Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

*Post by Angela.
Two vegetarian recipe posts in two days?  The world has gone crazy.  I actually made this beautiful salad from Orangette a couple of weeks back for my annual Easter/Passover dinner (a dinner I didn't end up posting about because as the wine started flowing, I quickly forgot to take photos of what I was cooking).  Cooking dinner for my friends can sometimes be a challenging (but rewarding) task - in my little group of lovable maniacs, I have a couple of vegetarians (and those who oppose them, which means EXTRA meat), a couple of celiac sufferers (no gluten!), those who won't eat pork, those who won't eat seafood, and one who is so particular about food I maintain an actual physical list of things he won't eat.

This meal around, I wanted to make some kosher-for-Passover food that my Jewish vegetarian friend (who will normally eat anything, as long as it doesn't include meat) could enjoy as the rest of us were busy chowing down on the roasted lamb.*  While it did require the extra step of finding kosher tahini, this salad was well worth it - everyone loved this earthy yet bright, slightly sweet and tangy salad, and it's something I'm looking forward to making again in the near future.

Click below to get the recipe!

A Lost-Themed Dinner: Nutty, Tropical Salad and Island Pork Tenderloin

So, tonight was the premiere of the final season of Lost.  While I've been watching the show regularly since the pilot, Mark had gotten way behind - when I met him, he'd only made it through the first season.  So, a few months back, he hunkered down and plowed through seasons 2-5 so that we could watch this season live together.  In honor of his sacrifice (snerk!), I thought I should put in a little creative effort tonight, and make it a tropical/island inspired night in the cave.  Result:

Click below for the recipes!

Avocado and Arugula salad

If I had started this blog a few months ago, you can bet that I would have blogged the hell out of mine and Mark's trip to Chicago at the end of October. We basically ate our way through the city, including stops at two of Chicago's best restaurants, Blackbird and Frontera Grill. We also stopped in at one of Mark's favorite restaurants, Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. As wonderful as those meals were, the one dish that I took back with me and have included in my regular repertoire of meals is a very simple and delicious salad from organic pizzeria Crust, located in Wicker Park.


It doesn't get a whole lot easier than this: Toss a bunch of arugula in good quality olive oil, top with slices of avocado, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a few croutons, and finish with a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt. The original uses Pecorino Romano, which is a little sharper and stronger, but as I'm more likely to have Parm in my fridge than the Pecorino, I use that. I love this salad with a bowl of soup for lunch, or as a lighter element with a hearty dinner.