Oxtail consomme is a crystal-clear fine-dining broth made from slow-simmered oxtails, aromatics, and an egg-white raft clarification. The classic French technique gives a rich beef flavor in a see-through bowl.
Pumpkin sheet cake: a fast, one-bowl fall cake loaded with canned pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Moist, not-too-sweet, and big enough to feed a potluck without breaking a sweat.
No-bean Texas-style chili with ground beef, ground chile peppers, green chiles, and fresh tomatoes. Fat is skimmed after chilling for a leaner bowl.
Garlic scallop saute with mushrooms, shallots, lemon juice, and a sherry pan sauce. Milk-soaked and flour-dusted scallops seared golden in butter and oil in under 25 minutes.
Calorie-counters who are hungry for flavor will find this a very satisfactory salad dressing. It is only 26 calories per tablespoon.
Seared beef tenderloin with a three-citrus butter sauce made from lemon, lime, and orange juice reduced with red wine. Restaurant-level elegance, surprisingly simple.
Vegan self-saucing chocolate pudding cake with walnuts. Hot water poured over cocoa-sugar batter creates a fudgy chocolate sauce underneath as the cake bakes. No eggs, no dairy, total magic.
Walnut quick bread with cinnamon and a tender crumb, no yeast needed. Served sliced with honey-whipped cream cheese for a breakfast loaf or afternoon snack.
Old-fashioned oven-braised beef stew with shin beef, onions, carrots, and potatoes in a tomato-enriched gravy. A traditional Saturday supper that slowly cooks in the oven until the meat pulls apart with a fork.
Potato barley soup simmers pearl barley with carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes in beef or chicken stock for a thick, hearty grain-and-vegetable bowl that gets better the next day.
Vegetable rice pancakes made with brown rice, grated carrots, and whole wheat flour, pan-fried until crisp and golden. A vegetarian side or light main.
Cocoa chiffon cake made with whipped egg whites, cocoa powder, and a hint of cinnamon. Light as air with deep chocolate flavor, baked in a Bundt pan and finished with powdered sugar.
Rhubarb nut muffins with buttermilk, brown sugar, and walnuts topped with a cinnamon-walnut streusel. Tart rhubarb and crunchy nuts in every bite. Ready in 35 minutes.
Pineapple carrot cake with coconut, walnuts, and warm cinnamon, finished with a buttery vanilla glaze poured over the hot cake for a sticky, sweet crust.
Italian pizzelles with butter, sugar, eggs, and a hint of anise pressed in a hot pizzelle iron into delicate snowflake-patterned wafer cookies. Traditional Italian holiday cookie.
Italian pizzelles with butter, sugar, eggs, and a hint of anise pressed in a hot pizzelle iron into delicate snowflake-patterned wafer cookies. Traditional Italian holiday cookie.