Food Processor

Another quick-to-assemble mixture of bold, pungent flavors that enhances grilled fish, toasted ciabatta, or warm pasta tossed with thin strips of salami. For a more herbaceous taste, add a handful of chopped fresh basil or parsley. You might also blend in a few lightly toasted almonds for a more pesto-like consistency.

This is one of the all-time most popular dishes we have ever created at Bayona. It was the brainchild of another former sous chef, Scott Freer. He had the original idea (duck and peanuts, who knew?), and we tweaked the various components until one day, after tasting the latest version, everyone just stood there silently, grinning in a Duck PBJ reverie. The cashew peanut butter can be made well in advance, as can the grilled onions. However, for super-crisp freshness, the Apple-Celery Salad is best when thrown together right before serving.

If you love mayonnaise as much as I do, you will love this silky Greek fish roe spread, since it’s basically a salty, lemony mayonnaise made with coral-colored carp roe (also called tarama), which is available in most stores that sell Greek or Mediterranean products. It may sound unusual, but this aromatic puree is absolutely addictive. It’s particularly satisfying with bone-dry white wine, Seasoned Pita Crisps (p. 89), and crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery, and fennel. Or serve a creamy dollop with sliced smoked salmon on toast points. If you’ve never worked with tarama, you’ll find it drier and more firmly packed than caviar, but it crumbles easily in a food processor.

Two types of Cheddar are used in this recipe. If you like, use just one type, or mix Cheddar with another melting cheese, such as pepper Jack, Muenster, Swiss, or mozzarella.

There’s no need to fry in a lot of oil to get a crisp breadcrumb crust. Before baking, moisten the crumbs with a little oil; coat the pork, chicken, or fish, and bake until golden.

Amaretti are crunchy Italian macaroons made from almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. You can substitute any crispy cookie.

The three main ingredients in this recipe—pecans, cornmeal, and catfish—are all common in Southern cooking. The carrot slaw served on the side is lighter in fat and calories than more traditional mayonnaise-based slaws.

Caraway seeds often season cabbage dishes; here they give pork a tangy coating. If you plan to make the cabbage to serve on the side, begin preparing that recipe first, since the total time is about an hour.

Try this slightly spicy salad with roast pork or chicken. Shredding the vegetables in a food processor makes the preparation lightning fast; you can shred them on a four-sided box grater instead, but it will increase the prep and total times.

Try these spicy vegetarian burgers served on hamburger buns or in whole wheat pita pockets, layered with sliced tomato and red onion and drizzled with tangy yogurt sauce.

The combination of dried spices and fresh seasonings, including lemon, ginger, and scallion, makes these burgers irresistible. Watermelon slices are served on the side to balance the heat of the burgers.

Gazpacho is traditionally made by adding olive oil to vegetable purée; in this light version, we left out the oil and used only a small amount to cook the shrimp.

When iced, these carrot-filled cupcakes make heavenly desserts or snacks. Unfrosted, they are perfect for breakfast on the run or a lunch-box treat. Use the large holes of a box grater, or the shredding disk of a food processor, to shred the carrots.

Rhubarb is a vegetable, although it is typically used in jams and desserts; its tart flavor makes it the perfect companion for fresh strawberries, or in this case, strawberry ice cream.

You can purchase bottled Thai green curry sauce in most supermarkets, but this recipe proves how quick and easy it is to make your own. Refrigerate any leftover sauce, covered, for up to 3 days.