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Beef and Broccoli 2

Beef and Broccoli 2

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: Cook! Stacey Cook

Prep:

4 cloves of garlic, minced

10 oz broccoli, cut into florets

3 slices of ginger

Marinate:

10-12 oz beef steak, cut across grain into thin slices

½ tsp soy sauce

3 tsp dark soy sauce

1½ tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

¾ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp black pepper

5 tsp corn starch

8 tsp water, mix until water absorbed, add

4 tsp oil, mix

Cook:

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add

1 TBS oil, add

ginger slices

Broccoli florets, stir fry until coated with oil, add

1 TBS Shaoxing wine

⅛ tsp sugar

⅛ tsp salt

½ cup water, cover, cook for 30 seconds, remove to plate. Add

1 TBS oil,

Marinated beef, spread out and pan fry on one side, add

Minced garlic and flip beef to brown on the other side until 50% cooked. Add

1 TBS Shaoxing wine, cook until evaporated. Add

2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

⅓ cup water, cook until sauce thickens. Turn off heat. Return

Broccoli to pan. Add

¼ tsp black pepper, mix

Serve with steamed rice.

Austrian-Style Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat)

Austrian-Style Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat)

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Yield: 4 to 6

Adapted from: Serious Eats

We’re all familiar with American and German potato salads, but less so with their Austrian counterpart, a lighter, brighter version of the dish that’s simultaneously more refreshing (there’s no mayonnaise in it, and relatively little fat overall) and deeper in flavor, thanks to the incorporation of chicken broth and the savoriness it brings.
Storing potatoes in the refrigerator allows enzymes to convert starches to sugars, giving the potatoes a hint of sweetness and a creamier texture.
Peeling and slicing the potatoes before cooking helps them cook more evenly, while boiling them along with their skin adds back some of the skin’s earthy flavor.
Adding vinegar to the potatoes immediately after cooking allows the vinegar to penetrate more deeply.
Chicken broth adds savory depth to the dressing.

  • 2lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices, peels reserved separately (see note)
  • Kosher salt
  • 3TBS white wine vinegar, divided, plus more to taste
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1TBS Dijon mustard
  • ¾cup minced red onion, from about 1 small onion
  • 2TBS minced fresh chives
  • ½cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2tsp sugar
  • Freshly ground white or black pepper

Place sliced potatoes in a large saucier or Dutch oven and cover with water. Season generously with salt. Place potato skins in a fine-mesh strainer and place on top of pot. Add just enough water to submerge potato skins. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Discard potato skins, drain potatoes, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with 2 TBS vinegar and set aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

Add remaining vinegar, olive oil, mustard, red onion, chives, chicken stock, and sugar. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, roughly stir and fold mixture so that potatoes release some starch and liquid begins to thicken a little. Season to taste with salt and white or black pepper. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. (If resting longer than 4 hours, cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator.) Stir again vigorously to thicken dressing; it should have a loose but not soupy consistency. If it’s too thick, thin it out with a little extra water or chicken stock and re-season. Serve cold, warm or at room temperature.

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: The Kitchn

Ok, this sucks. Looking for a replacement.

For marinating the chicken:

  • 3boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2tsp cornstarch
  • 2tsp soy sauce
  • 2tsp vegetable oil

For the rest of the dish:

  • 3TBS vegetable oil
  • 2cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1lb snap peas or sugar snap peas, trimmed and washed
  • 2TBS Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 3TBS soy sauce
  • 2tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1tsp sugar
  • black pepper, to taste

For slurry:

  • ⅔cup chicken stock
  • 2TBS cornstarch
  • Steamed rice, for serving

Toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Combine the ⅔ cup chicken stock with 2 TBS cornstarch to make a slurry (stir out any lumps) and set aside.

When you’re ready to cook, heat a wok or skillet over high heat almost until smoking. Add 3 TBS oil and sear the chicken just until browned. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.

Add the garlic and snap peas to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the wok, along with the Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Then give the cornstarch slurry a stir and add it to the wok. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds, until the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.

Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts with Cauliflower & Peppers

Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts with Cauliflower & Peppers

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: WaPo

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower and Peppers. You can use just about any crunchy vegetables in place of the cauliflower and peppers. The simple, aromatic seasonings used on both the vegetables and chicken are what really carry the day and make the dish so adaptable.

Note: The skin comes out flabby, better to use boneless, skinless breasts.
Prep: 20 Cook: 35

  • 1medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch florets (5½ cups)
  • 1red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks similar to the florets
  • 1green bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks similar to the florets
  • 3TBS olive oil, divided
  • ½tsp fine salt, divided
  • ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 4garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
  • 1TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1½tsp finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 lb total) or bone-in, skin-on
  • 2TBS fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)
  • 8large pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, sliced (¼ cup)

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 425°F.

In a 9-by-13-by-2-inch ovenproof baking dish, toss the cauliflower and bell peppers with 1 TBS of the olive oil, ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, the remaining 2 TBS of olive oil, the rosemary, lemon zest, and the remaining ¼ tsp of salt and ⅛ tsp of black pepper.

Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, nestling the pieces into the vegetables. It’s okay if the chicken is resting on top of some of the vegetables. Rub the garlic mixture all over each piece of chicken, including under the skin if using bone in, skin on breasts.

Transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast away from the bone, and the vegetables are tender.

Drizzle everything with lemon juice and scatter the olives on top. Divide the chicken among plates, then stir the vegetables in the pan with the accumulated juices and divide among the plates. Serve right away, removing the chicken skin, if desired, right before serving.

Homemade Biscuits

Homemade Biscuits

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Yield: 6-8

Adapted from: Sally’s Baking Addiction

These homemade biscuits are soft and buttery with dozens of flaky layers. This biscuit recipe requires just 7 ingredients and they’re ready in about 35 minutes.
Cook: 35

  • 2½cups AP flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for hands and work surface
  • 1TBS baking powder (see Note)
  • ½tsp baking soda (see Note)
  • 1tsp salt
  • ½cup (8 TBS) unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
  • 1cup + 2 TBS cold buttermilk, divided

-or-

  • ¼cup Saco buttermilk powder
  • 1cup + 2 TBS ice water
  • 2tsp honey

Optional topping:

  • 2TBS butter, melted
  • 1TBS honey

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Make the biscuits: Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, Saco buttermilk powder (if using), and salt in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Cut/pulse until coarse crumbs form.

If you use a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour 1 cup of buttermilk or water (for buttermilk powder) into the well and drizzle honey on top. Using a large spoon or spatula, fold until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots.

Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. The dough will become sticky as you bring it together. Have extra flour nearby and use it often to flour your hands and work surface as needed in this step. Using floured hands, flatten into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle as best you can. Fold one side into the center, then the other side on top. Turn the dough 90 degrees, so it’s now horizontal. Gently flatten into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Gently flatten into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat the folding one last time. Flatten into the final ¾-inch-thick rectangle.

Cut into 2.5- or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. (Tip: Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough because this seals off the edges of the biscuit which prevents them from fully rising.) Re-roll scraps until all the dough is used. You should have about 8–11 biscuits. Arrange in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (see Note) or close together on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure the biscuits are touching.

Brush the tops with remaining buttermilk (use milk if using buttermilk powder). Bake for 18–20 minutes or until tops are golden-brown.

Remove from the oven. If adding the optional topping, whisk the melted butter and honey together. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm biscuits with honey butter topping. Serve warm.

Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Make ahead & freezing instructions: Baked biscuits freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, then warm up to your liking before serving. You can also freeze the biscuit dough. Prepare the dough in steps 2 through 4. Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap (plastic wrap is best for freshness) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 5. Also, after step 4, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before continuing with step 5.

Baking powder: In 2025, I updated this recipe to use both baking powder and baking soda. I’ve found that the texture, color, and flavor excels when using a combination of both. If you’ve always made this recipe using 2 TBS of baking powder, you can certainly continue to do so! However, by reducing the baking powder to 1 TBS and adding ½ tsp of baking soda, the biscuits brown more, have a flakier texture, crispier edges, and you don’t risk a bitter chemical aftertaste.

Butter: Cut into ½-inch cubes. Keep butter as cold as possible until you need it. I recommend placing the cubed butter in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you begin.

Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. However if you’d like the tangy flavor, which I highly recommend, you can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup. (You need 1 cup in the recipe, plus 2 TBS for brushing—you can use regular milk to brush on top.) Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best for the DIY sour milk substitute, though lower-fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch. (In my testing, the biscuits don’t taste as rich or rise quite as tall using lower-fat or nondairy milks.)

Cast-iron skillet: If your cast-iron skillet isn’t well seasoned, I recommend greasing it with a little vegetable oil or melted butter. Brush a thin layer of either on the bottom and around the sides. No need to heat the cast-iron skillet before using, though you certainly can. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes before arranging the shaped biscuits in it.

Silver Palate Carrot Cake

Silver Palate Carrot Cake

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Yield: 10 to 12 Servings

Adapted from: Silver Palate

A spectacular cake.


Carrot Cake:

  • butter, for greasing the pan
  • 3cups unbleached AP flour
  • 3cups sugar
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1TBS baking soda
  • 1TBS ground cinnamon
  • 1½cups corn oil
  • 4large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1TBS vanilla extract
  • 1½cup shelled walnuts, chopped
  • 1½cup shredded coconut
  • 1⅓cup pureed cooked carrots
  • ¾cup drained crushed pineapple
  • cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • ½lemon, juice of


Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch springform pans.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until the edges have pulled away from the sides and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 minutes.

Cool on a cake rack for 3 hours. Fill and frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting.

Frosting

Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl.

Slowly sift in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. The mixture should be free of lumps.

Stir in the vanilla, and lemon juice if desired.

Jewish Chicken Soup

Jewish Chicken Soup

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: The Immigrants Table

This Jewish chicken soup recipe, passed down in my family through generations of women, offers the ultimate comfort in a bowl – a rich, nourishing broth with tender chicken.
Prep: 15 Cook: 75

  • 8chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on
  • 1large onion quartered
  • 1bunch dill
  • 3celery stalks chopped
  • 2bay leaves
  • 6whole peppercorns
  • 3whole allspice berries
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8cups water

In a large pot, combine the chicken thighs, onion, dill, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and water. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Remove chicken thighs from the pot and set aside.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into another pot. Discard solids.

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Return shredded chicken to broth.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve hot, garnished with fresh dill if desired.

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée

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Yield: 8

Adapted from: Food & Wine

This rich and decadent custard topped with crisp caramel topping comes from the famed Le Cirque restaurant in New York City.

  • 4cups heavy cream
  • 1vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • pinch of salt
  • 8egg yolks
  • ¾cup plus 2 TBS granulated sugar
  • 16tsp turbinado sugar, for glazing

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a medium saucepan, cook the cream with the vanilla bean and salt over moderate heat until the surface begins to shimmer.

In a large heatproof bowl, blend the egg yolks and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the hot cream mixture, stirring gently. Strain the custard into a large measuring cup, skim off any bubbles.

Arrange 8 shallow 4½-inch-wide ramekins in a roasting pan (see Note). Slowly pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them almost to the top. Set the roasting pan in the center of the oven and carefully pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the custards are firm at the edges, but still a bit wobbly in the center.

Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and blot the surfaces of the custards to remove any condensation. Using a small sieve, sift 2 tsp of the turbinado sugar over each custard in a thin, even layer. Use a kitchen torch to toast the custards until the sugar is evenly caramelized, 15-45 seconds. Let cool slightly and serve at once.

Italian Meatloaf

Italian Meatloaf

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: Brooklyn Brothers

Craving a delicious and comforting dinner? Our Italian meatloaf is the perfect meal! In this video, we’ll walk you through a simple recipe that will transform classic meatloaf into an Italian-inspired masterpiece.
We’ll share all the tips and tricks for a juicy, flavorful meatloaf, including the secret to our rich tomato glaze.
Cook: 90

Meatloaf:

  • 1½lbs of ground beef
  • 1½lbs. of ground pork
  • 4eggs
  • 2tsp of salt
  • 1tsp of black pepper
  • ½cup Italian parsley
  • ½cup Parmesan
  • 1red bell pepper
  • 1green bell pepper
  • 1medium yellow onion
  • 1cup of sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1cup of grated Provolone cheese for topping

Sauce ingredients:

  • 1medium Yellow Onion
  • 3cloves of garlic
  • ¼cup olive oil, heated
  • 8ripe Roma tomatoes
  • ½cup fresh basil
  • 14oz of crushed tomatoes
  • 1tsp salt
  • ¼tsp black pepper

Meatloaf:

Dice bell peppers and onion and sauté until softened (salt & pepper to taste). Let cool down.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and shape it into a uniform loaf.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Spread tomato sauce evenly over the top, then return it to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven once more, sprinkle with 1 cup of grated provolone cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sauce:

Prepare the vegetables:

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the Roma tomato.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until they turn a light golden color.

Stir in the basil and diced Roma tomato. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.

Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Adapted from: J. Kenji López-Alt / Serious Eats

The key to roasting Brussels sprouts is to use the full-on, frontal-assault, no-prisoners-taken, blast-the-sh*t-out-of-’em approach, a.k.a. very high heat. This allows the exteriors of the sprouts to caramelize and brown, producing sweet by-products, while at the same time making sure that they don’t have enough time to develop the really sulfurous aromas that slower cooking can yield.
Extremely high heat, plus a preheated roasting pan, gives the Brussels sprouts sweet flavor and a nutty char. Halving the sprouts creates more surface area, allowing them to develop plenty of crispy brown edges.

  • 8-24oz Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Adjust oven rack to upper position, place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on it, and preheat oven to 500°F.

Note: You can also use lower heat to match whatever else you have in the oven. I often use anything from 375-425°F. You just need to adjust the time some. Toss sprouts with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove baking sheet from oven and add Brussels sprouts, working quickly to turn them all cut side down. Return to oven and roast until tender and deeply browned, about 20 minutes total. Serve immediately.