
• 6 baby eggplants, stalks trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 c. okra, tops removed
• 2 tbsp. parsley
• 1 c. water
• a few pinches salt

Preparation

Heat the oil in a tagine on medium. Fry onion, garlic, carrots, celery until all just beginning to brown. Stir in harissa and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes, 1 c. water, and salt. Cover and cook gently for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are beginning to soften.

Add eggplants, and cook for 15 minutes. Add okra and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

For serving, the consistency should be quite thick. Remove the lid and boil if needed. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Le Creuset tagine booklet

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• 1/2 pound shelled fresh or frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups), boiled until tender and drained
• 2 pints red or yellow pear tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or a combination, halved
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Preparation

In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, the water, the salt, the sugar, the tarragon, the garlic paste, and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. In a kettle of salted boiling water cook the pasta until it is tender, in a colander rinse it well, and drain it. In the bowl toss the pasta with the dressing, add the peas, the tomatoes, and the basil, and toss the salad well.

Gourmet, June 1993

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