4 ahead meals Recipes

dried fruit compote with sambuca, this quick compote is a good choice for a winter dinner when you have little time to cook but want to make an impression. you can prepare it ahead (it s better made ahead), then spoon it over store-bought ice cream to create an original and memorable dessert. i also like it with blue cheese at the end of a meal, especially if there s a dessert wine on the table., dried peaches or nectarines, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips, dried pears , cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips, dried apricots, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips or quartered, golden raisins, dried cherries, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest strips, fresh lemon juice, sambuca or other anise liqueur

chopped frozen organic spinach, salt and freshly ground black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped, dried currants or chopped raisins, toasted pine nuts, garlic, finely chopped, freshly shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese, cut top round veal or beef pounded very thin, special equipment : kitchen twine, extra-virgin olive oil, carrot, finely chopped, onion, finely chopped, garlic, thinly sliced, fresh bay leaf, a few sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped, a few sprigs fresh sage, thinly sliced, tomato paste, dry white wine, chicken stock-in-a -box, san marzano tomatoes, hot or sweet italian sausage or combination of both, pappardelle pasta or 12 oz egg tagliatelle, butter, a generous handful fresh sweet basil leaves , torn or shredded, a small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, ciabatta bread, extra-virgin olive oil, portabella mushroom caps, onion, halved and sliced, cubanelle peppers, seeded and sliced, red chile pepper, thinly sliced, garlic, sliced, chicken stock or water, salt and freshly ground black pepper, italian hot or sweet or combination of both sausages in red sauce from make-ahead meal earlier in week (browned sausages simmered in tomato sauce with stock), sharp provolone cheese, shredded, a small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

olive oil, shallots, thinly sliced, orange bell pepper, sliced into strips, garlic cloves, chopped, red pepper flakes, dried rosemary, diced tomatoes , with juice, red wine (go ahead and use what you are serving with the meal), dried oregano, dried basil, allspice, bay leaves, salt and pepper, fresh basil, parmesan cheese