Every once in a while, the stars align and a recipe comes to me just when I need it most. In this case, I was flipping through Laura Wright’s The First Mess Cookbook, tabbing recipes to try, on the same day that Andrew came down with a nasty head cold. Boosted with a generous dose of ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and chili flakes, this golden broth would have caught my eye, sick patient or no, but under these circumstances it quickly jumped to the top of my to-try list. Steamy, spicy, and sinus-clearing, it does it’s advertised job well, and since the solid ingredients are classic noodle soup additions (orzo and the tried and true trio of onion, carrot, and celery) it’s also quite comforting.
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comfort foods
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Power to those of you that feel otherwise, but I’m not a big reality TV fan*. So, when the publicist for Marissa Hermer’s An American Girl in London reached out offering to send a copy of her book for review, I was a bit skeptical. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bravo’s Ladies of London, Hermer is one of the stars.) Still, some things from the pitch captured my attention: the book focuses on British fare through an American’s eye (some recipes are lightened up a bit), and in addition to being a reality TV star, Hermer is the owner of three London restaurants. So, I said yes, flipped through its pages, and tried out a recipe or two.
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Greek Roasted Potato “Poutine” With Arugula
Stubborn and steady, I’m a creature of habit. In many ways, this is a positive: having a routine means I sleep well, usually manage to fit in some form of exercise (I’m a recent morning workout convert), rarely misplace my keys, and pretty much always have the fixings for a healthy breakfast on hand. Of course, I have my share of bad habits as well. Lately, Andrew and I have been trying to break ourselves of one such pattern: our dependence on delivery and takeout.
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Italian Brisket With Tomatoes and Onions
As anyone well-acquainted with their dutch oven or slow-cooker can attest to, braised (or in this case, simmered) meaty things make for ideal weeknight fodder. No, they’re not quick-cooking like skirt steak or chicken thighs; instead, they’re of the make-ahead variety (another practical weeknight dinner strategy). Long-cooked and tender, this particular recipe is even better on day two or three as leftovers and freezes wonderfully, making it a meal preppers dream.
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Spicy Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast tacos aren’t anything new, but they’re new to me, and a supremely-comforting breakfast to boot (two solid reasons to celebrate them here, I’d say).
This is a case of inspiration coming from an unexpected place; my first taste of this Tex-Mex staple was at an airport. If you’re scratching your head, let me rewind a bit. This past August I was in Austin for my dear friend Maggie’s bachelorette party. Because I booked my ticket late in the game, I ended up on the early flight back home Sunday AM. Combine an early wake-up with a night of drinking, and it’s hardly a shocker that I needed some solid sustenance before boarding the plane. Thankfully, I was on the same flight as Maggie’s lovely friend Kayla, who steered us to Maudie’s, where we sunk our teeth into some A-plus, hangover-killing breakfast tacos.
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Three-Meat Chili
Andrew and I have very different ideas of what goes into an ideal bowl of chili. As a veg-curious cook, my concept of this Southwestern staple has always involved beans, often to the exclusion of meat. Andrew’s preferences hew much closer to the meat-heavy Texan-style; beans aren’t necessarily off the table, but also aren’t the star. So, it’s hardly surprising that the last couple recipes I’ve auditioned — a dense, three-bean vegetarian chili and a vegetable-heavy vegan option — were met with a somewhat lukewarm response on his part. So, in the spirit of trying something new (to me, at least), and, yes, making a dinner my boyfriend would be excited to eat, I recently simmered up this three-meat situation sourced from Geoffrey Zakarian’s My Perfect Pantry.
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Angel Food Cake With Lemon Curd
Great angel food cake has a texture somewhere in between a cloud and a marshmallow: ethereally light, with a pleasantly-spongy bite. Lofty, and golden-brown-crusted, it’s one of my all-time favorite cakes. The problem: great angel food cake can be tricky to nail, or at least, that’s what I’m telling myself after baking not one, not two, but three failed cakes — flops, literally and figuratively — before finding success with this recipe.
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Banana-Pecan Paleo Pancakes
Magical, paleo, two-ingredient, grain-free: all of these buzz words have been used to describe these pancakes (or a close cousin thereof). And, here’s the shocker, this crazy recipe, which, at it’s most elemental, is just a cooked slurry of banana and eggs, actually works. Moreover, the pancakes taste good and shockingly pancake-like, especially when drizzled with a little bit of maple syrup.
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One-Pan Roast Chicken With Carrots and Potatoes
What do roasting a chicken, poaching eggs, and cooking a perfectly medium-rare steak have in common? All three are culinary techniques that have a reputation for being far trickier than they actually are; in fact, with a bit of guidance, they’re all quite beginner-friendly. Here, I’m breaking down my basic, but really good, take on roast chicken.
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