Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

Ideal for a picnic, these sesame-speckled chicken wings are so good, you'll be happy to lick your fingers clean.

Yield: Makes 4 main-course servings
Active Time: 15 min Total Time: 50 min

1 large garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne
3 lb chicken wingettes or chicken wings (see cooks' note, below)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 scallion (green part only), finely chopped

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil.

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat.

Arrange wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.

Turkey Chops with Balsamic Honey Sauce

Turkey is a lighter alternative to lamb, and in this delicious recipe you won't miss a thing. Serves 4.

8 turkey chops
olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup chicken or turkey stock
kosher salt
black pepper
sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)

Coat the bottom of a large saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium flame. Add shallots and saute till translucent. Add chopped garlic and cook 30 seconds more till fragrant. Remove 1 Tbsp of the shallot-garlic mixture and place in small pot. Add balsamic vinegar, honey, stock and thyme or rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 12 minutes, till reduced by half. Set aside. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Bring saute pan to medium high heat and sear the chops till nicely caramelized, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan to a place. Add balsamic honey sauce to pan and scrape bits off the bottom of pan. Bring to a simmer, then add chops back to pan to coat with sauce. Serve 2 turkey chops over white or brown rice and drizzle plate with remaining sauce.

Strawberry Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup strawberry preserves
1/3 cup plus 4 Tbsp orange liqueur, divided
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1 1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries
52 crisp ladyfingers

Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup liqueur, and orange juice in a measuring cup. Place mascarpone and 2 Tbsp liqueur in large bowl; fold just to blend. Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 Tbsp liqueur in another large bowl to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Hull and slice half of strawberries. Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom of 3 quart oblong serving dish or 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Arrange enough ladyfingers over preserve mixture to cover bottom of dish. Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 1/2 cups mascarpone mixture over. Arrange sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture. Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. Slice remaining strawberries and arrange over tiramisu and serve.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is actually a cake, not a pudding. Its a classic British dessert and is sweet, sticky and really moist.
Ingredients:
7 oz pitted dates, finely chopped
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup butter
1 cup golden superfine sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Put the dates, baking soda and water in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes until the dates are softened. Set aside.

Beat butter with golden superfine sugar (if you can't find, mix 1/2 superfine sugar, 1/2 granulated brown sugar) until light and fluffy. then beat in the eggs, vanilla, and flour, then the dates and their cooking liquid. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or baking dish with a little butter and add the mixture. Cook for about 35 minutes, checking after 20 minutes that it isn't burning. It is ready when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: put the brown sugar, butter and cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until fully mixed. Increase the heat and boil for 1 minute to thicken. Remove from heat and keep warm. To serve, place a piece of sponge on each of 4 plates and top with the sauce.
* If you are not serving right away, keep sauce covered tightly and stir before drizzling over cake.

Skirt Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (1 3/4 to 2-pound) skirt steak
Flour tortillas
Spring mix lettuce
Avocado, thinly sliced

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and shallots. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the crushed red pepper and pulse to combine. Remove 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce from the processor and transfer to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

Season both sides of the steak with the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to large, resealable plastic food storage bag. Add the remaining chimichurri sauce from the processor. Seal bag and refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Once the steak has finished marinating, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Wipe the excess sauce from the steak and set the steak over the hot grill. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side. Rotate the steak 90 degrees, and cook another 6 minutes. Turn the steak over and continue to cook until the steak is done, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Once cooked, lay the steak on a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing across the grain into strips.

Assemble tortillas: Take one flour tortilla. Fill with a bed of lettuce, avocado, slices of steak and top with chimichurri sauce.

Roasted Salmon With Potatoes and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 pound small new potatoes (about 10), halved
• 8 ounces button mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1 1/4-pound piece skinless salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.

2. Push the vegetables to the edges and place the salmon in the center. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, the mushrooms are tender, and the potatoes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salmon and vegetables before serving.

Salmon Cakes with Fresh Tomato Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2 lb skinless salmon fillet, chopped
8 Ritz or saltine crackers, coarselycrushed
1 large garlic clove
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1/4 tsp hot red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 Tbsp oil

Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, mustard, cayenne, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir together salmon, crackers, and mayonnaise mixture.

Using a food processor, drop garlic in while motor is running to chop finely. Add tomatoes, parsley, oil, vinegar, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and pulse until tomatoes are finely chopped but not pureed.

Bring stock or water with oil to a boil. Add couscous, stir and cover and remove from heat. Leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Form salmon mixture into 4 3-inch patties. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook salmon cakes, carefully turning once, until golden and salmon is just cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Serve tomato salad over couscous and 2 salmon cakes.