I’ve always loved mini-meatballs. Beef, turkey, or Swedish, I could eat them as a meal or snack any day of the week. The first time I had Asian chicken meatballs as part of the dim sum menu in a restaurant, I had to figure out how to make those too. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, and
My first taste of this classic Middle Eastern dish was at an entirely inauthentic location—a fast casual tea shop near my job. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience. I’m no stranger to tomato sauces, but I’d never had one in quite this way—zesty and seasoned with earthy spices like paprika and cumin. Paired with a
There’s a lot of prep work involved with this one, but I don’t mind because I like to keep busy while waiting for the water to boil for the pasta. I prefer using a short pasta, like fusilli or penne, but I think this dish would work just as well with long pasta. — H.
If you’re familiar with this blog, you may have already started to notice a pattern between my and my mom’s dishes. She’s more of the chef, making good use of her trusty cast-iron skillet—and I’m more of the baker, (perhaps a little too) obsessed with chai spice. Part of the reason I gravitate toward baking
Karaage [ka-RAH-gay] has become one of my favorite snacks. It’s kind of like popcorn chicken with an Asian twist. This recipe requires marinating to make sure the chicken is well-seasoned–which you can do in an hour or so, but I like to marinate overnight. Karaage is often served in Japanese restaurants as an appetizer with a
I will admit, avocado is an acquired taste. I didn’t become a fan of the fruit–yes, it’s a fruit; a berry to be exact–until recently. For me, it’s best used for its creamy texture than for its taste. More specifically, I treat it almost like a soft, melty cheese. This open-faced sandwich is a perfect
This recipe has become the star of my personal file of “simple but elegant” recipes when I want something a little more upscale than scrambled eggs. One of the best things about a frittata is that you can fill it with anything you like. A few weeks ago I made one with chopped crispy bacon
When I think of pasta, my mind usually goes to spaghetti and meatballs or cheesy lasagna. But sometimes when I’m craving comfort food and don’t want to end up in a carb coma, I go for something like this. Still comforting but not quite as heavy and sleep-inducing. It’s a good way to use up
Trust me, this is just as good as traditional meatloaf. I made this dish three times before my family realized it wasn’t beef! I still make beef meatloaf occasionally (using this recipe), but I prefer turkey now because the meatloaf comes out less greasy. I like to serve it with a side of roasted vegetables
Chicken cacciatore is a dish that can be prepared for a large crowd or easily scaled back for an easy dinner for two, and like many tomato-based dishes, it tastes even better the second — or even the third day. Traditional cacciatore features peppers and onions but you can add any other veggies you like
I started making my own soups a couple of years ago and I’m pretty sure I’ll never buy canned soup again. This one is not only warm and tasty, it’s a good way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. Some tortilla soup recipes feature corn or black beans which definitely gives the dish a heartier
For years, I’ve been using a pretty surefire method for hard-boiling eggs in such a way that the shells don’t stick: the cold start method – submerge eggs in water, bring to a boil, let steam 10 minutes, then shock in ice water before removing shells. But I’ve just tried an even better method: the
Turkey or beef, I could eat meatballs every week, but I try not to because I don’t want to look like one. 🙂 Took a while for me to get the recipe just right; ground turkey is a little less forgiving than ground beef and can become dry and tasteless unless you use the right
I never used to like chicken breasts. They’re too easy to overcook so I generally stuck to cooking only thighs and drumsticks. This recipe completely changed all that. In fact, I often buy chicken breasts just so I can make this recipe! 🙂 I’ve made this several times and these breasts always come out tender,
This recipe does not actually contain (tomato-based) sofrito, but instead calls for recaíto (Puerto Rican cilantro-based sofrito). Perhaps, I should have named it Recaíto Eggs, but I learned this recipe from my husband and his family and this is what they call it, so it’s fine by me too. This dish is cooked quickly, almost
Technically, it takes only about 20 minutes for all the elements of this dish to cook through, but the long simmering time allows the beans to break down, which serves to thicken the chili. This chili is very spicy , so if you can’t handle too much heat, try discarding the white membrane of the
I grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a stone’s throw from Chinatown so I’m kind of picky about my fried rice. Whenever my mom had a few extra bucks, she’d treat me and my siblings to dinner at a small restaurant there, off the beaten path. Sometimes the posted menu was in
I use garlic frequently in my recipes and usually buy it dried or minced. I’ve never had the patience to buy whole bulbs, peel them, and separate them into cloves. This recipe has changed all that. That first bite of baked chicken covered in soft, partially melted garlic cloves made this dish a keeper. Serve
Make this a meal by adding some vegetables to roast alongside the chicken in a large sheet pan. I like this with a couple of sliced up bell peppers and a half pound of baby potatoes. You can also switch this up by adding or substituting herbs or spices that complement the side dish. For
I buy chicken legs and thighs whenever they’re on sale because I prefer dark meat and I’m always looking for new ways to use them. This recipe is one of my favorites. You might think it’s too heavy for warmer weather but you’d be wrong. It’s hearty but not heavy, and like most tomato-based dishes,
