Chicken mushroom piccata pounds chicken thin, pan-fries it quickly, then deglazes with lemon, white wine and sliced mushrooms. A 45-minute Italian-American dinner for two.
Beer-braised round steak slow-baked for 3 hours with onions, garlic, beef bouillon, brown sugar, and thyme. Fork-tender beef with a rich gravy, served over noodles or rice.
Shrimp ceviche marinates briefly boiled shrimp in orange juice, lemon juice, ketchup, and hot sauce with thinly sliced onion. Bright, tangy, and chilled for hours before serving.
Vidalia onions baked golden and stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms, apple, and fresh marjoram. A savory-sweet side dish that uses the scooped-out onion in the filling.
Classic French omelette cooks two beaten eggs in foaming butter over high heat, rolled and folded around a stripe of grated cheese. The benchmark breakfast technique that every cook should master in under five minutes.
Vegan sorrel and haricot bean soup with a bright lemony tang from fresh sorrel leaves sieved into a creamy blended bean base. Finished with soy milk for silky body.
Pork stew with green chilies, jalapeno, and oregano slow-simmered until fork-tender. A New Mexican-style chile verde served rolled in warm flour tortillas.
Buttered Belgian endive: sliced endive braised in butter, lemon juice, and water until tender-crisp. A classic French bistro side for roasted meats, fish, or eggs.
Crab casserole with white sauce, separated eggs, and hot sauce, baked until puffed and golden. A souffle-style seafood dish with just six ingredients.
Grilled new potatoes are tossed with lemon-garlic mayonnaise and fresh parsley leave. Creamy, garlicky, and refreshing are in one bite. A nice accompaniment with any BBQ main course.
Creamy asparagus soup with onion, celery, a whisper of mace and a finish of cream. Garnished with chopped hard-cooked egg for an old-fashioned springtime starter. Six ingredients, 35 minutes.
Sweet onion shrimp balls grind Vidalia onion, potato, and shrimp into a thick batter, then fry into crispy golden bites. Five-ingredient appetizer with no breading required.
Broccoli quiche with an optional leftover rice crust held together with egg and soy sauce. A smart use-it-up recipe with a creamy nutmeg custard and melted cheese.
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.
Potato salad with a tangy egg yolk dressing made by mashing hard-boiled yolks into vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise. Egg whites get chopped into the salad.
Make-ahead overnight ham and cheese brunch casserole layered with cubed ham, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and a custard of eggs and milk. Assemble the night before, bake in the morning.