A flourless-style cocoa sponge cake made with cake meal, potato starch, and ground almonds. Split into three layers with strawberry preserves and topped with whipped cocoa cream. Passover-friendly.
Garden vegetarian chowder with potatoes, rutabaga, zucchini, corn, and carrots in a creamy evaporated milk broth. Hearty, no-cream soup ready in 35 minutes.
Texas-style basting sauce with butter, bacon drippings, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Makes 3.5 cups, enough to mop a whole 5-pound brisket through a long, slow smoke.
Pull-apart Christmas tree coffee cake made with bread machine dough, shaped from soft buttermilk rolls, topped with sweet icing and cinnamon heart candies. A festive holiday brunch centerpiece.
Feather souffle roll bakes an ethereal egg-white souffle flat in a jellyroll pan, then rolls it around a cream cheese shrimp filling with horseradish and sour cream. An elegant sliced appetizer.
Bluefish baked en papillote over wild rice, barley, and snow peas with sauteed mushrooms and red peppers. A light, herb-seasoned parchment packet dinner ready in 40 minutes.
Crispy-skinned chicken breasts in a tangy sherry vinegar and tomato sauce with sautéed mushrooms and fresh parsley. A Spanish-inspired skillet dinner ready in 40 minutes.
Marble pound cake with browned butter, vanilla-almond batter, and cocoa swirl. Uses yogurt and egg whites for a lighter texture in a classic tube pan shape.
Hearty double-crusted spinach quiche packed with feta, melted cheese, scallions, and five boxes of spinach between layers of homemade shortening crust. A Greek-inspired savory pie that feeds a crowd.
Mimosa cake is a marbled angel food cake with lemon butter cream frosting. White meringue batter and golden egg yolk batter are spooned alternately into a tube pan for a two-toned, cloud-light sponge.
Creamy vanilla fudge scented with aromatic cardamom and studded with walnuts and pistachios. Traditional candy thermometer fudge with exotic spice.
A light Chinese chicken noodle salad with angel hair pasta, shredded chicken breast, crisp snow peas, cucumber, and red bell pepper tossed in a teriyaki-sesame-rice vinegar dressing. Served cold or at room temperature.
Double chocolate cake doughnuts made from scratch with unsweetened chocolate and buttermilk, then fried and topped with cocoa icing. Rich, cakey, and worth the overnight chill.
Layers of mayo-spread French bread, sauteed tuna with vegetables, and cheddar cheese soaked in an egg and tomato custard, then baked until golden and puffy. Part strata, part souffle, all comfort.
Savory fiddlehead muffins blend cornmeal and flour with cooked spring fiddleheads for a rustic side that tastes like a cross between cornbread and a wild-foraged forest walk.
German-style fruit kuchen with sliced nectarines and plums arranged over a buttery almond-scented press-in crust, finished with a warm peach jam glaze.
South American empanadas with a lard pastry and two filling options: spiced fruit dessert or savory beef carne in tomato sauce. Bake, fry, or grill.
A very simple dinner for when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. Use brown rice noodles instead of the white variety to take advantage of the additional fibre they contain. Add other steamed / fresh vegetables to make the meal more substantial.
Butter-seared chicken breast simmered in white wine, heavy cream, and chewy sun-dried tomatoes with a hint of Cajun spice. Ready in 40 minutes, serve over pasta for a rich weeknight dinner.
This is basically my grandmothers recipe with a few of my own ideas.
Sonoran-style fry bread with ground toasted cumin and black pepper kneaded right into the dough. Puffy, golden, and crispy on the outside with a soft, pillowy center.
Old-fashioned apple dessert with brown sugar, walnuts, and raisins on the bottom, topped with cake batter and baked upside-down. Serve warm with whipped cream for pure comfort.
Pineapple muffin cookies: soft, cake-like drop cookies made with crushed pineapple and juice, warm nutmeg, and chopped walnuts. The tropical-twist church-supper cookie that's part muffin, part cookie.
Flourless orange sponge cake drenched in a bittersweet chocolate-honey-orange glaze. Made with matzo cake meal and potato starch for Passover.
A rich, velvety devil's food cake with a secret weapon: tomato sauce that adds incredible moisture and depth. Topped with a billowy classic boiled icing spiked with orange juice and vanilla.
Elegant French chicken Picardy: flattened breasts rolled with spinach, leeks, mushrooms, and shallots, baked en papillote in white wine broth, then sliced over a silky dill sauce.
A marbled angel food cake with swirled white and lemon-yellow batters, topped with a tangy lemon glaze. Light as air and gorgeous for spring.
Authentic gorditas made with masa harina, lard, and a touch of flour. Pressed thin, griddle-seared, then fried until puffed and crispy. Ready to split and fill with your favorite toppings.
Cajun pork boulettes simmer ground pork with onion, peppers, and garlic in a brown roux gravy, then fold in rice before getting breaded and fried into golden, walnut-sized fritters. Served with Creole mustard aioli for full Louisiana flair.
Herb-marinated shrimp skewered on sugar cane spears, broiled and served over golden tofu with shredded daikon and balsamic vinaigrette. A stunning fusion appetizer.
Pickling cucumbers are cucumbers that are not less than 3-inches long and not more than 4-inches long.
Pan-seared pork chops with a sweet-tart red currant and balsamic glaze. Sage-rubbed loin chops finished in a glossy two-ingredient pan sauce.
Caldo Verde: Portuguese green soup with kale, chorizo, white beans, potatoes, turnips, and smoked ham in chicken broth. One pot, one hour, and even better the next day.
Whole fish sauteed in coconut milk with green pepper, tomato, and celery. A Caribbean-style pescado guisado that's simple, fragrant, and ready in 30 minutes.
Spaghetti rolls are beef-stuffed manicotti with mozzarella and onion-spiked ground beef baked in marinara, swapping the usual ricotta cheese for a heartier, meat-forward filling.
Mom's pumpkin cookies loaded with chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries, and cinnamon. Soft, cakey drop cookies with 3 cups of pumpkin for a moist fall treat.
Moroccan chicken with olives, lemon slices, and a spice rub of cumin, paprika, turmeric, ginger, and cilantro. Baked uncovered until golden. Serve over couscous or rice.
Slow cooker round steak Italiano with just four ingredients: round steak, oregano, salt, and jarred spaghetti sauce. Set it in the morning and come home to fork-tender beef.
Black beans cooked from scratch with lemon juice, then sauteed with mushrooms, green chiles, carrots, and cilantro over brown rice. Includes a basic bean recipe to start from dry.
Steamed maple syrup brown bread blends cornmeal, graham flour, buttermilk, and pure maple syrup with raisins. Traditional New England brown bread, steamed or baked. Pairs with baked beans.
Peach jambalaya: Louisiana-style jambalaya with shrimp, ham, smoked sausage, and unexpected fresh peach slices. Sweet-spicy fusion served over rice for four.
A breakfast with a little more substance, this breakfast scramble is a healthy high protein, low carbohydrate meal, that incorporates a serving of fruit and vegetable packed all into one whole grain tortilla. With the egg whites, you are getting the benefits of the high protein without the high cholesterol.
Hamburger noodle soup with ground beef, wide egg noodles, mirepoix, tomatoes, and thyme in chicken broth. A budget-friendly family soup served with a dollop of sour cream.
Quick Southeast Asian rice vermicelli with crisp-tender vegetables, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and roasted peanuts. Ready in 25 minutes by microwave or stovetop with both methods included.
Chunky beef chili: cubed beef chuck simmered low with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, garlic, and chili powder until tender. Texas-style no-bean chili built for piling toppings on top.
Tagliatelle tossed with golden pan-fried pumpkin, peppery rocket, lemon zest, and a homemade roasted red pepper chili oil. A vibrant autumn pasta with serious kick.
Tender lamb braised in saffron-infused cream sauce with black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and rose water. This authentic Shahi Korma is a Mughlai masterpiece finished with golden fried almonds.
This delicious Texas chili is a delicious one-pot meal. Chunks of succulent beef and beans are simmered in a well seasoned tomato sauce. Serve it with a few slices of crusty bread or steamed rice. It warms you up within a minute.