Black bean chili with oranges, an unexpected Yucatan-style pairing. Whole spices, cardamom, allspice, and coriander simmer with dried beans. Topped with fresh orange slices, zest, and sour cream.
Crostini with chicken livers sauteed in butter and white wine, finished with cream and brown gravy, spread on thin toasted French bread. A rich Tuscan-style appetizer ready in 35 minutes.
Baked chicken with basil, marjoram, oregano, and garlic in a lemon-Worcestershire herb sauce. Skinless pieces roast in the pan sauce for golden, flavorful results.
Onion polenta and gorgonzola pizza uses firm polenta as a gluten-free pizza crust topped with soft-cooked onions, thyme, and crumbled gorgonzola. Simple vegetarian comfort food.
Crispy phyllo triangles stuffed with spiced lamb, raisins, pine nuts, and warm cinnamon-cumin-allspice. A Middle Eastern-inspired appetizer that bakes lighter than fried, perfect for parties.
Grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with balsamic-shallot roasted red pepper, melted Monterey Jack, and garlic-thyme aioli on a toasted onion roll. The vegetarian burger that beats any beef one.
Broiled salmon steaks topped with a garlic, parsley, and dill breadcrumb crust. A 25-minute fish dinner finished under the broiler for a golden herb crust on a flaky salmon steak.
My hearty soup starts with a homemade stock simmered low for hours, then strained and skimmed clean before a load of vegetables, pasta, and pulled meat go in. A from-scratch, stick-to-your-ribs bowl made the old-fashioned way.
Vegetable risotto cooked in a wok with toasted walnuts, black olives, tomatoes, corn, and peas in vegetable stock. A hearty vegan one-pot rice dish loaded with garden vegetables.
Fish fillets with tomatoes, capers, and olives is the Veracruz-style Mexican classic: lime-marinated red snapper or halibut simmered in tomato-olive-caper sauce spiked with pickled jalapeños and warm spices.
A simple approach that doesn't complicate the delicate flavors of trout, this recipe yields a delicious and attractive entree with a minimum of preparation.
Zesty cioppino with shrimp, Dungeness crab, and scallops simmered in a tomato-white wine broth with herbs. A San Francisco-style seafood stew in one hour.
Mexican-style spicy beef stew braises chuck cubes in a tomato, garlic, and roasted green chile sauce until fork-tender. Served with warm flour tortillas to scoop up the rich, brick-red gravy.
Mediterranean lamb burgers: grilled rosemary-garlic lamb patties stuffed into pita with goat cheese, olive-tomato salad, and minted yogurt sauce. A greek-style upgrade on burger night.
Shrimp and cheese enchiladas in a creamy jalapeño-pepper sauce with Monterey Jack, sour cream, and fresh tomatoes. A rich, Tex-Mex seafood enchilada baked until bubbly.
Red wine-marinated grilled flank steak with a pecan-serrano chile compound butter and a red wine black bean butter sauce. A Southwestern showstopper served with warm tortillas.