Recipes By Mark Bittman
973 recipes found
Easy Brownies
The first time I made brownies without my mother was in the late 1960s, using a recipe from Paula Peck, the cookbook writer. Over the years, I tinkered with that and a similar version by Marion Cunningham. As my daughters learned to cook, they experimented a bit further. But we never really strayed from the originals. As long as you keep the flour to a minimum and don't add chemical leavening like baking powder, you will produce a true and beautiful brownie.
Simple Chicken Biriyani
When you raise the lid on a pot of good biriyani, the smell should beguile you: chicken, butter and spices should dominate, followed by the subtle aroma of basmati rice. You might even smell the salt.
Cacio e Pepe
It is among the most basic, simplest pastas there is, and one of the darlings of Rome, appearing on nearly every menu. Why? Because when made right, it is incredible. The secret, as it turns out, is to stir the mostly cooked pasta quite vigorously so that its starch emulsifies with the seasonings and added water.
Slow-Cooker Cassoulet
Many look down their noses at the slow cooker, but it's perfect for some dishes. Stews, for one. This sausage, duck and white bean stew is rich and hearty, and you can leave the dish wholly unattended for five to seven hours as it cooks. Brown the meat before you put it in the pot or not.
Green Beans With Lemon Vinaigrette
Grab-and-go offerings of picnicky food are almost universally mediocre and exasperatingly expensive. Resist the temptation to outsource and make your own. This recipe is built to last. You can make it a day or two ahead of time, or leave it out on the counter if you're going to eat these green beans within a few hours of making it.
Green Beans With Lemon Vinaigrette
Grab-and-go offerings of picnicky food are almost universally mediocre and exasperatingly expensive. Resist the temptation to outsource and make your own. This recipe is built to last. You can make it a day or two ahead of time, or leave it out on the counter if you're going to eat these green beans within a few hours of making it.
Grilled Sardines and Asparagus With Citrus, Chiles and Sesame
Braised Lamb With Red Wine and Prunes
Though far less glorified than rib chops or legs, lamb shoulder is explosively delicious and juicy – also, cheap. Like the shoulders of pigs and cows, it is a hardworking muscle rippled with intramuscular fat, which makes it ideal for stewing or braising. But the shoulder’s not that hardworking, which keeps it tender enough to be subjected to the shorter blasts of heat typically reserved for more elegant cuts. Here, it's braised in a flavorful mixture of prunes, red wine and spices until tender.
Lamb With Mint Chimichurri
Though far less glorified than rib chops or legs, lamb shoulder is explosively delicious and juicy. Like the shoulders of pigs and cows, it is a hardworking muscle rippled with intramuscular fat, which makes it ideal for the stewing or braising that’s requisite this times of year. But the shoulder’s not that hardworking, which keeps it tender enough to be subjected to the shorter blasts of heat typically reserved for more elegant cuts.
Lamb With Lemon Grass and Ginger
Braised Lamb With Anchovies, Garlic and White Wine
Vietnamese Lamb
Though far less glorified than rib chops or legs, lamb shoulder is explosively delicious and juicy – also, cheap. Like the shoulders of pigs and cows, it is a hardworking muscle rippled with intramuscular fat, which makes it ideal for stewing or braising. But the shoulder’s not that hardworking, which keeps it tender enough to be subjected to the shorter blasts of heat typically reserved for more elegant cuts. Here it's marinated in a Vietnamese marinade overnight, then broiled or grilled into fantastic submission.
Braised Lamb With Tomato and Almonds
Tomato Sauce With Onion and Butter
Falafel
These tender and surprisingly light falafel are excellent tucked into a pita or served as an appetizer with a bowl of creamy tahini sauce. Deep-frying is called for here, but don't fret. Frying is thought of as messy, but this can be mitigated by the simplest of measures: Use a heavy, broad and deep pot, a fair amount of oil and don’t crowd (cook in batches if you need to). You’ll know when they’re done because the color will be evenly gorgeous. If you're still not convinced, you can bake the falafel on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes. The results won't be as crisp, but equally delicious.
Sheet-Pan Shrimp With Tomatoes, Feta and Oregano
Ready in 10 minutes, this Mark Bittman recipe from 2013 is a perfect weeknight recipe. It relies heavily on garlic, oregano and black pepper as a coating for the shrimp. Serve alongside a hearty salad or with a stack of flatbread for an easy meal. In his original piece, a roundup of shrimp recipes, he suggested wild shrimp from the Pacific or Gulf of Mexico, or fresh local shrimp from Maine or the Carolinas, if they’re available to you. All, he wrote, are “preferable from a sustainability perspective.”
Thai-Style Broiled Shrimp
Rustic Shrimp Cocktail
This unfussy take on shrimp cocktail calls for roasting the shrimp instead of poaching it. The shrimp cook in a flash, and roasting cherry tomatoes alongside gives you a headstart on a warm, savory version of cocktail sauce. For the freshest shrimp possible, buy it frozen and thaw it yourself. If you buy it ‘‘individually quick frozen’’ in resealable bags, you can take out only as many as you want and thaw them by leaving the shrimp in the fridge for 24 hours or running them under cool water for an hour or less.
Zucchini With Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Microwave Summer Vegetable Soup
Tahini Salad
Tomato and Zucchini Panzanella
Any Fruit Jam
Here is the foundation recipe for easy, fast jam. Take a pound of your favorite fruit, a quarter-cup of sugar, some seasonings and a few other ingredients, and cook until thick. That’s it. Store it in the fridge, where it will keep at least a week. Your breakfast just got way more delicious.
Greek-Style Watermelon Salad
It's not an immediately obvious combination – watermelon, cucumber, olives and feta – but one bite will leave you convinced that this savory-sweet summer salad is something truly special. The astringent punch of the olives and feta provides a sophisticated counterpoint to the watery mellowness of the melon and cucumber. With a hunk of bread, it's a lovely light lunch; with practically any grilled meat or fish, it's an ideal summer supper.