Homemade Caribbean hot pepper oil infused with scotch bonnet, shallots, garlic, thyme, and fresh herbs in extra-virgin olive oil. Just mix, bottle, and wait one week for fiery island heat.
Oven-roasted char siu pork tenderloin marinated in soy sauce, honey, red wine, and warm cinnamon. Basted until gloriously sticky and sliced on the diagonal.
Linguine and pork tenderloin stir-fry with cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrots in sesame oil. An Asian-inspired one-pan pasta dinner with crunch.
Cajun crab in a rich Swiss cheese and cream sauce with mushrooms, scallions, and dry vermouth, spiked with cayenne. Serve in patty shells or scooped up with crusty French bread.
Broiled open-face crab burgers loaded with cheddar, hard-boiled eggs, and a tangy mayo-ketchup spread on toasted bun halves. Bubbly, golden, and ready in 20 minutes.
This dish was everything I had hoped for and more.
Szechuan mapo tofu with ground beef, green onions, and garlic in a spicy sesame-soy sauce. A quick 15-minute high-protein stir-fry that's low-carb and diabetic-friendly.
A low-fat dish that's succulent taste will have you scooping out a second helping.
Whole artichokes stuffed with mushrooms, ham, Parmesan and bread crumbs, then slow-smoked until tender and infused with woodsy flavor. A show-stopping appetizer for your next cookout.
Creamy crawfish pasta in a Dijon mustard cream sauce made from crawfish-soaked milk. Two pounds of tender tails over fresh pasta, Cajun-style and ready in an hour.
Sliced pepper steak tossed in a creamy Thai peanut sauce with jalapeno, ginger, lime, and yogurt, served over jasmine rice. A rich, nutty, spicy beef dinner ready in 35 minutes.
Loaded with healthy protein from chicken and egg and anti-inflammatory herbs such as coriander and ginger, this is a great way to start the day. Although traditionally made by cooking grain in the soup until it becomes mushy, consider cooking grains separately to retain their texture and nutrients. Also swap white rice for brown rice or quinoa, or even barley to boost the nutrition profile of the soup.
Hot and sour soup: the authentic Chinese classic with shredded pork, tofu, shiitake, and bamboo shoots in a peppery, vinegar-sharp broth thickened to a silky body and finished with egg ribbons.
Cajun shrimp Creole simmered for hours in a homemade shrimp stock with fresh tomatoes, three peppers, thyme, basil, and the holy trinity. Even better made a day or two ahead.
Swabian-style kraeuterfladen (herb waehe): mini yeast crust rounds topped with a creamy filling of sour cream, egg, scallions, chives, and nutmeg. German regional flatbread with gentle herbal flavor.
Vietnamese-style soup with cucumber cups stuffed with seasoned ground pork, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce, simmered in chicken broth with carrot matchsticks and quail eggs.