Recipes By Alison Roman
149 recipes found
Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake
If strawberry doughnuts are your thing, then this cake is absolutely your thing. A classic, old-fashioned buttermilk cake with bits of berries strewn throughout, it manages to taste just like your favorite fried treat (without the frying, of course). Be sure to bake the cake all the way through; strawberries have a high water content and tend to make for a soggy cake if not baked properly. The top should be crackly, deeply and perfectly golden brown, and the edges should pull away from the sides of the pan.
Chopped Liver on Matzo
I’m just guessing here, but I feel like “chopped liver” will never be my most popular recipe. I do love to eat it, and for those who feel the same way, "Hello, nice to meet you!" It’s not much to look at, but at least one of you will become a fan after spreading this funky, savory mixture onto a salted matzo with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice. (I’m hoping that person is you.) It won’t keep very long (it’s best within 24 hours), but that’s why this version makes the perfect snackable amount.
Deep-Dish Honey Apple Galette
Like a pie but with only one crust, like a galette but thicker, this deep-dish number is the best of all worlds. The buttery crust (made by hand for flakiest results) dramatically envelopes apples that are sweetened mostly with honey. A splash of vinegar is added for acidity, and, of course, there’s a little cinnamon (if you like). Truthfully, any apple is good here, but the tart baking varieties tend to hold their shape and give a bit more structure to the finished dish. Bake in a 9-inch springform pan for tall, festive sides, or a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate for a more rustic feel.
Spicy Caramelized Squash With Lemon and Hazelnuts
This ultimate sweet-and-salty squash recipe can be done with most hearty orange vegetables, like sweet potatoes or even carrots (no need to peel any of these). The vegetables are tossed simply with olive oil and something sticky, like maple syrup or honey, and roasted until tender and caramelized. To add some texture back into the mix, the vegetables are finished with toasted nuts and plenty of fresh lemon zest for some perkiness.
Summer Pudding With Blackberries and Peaches
Constructed from layers of soft, spongy sliced bread and tons of juicy, just-cooked fruit, this British dessert gets an update with a layer of barely sweetened whipped cream. It is the best thing since, well, sliced bread. Think of it as somewhere between a layer cake (where you don’t have to bake any cake) and a tiramisù (where the coffee and chocolate is replaced by burst berries and juicy peaches). While the assembly should be a relaxed, messy affair, just be sure to adequately soak the bread so it reads as custardy, not dry.
Dry-Brined Turkey With Sheet-Pan Gravy
For those who want to let the side dishes do the talking, this is the bird for you. Delightfully simple, it’s dry-brined (meaning highly seasoned) with only salt, pepper, some thyme and a little brown sugar, which helps with that golden-brown skin. It’s roasted on a sheet pan, and cut-up onions, garlic, lemon and herbs are scattered in and around the turkey to cook at the same time. They’re excellent served alongside the turkey, and are instrumental in flavoring the sheet-pan gravy.
Boozy Cherry Walnut Tart
Cherries in winter may sound counterintuitive, but like frozen peas and corn, frozen cherries are, well, pretty good. Baked on a bed of easy press-in crust, the boozy cherries sink into the almost-frangipane mixture which soaks up much of the juiciness cherries are known for. The trick to a nice, crunchy bottom tart shell is baking longer than you think, so make sure you give it the full time recommended.
Creamy Farro With Crispy Mushrooms and Sour Cream
Similar in texture to a risotto (without the constant stirring), this creamy, saucy farro is about half the work, with almost no technique required. While the porridgelike texture is a delight all on its own, the meaty, golden brown mushrooms and frizzled leeks are the real reason you are here. Using plenty of olive oil to make sure the mushrooms crisp and brown without sticking will be the secret to success in that department.
Fancy Canned Cranberries
The ultimate high-low condiment your table didn’t know it was missing. These dressed-up canned cranberries become tart, juicy and a little bit savory thanks to some fresh citrus, thinly sliced red onion and a little flaky salt. With or without whole berries suspended in them? That’s dealer’s choice, but the rounds will be much easier to slice without them.
Crushed Sour Cream Potatoes
These extremely rich, highly textured potatoes are no less luxurious than the silky mashed variety, but they are a lot less work. There’s no ricing, mashing or whipping — just a simple crush to expose the potatoes’ craggy interior. From here on out, the key word is “cream”: Creamy potatoes meld with the garlicky heavy cream mixture and lots of sour cream. Small (and yes, creamy) potatoes on the waxy side, like a new potato or even a fingerling, work best here, but a more floury potato cut into large chunks would also work in a pinch. Don’t skimp on the black pepper or chives. They truly make this dish.
Crispy Lamb Meatballs With Chickpeas and Eggplant
This dish does not shy away from fat in the best way possible. From the lamb to the olive oil to the yogurt used as a sauce at the end, this is a one-skillet meal that feels worthy of a weekend spread. Since these meatballs aren’t made with binders like eggs or bread, they’re truly best made with a fatty meat like lamb. If you decide to use pork or beef instead, make sure it’s a mixture with a higher fat content or the meatballs could turn out dry. Since eggplant can really soak up oil when pan-frying, feel free to add more to the skillet as the slices cook.
Green Beans and Greens With Fried Shallots
These delightfully al dente green beans are a quick-cooking nod to the green bean casserole. There is no cream of mushroom soup, but there are fried shallots. Torn leafy greens, briefly sautéed with a bit of butter and a few melted anchovies (which can be omitted for vegetarians), are added to the beans to wilt at the last minute for a very green-on-green side. Depending on what else you’re serving, this could almost count as a salad. Be sure to finish with plenty of acid and flaky salt.
Matzo Ball Soup With Celery and Dill
Greater than the sum of its parts, matzo ball soup is a wonderful combination of three very simple things: chicken broth (golden brown, deeply savory, lightly seasoned), matzo balls (tender, eggy, schmaltzy dumplings made with ground matzo) and garnish (celery and fresh dill, lots of it). The key to keeping the chicken juicy, tender and something you’re excited to eat is by gently simmering the stock (which will also keep the broth crystal clear rather than muddied). You can pick the meat from the chicken and add it back to the soup if you like, or save for next-day chicken salad. For the matzo balls, matzo meal is preferred for its fine texture, but know that you can also grind your own from matzo boards in a food processor.
Salted Chocolate Pudding With Whipped Sour Cream
A classic, old-fashioned chocolate pudding, this dessert is made a bit more interesting by layering with whipped sour cream (for a little tang) and crushed cookies of your choosing (for texture). While you can absolutely make and serve chocolate pudding in individual cups, there is something delightfully communal about sharing it from one giant vessel, which can be nearly anything you want: Mixing bowls, trifle bowls or baking dishes all work, just aim for something tall and deep so you can build as many layers as possible.
Apples With Honey and Crushed Walnuts
Tradition is a beautiful thing, unless it requires you to make something you don’t enjoy making or eating. For me, that’s charoset. Classically, it’s an apple-walnut mixture (occasionally including a touch of cinnamon or dried fruit, or a combination) that ranges from chunky-relish to chunky-paste, and it’s never been my favorite thing on the table. I’ve always wanted it tangier, crunchier and, well, I wanted a salad. This is that salad. It’s meant to be more acidic than sweet, but adjust with vinegar and honey as needed to suit your preference. A note: Nearly everyone who ate this salad said it was their favorite part of the whole meal, which bruised my matzo ball ego, but I thought you should know.
Baked Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders may be known as a kid favorite, but it's hard to find an adult who doesn't enjoy them just as much. And there's a lot to love when a crisp, golden brown coating meets juicy, tender chicken strips. This weeknight version strays slightly from the traditional deep-fried recipe: It can be pan-fried (see tip below), but it shines when baked in the oven. Proper chicken tenders, or the smaller muscle underneath the breast, can be hard to find, but boneless, skinless breasts — from chicken, or even turkey — sliced into thin strips are an excellent stand-in. For a little punch, feel free to add cayenne, crushed red-pepper flakes or fennel seed, or ground cumin to the flour mixture. Lastly, this version is paired with an herbed yogurt dip, but it can also be served with ketchup.
Black-and-White Sundae Bar
This is less a recipe for a sundae bar, and more a recipe for for the two sauces that accompany, crunchy bittersweet chocolate (essentially a homemade chocolate shell) and salty tahini caramel. Both can be made and stored for at least a month (for whenever the craving strikes). It’s hard to beat the creamy subtlety of vanilla ice cream to pair with them, but any ice cream of your choosing will work.
Wine-Braised Chicken With Artichoke Hearts
Artichokes become weeknight friendly when they come from a can or a jar. Be sure to buy the unmarinated ones here. The gentle braise in rendered chicken fat and tangy white wine, mixed with onions and herbs, provides all the flavor the artichokes need.
Ricotta Dumplings With Buttered Peas and Asparagus
These dumplings are a way to get the satisfaction of making your own pasta without having to make your own pasta. This recipe doesn’t require you to drain the ricotta, but if you notice that yours is especially wet, you may want to add a tablespoon or two more of flour to make sure the dough stays together. It should be like a very wet biscuit dough (and not pourable or soupy). As for the vegetables, this dish is a truly excellent canvas for anything seasonal (asparagus and peas in the spring, cherry tomatoes in the summer, mushrooms in the fall, squash in the winter), so adjust as you like.
Creamy Cauliflower Pasta With Pecorino Bread Crumbs
Equal parts cauliflower and pasta, this one-skillet dinner is a vegetable-forward version of macaroni and cheese. A whole head of cauliflower browns and caramelizes in a skillet before being simmered with heavy cream, pecorino cheese and a bit of lemon zest, breaking down into a special (and yes, decadent) sauce to coat the pasta shape of your choosing. For those looking to make it their own, this pasta could absolutely handle a bit of chopped bacon sautéed with the cauliflower, or handfuls of leafy greens tossed in at the end to wilt. Whatever you do, do not skip the bread crumbs — they are a not-so-stealthy vehicle for more cheese, and also add much-needed texture to the finished dish.
Whole Fish With Soy and Citrus
For those curious about cooking a whole fish but nervous to try, this skillet method is as simple as cooking a chicken breast. Meant to work with a larger fish, such as a snapper or black bass, this method, which keeps the skin and bones involved, prevents overcooking and drying out (plus it's more fun to eat). Basted with a citrusy browned butter-soy mixture, which also acts as a sauce once the fish is cooked, this one-skillet dish needs little more than some spriggy, fresh herbs for nibbling on alongside, but feel free to serve with a big leafy salad, bowl of rice or thick-cut toast.
Cheater’s Turkey Stock
If you have the time or desire (or both) to make your own turkey stock from additional parts and bones before Thanksgiving cooking gets started, feel free. The rest of us can doctor store-bought broth with the “extra” parts of the turkey.
Leafy Herb Salad
This salad is ideal for Thanksgiving or other huge, rich meals, something to nibble on between bites of sour cream potatoes and buttered stuffing. It’s more of an idea than a recipe, so feel free to riff on the greens and herbs involved. It should have about a 1:1 ratio of salad greens to herbs, and be very lemony, with plenty of salt.
Caramelized Shallot Pasta
This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste. Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot. This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.