16 mom tom recipes

Hue rice (Com Huong Giang) is a Vietnamese fried rice with dried shrimp, lemongrass, chilies, and fish sauce. Aromatic and spicy stir-fried rice from central Vietnam served with nuoc cham.

Old-fashioned date and nut candy rolled in a wet towel and sliced into rounds. Just five ingredients, no thermometer fuss, with a soft fudge-like chew.

Chocolate mousse torte tops a deep devil's food cake with a silky coffee-liqueur chocolate mousse and a cloud of whipped cream. A make-ahead chocolate dessert with a grown-up Kahlua kick.

Old-fashioned date and pecan cake baked low and slow in a tube pan. More fruit and nuts than batter, with a dense, rich texture similar to fruitcake.

Old-fashioned stewing hen braised tender in seasoned broth, served over mashed potatoes or rice with a lemony green pea cream sauce. The kind of cooking grandma got right.

A whole cut-up chicken microwaved in spaghetti sauce with green chilies, Parmesan, dill, and lemon pepper. Sounds unconventional, tastes surprisingly good. 30 minutes, one dish, done.

Tender chicken breasts and golden potatoes sizzle in butter with oregano and Italian herbs in this cozy one-skillet dinner. Ready in an hour with just 15 minutes of prep.

Old-fashioned strawberry shortcake biscuits made with shortening, folded with melted butter, and cut into diamonds. Flaky, tender, and baked at high heat.

Peach Melba parfaits with peach-amaretto vanilla ice cream layered with raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Escoffier's classic dessert in parfait form.

Vidalia onion risotto with crumbled feta and Parmesan cheese. Sweet onions and tangy feta give this creamy arborio rice dish a Greek-Italian twist.

Mom's baked beans dump canned pork and beans together with ham chunks, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and pearl onions, then bake until thick. Easy potluck side from a no-fuss family recipe.

Low-fat quick bread with Grape-Nuts cereal soaked in buttermilk for a nutty, chewy crumb studded with chocolate chips. No butter or oil in the batter. Makes two loaves for sharing or freezing.

Sliced sweet potatoes baked under a golden, flaky pie crust with cinnamon and sugar. This old-fashioned Southern cobbler is simple as can be and twice as good.

No-bake chocolate banana split pie with a chocolate graham cracker crust, frozen yogurt filling, sliced bananas, and whipped topping. A lighter frozen dessert with banana split flavor.

Four-bean salad marinated for two days in a sweet wine vinegar and cider vinegar dressing with tarragon and basil. Green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas layered with sliced onion rings.

Quick chicken pot pie with creamy vegetable filling topped with golden biscuit pieces for a comforting weeknight dinner ready in 35 minutes using shortcuts.