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

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced leek
3 cups diced carrot
2 cups diced celery
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds split peas
1 whole ham bone with meat attached
4 quarts Awesome Veggie Broth

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté leek, carrot and celery for 10-12 minutes, until softened and just starting to brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add split peas, ham bone and veggie broth, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, skim any foam and fat from the surface, and simmer for 60-90 minutes (peas should be tender and soft, but not completely disintegrated). Remove ham bone and let cool enough to handle. Pull off meat in chunks as large as you want and stir into soup. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 3-4 quarts of soup

* This soup freezes very well. Bring to room temperature, then ladle into freezer safe zip top bags and lay flat in the freezer.

8 whole cloves
2 small onions, peel left on and halved (or 1 large onion cut into quarters)
12 cups various veggies, roughly chopped (I like a mix of aromatics like leeks and fennel fronds, leafy greens like kale and chard and lettuce, umami-enriching mushroom stems, and standards that are full of flavor like carrot and celery)
6 quarts cold water
1 bay leaf
12 black peppercorns
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Poke 2 cloves into the cut side of each onion half. Place onion halves cut side down in a large pot over medium heat and sear for 5 minutes, until well-charred. Add the remaining veggies to the pot. Pour in water, add bay leaf, peppercorns and salt, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes roughly 4 quarts stock

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 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon hot paprika

Heat oven to 475 F. In a large bowl, toss together sweet potatoes and olive oil to coat.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add spice mix to sweet potatoes and toss again to coat evenly. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes and twice thereafter, until tender all the way through and slightly crisped on the outside.

Serves 4-6

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 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrot
½ cup chopped green onions
6 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
1 recipe Spicy-Sweet Shrimp
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Sriracha
4 tablespoons Easy Homemade Plum Sauce (or jarred hoisin sauce)
8 small whole wheat tortillas (or 8 Whole Wheat Crepes)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add broccoli and a pinch of salt and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until slightly charred. Pour 1/4 cup water into pan and cover. Cook for another 3 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Uncover and let any remaining liquid burn off. Add garlic and toss well to coat broccoli. Cook for 30-60 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Scoop broccoli into a large bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add carrot and onions and stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook 3-5 minutes, until wilted and slightly charred. Toss shrimp and broccoli with cabbage mixture. Microwave crepes for 20 seconds on a plate covered with a clean dish towel.

While cabbage is cooking, whisk together soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch and Sriracha in a small bowl. Stir soy sauce mixture into cabbage mixture with a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Serve with plum sauce and tortillas or crepes.

Serves 4

1 teaspoon finely minced shallot
1 scant cup dried plums (pitted)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
sea salt

Pulse the shallot, plums and water to a paste in a food processor. Add vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice and salt and continue to pulse until a smooth paste.

Makes 1-1/2 cups

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