This warm sweet potato salad from Deliciously Ella makes eating peanut butter everyday easy. Add optional chopped radicchio, for crunch.

Serves 4 as a side

food52.com

INGREDIENTS
For the Salad:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 handful of parsley, chopped
1 1/2 ounces dates, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon (heaped) black sesame seeds (white sesame seeds also work—you’ll just need to toast them)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful of peanuts, chopped and toasted, for serving (optional)
1 handful chopped radicchio for serving (optional)

For the Dressing:
2 tablespoons date syrup or maple syrup
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 lemon, juiced (you’ll use the juice)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, add the spices and some salt and pepper and mix well, ensuring everything gets coated. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until they’re really soft.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the dressing, whisking everything with some salt until smooth.

Next, place the parsley and dates in a large bowl with the sesame seeds. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, add them to the bowl with the dressing and mix everything together. Sprinkle with toasted peanuts, if using, serve and enjoy.

This Mediterranean-inspired Moroccan Bean Soup is a quick-fix but hardy meatless soup filled with beautiful, fragrant flavors. It’s a healthy one-pot meal, cooked in 20 minutes, that can be served with poached eggs or even chicken, lamb, or beef for additional protein.

Serves 4

31daily.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 cups water
15-ounce can tomatoes, diced
½ cup dried green lentils
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 (15-ounce) cans butter or cannellini beans or Fava beans
Fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan or medium-sized Dutch oven. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger; stir and cook for a few seconds or until fragrant. Then stir the water, tomatoes, dry lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans (or bean of choice). Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. Add additional water if necessary.

To make it a heartier meal, serve with poached eggs on top or with added cooked chicken, beef, or lamb. Top with fresh cilantro or parsley.

In this traditional Maltese dish, pasta is tossed with a spiced meat sauce and baked in a puff-pastry shell.

Serves a bunch

saveur.com

INGREDIENTS
For the Maltese spice mixture:
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ground cloves

For the pasta:
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. ground beef or pork
Kosher salt
1⁄4 cup tomato paste
6 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Leaves from 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
1 lb. penne or ziti, cooked according to package instructions and drained
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1⁄4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
1½ sheets all-butter frozen puff pastry (21 oz.), thawed

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Maltese spice blend: In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, pound the coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until finely ground. Store in an airtight container. (Makes 3 tablespoons.)

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic; cook until soft, 12 minutes. Add the meat, season with salt, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 15 minutes. Pour off fat. Stir in the tomato paste, basil, parsley, bay leaf, cumin, 1 teaspoon Maltese spice blend, and 1 cup water. Simmer for 25–30 minutes, adding more water if meat dries out. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture and pasta. Stir in the hard-cooked eggs, 3 beaten eggs, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to 16 by 13 inches. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the meat and pasta mixture. Roll out the remaining half sheet of puff pastry to 9 by 13 inches, then place on top. Pinch the edges of the pastry together, brush the top with egg wash, and cut four 2-inch slashes. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes and up to 30, then unmold, cut into squares, and serve. (For the cleanest cuts, let the pie cool completely overnight and reheat in a 350°F oven before unmolding and slicing.)