Makes: 1/4 cup, enough for 2 dinner salads, or 4 side salads
Total kitchen time: 90 seconds

Shopping list:

• 1/4 cup roasted garlic olive oil (homemade, or premade.  I’m currently loving my bottle from the Temecula Olive Oil Company, $17)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or cup and whisk with a fork until emulsified. 

Done!  What makes this dressing really shine is starting with a great olive oil.  Oh, and if you’re curious about the salad in the picture, it’s field greens, goat’s cheese, candied walnuts and dried cranberries.

Makes: 4 fancy “salads”
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 6 heads of endive (green, red or both)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (an infused oil, such as roasted garlic olive oil, works great here)
• 2 slices prosciutto
• 1 cup dried figs, sliced as thinly as possible
• 1/2 cup pistachio nuts, shells removed
• 1/4 cup organic honey

1. Preheat your oven (*ding, this is a great toaster oven candidate) to 350°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Wash the endive and remove any unsightly outer leaves.  Slice each endive head in half from the stem to the tip.  Arrange the endive cut side up on the foil-lined baking sheet.  Coat the endive generously with olive oil.  Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the outer edges are golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, fry the prosciutto in a skillet until crispy.  Drain onto paper towels, then crumble the prosciutto and set it aside.
4. When the endive is done roasting, arrange three pieces on a plate alongside a handful of sliced dried figs and pistachio nuts.  Drizzle a spoonful of honey over the plate, then sprinkle the endive with about 1/4th of the crumbled prosciutto.

If sliced figs and pistachios don’t suit your dinner crowd, you can always drown the plate in blue cheese  

The [red beet] pigments are contained in cell vacuoles. Beetroot cells are quite unstable and will ‘leak’ when cut, heated, or when in contact with air or sunlight. This is why red beetroots leave a purple stain. Leaving the skin on when cooking, however, will maintain the integrity of the cells and therefore minimise leakage.

Makes: 6 salad-size servings
Total kitchen time: 2 hours + marinating time

Shopping list:

• 5 large red beets (skins on), stems trimmed to a small nub
• 2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia)
• 1/4 cup cornichon, sliced into thin discs
• 3 tbsp. orange juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp. finely chopped tarragon
• ooks&fgbp

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Create a double-layer aluminum foil pouch large enough to hold all the beets.  Arrange the beets in the pouch and drizzle to coat with olive oil.  Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper, plus about 3 tbsp. of water.  The water will create steam, helping the beets stay moist and also loosening the skins from the beet meat.  Seal the foil pouch tightly and roast for about 90 minutes.  Remove from the oven and open the pouch to vent the steam.
3. Meanwhile, peel the onion and slice it into 1/4" thick discs.  Separate each disc into rings (like when they make the onion volcano at Benihana.  Come on, it’s pretty cool).  Since I’m a little OCD, I only like to use the rings that are smaller in diameter than the largest beet.  Which means the outer 4-5 rings are usually discarded.  That’s up to you, though.
4. Toss the onion rings (the ones you want to use) in a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and add to the bottom of your oven during the last 15 minutes of the beets roasting.  This will soften and sweeten the onions just slightly, without taking away their great crunch.
5. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the outsides with a paper towel to remove the skins.  Quarter the beets, then slice each quarter into 1/4" sections. 
6. In a non-reactive dish, combine the beets, onions and cornichon.  Toss with enough olive oil to just barely coat, then season with kosher salt and pepper.  Add the vinegar and orange juice, and stir to mix.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes up to 24 hours. 
7. Just before serving, top with the chopped tarragon and garnish with another pinch of salt (sea salt is best).

Although this dish (or some variation) has deep roots in traditional French cuisine, I must pay credit to Thomas Keller for inspiring this version.  He doesn’t use cornichon, but I think he’s missing out.

Total kitchen time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 servings

Shopping list:

• 2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely diced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. capers
• 2 tsp. herbs de provençe
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the middle position.
2. Spread the potatoes in an even layer in a microwave-safe dish filled with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Microwave 8-12 minutes (this will vary a lot) or until the potatoes are fork tender, but not fully cooked.  Drain and pat dry.
3. Meanwhile, spread the diced onion and pepper in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they have softened, about 15 minutes. 
4. Add the par-cooked potatoes and toss with a little olive oil to coat.  Bake another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. 
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  The dijon vinaigrette is a balancing act between bitter, sweet, salty and spicy.  Adjust each of the ingredients until the vinaigrette stings your tongue, but finishes in your mouth with a slightly sweet, rounded flavor. 
6. Toss the potatoes and vinaigrette together on a serving bowl and serve warm or room temperature.

If you want to cheat a little (I won’t tell) you may be able to get away with frozen roasted potatoes.  If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, they sell a package of frozen potatoes with roasted veggies that works great for this recipe.  It can be our little secret.

Makes: 2 sensible salads
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping List:

• 1 head Boston Bibb or Butter lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1 dz. medium uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp. red chili oil (or more, if you like it extra hot)
• 1 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 3 tangerines
• 1/4 cup guava nectar
• 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp. slivered almonds
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Rinse and thoroughly dry the shrimp.  In a medium bowl, mix together the shrimp, garlic, red chili oil and 1 tbsp. of olive oil, plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  Set aside.
2. Suprême the tangerines.  Suprêming, in this case, means removing the meat of the tangerine from any pith, rind or connecting membranes.  All of that stuff is stringy and bitter we’re only after the best parts.  To suprême a tangerine, use a pairing knife to cut off the rind.  Don’t peel it off like you were going to eat the tangerine as a snack, actually carve it off with the knife.  You’ll end up taking off a little meat with the rind – this is fine.  Once the rind is totally removed you’ll clearly be able to see each section of fruit divided by a membrane.  Slice into the fruit on either side of each membrane to remove just the good parts.  Discard the rest.
3. In a small saucepan, combine about 1/3 of the tangerine slices with the guava nectar on medium heat.  Cook just until it begins to reduce, about 10 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add the shrimp and sear on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
5. Plate up your salads with the shrimp, avocado, remaining tangerines, slivered almonds and sesame seeds.  Dress with the tangerine-guava dressing and salt and pepper the whole thing to taste.

If you aren’t in a shrimp mood, you can substitute in just about anything you’d like: seared tuna, grilled chicken, tofu, swordfish… you name it.  Open up a nice, fruity white wine and enjoy your evening of healthy living at its best!

Makes: 2 people get up and gyoza
Total kitchen time: 45 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1-2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 1/3 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1 1/3 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup muscat grapes, halved (These are very sweet grapes.  If you can’t find muscat, use the next sweetest grape you can find)
• 1 Asian pear, peeled and cut into sticks
• 2 tbsp. slivered almonds

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the bottom third of the oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you’ve got some available.  This won’t make the food taste better, but it will make cleanup that much sweeter.
2. Place the chicken breasts between two large layers of plastic wrap.  Using a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the breasts out flat.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts generously on both sides.
3. Beat the egg in a small bowl.  Then, lightly coat each chicken breast with the beaten egg, again on both sides.  Sprinkle the panko flakes over the breasts – you guessed it – on both sides.  Arrange the breasts on your parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving lots of room in between.
4. Bake the chicken breasts at 400°F for 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the breast reads 165°F.  Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2″ pieces.
5. Meanwhile, toss the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.  When the chicken is ready, plate the salad first, then top with the chicken.  Finally, drizzle over a generous amount of the honey-ginger dressing (recipe follows).

Honey-ginger dressing:

• 4 tbsp. real mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil (or sesame oil)
• 2 tbsp. mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 tbsp. blue agave nectar (substitute with honey)
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 2 drops red chili oil
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor, or whisk by hand if the power is out at your house.  Check the taste and adjust with salt and agave nectar as needed.  The final dressing should be sweet but mild.

Wow, I feel healthier already.  A salad with baked chicken breasts?  This could totally have been a 90′s fad diet, combining the allure of Japanese health-cuisine with the American penchant for crispy chicken.  Next time your belt doesn’t fit, or your cell phone won’t play back HD video, try out this recipe.

Total Kitchen Time: 1 hr
Makes: Your work seem effortless to 6 awed guests

Mixed Grill (pictured above):

• 2 Free-range organic chickens
• 2 lbs. uncooked bratwurst
• 4 tbsp. olive oil (or canola oil)
• kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and place the top rack in the lower third of the oven.  This will be your chicken oven.
2. Preheat a second oven (even better, your toaster oven) to 450°F.  Place the bratwurst directly on your oven rack or on a wire rack in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes until the top side has browned.  Flip the links and brown for another 5 minutes.
3. Turn the heat on your brats (long “a” sound) down to 200°F and let them continue to roast, turning occasionally, until you’re ready to eat (or about an hour and a half).
4. Rinse the chickens and pat them very, very dry with paper towels.  Make sure that all the nooks and crannies, including the inside cavity, are dry.  The reason?  Crispy skin comes from dry birds that don’t create steam as they cook (thanks, Thomas Keller!)
5. Truss the birds and salt liberally.  Pepper them to taste, then rub the skin with oil.  The oil will add flavor, but also act as a conductor to help us in our quest of an all-over tan.
6. Preheat 2 large skillets [may I recommend cast iron] over high heat until they have just started to smoke.  Place one bird in each skillet, breast side up.  Transfer the skillets to the oven 400°F and place side by side.  Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted into the breast reads 150°F.
7. After the birds have rested for 10 minutes, carve them into quarters and place on a large platter.  Cut each bratwurst in half on a bias and place around the chicken.  Serve to an adoring crowd.

 
For the roasted vegetables, chop yellow squash, zucchini, brussels sprouts and onions into 3/4″ chunks and toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.  Roast on a baking sheet at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown spots of deliciousness appear.

Round out your meal with a light beet and goat cheese salad.  Toss arugula and baby spinach with high quality olive oil, champagne vinegar and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Top with crumbled goat cheese and sliced, boiled beets.

Serve this meal with a sweet wine such as a Gewürztraminer or an Alsatian Riesling.  You’ll look like a culinary hero, but for you, this was just “whipping something up”.  Bravo.

Serves: 2 Nice People from Nice
Total Kitchen Time: 30 minutes

Shopping List:

• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp (20-30 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1/2 lb small red potatoes (you can also use fingerling potatoes)
• 1 head butter lettuce (sometimes labeled Boston or Bibb; if you use Iceberg, you’re not allowed to make this salad ever again.) cleaned and torn
• 1 large handful arugula
• 1/2 cup Niçoise olives (substitute with Kalamata in an emergency)
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp. high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Clean and halve the potatoes.  If the potatoes are more than an inch wide in any dimension, halve them again.  Big potatoes are not good for salad, but you probably knew that.
2. Par-cook the potatoes until tender using your favorite method.  I like to submerge the cut potatoes in a shallow microwave-proof dish and nuke for a few minutes.  Also feel free to steam or boil the little buggers.  You’re looking for a doneness of fork-tender, but not quite to the point of cracking or falling apart.
3. Using a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, sauté the potatoes with a very small drizzle of olive oil until they start to pick up a little color.  Set the potatoes aside and keep ‘em warm.
4. Make the dressing.  Combine the garlic, olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and honey in a small food processor.  Pulse for a while until it is emulsified.  Salt and pepper the dressing to taste.  Add half of the vinegar and taste again.  Adjust the final flavor by adding the remaining vinegar, a little at a time, until you’re satisfied or too hungry to care anymore. 
5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once the butter is hot and a little foamy, add the shrimp and cook until they have turned completely pink, but not much longer than that.  The shrimp will finish cooking very quickly, so be careful not to over-exercise your sauté skills there, captain Benihana. 
6. Arrange the salad with the lettuce, arugula, potatoes, olives, shrimp and dressing.  Top with a small amount of parmesan cheese, if you’d like.

This salad is also excellent with salmon, if you’d like to continue the variation on a theme.  If you’re looking for a salad with a little more, well, meat, look no further. 

Makes: 6 guests forget all about greens
Total kitchen time: 10 minutes

Shopping list:

• 3 ripe Bosc pears, skin on, cleaned well
• 3 red beets, tops trimmed, skin on
• 4 Oz. Stilton (a pungent blue cheese)
• 2 cups candied walnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (use the best stuff you have)
• 2 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 twists black pepper

1. Boil the beets in a large pot of water until they are fork-tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain and let the beets cool.  Oh, by the way, you should probably change clothes right about now.  Beets will stain, and you probably don’t want bright red sleeves right before your soirée. 
2. Peel the beets and chop them into thin slices, as pictured above.  Set aside.
3. Combine the garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Adjust with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar if necessary.
4. Trim the top 1/2 inch off of the pears.  Slice in half from pole to pole.  Use a melon baller or a metal 1 tsp. measure to remove the seeds from each half of the pear.  Remove the bottom stem by cutting a wedge out of the pear with your knife.
   
5. Slice the pears into 1/8″ pieces and arrange five or six slices on a plate.  Pile a small mound of sliced beets, a bit of stilton and some candied walnuts nearby.  Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette just before serving.

Now, you could add lettuce back to this recipe, but I don’t think it’s needed.  Have fun with the plating too – create a “tower of pears” or a “nest of beets”.  Your first course will set the mood for the rest of the meal, so have fun with it.  Oh, and don’t forget, uh, what was I saying?

Makes: 2 large entrees
Total Kitchen Time: 30 mins

Shopping list:

• 2 lamb loins (about 1 lb total; look for lean cuts with bright color)
• 2 large handfuls of micro greens (I use a combination of mâche and sprouts)
• 1/4 cup Feta, crumbled
• 1/2 English cucumber, very finely diced
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp rice wine
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• sea salt and ground black pepper
• [Optional] Roasted red and yellow peppers

Lamb Salad:

1. In a large shallow dish, combine 1/4 cup of the mint, garlic, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add about 1 tsp sea salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Add the lamb loins, and coat generously. Cover and marinate until ready to cook, or up to 8 hours.
3. Preheat your grill over high heat. Add the lamb loins and sear on all sides until medium rare – about 4 minutes per side (cooking times will vary; don’t sue me). Let the loins rest 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Slice the loins into 1/4″ medallions on a bias. Arrange atop the greens and roasted peppers. Crumble over the feta cheese and top with cucumber vinaigrette.

Cucumber Vinaigrette:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, rice wine, 3 tbsp olive oil, sesame seeds, 1 tbsp mint, honey and ginger. Stir to combine, and add salt and pepper to taste.