589 half half recipes

Grilled red pepper and tomato relish with fresh basil and lemon juice. A bright, smoky topping for grilled fish, especially tuna, with no added oil.

Silky pureed chestnut soup with roasted chestnuts, herbs, and a splash of marsala or sherry. Serve it hot for winter warmth or chilled for an elegant summer starter.

Fresh fruit tart with banana-cream filling: a graham-honey crust, creamy banana-gelatin filling, and a crown of plums, raspberries, and blackberries under a glossy strawberry glaze. Dairy-free and naturally sweetened.

Use fresh rosemary, if possible (many supermarkets carry it). The flavor it imparts to the lamb will be far superior to that of dried. If you like, white potatoes may be substituted for the sweet potatoes, and turnips for the parsnips. You can also flavor lamb by covering it with lemon slices before roasting.

Pasta e fagioli the proper Italian way: dried red kidney beans slow-baked with sage and garlic, then simmered with pancetta and a sofrito of carrot, celery, and onion. Half the beans get pureed for that signature silky, stew-thick body.

Pesto mushroom caps stuff fresh button mushrooms with homemade basil pesto and crown each one with a walnut half, then bake until hot and fragrant. A 10-minute vegetarian appetizer that punches way above its weight at a cocktail party.

A very different twist on tradional pasta/macaroni salad. Loaded with ingredients, this could be a meal in itself.

Microwave scalloped oysters: a holiday-table classic shortcut with shucked oysters, breadcrumbs, celery, and a splash of cream baked together in a covered casserole. Ready in 20 minutes, no oven required.

Chili-crusted flank steak fajitas grilled with marinated tri-color bell peppers, onions, and Roma tomatoes. A bright, lime-kissed Tex-Mex plate wrapped in warm flour tortillas.

A big-batch Dutch oven peach cobbler built for a crowd. Canned peaches simmer in a sweet cornstarch glaze under a lattice of homemade biscuit dough strips. Campfire-ready and feeds up to 18 hungry folks.

This green-bean dish is outstanding. The green beans exude aromatic flavors and have an interesting chewy texture.

Fizzy lemon-strawberry party punch made with frozen lemonade, orange juice concentrate, sliced strawberries, ginger ale, and sparkling water. A crowd-pleasing no-alcohol punch.

Long and slow simmer beef shank soup extracts every bit of flavor down to the bone.

Baked chicken wings with three marinade options: teriyaki with ginger, orange barbecue with marmalade, and classic sweet and sour. One recipe, three flavors for your next party platter.

Pasta con il tonno is the classic Italian pantry pasta with canned tuna, garlic, dried chili, and tomato. A 40-minute weeknight dinner from the cupboard.

My husband and son liked this dish so much, I made it twice within three days. There wasn't a drop of sauce left, they soaked it all up with bread. It was that good.