1 cup thinly sliced leeks (tender white parts only)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
12 ounces fettuccine (preferably whole grain)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon (Meyer lemon is great), zested and juiced
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
Flake sea salt
1/4 cup snipped chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Pour 1/4 cup water into a large skillet over medium heat and add leeks and cauliflower. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, until cauliflower is just becoming tender. Start cooking pasta. Drizzle olive oil into the pan with the cauliflower and toss with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until cauliflower and leek start to color a bit and cauliflower becomes fork tender, about 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup water. Pour the pasta water into the pan with the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and swirl in the butter, lemon zest and juice. Pour pasta back into the pot and scrape cauliflower mixture over it. Mix very well using tongs and a stiff spatula. Add cheese and toss again.

Divide the pasta mixture among four plates and top with flake sea salt, chives and additional cheese if desired.

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs, skinned
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup honey
1 bay leaf

Season chicken with salt and pepper, and heat olive oil in a wide, deep-sided pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thoroughly on all sides until it is a deep, golden color, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Add shallots and thyme to the pot and sauté 3-4 minutes, until soft and golden. Pour wine into pan, and scrape up any bits left from the chicken. Cook 1-2 minutes, until nearly all liquid has evaporated.

Add vinegar, broth, honey, bay leaf, and chicken to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly reduce heat to low. Cook 20 minutes, turning once, until chicken is cooked through.

Transfer chicken to a plate. Remove bay leaf, and skim off and discard any fat floating on the surface of the sauce. Cook sauce uncovered on a burner over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes to reduce liquid by half, until the consistency of syrup. Reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken back to pan, spoon sauce over top, and cook for 2 minutes to reheat. Serve hot.

Serves 4

1 cinnamon stick
10 cloves
10 juniper berries
10 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1-inch piece of ginger, smashed
12 ounce bottle amber beer
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup kosher salt (if you can find red salt–like Hawaiian red salt–substitute at least some for the kosher salt and your corned beef will take on the familiar reddish hue)
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups water
3-1/2 to 4 pound beef brisket, trimmed of major excess fat (don’t trim is all off though)
2 pounds red new potatoes

Put cinnamon stick, cloves, juniper and allspice berries, bay leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, beer, vinegar, salt, sugar and water in the pressure cooker. Stir to combine and submerge brisket in liquid. Seal cover and bring up to high pressure (two rings). Adjust heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 70 minutes.

Release pressure naturally, remove cover, and add potatoes to the liquid with the meat. Cover again, bring heat back up to high pressure and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Remove meat and potatoes to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice meat across the grain and arrange on a serving platter with potatoes.

Serve with creamy horseradish sauce (I like to mix a couple tablespoons raw horseradish with 1/4 cup sour cream) and Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon and Juniper Berries.

Serves 8

2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon chile flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound baby bok choy

Trim bottoms off of bok choy and cut leaves crosswise into 3/4-inch slices. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Swish the bok choy around in the bowl to remove any grit, then transfer the bok choy to a salad spinner and spin dry.

Wipe the bowl out and whisk together garlic, chile flakes, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Toss bok choy with dressing.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Saute bok choy for 10 minutes, tossing fairly frequently with tongs, until tender. Transfer back to bowl and toss with any remaining dressing.

Serves 4

2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1-½ pounds haddock, or Pacific halibut or line-caught cod (cut into 6, 4-ounce fillets)
1 medium fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise

Preheat oven to 450.

Cover the bottom of a 9×12 inch baking pan with lemon slices.

In a small bowl, mix together coriander, cumin, garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and the olive oil. Rub the fish fillets with half of the spice mixture and arrange fish on top of the lemons. Toss the fennel with the remaining mixture and spread over top of fish. Sprinkle with another small pinch of salt and pepper.

Place on rack in center of the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes, until fish flakes easily.

Serves 4

1 pound spinach
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon

Wilt the spinach in a wide, covered sauté pan over medium heat, for about 4 minutes, and pour off liquid. Remove spinach from pan, turn up heat and let any remaining liquid burn off. Swirl in olive oil and add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes, until golden. Add spinach back to pan and sauté for another 2 minutes, until completely wilted. Turn into a serving bowl and squeeze lemon juice over top.

Serves 4

4 cups cooked white beans
1 quart chicken broth (here’s our recipe for homemade)
½ teaspoon red chile flakes, (optional)
2 links fresh Italian sausage, removed from casing
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 cups Swiss chard, zipped, cleaned and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Stir together beans and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Mash beans slightly with a potato masher.

Brown sausage, breaking it apart into small bits with the edge of a stiff spatula.

While soup is heating and sausage browning, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chard and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, until chard is well wilted.

Pour in remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil. Grate the garlic onto the chard, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss several times to distribute the garlic and coat the leaves evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, until chard is wilted and garlic is fragrant.

When soup is heated and sausage is browned, stir sausage and chard into soup and serve.

Serves 4

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons sliced pitted Kalamata olives
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
4 (6- to 8-inch) pitas with pockets
4 lettuce leaves
8 thin slices tomato (optional)

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine chicken, bell peppers, olives and onion in a large bowl. Add feta and parsley, and toss gently. Add dressing, and toss to coat.

Place pitas on a work surface. Tuck 1 lettuce leaf into each pita. Spoon chicken salad equally into pita pockets. Add tomatoes, if using.

Serves 4

Adapted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes (Robert Rose).

Place broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the couscous, chickpeas, pesto, 2 tablespoons basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasonings. Fluff with 2 forks, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals (Ten Speed Press).

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1 ounce fresh basil (about 1-1/2 cups loosely packed)
1/2 ounce fresh mint (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the nuts and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender; pulse until coarsely chopped. (Or make your pesto the old-school way and pound it in a mortar and pestle.) Add basil and mint; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and juice to taste; pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yields 2/3 cup