From Scratch

A friend and I came up with this quick and easy recipe a couple years ago, when we decided to cut back on carbs and lose a little weight. A little is all we lost — how does anyone go weeks without fruit? — and it wasn’t lost for long, but I still enjoy this […]

It’s effortless, uses few ingredients and has a delicious twist: it creates its own sauce. No liquid is used. This recipe for brisket as pot roast is not your grandmother’s brisket. Not Bubbe’s at Passover nor Grammie’s on a cold day.
This is unlike any other recipe I’ve seen for braised brisket. Along with not needing liquid, […]

I love quiche and it has bothered me no end to see it tarnished, trashed and turned into a receptacle for using up all the leftovers in the fridge. It went from being the fashionable belle of the ball to the tired old town tart who still wears Uggs.
Quiche Lorraine is a classic, dating back […]

I’ve made this recipe for more than a decade. It’s another one that’s super-easy with a handful of ingredients that deliver a lot of flavor. Better still, it’s high in protein, low in calories, fat and carbs and is easy on the budget. 
It’s from Mitzi Perdue’s chicken cookbook. She’s an expert on poultry and ways to […]

I can’t help but love a recipe that’s quick and versatile, although in this case the versatility was accidental.
The original was in Self magazine and it’s a delicious, simple version of chicken breasts simmered in an herby, lemony sauce. I had leftover sauce which I used the next day on pasta and, hey presto, I had a […]

I don’t know if food prices are rising in your country but they are in mine, and quite sharply. Sometimes the only way to stay within a budget is to use more economical cuts of meat, the really flavorful ones that are tough from frequent use on the animal but which become fork tender when cooked […]

This will be on my Easter table along with the divine roasted asparagus in the photo. Their flavors complement each other well. I’ve made Coca-Cola Ham for years but decided to try something new and this fits the bill. Its gives the ham a more complex taste, less sweet, and there’s a perfect amount of glaze for a […]

The first time I had turkey chili, back when the idea was a novelty, it was so bland it was almost tasteless. Turkey is hardly full of flavor. A friend who made turkey chili would try to compensate for that by loading up on the hot stuff, giving everyone at the table a runny nose and […]

Oh, I know. It sounds bizarre. So did Coca-Cola ham till I tried it.
This appeared in my Epicurious Healthy Dinners widget a few weeks ago. Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods, especially for economical cuts of beef, and running across nice chuck roasts on sale made this especially thrifty.
I don’t mind admitting I had my […]

I was attracted to this hearty stew the moment I saw the recipe, but it was 100 degrees (38C) when it was published last summer in a New York Times article about Senegalese food in Harlem. Now that it’s about 90 degrees colder, it was a perfect time to try it.
And I am bowled over […]

This is a make-life-simple recipe. It’s not haute cuisine by any means but it is comfort food with a twist or two.
The simplicity comes from its preparation in a microwave; the twists are a combination of spicy flavors more often associated with Tex-Mex and then making it into fast-cooking individual meatloaves.
It’s quick and easy as […]

It’s not just the absense of ham hocks or other meat that makes this lentil soup a little different, it’s also the inclusion of lemon, adding another dimension to the broth. The end result is a colorful lentil soup that’s lighter than most and I welcome that right now.
I’ve been eating sparingly since the holidays; indulging […]

This is big-flavor delicious. In addition to the ingredients here, a little white wine and chicken broth round out the picture. The bonus is it’s simple enough that anyone, including novices, can put a lean, impressive main course on the table.
Beautiful blood oranges are in season and I had a couple in the fridge when this […]

For many, Christmas dinner means a rib roast. The last several years foodies generally have been in two camps about preparing it: blast it with a high temperature or give it a slow roast at a low temperature. I’ve remained stuck in the tried-and-true 325 degree camp; I don’t make expensive rib roasts often and prefer […]

In the comments following my post on gravy thickeners I mentioned using ground nuts to thicken some soups and stews. This is another dish that uses nuts to thicken its sauce and it’s one I could eat every week. I love curry. It’s a wonderful cold weather meal and simple enough that it’s perfect for this […]