1. Melt oil and butter together in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chopped leeks, onion, and celery and then saute gently for about 15 minutes, to allow leeks and onions to sweat and become translucent, but not brown.
2. Add rice and garlic and mix well, coating rice in oil. Cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes, to allow rice to heat through, but not brown. Now stir in herbs and white wine (if using).
3. Add a couple ladlefuls of hot stock (about [q:3/4] cup), enough to cover rice. Stir well, and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until stock is nearly absorbed, but do not let rice cook too quickly.
4. Gradually add more stock and keep stirring, until all of it has been absorbed; do not allow risotto to dry out. You want a thick, soupy consistency. Stir in peas halfway through cooking the rice, after about 7 minutes.
5. After about 15 minutes rice should be cooked through but still al dente. If you run out of stock and rice is not cooked yet, use some extra stock or hot water to finish it off—but be careful not to let it overcook and become soggy or sticky.
6. Season with black pepper. Taste rice and add salt, if needed. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix well and let stand for 1 or 2 minutes. Then serve immediately, with extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper sprinkled over the top.

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and string beans and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
3. Add broccoli, cabbage, curry paste, and basil. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with chopped cashews and serve.

Vegetables

1. Halve zucchini, squash, and romaine lengthwise. Cut tomatoes, eggplant, and onions into 1-inch thick slices. Brush the cut side of the romaine with olive oil. Brush the other vegetables with oil on both sides. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Prepare a hot fire in your grill.
3. Grill eggplant and onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until charred on both sides.
4. Place zucchini, squash, and romaine cut side down on the grill. Grill for about 4 minutes, until the cut side is charred and has nice grill marks.
5. Grill tomatoes on one side for 3 to 4 minutes, until charred.
6. Arrange vegetables on a platter and drizzle with chimichurri.

Chimichurri

1. In a bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, parsley, oregano, hot pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
2. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 day. (If you don’t have time to let the chimichurri stand for a day, transfer it to a small saucepan and warm over low heat to about 120º for 1 to 2 minutes and then let stand for about 1 hour to blend.) 

1. Whisk together tamari, vinegar, sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Set aside.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil to a skillet set over medium heat. Add beaten eggs and stir-fry until eggs are scrambled and cooked through.
3. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to skillet with eggs. Add tofu, garlic, white parts of scallions, and chili sauce. Stir-fry mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Add bean sprouts and stir-fry until wilted. Add bamboo shoots and stir in peanut sauce.
5. Garnish with green parts of scallions and lime wedges. 

Chunky Almond Oil

1. Heat oil with almonds in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring every couple of minutes or so, until almonds are evenly light brown in color and oil is highly fragrant.
2. Cool oil to room temperature. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator; the oil will congeal, so take it out about 20 minutes before you need it. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge and can also be frozen for months.

Grilled Cauliflower

1. Place whole head of cauliflower in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Season generously with salt and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently remove cauliflower, set it upside down on kitchen towels, and let it drain fully.
2. Drizzle cauliflower with oil and place it floret side down on the grill, directly over the coals of a medium fire. Cover grill and cook until florets begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the fire. Do not move cauliflower, as it will break apart. If you need to adjust the heat, simply rotate the grill grate so cauliflower is farther from the fire.
3. Transfer cauliflower to a serving platter. Garnish with mint, drizzle with Chunky Almond Oil, and top with Parmesan.
4. Serve cauliflower immediately as a whole head so that people can easily spoon off sections at the table.

1. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of the grater, then place in a bowl with the teaspoon of kosher salt. Let stand while you do the rest of the vegetable prep, then drain and squeeze dry in a clean towel. Set aside. 
2. Combine the picked over and rinsed lentils with [q:1 1/2] cups water in a small pot, bring to a boil, turn the flame down, and cook 15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Prepare the vegetables. Have these ingredients near the stove before you start to cook.
   1. Remove the stem from each mushroom by snapping it carefully out of the cap, and chop the stems fine.
   2. Fine-chop the onion, and add to the mushroom stems. Peel and mince the garlic.
   3. Cut the stem from each tomato, make an X in the bottom with a knife, and either blanch for 10 seconds in boiling water, or quickly grill over an open flame — the gas flame on your stove works well. You want the skin to loosen, so you can pull it off, without cooking the tomatoes. Chop the skinned tomatoes, removing seeds if there are a lot.
4. Prepare the filling mixture. You can do all the prep the day before or in the morning, then refrigerate until ready to bake and eat.
   1. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and drained zucchini, then cook and stir briefly to combine the ingredients.
   2. Add chopped tomatoes and season well with both types of pimenton; taste the mixture, it should be smoky, and a bit spicy, and also a little salty.
   3. Fold in the cooked lentils. Taste and re-season with more salt and pepper as needed.
   4. Add the lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is juicy but not runny, taste once more and adjust seasonings if needed, including adding more lemon.
   5. Remove from the heat and fold in half the cheese.
5. Stuff mushrooms with the mixture, and top with remaining cheese.
6. Preheat oven to between 350° and 375° F. You can put these in with any other thing you’re roasting, the temperature is a bit flexible. Place mushrooms on a parchment-covered, lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and juicing out a bit, and the filling is toasty with nicely browned cheese. Serve hot and enjoy!