Bella's Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Salad

yield: Makes 6 servings

time: Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

And who, pray tell, is this exotic culinary adventuress named Bella? My eight-year-old Portuguese water dog. For a long time now, she's loved carrots. She literally comes running every time she hears the carrot peeler come out of the drawer. My husband and I thought, "Hmm, that's different for a dog," and played the approving parents. Recently, she's expanded her palate to sweet potatoes. No sooner do they hit the counter than she's singing and dancing around my feet. I quarter and square off the potatoes and fling the ends at her, and she's been known to get some serious hang time as she leaps for them. Seriously, Air Bud's got nothing on Bella. Maybe she heard about how healthful sweet potatoes are: their natural sweetness is perfectly balanced with high fiber content, slowing the rush of sugar into the bloodstream, which is great for the vascular system, and for mood. My experience says that's true; whenever I make this salad, Bella's awfully happy. if (Epi.text.truncatedVersion) { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "And who, pray tell, is this exotic culinary adventuress named Bella? My eight-year-old Portuguese water dog. For a long time now, she's loved..."); } else { jQuery(function() { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "And who, pray tell, is this exotic culinary adventuress named Bella? My eight-year-old Portuguese water dog. For a long time now, she's loved..."); }); } Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sauté until slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cumin, and paprika and sauté for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes, water, orange juice, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is reduced to almost a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup, and olives and stir gently to combine. Taste; you may want to add a pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with the parsley and almonds. Serve at room temperature.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to ?5 days.

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Red-Braised Pork (Hong Shao Rou)

Red-braised pork may be one of the most common of all Chinese dishes, but it is also one of the most glorious, a slow stew of belly pork with seasonings that may include sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and spices. Every region seems to have its own version: this is my favorite, based on recipes I've gathered in eastern China. If my experience is anything to go by, you won't have any leftovers. My guests tend to finish every last morsel and usually end up scraping the pot. If your guests are more restrained, leftover red-braised pork keeps very well for a few days in the refrigerator and a good spoonful makes a wonderful topping for a bowl of noodles. I don't recommend freezing it, however, as this ruins the delicate texture of the fat.

This recipe will serve four to six as part of a Chinese meal. To make it go further, add more stock or water and a vegetarian ingredient that will soak up the sauce most deliciously. Puffy, deep-fried tofu is a fine addition to red-braised pork, as are hard-boiled eggs, dried tofu "bamboo" and the little knotted strips of dried tofu skin that can be found in some Chinese supermarkets (the latter two should first be soaked in hot water until supple). In rural households in China, they often add dried vegetables such as string beans and bamboo shoots, which should also be pre-soaked. You can also use root vegetables such as potato, taro or carrot, or peeled water chestnuts: just make sure you cook the vegetables with the pork for long enough to absorb its flavors, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

To reduce the amount of oil in the final dish, make it in advance and refrigerate overnight. Then scrape off the layer of fat on the surface and keep it in the refrigerator to add to your stir-fried mushrooms or other vegetables. If you prefer a less fatty cut, pork ribs or shoulder are also magnificent red-braised. And you can, if you like, cook the pork slowly in an oven instead of on the burner—not very Chinese, but often more convenient (for this, preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2).

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Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

yield: Makes 4 servings

If you cut the chicken into smaller pieces before breading, they're nuggets—the guilt-free kind. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan, and mustard powder in a third shallow bowl and season mixture with salt and pepper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be breaded 3 months in advance. Place between pieces of freezer paper or waxed paper and freeze in resealable freezer bags. Thaw before continuing.

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cutlets, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan between batches, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with lemon.

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Irish Weekend Fry-Up

yield: Serves 1

active time: 10 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

A fry-up is great when friends are staying over—simply multiply the ingredients given below by however many people you are feeding. Source the best local ingredients you can and follow up with a big walk. You can have your eggs boiled or poached, if you prefer.
Our family eats an Irish breakfast or some parts of it at least once a week, and not always in the morning. We're lucky to have great producers of bacon and, of course, black and white pudding, which is a particular specialty of Cork County. Black pudding (blood sausage) may be more popular worldwide, but white pudding is very popular in Ireland and an important part of an Irish breakfast. White pudding is similar to black pudding, but it contains no blood—only pork, spices, and usually oatmeal. I love this big cooked breakfast, but it isn't something I'll eat early in the morning before I go for a run! if (Epi.text.truncatedVersion) { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "A fry-up is great when friends are staying over—simply multiply the ingredients given below by however many people you are feeding. Source the best..."); } else { jQuery(function() { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "A fry-up is great when friends are staying over—simply multiply the ingredients given below by however many people you are feeding. Source the best..."); }); } Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Add the bacon and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden, dabbing off any milky liquid with paper towels. Add the black and/or white pudding slices to the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until beginning to crisp; the white pudding (if using) should turn golden. Remove the sausages, bacon, and pudding slices from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Place in an ovenproof dish in a low oven to keep warm.

Meanwhile, add a dash of oil and pat (knob) of butter to another frying pan over medium heat. Add the button mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and turning golden. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the pan and keep warm (adding to the dish with the sausages and bacon). If you are cooking a large flat mushroom, then add the oil and butter to the pan and fry the mushroom for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until softened and browned.

Season the cut side of the tomato halves with salt and pepper and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil. Gently fry them, cut side down first, for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn over and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, until just softened.

Alternatively, cook the large flat mushroom and/or the tomatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas mark 6). Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over or add a pat (knob) of butter to the mushroom and season with salt and pepper before roasting for 12 to 15 minutes, until softened. If you are using the oven, begin roasting the mushroom and tomatoes a few minutes before frying the sausages and bacon. Once cooked, decrease the oven temperature to low for keeping everything warm as it is cooked.

To fry an egg, melt a pat (knob) of butter in a small, clean frying pan over low heat. Carefully crack the egg into the pan and allow to fry gently. For an over-easy egg, fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to set, then flip over and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. If you prefer your egg sunny side up, then fry gently for 4 to 5 minutes, until the yolk has filmed over. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with the other cooked ingredients.

For scrambled eggs, crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk, season with salt and pepper, and beat together. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a small saucepan over low heat. Immediately pour in the eggs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously (I find a wooden spatula best for this), until the butter has melted and the eggs are softly scrambled. Remove from the heat immediately so that the eggs don't become overcooked. Serve with the other cooked ingredients.

While the egg is cooking, put the slices of bread in a toaster or toast under a preheated broiler (grill) for a few minutes (and on both sides, if using the broiler/grill) until golden. Butter the toast and cut the slices in half.

To serve, arrange everything on a warm serving plate, with the hot buttered toast on the side and with some tomato ketchup or relish.

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Creamy Pappardelle with Leeks and Bacon

yield: Makes 6 servings

This twist on pasta carbonara is sweet from leeks and rich thanks to cream (in place of eggs). Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add leeks and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, Parmesan, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce and stir to coat. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta.

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Steak Salad with Horseradish Dressing

yield: Makes 4 servings

This dish is inspired by a salad on the menu at Keens Steakhouse in NYC. For horseradish dressing:
Whisk sour cream, horseradish, chives, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

For steak salad:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until cooked to desired doneness, 5-8 minutes per side for medium-rare rib eye, about 4 minutes per side for flank steak, or 3 minutes per side for skirt steak. Transfer meat to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

While steak rests, wipe out skillet and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes.

Slice steak and serve with horseradish dressing, potatoes, cucumber, radishes, greens, and Pickled Red Onions.

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Warm Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 25 minutes

total time: 35 minutes

We're seeing gigante beans everywhere. They're creamy and buttery, and their size adds a dramatic look. Place barley in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 2". Season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain; run under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower; cook, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10-12 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl; add beans, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 tablespoon tarragon, reserved barley, and half of reserved dressing. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Divide salad among bowls; drizzle remaining dressing over. Garnish with lemon zest, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tablespoon tarragon.

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Per serving: 420 calories, 25 g fat, 11 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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Porter Cake

yield: Serves 10 to 12

active time: 30 minutes

total time: 3 hours

This traditional Irish cake uses a porter, such as Guinness, Beamish, or Murphy's, and is a deliciously rich and moist fruit cake. Make it a few days in advance of the celebratory event (it's perfect for St Patrick's Day) if you like, and it will improve even more! if (Epi.text.truncatedVersion) { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "This traditional Irish cake uses a porter, such as Guinness, Beamish, or Murphy's, and is a deliciously rich and moist fruit cake. Make it a few days..."); } else { jQuery(function() { Epi.text.truncatedVersion("recipeIntroText", "This traditional Irish cake uses a porter, such as Guinness, Beamish, or Murphy's, and is a deliciously rich and moist fruit cake. Make it a few days..."); }); } Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas mark 4). Line the sides and bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) high-sided round cake pan (the sides should be about 2 3/4 inches/7 cm high) with waxed (greaseproof) paper.

Sift the flour, nutmeg, spice, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in the brown sugar, raisins, and candied peel.

Whisk the eggs in another bowl and add the porter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 2 hours. If the cake starts to brown too quickly on top, cover it with aluminum foil or waxed (greaseproof) paper after about 1 hour. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to sit in the pan for about 20 minutes before turning it out and cooling it on a wire rack.

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Lemon-Buttermilk Bundt Cake

yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

With a wonderfully moist interior beneath a crunchy crust and a generous amount of fragrant lemon zest, this cake is a classic reborn. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour Bundt pan; set aside. Whisk baking powder, salt, and 3 cups flour in a medium bowl. Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl; using your fingertips, rub together until lemon sugar is well blended.

Add 1 cup butter to lemon sugar. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, until mixture is light and very fluffy, about 4 minutes longer.

Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until golden brown and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, 60-70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; remove pan and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Combine preserves and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until glaze is reduced to 1/2 cup, 6-8 minutes. Strain glaze into a small pitcher or bowl; discard solids in strainer. Pour glaze over cooled cake and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

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Chicken and Biscuits

yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

The addition of celery root is a great twist on the familiar flavors in this dish. For soup:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down until skin is golden, 8-10 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Carefully drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add carrots, celery root, onion, and leek; stir frequently until softened and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add butter; stir until melted. Add flour and stir constantly until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add wine and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 5-8 minutes.

Add chicken, broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 35-40 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat, discarding skin and bones.

Return shredded chicken to soup. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool slightly; chill until cold. Cover and keep chilled. Reheat before serving.

For biscuits:
Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add butter. Using your fingertips, blend until pea-size lumps form. Add buttermilk, crème fraîche, and chives. Using a fork, mix until just combined. Gather mixture into a ball and knead in bowl just until a shaggy dough forms, 3 or 4 times.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat into a 3/4"- to 1"-thick round. Cut out rounds with a 2" biscuit cutter or small glass. Gather dough and repeat patting and cutting. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; brush with egg.

Bake biscuits until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead. Let cool completely and store airtight at room temperature.

Divide soup among bowls and top with biscuits.

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Pan-Roasted Salmon with Collards and Radish Raita

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 30 minutes

total time: 45 minutes

Serve the salmon with raita, which gets a peppery twist from the addition of grated daikon radish. Preheat oven to 350°F. Squeeze excess liquid from daikon and cucumber. Mix with yogurt, lemon juice, mint, and cayenne in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set the raita aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add collard greens to pot, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Season fish with salt and pepper; cook skin side down until skin is crisp, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to oven (do not turn fish); roast until opaque in the center, about 4 minutes.

Add radishes and vinegar to collard greens; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Divide greens, salmon, and reserved raita among plates.

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Per serving: 370 calories, 18 g fat, 3 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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