…and leeks. And manchego. And garlic. And then I called my friend back and told her I’m a convert.

Crisp Manchego Potatoes
Serves 4 as a side

1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp chopped pancetta
1 bunch leeks, thinly sliced
1 lb baby yukon gold and/or red potatoes, very thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
heaping cup of grated Manchego cheese

1. In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it is crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. Add the leeks to the pan and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until mostly tender, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic and pancetta and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more.
3. Season well with salt and pepper, and toss well to combine all the ingredients. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly across the pan, and top generously with manchego.
4. Transfer the skillet to a 400 degree oven and bake until the potatoes are completely tender and the cheese is melty and golden, 7-10 minutes more. Serve warm.

These beef sandwiches are the lazy-mans burger. Ground meat cooked with grilled onions and garlic then simmered in a spicy, mustardy sauce. Spread onto a crusty bread and topped with excessive amounts of cheese, and I’ve got a sandwich worth waking up for. Even if I just go back to bed afterward.

Longboy Burgers
Serves 2

2 tbsp oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground beef
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp hot sauce
salt and lots of freshly ground pepper, to taste

lots o’ butter
hoagie rolls, halved
sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
2. Add the beef and cook, stirring to break up the meat. Add the worcestershire, vinegar, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly and the meat is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt some butter on a griddle (or spread softened butter generously on the halved rolls) and place the hoagie rolls, cut side down, onto the griddle. Cook until lightly browned and toasted.
4. Fill the rolls with the beef mixture, and top with cheese. If you want, you can run them under the broiler to get the cheese super melty and to further toast the rolls. Then dive in…and go back to bed.

The door of my refrigerator is chock-full of all sorts of sauces, spreads, and other tidbits that I am constantly tossing into my meals. When I started making some of my own, I realized that many items that I made for certain purposes (to garnish a specific dish, etc.) were actually excellent paired with a variety of foods. So now, I keep a few of these useful standbys on hand at almost all times. Pickled onions are one of these. I used to make a small batch of these for tacos, but quickly found myself throwing them into salads, onto sandwiches, and adding to appetizers when guests came over (simply perfect on top homemade crackers with a smear of peppered goat cheese).

The recipe can be altered slightly to achieve different results. I’ve used different vinegars (rice, red wine, champagne, even a dash of malt), sweet onions instead of red, and have tossed alternate sprigs of herbs (rosemary, thyme, or dill) into the brine. Either way, the result is a tasty and storage-stable item that I can’t live without.

Pickled Red Onions
Makes about 1 pint

1 red onion, very thinly sliced
2-5 cilantro sprigs
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar

1. Toss the onions to separate the slices and place in a large bowl.
2. In a small pot, bring the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to make sure the sugar and salt are dissolved
3. Pour the brine over the onions. The brine should be enough to cover the onions (keep in mind that this can vary depending on the bowl/storage container). If necessary, make additional brine (1 part vinegar to 2 parts water).
4. Transfer the onions to jars or other storage containers and cover. Let sit overnight before using. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.

The combination of sweet, sour, and salty result in a sticky, crispy, and slightly caramelized skin that makes this chicken unbelievably addictive. A sprinkling of cilantro gives it a bit of freshness. I can’t wait to roast a whole chicken this way – basting it with the thick marinade every few minutes and watching the crackly crust form.

Now that I’ve had my pup for a few days, I’ve discerned that we were definitely meant for each other, because his favorite room in my apartment is the kitchen. I put his bed across from the stove (he loves the warmth) and he watches me cook. A match made in heaven!

Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, smashed
black pepper, as needed
4 drumsticks
cilantro, as needed for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegars, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic, and pepper together until well combined.
2. Transfer the drumsticks to a plastic bag and pour the marinade inside. Toss the chicken well to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
3. Remove the chicken and place on a roasting rack set inside a pan. Brush the chicken with the marinade to coat. Roast the chicken in a 400 degree oven, basting with remaining marinade occasionally as it cooks. Roast until the skin is crisp and sticky and the chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Around this time of year, I tend to exhaust some of my favorite winter vegetable dishes. I tend to lean on sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and mushrooms when I don’t have access to my regular plethora of produce options. But the gorgeous blood oranges at my market this week couldn’t be ignored. I decided to make a classic salad by pairing them with beets.

While there’s nothing new about this combination of ingredients, I took my time assembling this colorful salad, making slight tweaks that were worth every extra minute in the kitchen. First of all, I slow roasted the beets, letting them caramelize slightly so their flavors concentrated. I also glazed the beets lightly while they were roasting with the juice I collected from the oranges when I supremed them. And while goat cheese is so lovely with beets, I opted to use some crumbles of French feta, a creamier feta cheese that I find to be wonderfully rich. Finally, I finished it off with a generous sprinkling of parsley, which added a just a touch of freshness…almost enough to make me wish for spring.

Slow Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Feta and Parsley
Serves 2.

Dressing:
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp good olive oil
salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste

1 bunch beets, peeled, trimmed, and cut into wedges
2 tbsp good olive oil
salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste
2 blood oranges, supremed (reserve juices)
1/4 cup French feta, crumbled (or more to taste
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves

1. Shake the ingredients for the dressing together in a small Mason jar.
2. Toss the beets with the olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the tray from the oven, and lightly brush the beets with the reserved juices from the blood oranges. Return to the oven and continue roasting until the beets are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes more. If you have more blood orange juice, you can repeat the glazing process once more during roasting.
4. When the beets are tender, allow them to cool slightly. Toss the just barely warm beets with the dressing and the blood orange segments.
5. Transfer the mixture to a plate or platter, and top with the feta and the parsley. Serve while still slightly warm or chill for later (leftovers are delicious for lunch).