Cooked

1. Cook the pasta as directed on the package, drain and rinse in cold water until the pasta has cooled.
2. Mix the pasta, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle.
3. Mix the salad and dressing and enjoy!

Prepare the scapes: Wash the garlic scapes and pat them dry. Chop them into 1-inch pieces. For the best result, use the more tender parts and discard any tough, woody ends.

Blend the ingredients: Place the chopped garlic scapes, white vinegar, and salt into a high-speed blender or a food processor.

Process until smooth: Blend the mixture on high speed until it becomes a completely smooth, bright green sauce. This may take a couple of minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor as needed to ensure all the pieces are fully incorporated.

Taste and adjust: Taste the sauce and add more salt if desired. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add another tablespoon or two of white vinegar to thin it out. The consistency should be pourable, but still thick enough to cling to food.

Storage: Pour the finished sauce into an airtight jar or bottle. Store in the refrigerator. The flavor will mellow and develop over the first day or two.

Notes on Use:

This sauce is a great way to add a punch of garlic and tanginess to a variety of dishes.

Drizzle it over eggs, roasted vegetables, grilled meats, or pasta.

Use it as a base for marinades or salad dressings.

Stir a spoonful into soups, stews, or sauces for a flavor boost.

The sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Collards

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar, sugar, Creole seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Add collards, tossing in liquid to wilt. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until collards are dark green and very soft, 2½–3 hours. There should be very little liquid left—just enough to coat greens. If there is too much, cook uncovered until you have the right amount.

Do Ahead: Collards can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Slaw

Toss cabbage, onion, mayonnaise, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a medium bowl to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Season with salt and more vinegar if needed just before using.

Do Ahead: Slaw can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Russian Dressing

Mix mayonnaise, cherry peppers, hot sauce, ketchup, and pepper in a small bowl to combine.

Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Assembly

Heat broiler (rack should be in highest position). Place 8 slices of bread on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, checking every 30 seconds, until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Turn and toast second side until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Top each toast with a slice of cheese and broil until melted and starting to brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a work surface.

Place remaining 4 slices of bread on same baking sheet and toast, checking every 30 seconds, until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Turn and toast second side until golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

If collard greens are cold, reheat in a large skillet over medium until hot, about 5 minutes.

Divide 2 cups slaw among 4 cheesy toasts. Top with remaining 4 cheesy toasts. Using a slotted spoon (or you’ll end up with a soggy sammy), divide collard greens among cheesy toasts. Generously spread one side of plain toasts with dressing and place dressing side down on collard greens to close sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve with lots of napkins.

Preparation

Filling

• In a bowl, combine ¼ cup (55 g) of the butter with the flour. Set aside.
• In a second bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the milk. Set aside.
• In a large pot, soften the onion, carrot and celery in the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Add the butter mixture and boil gently, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning. Stir in the chicken and peas. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling. Let cool while preparing the pastry.

Pastry

• In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse a few seconds at a time until the butter is the size of peas. Add the water and vinegar, and pulse again until the dough just begins to form. Add more water, if needed. Remove the dough from the food processor and form into two discs with your hands. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• With the rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• On a floured work surface, roll out the two discs of dough and line a 23-cm (9-inch) pie plate with one of them. Make incisions in the second crust. Spoon the chicken filling into the crust. Brush around the dough with milk and cover with the second sheet of dough. Crimp the edges and brush with milk.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pinch the butter into the dry mixture with your fingers or cut it in (with a pastry blender; I use this one) until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well (clear area) in the center and pour in the half-and-half, then the egg. Use a fork to gently combine the egg and cream in the center, then use it to combine everything into a rough mass. Dip your hands into the bowl and knead the mixture a few times into an even mass.

On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough to roughly a 10-by-6-inch rectangle (think: a piece of paper but a little smaller). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon over half of the rectangle (it will seem like too much but trust me, these scones do not end up overly sweet), then fold it in half. Roll the dough out again into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle; sprinkle another of the remaining tablespoons of sugar and the last teaspoon of cinnamon over half, then fold in half again. Do not roll again, just pat the dough into roughly a 6-inch circle and cut with a sharp knife into 6 wedges. Evenly space the wedges on the pan, sprinkle with final tablespoon of sugar, and bake until slightly golden at the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.

Do ahead: Really, scones are better the first day, freshly baked. You can rewarm them in the oven briefly on the second, but it’s always a bit more dry. You could make them and freeze them until needed instead. You’ll probably need 4 to 5 extra minutes in the oven if baking them from frozen.

• Season your Ahi Tuna with the Togarashi seasoning thoroughly. Let set for 5 minutes.
• Build high-heat (around 400F) for direct skillet cooking. Add your skillet/plancha one minute before cooking along with some canola oil.
• Add your tuna steaks to cook for 30 seconds per side. Once done, pull them off and rest for 1 minutes.

Don't overcook.

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and place a brownie tray with water into the oven. This will create a more humid environment. Grease a muffin tin.
2. Add the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, and seasoning to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Be careful here not to over-blend and incorporate too much air. This can cause the egg bites to deflate.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups. Fill up each cup about half way. If you want to add in bacon or any veg, do that now!
4. Place the muffin tin in the oven for around 35-37 minutes. You want them to be totally set.
5. Remove from oven and enjoy! For best results use a silicon muffin tin!

1. Step 1

   For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

2. Step 2

   In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

3. Step 3

   For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

4. Step 4

   Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

TIP

• The recipe for this cake in Nigella Lawson's cookbook "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life" (Hyperion, 2004) calls for 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1. To make the sauce. Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, peanut butter/tahini, molasses, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 clove garlic, and 1/3 cup water in a bowl. 

2. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. To the pot used to cook the noodles, add the broth and 1/2 of the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the spinach. Keep warm.

3. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the shallots, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 2 cloves garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a large pinch of pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are caramelized. Add the sesame seeds, cook 2 minutes. Spoon the mushrooms out of the skillet and onto a plate.

4. To the skillet, add the remaining soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the noodles, toss to combine, and cook until the sauce just coats the noodles, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

5. Ladle the broth into bowls. Add the noodles and toss combine. Spoon the mushrooms over the noodles. Top with green onions and chili oil. Enjoy! 

1. Arrange rack in middle of oven. Preheat to 350°F (177°C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

4. In another large bowl, mix together melted butter and sugars with a silicone spatula until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour wet mixture into dry and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in chopped dark chocolate.

5. Using a 1-oz (30-mL) cookie scoop or measuring 2 tbsp (30 mL) portions, portion dough onto prepared sheets 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

6. Bake cookies in centre of oven, one sheet at a time, until cookies are puffed and cracked, about 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

7. Place chopped white chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Place melted chocolate in a disposable piping bag or zip-top bag. Cut off a small hole in tip of piping bag or corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over cookies in an organized or random pattern. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

8. Once chocolate has set, cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

Makes 30 cookies