Category: The best recipes

Patrick, my husband, offered the best praise ever when he suggested that I bring this cake to the next family reunion, where the great Southern cooks are known for their excellent pound cakes. Steeping a vanilla bean in canola oil, a secret I learned from our nutrition editor, Sidney Fry, turns the bland oil into something sweet and almost creamy—a great trick for boosting flavor while reducing sat fat.

Total Time3 Hours 30 MinsWith marinated and seared watermelon, fresh veggies, black rice and more, this fish-free riff on the popular Hawaiian dish is flavor-packed and perfect for summer. The sweetness of watermelon plays well with tangy lime juice, toasted sesame oil, and kicky ginger. If you’re looking for a shareable snack, rather than a meal, serve the poke with tortilla chips, chunky salsa-style.

Ploughman’s lunch is a traditional English meal consisting of bread, cheese, and a mix of veggies and fruit. Our packable version features Italian soppressata, whole-wheat baguette, aged Gruyere cheese, nutty Marcona almonds, grapes, crunchy radishes, and a tangy-sweet chutney.How to Make ItPrepare all ingredients, and pack in your choice of lunch container.

YieldSERVES 4 (serving size: about 3/4 cup)The vegetables here are inspired by a recipe from David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. Honey and soy sauce cook down in the pan to create a sweet-savory glaze for turnips and radishes. If you can’t find Tokyo turnips (sometimes labeled Hakurei turnips), any small turnips will work.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: 2 slices)Change up the green element in your pesto and you can enjoy it all year long. Peppery arugula and fresh flat-leaf parsley make up the base of the saucy spread for this pizza. Raw butternut squash, shaved into wide strips with a vegetable peeler, wilts down and becomes perfectly tender after just minutes in the oven, a colorful contrast to the pesto.

YieldServes 12 (serving size: 1 filled egg)These deviled eggs live up to their name thanks to the edible eye and horn garnishes. You could also skip the horns and use a single olive slice for a fleet of Cyclops eggs, or do a mix of both. We use pimientos again in this pimiento cheese-style filling; the sharp cheddar cheese gives the yolk mixture a Halloween-orange hue.

YieldMakes 4 Quarts (Serves 16, 1-cup servings)& 34;I learned to make this salad years ago when I worked in a deli in Fairhope, Alabama. I was skeptical when I first saw the recipe; I’m not a big fan of raw broccoli. But this salad surprised me because it is wonderfully tasty; the olives and lemon-garlic dressing give it a delightful zing.

This homemade granola is miles ahead of anything you could buy off the shelf. Tahini and cardamom are the wildcard ingredients here, adding savory depth to balance out the sweetness of the maple syrup. With each successive stir, the tahini mixture fully coats the oats and works its way into the nooks and crannies of the walnuts, creating ultra toasty, delightfully sweet nuggets of crunchy goodness.

If you (or your kids) aren& 39;t a big fan of beans, we& 39;ve found the ultimate solution to get you munching on legumes: dessert hummus! Creamy and mild navy beans pair with naturally sweet applesauce and honey, plus a dash of spices, to create an easy-to-eat dip that will have you consuming beans by the bowl-full.

How to Make ItStep 1Bring 1 cup water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.Step 2Preheat broiler to high with oven rack in upper middle position.Step 3Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Roasted starchy root vegetables are a Thanksgiving staple, but these golden, crispy latkes transform them into a side or finger food with new flair. Don& 39;t skip out on the horseradish: It& 39;s pungency is what breathes new life into leftover veggies, and fresh dill and parsley add a touch of brightness.

YieldServes 8 (serving size: 5 pot stickers and about 1 1/2 Tbsp. sauce)Leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken is made almost unrecognizable in these flavorful and fragrant pot stickers. Our dipping sauce is what ties it all together: Spicy sambal oelek, sweet plum sauce, nutty sesame oil, and the umami soy sauce is a winning combo and the perfect accompaniment.

We turned the classic pumpkin pie (and the trendiest of fall spice blends) into a tasty confection. Fudge doesn& 39;t require the tempering, rolling, and shaping of other made-from-scratch candies. If you don& 39;t have a candy thermometer, do the cold water test: Drop a small amount of the cooked sugar mixture in cold water.

With their crisp exterior, tender and creamy interior, and hint of coconut flavor, we found these plantain slices absolutely irresistible. Seek out sweet, ripe plantains for this recipe, ones whose skins are heavily mottled with black spots. Plantains that are green or yellow, with little to no dark spots, will be quite starchy and are not ideal here.

A great salad is all about balancing flavors and textures. This one gives you all the taste elements in each bite—salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami—while the creamy cheese counters the various crunchy components. We like Bayley Hazen Blue from Vermont& 39;s Jasper Hill Farm in this salad, but even stronger blues like Stilton and Roquefort would be great, too.

Total Time1 Hour 20 MinsYieldServes 16 (serving size: 1 slice)Forget the syrupy-sweet doorstopper of fruitcakes past and try this savory version instead. Add to a cheese board for spreading creamier cheeses, toast and top with salted butter for a snack, or enjoy on its own with a glass of wine. If you don& 39;t have cream sherry, add 2 teaspoons brown sugar to dry sherry before pouring over the fig mixture.

When my sister Kaki laughed, a few age lines appeared around her mouth and eyes. We were rolling out holiday cookie dough in my kitchen on that last Christmas spent together, and because she was a dead ringer for our grandmother, a prescient thought occurred to me: “I know what she’s going to look like when she’s old.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: about 1 cup)Add the dried cherries to the cooking liquid with the couscous so they can plump, soften, and flavor the grains. Leeks are slightly milder than green onions; they become tender and silky when sautéed. Serve the couscous mixture with roasted pork or chicken.Ingredients1 1/4 cups water3/4 cup uncooked whole-wheat Israeli couscous3 tablespoons chopped dried cherries1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil1 cup thinly sliced leek2 tablespoons white wine vinegar1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil5/8 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnutsNutritional InformationCalories 232Fat 9gSatfat 1gUnsat 8gProtein 5gCarbohydrates 34gFiber 3gSugars 6gAdded sugars 3gSodium 306mgCalcium 2 DVPotassium 3 DVHow to Make ItStep 1Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in uncooked whole-wheat Israeli couscous and chopped dried cherries.

We leave out the anchovies for a kid-friendly take on classic Caesar salad. Instead of romaine, we use dark, bumpy lacinato kale leaves; a quick massage makes them perfectly tender. And instead of adding raw egg to the dressing, we add a soft-boiled egg to each serving so the yolk can run over all. A grill pan is a worthy addition to your kitchen for getting quick, chargrilled flavor without having to cook outdoors.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: 1 cup)Buttery, thin-skinned fingerling potatoes will cook fairly quickly in a hot oven, becoming nicely crisp outside and creamy inside. Pancetta is cured, unsmoked bacon. Look for prediced pancetta (such as Boar& 39;s Head) to save time. Serve with a simple egg and leafy green omelet or seared fish fillets.