YURA’S MEALS-TO-GO

Here are some highlights from this week’s Meals-to-Go:

Rustic Italian Braised Beans are the stuff winter dreams are made of. Dried white beans, plumped overnight, are simmered for a day with rosemary sprigs, some salt, then married with slow-roasted “sugar bomb” tomatoes. This peasant braise becomes a bed for Roasted Salmon Rubbed in Basil Pesto, flanked by Garlicky Sautéed Broccoli Rabe. A tiny tumbler of extra-virgin olive oil is there for you to drizzle on the beans.

Trying to escape the cold? If you step on the gas at breakfast time and head south, eight hours may land you at the doorstep of a barbecue joint by dinner. Or, crank up the thermostat, and enjoy Buddy’s BBQ-Glazed Grilled Tofu served with some classic Southern sides, such as Smoky Braised Kale and Tomatoes, Pimento Mac ’n’ Cheese, and Memphis Chopped Slaw.

White wine, saffron, and fresh mint give Sicilian Braised Lamb Spezzatino its brightness. Oh, and that pinch of preserved lemon stirred in. The stew begins with a made-from-scratch lamb-stock, that starts, deliciously, with slow-roasted lamb bones, (and their drippings make the world’s most flavorful Roasted Fingerling Potatoes!). Sicilians know the value of melted anchovy's magic flavor, as in Lemony Sautéed Kale with Toasted Breadcrumbs.

Foaming butter gets an infusion of garlic, curry powder and ginger, then we brush it all over sea bass filet. A sprinkle of lemon zest, cilantro, and a blast in a 500° oven, and there it is: Roasted Asian Sea Bass in Lemon-Curry Butter. Great served with a bounty of vegetables—Broccoli, Shiitake and Red Pepper Sauté— and no ordinary rice side dish, rather Jasmine Rice Scented with Lemongrass. 

What the heck’s Penne Tucci? Turns out, it’s a blast from Buddy’s past, back when he was a New York City newbie, and when restaurants still gave pasta “names” and sundried tomatoes were really hitting the scene. But the dish was memorable: Pasta with baby spinach and silken slow-roasted tomatoes, sauced with a Fontina mornay, and fortified with sundried tomatoes, sour cream and parmesan. Baked until bubbling.

Humans can’t hibernate, but in January, many of us are drawn to conserving our energy, eating savory square meals followed by a long night’s sleep. Think of Roast Turkey Dinner as restorative—satisfying winter cravings for aromatic, cooked food and comforting carbs. This carved, freshly Roasted Turkey Breast comes with Really Good Gravy and Salvador’s amazing Apple-Butternut Puree. (But as a little reminder that it's a growing season somewhere, we include crispy French Green Beans-Oyster Mushrooms.)