Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Fresh Parsley and Breadcrumbs

-Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

-Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

-Cut 1 cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

-Chop up 1 fennel bulb, a few stalks of celery and 5 cloves of garlic.

-On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower, fennel, celery and garlic with 2 TBS olive oil; season with sea salt and pepper.

-Roast on lower rack until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes, tossing once.

-Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine 4 slices white sandwich bread with 2 TBS olive oil; pulse until coarse crumbs form.

-Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, tossing once.

-Cook 1 pound pasta (Orecchiette? Cavatappi?) in boiling water until al dente.

-Reserve ½ cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

-Chop up ¼ cup parsley and grate up ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

-Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan and parsley to the pasta; toss to combine.

-Tossing pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats pasta.

-Serve topped with breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.

Pasta with Roasted Broccolini, Arugula and Prosciutto

-Cut 1 bunch of broccolini (stems and all) into smallish florets.

-Preheat oven to 425°F.

-Lay out broccolini in a roasting pan, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

-Roast until just lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

-Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water).

-While water is heating, pulse 4 cloves garlic, 5 large sage leaves and 4 ounces prosciutto together in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

-Once broccolini has browned lightly, remove from oven, toss with garlic prosciutto mixture, and return to oven to cook for 5-7 minutes more.

-Soak about ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in some boiling water for 10 minutes. Then cut into thin strips.

-Boil 1 pound orecchiette pasta uncovered (rolling boil) for 9-10 minutes until firm, but done (al dente).

-Reserve one cup of pasta liquid. Drain water from pot.

-Add the broccolini to the pasta.

-Leaving the rubber band on, cut a bunch of arugula into thirds. Wash and spin dry.

-Stir the sundried tomatoes and arugula into the pasta, along with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

-Stir in enough cooking water to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Fresh Parsley and Breadcrumbs

-Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

-Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

-Cut 1 broccoli into bite sized pieces.

-Chop up 1 fennel bulb and 5 cloves of garlic.

-On a rimmed baking sheet, toss broccoli, fennel and garlic with 2 TBS olive oil; season with sea salt and pepper.

-Roast on lower rack until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes, tossing once.

-Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine 4 slices white sandwich bread with 2 TBS olive oil; pulse until coarse crumbs form.

-Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, tossing once.

-Cook 1 pound pasta (Orecchiette? Cavatappi?) in boiling water until al dente.

-Reserve ½ cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

-Chop up ¼ cup parsley and grate up ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

-Add broccoli mixture, Parmesan and parsley to the pasta; toss to combine.

-Tossing pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats pasta.

-Serve topped with breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.

Pasta with Fennel, Cannellini Beans, Capers and Lemon

-Boil 1# of pasta, according to package directions, Penne works well.

-Thinly slice 1-2 fennel bulbs.

(To cut up fennel, trim a thin slice off the bottom/root end of each bulb and discard it. Cut the top several inches off

the bulb so that there is mostly only white left. Stand the bulb on its root end and slice in half the long way. Then lay the cut end flat and cut in

half the long way again. Dice those 2 pieces up into thin strips.)     

-Chop up 1-2 cloves of garlic. 

-Sauté in olive oil until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

-Sprinkle with sea salt.

-Toss the vegetables with the cooked pasta and sprinkle in some capers or pitted Kalamata olives and a can of rinsed and drained

cannellini beans and cook until warmed through. 

-Add the zest and juice of 1 fresh lemon.

-Sprinkle the top of the pasta with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

Pasta with Arugula, Roma Tomato, Olives and Feta

-Boil 1 pound of penne pasta according to package directions.

-Stem and dice 4-5 Roma tomatoes.

-Pit and coarsely chop 12 Kalamata olives.

-Leaving the rubberband on, cut 2 bunches of arugula into fourths, discarding the last 2 inches of the stems. Wash and spin dry.

-Heat 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot.

-Add the chopped olives and cook for 1 minute.

-Then add the drained pasta/arugula and gently stir.

-Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with ¼ cup crumbled chevre or feta cheese.

Pasta e Fagioli with Fresh Beans

-Shell 1 pound of Dragon’s Tongue beans, then discard the shells. 

-Dice 4 slices of thick cut bacon.

-In a large pot, add the diced bacon and sauté until golden and crispy. 

-Chop up the following into small dice:

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery stalk or a small piece of fennel

-Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. 

-Chop up 1 tomato.

-Add the chopped tomato and the shelled beans.

-Pour in 4-6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. 

-Remove half the beans from the pot, puree and then add them back

-Chop then add some fresh parsley, rosemary or cilantro and continue simmering another 5 minutes. 

-Cook 8 ounces of pasta or spaghetti al dente in a separate pot of boiling salted water and combine with the bean soup just before serving.

Parsnip Fries

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  

-Peel 1 pound of parsnips and then cut them lengthwise into French fry-like sticks.

-Put 2 TBS coconut oil or ghee on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to melt for a few minutes.

-When melted, toss the parsnips to coat.

-Put in the oven and cook until parsnips become crispy on the outside and soft inside, about 30-35 minutes, turning occasionally.

-Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot.

Parsley-Pepita Pesto

-Toast 1/3 cup raw green pumpkin seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden and puffed, about 4 minutes.

-Put 1 large garlic clove in a food processor and process until well chopped.

-Add ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and the leaves from 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley.

-Pulse until well chopped and add ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

-Process until seeds are finely chopped.

-With the motor running add 1/3 cup olive oil in a slow steady stream.

To serve with pasta: Put the pesto in a large bowl.

-Cook 1# of spaghetti until al dente.

-Whisk about ½ cup of the pasta water into the pesto.

-Drain pasta then toss with pesto, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Parsley Basil Sauce

-Heat 3 TBS olive oil in a small sauté pan.

-Add 5 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

-Transfer to a food processor.

-Wash and shake spin dry the following:

1 bag of basil

Half a bunch of flat leaf parsley

-Roughly chop it and add it to the food processor along with 1 TBS fresh lemon juice.

-Process until well combined, then leave the motor running and slowly dribble in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil.

-Add salt and pepper to taste then process again.

-The sauce is best fresh, but will keep for up to 3 days.

Parsley and Tomato Salad

Refreshing and light.

-Finely chop 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley (we like to use a food processor to chop it really well).

-Put it a medium sized bowl.

-Then add the following…

½ pint Sungold cherry tomatoes or 2 chopped slicing tomatoes

1 cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped into small dice

1 clove of garlic put through a press

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

The juice from ½ lemon

-Toss well and serve.

Parsley and Artichoke Spread

This sauce is incredible on chicken or as a dip with carrots and peas.

-Leaving the rubberband on, swish 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley in some cold water. Shake dry.

-Chop most of the bunch off, leaving the stems behind.

-Add the parsley to the bowl of a food processor or blender along with the following:

The zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half the lemon

2 artichoke hearts

1 big pinch of sea salt and some fresh pepper

Blend until still slightly chunky.

Pan-Fried Potatoes with Olives and Lemon

-Cut 2 pounds of potatoes into 1 inch cubes

-Toss with the following:

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

-Heat 1-2 TBS coconut oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan.

-Add the potatoes and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Smash ¼ cup green olives (such as picholine or arbequina) with the flat side of a large knife and remove pits.

-Chop the olives then add them to the potatoes along with the following:

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

2 TBS lemon zest

-Cook potatoes another 5-10 minutes until well browned.

-Serve sprinkled with finely chopped dill or parsley and lemon wedges.

Pan Roasted Shishito Peppers

-Float a bag of Shishito peppers in some water, remove any leaves.

-Lay them on a clean kitchen towel to drain.

-Heat a large pan over high heat.

-Add the peppers to the pan and then toss with 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil.

-Stir occasionally and cook until browned in places, about 10 minutes.

-Place on a serving platter and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

-Serve hot, you can eat each pepper down to the stem end, seeds and all, yum!

Pan Fried Fennel with Garlic Aioli

-Slice 2 fennel bulbs lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices, make sure all pieces are joined at the root.

-Steam until partially tender, about 5-7 minutes, then remove.

-Beat together the following:

1 egg

1 TBS milk

-Put 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in another small bowl.

-Dip the fennel into the egg mixture, and then into a bowl filled with breadcrumbs.

-Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

-Fry the fennel in a single layer for about 10 minutes until well browned.

-Flip it over carefully and brown the other side.

-Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

-Serve with garlic aioli.

Garlic Aioli:

-Put 2 cloves of garlic into a blender.

-Blend until well chopped.

-Add the following:

1 egg

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

A pinch of sea salt

-Blend on high 15 seconds.

-Add another ¾ cup olive oil in a light steady stream until all is incorporated.

-Then add the following:

3 TBS fresh lemon juice

A pinch of sugar

-Blend until well incorporated.

-Store in the fridge for up 1 week.

Pad Thai with Daikon Noodles

-Peel 2 medium or 1 large daikon radish.

-Peel 4 carrots

-Use a julienne peeler, mandoline or spiralizer (or even a potato peeler) to create noodles from the daikon and carrots.

-Place in a bowl and add the following:

4 cups mung bean sprouts

4 green onions, thinly sliced

12 ounces tofu, cut into small dice

¼ cup cilantro leaves or some chives, chopped

2 TBS black sesame seeds

-Stir together the following to make a sauce:

½ cup peanut butter

 4 TBS lime juice

 2 TBS clear honey

 2 TBS tamari or soy sauce

 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper or more to taste

 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

 About 3 TBS water, to thin

-Taste and adjust the seasoning.

-Pour over the vegetables and toss to combine using your hands.

-Make sure that every single strand is covered in dressing.

-Serve with a slice of lime, chopped coriander and sesame seeds on top.

Oven-Baked Potato Chips with Fleur de Sel

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put the oven rack on the lowest rack.

-Slice 1.5 pounds potatoes into thin rounds (1/8 inch or thinner) on a mandolin or with a sharp knife.

-Transfer rounds to a large bowl.

-Add 3 TBS olive oil and some Maldon salt or fleur de sel and toss evenly to coat. (You can use sea salt or kosher salt and these chips will still be wonderful.)

-Arrange potatoes in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet.

-Bake until lightly golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes, watching carefully sot they do not burn.

-Turn baking sheets often and remove any chips that have browned sooner than others, cooking time will vary.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

-Preheat your oven to 200.

-Cut 1-2 pounds of tomatoes in half through the center, then take out just the core of each half and any seeds that come out easily.

-Put a piece of parchment paper on a large rimmed baking sheet.

-Put the tomato halves on the baking sheet face side up and not touching.

-Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt, pepper and any herbs you want to use. Herbs de Provence, thyme or oregano are nice.

-Slow roast for 5-6 hours or until the tomatoes are quite shrunk, but not crunchy.

-Crack your oven open, so that the moisture can escape while they bake.

-Let cool before eating, they will store for up to 1-2 weeks.

Oven Roasted Sungold Cherry Tomatoes Packed in Oil

-Cut 1-2 pints of Sungold Cherry tomatoes in half.

-Place cut-side up on a baking tray with sides so they are just touching.

-Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

-Turn oven on to 200 degrees, or "warm" and place tomatoes in center of oven, cracking open the door of the oven a bit. 

-Slow roast for 4- 5 hours or until the tomatoes are quite shrunk, but not crunchy.

-Crack your oven open, so that the moisture can escape while they bake.

-When the tomatoes are cool chop up the following:

1 good size clove of garlic

Some herbs (basil, rosemary or parsley)

-Gently stir together the tomatoes, garlic, herbs and more sea salt.

-Pack into a quart size canning jar. 

-Slowly pour extra virgin olive oil over them until they are completely submerged. 

-Place in the fridge for at least 6-8 hours to let marinate, they will last 1 week in the fridge.

-Serve with crackers and cheese or as an antipasti dish.

Oven Roasted Hash Browns

The secret to browning potatoes in your oven is coconut oil!

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

-Wash 2 pounds of potatoes, scrubbing them up well.

-Peel off any skin that looks questionable.

-Grate the potatoes using a box grater or the grater attachment on a food processor.

-Melt 3-4 TBS extra virgin coconut oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; set the timer for 2 minutes so you don’t burn the oil.

-Sprinkle the potatoes with a tsp of Celtic sea salt and then toss the potatoes with the melted coconut oil until well coated.

-Bake for 15 minutes, then take them out and stir well.

-Put them back in and bake for another 5-10 minutes until fairly well browned.

-Taste for salt and serve hot.

Oven Risotto with Kale Pesto

-Preheat your oven to 350°.

-Toast ½ cup walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.

-Finely chop 1 onion.

-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat.

-Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, 5–8 minutes.

-Stir in the following:

1 cup Arborio rice

A pinch of sea salt

Some fresh black pepper

-Cook, stirring, until some grains are translucent, about 5 minutes.

-Add ½ cup dry white wine, bring to a simmer and cook until pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.

-Add 2 cups very hot water.

-Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake in oven until liquid is mostly absorbed but rice is still starchy in the center, 15–18 minutes (it should be undercooked).

-Meanwhile, pulse the following together in a food processor until very finely ground.

1 large clove of garlic

Half of the toasted walnuts

-Take the stems out of 1 bunch of kale.

-Add the following to the garlic/walnut mixture:

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Half of the kale  

¼ cup cold water

-Process until smooth, season pesto with sea salt and pepper.

-Set saucepan over medium heat.

-Add ¾ cup very hot water and cook rice, stirring constantly, until it is tender but still has some bite and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes.

-Stir in pesto along with the following:

2 TBS butter

1.5 cups of grated Parmesan

And the remaining kale

-Adjust consistency with water, if needed; season with salt and pepper.

-Serve topped with remaining walnuts and more grated Parmesan cheese.