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These pecans are so incredibly tasty I had a hard time keeping my paws off of them to snap a picture. Consider these extremely dangerous as they are very easy to make and quite addictive! The sweet, salty and spicy notes are in good balance and match up with each other nicely.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Heat honey, chipotle and cinnamon in the microwave until honey is a thinner consistency. Add pecans and mix until all are coated by the honey/spice mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven on oiled foil for 10-15 minutes, until nuts are fragrant.

Remove nuts from oven and let cook for 1 min. Meanwhile, mix sugar and salt in a large bowl. Once nuts have cooled, add to the bowl and toss to coat. Spread on wax paper and let nuts dry completely.

Another recipe adapted from the City Gardener’s Cookbook. These quesadillas were great - spicy with good chile/cumin flavor. I ended up serving two for dinner along with a green salad and it was a filling dinner. A nice, light, fruity white wine goes wonderfully with the meal. This filling would also be excellent in tamales.

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarsely chopped kale, make sure it is not in long ribbons else you will pull pieces of kale out of the quesadilla when eating it
• 1/2 cup red onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 fingerhot, serrano or jalapeño peppers, minced
• 7 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced
• 4 flour tortillas
• 1/3 (8 oz) block cheddar cheese

Directions

Steam the kale until tender then set aside.

While kale is steaming heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, peppers, cumin and chili powder and sauté 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and kale and sauté another 3-5 minutes until you can squish the tomatoes easily with the back of a spoon. Put mixture in a bowl, add cilantro and mix.

Assemble the quesadillas. For each quesadilla, cover the lower half of each tortilla with 1/4 of the kale mixture. Lay thin slices of cheese over the kale mixture. Fold in half and set aside on a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and add 2 teaspoons oil. Heat the tortillas one at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Add more oil, as needed.

Yield: 4 quesadillas

This is a fun spin on eggplant Parmesan. You could serve over pasta, but it’s great on its own as a small plate for dinner or an appetizer.

Ingredients

• Eggplant, sliced length-wise about 1/4 in thick
• Beaten egg
• Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 C olive oil (or other frying oil)
• 2-4 oz chevre
• Standard tomato sauce (see previous recipe)
• Fresh basil

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil till it crackles and pops when you drop a drop of water in it. Dip the eggplant into the egg wash and then dredge it in breadcrumbs. Place in the skillet, one at a time. When the edges start to turn brown, turn the eggplant over. When both sides are brown, remove from oil.

Next, you’re going to place a piece of eggplant on a plate, then spread some goat cheese on. Then put another piece of eggplant on top of that and some more goat cheese. Stack it about 3-4 slices high. Don’t put goat cheese on the top piece.

Spoon the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with basil.

I saw the idea for this dish somewhere (no, I can’t remember where)… It caught my eye because we get a lot of summer squash and zucchini around here during summer and I do not particularly like either (except in zucchini bread). It seems a shame to not buy summer squashes since they always look so bright and fresh at the market. When I saw the idea for a squash carpaccio I knew it was something I had to try - if only in an attempt to eat more of the yummy looking squashes at the market. I am happy to report that the thin slices avoided both the mushy texture and “raw” squash taste that I do not like.

Ingredients

• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small summer squash
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 lemon
• freshly ground pepper
• salt
• shaved Parmesan

Directions

Slice the zucchini and summer squash into circles as thinly as possible. Arrange slices overlapping on a small plate. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shave several bits of parmesan over the whole plate. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

I love wing sauce so I was happy to find a new use for it! I ended up baking these, however, I think next time I’ll pan fry them to create a nice crust.

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra firm tofu — drained and pressed
• 3/4 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
• 1 cup panko or bread crumbs
• 1/8 cup flax seed meal
• 8 Ritz crackers
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic powder (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Directions

Cut the pressed tofu block into bite sized cubes, place in a bowl, and cover with the hot sauce. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (you can leave it overnight).

In a blender, mix together the panko, crackers and flax seed meal. Season to taste with the garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper.

Remove tofu cubes from the hot sauce and place in the breading mixture, coating all sides evenly.

Place the breaded cubes on a sprayed sheet pan and cook in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until crispy. Alternatively, pan fry over medium heat until each side is crisp. Serve drizzled with extra hot sauce.

Yield: 4 servings