The Perfect Pantry®

Recipe for roasted butternut squash with smoked paprika yogurt sauce {vegetarian, gluten-free}

Here in New England, butternut squash dishes tend to go more sweet than savory. And, really, who can argue with a little bit of butter, some brown sugar, cinnamon and gooey nuts? However, I'm not a sweets person, so this butternut squash with a sauce made from yogurt, Spanish smoked paprika and lime juice really appeals to me. Smoked paprika (pimentón) comes in sweet or mild, bittersweet, and picante (hot). In this recipe, use the dulce (sweet/mild) version, so the paprika doesn't overwhelm the other ingredients. When roasted, butternut squash turns creamy and sweet, as the natural sugars caramelize in the oven. Paired with a bright, slightly tart sauce, it's a healthy and easy side dish to serve with turkey, roast chicken, baked fish or brisket. You can make the sauce far in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to roast the vegetables.

Dijon mustard (Recipe: French potato salad) {vegan, gluten-free}

First published in October 2006, this updated ingredient post features new photos, links, and tweaks to the recipe. Consider this classic (and dairy-free) potato salad for your holiday table; it tastes best when made a few hours in advance, to allow the warm potatoes to absorb all of the tangy mustard dressing. And don't skimp on the parsley. It's not just a garnish here, but an integral ingredient.

Who can forget the commercial — it ran on television forever — two limosines pull up next to each other, the windows silently roll down, and from one, an outstretched arm and a mellifluous voice, asking,

"Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"

"But of course," comes the disembodied reply from the other car.

The jar of dijon mustard changes hands, and we're left to believe that no self-respecting chauffeur-driven limosine would be without this most famous of condiments.

Recipe for roasted green beans and potatoes with creamy sesame dressing {vegetarian, gluten-free}

A new-to-the-blog reader, who happens to live nearby in Rhode Island, mentioned recently that she's been reluctant to try some ethnic recipes because she doesn't believe in single-purpose ingredients. Of course that's the premise behind this site, to use what's in our pantries in more than one way.  This recipe for roasted green beans and potatoes with creamy sesame dressing proves the point. If you have a tin of tahini (sesame paste) in your pantry, odds are you're planning to make hummus. I love hummus, and I've shared recipes for asparagus, lemon-onion, and roasted red pepper and garlic hummus, but there's so much more you can do with tahini. Like peanut butter, which makes a good substitute, nutty tahini blends with tangy ingredients like buttermilk, lemon or yogurt to make wonderful and unexpected salad dressings and sauces with Middle Eastern flair. Use any vegetables you have on hand; I like beans and potatoes, but bell pepper, onion, broccoli, zucchini or eggplant -- or all of them together -- also would be delicious in this recipe.

Recipe for maple miso glazed radishes {vegan, gluten-free}

Every year on December 23, the city of Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrates the Night of the Radishes, when the zocalo (central square) comes alive with music and dancing, and sculptures and decorations made entirely of radishes. By the time my husband Ted, Cousin Martin and I arrived in Oaxaca a few days after the festival for New Year's Eve, the radishes were gone, not only from the zocalo, but also, it seemed, from every menu in town. So, instead of sharing a Mexican recipe for radishes, I offer this simple side dish with a maple miso glaze. If you can't find miso at your supermarket (it will be in the refrigerated or produce section), you can buy it in any Asian market. Sweet, salty, easy, and oh-so-red. Serve these radishes hot or cold.