Recipes with high return on investment
April 23, 2024 4:18 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for dishes where the taste, appearance or "wow factor" is much more than the effort, time or money put into the dish. For the purposes of this question, there are no other restrictions.
Best answer: I love this scone recipe. It's great plain or with additions (I like rosemary, white chocolate shavings or chips, or berries), and it makes a fancy looking gift. It's as easy as making pancakes and will be ready before the oven finishes preheating.
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400, put rack in upper third
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt
Create well and pour in 1 1/4 c cream. Stir with a fork, working quickly but with as little stirring as possible, until a soft shaggy dough ball forms. If too dry, add more cream 1 tbsp at a time.
Fold in any mix ins
Divide into 8 pieces and place on an ungreased baking sheet
Brush the tops with cream if you want - they'll taste extra creamy but won't get golden brown on top.
Bake 15 mins, remove from tray immediately and cool on wire rack
Brown butter is super easy to make and will definitely raise the wow factor if you serve it alongside them.
posted by wheatlets at 4:33 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400, put rack in upper third
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt
Create well and pour in 1 1/4 c cream. Stir with a fork, working quickly but with as little stirring as possible, until a soft shaggy dough ball forms. If too dry, add more cream 1 tbsp at a time.
Fold in any mix ins
Divide into 8 pieces and place on an ungreased baking sheet
Brush the tops with cream if you want - they'll taste extra creamy but won't get golden brown on top.
Bake 15 mins, remove from tray immediately and cool on wire rack
Brown butter is super easy to make and will definitely raise the wow factor if you serve it alongside them.
posted by wheatlets at 4:33 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
Bo ssam, a Korean pork dish, involves very little active work, a bunch of waiting around, and makes an impressive meal for a large group. The recipe also suggests you could have some oysters with it but that would quadruple the effort so I’ve always skipped it and just made the two easy sauces, rice, and the hunk of meat (with lettuce).
posted by A Blue Moon at 4:35 PM on April 23 [9 favorites]
posted by A Blue Moon at 4:35 PM on April 23 [9 favorites]
Rice crispy squares
Spinach dip
Home made chai tea
Beer can chicken
Home made simple syrups flavoured with whatever you want ie blueberries, ginger, strawberries, etc. use your syrups in cocktails, watered down, in carbonated water.
posted by ashbury at 4:41 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Spinach dip
Home made chai tea
Beer can chicken
Home made simple syrups flavoured with whatever you want ie blueberries, ginger, strawberries, etc. use your syrups in cocktails, watered down, in carbonated water.
posted by ashbury at 4:41 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Bananas Foster. It has like five ingredients though admittedly one of them is not something you're likely to have on hand, and the proportions don't honestly matter much, but the main thing is you SET IT ON FIRE so people think you have made them a fancy dessert.
posted by less-of-course at 4:43 PM on April 23 [6 favorites]
posted by less-of-course at 4:43 PM on April 23 [6 favorites]
Pan-seared duck breast. Far too yummy for the work involved, and can be prepared without a range hood.
posted by praemunire at 4:45 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 4:45 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Fudge
PBW's Famous No-Brainer Fudge
It's even microwaveable.
Cookies
One box any cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or applesauce (applesauce makes a softer, healthier cookie)
Any add-ins or toppings desired. Creativity and unusual combinations are generally rewarding; be cautious that it's not too liquid-y... and don't try marshmallows, unless you make them bar cookies in a glass dish.
Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Ridiculously easy cinnamon tortilla things
Spread melted butter on one side of flour tortillas. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the tortillas. Either cut into pie piece shapes or roll and then slice into little tubes. Put on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for a few minutes, until slightly crispy/toasty. (A microwave will work if you're really desperate for speed.)
These disappear really fast at casual gatherings, especially where kids and teens are present. (Seriously, the first time I got praised all over the place for these, I was confused, because they're SO simple.)
The fudge takes a bit more time due to the cooling needed, but all three turn out amazing for the low time and cost invested. Excellent for last minute when you forgot you were supposed to bring something...
posted by stormyteal at 4:47 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
PBW's Famous No-Brainer Fudge
It's even microwaveable.
Cookies
One box any cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or applesauce (applesauce makes a softer, healthier cookie)
Any add-ins or toppings desired. Creativity and unusual combinations are generally rewarding; be cautious that it's not too liquid-y... and don't try marshmallows, unless you make them bar cookies in a glass dish.
Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Ridiculously easy cinnamon tortilla things
Spread melted butter on one side of flour tortillas. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the tortillas. Either cut into pie piece shapes or roll and then slice into little tubes. Put on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for a few minutes, until slightly crispy/toasty. (A microwave will work if you're really desperate for speed.)
These disappear really fast at casual gatherings, especially where kids and teens are present. (Seriously, the first time I got praised all over the place for these, I was confused, because they're SO simple.)
The fudge takes a bit more time due to the cooling needed, but all three turn out amazing for the low time and cost invested. Excellent for last minute when you forgot you were supposed to bring something...
posted by stormyteal at 4:47 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Dutch Baby
posted by ambulanceambiance at 4:53 PM on April 23 [9 favorites]
posted by ambulanceambiance at 4:53 PM on April 23 [9 favorites]
Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking is a collection of recipes for Indian food that are, for the most part, exceedingly quick and easy, usually with fairly limited ingredients. Many of the dishes end up looking much more impressive than the efforts to make them.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:05 PM on April 23 [6 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:05 PM on April 23 [6 favorites]
I have made these waffles dozens of times. Most of the "work" is fifteen minutes the night before plus ladling batter into the waffle iron in the morning, and they are truly like no other waffle you've ever had. My kids request them for every special occasion breakfast.
posted by potrzebie at 5:05 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 5:05 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
Summer pudding! Make it with milk bread, brioche, or panettone for a real treat!
posted by burntflowers at 5:08 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
posted by burntflowers at 5:08 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
This spicy red pepper pesto is really easy (you do need a food processor) and is just delicious.
posted by brookeb at 5:22 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
posted by brookeb at 5:22 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
I don't eat a lot of beef, but a high quality steak doesn't need much to taste really excellent. For example.
Going slightly higher effort, remove the skin on a salmon filet, cut into ~6 oz serving size cuts, then soak in soy sauce, scallions, garlic, etc. for half an hour. Saute a few minutes on a side.
posted by mark k at 5:25 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Going slightly higher effort, remove the skin on a salmon filet, cut into ~6 oz serving size cuts, then soak in soy sauce, scallions, garlic, etc. for half an hour. Saute a few minutes on a side.
posted by mark k at 5:25 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Salsa Verde, whereby you simmer a few tomatillos for a couple of minutes until they split, and then throw them in a food processor with an jalapeño, half an onion, some cilantro, and a pinch of salt and whiz it all up. Served still warm with some good tortilla chips it is quite possibly one of the best things ever and so much more than the sum of it's parts.
posted by niicholas at 5:26 PM on April 23 [7 favorites]
posted by niicholas at 5:26 PM on April 23 [7 favorites]
Slow-cooker pulled pork sandwiches on homemade no-knead bread.
posted by mhoye at 5:35 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
posted by mhoye at 5:35 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For being all of three basic ingredients simmered a few minutes, lemon posset, to me, is still decadence.
posted by glibhamdreck at 5:41 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
posted by glibhamdreck at 5:41 PM on April 23 [4 favorites]
Good basil pesto, served with good pasta, and be generous with the pesto.
Fresh pasta alfredo. All the chain restaurants and frozen foods have mediocre alfredo sauce. Probably also true of pasta carbonara.
Lobster. I live in Maine, don't eat it often. It's easy to kill the lobster, boil it, and melt butter. Serve with a fresh green salad, crusty bread, lemon wedges, melted butter. buy cheap white washcloths, dampen, microwave, for after dinner.
Sole meuniere
Pork roast is affordable, pulled pork, or Kahlua pork is so, so good. Get excellent sauce.
Eton mess is a crowd pleaser.
posted by theora55 at 5:43 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Fresh pasta alfredo. All the chain restaurants and frozen foods have mediocre alfredo sauce. Probably also true of pasta carbonara.
Lobster. I live in Maine, don't eat it often. It's easy to kill the lobster, boil it, and melt butter. Serve with a fresh green salad, crusty bread, lemon wedges, melted butter. buy cheap white washcloths, dampen, microwave, for after dinner.
Sole meuniere
Pork roast is affordable, pulled pork, or Kahlua pork is so, so good. Get excellent sauce.
Eton mess is a crowd pleaser.
posted by theora55 at 5:43 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Bourbon chicken liver pate, which I make but do not eat, takes about 30 minutes of active work and makes better than restaurant quality pate. The dried spices are fine. Sous vide mason jar cheesecake (requires sous vide, but a basic wand-type is fine) is 20 minutes of active work. Both require some overnight chilling, but the effort is quite low.
posted by true at 6:00 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
posted by true at 6:00 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Chocolate mousse can be made with two ingredients! 1 part Chocolate and 2 parts heavy cream
1. Make a ganache: Start with equal weights heavy cream and good chocolate (I prefer semi sweet), heat heavy cream to simmer, pour over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth and cool to touch
2. Take the other half of the heavy cream, whip it (you can add a spoonful of powdered sugar to whipped cream if your chocolate is on the less sweet side) and fold into the ganache.
3. Chill in fancy cups for at least 1 hour
4. Devour
posted by larthegreat at 6:14 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
1. Make a ganache: Start with equal weights heavy cream and good chocolate (I prefer semi sweet), heat heavy cream to simmer, pour over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth and cool to touch
2. Take the other half of the heavy cream, whip it (you can add a spoonful of powdered sugar to whipped cream if your chocolate is on the less sweet side) and fold into the ganache.
3. Chill in fancy cups for at least 1 hour
4. Devour
posted by larthegreat at 6:14 PM on April 23 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Jamie's Quick and Easy Sausage Roll - My kids make this themselves at this point. Flexible ingredients.
Chicken with Sage and Prosciutto - I don't even do steps 3 & 4 of this recipe. Cook for 20 min. @ 400⁰F or until the juices run clear.
Crepe Layer Cake/Mille Crepe cake - Once all the ingredients are on hand, this takes me about 30 min. to make -- nowhere near the amount of time it looks like it took. I always use premade crepes, premade lemon curd, premade whipped cream, etc. You can layer it with anything you want...chocolate, raspberry jam, Nutella and strawberries, pistachios and mascarpon...whatever. Top it with a few fresh berries or dollops of whipped cream or edible flowers, and you're golden.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:29 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Chicken with Sage and Prosciutto - I don't even do steps 3 & 4 of this recipe. Cook for 20 min. @ 400⁰F or until the juices run clear.
Crepe Layer Cake/Mille Crepe cake - Once all the ingredients are on hand, this takes me about 30 min. to make -- nowhere near the amount of time it looks like it took. I always use premade crepes, premade lemon curd, premade whipped cream, etc. You can layer it with anything you want...chocolate, raspberry jam, Nutella and strawberries, pistachios and mascarpon...whatever. Top it with a few fresh berries or dollops of whipped cream or edible flowers, and you're golden.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:29 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Oreo balls! I do a lot of baking and always feel a bit like a cheater when I make these, they're extremely easy. They aren't fancy but I've never met someone who doesn't like them and you can easily jazz up the decorations if you want.
posted by Eyelash at 6:29 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
posted by Eyelash at 6:29 PM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Shrimp scamp hasn't been mentioned yet, but it is very quick and good enough for a fancy occasion in my family. (I use pre-peeled shrimp.) Fantastic question, thank you!
posted by mersen at 6:49 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
posted by mersen at 6:49 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
My wife has now ended up being required to bring her signature Sausage and Stuffing to every Thanksgiving dinner. When asked for the recipe she says you cook the sausage, you make the stuffing per box directions, and then you mix the two. Who would have thought?
posted by forthright at 7:09 PM on April 23 [5 favorites]
posted by forthright at 7:09 PM on April 23 [5 favorites]
Tarte Tatin! Melt butter in pan, sprinkle on sugar. Lay down apple slices in a pretty spiral. Cook on stovetop until bubbly and brown. Lay a sheet of frozen puff pastry on top, pop the whole thing in the oven until the pastry puffs. Invert on a plate! Looks like a million bucks, tastes great, sounds fancy, sooooo easy
posted by Ausamor at 7:10 PM on April 23 [11 favorites]
posted by Ausamor at 7:10 PM on April 23 [11 favorites]
I make my mom’s dill chicken breasts often, it is one of my faves and tastes much better than it should for the effort.
Use a pound and a half of boneless chicken breasts, with or without skin on.
Dredge in a bowl of flour, salt, and freshly ground pepper, then sear in a cast iron pan until golden brown all over. remove chicken and place in pyrex dish in a preheated oven at 350.
deglaze pan with a cup of white wine (not sweet, I usually use a pinot grigio or other light dry wine,) then add a bunch of chopped dill and reduce heat to a simmer. Add a bunch more white wine or chicken stock and simmer for 15 or 20 mins until liquid is reduced by half. If you like you can also add some chopped green onion with the dill.
Check that the chicken is fully cooked, pour sauce overtop, and serve with new potatoes and asparagus.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:24 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Use a pound and a half of boneless chicken breasts, with or without skin on.
Dredge in a bowl of flour, salt, and freshly ground pepper, then sear in a cast iron pan until golden brown all over. remove chicken and place in pyrex dish in a preheated oven at 350.
deglaze pan with a cup of white wine (not sweet, I usually use a pinot grigio or other light dry wine,) then add a bunch of chopped dill and reduce heat to a simmer. Add a bunch more white wine or chicken stock and simmer for 15 or 20 mins until liquid is reduced by half. If you like you can also add some chopped green onion with the dill.
Check that the chicken is fully cooked, pour sauce overtop, and serve with new potatoes and asparagus.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:24 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Smitten Kitchen brownies and brownie roll-out cookies are both extremely easy and extremely good.
posted by Redstart at 7:30 PM on April 23
posted by Redstart at 7:30 PM on April 23
Homemade key lime pie with homemade graham cracker crust is over the top good and it has to be the easiest scratch pie that there is. The only hard part is getting the lime juice but if you have a high quality juicer even that is easy. Plus up tip: swap out Biscoff cookies for graham cracker.
Keeping with the citrus theme, homemade whiskey sours are lightyears better than any store bought mix.
posted by mmascolino at 9:03 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Keeping with the citrus theme, homemade whiskey sours are lightyears better than any store bought mix.
posted by mmascolino at 9:03 PM on April 23 [2 favorites]
Thomas Keller's two-ingredient chocolate shell topping over ice cream via Melissa Clark in the New York Times.
posted by Elsie at 2:10 AM on April 24
posted by Elsie at 2:10 AM on April 24
raw carrots, eaten as a snack out of the bag. yes, it is true that the taste, appearance and "wow factor" may underwhelm compared to other dishes. however the effort, time and money put into the dish are all approximately zero. the return on investment ratio of "wow factor" to input effort for the dish "raw carrot" is approximately infinity.
posted by are-coral-made at 3:33 AM on April 24 [3 favorites]
posted by are-coral-made at 3:33 AM on April 24 [3 favorites]
I've found that Food52's Genius Recipes are full of this kind of thing.
Particular examples that have wowed in the past include Atlantic Beach Pie, the one bowl blueberry buckle, and the oven-fried chicken.
posted by Pitachu at 5:24 AM on April 24 [7 favorites]
Particular examples that have wowed in the past include Atlantic Beach Pie, the one bowl blueberry buckle, and the oven-fried chicken.
posted by Pitachu at 5:24 AM on April 24 [7 favorites]
You included money along with time and effort as things to be limited, but better ingredients can make simple dishes pop. There is better beef than super market beef, and farm stand vegetables are fresher than super market vegetables.
Another path to stardom is learning a new technique that might make it possible to borrow some luster from another cuisine. Crepes, for example, are easy to make when you know how and seem fancy due to the connection to fancy French cooking.
Maybe Eggs Benedict. Find the recipe for making Hollandaise in a blender, brush up on egg poaching, et voila!
posted by SemiSalt at 5:39 AM on April 24 [2 favorites]
Another path to stardom is learning a new technique that might make it possible to borrow some luster from another cuisine. Crepes, for example, are easy to make when you know how and seem fancy due to the connection to fancy French cooking.
Maybe Eggs Benedict. Find the recipe for making Hollandaise in a blender, brush up on egg poaching, et voila!
posted by SemiSalt at 5:39 AM on April 24 [2 favorites]
Best answer: You included money along with time and effort as things to be limited, but better ingredients can make simple dishes pop.
Seconding this. I've often said a lot of my favorite kind of cooking involves simply "getting really good ingredients and then just getting out of their way."
Case in point: on a memorable restaurant outing with my parents, we had a simple bruschetta for the appetizer that was nothing more than chopped tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, some chopped garlic, and chopped basil, piled on slices of bread. But - it was really good bread, really good oil and vinegar, and really fresh tomato and basil. It probably took the kitchen five minutes to put together, but it was so good I think Dad actually asked for seconds.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:42 AM on April 24 [5 favorites]
Seconding this. I've often said a lot of my favorite kind of cooking involves simply "getting really good ingredients and then just getting out of their way."
Case in point: on a memorable restaurant outing with my parents, we had a simple bruschetta for the appetizer that was nothing more than chopped tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, some chopped garlic, and chopped basil, piled on slices of bread. But - it was really good bread, really good oil and vinegar, and really fresh tomato and basil. It probably took the kitchen five minutes to put together, but it was so good I think Dad actually asked for seconds.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:42 AM on April 24 [5 favorites]
Mark Bittman's simplest roast chicken. It is really, really simple and really good. It's NYT, but for some reason not paywalled for me. Otherwise you can find it on other sites.
Spaghetti alle vongole takes a bit more brainpower, but the return on investment is amazing. You can make a pretty good version with canned clams, which is even simpler. I also make it with frozen seafood, and sometimes I use button mushrooms instead of clams which is very good.
Any fish "en papillote". It seems very sophisticated but is actually very easy.
During the summer season, I make savory salads with fruits. Like I make a salad out of a nice crunchy lettuce and dress it with a mix of cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper, and then just before serving I sprinkle with berries or diced of peach or mango. Maybe some fresh peas too and flowers if I have some. It looks and tastes great.
A traditional dessert here in Denmark is what we call apple cake, which is not a cake. It's even healthy. In the linked recipe, they use roasted oats, but you can also use breadcrumbs that have been roasted on a pan with sugar. You can also use jelly instead of chocolate as the topping. Get wild.
Lamb boulangere is very simple if you have a food processor that can slice the potatoes. Slice something like a kilo or 1 1/2 kilos of potatoes. Use any potatoes, the results are all good, albeit different. Put them in a roasting pan and mix them up with chopped parsley (use the frozen stuff) and bits of butter. Put in a roasting rack, and on that, put a leg of lamb or any piece of lam you like, where you have rubbed it with salt and pepper and inserted a lot of garlic in little slits in the meat. Put more butter on the roast. Use your hands. Pour chicken stock over the potatoes to just cover. Put all of this in the oven. You can cook it low and slow or hot and fast, it will be good. You want a core temperature in the lamb of 160 C. When the lamb is ready, take it out and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, but let the potatoes stay in the oven to get crispy golden edges. NOBODY in the world can resist those potatoes. I've seen vegetarians sneak in a couple or more. (I always serve vegetarian alternatives).
All the lamb boulangère recipes I could find online were far too complicated. This is the real deal.
posted by mumimor at 7:46 AM on April 24 [3 favorites]
Spaghetti alle vongole takes a bit more brainpower, but the return on investment is amazing. You can make a pretty good version with canned clams, which is even simpler. I also make it with frozen seafood, and sometimes I use button mushrooms instead of clams which is very good.
Any fish "en papillote". It seems very sophisticated but is actually very easy.
During the summer season, I make savory salads with fruits. Like I make a salad out of a nice crunchy lettuce and dress it with a mix of cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper, and then just before serving I sprinkle with berries or diced of peach or mango. Maybe some fresh peas too and flowers if I have some. It looks and tastes great.
A traditional dessert here in Denmark is what we call apple cake, which is not a cake. It's even healthy. In the linked recipe, they use roasted oats, but you can also use breadcrumbs that have been roasted on a pan with sugar. You can also use jelly instead of chocolate as the topping. Get wild.
Lamb boulangere is very simple if you have a food processor that can slice the potatoes. Slice something like a kilo or 1 1/2 kilos of potatoes. Use any potatoes, the results are all good, albeit different. Put them in a roasting pan and mix them up with chopped parsley (use the frozen stuff) and bits of butter. Put in a roasting rack, and on that, put a leg of lamb or any piece of lam you like, where you have rubbed it with salt and pepper and inserted a lot of garlic in little slits in the meat. Put more butter on the roast. Use your hands. Pour chicken stock over the potatoes to just cover. Put all of this in the oven. You can cook it low and slow or hot and fast, it will be good. You want a core temperature in the lamb of 160 C. When the lamb is ready, take it out and let it rest for at least 15 minutes, but let the potatoes stay in the oven to get crispy golden edges. NOBODY in the world can resist those potatoes. I've seen vegetarians sneak in a couple or more. (I always serve vegetarian alternatives).
All the lamb boulangère recipes I could find online were far too complicated. This is the real deal.
posted by mumimor at 7:46 AM on April 24 [3 favorites]
Best answer: pico de galllo - all you need is some cheap vegetables and a food processor and it's ready in 5 minutes. Add mango or pineapples for the summer, black beans for a main.
The slow cooker caramel thing - put a can of sweetened condensed milk in a slow cooker, cover with water, put on high, heat all day. Take it off, wait for it to cool- eat it. It's way better than quick stove-top caramel and doesn't harden, even in the fridge.
Slow cooker baked potatoes.
Make pudding with heavy cream instead of milk -it's a great icing.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:56 AM on April 24
The slow cooker caramel thing - put a can of sweetened condensed milk in a slow cooker, cover with water, put on high, heat all day. Take it off, wait for it to cool- eat it. It's way better than quick stove-top caramel and doesn't harden, even in the fridge.
Slow cooker baked potatoes.
Make pudding with heavy cream instead of milk -it's a great icing.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:56 AM on April 24
Chocolate covered matzoh. ‘Tis the season.
posted by bq at 8:38 AM on April 24 [1 favorite]
posted by bq at 8:38 AM on April 24 [1 favorite]
This brown sugar honey butter toast is ridiculously easy but very tasty and looks like something you might get at a fancy cafe or brunch restaurant.
posted by Lexica at 2:19 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
posted by Lexica at 2:19 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
Fajitas are one of my go-tos for a low-effort way to please a crowd. Use Kenji's recipe the night before and throw everything on the grill the next day. I've used chicken and whole portabello mushroom caps with equal success. Buy your tortillas from a tortillaria.
Cassoulet takes a long time but done right seems like quite an achievement and can be made with beans and just about anything.
posted by cmoj at 5:08 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
Cassoulet takes a long time but done right seems like quite an achievement and can be made with beans and just about anything.
posted by cmoj at 5:08 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
Caramelized Cream of Tomato Soup (from Kenji) which I made today for the 1st time. 5 minutes to assemble. Delicious as is and a good starting point as well.
posted by kingless at 5:08 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
posted by kingless at 5:08 PM on April 24 [1 favorite]
Best answer: "Cheat lemonade pie": one can lemonade concentrate, mixed with cool whip, in a pre-made pie crust, freeze and serve.
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:37 PM on April 24
posted by lookoutbelow at 8:37 PM on April 24
Response by poster: Thank you! I am looking forward to trying out many of these!
posted by NotLost at 8:42 PM on April 24
posted by NotLost at 8:42 PM on April 24
mujadara
it's just lentils, rice, caramelized onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin -- and it tastes amazing
posted by Jacqueline at 11:22 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]
it's just lentils, rice, caramelized onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin -- and it tastes amazing
posted by Jacqueline at 11:22 PM on April 24 [3 favorites]
Swedish Apple Pie, (AKA the easiest pie you’ll ever make). A note on this, I use raw brown sugar (the crystallized stuff, not the soft brown), because that's just what we use for sugar in our house, and one time because I ran out, I subbed half with regular white sugar and the result was too sweet for me to eat ... the one time this dish was left undevoured.
Anyway, as long as you have a mandolin, this recipe couldn't be easier, and as a bonus, you only have to wash one non-sticky easy-clean bowl and a spatula or whatever you use for the mixing.
This is Very SatisfyingTM to mix up and scoop out on on top of the apples, because it all adheres together as a unified mass and and is so easy to slide out spread over and pat down. I seriously enjoy this as a kind of sensory experience!
I like to sprinkle a bit of sugar on the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven, for a tiny bit of sweet crunch on top. You can use any kind of apples, really, and don't worry about the number. Just pay attention to filling your deep dish pie pan about 2/3 full with the sliced apples. I have used 2, 3, and 4 apples because apples come in different sizes, and precision is not critical with this recipe! (If you don't have a deep dish pie pan, I wouldn't hesitate to try this with, say, an 8x8 baking pan, or anything similar).
posted by taz at 2:44 AM on April 25 [1 favorite]
Anyway, as long as you have a mandolin, this recipe couldn't be easier, and as a bonus, you only have to wash one non-sticky easy-clean bowl and a spatula or whatever you use for the mixing.
This is Very SatisfyingTM to mix up and scoop out on on top of the apples, because it all adheres together as a unified mass and and is so easy to slide out spread over and pat down. I seriously enjoy this as a kind of sensory experience!
I like to sprinkle a bit of sugar on the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven, for a tiny bit of sweet crunch on top. You can use any kind of apples, really, and don't worry about the number. Just pay attention to filling your deep dish pie pan about 2/3 full with the sliced apples. I have used 2, 3, and 4 apples because apples come in different sizes, and precision is not critical with this recipe! (If you don't have a deep dish pie pan, I wouldn't hesitate to try this with, say, an 8x8 baking pan, or anything similar).
posted by taz at 2:44 AM on April 25 [1 favorite]
My Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
If you don't have an stupid-easy and fast, but so satisfying Mac & Cheese recipe already, here's ours for your perusal:
225 Grams macaroni (8 ounces?)
4 Tbsp butter (56 grams)
1 egg
3/4 Cups milk (178 ml)
1 Tsp hot sauce (different hot sauces are different, so this is "to taste")
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp mustard (I use Colman's dry mustard powder, but you can use any kind)
Pepper to taste
280 Grams shredded sharp cheese
(sharp cheddar is traditional, of course, but it's actually even better if made with a mix of a couple different kinds of cheese -- we use Greek Kaseri and cheddar, usually, though I've actually used some parmesan in this as well, along with bits and bobs of whatever cheese ends we have languishing in the fridge. Just don't use that pre-shredded bagged cheese! It's the worst thing on earth. It's what people in hell have to eat. Facts. If you get your dinner pal or the partner who is not cooking to grate the cheese for you, then you get all the glory, but the grater-wielder actually did 98% of the work, so this is my preferred method.)
Now, do this:
Boil the pasta, drain, and melt the butter in the empty pot. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat it with the butter. (Save some of the pasta water in case you need to thin it out later)
Whisk together egg, milk, hot sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir into pasta along with the cheese, and stir over low heat for about three minutes. Voila. You are now eating delicious, creamy Macaroni and Cheese! ♥‿♥
I know it's not the same as a baked mac with a nice crust, but for simplicity, it's dazzling, and it's creamier, which I personally prefer. For me, this is just sort of top-level heavenly to have with chili on a cold, drizzly or snowy day, but it's also so perfect and lovely with a good old fashioned southern supper of home fried chicken, collard greens, and maybe some sweet corn or cornbread. Or with the Official Turkey or Ham Holiday meals. Or barbecues.
(I don't know the origins of this specific recipe, but I've looked it up and there are similar ones -- I call it "mine" because it has my amendments to whatever the original one was, and I wrote it down around 30 years ago in the old notebook that I used to jot down recipes and food ideas before home internet. So, an ancient concoction we were preparing in handmade clay pots over smoky fires inside our cave dwellings, basically.)
posted by taz at 4:18 AM on April 25 [1 favorite]
If you don't have an stupid-easy and fast, but so satisfying Mac & Cheese recipe already, here's ours for your perusal:
225 Grams macaroni (8 ounces?)
4 Tbsp butter (56 grams)
1 egg
3/4 Cups milk (178 ml)
1 Tsp hot sauce (different hot sauces are different, so this is "to taste")
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp mustard (I use Colman's dry mustard powder, but you can use any kind)
Pepper to taste
280 Grams shredded sharp cheese
(sharp cheddar is traditional, of course, but it's actually even better if made with a mix of a couple different kinds of cheese -- we use Greek Kaseri and cheddar, usually, though I've actually used some parmesan in this as well, along with bits and bobs of whatever cheese ends we have languishing in the fridge. Just don't use that pre-shredded bagged cheese! It's the worst thing on earth. It's what people in hell have to eat. Facts. If you get your dinner pal or the partner who is not cooking to grate the cheese for you, then you get all the glory, but the grater-wielder actually did 98% of the work, so this is my preferred method.)
Now, do this:
Boil the pasta, drain, and melt the butter in the empty pot. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat it with the butter. (Save some of the pasta water in case you need to thin it out later)
Whisk together egg, milk, hot sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir into pasta along with the cheese, and stir over low heat for about three minutes. Voila. You are now eating delicious, creamy Macaroni and Cheese! ♥‿♥
I know it's not the same as a baked mac with a nice crust, but for simplicity, it's dazzling, and it's creamier, which I personally prefer. For me, this is just sort of top-level heavenly to have with chili on a cold, drizzly or snowy day, but it's also so perfect and lovely with a good old fashioned southern supper of home fried chicken, collard greens, and maybe some sweet corn or cornbread. Or with the Official Turkey or Ham Holiday meals. Or barbecues.
(I don't know the origins of this specific recipe, but I've looked it up and there are similar ones -- I call it "mine" because it has my amendments to whatever the original one was, and I wrote it down around 30 years ago in the old notebook that I used to jot down recipes and food ideas before home internet. So, an ancient concoction we were preparing in handmade clay pots over smoky fires inside our cave dwellings, basically.)
posted by taz at 4:18 AM on April 25 [1 favorite]
Tea made from butterfly pea flower is a bright blue color. It’s also reactive to acidic foods, turning a bright pink color. Butterfly Pea flower tea + lemonade is a magic trick at parties.
posted by Eikonaut at 12:05 PM on April 26 [1 favorite]
posted by Eikonaut at 12:05 PM on April 26 [1 favorite]
Mod note: [btw this post has been added to the sidebar and Best Of blog!]
posted by taz (staff) at 3:34 AM on April 28 [1 favorite]
posted by taz (staff) at 3:34 AM on April 28 [1 favorite]
Creamy Boursin pasta - can’t remember how long I’ve been making this. Basically boil some pasta with well salted water as usual. Take it off maybe a minute earlier than you’d usually like it. Save a cupful of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add back to the pot and put on medium heat along with a big hunk of Boursin cheese, some pasta water. Cook until it all meshes together into a nice creamy sauce and coats the pasta. Serve.
posted by peacheater at 5:05 PM on April 28 [1 favorite]
posted by peacheater at 5:05 PM on April 28 [1 favorite]
I was recently blown away by miso leeks with white beans (NYT, gift link). The eggs aren't necessary, just spread on good bread, and the NYT commenters are correct to add the beans a little earlier than McKinnon says, but it was incredible.
posted by pollytropos at 6:16 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]
posted by pollytropos at 6:16 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]
Two-ingredient berry smoothie: equal amounts by weight of 1) frozen berries and 2) milk (or coconut milk, or some other milk substitute). Blend with a stick blender in its cup for a single serving, or in a bigger blender for multiple servings. You can optionally add more sweeteners or other flavourings.
My family's fridge cake (blok czekoladowy) recipe:
250g butter
150g / 150ml water
250g sugar
4 heaped tablespoons of cocoa
500g powdered milk
A few drops of vanilla and/or almond essence
200-250g plain tea biscuits
200-250g nuts
Sift the sugar and cocoa. Heat the butter, water, sugar and cocoa until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved (don't boil) and turn off the heat. Add the powdered milk and stir until uniform. Add the essence. Break the biscuits and nuts into smaller pieces and fold them in. Spoon the mixture into a parchment-lined container and refrigerate overnight. Cut into slices the next day. It will magically disappear from the refrigerator.
posted by confluency at 6:26 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]
My family's fridge cake (blok czekoladowy) recipe:
250g butter
150g / 150ml water
250g sugar
4 heaped tablespoons of cocoa
500g powdered milk
A few drops of vanilla and/or almond essence
200-250g plain tea biscuits
200-250g nuts
Sift the sugar and cocoa. Heat the butter, water, sugar and cocoa until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved (don't boil) and turn off the heat. Add the powdered milk and stir until uniform. Add the essence. Break the biscuits and nuts into smaller pieces and fold them in. Spoon the mixture into a parchment-lined container and refrigerate overnight. Cut into slices the next day. It will magically disappear from the refrigerator.
posted by confluency at 6:26 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]
I have talked about it before, but my dish my friends call 'The Deets,' which is my low-rent version of Pasta e Ceci, punches far above its weight in terms of flavor and nourishment. I saute diced carrots, celery, and onions in olive oil, add at least one heaping tablespoon of minced garlic and saute until fragrant, add 4 cans of chickpeas with their water and a can of Rotel or diced tomatoes, 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook 10 minutes to give the chickpeas a head start on being tender, add a box of ditalini pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is just shy of al dente. Off heat, stir in minced parsley and serve with grated parmesan or perhaps chili crisp.
I started making it vegetarian when we had a vegetarian move in and just never stopped. You could cook cubes of pancetta until crispy then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve, sprinkling them over the dishes before serving, if you wish.
Either way, this is a hearty, appealing dish that makes people feel good and is a breeze to prepare. Four cans of chickpeas and a box of pasta will easily feed 6 and still leave leftovers. It can be halved or quartered for less people.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:24 AM on April 29 [2 favorites]
I started making it vegetarian when we had a vegetarian move in and just never stopped. You could cook cubes of pancetta until crispy then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve, sprinkling them over the dishes before serving, if you wish.
Either way, this is a hearty, appealing dish that makes people feel good and is a breeze to prepare. Four cans of chickpeas and a box of pasta will easily feed 6 and still leave leftovers. It can be halved or quartered for less people.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:24 AM on April 29 [2 favorites]
You can make some truly magical stuff with an oven and a probe thermometer.
I know, i know, it's a piece of kitchen gear. But it's cheap and whoo boy is it worth it.
So once our good friend Jeff Bezos hooks you up, try these recipes:
1. Get a couple salmon filets with the skin on (not sockeye or keta salmon), pat them dry. Preheat your oven's broiler on high for, i dunno, like 5-10 mins? Grease up a baking pan with a neutral oil or cooking spray, liberally salt the salmon on both sides and put them on the pan, skin up. hit the skin side with a little oil or cooking spray as well. stick your probe thermometer in the middle of one of the salmon filets. stick the salmon under the broiler but probably at the second to closest rack (I've burned the crap out of some salmon skin using the top rack). broil the salmon until the internal temp is 117 degrees, and then pull it out and let it rest for a couple mins. It'll be delicious. While that salmon doesn't need anything but salt, you could punch it up even further by brushing the skin with one of the following: (1) a bit of oyster sauce; (2) chimichurri; (3) pesto; (4) a mix of mayo, dijon mustard, and a bit of lemon juice. Okay, you might have had a reaction when I said to pull it out at 117 degrees, that seems a bit low, no? But first of all, medium rare salmon with crispy skin is magical, and second of all, the internal temp continues to rise substantially once you pull it from the oven, just leave that probe in, you'll see...
2. Okay, I was gonna do a roast chicken recipe here, but describing how to do the salmon tuckered me out. So instead I'll just say, you can make an absolutely perfect roast chicken every time if you just use a probe thermometer. Personally, I like to butterfly the chicken (takes less than 60 seconds, worth it), and I like to rub it with some baking soda in addition to salt and pepper. The Kenji Lopez-Alt butterflied roast chicken recipe is a great one to work off of (it's the source of those two preceding tips!), but it's probably a touch fussy for this thread. Like with the Salmon, all you really need is an oven, yer trusty probe thermometer, and salt to make excellent roast chicken.
posted by dredge at 8:32 PM on April 29 [2 favorites]
I know, i know, it's a piece of kitchen gear. But it's cheap and whoo boy is it worth it.
So once our good friend Jeff Bezos hooks you up, try these recipes:
1. Get a couple salmon filets with the skin on (not sockeye or keta salmon), pat them dry. Preheat your oven's broiler on high for, i dunno, like 5-10 mins? Grease up a baking pan with a neutral oil or cooking spray, liberally salt the salmon on both sides and put them on the pan, skin up. hit the skin side with a little oil or cooking spray as well. stick your probe thermometer in the middle of one of the salmon filets. stick the salmon under the broiler but probably at the second to closest rack (I've burned the crap out of some salmon skin using the top rack). broil the salmon until the internal temp is 117 degrees, and then pull it out and let it rest for a couple mins. It'll be delicious. While that salmon doesn't need anything but salt, you could punch it up even further by brushing the skin with one of the following: (1) a bit of oyster sauce; (2) chimichurri; (3) pesto; (4) a mix of mayo, dijon mustard, and a bit of lemon juice. Okay, you might have had a reaction when I said to pull it out at 117 degrees, that seems a bit low, no? But first of all, medium rare salmon with crispy skin is magical, and second of all, the internal temp continues to rise substantially once you pull it from the oven, just leave that probe in, you'll see...
2. Okay, I was gonna do a roast chicken recipe here, but describing how to do the salmon tuckered me out. So instead I'll just say, you can make an absolutely perfect roast chicken every time if you just use a probe thermometer. Personally, I like to butterfly the chicken (takes less than 60 seconds, worth it), and I like to rub it with some baking soda in addition to salt and pepper. The Kenji Lopez-Alt butterflied roast chicken recipe is a great one to work off of (it's the source of those two preceding tips!), but it's probably a touch fussy for this thread. Like with the Salmon, all you really need is an oven, yer trusty probe thermometer, and salt to make excellent roast chicken.
posted by dredge at 8:32 PM on April 29 [2 favorites]
Quickest spaghetti:
1/2 lb thin spaghetti (or whatever you have)
3-6 cloves garlic*, sliced thinly
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste; I generally go 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
black pepper and parmesan cheese to taste
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti.
2. While the spaghetti cooks, heat a saute pan. With four minutes to go until the pasta is al dente, add the garlic and red pepper and simmer until fragrant (about a minute)
3. Add tomato and simmer for two more minutes, until the pasta is just short of done.
4. Drain pasta, reserving about a 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Add both to the saute pan and stir to blend everything together.
5. Serve with black pepper and parmesan cheese.
This is a base recipe that easily takes additional vegetables or proteins. Start the garlic and red pepper with 7 minutes to go on the pasta, add shrimp with 6 minutes to go and you've got a scampi. For larger items—chicken breast, salmon filets—brown them first, remove from the saute pan, then add them back with the tomatoes. Cover the saute pan to reheat and finish cooking.
* The way I determine how much garlic to put in something is: if I ask myself, "is this enough garlic," the answer is no. YMMV.
posted by thecaddy at 1:27 PM on April 30
1/2 lb thin spaghetti (or whatever you have)
3-6 cloves garlic*, sliced thinly
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste; I generally go 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
black pepper and parmesan cheese to taste
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti.
2. While the spaghetti cooks, heat a saute pan. With four minutes to go until the pasta is al dente, add the garlic and red pepper and simmer until fragrant (about a minute)
3. Add tomato and simmer for two more minutes, until the pasta is just short of done.
4. Drain pasta, reserving about a 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Add both to the saute pan and stir to blend everything together.
5. Serve with black pepper and parmesan cheese.
This is a base recipe that easily takes additional vegetables or proteins. Start the garlic and red pepper with 7 minutes to go on the pasta, add shrimp with 6 minutes to go and you've got a scampi. For larger items—chicken breast, salmon filets—brown them first, remove from the saute pan, then add them back with the tomatoes. Cover the saute pan to reheat and finish cooking.
* The way I determine how much garlic to put in something is: if I ask myself, "is this enough garlic," the answer is no. YMMV.
posted by thecaddy at 1:27 PM on April 30
(Having written this out, I now realize it's basically become my linguine alla vongole recipe too, adding clams, clam juice and white wine in place of the tomatoes and topping with parsley at the end. Tossing my base recipe with parsley at the end would be cool, too.)
posted by thecaddy at 1:32 PM on April 30 [1 favorite]
posted by thecaddy at 1:32 PM on April 30 [1 favorite]
Baklava never fails to impress. I use the Turkish shortcut of pouring the fat in all at once, instead of spreading it on each layer. I like olive oil straight from the bottle, no babysitting a stick of melting butter.
0. Set out 1 pound of phyllo to thaw (see box instructions)
1. Find a scratch-proof (i.e. glass or ceramic) baking dish (deep dish, not a sheet pan).
2. Find a small, sharp knife (a square tip helps).
3. Find a ruler. Frozen phyllo/filo is sold in various dimensions; in order to fit your baking dish, you may need to fold the sheets and/or trim them to size (scrunching could work too).
4. Find olive oil (or butter), sugar, honey, and a Pyrex measuring cup.
5. In a food processor, chop 1 pound walnuts (4 cups halves & pieces).
6. Add 1 tsp cinnamon
7. Add salt to taste (some brands of phyllo contain a bit of salt).
8. Don’t be afraid to add some fiber: wheat germ and wheat bran taste great, as much as 1 cup.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Put a few sheets of phyllo in the dish.
11. Add filling in an even layer.
12. Repeat several times, using up your filling slightly faster than your phyllo.
13. Make sure your last layer of filling is quite thin.
14. Drizzle a generous amount of honey.
15. Install the last stack of sheets; the honey should stick them to the sheets below.
16. Cut into squares, using sawing & scoring motions. Lubricate with fat.
17. Drizzle olive oil over the squares, about ¾ cup.
18. Bake until golden. Meanwhile:
19. In Pyrex measuring cup, add 1 cup sugar to 5 fl oz of very hot water.
20. Stir well. Most, but not all, of the sugar should dissolve.
21. Use a microwave to bring the syrup to a boil.
22. Stir again; the last few flecks of sugar should dissolve.
23. Stir in about 1 cup of honey.
24. Pour hot syrup over baklava just after baking.
25. Enjoy the sizzle.
26. Return to oven, turn off the heat, and let it slowly cool.
Once the syrup is cooled, it should be thick enough to bind the layers together and keep the baklava fresh at room temperature – moist but not wet.
posted by gray17 at 7:39 PM on April 30 [1 favorite]
0. Set out 1 pound of phyllo to thaw (see box instructions)
1. Find a scratch-proof (i.e. glass or ceramic) baking dish (deep dish, not a sheet pan).
2. Find a small, sharp knife (a square tip helps).
3. Find a ruler. Frozen phyllo/filo is sold in various dimensions; in order to fit your baking dish, you may need to fold the sheets and/or trim them to size (scrunching could work too).
4. Find olive oil (or butter), sugar, honey, and a Pyrex measuring cup.
5. In a food processor, chop 1 pound walnuts (4 cups halves & pieces).
6. Add 1 tsp cinnamon
7. Add salt to taste (some brands of phyllo contain a bit of salt).
8. Don’t be afraid to add some fiber: wheat germ and wheat bran taste great, as much as 1 cup.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Put a few sheets of phyllo in the dish.
11. Add filling in an even layer.
12. Repeat several times, using up your filling slightly faster than your phyllo.
13. Make sure your last layer of filling is quite thin.
14. Drizzle a generous amount of honey.
15. Install the last stack of sheets; the honey should stick them to the sheets below.
16. Cut into squares, using sawing & scoring motions. Lubricate with fat.
17. Drizzle olive oil over the squares, about ¾ cup.
18. Bake until golden. Meanwhile:
19. In Pyrex measuring cup, add 1 cup sugar to 5 fl oz of very hot water.
20. Stir well. Most, but not all, of the sugar should dissolve.
21. Use a microwave to bring the syrup to a boil.
22. Stir again; the last few flecks of sugar should dissolve.
23. Stir in about 1 cup of honey.
24. Pour hot syrup over baklava just after baking.
25. Enjoy the sizzle.
26. Return to oven, turn off the heat, and let it slowly cool.
Once the syrup is cooled, it should be thick enough to bind the layers together and keep the baklava fresh at room temperature – moist but not wet.
posted by gray17 at 7:39 PM on April 30 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seconding the no-knead bread. I use the New York Times recipe converted to weight.
1kg of flour.
20 grams salt.
5 grams instant yeast into 750 grams of water.
Bring it together until it looks shaggy, no kneading required.
Give it a quick flip if you want ever few hours. Bake it anywhere from ~2 hours after throwing it together or even the next day. Split in half, make two loaves. Preheat oven to ~500, bake for 30 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. I use a dutch oven.
posted by Quack at 1:31 PM on May 4 [1 favorite]
1kg of flour.
20 grams salt.
5 grams instant yeast into 750 grams of water.
Bring it together until it looks shaggy, no kneading required.
Give it a quick flip if you want ever few hours. Bake it anywhere from ~2 hours after throwing it together or even the next day. Split in half, make two loaves. Preheat oven to ~500, bake for 30 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. I use a dutch oven.
posted by Quack at 1:31 PM on May 4 [1 favorite]
So, I am on a major bean kick this weekend - cooking up a bunch of different dried beans so I can use them in other things this week. Some of the beans that I'm making would be well-suited to the first recipe I ever tried in my go-to cookbook recommendation The Moosewood Daily Special, so I'll be making that....and I've found a version of it reprinted here. So herewith: the Moosewood's Tuscan Bean Soup.
Super-simple - saute a basic mix of onions, carrot and garlic, chuck in some chopped fresh sage, and then dump in 6 cups of cooked beans (3 cans drained, or 2 cups dried beans cooked up from scratch - or a random assortment of whatever cooked-up dried beans you made on a rainy New York Sunday). Throw in 3 cups of broth or water or even liquid from the beans or even a mix of all of the above. Simmer about 5-10 minutes. Then puree half in a blender, or use a stick blender for just a few seconds (you want it like half pureed and half not).
You're done. Serve with a handful of salad greens drizzled with good olive oil and vinegar, and some crusty bread.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:48 AM on May 5 [1 favorite]
Super-simple - saute a basic mix of onions, carrot and garlic, chuck in some chopped fresh sage, and then dump in 6 cups of cooked beans (3 cans drained, or 2 cups dried beans cooked up from scratch - or a random assortment of whatever cooked-up dried beans you made on a rainy New York Sunday). Throw in 3 cups of broth or water or even liquid from the beans or even a mix of all of the above. Simmer about 5-10 minutes. Then puree half in a blender, or use a stick blender for just a few seconds (you want it like half pureed and half not).
You're done. Serve with a handful of salad greens drizzled with good olive oil and vinegar, and some crusty bread.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:48 AM on May 5 [1 favorite]
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If you're set up for it, smoking meat requires low effort and is undeniably tasty.
posted by Acari at 4:30 PM on April 23