I am always looking for quick and easy weeknight meals, but I am never willing to sacrifice taste. That’s why I created this stew. It’s easy to make, and it’s literally bursting at the seams with flavor. I recommend making a double batch and freezing some. That way, on nights when you are feeling tired after work and want a comforting meal, you can defrost it in minutes and enjoy. For this recipe, I like using orzo or any small pasta shape, and if you are gluten-free, feel free to use a gluten-free pasta. Gluten-free pasta often requires a few more minutes of cooking time, so be sure to keep an eye on it. And while I love using spinach in this stew, use whatever greens you have on hand: kale, escarole, chard, or the like. Once the stew is done, I recommend adding a generous pinch of freshly grated cheese on top. Serve with a side of crusty sourdough bread.
This dish is packed with bold flavors of garlic, spice, and vinegar and balanced out by the rich, creamy grits. The hint of rosemary pairs nicely with the piney hop aromas of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. This dish is so bold it needs a smooth beer like Pale Ale to cleanse your palate between bites.
As I’ve mentioned, Bacon-Miso Sauce was the first menu element I personally developed for Le Bernardin. We often served it with Japanese sweet potatoes, since I loved the sweetness and tenderness of potato paired with the salty and umami-filled sauce. Basically, it’s amazing with potatoes of any sort, of any color, and from any country. So if you don’t feel like making gnocchi, go on and roast up some sweet potato wedges to serve with this luscious sauce instead. Think of it as a fancy answer to french fries and ketchup!
Raw broccoli is a powerhouse salad ingredient, and covering it in yogurt dressing makes for a match made in heaven.
I won’t try to say this is anything like eating pasta cacio e pepe or that it will satisfy your craving for it—because it isn’t, and it won’t. But there is something ethereal about this salad that really speaks to the season. Shaved vegetables are so elegant and fresh. You could also add some raw zucchini noodles in place of cucumber if you wanted to, serve it on top of thin, crispy or grilled chicken cutlets, or you could pile it on top of baked pizza crust (I might add a little burrata if I was doing that).
Making an amazing dish out of whatever bits you have lying around feels so heroic, and this version of that experience happens to be just to my odd taste. It is all the things I love together, and honestly, it’s so incredible that I really struggle not to make myself a second bowl after I finish the first. It’s a strange hybrid of nations and flavors, but it is so spicy and umami and sweet and savory that I just can’t stop eating it. It’s my kind of pantry pasta, using all the things I always have left over, like half or less of a box of pasta, some butter and garlic and chile paste and honey, and usually a partially finished bottle of wine. I wish I could help you all develop your own version of pantry pasta, but here is mine to get the creative juices flowing.
These baked eggs are such a fun way to use squash. I’m partial to butternut, but acorn or spaghetti squash would work equally well. Roasting the squash before adding the egg ensures that the squash will be tender and slightly caramelized, while the eggs will be cooked to perfection in the center.
A handy, helpful, and always-delicious roast chicken is a weeknight meal time-saver. I make two at a time on a weekend, so I have one for midweek recipes. And if you don’t cook on the weekend, those grocery store rotisserie chickens are perfect for making a quick dinner.
Carbonara is such a quick supper. It is rich and creamy (without any cream), thanks to the egg yolks and mountains of cheese. Artichokes bring a slight citrus flavor that balances the richness of the sauce.
For this Asparagus Puffs recipe, we blanched the asparagus spears until tender before incorporating them into the cheese mixture. And we were sure to thoroughly thaw the puff pastry so it did not crack when unfolded.