Grilled Beet Baba Ghanoush

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil (for grill and drizzling)

• 2 pounds red beets (about 4 large)

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon tahini

• ½ garlic clove, finely grated

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Sumac, za’atar, crushed red pepper flakes, or Aleppo pepper; grilled flatbreads or pita bread (for serving)

PREPARATION:

1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; lightly oil grate. Grill beets, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and flesh is fork-tender, 50–60 minutes. (Alternatively, you can tuck vegetables into coals left over from grilling something else. Wait until charcoal is completely covered with ash and no black spots remain. Shake grill to knock excess ash off coal, then rake them around and pile them up around vegetables.) Let cool slightly.

2. Halve beets; scoop flesh into a food processor. Add lemon juice, tahini, and garlic and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle baba ghanoush with oil and top as desired. Serve with flatbreads or pita bread.

Do Ahead: Dip can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Linguini with Kale Pesto

INGREDIENTS:

• About 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed 

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 1 bunch kale, stemmed 

• Salt and pepper

• Freshly grated nutmeg 

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, plus more to pass

• 1 pound linguini

PREPARATION:

1. Place a large pot of water on to boil for the linguini.

2. Place the pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add the kale in stages and pulse to finely chop. Add some salt, pepper and a few grates of nutmeg. Stream in the EVOO until a thick sauce forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Pecorino.

3. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Add 1 cup starchy pasta water to the pesto just before draining the pasta. Toss the linguini with the pesto to coat, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve with extra cheese to pass at the table.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lb butternut squash

• 6 cups nonfat chicken broth

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (9 oz)

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 5 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 oz)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

• 4 oz arugula or baby spinach (6 cups), stems discarded and leaves very coarsely chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Halve squash lengthwise and seed, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide slices and season with salt. Roast slices, skin side down, in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until tender and golden, about 50 minutes.

3. Set aside 6 crescent-shaped squash slices for serving and keep warm. Cut flesh from remaining slices into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding skin.

4. Start risotto after squash has been roasting 40 minutes.

5. Bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer, covered.

6. Meanwhile, cook onion in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add rice, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

7. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente (it should be the consistency of thick soup), about 18 minutes total. (There will be leftover broth.)

8. Stir in squash pieces, then stir in cheese, salt, sage, and arugula and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. (If necessary, thin risotto with some leftover broth.)

9. Serve risotto immediately, spooned over reserved squash slices.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Shishito Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup 50%-less-sodium tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

• ¼ cup mirin

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 6 ounces shishito peppers

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Combine tamari (or soy sauce), mirin, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl. Transfer half the mixture to a small saucepan. Add chicken to the bowl and toss to coat. Let marinate, stirring once or twice, for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring the marinade in the pan to a boil. Whisk water and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to the pan. Cook, whisking, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Thread peppers crosswise onto 3 skewers and the chicken onto the remaining 3 skewers. (Discard any remaining marinade.) Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, about 10 minutes. Grill the peppers, turning occasionally, until charred, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Brush the chicken and peppers with the reserved sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallion.

Eggplant Curry

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large eggplants (about 1 pound each), cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)

• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 2 cups chopped white onion

• 1 tablespoon red curry paste

• 3 medium cloves garlic, grated

• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 3 medium plum tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

• 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed

• 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk, well shaken

• 4 cups cooked brown rice

• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss eggplant, pepper, 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the eggplant is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in curry paste, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir the roasted eggplant into the curry mixture. Serve over cooked rice with cilantro and lime wedges.