Junk Drawer Recipes

1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
6 medium red potatoes (about 2 lb.), cut into chunks

Preparation
MIX all ingredients except potatoes in small bowl.

PLACE potatoes in lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan or on shallow baking sheet. Toss with mustard mixture.

BAKE at 425°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender, stirring occasionally.

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste
1/2 tsp. curry powder
3/4 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp. golden raisins
1/2 c. couscous
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh mint leaves

In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, and cook onion with salt to taste, stirring until browned slightly. Reduce heat to moderate. Add garlic paste and currry powder and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden brown. Remove skillet from heat and keep mixture warm.

In a small saucepan bring broth to a boil. Stir in raisins and couscous and let stand, covered, off heat for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Stir in onion mixture, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch chives (about 1/4 ounce), snipped into 1/4-inch lengths
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and stock; bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed and the grains are translucent, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, pick 1/2 cup parsley leaves from stems, chop leaves coarsely, and set aside. Place remaining parsley leaves, parsley stems, and 1/4 cup water in a food processor; process until puréed. Transfer purée to a double layer of cheesecloth laid over a small bowl. Squeeze all liquid from the purée, discard solids, and set parsley juice aside.
3. Add snipped chives, butter, and reserved parsley juice and chopped parsley into cooked quinoa, and mix until combined. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve.

4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon saffron strands
1/2 medium red onion, diced (1 cup)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup)
2 cups uncooked orzo
1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring broth and saffron to a boil in a large nonstick saucepan. Add onion, feta cheese, and orzo. Return to a boil and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, mix ricotta cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, and cayenne together. Test orzo to make sure it is cooked thoroughly and cook another minute or two if necessary. Stir in the ricotta mixture and adjust seasoning. Add salt sparingly; the Parmesan and feta may have provided enough salt. Add black pepper to taste.

Salt
1 1/4 cups orzo
2 bunches arugula(about 1 pound)
1 clove garlic
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper,
plus more to taste

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Stir in orzo. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes, or follow package instructions. Drain in a colander, and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch arugula in boiling water until bright green in color, 5 to 10 seconds. Immediately transfer arugula to ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, and squeeze out any excess water.

Place arugula and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Using the feed tube, slowly add olive oil while pulsing machine on and off. Add 1 tsp salt and pepper; process until pureed.

Transfer orzo to serving bowl, and toss with arugula purée. Season with salt and pepper.