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661 recipes found
Shrimp in Rundown Sauce With Cavatelli
Richly flavored rundown, popular across the Caribbean, is the result of gently simmering seafood in coconut milk and tomatoes with aromatics such as scallions, onion and garlic until the flavors are concentrated and intense. Some say it gets its name from the way it lightly runs down and coats any starch or protein with which it comes into contact. At her restaurant, Bywater American Bistro, the chef Nina Compton tosses shrimp and house-made gnocchi with a rundown sauce made with the shrimp shells and scented with ginger and lemongrass. Here it’s served with cavatelli or shell pasta and is every bit as delicious. Lime zest plus a garnish of mixed soft herbs such as basil, chives and dill brighten the dish and add a hint of freshness.
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
This simple method for making homemade fudge takes only 15 minutes to throw together, and it calls for just five basic ingredients. This fudge is smooth, creamy and sweet, and it’s packed with peanut butter flavor. Because of its high butter content, fudge is best stored in the refrigerator, and it’s easiest to cut into squares after it’s been thoroughly chilled. The fudge can be served directly from the fridge, but for optimal creaminess, let it sit at room temperature for a half hour. While this recipe calls for an 8-inch-square pan, a 9-inch-square pan or rectangular pan with a similar volume works, too.
Ham and Bean Soup
Hearty and comforting, this soup is a great way to use the ham hock or any leftover ham from a holiday meal. However, you don’t need a special occasion to make it. Both ham hocks and cooked ham are available year-round. The pork, combined with vegetables and herbs, make for a rich and flavorful stock. (For extra flavor, feel free to sub in chicken broth for the water.) Slowly simmering the dried beans adds body and creaminess that isn’t quite the same with canned beans.
Italian Wedding Soup
This name of this popular Italian-American soup comes from a mistranslation of “minestra maritata,” a Southern Italian soup in which meat and vegetables are “married” together. Wedding or no wedding, the appeal of this comforting and easy soup endures: The combination of mini meatballs, pasta and greens in savory chicken broth, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan, is always a crowd pleaser.
Saag Shrimp
Saag comes in so many ingenious variations. Leafy greens, such as spinach, amaranth, mustard greens or fenugreek, make up the bulk. A heady blend of spices and aromatics provide the foundation, and different proteins can be added to enhance texture and flavor. This version, adapted from the chef Pourin Singh’s recipe at Le Taj in Montreal, is made with plump shrimp, which add a complementary brininess. The secret to Mr. Singh’s version is the freshness of his ingredients: the spices, the spinach, the shrimp and even the chopped tomato garnish. Serve while still warm, alongside steamed fluffy basmati rice and fresh naan, topped with green chile chutney, tamarind chutney or fresh kachumbari for a lovely pop of acid and heat.
One-Pan Zucchini-Pesto Orzo
Keeping pesto on hand (store-bought or homemade and frozen) is one of the greatest kitchen time-savers, since stirring just a spoonful into a dish can add so much herby, garlicky flavor. Here, pesto builds on a pan of orzo loaded with zucchini and onions that have been sautéed together until golden brown. Cooking the orzo in vegetable or chicken stock bolsters the pasta’s flavor as the broth reduces into a silky sauce. Then, pesto is added at the very end to preserve its brightness. Finally, just before serving, a caprese-like mix of marinated mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh mint is stirred into the pan. Filled with vegetables and milky cheese, this dish is especially satisfying and very easy to make.
Grated Tomato Pasta
It’s tough to highlight peak summer tomatoes in pasta. To make the most out of their bright flavor, summer tomatoes should be minimally cooked. This recipe gently warms the fruit, so they keep their acidity and succulence. Since the tomato hasn’t had the liquid cooked out, it doesn’t cling to the spaghetti the way a cooked pomodoro would, but this keeps the dish light and bright, and makes it perfect for a hot summer day. Be sure to serve with plenty of bread to sop up the cheesy sauce that is left behind at the bottom of the bowl. If juicy, ripe tomatoes aren’t around, swap out for cherry tomatoes and blend them instead of grating to get a similar effect.
Soy-Butter Corn Ramen
This easy, one-pot noodle recipe employs the sweetness of summer corn to balance out the umami of the butter and soy sauce. It’s a nod to wafu pasta dishes, which fuse Japanese and Italian cooking traditions, flavors and ingredients. Corn cobs are used in this recipe to create a quick, sweet corn-infused water to cook the noodles. (Don’t be tempted to add more water, as the amount specified will yield perfectly al dente noodles with just the right amount of broth, which intensifies as it concentrates.) The corn kernels go in at the last minute, which mutes any raw notes while maintaining sweetness and crispness. Though light enough for summer, this dish has depth.
Crispy Potato Tacos
Potato tacos, or tacos de papa, as they are known in Mexico, make the perfect meal for those times when you find yourself with an excess of potatoes and a package of tortillas on hand. Tortillas are an endlessly versatile pantry item. In this recipe, adapted from “Tenderheart” by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023), they are stuffed with potato and cheese for a deeply satisfying meal or light snack. Cooking the potatoes whole, skin intact, prevents them from absorbing too much water, and the skin also adds a nice texture to the filling. Shortcuts are always available: If you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes, you can use them and skip the first step.
Cashew Celery
This vegan cashew and celery stir-fry, which is adapted from “Tenderheart” by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023), offers a lovely jumble of textures that form a dish that is uncomplicated but elegant. Celery is an ingredient that performs well in stir-fries, as it perfumes the entire dish and delivers a gratifying, crisp-tender crunch. You can use any leafy greens in this dish, but if they have thick stems (like gai lan), make sure you cut them in half lengthwise, which will help them cook quickly and evenly. Cashews add a creamy nuttiness, and tofu provides substance — but you could opt for shiitake mushrooms in its stead.
Paneer Chile Dry
Served at restaurants on both sides of the Pakistan-India border, this spicy, sticky paneer’s popularity is testament to China’s culinary influence on the region. The word “dry” in the title references the preparation’s consistency compared to more saucy, gravy-rich dishes. Coating paneer in batter then frying it gives the mild fluffy cheese a crispy crust, then tossing it in a thick chile-soy sauce imbues it with salt and heat. Onion and bell pepper provide just enough fresh, sweet relief until the next bite. The dish forms a deluge of pleasurable textures and fiery flavor in 30 minutes. If you’d like, you can substitute tofu for the paneer and skip the batter frying.
Basil-Butter Pasta
This pasta captures the essence of basil, without pesto’s garlic, nuts and salty cheese tussling for attention. It smells like a sun-warmed basil plant, one of summer's greatest moments. To make it, simply blanch basil leaves to lock in their color, then blitz them with butter. As the bright-green basil butter melts onto hot pasta, it carries the sweet pepperiness (and the smell, too!) of the herb into every nook and cranny.
Zucchini Tofu Udon
Fuyu, or fermented tofu, is the umami star of this quick noodle dish, delivering a briny, tangy saltiness that is also creamy. Also called furu or doufuru, it is made by fermenting soybean curds in a brine of rice wine, water, salt and spices. It has a strong flavor on its own, but when used to stir-fry noodles (or greens, as it is commonly employed in Chinese cooking), its punchiness mellows into a subtly sweet hum that is redolent of buttery blue cheese. This dish is finished with a generous amount of black pepper, giving it unmistakable cacio e pepe vibes. In a dish where black pepper is front and center like this one, freshly ground is preferred, but measuring it can be cumbersome, so if you are using a grinder, 1 teaspoon amounts to about 50 to 60 turns.
Zucchini Pasta With Crispy Capers and Pistachios
This pasta dish celebrates zucchini, cooking it two ways. Half the zucchini is thinly sliced into rounds, fried then steeped in red wine vinegar for a sweet and sour kick. The remaining zucchini is cut into large chunks and braised until it’s so silky that it seems to melt into the pasta sauce. Cooking the pasta directly in its sauce takes a little more attention than usual, especially toward the end of cooking when the liquid reduces to a sauce, so be sure to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. This one-pot cooking approach allows all the starch released from the pasta to be captured in the sauce, creating a rich, glossy coating without the addition of dairy. The fried topping adds bursts of flavor and texture, turning this into a show-stopping dish. This pasta works just as well cold, so can be made in advance.
Chana Masala
Variations of chana masala, which means spiced chickpeas, are found across South Asia. This version, particularly common in Punjab, calls for a simple spiced onion and tomato mixture, which serves as the foundation for the humble chickpea. The nutty and buttery legume benefits from both dried chile powder and fresh chiles, coriander and the spice blend garam masala. Thinly sliced ginger and cilantro, added upon serving, add freshness. Both canned and dried chickpeas work for this dish, and in the case of the former, the resulting bowl of comfort feels nothing short of a miracle in under 30 minutes.
Beef Chow Fun
Chewy, caramelized, slightly charred noodles are the star of beef chow fun, the Cantonese classic. (“Chow” means “stir-fry” and “fun” means “rice noodles.”) Scorching wide, springy rice noodles on a very hot surface achieves something similar to wok hei, the smoky savoriness that is the signature of wok stir-fries. The dish’s history is not certain, but according to “The Wok” by J. Kenji López-Alt (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022), some believe it originated at a food stall in Guangzhou (then Canton), China, during the Japanese occupation in the late 1930s and early 1940s. A Japanese military commander ordered hor fun noodles, but the stall was out of the starch needed to make the gravy. The cook improvised, stir-frying the beef and noodles with a thin, savory soy sauce until it was absorbed. It was so good that it stood the test of time.
Frijoles de Olla (Homestyle Black Beans)
This beloved dish often starts with unsoaked dried beans, which are traditionally cooked in an olla, earthenware pot, or other types of clay pots, such as a cazuela de barro. Any pot works and the seasonings are generally simple — usually onion, garlic, herbs and sometimes lard or pork — but the resulting flavor is rich and complex. A staple throughout Mexico, this dish varies from region to region in the types of beans used and include pinto beans, black beans and Mayocoba beans. Eaten as is as a side or a main dish, frijoles de olla also can be puréed, smashed or refried and used as a sauce or a filling for dishes like tetelas.
Tetelas de Frijol Negro (Black Bean Masa Dumplings)
Tetelas, triangle-shaped dumplings, are wrapped with a thin disk of masa and usually filled with a rich and spicy black bean purée. With roots in Mesoamerica, tetelas are thought to have originated in the pre-Aztec culture of the Mixtec people. They lived in the current Mexican states of Oaxaca and parts of nearby Puebla, where tetelas remain popular today. In this version, avocado leaves perfume the beans with hints of citrus and anise, but if you don’t have them, you can use a combination of parsley and tarragon instead. Tetelas can be served alongside a meal like hearty dinner rolls or as a side dish, topped with shredded lettuce or cabbage, salsa, crema, chopped cilantro and onion and a sprinkle of queso Cotija.
Tortillas de Maíz
Any reservations you might have had about making corn tortillas from scratch will disappear the moment you taste them: warm, soft and chewy, they actually taste like corn. Freshly made masa purchased from a Mexican market or tortilleria will give you the most soulful flavor and texture, but masa harina is a close second that turns out tortillas that are still miles ahead of packaged ones. When mixed with water and salt, masa presses easily into rounds if it’s properly hydrated according to the tips below. A staple of the Mexican table, homemade tortillas are served with most meals the way bread is in other countries. And while outside Mexico, tacos may be their most well-known use, they can be toasted to make tostadas; stuffed, rolled and fried to make taquitos or flautas; or bathed in a chile, bean, tomato or mole sauce to make enchiladas, enfrijoladas, entomatadas and enmoladas.
Gorditas de Maíz
Gorditas are thicker and heartier than their flat tortilla cousins and are even easier to make. They don’t require a tortilla press and can be shaped simply by patting masa dough flat. Once cooked, they are often split in the center like a pita and filled with stewed meats and vegetables. Their extra thickness helps to absorb guisos, braises, and to hold their structure and shape when they are stuffed with saucier fillings like pork pulled off the bone from encacahuatado de costillas de cerdo. Gorditas also can be served uncut and used like a thick tortilla for swiping through mole negro.
Roscioli Roman Cacio e Pepe
The Roscioli family has built its own culinary empire in Rome since the 1960s, including bread bakeries, a pastry shop, a wine bar and a salumeria that moonlights as a restaurant. It’s a straight-from-the-airport destination for many American chefs, who go to taste the best food and wine from all over Italy, plus perfected Roman classics like cacio e pepe. The Roscioli method involves making a “crema” of cheese, pepper and water in advance. (It can also be refrigerated for later use.) The cheese needs to be grated until fine and feathery, so that it will melt quickly, and the hot pasta water must be added slowly. Unlike many recipes, the pasta here should be fully cooked, not al dente; it won’t cook any further once it’s added to the cheese.
Sardine Pasta Puttanesca
Pasta puttanesca packs a punch, loaded with flavorful pantry staples like capers, olives, garlic, anchovies and red-pepper flakes. This version adds sardines and swaps the canned tomatoes for plump cherry tomatoes, which both bring meaty bites to this simple dish. It’s best in the summer, when the tomatoes are especially ripe and juicy. Keep the pasta quite undercooked, so it can become tender while simmering in the burst tomato sauce. The sauce will look thin at first, but just keep vigorously stirring and it will get glossy and emulsified.
Filet Mignon
For filet mignon that is supremely tender and stress-free, slow and steady wins the race. Skip the smoking-hot pan and the oven finish. Instead, flip often in a medium-hot skillet and baste with butter. The moderate temperature develops a browned crust without toughening the meat and makes hitting the ideal temperature for a rosy-pink center much easier. It's like a culinary version of the tortoise and the hare. The butter, studded with black pepper, adds a spicy richness to the lean and mild meat, though feel free to add smashed and peeled garlic and rosemary or thyme sprigs to the pan as well. Serve alongside a wedge salad, sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes.
Taco Salad
This Mexican American classic has roots at Disneyland. Charles Elmer Doolin, a cofounder of the Frito Company, created an edible cup out of Fritos and served it at his Disneyland restaurant, Casa de Fritos, in 1955. It was the size of a teacup, filled with ground beef, beans and sour cream, and called the Ta-Cup (a portmanteau of taco and cup). The creation was a hit, with recipes for taco salad made with various corn chips proliferating in the ’60s, becoming a staple in school cafeterias, and eventually growing into the jumbo version added to the Taco Bell menu in 1984. (The menu item was retired in 2020.) You can use any corn chip for this recipe, and there’s no need for it to be in cup form, but opt for Fritos, if you want that authentic taste.