Dried Fig, Apple, Ricotta & Toasted Almond Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Assembling a salad from leftover ingredients in my pantry can be a risky endeavor. In my college days, one could search my kitchen and find a stash of ketchup, marshmallows, and some questionably fuzzy-looking bread (Oh, how did my roommates and I survive?). These days, I feel so grown-up to say that I can find an array of well-stocked items: a bag of dried figs I planned to use over the holidays, a beautiful bottle of balsamic vinegar I’d been meaning to open, half a bag of sliced almonds, an apple, leftover ricotta (from the Eggplant-Ricotta-Tomato Crostini that we made again as our entire dinner the other night), and some orange-blossom honey. Put them all together with some greens, and they seem like they were meant for each other, melding into a flavorful, colorful, and fresh salad. Here’s to a grown-up pantry. Enjoy!

Warm Ginger-Sesame Chicken Over Carrot & Radicchio Salad

Maybe it’s in anticipation of The Big Cooking Day next week, but lately I’ve been drawn to fresh and light meals that are easy to prepare. This bright salad combines a spectrum of flavors and colors to please the palate and the eyes.

Jeweled Saffron & Cardamom Rice with Sultanas, Pomegranate & Almond Slivers

For a long time, I’ve been craving a Persian-style jeweled rice with colorful bites of fruit and nuts and savory spices. I adapted this dish from a recipe in The Spice Merchant’s Daughter, a book I treasure for its beautifully alluring, always aromatic, and surprisingly simple recipes. Since the whole family devoured this alongside the Lemon, Saffron & Paprika Roasted Chicken Thighs, I think I need to make this again — soon.