214 plain recipes

Fruit clafouti with fresh berries baked in a light yogurt custard with honey and fruit liqueur. A lighter take on the French classic using nonfat yogurt instead of heavy cream.

Louisiana-style okra and shrimp gumbo built on a dark roux with oysters added in the last five minutes. Served over rice with the holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper.

Vegan nut torte with a caramelized walnut and marzipan filling in a lemon shortcrust pastry. A dairy-free, egg-free European-style dessert baked golden in a springform pan.

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.

We like this piquant tomato sauce, which is easy on the calories, but if you are in the mood to indulge, try cream in place of the ricotta and yogurt.

Homemade pasta triangles stuffed with salmon, cream cheese, and peppers, dried for an hour, then baked in tomato soup and topped with melted cheddar: unique salmon ravioli casserole.

A savory ground beef "pie" with a seasoned meat crust baked crisp, then loaded with melted cheddar and mixed veggies. Comfort food that kids and adults devour.

Traditional British raised pork pie with a hand-molded hot water crust pastry filled with seasoned diced pork and finished with jellied stock. A proper bakery-style meat pie.

Greek-style stuffed tomatoes filled with herbed rice, pine nuts, currants, sunflower seeds, and fresh mint, baked until the skins just begin to split. A light, vegetarian Mediterranean side for four.

Sirloin strips sautéed with mushrooms, serrano chiles, cumin, and a splash of dry sherry. Wrapped in warm flour tortillas with salsa, avocado, and yogurt. Fajitas in 20 minutes flat.

Moist wholemeal zucchini cake topped with sliced apple, crunchy walnuts, and warm allspice. Baked in a ring tin, this one's brilliant warm or cold with a cuppa.

Chocolate cake layered with peanut butter chip mousse and dripping chocolate ganache glaze, topped with mini peanut butter cups. A three-component showstopper.

Unique apple pie with corn syrup custard and crunchy praline pecan topping spiked with apple brandy for sweet-rich Southern-style dessert.

Vegetarian sweet onion fajitas loaded with Vidalia onions, new potatoes, roma tomatoes, and carrots simmered in white wine with jalapeño and cilantro. Rolled up with Monterey Jack and yogurt in warm flour tortillas.

Grilled sweet and sour meatball kabobs loaded with pineapple, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Brushed with a tangy steak sauce glaze and served over rice.

This rich flavoursome dish originates in the fertile Punjab, a state now divided between India and Pakistan. There is nothing more important to a Punjabi man's diet than bread, and meals are accompanied by flat round cornbread rotis or rich, flaky pan-fried paratha layered with ghee (clarified butter). Rice is reserved for special occasions or for rice pudding, for the only food that makes a Punjabi feel he has eaten a proper meal is his bread! You of course, can serve this dish with plain boiled rice.