It's Good Though…

Yield: 4 to 6Servings

Adapted from: Serious Eats

• 5cups water, milk, or chicken stock or vegetable stock (see note)
• 1cup (5 oz) medium or coarse cornmeal/polenta (see note)
• Kosher salt
• 2TBS (1 oz) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

If using the standard method: Add water, milk, or stock to a large saucier or saucepan and set over high heat. Sprinkle in cornmeal while whisking (water does not have to be boiling).

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Let boil, stirring frequently, until polenta thickens enough that it starts to spit. Lower heat immediately to prevent spitting and continue to cook, stirring frequently with a spoon or silicone spatula and scraping bottom to prevent scorching, until polenta becomes thick and pulls away from side of saucepan, about 30 minutes for presoaked cornmeal and 50 minutes for dry cornmeal. Season with salt.

Stir in butter or olive oil, using either a spoon, a silicone spatula, or a whisk. If polenta forms lumps, beat vigorously with a stiff whisk to remove. If polenta becomes too firm or begins to set, add a small amount of water, stock, or milk and beat in with a whisk until liquid is fully incorporated and no lumps remain.

Serve right away with accompaniment of your choice, or scrape into a vessel and chill until set, then cut into pieces for grilling, searing, or frying.

Yield: 4 Servings

Maneet Chauhan / Bon Appétit

No tomato in this one.
Shrimp:

• 2lb 21/25 shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 2bay leaves
• 2cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
• 4whole cloves
• 2tsp ground turmeric
• 2tsp garam masala
• 1tsp ground cardamom
• Kosher salt

Sauce:

• 1TBS olive oil
• 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1TBS finely chopped ginger
• 2tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp Kashmiri or other mild red pepper powder
• 1tsp sugar
• 1cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
• 2TBS plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1TBS ghee

Serving:

• finely chopped cilantro, cooked basmati rice, and lime wedges

Shrimp: Toss shrimp, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, garam masala, and cardamom in a large bowl until shrimp are well coated. Season with salt. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and chill 1 hour. Remove and discard bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves.

Sauce: Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add onion, ginger, cumin, red pepper powder, and sugar and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and yogurt and whisk until smooth, then add shrimp and ghee and simmer, turning shrimp halfway through, until shrimp are cooked through, 7–8 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

Top with cilantro and serve with rice and lime wedges.

Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from NY Times

Curry powder is stirred into this braise only during the last minute of cooking, delivering a bright hit of spice on top of the paprika and turmeric mellowed into the slow-simmered chicken. This dish from “Burma Superstar” by Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy (Ten Speed Press, 2017), needs time on the stove but not much attention, and gets even better after resting in the fridge, making it an ideal weeknight meal that can last days. There’s plenty of coconut milk broth to spoon over rice or noodles. At his restaurant, Burma Superstar in Oakland, Calif., Mr. Tan also serves this with platha, a buttery, flaky Burmese flatbread, for dipping. —Genevieve Ko

• 2½lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1TBS ground paprika
• ½tsp ground turmeric
• 2tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ⅓cup canola oil
• 2yellow onions, finely diced
• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 1(13-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1½TBS fish sauce, plus more as needed
• 1tsp Madras curry powder
• ½tsp ground cayenne
• cooked rice or noodles, for serving
• 1cup cilantro sprigs, for serving
• 1lime or lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat and cut into ½- to 1-inch pieces, transfer to a bowl. Add the paprika, turmeric and salt, and use your hands to mix well. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Stir in the onions, lower the heat to medium-low and cook gently, stirring often to prevent scorching, until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, until most of the water from the onions has been cooked out and a glossy layer of oil has risen to the surface, about 5 minutes more.

Add the marinated chicken and stir to release the spices into the onion. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a near boil. Let the coconut milk simmer briskly for about 4 minutes to thicken a bit. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fish sauce. Stir in 1½ cups water and bring to a near boil. The broth will thin out as the chicken starts to release its juices.

Lower to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Droplets of paprika-red oil will rise to the surface. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne, simmer briefly and remove from the heat.

If time permits, let the curry sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. This allows the chicken to soak in more flavors as the curry cools. Bring to a simmer again right before serving and taste, adding more salt or fish sauce if desired. Serve over rice or noodles, with bowls of cilantro and lime wedges.

Yield: 6 Servings

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Very similar to my normal Chicken Parmesan, just add cheese, sauce and pasta.

• 6boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1cup AP flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2extra-large eggs
• 1¼cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• ½cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• butter
• olive oil
• baby salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Put plastic wrap above and below the chicken or place the chicken in a gallon freezer bag.

Combine the flour, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper on a dinner plate.

Beat the eggs with 1 TBS of water in a large shallow bowl.

On a second dinner plate, combine the bread crumbs and the ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, dusting off the excess, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and finally dredge both sides in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 TBS of butter and 1 TBS of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-low heat and cook 2 chicken breasts at a time for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate (or keep warm in the oven; see below). Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

Toss the salad greens with the lemon vinaigrette. Place each chicken breast on a plate and pile mound of salad on top. Serve hot with shaved or grated Parmesan on top.

To keep the cooked chicken breasts warm, place on a sheet pan in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes. Toaster oven is great for this.

Lemon Vinaigrette (Makes 3/4 Cup)

• ¼cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• ½cup good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Measure the lemon juice in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add the olive oil, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and whisk together. A stick blender works great for this.

Yield: 6 Servings

Adapted from Carla Lalli Music / Bon Appétit

Making one giant pancake instead of a bunch of smaller ones means that everyone will sit down to pancake breakfast at the same time. And because it’s no flip, you don’t have to worry about your spatula “skills.” Use the 10 to 20 minutes when the pancake is in the oven to locate your maple syrup and butter and get plates onto the table.

• 1cup AP flour
• ⅓cup cornmeal (not coarse, medium- or fine-grind works)
• 2large eggs
• ¼cup sugar
• 1TBS baking powder
• ½tsp baking soda
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1½cups buttermilk, divided or ¼ cup plus 1 TBS Saco buttermilk powder and 1½ cups water, divided
• 4TBS unsalted butter, melted, divided, plus more room temperature for serving
• 1cup fresh blueberries
• 1TBS vegetable oil
• pure maple syrup (for serving)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Dry ingredients: Whisk 1 cup AP flour and ⅓ cup cornmeal in a small bowl. If using buttermilk powder, add ¼ cup plus 1 TBS buttermilk powder, whisk.

Wet ingredients: Whisk 2 large eggs, ¼ cup sugar, 1 TBS baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp baking soda in a medium or large bowl until eggs are lightened and smooth, about 30 seconds.

Mix ingredients: Add ¾ cup buttermilk (or water if using dry buttermilk) and half of the dry ingredients to the wet bowl and whisk very gently just to barely combine.

Add remaining ¾ cup buttermilk (or water if using dry buttermilk), 2 TBS melted butter and remaining dry ingredients and whisk just to combine (some lumps are okay). Adding the dry ingredients in two batches, rather than all at once, lessens the risk of over-mixing (which would deflate and toughen the batter).

Using a wooden spoon, fold in 1 cup fresh blueberries.

Cook in skillet: Heat 1 TBS vegetable oil and 2 TBS melted butter in a 10-inch or larger oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium. Using a combination of oil and butter raises the smoking point of the butter.

When foaming subsides, scrape in batter and use the back of a spoon to gently nudge it all the way to the edges.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, shaking pan back and forth occasionally to ensure pancake will eventually slide out freely, until bubbles appear across surface of pancake, 4–6 minutes (it will still look quite wet and uncooked in the center, but you should see some browning around the outer edge).

Bake: Transfer pan to oven and cook until pancake is puffed and set, 10–15 minutes for a 10-inch skillet. Using a pot holder or oven mitt, shake the pan to make sure the center is set. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Leave the mitt or holder draped over the handle to remind everyone it is very hot!

Invert pancake onto a large plate or platter. Admire the crispy, burnished top—its pock-marked surface contains all your lacy-edged pancake fantasies.

Cut into wedges and serve with room-temperature butter and maple syrup.

Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from theKitchn and InstantPot

If you want the juiciest, most tender wings you’ve ever tasted, you’re gonna want to reach for your Instant Pot. Not only does pressure cooking chicken wings mean they’re ready to eat in record time, but it also rewards you with wings that are way more tender than oven-baked, with meat that falls off the bone. Slather them with your favorite sauce, crisp the skin under the broiler, and dig in.

Wings & sauce:

• 2-3lb chicken wings (18 to 24 separated pieces)
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1cup BBQ sauce
• ½cup water
• ½cup honey
• ⅓cup brown sugar
• 2TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1TBS garlic , minced
• ½tsp cayenne (optional)

To finish:

• ⅓cup BBQ sauce

Cook the wings: Add Sauce Mixture ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Add the wings and stir to coat.

Seal Instant Pot and set to MANUAL HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. When the cook time is up, use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.

Quick release any remaining pressure.

Crisp the wings: Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Position the oven rack about 4 to 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler. Use tongs to transfer cooked wings from the cooker to the baking sheet. Brush the wings with the remaining sauce. Broil the wings until crunchy, basting several times with the pot’s juices and turning once, 3–5 minutes.

Recipe notes:

Storage: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

For an 8-quart instant pot: you must increase all the ingredients by 50 percent.