Easy pizza sauce to take it up a notch that uses store bought sauce which is then thickened and spiked with added ingredients.
Flour tortillas spread with a SPAM and cream cheese filling flavored with fresh dill and green onions, then rolled up with cucumber, sunflower seeds, and sprouts. A no-cook wrap that's great for lunches and picnics.
A delicious accompaniment for any dish. Vary the number of chili peppers in the sauce according to personal taste.
Traditional Chinese braised duck webs simmered for 3 hours with star anise, ginger, and rice wine, then glazed in glossy oyster sauce. Served over stir-fried broccoli and dried mushrooms.
Quick microwave chicken curry stir-fry tossed with crunchy peanuts, sweet chutney, coconut, and currants over wild rice. A 35-minute weeknight dinner with zero stovetop cleanup.
Singapore-style rice stick noodles loaded with chicken, barbecued pork, and shrimp, tossed with curry powder, Chinese mushrooms, snow peas, and bell pepper. A one-wok feast worth the effort.
Classic Filipino sinigang with pork ribs braised in a tart tamarind broth alongside tomatoes, daikon, green beans, and wilted spinach. The ultimate sour soup for rice lovers.
Moroccan chicken braised under sweet caramelized onions, plump raisins, toasted pine nuts, honey, and warm spices. North African comfort with traditional sweet-savory flavor.
Easy, and quick and impresses the heck out of your guests! I sometimes add thyme, or oregano to my dough when mixing (about 2 teaspoons) and this adds nicely to the taste of the dough.
Pennsylvania Dutch-style beef brisket braised with tangy sauerkraut and topped with square-cut dumplings. A hearty, old-world comfort dish that feeds a crowd of twelve.
A vegan cima roll: pureed tofu wrapped around a colorful filling of seitan, spinach, roasted red peppers, pistachios, and peas, then steamed into a sliceable log. Plant-based Italian showpiece.
Moroccan chickpea soup (Hasa Al-Hummus) with cilantro, garlic, hot chili, and lemon. A North African vegetarian classic with simple, bright flavors.
Traditional Cornish under roast potatoes parboiled then roasted with onions until the water evaporates and the edges turn golden and crispy. The classic British Sunday roast side dish.
Layered salt cod baked with sliced potatoes, sweet peppers, onions, and ripe tomatoes in olive oil. A rustic Portuguese-style casserole topped with hard-boiled egg and fresh parsley.
Salmon steaks coated in mayo and flour-dill mixture, browned, then baked on a bed of rice cooked with vegetables and bouillon: complete one-dish meal ready in 45 minutes.
Chinese stir-fried assorted vegetables in a glossy clear sauce with carved carrots, turnips, mushrooms, baby corn, and optional crab. A showpiece side dish from the wok.
Shredded turkey slow cooks in enchilada sauce and tomato paste, then gets smothered in melted Monterey Jack. Scoop it up with corn chips or stuff it into tacos for the easiest Crock-Pot Mexican dinner you'll ever make.
Hearty beef stew simmered with red wine, tomatoes, new potatoes, carrots, and green beans in a rich broth. No shortcuts, just a proper Dutch oven stew that fills the house with warmth on a cold day.
A delicious marsala recipe made with shredded zucchini, spinach and banana peppers. Tastes great when served over basmati rice.
Savory turkey stuffing loaded with diced apples, crunchy pecans, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. This generous recipe stuffs a 20-pound bird. Add hot peppers if you dare.
Easy roasted vegetable pasta sauce with oven-roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic folded into jarred spaghetti sauce with sauteed mushrooms and fresh basil. A semi-homemade upgrade.
Cajun cole slaw with shredded cabbage, sweet bell peppers, and onions tossed in a spicy Louisiana hot sauce dressing built on mayo, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire. Big-batch picnic side with a kick.
A spicy and scrumptious dish made with cabbage, potatoes and hot green peppers.
Oysters Veracruz: Mexican-style baked oysters topped with chipotle sauce and melted quesadilla cheese. A spicy, smoky twist on classic baked oyster appetizers.
Ratatouille-topped chicken: pan-seared breasts blanketed in Provencal vegetable stew with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. Mediterranean weeknight dinner.
Ripe tomatoes and sweet onions layered with fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a spiced homemade crust, baked until bubbly and golden. This Southern-style tomato pie is summer in every single bite.
Mike's lasagne layers hot Italian sausage, ground beef, ricotta, and mozzarella between noodles with a red wine-spiked tomato sauce. Hearty, slow-simmered Italian-American lasagna.
Cannelloni stuffed with crawfish, crab, Italian sausage, and a four-cheese ricotta blend, baked under a slow-simmered tomato sauce with jalapeños. Where Cajun meets Italian and everybody wins.
Sri Lankan-style chicken curry with ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and creamy coconut. Loaded with vegetables and simmered until rich and fragrant.
An Italian omelet. Unlike a French omelet where the egg is folded over the ingredients, the ingredients are actually mixed into the eggs.
Paella burgers: ground chicken, chopped chorizo, and shrimp patties flavored with saffron, garlic, and pinot noir, grilled and stacked on sourdough rolls with charred onion, red pepper, and a saffron aioli.
Ground pork burgers loaded with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, chile oil, and fresh cilantro, seared in a screaming hot skillet. Inspired by San Francisco's China Moon Cafe, served on crusty baguette with sharp Dijon mustard.
Nargisi kofta wraps spiced ground beef and besan around hard boiled eggs, fries them golden, then simmers in a tomato-yogurt curry. Mughlai showstopper named for the narcissus flower.
South Indian upma made with cream of wheat, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashews, green peas, and green chilies. A savory, spiced breakfast or snack that comes together quickly.
This chicken casserole is super easy to whip up using some Kraft dinner and leftover chicken.
Golda's brisket is a Jewish-style braised beef brisket seared and slow-cooked in tomato juice with new potatoes, pearl onions, and carrots. A complete one-pot holiday meal for a crowd.
Chicken simmers in a rich, complex mole sauce built from chipotle chili, cocoa, peanut butter, sesame seeds, raisins, and warm spices. Authentic Mexican mole that's worth every minute.
Brisket chili built on beer, stewed tomatoes, and a fistful of red pepper flakes, thickened with masa harina and finished with a shot of tequila poured tableside.
Chinese-style hot and sour chicken soup with snow peas, bell pepper, bamboo shoots and firm tofu in a soy-vinegar-white-pepper broth. Finished with cornstarch thickening and silky egg ribbons.
Khoresht-e Fesenjan: chicken or lamb simmered in a rich, dark walnut and pomegranate sauce with saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A beloved Persian stew served with rice.
Japanese tofu and shrimp donburi rice bowl with scrambled eggs, shredded carrots, and scallions in a soy-sweet sauce. Fifteen minutes from stove to table. Quick, filling, and full of umami.
French onion soup with caramelized Spanish onions, white wine, and beef broth, finished with a Jarlsberg, Swiss, and Parmesan crust under the broiler. Classic bistro soup, made at home.
Classic French vegetable garnish with glazed carrots, buttered turnips, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and peas arranged around a beef platter. Serve with Hollandaise for an elegant presentation.
1. After you boil veggies remove and put in the blender and puree. This helps add thickness, especially if you are trying to reduce fat, then add back in. 2. Do not use tomatoes past or food coloring. 3. use lobster stock instead of or to supplement chic stock. 4. Try using Dry Vermouth for wine. 5. I used this recipe and added salmon
Hearty burger soup with ground beef, tomato juice, cream of mushroom, peas, and noodles. A pantry-friendly one-pot dinner heavy on herbs and easy on the wallet.
Tofu lovers will love this savory dish made from shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce and Japanese cucumbers.
This easy yet tasty chicken casserole is a great weekend lunch or dinner option.
Thin-pounded beef chuck marinated in lime, ginger, and chile, broiled with charred green beans and carrots, wrapped in tortillas with mint, lettuce, and peanut sauce. Thai meets Tex-Mex.