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).

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (1/2 a breast), cut into 1-inch cubes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 pound mushrooms (your choice!), sliced
3 thyme sprigs
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a large saute pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chicken to pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl (make sure to get all the garlic out or it will burn in the next stage).

Return pan to heat and warm the rest of the olive oil (4 teaspoons). Add shallots, mushrooms, thyme sprigs and another sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss to coat with oil. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turning often, until mushrooms are soft and slightly gilded.

Pour Marsala into pan and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Let cook for 2 minutes or so, until all the liquid has burned off. Add chicken and garlic back to the pan. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil for 3 minutes to thicken a bit. Pour in cream and give everything a stir. Bring to a gentle boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove thyme sprigs and serve.

Soup:
1 (4-pound) organic chicken, patted dry and giblets removed
6 cups chicken stock
6 cups water
1 large onion, quartered
1 (4-inch) piece kombu (optional)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Matzo balls:
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons seltzer water OR plain water
1 packet matzo ball mix (half a 5-ounce package)

Place chicken in a large stockpot with chicken stock, 6 cups water, onion, kombu (if using), garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming any scum that floats to the surface. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 2 hours. Continue to skim the surface of the broth occasionally to remove any scum that rises to the surface.

Meanwhile, make the matzo balls. Whisk eggs well in a small bowl. Whisk in oil and seltzer water. Stir in matzo ball mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.

Strain stock (discard onion, kombu, garlic and bay leaf) and return to pot with carrots, celery and turmeric. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Discard skin from chicken and remove meat from the bones. Shred or chop the meat and add it to the pot. Season with additional salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium and bring soup back up to a gentle simmer.

With wet hands, form matzo ball mixture into smooth, compact 3/4- to 1-inch balls (you should have about 12-14). Drop matzo balls into simmering broth. Cook until fluffed up, about another 20 minutes. Don’t let soup come to a rolling boil or the matzo balls will fall apart. If little bits fall off the matzo balls, don’t worry. The bulk of the dumplings will remain intact.

Serve in bowls, garnished with dill.

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 cup white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 slices Swiss or ementaller cheese, each sliced in half
4 thin slices prosciutto
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Add mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme and saute for 5 minutes, until mushrooms are golden brown. Pour wine into pan and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, remove thyme stems and transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

Holding a sharp knife parallel to the cutting board and starting from the thick side of a chicken breast half, slice the chicken horizontally right down the middle so that it opens like a book (I like to “open” the flap about half way in and then carefully continue slicing towards the center until the breast lays flat). Give the thick edges a few hits with your palm to flatten them out to an equal height (don’t worry, the chicken won’t bite–just wash your hands afterwards). When you’re done, you should have a fat, heart-shaped chicken breast half at a uniform thickness of about an inch. Repeat with the other chicken breast half.

Lay the cheese and then the prosciutto on top of the chicken breasts. Mound half of the mushrooms on one side of a chicken breast and press the mound down gently with your hand. Fold the other side over the mushrooms and push two wooden toothpicks through the far edges to help keep them together. Repeat with the other breast. Lightly salt and pepper both sides.

Heat the skillet once again over medium high heat and swirl in the remaining olive oil. Carefully place chicken breasts in pan. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then turn (keep the seam side down in the pan so the stuffing doesn’t fall out–tongs work great) and cook 3 minutes on the other. Pour chicken broth into pan, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for another 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

To serve, transfer chicken to a cutting board with tongs and cut each breast in half. Turn up the heat on the pan and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Place one portion of chicken on each plate and drizzle with pan sauce.

Serves 4

3 teaspoons cumin, divided
3 teaspoons oregano, divided
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds), backbone removed and cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1-1/2 cups millet
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
12-ounce bottle of beer (I used Shiner Bock)
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon ground annatto*
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup large pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced crosswise

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon oregano with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken pieces with spice mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven and brown the chicken on all sides in two batches, about 5-8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate as done. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and add onion, garlic and pepper to the pot. Saute 5-8 minutes, until softened and translucent.

Pour tomatoes, beer and chicken broth into the pot and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of cumin and oregano along with the bay leaf, annatto and another pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and nestle the chicken legs and thighs into the liquid. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook 10 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a separate small skillet over medium heat and toast the millet for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker.

After the dark meat has cooked 10 minutes, take the pot out of the oven, uncover and scrape in the millet. Stir well and nestle the rest of the chicken into the liquid in as close to a single layer as you can get it. Cover again and cook another 30 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and uncover. Scatter the frozen peas and olives on top, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 10

PS — I like to squeeze a lime onto both this dish and the beer I’m drinking with it.

* Annatto powder comes from the achiote seed and is slightly sweet, slightly bitter; it’s also what gives this Millet con Pollo its golden hue. You can find annatto powder (you could also use the same amount of achiote paste) in the spice section of your grocery store, or in Mexican markets. If you can’t find it or don’t want to buy it, no worries. Your millet just won’t be as gold.

2 Revelationary Duck Confit legs
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 heads frisée
1/4 cup Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette
2 cups All-Purpose French Lentils

Place duck legs in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and crisp on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove to a cutting board, pull meat from bone and shred. Add onion to pan and sauté for 5 minutes, until golden brown.

In the meantime, toss the frisée with the vinaigrette and mound into 4 bowls. Scatter with lentils, onions and duck and serve.

Serves 4

1 recipe Roasted Tomatillo and Chile Sauce OR 2 cups jarred salsa verde
Nonstick cooking spray
12-15 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3/4 pound finely shredded or diced cooked turkey (about 3 cups)
1 cup fresh corn (about 1 ear)
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded queso panela OR Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 4 tortillas, and trim 1 tortilla as needed to fill in any gaps. Top with 1/2 cup sauce, half the turkey, half the corn and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with 4 tortillas, and trim 1 tortilla as needed to fill in any gaps. Top with 1/2 cup sauce, remaining turkey, remaining corn and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with  4 tortillas, trimming an extra tortilla as needed to fill any gaps. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Cover and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and tortillas are golden brown around the edges. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6-8

Half of a bone-in turkey breast (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)

BRINE
½ gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
4 cups apple cider

RUB
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced sage
freshly ground black pepper

GLAZE
1 cup cider
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cloves
2 star anise

To make the brine, heat water, salt, sugar and spices in a large stock pot over medium heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour in cold cider. Submerge turkey, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together all the ingredients for the rub in a bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the turkey from the brine and place in pan. Pat thoroughly dry with a paper towel.

Wedge your fingertips just under the skin to carefully separate skin from meat. Use your fingers to smear the rub under the skin, then massage it (I find it easier to press on the skin to move the rub underneath, so the butter doesn’t stick to my fingers) to evenly coat the meat. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.

While turkey is roasting, bring the cider and spices for the glaze to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 5-7 minutes, until the consistency of a light syrup.

When turkey has cooked 30 minutes, brush all over with glaze. Roast another 15-20 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should read 165), glazing every 5.

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 8-12

* Carving Note: It’s easiest to cut the breast into nice, neat slices after you’ve sliced it off the bone. Turn the breast upside down to study the bone. Then carefully cut along it to release the meat. Turn the breast right side up again and cut against the grain into thick slices.

4 boneless duck breast halves, skin on
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Sage sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place a foil-lined baking sheet in oven.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Trim any excess fat from edges of duck breast halves; set aside. Score the duck skin and fat in a diamond pattern. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place duck skin-side-down in pan, and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved trimmings of duck fat to the pan, and continue to cook 15 minutes until the skin crisps and the fat renders out.

Remove the duck to a work surface; dust the skin side of duck with sugar. Place duck skin-side-down on preheated baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes or until meat is medium-rare. Remove from oven, turn duck skin-side-up, and cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered duck fat (strain and reserve remaining fat for another use).

While duck stands, heat the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook 5 minutes or until dark golden-brown. Stir often and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the bourbon, then return it over medium-high heat. It will thicken and sputter. Stir well, and start adding the stock, whisking constantly. When the sauce boils, whisk in the maple syrup and Sririacha. Let this simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the sauce stop bubbling. Whisk in the cream. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Slice each duck breast half across the grain. Garnish each plate evenly with the sauce. Garnish with sage.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon chile sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2  skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/3 cup mirin OR white wine plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cilantro

Mix together first four ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a large skillet (not nonstick) over high heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Toss in half the chicken and a pinch of salt and pepper, and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl. Swirl in a half-tablespoon oil and brown the remaining chicken with another pinch of salt and pepper, then add to the chicken in the bowl.

Swirl in the remaining oil; saute the onion and garlic for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the sugar snaps to the pan, and toss well. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, until peas are seared in places but not yet tender. Pour in mirin and scrape up bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until liquid has almost completely evaporated.

Add chicken back to the pan and toss with peas. Stir in sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and flipping frequently, until sauce has thickened slightly and lightly coats the chicken and vegetables.

Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Serves 4