Recipes with bay leaves

Authentic Cincinnati chili with finely textured ground beef simmered in water (not browned), seasoned with chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and chili powder. Served over spaghetti, Skyline-style.

Pickled tuna salad with sour cream, red wine vinegar, pickling spices, lemon slices, and thinly sliced onions. A tangy, creamy chilled tuna appetizer or salad.

Black bean stew baked over brown rice with sharp cheddar, cumin, oregano, and red wine. Bubbly, cheesy, and packed with warm spices in every bite.

Crab gumbo simmered with okra, tomatoes, and Cajun seasonings served over rice. A rich, tomato-based Louisiana-style seafood stew loaded with sweet crab meat.

Garlic lover's lentil soup: a quarter cup of garlic anchors this pressure cooker lentil soup with leeks, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and balsamic. Vegan, high fiber.

Louisiana red beans and sausage simmered low and slow with the holy trinity, smoked sausage, and warm Cajun spices. Serve over rice with garlic bread for the classic New Orleans Monday meal.

Mussels with saffron and tomatoes over pasta steam fresh mussels in a fish stock infused with saffron, then simmer in a brick-red tomato sauce. Spooned over linguine for a Mediterranean coastal classic.

Cozy lentil and brown rice soup with diced tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and Italian herbs simmered into a thick, hearty one-pot meal. Gluten-free, low-fat comfort that gets better the next day.

Butter chicken with yogurt-marinated pieces baked then simmered in a saffron cream sauce with cardamom, cinnamon, and ground almonds. A rich, aromatic Indian classic.

Sliced beet salad marinated with grapefruit, bay leaf, cloves, and allspice for a tangy, warmly spiced side dish. Diabetic-friendly and vegetarian.

Mushroom and barley soup made in the pressure cooker, loaded with carrots, celery, leeks and two kinds of mushrooms. Chewy pearl barley and a bright dill finish make this a hearty, meatless one-pot bowl.

Lentil pasta soup with orzo, Italian green beans, tomatoes, and four dried herbs in a chicken broth base. A hearty one-pot soup finished with vinegar and croutons.

A fantastic rice dish; eat with my Chicken Masala (posted separately) or whatever takes your fancy. A lot of spices and herbs to assemble but the cooking is very easy.

Pickled onions brined overnight in salt water, then packed in a hot vinegar brine with mustard seeds, horseradish, bay leaf, and hot peppers. Crunchy and tangy.

Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs with a three-meat blend (beef, pork, veal), a slow-simmered tomato sauce with red wine, and parmesan-bread crumb meatballs browned then finished in sauce.

A simple chicken curry, perfect served over rice. Coconut cream gives this dish a rich taste.

German sauerbraten marinated 3 days in red wine and buttermilk with bay leaf and peppercorns, then braised with bacon, tomato paste, and rye bread until fork-tender.

Hot rough tomato soup simmered with fresh tomatoes, ghee, dried red chiles, whole cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves. An Indian-spiced, chunky vegetarian soup with real heat.

Pork and cabbage soup with leftover cooked pork, bay leaf, celery, and green pepper. A simple, no-fuss pot that uses what you already have on hand.

Fruit Cornish hens: classic Chicken Marbella scaled up for small birds. Cornish hens marinated with garlic, oregano, prunes, apricots, green olives, and capers, then roasted until golden with brown sugar glaze.

Rustic seafood soup simmered in a tomato, white wine, and herb broth with crab, shrimp, and scallops. Low-fat, high-protein, and ready in about 30 minutes.

Irish spiced beef: traditional dry-cured Christmas beef with cloves, mace, bay leaves, and brown sugar. Seven-day cure, slow boil, and pressed cold for sliced cold cuts.

Pheasant braised in spiced sour cream with Worcestershire, bay leaves, basil, and rosemary for several hours until fork-tender. A rich, creamy way to cook wild game bird.

A tender and juicy pot roast that is cooked to perfection. Perfect for those Sunday dinners with the family.

Vegan sorrel and haricot bean soup with a bright lemony tang from fresh sorrel leaves sieved into a creamy blended bean base. Finished with soy milk for silky body.

Cuban-style black bean soup simmered with ham hock, scotch bonnet pepper, and a splash of dark rum stirred in just before serving. Rich, smoky, and deeply satisfying.

New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp baked, not grilled, in a peppery garlic-butter Worcestershire sauce with lemon and bay. Pile it in a bowl with crusty French bread to soak up every drop of the sauce.

Three-bean vegetable soup with kidney beans, chickpeas, Great Northern beans, tomatoes, and zucchini simmered together with basil and bay. A pantry-friendly meatless soup that feeds ten and freezes beautifully.

Slow cooked classic, beefy just bursting with flavor, easy to make and feeds a crowd. Perfect for company.

Sweet pepper and basil frittata with slow-cooked red and yellow peppers, fontina, Parmesan, and fresh basil, finished with a brushed-on balsamic reduction for a tangy glaze.

Slow cooker beer beef stew with tender chunks of stewing beef braised in dark beer, onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Flour-coated meat makes its own rich gravy as it cooks.

Sauerbraten with Coke uses cola in the vinegar marinade for a sweeter, more caramelized take on the classic German pot roast. Marinated 2 to 4 days, braised until fork-tender, and finished with gingersnap gravy.

Meatless Cajun jambalaya with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, zucchini, and rice simmered in a smoky paprika-thyme tomato broth. One pot, big Louisiana flavor, no meat required.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.

Ham bone and bean soup made from leftover holiday ham scraps simmered with beans, onion, garlic, and a homemade aromatic stock. A thrifty, waste-nothing soup that turns a spent ham bone into dinner.

Thai-inspired shrimp and chicken soup built on a homemade bone broth with coriander, chili, soy sauce, and mushrooms. Served over rice with fresh cilantro and scallions.

Sweet corn and sharp cheddar chowder with potatoes, half-and-half, and a dry mustard kick. Creamy, hearty, and ready in one pot for a weeknight dinner.

Vegetarian lentil stew simmered with carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, finished with red wine and plum tomatoes. A hearty, high-fiber one-pot meal with no added fat.

Quick spiced beets simmered in white wine vinegar with bay leaf, clove, and black pepper. A tangy, diabetic-friendly side dish ready in 30 minutes on stovetop or microwave.

Cincinnati Skyline chili with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin simmered for 3 hours. A unique Midwest-style chili with warm spices that's built for topping spaghetti or coneys.

Red wine pot roast braised low and slow with 24 cloves of garlic, carrots, celery, and thyme. Fork-tender beef with a rich, butter-finished pan sauce strained from the vegetables.

Classic French onion soup gratinee: deeply caramelized onions simmered in beef broth, topped with toasted French bread and bubbling Gruyere. Pure bistro comfort.

Cream of mushroom soup uses a pureed mushroom-onion base plus sliced mushrooms for double texture. Finished with cream, sherry, and thyme for a restaurant-style soup at home.

Moroccan-style sauteed eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes served room temperature on lettuce with olive oil and lemon. A vibrant, crisp-tender vegetable appetizer with a spicy kick.

Indian rice pulao layers basmati with whole spices, sweet peas and carrots, golden raisins, and toasted almonds. A fragrant, vegetarian one-pot side that turns plain rice into a feast.

Chicken Marbella, the legendary Silver Palate dish, marinates chicken overnight with prunes, green olives, capers, garlic, and oregano, then bakes in white wine and brown sugar. The ultimate sweet-savory make-ahead dinner party centerpiece.

Carne mechada is a Latin American shredded beef braised in red wine with garlic, onions, and bay leaves until pull-apart tender. Sauced with sauteed peppers for a rich, savory filling.

Oven-braised pheasant with sauerkraut, bacon, juniper berries, and white wine. Legs slow-cooked until tender in the kraut, breasts roasted separately to keep them juicy.