In summer, we say the more burgers, the better. This one provides a spunky break from beef, pork, and turkey, opting instead for fresh shrimp dotted with confetti-like accents of red pepper...

The perfect strawberry shortcake for Memorial Day (and all berry season long) -- thanks to an odd secret ingredient.

I almost never repeat recipes, except for this one! This loaf is amazing and every time I make it, it only seems to get better! This is prefect to serve to company. It is really is a crowd pleaser and I can’t imagine anyone not liking it! Sweet, nutty and savory, from the chestnuts, walnuts and herbs. Yum!

Recipe search by ingredients you have at home.

Black pepper provides a different kind of heat than chile peppers, but people who are sensitive to spices may still find this too hot. So start with the lesser amount of black pepper and add more to taste. Those of you who like fiery dishes may want to increase the chile sauce, but try not to overpower the black pepper.

These are wonderful as they are, if you want to keep it simple and low in fat. However, adding diced chorizo or feta to the batter would upgrade it. Serve with any combination of these condiments: fresh herb salad with lemon and olive oil; sliced avocado, lime juice, coriander and chilli; or diced tomato, red onion, vinegar and olive oil.

Having grown up in the Middle East, eating beans for breakfast always seemed like a bizarre British eccentricity. Here's an alternative, just for the sake of variation. You can play with the idea by adding chorizo or smoky bacon and omitting the smoked paprika. Eggs are another natural addition.

This peanut spread may not look like much. It borderlines on being aesthetically-challenged even. In fact, I have learned that when I serve it to friends, I shouldn't tell them right up front what's in it other than peanut butter. From my personal experience, many people find the idea of pairing Thai curry paste and peanut butter, well, disgusting.
Instead, I let them taste it. Then I pause for a bit. I remain silent, observing...waiting until their eyes light up. And before they utter a word, I say, "Satay sauce, right?" The answer is always a resounding yes.

A more concentrated, thicker version of Thai-style satay sauce.
And that's because this peanut spread is nothing but a more concentrated, thicker version of Thai-style satay sauce. It is developed from my mother's streamlined, easy peanut sauce recipe which has been with our family since before I was born. It contains the same main ingredients: roasted peanuts which have been ground into a paste, Thai red curry paste, and a few other seasoning ingredients. The only difference is the use of coconut milk powder (which, contrary to what some cookbooks say, is not pulverized, desiccated coconut meat but spray-dried coconut milk) in lieu of regular coconut milk in order to minimize the amount of liquid preventing it from being too runny.
In other words, although you may find this curried peanut spread a bit unusual, if you're a Thai restaurant regular, its taste should not be too much of a shock to your palate. If you like Thai-style peanut sauce, I'm going to wager that you'll like this sandwich spread.
But satay sauce on, er, bread? Why, yes. If you have been to Thailand and had a chance to eat pork or chicken satay on the streets, surely you remember that your satay set comes with a plate of toast on the side. The idea of putting bread and peanut sauce together isn't strange at all.

Mushrooms!

Actually yesterday was a big mushroom day. I had some leftover
roast field mushrooms with poached eggs for brunch.

Then for dinner the most heavenly mushroom ragu. So simple.

Just pop everything in the oven, stir once or twice and wait. Then
dinner is ready.

I served mine on a bed of raw super finely sliced kale. But you
could use it anywhere you'd normally serve a stew or bolognese.

adapted from a recipe posted to http://community.qvc.com/

Recipe By: Dana Jacobi, Amazing Soy

Recipe by: The Vegetarian No-Cholesterol Family-Style Cookbook

Submitted by: courtney (from Vegetarian Times magazine)

Go ahead and imagine the most flavorful bite of food you can. What makes it so flavorful? Is it the amount of salt? The amount of heat? The amount of fat? The amount of acidity?

All of these factors come into play in this recipe for lamb curry from April Bloomfield’s A Girl and Her Pig. It’s undoubtedly the best curry I’ve ever had in my life; but it may also be the single most flavorful bite of food I can remember eating in a long, long time.

A delectable Marriage of Modern and Traditional Indian Cuisine.

Paneer is a soft fresh Indian cottage cheese made by simply using acid and no rennet. From sweets, to snacks, curries and even flat breads, one or the other form of this cheese is used in North Indian cuisine extensively. Paneer can also be used in kebabs and tikka as an addictive vegetarian option. No one is going to miss the meat!

I love monkey bread, and the warm and happy family-time feeling of gathering around something and tearing it apart. But I want my holiday breakfast to have a hint of sugarplum-y whimsy- enter gingerbread. This is my attempt to marry two delicious dishes into one fantastic breakfast. I hope you like it! Oh, and I wanted to test this by doing steps 1-8 the night before, refrigerating the pan of dough, and then doing the second rise in the morning, but I ran out of time. So if you want to make this for breakfast, you could give that a try, or wake up at 5 AM- your call :)

As much as I love everything about cooking Thanksgiving dinner I stress about one thing....the gravy! A vegetarian friend came to the rescue offering up her vegetarian gravy. Through the years it has been tinkered with and has become my "go to" recipe any time I need the perfect gravy for both vegetarians and carnivores. It can be used on mashed potatoes, vegetables, stuffing and even turkey! You can use any type of dried mushroom. I have used shitake mushrooms but mixed dried mushrooms will provide more interesting flavors. To make a vegan version substitute olive oil for the butter and additional broth for the cream.

What's not to love about fruit bars? They're carb-y enough to comfort, fruity enough to qualify as at least semi-healthy, sugary enough to feed your sweet tooth, and best of all, they're a snap to throw together for brunch on Sunday morning or for dessert after a long day at the office. In fact, they're so easy to make that you can probably put your kids to work for most of this recipe.

In my new quest to have my cake and eat it too, I "healthified" the traditional sugar-, fat- and white flour- laden fruit bar recipe by replacing much of the required oil with applesauce and cutting back some of the sugar. The result? Each serving contains only 133 calories and 3 grams of fat, plus a respectable amount of vitamin C, iron and fiber. As is the case with many of my recipes, this one is modular so please tailor it to fit your own tastes, dietary preferences and seasonality [See ideas for variations below]. Recipes should be springboards to creativity – not rules to be followed blindly. You can replace the raspberries with virtually any fruit, for example, and use any kind of flour you have on hand; I actually used sorghum flour, so you can even make these gluten-free. Let me know what you come up with!

Many vegan versions of meatloaf are made with tofu, veggie ground round, tvp, or even seitan. Those tofu-averse will be happy to know there is no tofu or veggie meats in this loaf. This savory version uses only lentils, cracked wheat, oats, and chia seed, along with a mix of seasonings to make it all magically come together!

"Paneer", or cottage-cheese, is as well-known amongst Americans as Indians. And I personally have friends who love it so much, they make me take them to Indian restaurants for lunches whenever possible. So here's a simple paneer recipe called "Shahi Paneer" that you can easily make at home! It is also by names like "Paneer makhani" or "Paneer makhanvala". So no matter what name you are looking for, the technique remains the same:)

Paneer, or Cottage Cheese, can be enjoyed in various forms, and I can totally relish eating just raw fresh paneer, but the avenues that it provides to cooking are just amazing! Add these cubes to any veggie curry and it transforms into something rich and delicious. So here's another rich and creamy variation that involved shredded paneer, and its my husband's absolute favourite. It's called Akbari Paneer. I first tasted it in a desi restaurant in california, and have been a fan ever since. It has now become a regular paneer delight in our house as it's simple to make and tastes great with any naan, bread or jeera rice!

"Variety is the spice of life"- this shows how important spice is in anyone's life, so today we salute the ingredient which brings spice into our lives, literally. "Chillies" are available in various forms, shapes, sizes and colours, but the end result is always the same, something tasty and spicy. Today I share with you my recipe of Chilli Paneer. Its a favourite amongst elders and youngsters alike. With the succulent paneer (cottage cheese) coated and flavoured in soy sauce and green chillies, this dish is perfect to enjoy with rice or bread/parathas. And simple to cook, it takes not more than 15-20 mins!

Tandoori Paneer Tikka - the name itself makes my mouth water!! Succulent cubes of paneer marinated and grilled or baked in a "tandoori oven", then served with grilled vegetables, is enough to tempt anyone on earth. But this time around, inspired by combining the Indian and Asian tastes in one dish, I have tried a variation which still uses a spicy yogurt marinade, but the final Paneer Tikka is then served hot, drizzled with a home-made sweet and tangy mango dressing, and serves to be a perfect side-dish to an Indian meal. Sounds inviting, right? Just wait till you've actually tasted it, maybe you wouldn't like leaving any for your guests!

If you are craving for a simple yet tasty Paneer recipe that won't take hours of preparation, and which you can savor with Rotis/Parathas/Naans or Rice, look no further. Kadhai Paneer is a healthy, nutritious, protein-rich and almost fat-free Indian curry that will leave you satisfied at the end of your meal. Flavored with kasuri-methi, ginger-garlic and a blend of mild Indian spices, it can be ready in a jiffy and can be a perfect accompaniment to bread or rice for a fulfilling weeknight dinner! Sending this over to Srivalli for Monthly Mingle, featuring Kid's Lunches this month!

I can eat Paneer Butter Masala almost every day, but this saturday, our cravings were at a peak-time high as there was light rain outside. Everyone knows I just love Paneer Recipes, and this weekend I decided to make the eternal favorite Paneer Butter Masala, that velvetty-smooth gravy that has all the goodness of indian spices combined with cubes of cottage cheese and garnished with cream and coriander! Now do I have your attention??! Paneer Butter Masala is similar to other paneer gravies, except that as the name implies, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew paste rather than just cream. You cannot go wrong with this, try it for yourself and see!

Believe me, paneer is such a versatile ingredient in Indian cooking, you could make an entire meal using just this, right from appetizers to main course to dessert! Hey maybe they should choose paneer as the next secret ingredient for Iron Chef!:) Till then, try this mouth-watering recipe (adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's cookbook) at home and enjoy its taste as it lingers on your tongue and your senses!

PANEER TIKKA RECIPE

CHANAR DALNA RECIPE

This simple vegetarian curry, full of fresh Indian flavours, is quick to make and cooks in a single pot

A popular choice for all the family, these assemble-yourself veggie fajitas are quick to make and great fun to eat.

This is a simple dough that comes together in a few minutes in a stand mixer—then chills in the fridge for a bit. The key here is to roll the dough as thin as you can, then cut it with whatever tool you prefer. I use a little wooden tool called a jagger that I recovered from my grandmother’s kitchen tools. It creates a slightly ruffled edge, which I love. Serve your graham crackers with nut butter, or (need I even say it?) stack with chocolate and charred homemade marshmallows for your very own s’mores.

I'm in the habit of making low-fat spreads to eat with raw veggies or rye crisp for snacks.  DH is a snacker-- he feels the need to munch every couple of hours or so.  He likes fruit, and soy yogurt, so those are snack staples, of course, but sometimes a savory, protein-rich snack is more satisfying. So that's what I concentrate on keeping in the refrigerator at all times (though leftover homemade soups and grainy/beany salads are good, too).  My Cheddary Spread is a favorite.  But, yesterday I was out of silken tofu (calamity!), so I looked around for what I had-- can of black beans, jar of salsa, could quickly make some Melty Chedda, since it doesn't require tofu. Here's the result, and it passed DH's taste-test with flying colors.

Shrimp Scampi. It may have sunk to diner fare, but then again, diners are kind of where you go to eat any kind of food you REALLY want. Nothing beats those jumbo, juicy shrimp, stewed in white wine with garlic and butter. The parsley is that something green that justifies the ostrich-sized nest of linguine beneath the shrimp. So decadent, and messy, and tangled, and happy.
I love this sleek, modern twist on my beloved scampi.
Char up some thick country bread drizzled in olive oil, and rub it with garlic. Then top it with a five-minute, one-pot stew of meaty shrimp, creamy, comforting cannellini beans, even more garlic, white wine, and just a touch of butter for authenticity. I toss in a handful of parsley or arugula or both, then pour it over the charred garlic bread. The sauce soaks into the crusts, and the shrimp and beans together are so hearty and garlicky and good. Eat this with someone you love, and who loves you. (There's a lot of garlic.)

Slices of this chocolate bundt cake spent the better part of the past week in the car with me. Each piece, wrapped in parchment, tucked between the Ak-Mak crackers and a jar of almond butter. It is a fine travel cake. One that can handle a day or two in the car - blizzards, bumps in the road, hairpin turns, and all. Topped with not much more than a sweep of icing, it's unfussy, and ready to go straight from the pan. I make it with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, lots of yogurt, and the darkest brown sugar I can get my hands on. And it was just the thing to unwrap on a picnic table underneath a grove of sky-scraping redwood trees.

Makes about 2 dozen small rice balls.

When I was flipping through King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking book, I knew I wanted to try at least one recipe that wasn't a typical loaf.
These whole wheat crackers looked like they had a nice balance of wheat, sweet, and salty, and the result was even better than I expected. The recipe calls for no yeast, so they're quick to make—no need to wait for rising.
What Worked: You know Wheat Thins? Well these do taste better. The store-bought crackers are usually better when topped with something, but these are snack-worthy all on their own.
What Didn't: This makes a fairly small bowl of crackers. There are a lot of crackers in that small bowl, but they're very thin and light, so it's not a lot of cracker volume. ff you're making them for a party, you might want to double or triple the recipe.
Suggested Tweaks: I didn't think these needed any additional salt on top, but next time I might add sesame seeds or flax seeds for both flavor and accent color.

Makes 4 servings

This dish is ideal for freezing. Wrap well and freeze at the end of step 3. Thaw and continue to cook from step 4.

Ever wonder how soybeans turn into smooth, creamy tofu? First, the beans are pressed to extract soy milk, which is then curdled. The curds are drained, pressed, and cut into blocks of tofu.

Tempeh is a soyfood made by controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus molds (tempeh starter). This fermentation binds the soybeans into a compact white cake. Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in Indonesia for several hundred years. But it is now rapidly becoming popular all over the world as people look for ways to increase their intake of soy, known for its health benefits. They discover tempeh's versatility and delicious taste. Especially vegetarians and vegans find the structure and protein content interesting. Tempeh has a firm texture and a nutty mushroom flavour. It is very versatile and can be used in recipes in different ways. Normally tempeh is sliced or cut in cubes and fried until the surface is crisp and golden brown. You can also grate it like cheese. Tempeh can be used as ingredient in soups, spreads, salads and sandwiches. Tempeh is now commonly available in many supermarkets as well as in Asian markets and health food stores.

Here at Rachel’s, we’re all for delicious, healthy food that’s easy as pie to throw together. And that’s where these great ideas come in. As ever, spooning in sumptuously smooth products from the Rachel’s range is our secret recipe.

We’ve made everything more user-friendly than ever. You can search by season, occasion or your favourite Rachel’s product, share your tips and personal touches and save your favourite recipes.

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Thai-style curries are a staple in my weeknight roster. They come together in a flash. All you've got to do is sauté some aromatics and curry paste, deglaze with stock, coconut milk, and fish sauce, adjust the seasoning, and simmer your main ingredient until it's cooked through.
This recipe doctors up some store-bought red curry paste with a few extra spices to produce a more complex, nuanced finished dish. Once the stock is ready, shrimp are simmered for just a few moments until cooked through, then the whole thing is served over noodles. Add a handful of quick-cooking greens along with the shrimp (I'd suggest water spinach or baby bok choy), and you've got an all-in-one meal in a bowl.
The kicker here is the fried shallots, which add sweet crunch to every bite. Frying your own shallots is easy, but you can easily use store-bought fried shallots. They can be found in most decent Asian grocers.

This is, admittedly, not a proper sandwich in that it is not two slices of hearty white or whole wheat with a spread or stack of deli meats and cheese. But if we get down to technicalities, it is in fact two pieces of bread with stuffing.
The idea for this sweet popover sprang out of my strongly observed ritual of eating chocolate, honey, Maldon salt, and fruit out of a tiny teacup every night after I've tucked myself into bed. Usually I am quite satisfied with my post-dinner treat, but oftentimes I wish the chocolate had presented itself in less flat and square fashion.
Mousse is the one of my favorite incarnations of chocolate: billowy, airy, light as a cloud. The procedure is simple, with the results being anything but plain: a custard is made by whisking hot heavy cream into a mixture of egg yolks and sugar, then cooking it over gentle heat just until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stirring is the only real rule you must stick to, as, no pun intended, the custard will curdle and scramble most unappealingly and stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Melted chocolate is then added to the base. Now, this recipe calls for 60% cocoa content chocolate; do not use a higher content as it will affect the consistency of the custard in a terrible way.
Once the custard is cooled, whipped cream and egg whites beaten to soft peaks are folded in and almond extract added for flavoring. The mousse is impossibly frothy and just rich enough.
While you could eat chocolate mousse in a cup, or straight from the bowl, it goes wonderfully in freshly made cocoa popovers, whose batter comes together quick as a wink and makes for irresistible presentation, acting as an edible serving dish for the mousse. I allow them to cool a bit to let the steam out, then remove some of the crumb to make room for the filling. Fresh raspberries, a drizzle of honey, a sprinkling of Maldon salt, and of course, the popover top, complete this dessert sandwich.

I may not be the biggest cereal fan around these parts, but I still fit the two major criteria which, in my opinion, make you a cereal fanatic:
1. For you, a box of cereal contains about 3 servings.
2. You often eat cereal for lunch or dinner, not because you're too lazy to cook, but because you want to squeeze another bowl into your day.
That second category was easy enough to pull off in college, when I often ate cereal for dinner. Who was going to judge me? The kid who made a tater tot-hot sauce sandwich? I think not.
As a so-called adult, and a so-called adult who lives with another (arguably) adult person, this is more difficult. I cook real dinners. I make fish, lasagna, stews. If I offered up two bowls of Cheerios for dinner I'd be met with the sound of Thai food delivery at the door.
So how to increase my cereal intake without surreptitiously downing a few bowls before bed? Put it in my baked goods, that's how.
There are obvious choices: Rice Krispie treats, or, my personal favorite, the s'more bar recipe on the back of the Golden Grahams box. As of last week there was a new contender: Ranger Cookies. And now there are these—individually sized corn flake and oat crumbles. They are best described as a streusel-crumble-muffin hybrid. My favorite part? They hide a layer of fruit preserves. (I used strawberry, but you can choose your poison).
These babies are rich—sweet, oaty, crumbly, and buttery—and just the thing to eat with a cup of strong coffee.

Pakoras typically consist of fish, meat or vegetables that are coated in a batter made from spiced gram flour and fried until golden brown. These prawn pakoras are especially delicious served with a spicy green or tomato and cucumber chutney.

Madras veg stir-fry

Babycorn with Dal is nothing but crunchy mixed Veggies with Red Lentils. This is a curry with minimal spices so can be served to kids as well.

These brightly coloured moreish meringues and almond biscuit sandwiches will make the perfect gift for foodies. 

Mixed vegetables tossed with onion, red pepper with a touch of spice. Light and delicious, and easy to prepare, can be served as a side dish or as a quick snack. Slap it up with a chapatti, tortilla wrap or even a Naan it's truly sensational.

Do you want King Prawn Bhuna with that unique British Indian Restaurant quality and taste? Then simply follow the instructions below for success every time...

Do you want Chicken Dopiaza with that unique British Indian Restaurant quality and taste? Then simply follow the instructions below for success every time...

Cauliflower & Broccoli make a good combination from ages. Generally it is cooked in a creamy white sauce or parmesan cheese. Here is an Indianised version of these vegetables - this is a quick way to enjoy these nourishing vegetables in a tasty way!

Gobi Manchurian is a famous Indo-Chinese dish. They are Cauliflower Fritters in spicy Sauce. This dish can be either dry or wet based. Dry Gobi Manchurian can be served as starters or a wet one as a side dish for Rice. Here the fried Cauliflower Floret along with flavourful Sauce strikes a nice balance of sweet + tangy + spicy effect... Ummm yum yum!!!

Vegetable Cutlet is a spicy snack which is a blend of vegetables and some Indian spices. This is quite a flexible dish which can be eaten as an appetiser, side dish with the main course or even as a snack with Tea.

Mushroom Masala is a spicy form of Mushrooms cooked in Tomato gravy with other spices. You can try this curry when your crisper is clean and empty or just left with minimal vegetables :-p...This can be served with Basmati Rice or any Indian bread.

Yellow Thai Curry is a speciality of Thai Cuisine. Generally Thai cooking involves Coconut milk or cream which makes the gravy rich and creamier. This curry is made by boiling mixed veggies in Coconut milk and of course the Thai Curry paste. So if you are a big fan of Coco milk why not give it a try?

Kidney, black and navy beans make this chili a hearty version of the classic, full of vegetables, savory spices and fresh cilantro, too. Serve with a sprinkling of regular or dairy-free shredded cheese over the top, if you like.

Almost every meal I remember fondly has had rice playing a significant role in it. Like most Indians, I have it every day. Sometimes three times a day. And in all this time, never once have I ever tired of it. The countless rice recipes in Indian cuisine and the various side-dishes that rice plays a perfect canvas to probably have something to do with it.
Families usually buy rice by the sack full. A few hundred pounds to last the year. And a lot of care is taken to source the perfectly aged grain. The older it is, the better. The last few weeks have seen the cool winds recede and the heat making itself comfortable. Summer is here. Which means only one thing: The last harvest of fresh peas needs to find a way to my table before I have to settle for the frozen ones through the rest of the year.
With plenty of rice at hand, I thought there's no better way to say farewell to these emerald morsels than with Mutter Pulao (rice cooked with peas). The subtle, fragrant spices coat the rice, and the peas add a wonderful sweet burst to the dish.
It's a recipe full of nostalgia for me, because we'd eat it often as children. My brother and I would hastily pick out the succulent peas as soon as the pulao was served and each of us would vie for the bigger haul, when no one was looking.
All sibling rivalry would be forgotten as soon as we started eating, of course. It's one of those dishes that make you too happy to snitch.
So tonight, Peas Pulao it is. Yet another meal to reminisce.

I like to think of Serious Eats and A Hamburger Today as more than just a food blog. It's really a relationship between the editors and contributors, and you guys: the Serious Eats Community-At-Large. A like with any relationship, occasionally the routine can hit a rut.
I've tinkered with and written about burgers a whole lot in the last couple of years. So much so that there are, in fact, times when I'm simply at a loss as to what to tinker with and write about next. But if there's one thing that being married has taught me, it's that whenever your relationship hits a holding pattern, it's always best to turn to your spouse to seek for ways in which to liven it up. You see that way, if it works out, everyone's happy. And if it doesn't? Well it makes it a heck of a lot easier to blame the other person. This is valuable relationship advice. Take note.
So when it came time for me to write another burger-based installment of The Food Lab, I decided to take my own advice to heart and went searching for ideas on my Facebook page, through my Twitter feed, and via our message boards. The overwhelming response? Veggie burgers.
Don't like that idea? You've got nobody to blame but yourselves.
Personally, I do like a good veggie burger. And I'm not talking one of those hockey puck, soy protein, faux-meat, painted-on-grill-mark atrocities aimed at vegetarians who secretly (or publicly) miss meat (more on my stance on faux meat here). I'm talking a veggie burger that actually tastes of grains and vegetables. A veggie burger that celebrates its veggie-ness yet can stand up to and be complemented by the typical toppings and condiments you'd find at a backyard cookout. I'm talking a veggie burger that even a meat-eater would happily eat—topped with cheese and bacon, if they want.
And heck, just for the fun of it, why not add an extra challenge here and make the burgers 100 percent vegan as well?

Nachos with chilli beans makes a classic party dish and if you want to swap the kids weekend trip to the take away for a healthier alternative look no further. This cheap and relatively healthy recipe is comfort food at its very best.

Welcome to another installment of My Family’s Favorite Recipes!

If my daughter had her way, we’d eat pasta at every meal. Lasagna, mac and cheese, chili mac–she’s not picky, she’ll devour any of them. About once a week I give in to her demands, and the dish I most often make is this one, which she calls “That Pasta with All the Vegetables and White Sauce” because I’ve never come up with a catchy name for it. It’s perfect because it fulfills her desire for noodles and my need for vegetables. In fact, it contains twice as many vegetables as pasta, a good thing in my opinion.

E got lucky this week because I made it twice. Since it’s always been one of those “throw in a little this and a little that until it tastes good” dishes, I didn’t have exact ingredient amounts, so I had to play with the recipe a bit to get to where it would work without my giving you vague instructions like “If it looks too dry, add more milk” or “Keep adding garlic until you repel vampires.” There’s still a little of that, but if you follow the basic recipe, you should come out with pasta and vegetables that are coated in a light, flavorful sauce that tastes surprisingly rich for being so low in fat. It’s one of those “home-cooking” dishes that’s good enough to serve to company.

The recipe below uses a full pound of pasta and makes a lot; besides being hearty eaters, my family likes to have leftovers to fight over for the next day or two. If you’re cooking for one or two, you may want to make half a recipe, so I’ve made that easy for you by including a printer page for the 4-servings version of the recipe. And don’t miss the note on how to make this a Ridiculously Easy recipe, which, truth be told, is how I usually make it.

Liven up store-bought mayonnaise with the flavors of oranges, sesame oil, and dill. Citrus mayonnaise is great with poultry or seafood.

With a toddler and a beer nerd/ultramarathoner in this house it is imperative that there are healthy yet delicious (extra points if it pairs well with a cocktail) snacks on hand at all times.Crunchy, healthy, and satisfying, these roasted chickpeas do the trick. Inspired from a recipe for cumin and yeast roasted chickpeas from an issue of Food & Wine, these roasted chickpeas using caned chickpeas are fast and simple to make.

Packed with protein, zinc, and folate, these crunchy and delicious roasted chickpeas are not only healthy but seriously addictive. Here are three of our favorite flavor combos: Sriracha, Lime, and Cilantro; Sea Salt and Rosemary; and Honey. The 3-year-old sidekick, Mia, loves the Sea Salt and Rosemary and Honey and can eat them faster than my husband. Best eaten warm but can be stored in an air-tight container, this amazing snack will be gone fast. Make extra.

It’s very easy to make yogurt without a yogurt maker. For equipment, you’ll need a two-quart saucepan, a candy or dairy thermometer (optional but helpful), a one-quart mason jar, and a whisk that will fit into it. You also need a method for keeping your yogurt warm while it cultures. Read the FAQ below before getting started.

Did you guys know you can pretty much make a veggie burger out of any combination of beans, grains & greens? Provided you get a consistency you can shape into a burger (even if it is delicate) you really have myriad options in the v-burger department.

This recipe is amazing.  The crispy outside and juicy yet firm insides of the chipotle seitan will call to you in your sleep.  This seitan would be great in many recipes, but works especially well in a gordita style tortilla wrap because of the flavor and texture of it.  It would also be great over rice, veggies, or in any Mexican dish that calls for beef.  I cannot stop eating this.  If this weren't a vegan blog, you might be scared by some of these pictures.  The seitan really, really looks like beef in most of them.  

I love a good hard-boiled egg.  The emphasis here is on the word good.  It is SO hard to get a good hard boiled egg.  It is almost impossible.  I am forever grateful to Alton Brown for teaching me an easier way to make PERFECT hard-boiled eggs - don't boil them at all BAKE THEM! 

Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've acquired in the last year, and I find myself swooning over its recipes every time I flip it open. It's full of inventive ideas (all of which are vegetarian), one of which I've already covered in this column involving a dressing with orange flower water. And that creativity is no different with this recipe, which drapes crisp tofu in a complex sauce of black pepper, butter, and soy sauce.
That said, it requires some modification (this recipe in particular has been highlighted as an example of one with good ideas, but inexact quantities), which I've adapted in my version, like pan-searing the tofu instead of deep-frying it, using far less butter and keeping the amount of black pepper in check. Regardless, this result is crisp-pillowy tofu and a deeply pungent and spicy sauce, which is also sweet and warming. It's intense, so don't skip on serving it with plenty of white rice.
While the recipe calls for three different kinds of soy sauce (one of which is sweet), the recipe would be nearly as good with just one. Adding some honey or molasses to taste would balance the dish back out.

Gooey, spicy quesadillas are an inexpensive, hangover-abating and crowd-pleasing snack. But crispy ones, like the kind you find in bars? They're hard to come by at home.
The key to making them pub-worthy is having an appropriate cheese-to-tortilla ratio, a bit of oil, and high heat. Yes, you can cook them in the oven at 400 degrees, eliminating the oil and replacing it with a double-sided spray of Pam, but the results won't be as good.
And if you're worried about a bit of cheese oozing out, don't: it's the best part.
That under-utilized George Foreman grill works wonders on quesadillas, but because they need to be cooked one at a time, keep them warm and crisp in a 200°F oven, laying finished ones on a baking sheet in a single layer.

At first glance this looks like a simple frittata. You're close. There are certainly eggs in this dish, but not nearly as many as you'd imagine. In fact, this recipe from Mollie Katzen's Get Cooking is a popover, which uses a quick batter that is blended up and then poured over sautéed mushrooms. After 25 minutes in the oven, it puffs up slightly in the middle, acquiring a texture that is light and airy, not eggy and dense. Meanwhile, the edges get golden brown and crunchy, which is never a bad combo.
With the eggs playing a slightly less important role, the mushrooms take the lead in flavor. Katzen recommends using two different varieties, white and shiitake mushrooms. The earthiness of the latter is especially apparent. Some nice woody herbs, thyme and rosemary, help round things out. Also, you should note that the recipe states that the eggs should be at room temperature, so that they will rise more during the baking process.

A "monkey bread" is a sweet or savory loaf made by putting together small squares or balls of dough with melted "butter" and nuts plus cinnamon sugar OR herbs (and sometimes cheese with the herbs-- you could use vegan parmesan). The bread is pulled apart to eat-- kids love it! I don't use a bread machine very often, but I thought it would be fun to make a specialty bread IN the bread machine-- not just the dough, but the shaped bread as well. The result was great!  It would even make an easy and yummy Easter breakfast bread.

Biryani is a rice-based dish cooked with a whole mess of different spices, and usually, though not always, some kind of meat. When that meat is lamb or beef, it consequently takes some time to cook, which means I don't get to write about this dish too often. But this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's At Home with Madhur Jaffrey solves that problem by using shrimp, so that this dish can be whipped up in less than hour with absolutely no shortcuts.
Not that any of the flavor is left behind. Shrimp are rubbed with a spice blend of cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper, before being sautéed and then removed. The rice then cooks in the same oil, so it picks up the spices and the shrimp flavor. Only at the very end are the rice and the shrimp mixed together, so that the shrimp stay plump and juicy.

What French fries or mashed potatoes are to the west, potato bhaaji is to India. This quintessential potato dish can be found across tables in India. But unlike the west where fries are homogenous, the Indian potato bhaji, like the many dialects all over India, takes on a new twist every few miles.
In most homes, a potato bhaaji will surface at least once a week as an accompaniment to the main meal. And because potatoes are quick to cook, it's regular fare when someone unexpectedly drops by for dinner.
In the south, crisp masala dosas (rice and lentil pancakes) are filled generously with potato bhaaji. For school picnics, doting moms wake up in the wee hours to prepare a filling lunch of puri bhaaji (deep-fried Indian bread eaten with potato bhaji). And for many staunch non-vegetarians, potato bhaaji is the only vegetable worth considering.
One of my favorite versions of potato bhaaji is one that takes almost no time to prepare and hits all the delicious criteria—it's fried, it's spicy, and it's versatile enough to be a main or a side.

For the Super Bowl, my friends and I usually serve food that represents the teams. And with Boston and New York playing this year, clam chowder seemed like the perfect fit.

But since I’m not committed to either the Giants or the Patriots, I couldn’t decide which style of chowder to offer. Did I want to serve the comforting cream-based New England style or did I want to serve the more lively tomato-based Manhattan style instead? Or perhaps I could offer both, and have people choose their favorite in a match called The Chowder Bowl.

It was a tough call and I was having a difficult time making a choice. Fortunately, my fishmonger made the decision easier for me. When I paid her a visit, all she had on hand were littleneck clams. I asked how many I’d need for chowder and she said, “With littlenecks, it’s not worth it. They’re too small. They’re not good chowder clams.”

“But it’s the Super Bowl this Sunday!” I said. “What should I do?” She looked at me and said, “When we watch the game, we like to eat dip.”

With that in mind, I took my bag of not-chowder clams and decided to follow her advice. There was a cream-cheese clam dip recipe in one of my Junior League books, but even after I spiced it up with some chiles and bacon it didn’t thrill me. Clearly, I still had chowder on the brain so I returned to my original plan. But this time, instead of just making chowder with clams, I also threw in some fish and shrimp to make seafood chowder instead.

Now, most people think of chowder as an East Coast dish but it also has a long history in Texas. There are several recipes for it in The First Texas Cook Book, which was published in 1883. And throughout he 1800s, the state’s newspapers published recipes, with a Galveston paper running a chowder tutorial on its front page saying that chowder was a favorite for parties.

The methods for making chowder haven’t changed much over the years, but for mine I swapped bacon for the salt pork and infused my tomato base with guajillo and chipotle chiles for some spice. For the seafood, I used clams, shrimp and red snapper, though you could easily throw in crabs, oysters, grouper, redfish or any other seafood that you prefer. This is a versatile dish.

I love seafood, and having a bowl full of some of my favorites makes for a hearty and satisfying meal. But one of the best things is that you don’t have to make a choice between the Manhattan or New England styles, as it combines the best qualities of both. The tomato and chile base is full of flavor. And since it’s pureed, it’s so smooth and velvety you might swear there’s a splash of cream.

This chowder will definitely be making an appearance on Sunday, along with some of my other game-day favorites. And sure, I might not be that invested in the actual game, but that doesn’t really matter. For me it’s the food served that’s always the true winner.

There are quite a few things that make the summer better than the winter. Shorts, sundresses, and smaller loads of laundry. Snow-less beaches. The freedom to wiggle your toes around without the unwelcome encumbrance of socks and close-toed shoes. Saving a few bucks on coat checks.
Then again, summer also means kitchens that transform into 4th-level-of-hell grade raging infernos when you preheat your oven long enough to crank out a few homemade Neapolitan pizzas. You could go the whole grilled pizza route, and the results you get are no doubt incredible. But they also require you to a) have access to outdoor space and a grill and b) light up a grill.
So how do you make great pizza at home without having to light up the grill or preheat the oven? Well, that crisp, puffy, charred, tender-chewy pizza in the photo above was made using nothing but a skillet and a burner. That's right: this week we're making a 100% bake-free skillet pizza, and yep, it's good.

There are quite a few things that make the summer better than the winter. Shorts, sundresses, and smaller loads of laundry. Snow-less beaches. The freedom to wiggle your toes around without the unwelcome encumbrance of socks and close-toed shoes. Saving a few bucks on coat checks.
Then again, summer also means kitchens that transform into 4th-level-of-hell grade raging infernos when you preheat your oven long enough to crank out a few homemade Neapolitan pizzas. You could go the whole grilled pizza route, and the results you get are no doubt incredible. But they also require you to a) have access to outdoor space and a grill and b) light up a grill.
So how do you make great pizza at home without having to light up the grill or preheat the oven? Well, that crisp, puffy, charred, tender-chewy pizza in the photo above was made using nothing but a skillet and a burner. That's right: this week we're making a 100% bake-free skillet pizza, and yep, it's good.

Somewhere in between burgers and falafel you get quinoa cakes. The benefits? These ones are gluten-free, vegan and packed with protein, but you’d never guess it. Serve instead of a veggie burger, or throw on top of a salad and drizzle with tahini.

Whatever you do, you should probably make a double batch.

I used to be "that guy" at Japanese restaurants who never ventured past the chicken teriyaki that seemed to be put on every menu to appease my unadventurous palate. While I'm no longer that sheltered eater, you can still find me taking comfort in the teriyaki now and again.
Teriyaki doesn't actually refer to the sauce, but rather the method of broiling or grilling foods, then finishing them with that sweet soy sauce mixture that's so ubiquitous.
I was so enamored with the sauce in my earlier years that I concocted all sorts of versions, with ingredients ranging from orange juice to ketchup, but it's the most minimalist recipe that tends to be the best here.
This is a simple mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, Sake, and mirin, cooked down until it becomes a semi-thick, spoon-coating sauce with a constant pull between sweet and salty.
Putting the sauce to use at home with chicken teriyaki, I realized just how long it's been since I've veered back to this past love, which is shame, because it makes for some really tasty eats.

This whole wheat loaf from Kneadlessly Simple borrows a technique from bread-baking master Peter Reinhart for heating part of the whole wheat flour to help sweeten the bread.
Unlike other breads from this book, this one was a very slow-riser. The instructions for the second rise say that the bread should rise one inch over the rim of the pan, but as the dough was just barely over the rim, I could see it had reached the precarious jiggly stage that could result in a collapsed loaf.
Rather than waiting for the full rise, I put it in the oven at that point. It sunk a little, but didn't collapse completely.
The bread overall was a little dense—not unusual with a 100-percent whole wheat loaf—but the flavor was really, really good, and the whole wheat flour sprinkled atop the loaf adds a nice touch.