Vegan
Radishes With Herbed Salt and Olive Oil
Start off a holiday meal in the freshest way possible: With crunchy radishes dipped in olive oil and then into flavorful herbed salt.
Salsa de Chile Morita
Charring the vegetables adds bittersweet depth; serve leftovers on scrambled eggs.
Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Aguachile Negro
Aguachile is a chile and citrus dressing that's often paired with raw fish. You'll want to drink Bukantz's veggie version right from the platter.
Cauliflower-Cashew Soup With Crispy Buckwheat
Simmering vegetables in a covered pot over low heat so that they steam in their own liquid—a French technique called à l'étouffée—is the ticket to achieving a soup with pronounced depth. We love this method with cauliflower, but also try it with celeriac or rutabagas.
Preserved Lemons
(Djej Emshmel)
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetable tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives , and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California.
Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste.
The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have half a lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed.
Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.
How to (Dinner) Party with a Vegan
Great news—your vegan friend is coming over for dinner! And...so is your carnivore pal. Here, vegan bloggers tip you off on how to satisfy both.
Blistered Edamame
Pass the Pods C'mon, who doesn't love edamame? Consider this the adults-only version: sautéed, spicy, and highly snackable.
Chicory and Asian Pear Salad with Membrillo Vinaigrette
Membrillo lends subtle sweetness to the dressing; look for it at any well-stocked cheese counter.
Marinated Beets with Pistachios and Tarragon
These get better with time, so don't hesitate to make them ahead.
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
A vegetarian twist on a Chinese take-out standard, these sprouts deliver crunch, spice, and zing.
Cannellini Beans with Sweet Paprika and Garlic
Be sure to start this recipe a day early to allow plenty of time to soak the beans.