Roast Chicken with Harissa and Couscous

Thrillingly versatile harissa paste adds depth and spice to roast chicken legs.

This recipe is made from ingredients featured in The Great Pantry Makeover.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 4 whole chicken legs
• 1/4 cup harissa sauce
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 package (12 ounces) couscous
• 1 Tbsp. powdered sumac
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°. Run your finger under skin of 1 chicken leg to separate skin from meat without tearing. Spread 1 teaspoon harissa underneath skin. Move skin back to cover, and spread 1/2 teaspoon harissa on top. Repeat process with remaining pieces; spread any remaining harissa on the top and bottom surface of each leg.

Coat the bottom of an ovenproof pan with oil. Place chicken in pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven until crispy, about 90 minutes. About 15 minutes before legs are done, prepare couscous following package directions.

Spoon couscous on a platter, arrange legs on top, dust with sumac, sprinkle cilantro, and serve immediately.
oprah.com

Classic Hot Chocolate

How sweet it is... dark, rich hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. Mom never made it like this!

Ingredients:Makes about 1 cup

2 ounces (1/2 cup) finely ground (in a coffee grinder) or grated bittersweet chocolate 
1 cup milk (for best results, use 2 percent fat or higher) 
Whipped cream or marshmallows , for garnish
In a saucepan, combine the chocolate and milk, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows. Serve immediately.

Recommended ingredient: Homemade marshmallows are available at recchiutichocolates.com. You can also make your own with Martha Stewart's recipe here on our site.

Recommended ingredient: Buy quality chocolate bars, such as Callebaut and Valrhona—available at grocery stores or online at chocolatesource.com. If you don't want to grind chocolate, Chocolate Bar suggests Jacques Torres Classic Hot Chocolate mix or Wicked Hot Chocolate mix—available at Jacques Torres Chocolate in Brooklyn and Chocolate Bar, or online at www.mrchocolate.com

Greek Salad Sandwich with Creamy Lemon Dressing

This fresh and tasty Greek Salad Sandwich can be eaten with a pita or served open-face on naan.

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 clove garlic 
3 Tbsp. Hellmann's Lite Mayonnaise 
2 tsp. grated lemon zest 
1 fresh lemon , juiced 
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 
2 Tbsp. Greek extra-virgin olive oil 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 English cucumber , thinly sliced 
1 cup grape tomatoes , sliced in half 
1 small red onion , halved and thinly sliced 
1/4 cup crumbled feta 
1/4 head romaine lettuce , thinly sliced 
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 
4 pita pockets or naan 
Combine garlic, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, feta, romaine and parsley in a bowl. Add some of the dressing and toss to coat, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread some of the dressing over the entire surface of the bread, and top with some of the salad. Roll and eat or serve open-face on a large plate.

Raspberry Buckwheat Crepes

This recipe will leave you with extra crepes. Layer them with waxed paper, roll them up and freeze them in a plastic bag for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:

Makes 6 servings

Crepes:

• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk , plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons melted butter , plus more for pan

Filling:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar , plus more for dusting
• Dash of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1 pint raspberries

To make crepes: In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center; add eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk until batter is smooth (it should have the consistency of heavy cream). Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Remove batter from refrigerator; it will have thickened. Stir in additional milk by tablespoons as needed until batter again has the consistency of heavy cream. Heat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Melt 1/2 Tbsp. butter in pan, tilting to coat bottom of pan; pour off any excess. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup batter; tilt to spread as thinly and evenly as possible. Cook until underside is golden brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edge with a spatula, flip and cook 30 seconds more. Transfer to a plate (the first crepe or two never work). Repeat with remaining batter.

To make filling: Preheat oven to 300°. Combine yogurt, confectioners' sugar and vanilla; set aside. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread crepes with 2 Tbsp. jam each; fold in half, then fold in half again. Place on baking sheet, arranging in a single layer. Bake about 7 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to dessert plates. Top each with a dollop of yogurt mixture. Garnish with raspberries. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail

After these plump up from a quick brine, and cook in their shells, they'll eat more like peel-and-eat lobster tails than plain old shrimp. Serve this alongside grilled steak, and it'll be not only a great respite from the meat's richness, but it'll give you a surf-and-turf experience, which for me was one of the most exciting things to get at a restaurant when I was little.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

Brine:

• 8 cups water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 lemons
• 4 garlic cloves , peeled and grated on a Microplane grater
• 3 cups ice

• 24 8- to 12-count unpeeled shrimp (this means shrimp that come 8 to 12 to a pound)
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup minced chives
• Freshly ground coarse black pepper
• 2 1/2 cup cocktail sauce
• 2 lemons , each cut into 4 wedges

1. Combine all of the brine ingredients in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Cut the lemons in half, squeeze the juice into the brine, and add the whole lemons as well. Stir in the garlic, followed by the ice.

For each of the shrimp, using a paring knife, cut along the curve of the back of the shrimp, and remove the vein, keeping the shells intact. Clip the feet off with a small pair of scissors.

Place the shrimp in the brine and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat all grates of a well-oiled charcoal or gas grill to medium.

3. Remove the shrimp from the brine and lightly pat dry with paper towels.
In a bowl, toss the shrimp in the canola oil.

In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and chives. Set aside.

4. Place the shrimp on the grate, close the lid, and grill for 4 minutes. Flip to the second side and grill for 4 minutes.

5. Remove from the grill and immediately place in the bowl with the olive oil mixture, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges on the side.