​Recipes by Julia Turshen Small Victories The entire book is filled with easy, delicious recipes. I love her 'seven lists". They will give you so many quick, easy, and memorable ideas. Here are a few.

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Seven Bites to Have w/Drinks
 
Affordable Caviar:
Top good potato chips w/small spoonful of crème fraiche (or sour cream) and salmon roe and sprinkle with chopped chives. Be sure to make these just as you eat them and not ahead of time (the chips will get soggy). You can also put out bowls of crème fraiche and salmon roe next to a bag of chips and let your friends assemble their own.
 
My favorite Hors D’Oeuvre Ever:
Put sliced chorizo in a cast-iron pan, set it under the broiler until the slices are hot and slightly crisp, and then drizzle with Spicy Honey-see recipe below
 
Spicy Honey
¾ cup honey
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt    
2 tsp red pepper flakes
In a small saucepan over high heat, stir together the honey, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the honey mixture come to room temperature. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Spin-Offs:
Drizzle on a pepperoni pizza
Drizzle on chicken, pork or ribs
Drizzle on roasted carrots and sweet potatoes
Spread ricotta on toast and drizzle on the honey
Drizzle on cooked bacon
Serve with biscuits and butter
 
Seven Desserts
 
Peaches in Cold White Wine
Slice ripe peaches into halves or wedges (you can peel them first if you like) and put them into individual glass dishes. Cover with cold white wine (or rose) and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving
 
Sweet Focaccia
Press the dough into a generously buttered sheet pan and drizzle with more melted butter. Dollop with ricotta cheese and sliced peaches (or plums or pitted cherries) and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until the exposed dough and fruit are browned and the juices are bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Recipe by Julia Turshen Small Victories The entire book is filled with easy, delicious recipes. I love her "small victories". They will give you so many different ways to use her recipes.
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4 scallion stalks, white and pale green parts only
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 16-oz jar cabbage kimchi, including juice
3 tbsp avocado oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt
4 cups day-old cooked white rice
1 tbsp soy sauce, plus more as needed

1. Julienne scallion into 2″ matchsticks. Combine with sesame oil, vinegar, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
2. Drain kimchi, retaining juice. Chop finely and set aside. In a large wok over medium-high heat, heat up oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent, around 5 minutes. Turn heat to high and add kimchi. Cook for another 5 minutes until the edges become crispy and kimchi begins to stick to the pan.
3. Add chilled rice into the wok, and as it heats up, use wooden spatula to break up the chunks. Combine thoroughly. Add in reserved kimchi juice and mix until thoroughly red-orange in color. Turn off heat and drizzle over soy sauce. Taste and adjust as preferred.
4. Transfer fried rice to a bowl, top with scallion salad.

​Serves 4-6
 
3 Tbs olive oil
4-5 large cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 pints cherry tomatoes cut in half-use a colorful assortment
1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper
1 cup water
2 ears of freshly picked corn, corn cut off the cob
10 leaves fresh basil, sliced in strips
3 Tbs unsalted butter (very cold)
Kosher or Sea Salt and Pepper

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and the slivered garlic over low heat. Cook until the garlic begins to brown.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Sauté gently until the tomatoes begin to breakdown about 3 minutes.
3. Add the water, corn kernels, and basil to the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and finish by stirring in the cold butter 1 tablespoon at a time for a smooth finish.  

Serve over pasta, with chicken or fish, or as a topping for Bruscetta.

This avocado sauce base is so versatile. Use it as is and spread on sandwiches. Use it in place of mayonnaise in egg salad, tuna salad, deviled eggs, or as a dip for chips and vegetables. Try the variations below to create a pasta sauce and a salad dressing.
 
Makes about 1 ½ cups
 
2 avocados-fully ripe
¼ to 1/3 cup fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley, cilantro, tarragon- choose one or combine a few)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon or lime juice or more to taste
1/4 cup cold water or more if needed if sauce is too thick
 

1. Add the flesh from the ripe avocados to a bowl.
2. Roughly chop the herbs.
3. Add the chopped herbs, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and vinegar.
4. Process using a food processor or immersion blender until smooth. Add the water if the sauce is too thick.
5. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

 
For Pasta Sauce Variations:

• Choose herbs to compliment your pasta dish-basil, parsley, rosemary, and thyme
• Add ¼ to ½ cup grated parmesan to base sauce.  
• Add 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped to the base sauce and process.
• Add 1 cup ricotta and some parmesan cheese to the base sauce and adjust seasoning.
• Add ½ cup chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds

 
To make a Green Goddess Dressing:

• Add 2/3 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt to the base sauce.
• Choose herbs to compliment your salad-basil, mint, parsley, cilantro, tarragon. Combine herbs if you like.

By Serious Eats 
SeriousEats.com is one of my favorite go to recipe websites. Check it out and have fun!


1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 serrano chili or ¼-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper-depending on how hot you like it
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes

1. Place onion, chili, half of cilantro leaves, and salt in a mortar and pestle. Pound into a fine paste. Alternatively, combine onion, chili, half of cilantro, salt, and half of lime juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth paste is formed, scraping down sides as necessary.
2. Split each avocado in half, discard pits, and spoon out flesh into a medium bowl. Roughly mash with a stiff whisk. Add onion/chili puree, remaining cilantro leaves, and half of lime juice (if using mortar and pestle method). Fold to combine. Season to taste with more salt and lime juice. Serve immediately with warm tortilla chips.

 

Serves 4
 
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped herbs-mint, cilantro, parsley, basil-2-4 ounces cheese-shaved parmesan, asiago, 1 ripe avocado-not too soft
1 mango
½ English cucumber
¼ cup red onion diced or scallions
2 cups assorted salad greens
½ cup feta or ricotta salata
Salt and pepper to taste
Edible flowers for garnish-nasturtium, calendula, petunia, marigold, daylilies

1. Place the vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut the avocado, mango, and cucumber into ½ inch cubes. Keep them in separate piles on the cutting board.
3. Line a large platter with the salad greens.
4. Arrange the avocado, mango, and cucumber on top of the greens. Sprinkle with diced onion and feta.
5. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with edible flowers if you have them.

Other ingredient options:
Instead of mango you can use-peaches, plumbs, berries of any kind, watermelon, cantalope, honeydew melon