Milk & Cream
3644 recipes found

Ritzy Cheddar Chicken Breasts
They’re as good as they sound: cheesy chicken cutlets coated with buttery Ritz crackers. Skipping the usual flour-egg-bread crumb dredge, this recipe relies instead on a flavorful base layer of tangy sour cream, which has lactic acid that tenderizes boneless, skinless chicken breasts beautifully. When it comes to breaded white meat, thin cutlets are ideal, which you can buy from the store or achieve by slicing thick breasts in half horizontally (no pounding necessary). They cook more evenly this way, staying tender throughout as they’re quickly baked in a hot oven. Serve with something fresh — a big green salad, perhaps — to balance the wonderful richness of this nostalgic number.

Hara Masala Murgh (Green Masala Chicken)
As is the case with every South Asian dish, variations of hara masala murgh abound. In the south of India, fresh desiccated coconut is used in place of yogurt, which is a common ingredient in the northern parts of Pakistan and India. The stalwarts of the dish across regions are copious amounts of fresh cilantro and mint — hence its name hara masala, which means green masala. In Lahore, it is commonly found on restaurant menus, and its peppery herbaceousness is a welcome reprieve from the tomato-onion gravies typical in Punjabi cooking. This version uses thinly sliced chicken breast. It also skips over the tedium of grinding almonds in favor of using almond butter. These two shortcuts mean a quicker cooking time and a creamy texture.

Cherry Yum-Yum
If its name is any indication, this retro Southern no-bake dessert maximizes flavor — and it does so while minimizing time, effort and ingredients. Layers of graham cracker crust, tangy cream cheese and canned cherry pie filling create a dessert that straddles a no-bake cheesecake and a classic trifle. The graham cracker crust sets as it chills, lending both texture and a toasty flavor that balances the rich dairy and the sweet pie filling. Almond extract, though optional, complements the cherries perfectly. Yum-yum is the perfect blank canvas party dessert — you can amend it with different cookie bases (Oreos or gingersnaps); flavorings in the cream (Kirsch or almond liqueur); and pie fillings (apple or berry) to suit all seasons and tastes.

Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Chicken With Broccoli
Gochujang, a staple of Korean cooking, is a fermented red chile paste made from spicy Korean chile peppers and glutinous rice. Here, it’s combined with coconut milk, which mellows the spicy gochujang into a creamy sauce. Fresh ginger is the key ingredient, infusing the sauce with brightness and spice that balance the rich coconut. This recipe calls for broccoli as the vegetable accompaniment, but cauliflower or brussels sprouts would also work. The sauce can be made in larger batches and used on grilled pork ribs, chicken wings or even pan-fried tofu.

Magic Cookie Bars
Coconut dream bars. Magic cookie bars. Hello Dolly bars. You’ve seen these classic treats at bake sales, holiday parties and potlucks over the years. But they tend to crumble when cut, thanks to a thin graham cracker crust. And, topped with gobs of super-sweet shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk and semisweet chocolate, they have a cloying bite that may be too much for even the sweetest tooth. This version starts with a thicker graham cracker cookie base. It's baked with an egg, a bit of brown sugar and some leavener, which makes it pleasantly dense and chewy and means that it cuts nicely and stands up well to the decadent toppings. Next, unsweetened flaked coconut and dark chocolate are layered with plenty of chopped pecans and condensed milk. The slightly bitter chocolate and toasty coconut tame the sweetness of the condensed milk, which caramelizes as it cooks, making the whole package well-balanced and full of flavor.

Fast Tandoori Chicken
Here’s a dead-simple weeknight meal that Mark Bittman came up with at the dawn of the century for fast tandoori chicken – chicken quickly marinated in yogurt and spices, then run under the broiler for less than 10 minutes. The whole process takes about an hour, but the active cooking time is around 20 minutes in total, and it makes for a delicious family meal when served with Basmati rice and some sautéed spinach.

Chicken Paillard With Parmesan Bread Crumbs
This recipe doesn’t take long to get on the table, and you can get some aggression out at the start of the process by pounding down the chicken breasts. Then dredge the chicken in bread crumbs and Parmesan and sauté it in butter. At the end, you’ll spoon brown butter over the top and add a sprinkling of capers for a very simple meal that looks very fancy indeed.

Chicken Breasts With Miso-Garlic Sauce
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are known for becoming dry, but brining them before cooking helps retain moisture. The chicken is soaked in cold, salted water to which a small amount of whey or yogurt is added. (The lactic acid and phosphates in the dairy help with moisture retention.) However, the star of this recipe isn’t the chicken: It’s the sauce, made from miso, plenty of garlic and a good amount of lemon and leftover pan juices. Just take care when salting it: Miso is salty by nature, and lemon juice tends to heighten its brininess. Round out the meal by pairing it with white rice, or a vibrant salad.

Chicken Schnitzel With Pan-Roasted Grapes
No matter how you spin it, making schnitzel is a bit of a process. But by starting with thinly sliced chicken breasts, or chicken cutlets, this recipe removes the most time-consuming step — pounding the chicken — and makes schnitzel more doable on a weeknight. The contrast in temperatures and textures from the pan-roasted grapes and tangy sour cream make for perfectly balanced bites. Serve with a simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette.

Atlantic Beach Pie
Like a dreamy mash-up between a key lime and lemon meringue pie, this surprisingly fast and easy dessert is adapted from Bill Smith, who retired in 2019 after 25 years as the chef at Crook’s Corner, a Chapel Hill, N.C. restaurant that closed in June 2021. He was inspired by the lemon pies he ate at seafood restaurants in Atlantic Beach, N.C., while vacationing there as a child. While a food processor makes quick work of the saltine cracker crust, you don’t really need any special equipment — you can just as easily make it with your hands. Top it with whipped cream just before serving, and if you’re feeling flush, sprinkle it with flaky sea salt as they did at Crook's Corner, and citrus zest as we do: a lazy summer’s day in pie form.

Coconut Sambal Chicken With Rice
Sri Lankan coconut sambal is a savory and spicy condiment made mainly from freshly grated coconut, shallots or red onion and fresh or dried chiles. For convenience, this version uses unsweetened shredded coconut instead of fresh, since it’s more accessible and easier to work with. The sambal can be customized to suit varying heat levels; use three chiles for a spicy sambal, or five for even more heat. It’s typically served on the side as an accompaniment to meals, and commonly sprinkled over rice and curries. In this recipe, bright sambal complements lean chicken breast, which benefits from rich, nutty coconut milk. The sambal keeps for about a week in the fridge and is terrific on roasted fish and pork chops, as well as on sautéed spinach or broccoli.

Dolester Miles’ Coconut Pecan Cake
This is a rich, special-occasion cake that takes the traditional Southern coconut cake to another level, with ground toasted pecans in the batter and an easy-to-make Chantilly cream for frosting. It has become the signature dessert for Dolester Miles, who serves slices over a little puddle of crème anglaise at Chez Fonfon and Bottega, and sometimes at the Highlands Bar & Grill, the Birmingham, Ala., restaurants owned by Frank and Pardis Stitt. Assembly can be a challenge, so she suggests building the cake by stacking the delicate slabs of cake with filling in between each layer into a deep, round cake pan, then slipping it into the refrigerator for about an hour. The filling acts like a delicious glue. When the cake is inverted and unmolded, the edges have an even, professional appearance.

Peanut Butter Pie
Dead simple to make, this pie hits all the right notes. Sweet, nutty peanut butter mellows next to the tang of rich cream cheese and gets a lift from a little whipped cream. But if that doesn’t convince you, the chocolate cookie crust may. This version relies on five ingredients, instead of pre-made cookies, with the cocoa giving it a deep chocolate flavor. The crust is pressed into a well-buttered pie plate, baked, then cooled, ready to be filled and chilled. When it's time to serve, you have options: Finish it with a decorative chocolate topping or a puff of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Festival
According to Helen Willinsky, author of “Jerk From Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style” (Ten Speed Press, 2007), festival is a relatively new entry into the Jamaican culinary canon, “but it is already a must.” A cousin of cornbread and hush puppies, festival is a fluffy yet crisp cornmeal-based fritter that is often seasoned with nutmeg or vanilla, then shaped into “fingers” or long buns and fried. (To make them vegan, substitute an equal quantity of full-fat coconut milk for the whole milk.) A touch of nutmeg adds warmth, and salt balances and enhances the sweetness of the corn. Serve festival with jerk chicken, ribs or fish.

Blackberry Corn Cobbler
This cobbler substitutes fresh, juicy kernels and corn milk for traditional heavy cream, taking advantage of the sweetness of seasonal corn and adding texture to a buttery crust. Grating two large ears of corn should produce enough liquid for the topping, but, if not, you can grate a third ear, or add cream or milk. The rich, crumbly crust also gets some of its moisture from the filling, which is extra syrupy from the mashed blackberries. Serve the cobbler warm with a splash of heavy cream, a dollop of coconut yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Finishing it all off with a drizzle of dark rum, while not necessary, is especially sweet.

Lane Cake
This version of the classic Southern cake takes all of fruitcake’s best elements — bourbon-soaked dried fruit, toasty pecans and shredded coconut — and weaves them into a rich, custardy filling set between three layers of tender vanilla cake. It’s a special occasion dessert and a nightcap, all rolled into one. Acetate strips (see Tip) are useful for holding the layers in place while assembling, but if finding them is too much of a bother, use parchment or follow the instructions to assemble the cake without the strips. The flavor of this cake improves with time, so allow a few hours — or even a few days — before slicing and enjoying.

Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese
Ever dream of serving warm grilled cheese sandwiches to a crowd without feeling like a short-order line cook or getting stuck with a slightly soggy sandwich? A sheet pan can help: It allows you to cook four sandwiches at once, with less attention than they require on the stovetop, and provides the opportunity to add cheese to the outsides for a crisp, chip-like contrast to the gooey filling. This oven technique is amenable to different kinds of breads and cheeses, and can take additions for melts. Grilled cheese just got even more convenient.

Pan-Seared Zucchini
A zucchini and a steak may not have much in common, but, like steak, zucchini takes incredibly well to the method of quickly searing in a smoking hot pan. Zucchini has a high water content, so cooking it fast means it retains its structure and doesn’t release too much water, and doing so over high heat yields a beautiful char. A quick baste with brown butter, rosemary and garlic adds even more steakhouselike flavor. The recipe calls for 1½ tablespoons butter, but feel free to use a bit more if you like. Finally, choose smaller zucchini if you can; they tend to be less watery, more flavorful, and contain smaller seeds than their larger counterparts. If you can only find larger zucchini (or if you only have a 10-inch skillet), use two zucchini instead of three to avoid crowding the pan.

Lemon Bundt Cake
This is a big, bold lemony cake that uses the zest, juice and flesh of lemons for an extrapuckery bite. A thin layer of crackly lemon glaze coats the whole cake for a beautiful and delicious finish. Serve this cake as is, or add some berries and whipped cream to dress it up. It tastes even better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead. Since it makes use of the lemon skins, use organic or unwaxed lemons if you can.

Mashed Cauliflower
For surprisingly flavorful and creamy mashed cauliflower, cook your florets not in water but in a gently simmering pot of milk seasoned with garlic and thyme. When the cauliflower is mashed (or blended), the pectin in the cauliflower will thicken and smooth the mash. Add the garlic- and herb-infused milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach a light, silky consistency. All that’s needed is a little sour cream for tang. Save the leftover infused milk for braising white beans, a can of tomatoes, or for making more mashed cauliflower.

The Crunchiest Summer Fruit Crumble
The secret to this fruit crumble is to bake the sweet, cinnamon-scented topping separately, to dry it out. Then when you pile those crumbs over a mound of juicy summer fruit, they won’t absorb as much liquid, and stay crisp and cookielike. You can make the crumbs a day ahead. But the crumble is best baked on the day you serve it, preferably while still a little warm and brimming with syrupy fruit. Make sure to taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Sweeter fruit like strawberries, cherries and blueberries need less sugar than tart plums and nectarines. A spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream makes this even better.

Blueberry Cream Popsicles
These naturally purple pops are made with a combination of simmered blueberries puréed into an easy no-churn ice cream base. You can substitute yogurt or crème fraîche for the sour cream; either will give the popsicles a subtle tang. You can use fresh or frozen berries. (Frozen berries can be thawed and used as directed in the method below. Or use them straight from the freezer, but add 2 to 4 minutes to the cook time.) The number of pops this recipe makes depends on the size and shape of the molds used. The base can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you need to freeze in batches; just give the mixture a stir before using.

Peach Poundcake
This recipe proves that the perfect summer pound cake takes no special equipment or skill to pull off. Once you’ve prepared the peaches, this is essentially a dump-and-whisk cake. Puréed peaches (plus an extra egg yolk) keep the cake from drying out. Diced peaches add bursts of fresh fruit, and a peach glaze lends another layer of flavor. Use sweet, ripe peaches for best results, but frozen work fine here, too. If you’re looking for a spin on classic peaches and cream, serve a slice with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Tomato-Butter Pasta
When you have ripe, perfect tomatoes that you want to enjoy without much fuss, this is the pasta to make. (If your tomatoes are tasteless, your pasta will be too, so don’t try this with the off-season grocery store variety.) It’s inspired by pan con tomate, in which grated tomato and its juices are spooned onto garlic toasts. Here, with vigorous stirring, grated tomato and cold butter form a glossy, light, pretty-in-pink sauce that tastes of sweet, just-cooked tomato. The red-pepper flakes, garlic, basil and Parmesan bring out the flavor of the tomato, and while there are plenty of other ways to embellish further, you don’t need to: This is lazy, easy summer cooking at its best. (P.S. Leftovers make a great room-temperature pasta salad.) To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.