Roast

If four people eat a mix of light and dark skinless meat, you'll have enough leftovers for two more meals. Bonus: Your oven does all but 10 minutes of the work.

This recipe was created by chef Ryan Hardy of the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

An unusual pesto made from pistachios and cilantro gives the chicken Middle Eastern flavor.

Serve as a side dish for roast chicken.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. _ Contributed by Arnon Oren. Café Cacao, the restaurant in our factory, surprises some visitors. Many expect a coffee bar that serves nothing but chocolate cake and cookies. While we do serve many kinds of desserts, Berkeley residents come more for the savory foods made with cacao nibs. Arnon Oren, our first executive chef, created this fresh, memorable dish. Combining roasted squash with pancetta and crunch cacao nibs brings out the depth and sweetness of the squash, making it taste almost creamy. Prosciutto or any salty cured meat works well in this recipe. _

Wasabi peas are dried green peas that are covered in a spicy coating made from wasabi powder. They can be found at some supermarkets and natural foods stores, and at Asian markets. Serve this dish with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

Sensational flavor from only six ingredients. Serve with Israeli couscous, which is larger and chewier than the more common variety.

In the islands, black-eyed peas are known as black-eyed beans.

This dish makes delicious use of the warm spices prevalent throughout island cooking. The chicken needs time to marinate, so start the recipe ahead.

Give your meals a spicy kick.

Be sure the lamb is trimmed; otherwise, ask the butcher to do it for you.

Improv: Thai green curry paste would be great in place of the wasabi. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste. Finish the sauce by stirring in a little chopped fresh cilantro.

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Serve these crisp roasted wedges (with their secret ingredient, a tiny bit of sugar) as a side to anything grilled or fried.