Millet, Cabbage Salad with Smashed Avocado & Cotija

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup millet
- 1/2 red cabbage
- juice from 2 limes
- 3 green onions
- 2 avocados
- chile limón
- cotija
- salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Boil 3 cups of water. Place 1 cup of millet in with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.

2 - Shred the cabbage thinly and place in a bowl with 2 thinly sliced green onions. Add juice from 1.5 limes and salt. Taste for seasoning.

3 - Remove the avocados and place into a bowl with the juice from half of a lime, salt, pepper, and the remaining thinly sliced green onion. Use a fork to smash it to the desired consistency. I like my avocado chunky.

4 - Remove the millet and let cool. Once at room temperature, season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and plate with the cabbage, avocado, and sprinkle with chile limón and cotija cheese.

Slow-Roasted Pork Spare Ribs with Red Currant, Harissa & Honey Glaze

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS
Ribs
- 1 rack of pork spare ribs
- 2 tablespoons of harissa
- 2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 garlic cloves, whole
- 2-3 inches of ginger, sliced in large chunks
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 cups of water

Glaze
- 1/2 cup of fresh red currants
- 1 tablespoon of harissa
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of water
- 3-5 peppercorns
- Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Preheat the oven to 275º. Remove the membrane from the ribs using a paper towel. Season the ribs with harissa, paprika, and salt. Let rest in the refrigerator overnight or at least 2 hours in advance.

2 - In a saucepan, add the currants, harissa, honey, water, peppercorns, and salt. Whisk on medium-high heat until the sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning and strain to remove the currant seeds. Set aside.

3 - In a deep roasting pan, add tin foil to cover. Place the ribs in with water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and cover with tin foil. Roast for a total of 3.5-4 hours until ribs are falling off the bone. Check every hour to make sure there is still liquid so the ribs don’t dry out. In the final 30 minutes, brush half of the currant glaze on the ribs and return to the oven uncovered. When the ribs are ready, brush with the remaining half of the glaze and return to the oven on broil for 2-5 minutes, watching carefully.

4 - Let the ribs cool and serve.

Radicchio Salad with Figs, Strawberries & Toasted Pepitas

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 1/2 radicchio, sliced thinly
- 1 Belgian endive, sliced thinly
- 1 treviso, sliced thinly
- 1/2 frisée, remove outer layers and tear into bite-sized pieces
- 4-5 strawberries per plate, sliced 1/4 of an inch thick
- 1-2 fresh figs per plate, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1/4 cup of pepitas, toasted in a skillet until lightly browned
- 1/4 white onion, chopped and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon stone ground or dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Wash and dry all of the lettuce and slice thinly. Add to a large mixing bowl. Chop the onion and add to cold water for 30 minutes.

2 - To make the dressing, add sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper to a jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Taste for seasoning.

3 - Toast the pepitas in a cast-iron skillet for a few minutes until fragrant and slightly brown. Add a pinch of salt and set aside.

4 - Slice the figs and strawberries at a 1/4 of inch thick and set aside

5 - Drain the onions and add to the salad. Dress the salad and add a bit of salt and pepper. Plate the salad with the figs, strawberries, pepitas on top with an extra drizzle of the dressing.

Lamb Shank Tacos

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Rub
- 1.5 lb lamb shank
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 peppercorns
- salt

Braising Liquid
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- water
- 1 tablespoon salt

Cabbage Slaw
- 1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 5 peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar
- salt

Other
- 1 onion, chopped and soaked in cold water
- Cracked pepper
- Chile Limón
- Sprouts
- Your favorite hot sauce
- Corn tortillas, 4-6

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - For the spice rub, grind the fenugreek, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Coat the lamb shank with the spice blend and salt at least 2 hours in advance of cooking. Refrigerate until time to cook.

2 - Remove the lamb 30 minutes before cooking. Turn the oven on to 300°. Brown the lamb on all sides with a little olive oil and butter in a dutch oven. Then add the braising liquid: water (until the lamb is halfway submerged), garlic cloves, salt, and bay leaves. Braise the lamb, covered, for about 3 hours until falling off the bone. Check occasionally to make sure that there is still liquid in the pot. If need be, add extra water.

3 - In the meantime, thinly slice the cabbage and add to a bowl with shredded carrot, and minced garlic and ginger. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat with olive oil and butter. Add cabbage, ginger, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the sherry vinegar, honey, peppercorns and salt and cook until tender. Taste for seasoning and add more honey if it’s too acidic. The cabbage can be served hot or cold.

4 - When the lamb is finished, heat up a cast-iron skillet and toast the corn tortillas. Top with sprouts, chopped white onion if you like (soaked for at least 30 minutes in cold water), hot sauce, Chile Limón, and a little cracked pepper.

Butter Bolete Mushroom Pasta with Anchovies & Capers

Enough for 2-ish hungry people

INGREDIENTS
- 8-10 oz of a short pasta variety of your choice
- 4-5 butter bolete mushrooms (or porcini), chopped
- 1 summer squash, chopped
- 4-5 asparagus shoots, chopped
- 3 anchovies
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 small bunch of sage, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil with about 1-2 teaspoons of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente. Save about 1/4 cup of the water before straining. Set aside.

2 - In a sauté pan on medium-high heat, cook the shallots, garlic, anchovies, sage, and chili flakes until soft in olive oil and butter.

3 - Add the mushrooms, asparagus, and summer squash with a little more olive oil. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper and taste.

4 - Add the pasta, water, capers and stir. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning.

5 - Plate the pasta and top with olive oil and plenty of cracked pepper.

Oat Milk Smoothie with Banana & Bee Pollen

For 1 person

INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 Banana
- Handful of blueberries
- Oat milk, 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon bee pollen
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter
- 1-2 dates

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer your smoothie cold, add 1-2 ice cubes.

Sour Cherry Lamb Tagine with Almonds & Herbs

Feeds 4 people

INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs lamb shoulder (bone in if available)
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 inch ginger, peeled with spoon, minced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Ras el Hanout
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 zucchini or summer squash, chopped (half moons). Put in a bowl and add salt
- 1/3 cup sour cherries
- 1/4 cup almonds, sliced
- Small handful each of cilantro, mint, and parsley, chopped
- Couscous, quinoa, or baguette

INSTRUCTIONS

1 - Season the lamb with 2 tablespoons of ras el hanout, salt, and set aside for at least 2 hours. Brown in olive oil and butter for 2-3 minutes (medium high heat) on both sides in a Dutch oven or tagine. 

2 - Remove and set aside. Leave the heat on, add more oil and butter. Add onion, shallot, ginger, garlic, carrot, and cinnamon stick. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add in salt, pepper, paprika, 1 tablespoon ras el hanout, and mix well. 

3 - Add the lamb back in and then the chicken stock. It should fill about 1/2 the dish. You don’t want to submerge the meat and vegetables entirely. Allow to boil and then turn the heat down to low and cover. Alternatively, you can put it in the oven at 275° for about 1.5-2 hours.

4 - After an hour and fifteen minutes, remove the lid and add the summer squash. 

5 - After another 10 minutes, add cherries and almonds. Stir well and cook for another 10 minutes. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. 

6 - Serve with couscous, quinoa or baguette. Taste for seasoning and add for more salt if need be. Top all with cilantro, mint, and parsley.

Spicy Potato Leek Soup

Enough for 4-6 people

INGREDIENTS

- 4 large potatoes, chopped 
- 3 medium leeks, chopped
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1-2 t red chili flakes
- 1 t smoked paprika
- Enough stock to cover leeks and potatoes (preferably homemade chicken or vegetable)
- 1/3 stick of butter (or ghee)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Roughly 1 cup of whole milk or 1/2 cup of cream
- Salt and pepper to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS 

1 - Using a mortar and pestle, crush the spices (just the seeds). In a large pot, melt the butter and add oil. Temper the spices and then add shallot, garlic, and leeks. Cook until soft. 

2 - Add potatoes, chili flakes and paprika, stir, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the stock until the ingredients are covered. Bring up to soft boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. 

3 - Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until smooth. Add milk or cream and taste. Adjust with milk/cream, salt, and pepper. 

4 - Serve with a dash of smoked paprika

Hummus Toast with Persian Cucumbers, Blue Fenugreek, & Sumac

Enough hummus for 4

INGREDIENTS
- Chickpeas, 1 can (or dried chickpeas soaked over night)
- Lemon juice, 1/2 - 1 whole lemon
- Olive oil, 1/4 cup
- Tahini, 1/4 cup
- Garlic, 1-2 cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Persian cucumbers, 1
- Blue fenugreek, 1/2 teaspoon
- Sumac, 1/2 teaspoon
- Your favorite bread

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Add the chickpeas, half the lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper, and garlic to a blender or food processor and blend. Slowly add the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste for flavor and add more salt, lemon juice, and garlic if need be.

2 - Spread the hummus on toast and add sliced Persian cucumbers, a sprinkle of blue fenugreek, salt, and sumac. Enjoy!