…if what they want is GOOD food.

When it comes to fast food guilty pleasures, for me, a good spicy chicken sandwich ranks near the top.  Having eaten my fair share from just about every fast food chain out there while I was in high school, I consider myself to be a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to the crispy, neon-orange chicken pucks of the world.  I know, I know, that crap is not only horrible for you, but also made from ingredients we’d all rather not know about.  That’s precisely why I set out to recreate this drive-thru favorite at home.  Think of it as a slow food take on a fast food classic.

Made with organic, boneless-skinless breasts, a spicy buttermilk marinade and fiery Cajun seasoning blend, the flavor of this scratch-made rendition easily outranks that of its greasy, artificial cousin.  When combined with ripe tomato slices, crisp lettuce and creamy mayonnaise on a homemade sesame seed bun, you have a fried chicken sandwich good enough to get excited about without the guilt of processed, chain food.

It might not be the healthiest sandwich out there, but like mozzarella sticks, you’ll feel better knowing its homemade.

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If you are any kind of home cook, chances are you’ve made your own hummus at least once – a can of garbanzo beans, some tahini, a little garlic and lemon juice and you’re set.  Those of us who are a bit more adventurous in the kitchen may have even attempted making our own baba ghanoush; the other ubiquitous Middle Eastern dip now found on the shelves of nearly every major grocery store.  Considering the overwhelming popularity and mainstream appeal of these healthful dishes, I will never cease to be amazed that more people haven’t heard of muhammara – let alone tried it.

Popular throughout Syria, Turkey and Lebanon this delicious paste of walnuts, breadcrumbs and roasted red peppers is certainly a taste combination you must try.  Savory, sweet and a little spicy, the distinctly flavored dip gets much of its unique character from the intense sour flavor of pomegranate molasses.  Like hummus, muhammara has a taste and texture that belies it’s dairy-free blend.  Here, walnuts give the dip a rich, creamy consistency while roasted red bell peppers lend the dish it’s beautiful brick red color.

Served with crispy, homemade za’atar dusted pita chips and you have an appetizer so good you’ll be kicking yourself for having never tried it until now.  Who knows, maybe we’ll be seeing fourteen different brands of muhammara lining our grocery store shelves in the near future.

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If you have any smoky chipotle black beans leftover, you might want to consider making this tostada — a dish that represents the marriage of two of my all-time favorite recipes.

Lucky enough to live only a short drive from the Napa Valley, I’ve had the opportunity to dine at Cindy Pawlcyn’s restaurants since I was a boy.  Having eaten amazing meals at Go Fish and Mustards Grill, the most memorable dish came on a visit to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen for lunch when I first tasted her famous Rabbit Tostada.  Imagine tender, juicy chile-braised rabbit nestled on top of warm, earthy black beans and a crispy fried tortilla.  Finished with a refreshing salad of herbs, thinly sliced cabbage and tart feta cheese, quite simply, this is as good as a tostada can get.

The other half of this recipe comes from pioneering chef, Robert Del Grande and his restaurant, Cafe Annie.  While I still haven’t had the opportunity to visit the iconic Houston restaurant, I have made his signature bar staple, Black Bean Nachos with Red Chile Beef.  With each tortilla chip covered in the perfect amount of over five different flavor components, it goes without saying that these were the most delicious and extravagant nachos I’d ever eaten.  However, at a prep time of close to three hours, I haven’t gotten around to making them as often as I would like.

Hence, the Red Chile Beef Tostada was born.  Taking key elements from each dish, I’ve put together a recipe that pays homage to the very best of each chef.  Rich, meaty red chile beef fills in for the guajillo-braised rabbit in Cindy’s dish, whereas a black bean topped tostada and refreshing cabbage slaw takes the place of the bite-size nacho in Robert’s.  The result is too delicious to describe. You’re just going to have to try it.

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