Spaghettini with red clam sauce tosses thin pasta in a garlicky tomato and clam-juice sauce, with fresh spinach wilted in and a shower of parmesan. A quick, brothy weeknight seafood pasta.
One-skillet beef goulash using freezer mix with canned tomatoes, noodles, and herbs. A quick weeknight dinner where the noodles cook right in the sauce.
Orange sugar cookies with orange flower water, fresh orange juice, and zest. Rolled thin, cut into shapes, and baked pale for decorating with icing.
Sour cream coffee cake swirled with cherry preserves and brightened with lemon zest. A dense, moist breakfast cake with no yeast required, ready in under an hour.
Spicy smoked spareribs with a 10-spice dry rub featuring five spice powder and ginger, parboiled then smoked over hickory with a peach preserves basting sauce.
Cheddar olive tart: a savory custard of eggs, cream, sharp cheddar, and sliced black olives baked into tart shells. Brunch or appetizer, ready in 40 minutes from a single bowl.
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza crust, Part 1: a cornmeal-laced yeast dough shaped with high walls and parbaked for 4 minutes. The foundation of authentic Chicago deep-dish at home.
Fettuccine with broccoli, carrots, and Canadian bacon in a light Dijon-Parmesan cream sauce. A lower-calorie weeknight pasta with vegetables cooked right in the pasta water.
Soft chocolate oatmeal cookies made with cocoa, yogurt, and chocolate extract instead of butter. Low-fat, slightly puffy, and rich in chocolate flavor without the guilt.
Classic four-ingredient shortbread cookies made with butter, sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt. Rubbed by hand into a crumbly dough, rolled thin, and baked golden in just 10 minutes.
Stirred custard sauce is a quick microwave crème anglaise with egg yolks, half and half, amaretto, and vanilla. Silky and ready to spoon over fresh fruit.
Cucumber, red onion and watercress salad with thin pickling cucumber slices marinated in seasoned rice vinegar, tossed with oil and arranged on a peppery watercress wreath. A clean, refreshing side for rich meals.
Microwave chocolate pots de crème made for two with German sweet chocolate, half-and-half, and egg yolks. Silky French custard, no oven, no water bath. Chills in the fridge.
Taco salad with crisp baked tortilla whiskers, seared steak glazed with cumin, cinnamon and vinegar, black beans, cheese and guacamole over shredded romaine. A lighter, restaurant-worthy taco salad in 20 minutes.
Turnip gratin with potatoes, Gruyere cheese, and fresh dill baked under a crispy breadcrumb topping. A creamy, nutmeg-scented side dish that can be prepped a day ahead.
Hot Dutch slaw with shredded cabbage steamed tender and dressed in a sweet-sour egg vinegar sauce. A traditional Pennsylvania Dutch warm cabbage side dish.