Entrees
Crispy Buttermilk Soaked Pork Chops
The key to this recipe is the buttermilk, a great tenderizer. On the inside the chops turn out very juicy. On the outside the panko breadcrumbs create a wonderfully crispy crust. It’s almost as if you had deep-fried them. Makes 4 servings Hands-on time: 30 minutes Total preparation time: 1…
Southwestern Chicken Salad
This is my favorite kind of salad because it has so many elements and, from the creamy avocado to the crispy homemade tortilla chips, they all have different textures. I have cheated here by using leftover or rotisserie chicken. You could substitute leftover cooked pork, shrimp, or beef too. You…
Green Chile and Zucchini Quiche
This quiche gets its heat from canned chiles. But if you have a little more time, you should lose the canned chiles and make the recipe instead with roasted fresh poblanos, which are even more delicious. I like the contrasting crunch of Triscuits, but just about any cracker will do.…
Indonesian-Style Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Chicken thighs should be more popular. The meat is much more flavorful than the white meat and almost always cooks up moist, which is not something you can say of chicken breast meat. Yes, the thigh is slightly more caloric than the breast, but I prefer it anyway. This is…
Antipasto Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano Dressing
This is the perfect lazy day summer salad since you never have to turn on the oven. You could even buy the blanched broccoli or cauliflower and prepared pasta salad at the salad bar and never turn on the stovetop. Feel free to substitute any meats or cheeses for the…
Tomato Mozzarella and Basil Tart
There are very few things more delicious than tomatoes in season. Sure you can buy them all year round, but these imports tend to be mealy and flavorless, so why bother? This tart is a celebration of the tomato at the peak of its perfection, namely right now. One important…
Cheeseburgers Steamed in Beer
My first official cooking job was in the mid 70’s at a bar in Ann Arbor Michigan (where I went to college) called the Del Rio. The most famous item on the menu, invented by a bored cook one slow day, was a burger called the “Det Burger,” a quarter…
Asian Green Beans and Pork
The original version of this Chinese dish is deep fried. I didn’t think most home cooks would want to deep fry on a weeknight (let alone at all.) I also wanted to lighten it up a bit so I figured out a way to crisp the beans without the…
Asparagus and Goat Cheese Souffle Omelet
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz Any leftovers you have would make a fine filling for this souffléed omelet so consider this a clean out the fridge dish. Just make sure you only beat your egg whites to soft peaks, otherwise they won’t fold properly into the egg yolk base. Makes 2…
Tomatillo Salsa Clams
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz If you think about it, the liquor in which a clam swims is nature’s own clam sauce, a great source of the clam’s appeal whether you eat it raw or steamed. When they’re steamed the clam shells open and the clam liquor flows into the pot. …
Eggs Baked in Red Wine
At first glance this recipe might seem a little odd – eggs and red wine? – But it’s based on a French classic called Oeufs en Meurette, and who am I to argue with the French? Everyone will be delighted with their own personal little ramekin of bacon and eggs.…
Korean Style Burgers
Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 15 Minutes Total Preparation Time: 25 Minutes Suggested Accompaniment steamed baby potatoes with parsley Ingredients Quick Cabbage Pickle (recipe below) or store bought Kimchi 4 medium scallions One 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger 3 T soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer) 1 1/2 T…
Zucchini in Cuban Style Cherry Tomato Sofrito
(Calabacin del Patio con Sofrito de Tomate Cereza y Picada de Almendras, Cacao y Perejil) Copyright @Maricel E. Presilla Makes 4 servings Hands-On Time: 30 minutes Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Suggested Accompaniments Rice or shredded Napa cabbage seasoned with just a bit of olive oil and salt.…
Roasted Ratatouille Crêpes with Goat Cheese
My mom made ratatouille from the New York Times Cookbook all the time when we were kids, and I just loved it. This venerable vegetable stew from the south of France with its many flavors layered together has all the complexity of a meat stew without the meat. All the…
Moroccan Spiced Leg of Lamb with Preserved Lemon Relish
Butterflied boneless leg of lamb is a great dish for a crowd. I have used a Moroccan-style dry rub here, but you could substitute any chicken or meat marinade, wet or dry. One of my old favorites is a Jacques Pepin recipe that we ran when I was in the…
Esther’s Chicken Fricassee
Esther Adler, my mother-in-law, gave birth to three sons in less than three years (yikes!) and a daughter three years later. All four kids had hearty appetites, and all four turned out to be fairly strapping individuals. I’ll confess that I’ve often wondered how in the world she managed to…
Grilled Salmon, Arugula & Grilled Corn Salad, Sweet Pea & Avocado Crostini
Makes 4 servings Suggested Accompaniment Serve with a Chardonnay Ingredients Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless filets of salmon seasoned with extra virgin olive oil to coat and a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper Sweet Pea Hummus (recipe below) Crostini (recipe below) 2 ears of fresh corn shucked, grilled and cut…
White Chicken Chili
There is one good reason—other than chicken and chilies—why I love the white chicken chili on the menu at the burrito palace in our neighborhood: sour cream. This quick-to-make home version is delicious unadorned. Add the accompaniments and some homemade or store-bought cornbread and it is over the top. Makes…
Chickpea Patties with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz For this weeknight salad I have streamlined and speeded up the process of making falafel. I’ve renamed it “Chickpea Patties” since it is not the same as the authentic version. I start with canned chickpeas instead of dried chickpeas or favas. Then I shape them into…
Roast Duck with Mustard Green Peppercorn Sauce
Serves 4 One 5-pound Long Island (Pekin) duck Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife 1 cup dry red wine 1 small celery rib,…
Rosemary Honey and Georgia Peach Chutney Burgers
Serves 4 For Peach Chutney: 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar 1/2 cup Savannah Bee Rosemary Honey 1 large sweet red pepper, seeded, diced 1/4 inch, about 1/2 cup 1 small white onion, peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced, 2…
Chicken Piccata
Although none of us wants to devote more than 45 minutes or so to getting dinner on the table during the workweek, we still want to eat well. In Sara Moulton Cooks at Home, I included “ four quick chicken recipes” that all start with the same easy prep and…
Roasted Salmon with Lentil Salad
photo by Jessica Leibowitz French lentils are tiny green lentils that cook in no time and have a wonderful texture and flavor but if you can’t find them go ahead and use plain old green lentils. If you don’t eat pork you can just leave out the pancetta or you…
Seared Beef in Autumn Broth with Wasabi Cream
Everything that goes into this soup contributes flavor. You can vary the vegetables according to your taste and what is available in your supermarket. Makes 4 servings Hands-on time: about 15 minutes Total preparation time: 33 minutes 2 medium carrots 2 medium parsnips 2 small turnips 2…