Easy Pineapple and Jicama Salsa
Fig and Olive Tapenade
Sheet Tray Noodles with Glazed Tofu and Green Veg
Sheet Tray Roasted Chickpeas and Winter Vegetables

Easy Pineapple Jicama Salsa
Makes around 1 1/2 cups

Toss this into quinoa, leafy greens, add black beans, pepitas…spice it up with some smoked paprika or a little minced jalapeño!

2/3 cup small diced pineapple
2/3 cup small diced jicama
2 Tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl just prior to serving. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Makes about one cup

Adapted from a David Lebovitz recipe in The Sweet Life in Paris

This tapenade gets better over time as the flavors meld. Serve with slices of sourdough and a little goat cheese or toss it in with your pasta or gnocchi. Or as a dip for fresh vegetables or as a sauce tossed cooked vegetables like the chickpea situation below!

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces, 90g) stemmed and quartered dried black figs (use dried Black Mission figs, if available)
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed, drained and squeezed dry
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 teaspoon minced)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup olives, rinsed and pitted (we used Castelvetrano and Kalamata)
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain or Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (150ml) extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper and salt, if necessary

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the figs in ¾ cup water for about 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid.
Make the garlic into a paste by chopping and smashing with salt repeatedly. Leaving the garlic paste on the cutting board, combine it with the other ingredients as you chop them – the capers, rosemary, lemon zest. then the olives and the figs. Smash all of the ingredients with the side of your knife blade to turn into a paste.
Transfer to a bowl or storage container and stir in the lemon juice, mustard, oil and black pepper and salt, if necessary. (The spread can be thinned with a bit of the reserved fig poaching liquid.)

Hetty McKinnon’s Crispy Sheet Pan Noodles with Glazed Tofu
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022637-crispy-sheet-pan-noodles-with-glazed-tofu
4 servings
Remember you can switch up the veg! Add minced ginger if you wish.

For the Noodles
3 blocks instant ramen noodles (about 9 ounces), flavor packets discarded
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil (or peanut, or avocado)
2 Tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ¼-inch thick slices or torn
3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces
Handful of cilantro leaves

For the Marinade
2 tablespoons hoisin
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil or peanut oil (or avocado oil)
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (or toasted peanuts)

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.

2. Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.

3. Place the noodles on a sheet pan. Add the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine, then spread the noodles out evenly.

4. Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the sheet pan, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the pan and doesn’t just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.

5. Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and toss to coat.

6. Remove the sheet pan from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and around the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with cilantro leaves and serve.

Roasted Chickpeas and Winter Vegetables
Serves 6

A hearty meal on its own, this dish also rounds out a fuller meal served with a leafy green salad and salmon or roasted chicken.

16 Castelvetrano olives, smashed with the side of a knife, pits removed
6-8 garlic cloves, ends trimmed, cloves smashed and peel left on
1 small head cauliflower (2-3 cups 1-inch florets plus chopped stems/leaves)
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
2 cups (or 1 14-oz can) cooked chickpeas, patted dry
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 - 3 cups baby spinach (arugula, or other dark leafy green)

Saucy Components
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup pesto
2 – 3 Tablespoons reduced (or not reduced) balsamic vinegar
2 – 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Flavorful Textural Garnishes
Red pepper flakes, to taste
4 ounces Shaved Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese
4 ounces chèvre (soft goat cheese)
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil and or parsley
½ cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts or pine nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Divide the olives, garlic, cauliflower, onion, and chickpeas evenly between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with the olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Gently toss with your hands to coat, then lay the ingredients out in an even layer.

3. Cook, stirring after 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy and browned and the vegetables are tender and caramelized, 18 to 20 minutes. Either carefully remove the garlic peels or warn your guests to do so.

4. Remove from the oven and fold in the spinach to wilt, along with any of the sauce components.

5. To serve, divide evenly among bowls and garnish each bowl with the any of the flavorful garnishes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The chickpeas will lose their crunch over time, so blast leftovers under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to revive.