Nut-Free
1681 recipes found
Croissant Chocolate Pudding
Chicken Soup With Lime and Avocado
When I lived in France, in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, I hardly ever ate avocados. Those sold in the markets were smooth, thin-skinned varieties grown mostly in Israel. They were watery, not as creamy or nutty-tasting as Haas avocados, the dark, pebbly-skinned variety that we get in California. “Poor man’s butter,” they used to call avocados when my father was a child. (Now they would more aptly be described as “rich man’s butter.”) Simple Mexican soups like this one often include avocado, which is diced or sliced and added to the soup when it’s ladled into bowls.
Roasted Duck With Figs
Beurre Blanc
Beurre blanc, that tangy, buttery stovetop concoction, adds flair to steamed artichokes and an indulgent richness to poached fish. Once you put the ingredients over heat, you can’t walk away from them, so make sure the rest of your dinner is ready to go. It comes together quickly, though. Make sure to keep it warm.
Salmon Fillets Braised In Red Wine
Chicken and Chickpea Tagine
Like many dishes that rely on combinations of spices, a tagine, which is a slowly braised stew, may look more intimidating to cook than it is. Even with shortcuts, the results are exotic in flavor and appearance. My version of this tagine may not compare to those that begin with toasting and grinding spices and peeling grapes, but it is easily executed and, I think, divine. Some things to look out for: First, work with dark-meat chicken only and be aware that tagines are on the dry side, so don't add liquid to the sauce unless it is threatening to burn. Home-cooked chickpeas and fresh tomatoes are, of course, preferable to canned varieties, but in this dish the differences are not marked. Do, however, use a vanilla bean, not vanilla extract.
Turkey (or Chicken) Soup With Lemon and Rice
This comforting soup is inspired by a Middle Eastern chicken soup. It’s great with or without leftover turkey — don’t hesitate to pull turkey stock from the freezer and make it with just vegetables and rice.
Risotto With Pumpkin, Ginger and Sage
Chef Peter Berley says, "I’m always looking for ways to cook pumpkin in the fall when Halloween is all around -- it always feels festive and comforting. If pumpkin season has passed, try using sweet potatoes or winter squash."
Creamy Onion Tart
For four generations, the Vongerichten family has been turning out this tart, which is like a quiche but creamier. Chef Jean-Georges says, "My grandmother taught me how to make the basic Pate Brisee pastry crust when I was young. The one thing I learned simply by eating her endless variations on delicious tarts for dinner every night is that this dough can be used for just about anything—sweet or savory."
Curried Chickpea Salad
This dish is surprisingly good considering the ingredients are so simple, and it’s a cinch to make. It’s better to eat the same day, once you stir in the fresh herbs.
Black Rice, Corn and Cranberries
This recipe came to us from Nava Atlas, the author of “Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions.” "The first time I came up with this recipe, I thought I’d better cut the recipe in half so my family of four wouldn’t be eating it for the rest of the week. What a mistake—we tore through it in no time. While it’s a festive eyeful, it’s too good to save for only special occasions, and too simple not to make for everyday meals."
Winter Squash and Sage Blini
Pancakes are a great vehicle for many vegetables. These are simple buttermilk/buckwheat blini with puréed butternut squash and sage whisked into the batter. I make them small and serve them as hors d’oeuvres. For vegetarian blini I top them with drained yogurt and a small spoonful of the sautéed winter squash with anchovies, capers and olives in this week’s recipes. You can also go the more traditional blini route and top with smoked salmon.
Cucumber Raita
Serve this raita as a refreshing side dish with grains or with any curry. Or enjoy it on its own for lunch.
Beet and Tomato Gazpacho
The color alone is reason enough to make this gorgeous gazpacho. This is inspired by a gazpacho by Dani Garcia in Ana von Bremzen’s “The New Spanish Table.” Mr. Garcia’s soup also includes cherries, which I don’t miss in this rendition. One roasted beet transforms a classic into a beautiful original.
Savory Waffles
“One thing my kids really love,” says Chef Linton Hopkins, “is when it’s raining outside at lunchtime and we make a batch of savory waffles. Instead of sugar and syrup, we just fold in Parmesan and Gruyère, if I have some sitting in the refrigerator, and salt and pepper. We have a waffle iron that has shapes of animals and a barn, so I ask my kids, ‘Do you want to be the pig today? Or the chicken? Or have a cow?’?” Try adding herbs and other seasonal produce, like pumpkin puree, to the batter instead of cheese. In the springtime you can add sautéed and chopped asparagus to the batter.
Polenta With Wild Mushrooms and Marinara Sauce
Years ago, I abandoned the traditional stir-until-you-get-a-blister-on-the-inside-of-your-thumb method for making polenta and became a convert to the easy oven-baked version. But then I began working with polenta freshly milled from heirloom varieties of corn, and went back to the top-of-the-stove method because the results were exceptionally creamy and fragrant. This was at the urging of Kay Rentschler, who is the creative director of the Anson Mills website and writes its recipes. She is very specific about the best way to cook the mill’s products, so I followed her instructions for polenta, which are shared here. The flavor of the corn is heavenly, and once it begins to thicken, you don’t have to stir continuously, so it is not tedious to make. You could serve polenta as a side, but I like to show it off and serve it as a main dish (a boon for those who now eschew pasta). It’s a wonderful vehicle for any number of toppings, but my favorite is a simple tomato sauce embellished with pan-cooked mushrooms, preferably meaty, flavorful varieties like oysters or maitakes. If you want to be extravagant, throw a few chanterelles into the mix.
Parmesan and Dill Popcorn
Green Tomato and Swiss Chard Gratin
This is a very comforting and pretty main dish with several layers of good flavor.
Pizza Margherita
This classic pizza — a small amount of mozzarella and a lot of fresh, sliced tomatoes — may inspire other pies in your kitchen. Sometimes I substitute goat cheese for the mozzarella, and sometimes I make this on a yeasted olive oil pastry. So it’s really not a pizza, more like a tart.
Warm Chickpea and Green Bean Salad With Aioli
You could use canned beans for this, but then you wouldn’t have the broth to use for thinning out the aioli.
Mussel Risotto
I usually keep a good supply of arborio rice on hand for risotto, but on the day I first decided to make this I had just about run out. So I cooked up some short-grain brown rice and stirred it in toward the end of cooking, and what resulted was a wholesome mixed-grains risotto. You won’t get the creaminess if you use all brown rice (and it will take forever), but if you want some whole grain, use the combination option.
Israeli Couscous, Bean and Tomato Salad
Finely chopped tomatoes seasoned with garlic, balsamic vinegar and basil serve as both dressing and vegetable in this main dish salad. I’ve been making tomato concassée all summer and using it as a sauce for pasta and fish. I decided to use it as a stand-in for salad dressing in this hearty salad, a simple combination of cooked Israeli couscous and beans. I used canned pinto beans, and they were just fine. Chickpeas would also work. Use lots of basil in the mix. The red onion contributes some crunch. You can add a little celery if you want more texture. Make sure to use sweet, ripe, juicy tomatoes. I love the finishing touch of the feta, but it is optional.
Baby Artichoke Risotto
Here’s another great dish to add to your repertoire of artichoke recipes. The tiny lemon zest and juice really bump up the flavor, so don’t leave them out. Cheese is optional here.
Brown Soda Bread With Oats
For years I’ve been trying to make a moist soda bread loaf like the kind I love to eat when I’m in Ireland. Finally I’ve achieved it with this recipe, which is adapted from Bon Appétit’s recipe for Fallon & Byrne Soda Bread (Fallon & Byrne is a restaurant in Dublin). The bread is a whole-wheat loaf with both rolled and steel-cut (pinhead) oats, and does not have the hard crust that round soda breads can have. One reason is that the moist dough is baked at a lower temperature than free-form soda bread.