Za'atar Roasted Beets with Honeyed Yogurt, Orange + Pistachio

We had our neighbors over for dinner on Sunday. They're a lot of fun. By that I mean that they like to imbibe just as much as we do (and they're really nice, thoughtful guys). We've been known to get sucked into the vortex of their porch, where wine is poured freely and in great quantity. A quick hello turns into a three hour gossip session.

When we lived in South Boston, we knew our neighbors but we didn't have a close relationship with any of them. Most of them were pleasant. Others, not so much.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think much about the whole neighbor thing until we'd been here for a few weeks and got to meet everyone. We live on a smaller, dead end street. Everyone's been here for a number of years. Many grew up on the street, which I think says a lot about the area.  They all look out for one another, helping with yard work or cleaning the gutters or shoveling. It's all very sweet, in a Pleasantville kind of way. (Except this is Massachusetts... where everyone has a bit of an edge)

Well, I got off track a bit. Our neighbors. Dinner. Sunday. They came over (at 4, because I know our track record and figured it'd be best to start our martini consumption early). Eric smoked a duck on the grill, I made the sides. One of those sides was this roasted beet dish, which our guests enjoyed immensely. In fact, I knew these two were good people when one of them said, "Oh, are these beets? I love beets!" I hear so much from the naysayers (They taste like dirt! Beets? Gross!) that I was thrilled to have a fan in our midst.

Za'atar Roasted Beets with Honeyed Yogurt, Orange and Pistachio

Servings: 4-6 as a side

Ingredients 6 medium-sized beets, trimmed, peeled and quartered (if larger, cut into smaller pieces) Olive oil Kosher salt 1 tablespoon za'atar, plus more for plating 1 naval orange, segmented 3 tablespoons full fat Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon chopped unsalted pistachios Black sesame seeds, optional Parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Add the cut beets to the pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with Kosher salt and the za'atar. Roast beets for 40 minutes, checking on them every 10-15 minutes and giving them a flip to ensure even cooking.  Once they're done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

2. Whisk together the Greek yogurt and honey. Spoon onto a serving platter. Add the cooked beets to the plate, along with the segmented orange.

3. Sprinkle pistachios on top of the beets, followed by a little more za'atar, black sesame seeds, and fresh parsley.

Fettuccine with Grapefruit Sauce, Brussels Sprouts + Manchego

We got home late Sunday evening, unpacked the car, put up a pot of tea, and got ourselves situated on the couch. Maki promptly passed out. We read a little, before heading to bed. I knew that last week wasn't going to be relaxing. We had a lot on our plates. There was the drive down, the multiple days of cooking, which was then followed by a family brunch, a trip to New York to see Hedwig (our second time this year), and a wedding shoot in Brooklyn. It's not that we didn't have fun. We did. But it was the kind of trip where we came back and just crashed.

I avoided work as much as possible on Monday. I took long walks with Maki, watched a movie, and I even got myself on the elliptical for a few minutes (having not used it in over a month, it wasn't the best experience). There was a little time spent in the kitchen, too. For a while now, I've been meaning to create a Brussels sprout recipe. My family is well aware of my love of these guys. The web is inundated with Brussels sprout recipes, though (do a search for "roasted Brussels sprouts" and you'll see what I'm talking about). The goal was to come up with something a little different and yet keep the dish familiar. As I started thinking of what to do with them, I figured throwing pasta into the mix couldn't hurt. But how to bring it all together? A creamy grapefruit sauce, rich and slightly tangy.  A touch of thyme. A sprinkle of cheese and a hearty dose of freshly ground pepper. And... done.

Fettuccine with Grapefruit Sauce, Brussels Sprouts + Manchego

Servings: 4-6 

Ingredients
For the grapefruit sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only
1/2 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
Black pepper

For the Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sprouts halved or quartered (depending on size)
Salt
Black pepper

1 lb fettuccine
1/4 cup grated manchego cheese

Instructions

1. To cook the Brussels sprouts, set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat up in the pan.  After a minute, add the Brussels sprouts and season with a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Let the Brussels sprouts cook for a few minutes and then give them a quick stir. Once they have browned, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

2. In the same saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes translucent. Stir in the thyme and cook for another minute or two. Pour in the grapefruit juice and dry vermouth. Cook for two minutes and then stir in the heavy cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat and add the Brussels sprouts back to the pan.

3. Cook the fettuccine according to the directions on the packaging (if using fresh pasta, boil for 2-3 minutes in salted water). Toss cooked pasta with the sauce and Brussels sprouts. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls. Sprinkle manchego cheese on top before eating.

Cauliflower, Fig + Walnut Salad with Tahini Dressing

A chill has arrived in the air. It's crisp and harsh on the nose. Extra layers of clothing and warm, fluffy socks go on before heading out. The pace of our walks has turned brisk.  I look forward to a mug of coffee or tea, as hot as I can get it without burning my tongue, which I'll make as soon as I get home. Maki doesn't seem to want to spend extended periods of time outside either. As soon as we get inside, she immediately curls up on her bed, as if to say, "Ok, I don't need to go out there for a while!".

We're gearing up for our first Friendsgiving dinner in our house. The menu is coming together: a slow-cooked brisket, smoked on the grill and then transferred to the oven for eight hours, and herb and garlic roasted fish. The side dishes are coming along as well. One that will be gracing our table is this cauliflower salad. Or maybe it's a slaw. Whatever you want to call it, there are some great textures and bright flavors in this side. And pomegranate adds a bit of tartness and, of course, that pop of color that makes this so striking to look at.

Cauliflower, Fig + Walnut Salad with Tahini Dressing

Servings: 4-6 as a side

Ingredients 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (some bigger slices are fine) 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 4 Turkish figs, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup arils from a pomegranate 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons tahini 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons turmeric 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

Instructions

1. Place the chopped cauliflower into a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the tahini, honey, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and olive oil.

3. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix with a spoon. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Add walnuts, figs, pomegranate and parsley to the cauliflower and mix to combine. Season with additional salt before serving.