609 half half recipes

Turkey saltimbocca pan-sears thin turkey cutlets in butter, then tops them with prosciutto, melted Muenster, and fresh sage. A 5-ingredient Italian-American classic ready in under 10 minutes.

Tom yum-style hot and sour shrimp soup builds a fragrant broth from shrimp shells, lemongrass, lime peel, and chile, finished with fish sauce, lime juice, mint, and cilantro. Authentic Thai flavor.

Heart cake without a special pan, made by cutting a round layer in half and setting both halves against a square layer to form a heart, then frosting it pink with strawberry frosting. A clever Valentine's trick.

Parmesan garlic soup simmers a whole half-head of garlic into a mellow, sweet broth, then thickens it silky with a tempered egg, parmesan, and olive oil liaison. Ladled over a crouton, it's rustic comfort in a bowl.

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.

Oven-roasted char siu pork tenderloin marinated in soy sauce, honey, red wine, and warm cinnamon. Basted until gloriously sticky and sliced on the diagonal.

Seared bay scallops in a white wine butter sauce with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh lemon. A quick, elegant seafood dinner ready in 20 minutes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Szechuan-style pork shoulder stir-fried with cloud ear black fungus, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and ginger in hot chili sauce. An authentic Chinese wok dish.

Sole fillets stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and fresh tomato slices, dipped in garlic-basil butter, and baked with Parmesan. A cheesy baked fish dinner in 30 minutes.

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.

Shellfish soup with shrimp and sea scallops in a white wine and shrimp shell stock infused with vanilla bean and cilantro. Spring vegetables simmered just one minute to stay crisp.