If there's any time to go all out on treacly expressions of L-O-V-E, it's Valentine's Day. And even though February 14 falls on a Saturday this year, you want to spend the day with the people you care about, not tediously assembling treats for them to enjoy, say, around bedtime.

While we're at it, could the treat be healthy-ish, in addition to being fast and foolproof? It feels like a tall order, until you take in this sweet little snack.

All you need is pack of flour tortillas, butter (or a flavorless oil, like avocado or refined coconut), cinnamon, sugar, strawberries and Greek yogurt (in whatever flavor you prefer).

Cookie cutters add a whimsical touch that make it easy to get the kids involved, but you could freehand your hearts with a paring knife or kitchen shears. Or simply grab a pizza cutter and slice 'em into triangles. Do what works for you.

Candace Davison

Kids really get excited over building their own "sandwiches" and dippers—even ones who normally aren't so into snacking on yogurt and berries. Honestly, it's hard not to be charmed by this 17-minute treat, no matter how old you are.

4 to 5 flour tortillas (6-inch or larger)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1 quart strawberries, rinsed

Greek yogurt, optional (for dipping)

17 Valentine’s Strawberry Ideas for You and Your Boo

Back in 2016, when she was Meghan, founder of The Tig, I interviewed her on all things food, and she shared a surprising tip: She slow cooks zucchini for four to five hours, until it breaks down into a “filthy, sexy mush” to serve atop pasta.

"The sauce gets so creamy you'd swear there's tons of butter and oil in it, but it's just zucchini, water and a little bouillon," she told me, adding that she also tops it with lots of Parmesan cheese.

candace davison

The mix was a bit bland for my tastes, but I liked the silkiness it added, so I thought, why not incorporate it into a slow cooker marinara? And, since I’m always trying to get my kids to eat more vegetables, I’d grate in carrots and onion too, adding them to fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, a mix of herbs and a ton of garlic. The result was a rustic, hearty sauce that my family devoured—and requested me to make every week.

Frozen meatballs are another shortcut here: I’ve found they become super tender as they cook in the Crockpot. Nobody notices they weren’t made from scratch.

If you want to amp up the flavor further, you can sauté the carrots and onions before adding them to the slow cooker, but honestly, I don’t bother. When it comes to weeknight dinners, my mantra is cook smarter, not harder.

1 medium zucchini, grated

2 carrots, grated

½ white onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained

2 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp basil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bag frozen meatballs

1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti

grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and meatballs to your slow cooker. Stir, then turn to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours, or 4 to 5 hours on high.

About 15 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to warm and prepare the pasta according to the package's instructions. Drain pasta and divide among bowls, topping with marinara sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

The 24 Best Slow Cooker and Crockpot Recipes (Plus, Everything There Is to Know About the Appliance)

I’d seen various all over my feed (shoutout to @thebakermama and @charcuterie_n_things!) and wanted to try making smaller versions that everyone in the family could get in on decorating. You could make the cinnamon rolls from scratch, but I took the Ina Garten “store-bought is fine” route and went with Pillsbury rolls. (On that note, if you do, look for Grands—they’re true cinnamon rolls that you can unfurl, whereas the smaller eight-pack tubes are more like cinnamon-sugar-topped biscuits.)

candace davison

Creating the snowmen is as easy as unraveling the outer ring of each roll, then curling it back up to form the head of the snowman, and baking it according to the package’s instructions until golden. I found it took about half as long to bake, just because there was less surface area per snowman.

candace davison

From there, set up a toppings bar. Chopped berries and slivers of mandarin oranges make for great eyes, buttons and noses (a peel also works well as a scarf!), and if you’re feeling indulgent, you can go all out with mini chocolate chips, mini M&M’s and gummy belts. Candy eyes are a delightfully goofy addition. Just don’t forget the pretzel stick arms.

Honestly, when it’s cold outside, this is the only snowman I want to make. As for my kids, this is the only treat that will lure them back inside when they’re sledding and snowball-hurling. Win-win.

1 tube cinnamon roll dough (plus frosting)

10 pretzel sticks

1 mandarin orange

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup mini M&Ms (optional)

1 package sour gummy belts (optional)

Candy eyes (optional)

Preheat oven according to the cinnamon roll package’s instructions. As the oven heats, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and separate the cinnamon roll dough into individual rolls.

Take each cinnamon roll and unravel the outer layer of the roll, cutting the piece off. Place the remaining roll on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll the strip of dough into a smaller cinnamon roll and place it at the top of the larger roll, creating the snowman’s head. (Tip: Place the smaller roll’s seam against the outer edge of the larger roll to help keep it from unfurling while baking.)

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly golden. (It shouldn’t look jiggly or have that glisten-y, doughy look anymore.) Remove from oven and let cool before frosting and decorating, using pretzel sticks for the arms, a sliver of orange for the nose, and mini chocolate chips and/or M&M’s for the eyes, mouth and buttons. A sliver of orange peel—which you can remove before eating—or a gummy belt make for a great scarf, too.

63 Winter Activities to Banish the Cold Weather Blues

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup,” he shares, after dousing his pasta in maple syrup.

While that quote has inspired many a T-shirt and Etsy shop, it’s the next scene that’s firmly seared in my brain: When Buddy makes breakfast, covering a pile of spaghetti noodles with fistfuls of mini marshmallows, crumbled Pop-Tarts, chocolate syrup, and well, just about anything sugary he can get his hands on.

Equal parts hilarious and disgusting, I wanted to recreate that moment with my family a few years ago…only minus the pasta. Pancake cereal was the latest TikTok trend, and I thought, why not make it a true breakfast? I filled pancake batter in a zip-top bag, snipped a corner, and used that to pipe swirly flapjacks onto a pan. (Forming one long, continuous piece proved easier to flip—and made for a nicer presentation—than creating a bunch of haphazard strands.)

candace davison

From there, I set up a toppings bar, letting people go full Buddy-style or opt for something slightly more virtuous (such as fresh berries and a peanut butter drizzle).

It was an instant hit. Now, in the shop-wrap-decorate-and-carol-filled weekends leading up to Christmas, I try to set aside one morning to make these and enjoy a rewatch of the classic. It slows us down, gives us a chance to connect—and an excuse to have what’s basically dessert for breakfast.

You’d have to be a cotton-headed ninny muggins not to enjoy it, honestly.

2 cups pancake batter (from recipe or box mix)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup chocolate syrup

1/3 cup sprinkles

1/2 cup M&M's

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup maple syrup

Optional toppings: berries, crushed candy canes; crumbled pretzels, Pop-Tarts or Oreo cookies; chopped nuts

Prepare the pancake batter according to the package’s instructions, or whip up your own from scratch. (The batter should be a little thicker than buttermilk, so it’s not too runny.) Pour it in batches into a resealable plastic bag, adding only about a cup at a time so it's easy to draw with.

Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Snip the corner of the resealable bag and use it to draw a squiggly spiral of batter onto the pan.

Once a lip forms around the edge of the pancake (around 1 minute), carefully flip and continue cooking until lightly golden.

Add toppings as you see fit. I opted for a combination of chocolate syrup, sprinkles, M&M’s, mini marshmallows and maple syrup, but you can go with whatever your heart desires—as long as sugar is involved (this is Buddy we’re paying homage to, after all).

22 Mouthwatering, Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes

original photo: candace davison

This recipe goes out to anyone who hates baking—or is convinced they're not a baker. It's inspired by the Pinterest-famous (and before that, community cookbook-famous) two-ingredient pumpkin muffins. Calling for just boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree, it yields a ridiculously soft muffin that's so moist, it nearly borders on pumpkin pie.

I'd been making batches every fall since college, but it always felt like it was missing something: streusel. Those brown sugary oat clusters are my favorite part of any muffin, and it got me thinking, what if I made a really simple streusel using Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead of oats? It'd amplify the cinnamon flavor, while adding a little crunch. And you could prep it all in a resealable, gallon-size bag, so you have fewer dirty dishes to deal with. (I've found it's easier to smash the cereal that way, especially if you don't have a food processor.)

This recipe yields 16 muffins, which I recommend storing under a cake dome or on a plate loosely covered with plastic wrap. The muffins themselves are so moist that if they're sealed tightly, say in a food storage container, the streusel can get dewy and lose its crunch after a day or two.

Muffin Batter:

1 box spice cake mix

1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)

Streusel:

2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal

¼ cup light brown sugar

3 teaspoon flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, or according to cake mix instructions.

2. Make the Muffin Batter: Combine spice cake mix and pumpkin puree, beating until batter is smooth and no lumps remain, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop batter into greased or lined muffin tins, filling each one about two-thirds of the way up.

3. Make the Streusel: Pour Cinnamon Toast Crunch into a gallon-sized resealable bag, seal and crunch with a spoon or rolling pin, breaking up into pea-sized bits without totally pulverizing them into dust. Open the bag and add remaining ingredients, seal and shake to combine. Sprinkle crumble atop each muffin.

4. Bake muffins for 15 to 18 minutes, or according to the cake mix box’s instructions. Insert a toothpick in the center of one—a few crumbs should come out, but it shouldn’t be gooey with batter. (If it is, give it another minute or two.) Let cool before serving.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Leela Cyd/Snacking Dinners

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you can do better than store-bought French onion dip. The next time you’re hosting or attending a dinner party, consider this spiced nuts, olives and raisins on hummus recipe from Georgia Freedman’s new cookbook, Snacking Dinners, instead. It’s complex and impressive, despite being a breeze to prepare.

“For a long time, I thought I didn’t like hummus,” Freedman writes. “But that was before I had the opportunity to try the homemade stuff. Light, creamy and flavorful, homemade hummus is now one of my favorite snacks—something I make on a weekend and tuck in the fridge to use in countless meals. Here, I top it with raisins, pine nuts and seasoned olives and pair it with pita and cucumber.”

Bonus? The recipe is designed to leave you with leftovers, so you can savor this snack throughout the week. Keep it in the fridge for up to five days (if you can last that long, anyway).

Spicy Avocado Hummus

532 calories

23g fat

69g carbs

19g protein

11g sugars

Hummus

1½ cups drained canned or cooked chickpeas

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1½ tablespoons tahini

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

Spiced Topping

1 tablespoon raisins

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

4 pitted Castelvetrano olives

Pita

1 heaping tablespoon pine nuts

1 heaping tablespoon blanched and slivered almonds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more to garnish

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt

Cucumbers or other vegetables, for serving

1. Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor. Add the garlic, tahini, salt and cumin and process everything until it turns into a very smooth mixture. Taste the hummus and adjust the seasonings as you like. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl, then, with the food processor running, slowly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to thin the hummus to your desired texture. Refrigerate the hummus in an airtight container for up to five days if not using immediately.

2. Take the hummus out of the refrigerator so it starts to come to room temperature. Put the raisins in a small bowl with the vinegar and just enough very hot water to fully submerge them. Let them soak for 5 minutes.

3. While the raisins are soaking, cut the olives into thin slices and toast the pita. In a small pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts and almonds, stirring frequently. Drain the raisins and, when the nuts are just turning lightly golden, add the raisins and olives to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the olive oil and let everything sizzle until the raisins puff up and some of the nuts turn dark brown, about 1 minute. Add the paprika, cinnamon, cumin and a pinch of salt and stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir while the mixture cools slightly.

4. Spoon about half the hummus into a low, wide bowl and use the back of a spoon to make a trough in the middle (refrigerate the rest of the hummus for a later use). Scoop the filling into the trough, then sprinkle on a bit more paprika. Slice the toasted pita into wedges and arrange them and some sliced cucumber or other vegetables on the side.

Jessica Merchant/Easy Everyday

Mild mozzarella, juicy tomatoes and fresh basil are a timeless combination. But did you know that the caprese treatment works with other fromage, too? Case in point: the caprese cottage cheese toast from Jessica Merchant’s new cookbook, Easy Everyday.

“When I said I love to eat cottage cheese in a savory manner, this is exactly how,” Merchant writes. “Burst tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic drizzle, some flaky salt. Done. Sold. Sign me up. Dare I say, this almost tastes like…pizza? A thick slab of sourdough bread is required for this recipe, and then you can pile on your favorites.”

Feel free to substitute regular honey for hot honey, if you’re spice-averse. You can also use whatever bread you have on hand, or even substitute summer strawberries for tomatoes. Plus, you can quickly cook the produce ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and serve. How’s that for meal prep?

^{Excerpted from EASY EVERYDAY by Jessica Merchant. Copyright © 2025 by Jessica Merchant. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.  All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.}

Broiled Citrus Ricotta Toast

639 calories

15g fat

97g carbs

29g protein

27g sugars

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices sourdough bread, toasted

1 cup cottage cheese, divided

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons balsamic glaze

1 tablespoon hot honey

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, shaking the pan and stirring often, until the tomatoes burst and become almost saucy, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat.

2. Spread each slice of toasted sourdough with ½ cup cottage cheese. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Top the cottage cheese with the tomatoes. Add the fresh basil. Drizzle the toast with the balsamic and hot honey. Serve.

America’s Test Kitchen (ATK)/Kritsada Panichgul

Butter, bread and fromage is a timeless combination—with good reason. But if the standard is leaving you feeling bored come lunch, you need to try the kimchi grilled cheese from Sarah and Nam Soon Ahn’s new cookbook, Umma.

This handheld was inspired by the authors’ family tradition of pairing leftover macaroni and cheese with kimchi. “The spicy kick of the kimchi elevates the creamy richness of the mac and cheese to a whole new level,” Sarah writes. “It’s now a ritual in our household to enjoy them together after every Thanksgiving—a fusion of comfort food and Korean flavors that we cannot get enough of.”

Two ingredients are particularly crucial. “A sturdy bread, such as sourdough, is ideal here to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy,” Nam Soon explains. “[Kimchi] labels will not always specify ‘fresh’ or ‘well­-fermented,’ so here are some clues to help figure it out: The jar should contain wilted­-looking vegetables with muted, darkened color, surrounded by a thin juice. The texture will appear softer than fresh kimchi, and when you taste it, there will be a pronounced, tangy sourness that comes from the longer fermentation.”

^{Excerpted from Umma by Sarah Ahn & Nam Soon Ahn. Copyright © 2025. Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Kritsada Panichgul.}

Honey-Garlic Chicken Recipe

1,344 calories

55g fat

163g carbs

52g protein

24g sugars

2 tablespoons salted butter, divided

½ cup well-fermented cabbage kimchi, finely chopped

2 teaspoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

½ teaspoon fish sauce

½ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes)

¼ teaspoon Dasida beef stock powder

Two ½‑inch-thick slices sourdough bread

3 slices Muenster cheese, halved

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, finely chopped

1. In a 12‑inch, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt ½ tablespoon butter. Add the kimchi and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through and begins to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, gochugaru and beef stock powder. Cook until the liquid has just evaporated, about 1 minute. (Don’t let the kimchi dry out.) Transfer the seasoned kimchi to a small plate and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.

2. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt half of the remaining butter. Add the bread slices and swirl them around the skillet to coat them in butter on the first side; transfer the bread to a separate plate. Repeat melting the remaining butter and coating the second sides of the bread slices. Continue to toast the bread on the second sides until just golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the heat to low and flip the bread slices. Arrange the cheese evenly on top of the bread slices, then sprinkle them with the garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Sprinkle one slice of the bread with the scallions, then neatly arrange the seasoned kimchi on top. Place the second slice of bread over the kimchi, cheese-side down. Using a spatula, gently press down on the sandwich to help seal it. Cover and cook until the cheese is fully melted, about 2 minutes, flipping the sandwich halfway through cooking. Transfer the sandwich to a wire rack and sprinkle with sugar on both sides to taste. Garnish the sandwich with any scallions that fell out into the skillet. Slice and serve.

America’s Test Kitchen (ATK)/Kritsada Panichgul

The honey-garlic chicken recipe from Sarah and Nam Soon Ahn’s new cookbook, Umma, is as simple as it is drool-worthy. Seriously—the toughest step is waiting for the drumsticks to marinate before cooking and digging in. But I promise they’re well worth the wait.

This dish is inspired by honey butter chips, a collaboration between two South Korean and Japanese snack brands that went viral in summer 2014. “Since trying these chips, which did not disappoint one bit, my family has been obsessed with any food that combines honey and butter,” Sarah explains. “These drumsticks, sweetened with honey, spiced with plenty of garlic and finished with a dollop of butter, remind me so much of those chips. They’re sweet and savory with a satisfying richness in every bite.”

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil rather than neutral cooking oil. That’s by design. “Its fruity, peppery flavor and richness complement the honey and butter perfectly,” Nam Soon adds.

^{Excerpted from Umma by Sarah Ahn & Nam Soon Ahn. Copyright © 2025. Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Kritsada Panichgul.}

Grilled Honey-Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks with Fennel-Cabbage Slaw

751 calories

46g fat

29g carbs

54g protein

25g sugars

3 pounds chicken drumsticks, trimmed

2½ cups milk

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fine salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2½ tablespoons salted butter

1. Rinse and drain the chicken, then transfer it to a large bowl or container. Add the milk and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken in an even layer, making sure all the chicken is submerged in the milk. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Drain and thoroughly rinse the chicken until the water runs clear. Clean and dry the bowl. Using a sharp knife, make four to six slashes in each drumstick (each slash should reach the bone). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and transfer it to the bowl.

3. Add the oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss the chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

4. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.

5. Toss the chicken again to coat it in the oil that has settled in the bowl. Working with one drumstick at a time, stretch the skin to evenly cover the meat, then arrange them skin-side down in a 12‑inch nonstick skillet. Drizzle any remaining oil left in the bowl over the chicken. Cook over medium-high heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until spotty golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and continue to cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until it registers at least 185°F, 20 to 22 minutes.

7. Spoon the garlic into the spaces between the drumsticks where the oil has pooled. Cook, spreading the garlic into the skillet with the back of a spoon, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Gently toss the chicken until evenly coated with the garlic. Add the sauce, stirring in any browned bits in the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, continuously coating and basting the chicken in the sauce, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter until the sauce has thickened into a glaze, about 30 seconds. Serve.

Ed Anderson/Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out

If you think a whole bird needs to be cooked in the oven, think again. The French-style roasted chicken recipe from Michael Symon’s new cookbook, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking, comes together on a charcoal grill instead.

“This recipe comes straight out of the south of France, where bold, fresh and simple foods are a way of life,” Symon explains. “I never grow tired of cooking whole chickens, because the possibilities are limitless and there are always delicious leftovers. If you aren’t yet in the habit of buying a whole chicken and breaking it down, you need to start! It’s more economical and you have more control over the size of your bird.”

Pro tip: Don’t move the poultry when you first place it in the pan. Allow it to sear undisturbed, until its skin is golden brown and the bird releases naturally from the skillet. This will ensure caramelized, crispy bits and rendered fat, the magic ingredients in the pan sauce that give it loads of flavor.

^{“Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” Copyright © 2025 by Michael Symon Photographs copyright © 2025 by Ed Anderson. Published in the United States by CLARKSON POTTER/PUBLISHERS An imprint of the Crown Publishing Group A division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Crispy Feta Eggs Recipe

760 calories

53g fat

6g carbs

60g protein

2g sugars

1 small bunch thyme

Extra-virgin olive oil

One 6-pound whole chicken, cut into eight pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, sliced

½ cup sweet vermouth

1½ cups chicken stock

2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for indirect cooking, with one hot side and one hold (unheated) side.

2. Bundle up the thyme with a piece of butcher’s twine and set it aside.

3. Place a large cast iron skillet on the hot side of the grill to preheat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet. Season both sides of the chicken with a few pinches of salt and twists of pepper. Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and cook until nicely charred, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Flip the chicken, add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the vermouth and deglaze the pan, scraping it with a wooden spoon to get up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the vermouth reduces slightly, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, olives and thyme bundle and bring to a simmer. Season with a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper. Move the skillet to the hold side of the grill, cover the grill and cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at the leg/thigh joint, 20 to 22 minutes.

5. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a platter. Remove and discard the thyme bundle. Stir the basil and butter into the skillet sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Ed Anderson/Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out

Busting out the barbecue is a no-brainer for a steak dinner or burger-fueled cookout. But have you ever taken to the grates for breakfast? Now’s your chance, with this recipe for crispy feta eggs from Michael Symon’s new cookbook, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking, on your side.

“If I could always start my day with this Greek-style breakfast, I would be a happy man,” Symon writes. “It combines cheese-fried eggs with a bright tomato and olive salad. Warm pita is served on the side to scoop up the runny yolks. Until you’ve tried eggs fried on top of crispy, melted feta, you haven’t lived!”

If you want to simplify the recipe even further, cook it on a grill pan or cast iron skillet indoors. As long as the pan is hot enough for the cheese to caramelize in a minute or so, the results will be just as scrumptious.  

^{“Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” Copyright © 2025 by Michael Symon Photographs copyright © 2025 by Ed Anderson. Published in the United States by CLARKSON POTTER/PUBLISHERS An imprint of the Crown Publishing Group A division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Baked Feta Soup

514 calories

31g fat

38g carbs

25g protein

3g sugars

1 large beefsteak tomato, diced

1 avocado, diced

½ cup and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)

¼ cup pitted Niçoise olives, sliced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 pita

1 cup crumbled Greek feta cheese

8 large eggs

1. Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for indirect cooking, with one hot side and one hold (unheated) side.

2. In a large bowl, combine the tomato, avocado, ½ cup of the olive oil, the scallions, olives, vinegar and oregano. Season it with a pinch of salt and twist of pepper and toss to combine.

3. Set a large cast iron skillet on the hot side of the grill to heat for 1 minute. Wrap the pita in foil.

4. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Scatter the feta evenly across the bottom of the skillet and cook, without stirring, until slightly melted and lightly crisp on the edges, about 1 minute. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook, without stirring, until a crust begins to form, about 1 minute. Place the pita on the hold side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are slightly runny, about 1 minute more.

5. Remove the skillet and pita bread from the grill. Transfer the eggs to a platter, top them with the tomato salad and serve with warm pita.

Bailey Ruskus and Steve Ruskus/Breaking Up with Dairy

I don’t care what diet you’re on—no one should ever feel like they need to give up fries. If you want to satisfy a spud craving a bit more wholesomely, consider the double truffle fries recipe from Bailey Ruskus’s new cookbook, Breaking Up with Dairy: 100 Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes for Cheese (and Butter, Cream and Milk) Lovers Everywhere.

“This recipe will help you lean into the finer things in life and the side of yourself that wants the cake and to eat it, too,” Ruskus writes. “These fries are baked, not fried, and are caramelized with coconut sugar, making them healthy yet so dang delicious.”

Best of all, they come with a creamy, zippy dipping sauce that boasts even more truffle-infused deliciousness. The base is a dairy-free crema that comes together in a blender for maximum convenience.

^{Excerpted from BREAKING UP WITH DAIRY by Bailey Ruskus. Copyright © 2025 by Bailey Ruskus. Photography copyright © 2025 by Bailey Ruskus and Steve Ruskus. Used by arrangement with Balance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing Group. All rights reserved.}

Creamy Black Garlic Ramen Recipe

803 calories

35g fat

111g carbs

20g protein

8g sugars

Plain Crema

2 cups cashews, soaked in water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes, then drained

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Fries

6 russet potatoes, washed, peeled and julienned

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon truffle salt

1 teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or organic cane sugar, if you have a coconut allergy)

1 head garlic, top sliced off

Truffle Sauce

1 cup plain crema

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon truffle oil or ½ teaspoon truffle powder

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1. Make the Crema: Combine all the ingredients and 1½ cups of water in a high-speed blender and blend on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Store the crema in a squeeze bottle or mason jar in the fridge for up to seven days.

2. Make the Fries: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

3. Combine the potatoes, 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, the truffle salt, dried dill, white pepper and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Toss until all the potato pieces are coated. Arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet; if they seem too crowded, you can divide them between two prepared baking sheets so they can evenly brown. Place the garlic, cut side-up, in the corner of the baking sheet, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Bake them for 25 minutes, remove them from the oven and stir, then bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown and the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 25 minutes more. (You may need to pull the garlic out early, so keep an eye on it.)

4. Make the Truffle Sauce: Place the crema in a high-powered blender. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb into the blender. Add the lemon zest and juice, salt and truffle oil, then blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the parsley and pulse four to six times to incorporate without changing the color of the sauce to green. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.

5. Once the potatoes have become soft and slightly golden brown, remove them from the oven and serve them warm with the truffle sauce.

Bailey and Steve Ruskus/Breaking Up with Dairy

Some time-consuming dinners are worth trying once…and never again. But some are well worth the effort—so much so that you’ll make them again and again. Such is the creamy black garlic ramen recipe from Bailey Ruskus’s new cookbook, Breaking Up with Dairy: 100 Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes for Cheese (and Butter, Cream and Milk) Lovers Everywhere.

“This recipe’s flavor profile is so complex and so freakin’ creamy,” Ruskus writes. “It’s the best pairing for a rainy night in and will leave you desperate to get every last drop. If you can, meal prep the broth the day before so it can build flavor overnight while it sits in the fridge. Like a fine wine, this broth really does get better with time.”

The recipe calls for homemade black sesame seed milk or coconut milk in the broth. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can take your pick of the two and go to town. But if you want to save yourself some time and effort, opt for full-fat canned coconut milk instead—I won’t tell.

^{Excerpted from BREAKING UP WITH DAIRY by Bailey Ruskus. Copyright © 2025 by Bailey Ruskus. Photography copyright © 2025 by Bailey Ruskus and Steve Ruskus. Used by arrangement with Balance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing Group. All rights reserved.}  

Rotisserie Chicken Ramen Recipe

733 calories

47g fat

65g carbs

18g protein

7g sugars

Black Sesame Seed Milk (if using)

½ cup black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 pitted Medjool dates

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Coconut Milk (if using)

1 cup coconut meat or unsweetened shredded coconut

3 pitted Medjool dates

Pinch kosher salt

Tofu

One 14-ounce block tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

Broth

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon black garlic purée or minced regular garlic

2 tablespoons liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

3 heaping tablespoons miso paste

3 heaping tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce

4 cups Black Sesame Seed Milk or Coconut Milk (canned works, too)

4 cups vegetable broth

Veggies

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

¼ cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

1 teaspoon sriracha

4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced in half

2 baby bok choy, cut into quarters or halves

Ramen

One 24-ounce package ramen noodles (gluten free if needed)

Sesame seeds and chili oil, for serving

1. Make the black sesame seed milk, if using: Combine the ingredients and 4 cups filtered water in a high-powered blender and blend on high speed for about 60 seconds, or until well mixed. Pour through a fine-mesh metal strainer into a bowl. (You might need to work a rubber spatula on the strainer to help the liquid go through.) Repeat this one more time to get a really smooth consistency.

2. Alternatively, make the coconut milk, if using: Combine the ingredients and 3 cups filtered water in a high-powered blender and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Pour the contents through a fine-mesh metal strainer and use a wooden spoon to help the liquid through. Repeat this straining process two more times. (If you want, you can also strain it once through a nut milk straining bag.) Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for five to seven days.

3. Make the tofu: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the tofu in a bowl and toss with the sesame seed oil, salt and granulated garlic until evenly coated. Space the tofu equally apart on a parchment paper– or silicone mat–lined baking sheet and bake it until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Pro tip: Don’t forget to shake the tofu halfway through baking to prevent it from sticking later on.

4. Make the broth: Place a soup pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, put in the sesame seed oil, onion and salt, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, black garlic purée, liquid aminos, miso paste, tomato paste and sriracha, and cook for about 2 minutes while stirring to coat the onion. Add your black sesame milk and cook for about 3 minutes more. Pour in the veggie broth and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

5. Marinate the veggies: Combine the sesame seed oil, coconut aminos and sriracha in a large bowl. Immerse the mushrooms and bok choy in the mixture.

6. Give the broth a good stir and continue to cook it for 15 more minutes, covered, over medium-low heat.

7. While the broth simmers, heat a large cast iron skillet or flattop over medium-high heat. Remove your mushroom halves from their marinade and sauté them until soft and cooked down, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to flip the mushrooms; this step can get a bit smoky, so have a fan on. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the bok choy until all its sides are seared golden brown.

8. Make the ramen: Fill a separate large soup pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook your ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Drain. Add the cooked ramen noodles back to the hot empty pot and stir with a dash of veggie broth or sesame seed oil. Set aside.

9. To serve, place a generous amount of noodles in a large individual soup bowl, and then add a few ladles of broth, garnish with a slice or two of mushrooms, a quarter of bok choy and a few cubes of cooked tofu. Optionally, garnish it with sesame seeds and chili oil.

Eva Kolenko/Pretty Delicious

Let me be the one to tell you: The smushed granola bar at the bottom of your purse isn’t an adequate breakfast. Give yourself a simple upgrade with this banana bread baked oatmeal recipe from Alia and Radwa Elkaffas’s new cookbook, Pretty Delicious.

“As much as we love the convenience of instant oatmeal packets, we find them lacking in flavor and texture,” the authors write. “That’s why we came up with this baked version, which can be prepped the night before and baked off in the morning for a hearty, warm breakfast…We’ve included three kid-requested, mom-approved versions: the original, which truly tastes like banana bread in oatmeal form, and two variations.”

Not only is the breakfast (or snack) a breeze to prepare, but it’s also designed to be made ahead. “After slicing the baked oatmeal, store individual portions in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat it in the microwave before serving,” the authors recommend.

^{Reprinted with permission from Pretty Delicious: Simple, Modern Mediterranean, Served with Style: A Cookbook. Copyright © 2025 by Alia Elkaffas and Radwa Elkaffas. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Eva Kolenko. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Baklava Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

376 calories

16g fat

52g carbs

9g protein

13g sugars

Banana Bread Oatmeal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more, softened, for greasing

3 medium ripe bananas

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups milk of choice

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup dark chocolate chips

Chopped walnuts (optional), for serving

Maple syrup (optional), for serving

Double Chocolate

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Slivered almonds, sweetened or unsweetened dried coconut flakes and maple syrup, for serving

Peanut Butter-Strawberry

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sliced, hulled strawberries

Chopped, lightly salted peanuts and strawberry preserves, for serving

1. For Original Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 7-by-11-inch baking dish (or five 4-inch ramekins, eight ounces each) with butter and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas until smooth. Add the oats, milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg, then whisk until thoroughly combined.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips. Bake until the oatmeal is set and no longer loose in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. (If using ramekins, bake the oatmeal for 15 minutes.)

4. Cut the oatmeal into squares and serve it with a sprinkle of walnuts and/or maple syrup, if desired.

5. For Double Chocolate Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal: Make the batter as directed and add the cocoa powder when adding the oats mixture. Bake as directed. To serve, omit the walnuts and sprinkle the oatmeal with the almonds, coconut flakes and maple syrup.

6. For Peanut Butter-Strawberry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal: Make the batter as directed and add the peanut butter when adding the oats. Scrape it into the pan. Omit the chocolate chips and sprinkle the top with strawberries. Bake as directed. To serve, omit the walnuts and maple syrup and sprinkle the oatmeal with the peanuts and a dollop of strawberry preserves.

Eva Kolenko/Pretty Delicious

If there’s one thing a lazy baker like me loves, it’s a shortcut. Enter the baklava cinnamon rolls recipe from Alia and Radwa Elkaffas’s new cookbook, Pretty Delicious, which has a clever, time-saving secret.

“We like to think that the genius part of this recipe is that it replaces the phyllo with store-bought cinnamon roll dough,” the authors write. “When stuffed with a cinnamon-scented walnut and pistachio filling and drizzled with a brown sugar-honey syrup, it’s nothing short of dessert-worthy—and yet completely breakfast-appropriate.”

Not only does this sticky, nutty masterpiece require minimal baking skills, but it also only needs eight basic ingredients, in addition to the store-bought cinnamon rolls. That means a photo-worthy brunch is well within reach, even for newbie bakers.  

^{Reprinted with permission from Pretty Delicious: Simple, Modern Mediterranean, Served with Style: A Cookbook. Copyright © 2025 by Alia Elkaffas and Radwa Elkaffas. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Eva Kolenko. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Baklava Pie

638 calories

29g fat

90g carbs

7g protein

32g sugars

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for greasing

Syrup

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup honey

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Filling

⅓ cup walnuts

¼ cup pistachios

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Assembly

Two 17.5-ounce cans cinnamon rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a round 12-or 14-inch cake pan with butter.

2. Make the syrup: In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, cream, honey and butter. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside.

3. Make the filling: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, pistachios, sugar and cinnamon. Pulse just until the mixture is coarsely ground. (Making it too sandy or fine will cause it to burn in the oven.)

4. Assemble the cinnamon rolls: Pop open the cans of cinnamon roll dough and unroll them on a cutting board or clean work surface, keeping the slices intact so you have a sheet of dough. Spoon one-quarter of the nut filling over each of the rolls. Carefully roll the dough back up as tightly as possible.

5. Spoon half of the syrup mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Separate the nut-filled cinnamon rolls and arrange them on top of the syrup in the baking dish, cut-side down. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the rolls. Measure ½ cup of the syrup and set aside for serving. Drizzle the remaining syrup mixture over the tops of the rolls.

6. Bake the cinnamon rolls until they’re golden brown and fluffy, 38 to 40 minutes.

7. Let the rolls stand in the baking dish for about 5 minutes before removing them. Serve them warm with a drizzle of the syrup. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Jenny Bravo/Warm Your Bones

When the days are cold and the evenings are long, comfort food is essential. Enter the beef tenderloin with wild mushroom pan gravy recipe from Vanessa Seder’s new cookbook, Warm Your Bones: Cozy Recipes for Chilly Days and Winter Nights.

“Pan-searing the loin allows you to brown and caramelize the exterior while ensuring the interior remains tender and juicy,” Seder writes. “Make sure you don’t forget to let the medallions rest after removing them from the oven…Letting the meat rest allows the juices to redistribute and ‘carryover cooking’ (chef shorthand for cooking that continues post-oven) to take place.”

While the meat rests, work on the drool-worthy gravy. As for sides, garlicky mashed potatoes, French fries or roasted carrots would pair beautifully.

^{Recipes reprinted with permission from Warm Your Bones: Cozy Recipes for Chilly Days and Winter Nights by Vanessa Seder © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © Jenny Bravo.}

Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Bacon

471 calories

34g fat

11g carbs

29g protein

3g sugars

Four 6- to 8-ounce beef tenderloin medallions, about 2 inches thick

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold, unsalted butter, divided

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1 pound wild mushrooms (such as chestnut, cremini, oyster, black trumpet, chanterelle or shiitake), halved, sliced or quartered into roughly 1-inch pieces

⅔ cup dry sherry

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

4 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs thyme

¼ cup soy sauce

1. Pat the medallions dry and season them all over with the salt and pepper.

2. Gently tie a piece of kitchen twine around each medallion. (The twine will help the tenderloin maintain its shape and cook more evenly.) Let the tenderloin rest for about 1 hour at room temperature.

3. Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet over high heat until very hot. Pour the olive oil into the skillet and swirl to coat the pan. Add the medallions to the skillet and sear until browned, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare or about 4 minutes per side for medium. You can also check the temperature by inserting a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (120°F to 125°F for medium-rare or 125°F to 130°F for medium). Transfer the medallions to a cutting board to rest while you make the gravy.

4. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring with a large metal spoon and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

5. Add the sherry, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the alcohol has almost evaporated and the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the broth, rosemary and thyme, and cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Stir in the soy sauce, then turn off the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, a bit at a time, until the gravy thickens slightly and becomes shiny, about 3 minutes. Remove the twine. Serve the beef with the gravy.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Sometimes—uh, most of the time—weeknight dinners involve a time crunch. You’re rushing from work to soccer practice pickup to who knows what, and every minute matters. That’s why our one-pot pasta limone has stood the test of time as a PureWow reader favorite: It’s ready in 15 minutes flat, hardly dirties any dishes and it relies largely on pantry staples, sparing you a trip to the store.

What I love about it, though, is its versatility: Don’t have leeks on hand? Try shallots. Prefer short pasta? Any noodle will do (fusilli and cavatappi are great for scooping up bits of Parm). You can even dress it up to create a heartier meal, serving it alongside grilled chicken or shrimp for added protein. (In the summertime, I like to add cooked, crumbled spicy Italian sausage and grilled corn. It adds a sweet-hot touch that’s *chef’s kiss.*) Want to really lean into the Parm’s salty notes? Add diced pancetta.

On its own, though, this pasta limone is a crowd-pleaser, thanks to its blend of cheesy and citrusy notes. It’s fresh yet filling—and aside from a few minutes of chopping, it’s largely hands-off. (You just throw everything in a pot and let it boil, then garnish.)

“The end result isn’t particularly saucy, but that makes it taste light, zesty and refreshing,” PureWow VP of content and recipe tester Candace Davison explains. “Don’t forget to spritz with a little extra lemon juice just before serving—it brightens up the whole meal.”

Easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe

457 calories

9g fat

72g carbs

22g protein

4g sugars

12 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini

2 leeks, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more lemon zest for serving

3 sprigs basil, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine the pasta, 4½ cups water, leeks, garlic, lemon zest, basil, salt and pepper in a large skillet with 2-inch sides.

2. Bring the water to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is nearly gone and the pasta is fully cooked, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice and Parmesan, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon zest.

Chris Bernabeo/Sweet Enough

“This cake is on the less-sweet side, precisely my intention,” Roman writes of her raspberry ricotta cake recipe (from her new cookbook, Sweet Enough). Even better than its balanced fruit flavor, the batter comes together in one bowl and is easy enough for a beginner baker to make.

“If you’re craving something a bit stickier, a bit sweeter,” she explains, “know that this versatile batter can be baked with 1 cup of jam or marmalade (any of your choice) swirled in in lieu of the unsweetened berries. The result will be a little sweeter and a bit more subtle in its delivery of the fruit, thanks to the even distribution, but still very delicious and extremely snackable.”

Former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen tested the recipe herself. "It tasted very good: not too sweet at all and very moist," she raves. "I could see it being good with another berry—the recipe notes you can use blackberries, but I would also try blueberries."

Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

317 calories

13g fat

43g carbs

7g protein

26g sugars

Nonstick cooking spray

1½ cups (220g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon (12g) baking powder

1 teaspoon (4g) kosher salt

1½ cups (365g) ricotta cheese

1¼ cups (275g) granulated sugar, divided

Grated zest of 1 lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange (optional)

3 large eggs

½ teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract

1 stick (4 ounces/115g) unsalted butter, melted

12 to 16 ounces (340g–450g) raspberries or blackberries, fresh or frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line with a round of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, 1 cup (220g) of the sugar, citrus zest (if using), the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Whisk or gently fold into the flour mixture just until blended. Fold in the melted butter, followed by half the raspberries, crushing them ever so slightly as you fold—you don’t want them to disappear into the batter, just evenly distributed to create a nice, streaky look, almost like tie-dye.

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and scatter the remaining raspberries and ¼ cup (55g) sugar over the top. (It might look like a lot of sugar—it is! But it’s necessary, promise.)

5. Bake until golden brown and a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a lunch rut? Greek yogurt chicken salad stuffed peppers to the rescue. The lightened-up version still has all the creamy, tangy flavor you crave—minus the heaviness of mayo. Plus, the recipe makes a giant batch, so you can use the leftovers all week long.

“The recipe calls for the meat from a rotisserie chicken,” recipe tester and former senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains, “but since chicken sizes can vary, I would aim for about 3 cups of cubed chicken—whether you use a rotisserie chicken or cook it yourself.”

Serving the salad in bell pepper boats makes it ultra kid-friendly, and a great toddler lunch, but it’s totally optional. (Hey, sandwiches are tasty too.)

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

400 calories

10g fat

17g carbs

60g protein

10g sugars

⅔ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley

Meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, cubed

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 bunch scallions, sliced and divided

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered and divided

½ English cucumber, diced

3 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mustard and rice vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.

2. Add the chicken, celery and three-quarters each of the scallions, tomatoes and cucumbers. Stir well to combine.

3. Divide the chicken salad among the bell pepper boats; garnish with the remaining scallions, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Matt Armendariz/Cooking from the Spirit

There are the veggie dogs you can buy at the grocery store, and there are Tabitha Brown’s chili carrot dogs from her cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit. They’re entirely vegan, and if you ask me, they’re a lot tastier than the store-bought kind.

“Hot dogs are wrapped up in so many memories for me,” Brown writes. “So, when I went vegan, I knew I had to find my new loaded hot dog, and I was telling myself that I gotta get this right, because I need it. But I was trying not to eat so much processed food, so the store-bought hot dogs weren’t an option. Then people started asking me over and over if I’d seen online where you could turn a carrot into a hot dog. And it was one of only a handful of recipes that I ever got online, and of course I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, honey. I made it my own. The natural next step was adding my pecan chili.”

You’ll notice her version doesn’t include measurements—but don’t let that deter you. As she explains in her cookbook, it’s because she doesn’t use measurements when she cooks: “I just add what I like, and I do it until my spirit tells me to stop.” You should feel empowered to do that too. (It’s a more foolproof method than you’d think.) 

PureWow food editor Taryn Pire tried the recipe at home and found it less fussy than expected. “I love how minimal the prep is,” she says. “All you need to do is peel the carrots, chop some onions and the rest is just combining store-bought ingredients, cooking on the stovetop and assembling. The chili smells like savory pecan pie, and the finished handhelds are surprisingly hearty—and that’s coming from a meat-eater.”

_{From Cooking from the Spirit by Tabitha Brown. Copyright © 2022 by Tabitha Brown. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.}

Midwestern-Style Beer Boiled Brats

Carrot Dogs

About 1 cup coconut aminos, liquid aminos or soy sauce

Raw agave syrup

A.1. Sauce

Ketchup

Garlic powder

Liquid smoke

Peeled whole carrots

Chili

About 1 pound pecans

Grapeseed oil

Yellow mustard

Raw agave syrup

Ketchup

Chili powder

Salt-free, multi-spice seasoning

Garlic powder

Coleslaw

Shredded cabbage

Vegan mayonnaise

Vegan honey mustard salad dressing

Garlic powder

Ground black pepper

For Serving

Hot dog buns

Chopped white onion

Condiments, like ketchup, yellow mustard and relish

1. Make the Carrot Dogs: In a large Dutch oven or pot (with a tight-fitting lid) wide enough to hold the carrots lengthwise, combine about 2 cups water and the coconut aminos. Add a few spoonfuls each of agave, A.1. and ketchup, some garlic powder and a few drops of liquid smoke. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the carrots to the boiling liquid. There should be just enough liquid to cover them; add a bit of water, if necessary. Boil gently until the carrots have softened slightly and the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add more water if necessary to keep the carrots covered.) Cover the pot and simmer until the carrots are tender but still offer a little resistance when poked with a skewer or sharp knife, about 10 minutes more. Use tongs to transfer the carrots to a platter, then pat them dry. Don’t clean the pot yet—you’re going to need that pot and the liquid in it for the chili, so just set it aside.

3. In a seasoned (or lightly oiled) cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat, brown the carrots on both sides. Transfer them to a platter to keep warm.

4. Make the Chili: Add 1 to 2 cups water to the liquid left in the pot and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen up any stuck bits. Stir in the pecans and add more water if necessary so the nuts are covered with liquid. Boil gently, uncovered, until the pecans are softened, 13 to 15 minutes. (Add more water if necessary to keep the pecans covered.)

5. Make the Coleslaw: Meanwhile, put the cabbage in a large bowl and add a bit of mayonnaise, honey mustard dressing, garlic powder and pepper. Stir it up and you’ve got yourself a quick coleslaw. Taste to see what more seasonings it might need. Set it in the refrigerator until serving.

6. Drain the pecans and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high until finely chopped. (The pecans should look like ground beef or turkey, but of course, they’re not.)

7. Heat some grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pecans, mustard, agave, ketchup, chili powder, seasoning and garlic powder. Stir it up to combine. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes.

8. Build the Chili Dogs: Put a carrot dog in each bun. Top each with some coleslaw, chili, chopped onions (if you want some), ketchup, mustard and relish.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Raise your hand if you adore salad. (“Bueller…?”) If your hand stayed down, that’s because you haven’t tried this BLT pasta salad recipe yet. It combines all the crunchy, savory, rich ingredients of the classic sandwich, minus the bread.

“Any small noodles will do, though elbows are arguably the gold standard for pasta salad,” says PureWow food editor Taryn Pire. “I’d suggest using a type with ridges so the pasta can better hold the dressing. And don’t worry about slicing the produce until the pasta and bacon are already cooking. You won’t be able to mix everything until they’ve fully cooled anyway, and you don’t want the avocado to turn brown before serving.”

As for the flavor, this picnic-ready dish is hard not to love. “It’s tangy, creamy, refreshing and extra tasty served cold after a night in the fridge.” It also works great as a lunchbox option for toddlers and older kids—just leave out the avocado until serving or swap it for something sturdier like chopped cucumbers or cheese cubes.

Caprese Pasta Salad

615 calories

39g fat

51g carbs

17g protein

4g sugars

1 pound bacon

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound pasta

½ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Kosher salt

3 medium tomatoes, cut into small wedges

1 avocado, diced

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the bacon on the baking sheet and season it generously with black pepper. Bake until the bacon is crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the bacon completely.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and cool to room temperature.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, tomato, avocado and lettuce. Crumble in the bacon.

5. If serving immediately, add the dressing and toss well to coat. If making ahead, leave the salad undressed and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Caitlin Bensel/Eat What Elephants Eat

Cereal? Again? You can do better—and I don’t mean with scrambled eggs. Turn breakfast as you know it on its head with these good morning sweet potatoes from Dominick Thompson’s new cookbook, Eat What Elephants Eat. 

“I have an undying love for wholesome sweet potatoes,” Thompson writes. “I batch cook them on the weekend so I can enjoy them for breakfast every day. They are a more filling, gluten-free, fiber-rich canvas for sweet or savory toppings than bread.”

You can use Japanese sweet potatoes or orange sweet potatoes interchangeably here. “[Japanese sweet potatoes] have a sweeter taste than orange sweet potatoes...They are also fluffier,” Thompson adds. Either way, they can be topped with everything from nut butter to hot sauce to fresh berries to be made even more scrumptious.

^{Excerpted from EAT WHAT ELEPHANTS EAT: Vegan Recipes for a Strong Body and a Gentle Spirit. Copyright @ 2024 by Dominick Thompson. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Caitlin Bensel. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.}

Overstuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle-Lime Yogurt

147 calories

4g fat

26g carbs

2g protein

5g sugars

Sweet Potatoes

7 small to medium (6 to 7 ounces each) Japanese or orange sweet potatoes, skin on and scrubbed

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Nut Butter and Banana Topping

2 tablespoons nut butter, such as cashew, peanut or almond

Banana slices

1 tablespoon seeds, such as hemp, pumpkin or sunflower

Cinnamon

Sweet Cashew Cream, Berry and Seed Topping

1¼ cups raw cashews

6 soft pitted dates, such as Medjool or Deglet Noor

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup fresh berries, such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries

1 tablespoon seeds, such as hemp, pumpkin or sunflower

Hot Sweet Potato Scramble

One 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained and pressed

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or more to taste

Plain, plant-based milk (or water)

Avocado slices

Sriracha or other hot sauce

1. Make the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Use a fork to poke holes on all sides of the potatoes. Arrange them on the baking sheet, drizzle the oil over them, tossing to coat evenly, then sprinkle them with salt. Bake them until they are soft and can be easily pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. If you’re making them to serve right away, slice a still-warm sweet potato down the middle and top it with your choice of toppings. If you’re batch cooking them for later, transfer the potatoes to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

4. For Nut Butter and Banana Sweet Potatoes: Fill the potato with the nut butter. Top it with the banana and seeds, then sprinkle it with cinnamon to taste.

5. For Sweet Cashew Cream, Berry and Seed Sweet Potatoes: Make the sweet cashew cream. Place the cashews in a bowl and add hot water to cover them by about 1 inch. Soak them for 20 minutes, then drain well.

6. In a blender or food processor, combine the soaked cashews, dates, salt, vanilla and 1 cup water. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cream to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 1 hour before using. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

7. Fill the potato with 2 tablespoons of sweet cashew cream, then top it with berries and seeds.

8. For Hot Sweet Potato Scramble: Make the tofu scramble. Slice the block of tofu in half horizontally. Season it on both sides with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and turmeric.

9. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the tofu sheets and cook them until the bottoms are golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently flip them and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes more.

10. Add the nutritional yeast and milk, then gently “scramble” (break up) the tofu into smaller pieces. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the remaining liquid evaporates, 3 to 5 minutes.

11. Fill the potato with the tofu scramble, then top it with avocado slices and hot sauce.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

You could wow ’em with phyllo-topped mac and cheese or carrot gnocchi, but sometimes, simplicity wins out. That’s why everyone should know how to make this cacio e pepe recipe. It’s pasta with cheese and pepper—what could be bad about that?

The Roman classic requires just six ingredients (four, if you don’t count salt and pepper) and takes 20 minutes to whip up. Even better, you likely have all the ingredients in your kitchen ready to go. Pecorino Romano, a sheep’s milk cheese, is traditional, but if you only have Parmesan on hand, that’s just as delicious. The freshly ground black pepper, however, is nonnegotiable.

“Dried spaghetti usually comes in 16-ounce boxes,” PureWow food editor Taryn Pire writes after testing the recipe at home, “so either weigh out 12 ounces or add a bit more butter, oil and cheese in the following steps to accommodate the extra pasta. This recipe is basically impossible to mess up, so don’t sweat it too much. You’ll fall for the salty, silky, cheesy sauce at first bite.”

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

533 calories

22g fat

65g carbs

18g protein

2g sugars

12 ounces spaghetti

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

⅔ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, according to package instructions, until just al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Once the spaghetti is cooked, reserve a ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.

2. While the pasta cooks, mash the soft butter with the olive oil and Pecorino in a large bowl to form a paste.

3. Add the spaghetti directly to the bowl with the butter mixture. Toss well to coat, adding the pasta water as needed to make a thick, creamy sauce that evenly slicks the noodles. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Serve immediately.

“One day I picked up a head of cauliflower at the grocery store with no plan in mind,” Porowski writes, “just a bit of faith that my pantry staples back home would inspire. Indeed they did! First, some gochujang, the savory-sweet fermented Korean chili paste; Marcona almonds for nuttiness and texture; and sticky dates for their rich caramel sweetness.”

I love gochujang for its funky, spicy flavor; it’s available at Korean markets, most large supermarkets and online, but if you can’t find it, Porowski says you can easily substitute sriracha.

“This dish is vegan,” he continues. “It’s great after a weekend of indulgence. Serve it with rice or your favorite grain and make it a meal."

_{Excerpted from Antoni in the Kitchen © 2019 by Antoni Porowski with Mindy Fox. Photography © 2019 by Paul Brissman. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.}

Antoni Porowski’s Cauliflower Steaks Recipe Review

My fingers are stained yellow, and I was full at least seven bites ago, but I can’t stop breaking off bits of turmeric-roasted cauliflower and dunking it in a sweet-yet-tangy Gochujang lime dressing. And I blame Antoni Porowski.

Not for my utter lack of self-control (that’s on me), but for sharing a sheet pan recipe that makes me actually believe in sheet pan recipes. You see, in 2019, when the Queer Eye star released his cookbook, Antoni in the Kitchen, he shared his recipe for Cauliflower Steaks with Turmeric and Crunchy Almonds with us. It was fitting, considering PureWow’s first viral recipe was a spicy whole roasted cauliflower, and—talk about knowing your audience—Porowski’s take on the cruciferous veggie soon became one of our most-sought-after dishes.

Nearly five years later, caught in a cooking rut, I decided to try it. It had a five-star rating from 186 people, and it claimed to be ready in 35 minutes flat. Still, I was hesitant: I’ve tried many a sheet pan recipe, only to find that things cook unevenly, and even if you try to chop everything into similarly sized pieces, all too often you wind up with some scorched-beyond-belief foods and some half-soggy ones.

But in the name of trying new things, I gave this a shot—and I’m so glad I did. The recipe itself is remarkably easy to follow, and the steaks turn out tender, flavorful and just the right amount of charred. (And everything cooks pretty evenly, considering all you’re really roasting is the cauliflower.)

Step 1: Ready Thy Ingredients

candace davison

With this recipe, you’re essentially creating a turmeric-infused olive oil to brush onto slabs of cauliflower, which are then roasted and topped with a homemade dressing and garnished with sliced dates, chopped cilantro and almonds.

Even if you’ve never used gochujang before—it’s a spicy, savory, somewhat salty paste made from red chilis—you can find it at most supermarkets today. (I found it at Target.) But Porowski says you could also substitute sriracha. Whatever you do, it’s worth adding some element of heat—it helps balance the tanginess of the lime and the sweetness of the honey. Otherwise, those two flavors dominate the meal.

Step 2: Prep the Cauliflower

candace davison

As the oven preheats to 425 degrees F, you’ll want to remove the cauliflower stem and leaves and slice the steak into ¾-inch-thick “steaks.” Porowski suggests reserving the leaves and roasting them with the steaks, but I found they just curl into charred, feathery bits—you don’t lose anything by omitting them. You don’t really gain anything by including them.

With the steaks arranged on a baking sheet, you’ll brush them with olive oil that’s been whisked with turmeric. It’s an oddly satisfying task, though use the oil sparingly to start; it’s easy to try to get every nook and cranny and use it all on half the head of cauliflower.

Step 3: Dress the Roasted Cauliflower

candace davison

Homemade dressing seems fussy, until you realize you’re just dumping ingredients in a jar with a lid and shaking until emulsified. Porowski calls for a blend of finely chopped cilantro stems, gochujang, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, honey and salt. It creates a mostly sweet-citrusy sauce with a medium-level heat.

Step 4: Plate and Garnish

candace davison

Once the cauliflower is out of the oven, all that’s left is assembly. Plate the cauliflower steaks, garnish them with sliced dates, cilantro leaves, almonds and a drizzle of dressing, and you’re good to go. Porowski recommends rounding out the meal with rice or a grain, which I fully recommend—it balances out the intense sweet-meets-tangy flavor of the cauliflower (especially when topped with dates). And if you’re sensitive to spice, it can cool things down.

What Would I Change?

candace davison

Though “crunchy almonds” is a key part of the recipe title…you could omit them and you wouldn’t really notice a difference. They add a little nuttiness and crunch, sure, but there’s so much else going on here that you don’t miss bites without ‘em.

The Verdict:

This is a remarkably fast, easy weeknight dinner that’s perfect for vegetarians (or going Meatless Monday). You may want to keep a double batch of the dressing to use as a vinaigrette on salads during the week—it’s that good.

423 calories

27g fat

44g carbs

8g protein

29g sugars

Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower (about 1½ pounds)

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Dressing

3 tablespoons finely chopped tender fresh cilantro stems

2 tablespoons gochujang

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of kosher salt

4 large Medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced lengthwise

½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons roasted salted almonds, preferably Marcona

1. Roast the Cauliflower: With a rack positioned in the middle, preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove and reserve any green leaves from the cauliflower, then trim and discard the rough part of the stem. Cut the cauliflower lengthwise into two or three ¾-inch-thick steak-like slices. The rest will fall apart, but that’s OK—it will still taste great.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, turmeric and salt. Arrange the cauliflower steaks and pieces (along with any leaves) on a baking sheet, top with the oil mixture and gently turn the cauliflower with your fingers to coat. Roast until golden and tender but not at all mushy, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Make the Dressing: Meanwhile, in a jar with a lid or a medium bowl, vigorously shake or whisk together the cilantro stems, gochujang, lime juice, olive oil, honey and salt until combined.

4. Arrange the roast cauliflower on a platter and top with the dressing, dates, cilantro leaves and almonds.

Linda Pugliese/Help Yourself

Onions as a side dish? Yes, especially when they’re deeply caramelized, soft and sweet. That’s the case for these melted onions from Lindsay Maitland Hunt’s cookbook, Help Yourself. They’ve been a surprise hit for PureWow since they debuted in 2020, owing to the fact that they’re simple and eye-catching, and require only four ingredients (including salt and pepper).

“I love how onions become meltingly tender and sweet after a long roast in the oven,” she writes, “but it’s not such an elegant look to plop roasted onions on a platter. Here, the petals stay together in a pretty rosette, thanks to a muffin pan. If you don’t have one, use a small, rimmed baking sheet or an oven-proof dish and pack the onions tightly together.”

PureWow food editor Taryn Pire tried the recipe at home and can attest that everyone at the table will swoon at first bite. “The onions taste super sweet and jammy and make a tasty foil for sharp black pepper, rich butter and a touch of salt,” she says. “I started with the smallest yellow onions I could find in hopes that they’d fit in my muffin tin. Most were too big to fit snugly at the start, but they shrunk significantly in the oven anyway.” You can read more details in the photo carousel, too.

Pair them with steak, roasted potatoes, burgers, dressed greens, Italian sausage or charcuterie.

^{Excerpted from Help Yourself © 2020 by Lindsay Maitland Hunt. Photography © 2020 by Linda Pugliese. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.}

Baby Blooming Onion Recipe

81 calories

4g fat

11g carbs

1g protein

5g sugars

6 medium onions—each 3 inches in diameter (2½ pounds total), halved crosswise through the center (not the root and stem), ends trimmed by ¼ inch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter, melted (or your preferred cooking oil)

1. With a rack in the top position, preheat the oven to 425°F

2. Place the onion halves cut-side up in the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Sprinkle the onions with the salt and pepper.

3. Roast until the onions have softened slightly and sunk into the cups, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush with the ghee (or other cooking oil) and return to the oven.

4. Bake until extremely soft and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes more. The onions can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Note: If the stem of the onion is the North Pole, you’re cutting through the onion’s equator.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Sometimes, you just want to have Sunday supper on a Wednesday. This skillet gnocchi with sausage and broccoli rabe recipe will deliver. It’s been a PureWow reader favorite since its debut in 2017, given its flavor and how easy it is to prepare. So, we set out to retest it, offering step-by-step photos (which you can find at the bottom of this recipe), along with tips for perfecting this 30-minute meal. And, before you get cooking, there’s one thing worth noting.

“The recipe calls for pre-cooked sausage,” says PureWow food editor Taryn Pire, who tried the recipe at home. “So, I’d advise cooking it according to package instructions in a large skillet while the water boils, transferring it to a plate or cutting board, slicing it into rounds, then picking up at step two in the same pan. That way, you make the most of all the flavorful drippings left behind, as pictured.”

There’s also minimal prep involved, making the dish ideal for a busy weeknight. “Once you chop the onion, garlic and broccoli rabe, you’re halfway to dinner.” How’s that for easy?

As for overall flavor, Pire says it’s earthy, savory and oh-so comforting. “Spice things up by going heavy on the crushed red pepper flakes or by using spicy Italian sausage instead of sweet.”

Summer Skillet Gnocchi with Grilled Corn and Burrata

657 calories

29g fat

68g carbs

31g protein

6g sugars

1 pound store-bought gnocchi

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound Italian sausage, cooked, sliced

1 bunch broccoli rabe, cut into bite-size pieces

½ cup chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to package instructions. Drain the gnocchi.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

3. Add the sausage and cook until it browns, about 4 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

4. Continue to cook, tossing frequently, until the broccoli rabe is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if desired) to taste.

5. Stir in the gnocchi, Parmesan and parsley and toss well until combined. Serve immediately.

Ina Garten's 13th cookbook, Go-To Dinners, just might be my favorite so far (OK, top five at least—it's hard to choose). Like the title suggests, it’s filled to the brim with the Contessa’s favorite crowd-pleasing recipes that you’ll want to make on repeat. With that in mind, these chipotle cheddar crackers need little introduction.

“One of my go-to tricks is to keep some dough for slice-and-bake crackers in the freezer that I can throw in the oven when people are coming for drinks,” Garten writes. “The sharp Vermont Cheddar and spicy chipotle chili powder with crunchy sea salt really wake up everyone’s taste buds. My friends can’t stop eating these!”

"After testing them firsthand, I (Katherine) can attest that they're pretty foolproof. The texture reminded me of a flaky pie crust, while the flavor gave hints of Cheez-It or even cheddar biscuit. But if I’m being honest, I didn’t think they were life-changing—and I’m the biggest Ina-head I know. They’d be tasty on a charcuterie board or as a standalone appetizer for a summer dinner party menu, and admittedly, I probably ate six throughout the afternoon, but I don’t think they’re Ina’s strongest recipe (and I still think that baking time is wildly off—mine needed about 5 more minutes).

"You can read my full review here, and find step-by-step photos of the process at the very bottom of this recipe." —Katherine Gillen

_{Go-To Dinners Copyright © 2022 by Ina Garten. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.}

Charcuterie Board Recipes

The 85 Best Christmas Party Appetizers, Hands Down, No Contest

81 calories

6g fat

4g carbs

3g protein

0g sugars

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ pound aged Cheddar, such as Grafton 2-year, grated (see note)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder

Kosher salt

Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, Cheddar, all of the flour, the chipotle powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1½ tablespoons water and mix on low speed to combine the ingredients. Turn the mixer to medium and beat for 30 seconds, until the ingredients come together in big clumps.

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured cutting board and roll it into a log 12 inches long by 1½ inches wide. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You can refrigerate the dough for several days or freeze it for up to 4 months.)

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Slice the dough ½ inch thick (see note) and place the rounds 1 inch apart on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on the sheet pans or a baking rack and serve at room temperature.

Notes: Grate the Cheddar on a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the carrot grating disk. To portion the dough, I use a 3- to 4-inch paring knife, dipping it in warm water occasionally to make slicing easier.

Nico Schinco/Pass the Plate

Whether you’re serving a juicy steak, grilled fish or a whole chicken, the steamy roasted cabbage with crispy garlic pistachio oil recipe from Carolina Gelen’s new cookbook, Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes, is the ultimate match.

“My favorite way of preparing [cabbage], by far, is roasting it at a high temperature, heavily drenched in olive oil,” Gelen raves. “The sides get caramelized, the interior softens just like butter and it simply melts in your mouth.”

So, you don’t *need* to finish the wedges off with a slick drizzle of garlicky pistachio oil to make them delicious…but I don’t know why you’d skip it. “The topping falls in between the cabbage leaves, filling all of its nooks and crannies, while the garlic oil floods the center,” Gelen adds.

^{Reprinted with permission from Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook by Carolina Gelen. Copyright © 2024 by Gelen Media LLC. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Broccoli Cheddar Beans with Crispy Cheddar Panko Recipe

476 calories

45g fat

20g carbs

5g protein

8g sugars

Roasted Cabbage

1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Pistachio Garlic Oil Topping

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ cup neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed

12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Kosher salt

1. Make the roasted cabbage: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Slice each half of cabbage into three wedges through the core. Arrange the cabbage wedges on the baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil all over. Flip the cabbage to evenly coat it in the oil and season with a big pinch of salt.

3. Roast until the undersides of the cabbage edges have browned a bit and start to char, 20 to 22 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip the cabbage wedges. Continue roasting until the cabbage is soft and steamy inside and charred and crisp on the edges, 10 to 15 minutes more.

4. Make the pistachio garlic oil topping: In a mortar and pestle, crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds lightly. (You can also do this by putting the spices in between layers of paper towel and going over them a few times with a rolling pin.)

5. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, combine the oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is lightly golden and starts to look crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the crushed black pepper and coriander mix, plus the lemon zest. Stir to combine. Add the pistachios, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and stir again. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice as needed.

6. Arrange the roasted cabbage on a serving plate and dollop the topping all over. Serve hot.

First things first: It’s worth noting that microwave chocolate chip cookies have a spongier, fluffier texture. So, if you prefer a dense, fudgy cookie or a crispy-thin Tate’s-style confection, another recipe may be a better fit.
That said, you can create a gooier, chewier texture by using just the egg yolk, instead of the entire egg, or substituting it entirely with a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt.
Second, the type of mug you use makes a big difference: Glass mugs tend to get hotter, so make sure you let the melted butter and sugar cool for a bit before adding in the egg. (You’ll also want to err on the undercooked side, checking on it after 1 minute, since it tended to cook faster that way.) A wide, ceramic mug tends to yield the best gooey cookie results.
Third: If you love chocolate chips (*raises hand*), use mini chocolate chips for a better cocoa-to-batter ratio in each bite. And maybe up the ante to three tablespoons, if you’ve got a serious sweet tooth.
The end result is the perfect combination of a chocolate chip cookie and a fluffy cookie cake: It’s light and pillowy, with the caramelization of a Toll House-style treat. Better yet, it all comes together in seven minutes and only dirties one mug. What’s not to love?
 
30 Mug Desserts You Can Make in Minutes

696 calories

34g fat

86g carbs

11g protein

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 egg

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. To begin, in a large mug, melt the butter in the microwave, about 15 to 30 seconds. Add in the sugar as well as the light brown sugar and stir to combine. Next, add the egg and vanilla extract, and then whisk together.

2. Next, add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mug; stir to combine. Continue by stirring in the chocolate chips.

3. Finally, put the mug in the microwave and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until cooked. Another way to check is to insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. Once cooked throughout, serve immediately and enjoy.

Yumna Jawad/Feel Good Foodie

You want cookies and you want them, well, yesterday. Behold, these peanut butter cookies—courtesy of Feel Good Foodie blogger Yumna Jawad—require a mere three (3!) ingredients and take 20 minutes total to make.

This recipe is already naturally dairy- and gluten-free, but Jawad says you can try making the cookies vegan with a flax egg (combine one tablespoon flaxseed with two tablespoons water and letting it rest for five minutes). You can also try swapping the peanut butter for another nut butter, because why not?

Katherine's Review of the Cookies:

These cookies hold true to their 20-minute promise—it was stupid-easy to mix the dough, with the added benefits of needing one bowl and no stand mixer. The recipe calls for using a no-sugar-added peanut butter, but I had exactly enough of my regular-ole Jif (with sugar) to make a batch, so I felt compelled to wing it. The cookies turned out absolutely fine albeit slightly sweet, so I think you could either heed the advice in the recipe or perhaps add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the batter if you want to use standard peanut butter (or, even better, sprinkle the freshly baked cookies with flaky salt
later

These cookies hold true to their 20-minute promise—it was stupid-easy to mix the dough, with the added benefits of needing one bowl and no stand mixer. The recipe calls for using a no- sugar- added peanut butter, but I had exactly enough of my regular-ole Jif (with sugar) to make a batch, so I felt compelled to wing it.

The cookies turned out absolutely fine albeit slightly sweet, so I think you could either heed the advice in the recipe or perhaps add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the batter if you want to use standard peanut butter (or, even better, sprinkle the freshly baked cookies with flaky salt later ). I didn’t try the recipe with it, but I could see almond butter being a fine substitute, too. And while the recipe calls for baking the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, mine needed a minute or 2 more to be fully set.

Oh, and these babies will keep in your freezer for up to three months, if you have that kind of willpower. I don’t.

Courtesy of Yumna Jawad, creator of Feel Good Foodie.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

122 calories

8g fat

12g carbs

4g protein

10g sugars

1 cup peanut butter (preferably no sugar added)

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar and egg. Using an electric mixer or spoon, mix to combine until smooth and creamy. Scoop and roll the dough into small balls (you should get about 18) and arrange them on the baking sheets. Flatten each ball with the back of a fork, making a crisscross pattern.

3. Bake the cookies until set and just golden brown at the edges, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Grillo’s Presents Pickled

Do you have a friend who always eyes your pickle spear the second your plate hits the table? Are you that friend? If so, you need to try the pickle-brined spatchcocked chicken recipe from Grillo’s Presents Pickled: 100 Pickle-Centric Recipes to Change Your Life, a cookbook by Grillo’s Pickles and Raphael Jacob Khutorsky. It stays impossibly moist and mouth-puckeringly flavorful, thanks to a pickle-brine marinade.

If you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken before, allow me to explain. Spatchcocking is a fancy way of saying you butterflied, or removed the backbone from, a bird. It can refer to a chicken, duck, turkey—anything with wings that you would eat. By doing this, you can easily split and flatten the entire thing, which reduces the cooking time.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can do it yourself, but you can also ask your butcher to do it for you to save some time and effort. (I love a shortcut, don’t you?)

^{Courtesy of Grillo’s Presents PICKLED: 100 Pickle-Centric Recipes to Change Your Life}

Cheater’s Grilled Whole Chicken and Vegetables

750 calories

52g fat

12g carbs

60g protein

1g sugars

Grillo’s Chicken Brine

2 cups Grillo’s pickle brine (or other pickle brine)

1 lemon, thinly sliced

5 Grillo’s pickle chips (or other pickle chips)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 bay leaves

Pickled-Brined Spatchcocked Chicken

One 4-pound whole chicken, spatchcocked

Grillo’s chicken brine

¼ cup chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup chopped fresh sage

1½ tablespoons kosher salt

1½ tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Prepare the brine: In a saucepan over high heat, combine 4 cups of water, the pickle brine, lemon, pickle chips, fennel seeds and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer until fragrant, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2. Prepare the chicken: Truss the chicken (aka tie the wings and legs to the body) and set it in an airtight, nonreactive container that’s big enough to hold the chicken and the brine. Add the pickle brine, ensuring the chicken is submerged. Cover and refrigerate it for 12 hours.

3. In a bowl, combine the thyme, sage, salt, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, mustard and olive oil. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub the skin of the chicken liberally with the herbed spice paste.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Cook it until the internal temperature is 180°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven. Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Zoë François/Zoë Bakes Cookies

Baking dessert for a crowd? The caramelized white chocolate sablés with sea salt from Zoë François’s new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, are just the ticket, as the recipe yields about 80 cookies and they’re virtually impossible to dislike (or mess up).

“Sablés, aka Breton cookies, are simple butter cookies that are very popular in France,” François writes. “White chocolate often leaves me wanting more flavor, so caramelizing it before adding it to the cookie batter gives it all the toasty notes of dulce de leche plus the richness of chocolate. The chocolate may go through an awkward phase as it caramelizes, but don’t panic; it will melt into a golden delight by the end.”

If white chocolate isn’t your jam, feel free to substitute milk chocolate; the flaky salt garnish will offer the ultimate contrast either way. Just don’t use coating chocolate, per the author’s advice.

^{Text copyright © 2024 by Zoë François. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Zoë François. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Bourbon Biscoff Brownies Recipe

50 calories

3g fat

6g carbs

1g protein

4g sugars

1½ cups white chocolate (not coating chocolate), finely chopped, divided

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Flaky sea salt, for serving

1. Caramelize the white chocolate: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

2. Distribute the white chocolate evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake it until it starts to melt, about 5 minutes. Spread the chocolate with a spatula into a thin layer. Bake it for another 5 minutes, then stir. Repeat until the chocolate is the color of caramel. The chocolate may liquefy or become granular. If the chocolate is grainy, put it in a coffee grinder or blender while still warm to smooth it out. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth at this point. Place ⅓ cup of the chocolate in a small bowl and cool slightly. Place the remaining chocolate in the refrigerator to harden.

3. Make the cookie dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Mix in ⅓ cup of the softened caramelized white chocolate.

4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Chop the remaining chilled, caramelized chocolate and mix it into the dough.

5. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a log 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Slice the cookies into coins ⅛-inch thick and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced ¾ inch apart, so they have a little room to spread. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven until the edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets.

Jonathan Lovekin/Ottolenghi Comfort

Tired of humdrum chicken breasts? This recipe for chicken with Steph’s spice from the new cookbook Ottolenghi Comfort, written by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley, is sure to liven up your weekly rotation.

“Steph was a Jamaican chef [who] Helen worked with many years ago in Melbourne,” the authors write. “A lot of time has passed since the recipe for Steph’s roasted jerk-spiced meats was handed on—passed around the kitchen, scribbled down on a scrap of paper—but it’s been with Helen ever since.”

As far as serving goes, you can plate the poultry with white rice or a simple salad, or you can follow the authors’ lead instead. “We served the chicken with a simple slaw made with half a small cabbage and a quarter of a pineapple, both thinly sliced, some freshly flaked coconut, sliced jalapeño, green onion, cilantro and mint,” they add.

^{Ottolenghi Comfort Copyright ©2024 by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley. Photographs copyright ©2024 by Jonathan Lovekin. Published by Ten Speed Press, and imprint of Crown Publishing Group.}

Ina Garten’s Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme

693 calories

51g fat

18g carbs

41g protein

13g sugars

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries (aka pimento)

2 bay leaves, roughly torn

1½ teaspoons chili powder

1½ teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1½ tablespoons honey

1 to 2 green jalapeños, finely chopped

1 to 2 red Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, finely chopped

¾ cup red onion, diced into ½-inch pieces

⅓ cup scallions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 pounds and 2 ounces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1. Put the allspice and bay leaves into a dry pan and toast them until the bay leaves have blistered, about 2 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the spices into a powder, then tip the mixture into a large bowl, along with all the remaining ingredients except the chicken and vinegar. Mix them well to combine, then add the chicken.

2. Massage the thighs well so that they’re coated, then keep them in the fridge, covered, for at least 6 hours (or overnight).

3. Half an hour before you’re going to cook the chicken, take it out of the fridge, add the vinegar and toss to combine.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

5. On a large parchment-lined baking sheet, spread the chicken out, skin side up. Bake it, rotating the pan halfway through, until crisp and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

Zoë François/Zoë Bakes Cookies

So, you need to make a dessert to impress. Odds are you want to deliver something more wow-worthy than store-bought cookies, but you also don’t want to do *too* much work. Enter the bourbon Biscoff brownie recipe from Zoë François’s new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies.

“The booze bakes out of the brownie,” François explains, “but then I brush the tops with more bourbon as they come out of the oven, so it flavors, moistens and gives them a hearty kick. But that’s not all—the buttercream has a hit of bourbon, too, plus I’ve added Biscoff cookie butter to make them even more delicious and complex. The thin chocolate glaze is there for elegant shine.”

If you want to keep things simple, skip the adornments on these grown-up brownies. “You can leave off the fancy toppings, and you’ll have a delicious bourbon-scented treat. [But] add the extra layers and it’s a real party,” François advises.

^{Text copyright © 2024 by Zoë François. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Zoë François. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Pecan Pie Brownies

435 calories

29g fat

42g carbs

4g protein

32g sugars

Brownies

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup bourbon, divided

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, divided

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Bourbon Buttercream

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup Biscoff cookie butter

1 tablespoon bourbon

Chocolate Glaze

3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a greased, 8-inch square cake pan with greased parchment paper that goes up the sides to create a sling.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, bring the butter, sugar, vanilla and ⅓ cup of the bourbon to a simmer. Remove it from the heat, whisk until smooth and add 8 ounces of the chopped chocolate. Swirl the pan to cover the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 2 minutes. Whisk until there are no chunks of chocolate left. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.

4. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula. Stir in the pecans (if using) and the remaining chopped chocolate. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

6. Bake the brownies in the middle of the oven until puffed but still a bit wobbly in the center, 20 to 24 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake them, otherwise they won’t have the outrageous fudge quality. As soon as you take them from the oven, use a pastry brush to gently brush the remaining bourbon over the top. Cool completely in the pan before topping.

7. Make the buttercream: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and fluffy with a stiff rubber spatula. Add the cookie butter and bourbon. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the buttercream over the cooled brownies. The smoother the surface, the more elegant the finished brownies will be. Refrigerate them until the buttercream is firm, 30 to 35 minutes.

8. Make the chocolate glaze: In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and butter for about 30 seconds. Stir the glaze until smooth and let it cool slightly. Spread it evenly over the chilled buttercream. Return it to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes to set.

9. Run the tip of a knife dipped in hot water around the edge of the pan. Use the parchment paper sling to carefully remove the bars from the pan. Use a very thin knife, dipped in hot water, to cut the bars into whatever size or shape you’d like. Serve them at room temperature or chilled.

Lauren V. Allen/Bodega Bakes

There are few cookies as foolproof as macaroons. To take the coconutty treat to the next level, try the rose water and coconut macaroons from Paola Velez’s new cookbook, Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store.

“There’s nothing wrong with regular old coconut flakes,” Velez writes, “but if you want to see what a huge difference hitting just the right texture can make in a dessert, try the super finely ground Baker’s Angel Flake. Myriad bits of coconut disperse evenly throughout the batter, which is ideal for folks like me who have a very soft spot for coconut flavor.”

Vanilla bean paste also intensifies their vanilla flavor and aroma, but you could substitute vanilla extract if you must. Just don’t skip the rose water: These floral stunners won’t be the same without it.

^{Recipes reprinted with permission from Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © 2024 Lauren V. Allen.}

Guava & Cheese Cookies Recipe

281 calories

21g fat

22g carbs

5g protein

18g sugars

2 large egg whites

5⅓ cups (14 ounces) unsweetened Baker’s Angel Flake coconut flakes

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

½ teaspoon rose water

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one large baking sheet or two small baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Degrease the equipment you’re going to use to whip your egg whites.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until they’ve doubled in volume and form stiff peaks (they should look like a fluffy cloud), about 4 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine the coconut flakes, condensed milk, salt, vanilla and rose water. Use a rubber spatula to mix until a paste forms. Add one-third of the whipped egg whites and vigorously mix with the spatula until incorporated. Add the rest of the egg whites and use the spatula to gently fold them in. The mixture should remain aerated.

5. Using a two-ounce cookie scoop (or a large spoon—your portions should be ¼ cup), scoop mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1½ to 2 inches between each macaroon and 1 inch between the macaroons and the edges of the pan.

6. Bake until golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan before serving.

Hipolito Torres/Latin-Ish

Typical holiday menus are nostalgic...but can feel redundant year after year. The collard greens empanadas recipe from Marisel Salazar’s new cookbook, Latin-ish, is sure to spice up your usual selection.

“The comfort of Hispanic cuisine finds kinship in the comfort of soul food,” Salazar writes. “When developing these empanadas, it occurred to me to try transforming them into tamales or to spice them up with chipotle and serve them with Mexican red rice. But this recipe for baked finger food feels right, and some Southern households—in which Latino influence has filled kitchens, stomachs and hearts—probably already make collard greens empanadas just like this.”

The leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days…if you have any, that is. Even better, you can easily prepare them ahead to minimize your holiday stress. Of course, you can use store-bought sazón and empanada dough to save time (the recipe will only take you 45 minutes with those shortcuts), but if you’re feeling ambitious, why not go all out?

^{Excerpted from Latin-ish © 2024 by Marisel Salazar, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Photography by Hipolito Torres.}

Beef Empanadas

301 calories

18g fat

26g carbs

9g protein

1g sugars

Empanada Discs

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup lard, unsalted butter or vegetable shortening, cold

1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil

Smoky Sazón

2 tablespoons achiote seeds (annatto)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Collard Greens Empanadas

9 ounces collard greens

1 garlic clove

½ medium white onion

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces shredded, low-moisture mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons cream cheese

2 teaspoons smoky sazón

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus to taste

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

12 empanada discs

1. Make the Empanada Discs: In a food processor, add the flour, salt, baking powder and lard, butter or vegetable shortening. Pulse until mixed.

2. To the food processor, add 1 cup water, ½ cup at a time. Pulse until clumps begin to form. Remove the dough from the food processor, shape it into a ball and knead it lightly for about 1 minute.

3. Lightly coat the dough ball with oil and place it in a bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each by hand into a ball.

5. Flatten the dough balls with a tortillera or by hand. (With a tortillera: Lay a square piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on the bottom of the tortillera. Place a dough ball in the center. Place another piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on top. Squeeze the handle to close the machine and press each dough ball to about ¼-inch thin and 5 to 6 inches in diameter. By hand: Lightly sprinkle a clean, flat surface with all-purpose flour. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball—back and forth, side to side, flipping occasionally—to about ¼-inch thin and 5 to 6 inches in diameter.)

6. On one or two baking sheets, evenly space out the discs or stack them with squares of parchment paper between each one. Chill them for 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to baking or frying.

7. Make the Smoky Sazón: In a small bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine.

8. Working in batches, transfer the spice mix to a coffee or spice grinder, mortar and pestle or molcajete and grind into a powder. If desired, sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve to filter out any large grains. Transfer the sazón to an airtight container and store it in a dry, dark place at room temperature.

9. Make the Collard Greens Empanadas: Roughly chop the collard greens. Mince the garlic. Dice the onion.

10. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

11. Add the collard greens a few handfuls at a time, stirring between additions. Cook until the greens wilt, about 4 minutes.

12. Reduce the heat to low. Add the mozzarella, Parmesan, cream cheese, sazón, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.

13. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

14. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg and a few drops of water. In another small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolk.

15. In the center of each empanada disc, place 2 tablespoons of the warm filling. Brush the egg wash onto the outside edge of the disc. Fold the disc in half over the filling. With your fingers, press the edges to seal, then use the top ½ inch of a fork to seal them further. Place the empanada on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining discs and filling, spacing the empanadas evenly apart on the baking sheet. Brush the egg yolk onto the tops of the raw empanadas.

16. Bake the empanadas until they turn golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven. Cool them for about 5 minutes and serve with cilantro-lime aioli or queso blanco.

Nico Schinco/Pass the Plate

Cheese is a tried-and-true way to get the veggie-averse to eat fresh produce. And as it turns out, dairy also makes legumes more enticing. Enter the recipe for broccoli cheddar beans with crispy cheddar panko from Carolina Gelen’s new cookbook Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes.

“This recipe takes a classic broccoli cheddar soup and transforms it into a heartier, stewy bean number,” Gelen writes. “I wanted to incorporate that comforting feel of a broccoli cheddar soup into something with more body and texture. Canned butter beans were the perfect addition…I love the way they hold their shape, even when simmered in a sauce.”

That said, Gelen assures that if you can’t find butter (or lima) beans, garbanzo or Great Northern beans will work just as well. The cheddar-panko topping is the real star here anyway. (That crunch? Swoon.)

^{Reprinted with permission from Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook by Carolina Gelen. Copyright © 2024 by Gelen Media LLC. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.}

Creamy White Beans

712 calories

32g fat

76g carbs

35g protein

13g sugars

Cheddar Panko

2½ ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)

½ cup panko or other breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Broccoli Cheddar Beans

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small head broccoli, chopped into big chunks, including the stalk (4 to 5 cups)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or corn starch

2¼ cups whole milk, plus more as needed

5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 heaping cups)

Three 15-ounce cans butter beans or lima beans, drained and rinsed

Flaky salt, extra-virgin olive oil (optional), freshly ground black pepper (optional) and Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes (optional), for serving

1. Make the cheddar panko: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Add the cheddar, panko and melted butter to the baking sheet and toss lightly with your hands to combine. Shake the pan to even out the breadcrumb layer. Bake the mixture until it becomes crisp and turns a rich, golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Make the cheddar broccoli beans: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and a big pinch of kosher salt and cook until translucent and soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is bright green but still firm, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed, and if things start to brown too quickly at the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze.

4. Add the flour and toss to evenly coat the veggies. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is just tender, about 2 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheddar to the pan. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth, though a few chunks are okay. (Alternatively, carefully transfer the broccoli mixture to a blender and add the cheddar. Remove the center plug in the lid of the blender to let the steam escape and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan. If you need extra liquid to help blend everything, add a splash of milk.)

6. Return the pan to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the bean stew among bowls, then crumble the cheddar panko on top and top with flaky salt. If desired, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and Aleppo pepper.

Lauren V. Allen/Bodega Bakes

Sure, you might never turn down old-fashioned chocolate chippers, but they aren’t exactly exciting either. Enter the guava and cheese cookies from Paola Velez’s new cookbook, Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store, which are unexpected and easy to prepare.

“I was introduced to the joys of pulling a box of guava paste and some queso fresco out of the fridge very early on in life,” Velez writes. “It’s an easy midday treat, or the perfect end to a meal when you want to linger. Another extraordinary expression of the pairing is the pastelito de guayaba, a turnover with cream cheese coaxing the sweetness of the guava jam to heel. I hope the Latin community doesn’t mind me spinning the tradition into a cookie.”

If you can’t find queso Dominicano near you, Velez recommends substituting halloumi cheese instead. Just be sure to reduce the salt in the dough to ¼ teaspoon.

^{Recipes reprinted with permission from Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © 2024 Lauren V. Allen.}

Plantain Tarte Tatin

361 calories

18g fat

47g carbs

5g protein

25g sugars

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon imitation lemon extract

2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup small-diced guava

½ cup small-diced queso Dominicano

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one large baking sheet or two small baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed until fluffy and pale yellow in color, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on low until incorporated, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the sugar and butter are combined and there are no visible clumps of either—do not skip this step.

4. With the mixer on low, add the egg and lemon extract and mix until incorporated.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl with the butter mixture and pulse the mixer on and off, almost like you’re trying to jump-start a car, so the flour gets gradually incorporated. Mix just until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the guava and cheese and mix until incorporated but be careful not to over-mix! (If you mix the guava for too long, it can destabilize the dough. If you’re nervous, just mix in the guava and cheese by hand, which is harder work but easier to control.)

7. Using a two-ounce cookie scoop (or a large spoon—your portions should be ¼ cup), scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1½ to 2 inches between the cookies and ½ to 1 inch between the cookies and the edges of the pan.

8. Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Lauren V. Allen/Bodega Bakes

Pie—whether it’s pumpkin, pecan or apple—is always invited to the holiday feast, but it’s not exactly the most original dessert idea. This fall and winter, opt for the less expected (but just as delicious) plantain tarte tatin from Paola Velez’s new cookbook, Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store. (It's also a lower-effort alternative to her popular pecan-plantain sticky buns.)

“If you’re anything like me and have so many plantains around that a good portion of them get too ripe too soon,” Velez writes, “this is the perfect recipe. When you’ve had enough of the sticky bun, this is your next plantain adventure.”

Tarte tatin is a French dessert that’s traditionally made with apples. While plantains stand in for them in here, the rest is deliciously standard: butter, sugar, spices and a drool-worthy pan caramel that basically prepares itself.

_{Recipes reprinted with permission from Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © 2024 Lauren V. Allen.}

Fig Tarte Tatin

640 calories

36g fat

79g carbs

6g protein

36g sugars

2 tablespoons coconut oil

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened and divided

3 extra-ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1½-inch-thick rounds

4 to 6 tablespoons coconut water, divided

½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of kosher salt

14 ounces frozen, store-bought puff pastry (or 12 ounces homemade puff pastry)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large nonstick pot, melt the coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Place the plantains in the pot, cut-side down, and cook them until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add 3 tablespoons of the coconut water and cover the pot.

2. Cook until the plantains are completely soft, adding more coconut water as needed if the pot starts looking dry before the plantains have adequately softened, about 4 minutes. Once the plantains are soft, increase the heat to high to cook off any remaining coconut water.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Lightly toss to coat the plantains.

4. Spread the rest of the butter evenly over the surface of a 10-inch, oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron. (Alternatively, spread the butter over a baking sheet in a circle where the tarte will go.) Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the butter and arrange the plantains on top of the circle of butter and sugar, packing them in tight to fill every nook and cranny.

5. If you’re using homemade puff pastry, roll it out to ¼-inch thick and at least 11 inches square. Lay the pastry over the plantains, then trim it into a circle that extends 1 inch beyond the edges of the plantains (it will shrink as it bakes). Tuck the pastry in around the plantains, between them and the pan. Pierce the pastry once with a paring knife to create a vent for steam.

6. Bake until you see the pan caramel bubbling through the sides and the puff pastry is crispy, deep golden and baked all the way through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Place a serving platter larger than the skillet over the tart and carefully flip the platter and the skillet over together to remove the tart from the pan, being careful not to burn yourself with the pan caramel. Cool slightly before serving.

“I use tahini, a sesame paste popular in the Middle East, to make these peanut noodles extra creamy and earthy,” Volz writes. “Herbs and scallions add freshness, and cool mini cucumbers add crunch. You can easily add your favorite protein or whatever veggies are in the fridge, or just wolf them down as they are.”

The recipe is delightfully versatile. Substitute udon, spaghetti, linguine or any long pasta you have on hand, or make the dish gluten free by using rice noodles and coconut aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce. Even better, the leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days (and they taste just as good cold as they do warm).

^{Reprinted with permission from The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook by Monique Volz copyright © 2024. Photographs by Kristin Teig. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.}

Hot Honey-Glazed Salmon

546 calories

22g fat

75g carbs

14g protein

9g sugars

Sauce

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons tahini

1 to 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar), to taste

2 tablespoons sambal oelek (or another hot chile paste)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or rice vinegar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, grated

Noodles

10 ounces rice noodles or three 3-ounce packages ramen noodles

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For Serving

½ cup sliced scallions

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup julienned fresh basil

⅓ cup roasted and salted peanuts (or sub honey-roasted peanuts), chopped

Toasted sesame seeds

2 to 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced or cut into matchsticks

1. Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons water, peanut butter, tahini, brown sugar, sambal oelek, lime juice or vinegar, ginger and garlic. The sauce should be pourable and fairly thin, similar to a salad dressing. Add an extra tablespoon of water if needed. (It will thicken as it sits.) Set aside.

2. Make the noodles: Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and return them to the pot. Toss them with the toasted sesame oil, then pour in the peanut-tahini sauce. Use tongs to toss and coat the noodles.

3. Garnish the noodles: Divide the noodles among serving bowls and garnish them with scallions, cilantro, basil, peanuts and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve them warm with sliced cucumbers on the side.