Gluten-Free Recipes

Albondigas Soup
Albondigas Soup
Albondigas soup is a traditional Mexican meatball soup ("albondigas" means "meatballs" in Spanish) that my mother has cooked for our family for almost 50 years. It is our version of comfort food. What makes the flavor of albondigas soup distinctive...
Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast
Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast
Are you familiar with Cook's Illustrated? It's a magazine and a website from the same people who create the PBS show America's Test Kitchen. It's the only cooking show we watch with any regularity, and we read each issue of...
Apricot Chicken
Apricot Chicken
Every year about this time we are inundated with fresh apricots from our neighbor's tree. And every year I tell myself I'm going to make a chicken dish with them, but never get around to it. Instead, we'll make apricot...
Artichoke Soup
Artichoke Soup
The foggy coastline of Northern California is artichoke country. Like finding small hole-in-the-walls that serve clam chowder in New England, here one can sometimes find local diners that sell delicous artichoke soup. I first developed a taste for artichoke soup...
Arugula Pesto
Arugula Pesto
We have a 3 ft by 6 ft patch of arugula growing in our garden and for the last two months I've been looking for ways to make use of it. By the way, arugula (a.k.a. rocket) grows like a...
Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese
Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese
Winter in California is the season for arugula, along with many other lettuces. A few years ago we planted some in our garden and now each year the arugula re-seeds itself and takes over with a flourish, starting in December...
Asparagus
Asparagus
Selland's market-cafe in Sacramento is an uncommonly good café and often a source of inspiration for foods to prepare. Recently I had some of their asparagus and loved the texture - slightly crunchy (definitely not mushy!) - and the hint...
Asparagus Frittata
Asparagus Frittata
My father got bit by the frittata bug this week and made these for us for lunch a few days ago. This is a quick and easy, no-nonsense recipe that makes a terrific frittata in hardly any time at all.
Asparagus Risotto
Asparagus Risotto
In California winter can transition to spring in a flash. It seems like yesterday we were beset by chilly storms while the forecast for this week is all sunny and 70s. Daffodils are blooming, as are cherry trees, and the...
Asparagus with Lime and Mint
Asparagus with Lime and Mint
Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic. ~Elise As a child I despised the asparagus my mother served. It was steamed to a dreadfully pathetic wilt and tasted, I assumed, no better than the old grass clippings trapped...
Avocado Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Avocado Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Mark Bittman of the New York Times recently did a write up of simple meals ready in 10 minutes or less. This avocado tomato salad would be my entry, but in five minutes or less, and that would include picking...
Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
Sometimes the simplest things are the most enjoyable. My mother whipped up this quick and easy baby bok choy dish the other night. It was so good I made her make it again the next day so I could watch...
Baby Bok Choy with Yellow Bell Peppers
Baby Bok Choy with Yellow Bell Peppers
There are certain routines in our family for which I am unendingly grateful. One is that at the dinner table there is always a green vegetable of some sort. I may not have loved some veggies as a child, but...
Bacon-wrapped Pork Roast
Bacon-wrapped Pork Roast
An easy way to dress up a simple pork roast is to wrap it in bacon. The bacon fat brings extra juiciness and flavor to the roast.
Baked Apples
Baked Apples
It's apple season here in New England, where I am visiting my goddaughter and her family. We went apple picking a few days ago and came home with so many apples, we'll be cooking with them all week. Today the...
Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce
Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce
A dish doesn't have to be complicated, or take a lot of time, to be good. My father found this recipe for baked shrimp in a tomato sauce with feta cheese in a special publication by Fine Cooking (one of...
Basic Tomato Sauce
Basic Tomato Sauce
A good tomato sauce is the foundation for so many wonderful dishes - pizza, pasta, chicken, and fish. Here is a recipe for a basic tomato sauce that starts with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery cooked in a...
Basque Lamb Stew
Basque Lamb Stew
My father's been going through 20 years of old cooking magazines, looking for interesting things to cook and hoping to clear up some space on his bookshelf. Last night we enjoyed this delicious stew, pulled from a back issue of...
Bavarian Sauerkraut
Bavarian Sauerkraut
One of our favorite side dishes is hot sauerkraut, delicious served with pork or bockwurst - a mild German sausage. You can also make a sandwich with toasted or grilled dark rye bread, melted Jack, havarti, or Muenster cheese, the...
Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails
Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails
Many recipes call for beef stock (e.g. French onion soup), but good beef stock is hard to come by, with beef prices these days, expensive to make. Beef oxtails make a wonderful stock and sometimes you can get them (try...
Beef Stew with Mushrooms and White Beans
Beef Stew with Mushrooms and White Beans
This beef stew recipe is from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. It cooks up in about half an hour and is surprisingly rich in flavor given its short cooking time.
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff
According to the Wikipedia, Beef Stroganoff was invented by a chef working for a Russian general, Count Pavel Stroganov, in the 1890s. It became popular in the U.S. in the 1950s from servicemen returning from Europe and China after WWII...
Beef Tacos de Lengua
Beef Tacos de Lengua
This recipe is not for the food-queazy. If that's you, you might want to just skip this one, or instead check out some of our chicken breast recipes. What? You're still with us? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you...
Beet Greens
Beet Greens
All these years I've been loving beets but throwing the beet greens away. Yikes! No more. This is a delicious way to serve greens, whether collard, kale, or beet.
Beet Hummus
Beet Hummus
For those of you out there who cannot fathom even the idea of beets, fine. Truly, I'm a-okay with it. That only means there is more of this beet hummus for me. I ate this entire batch, save one teaspoon...
Berry and Banana Terrine
Berry and Banana Terrine
Prep time 10 minutes. Total time 3 hours 10 minutes. This berry and banana terrine is an easy and beautiful way to serve summer berries with bananas for added sweetness. Think Jello but packed with fruit. And instead of neon...
Black Bean Salad
Black Bean Salad
What is it about a black bean salad that practically shouts, "summer potluck"? The mercury has been edging past a hundred degrees lately here and I've been getting nostalgic for some of the picnic foods I remember having often as...
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup
As some of you may be aware, California has been hit with some stormy weather recently. We warm-weather low-landers don't do cold and wet too well and for the last several days of rainy and cold I've been craving some...
Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme
Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme
Please welcome Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic who shares this delicious cancer-fighting fruit salad with us. ~Elise Recently my mom, Suzanne McCord, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was surprised when I heard the news, my mother is in her...
Borscht
Borscht
My first memorable encounter with borscht was at a pot-luck party I had in San Francisco, in which my friend Elisabeth brought a huge, must have been 12 or 16-quart, pot of drop-dead delicious, deep purply red soup filled with...
Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions
Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions
Have you ever cooked with broccoli rabe (usually pronounced "rob", also known as rapini)? It sort of looks like broccolini or Chinese broccoli, with longish stems, small green florets, and lots of leaves. It's actually more related to turnips than...
Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad
The problem with most broccoli salads is the broccoli - the raw broccoli. Some people like raw broccoli, and actually, I love raw broccoli stems. They taste a lot like cabbage or cauliflower. But the florets? If they're raw, keep...
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts
I never used to like brussels sprouts, until one day I had them when they weren't over-cooked. Still just a little bit crunchy, they had a wonderfully nutty flavor. Who knew brussels sprouts could taste so good? Now I love...
Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Can be prepared in 40 minutes or less. The trick to great butternut squash soup is the simple addition of one tart green apple to balance the sweetness of the squash.
Butternut Squash with Browned Butter and Thyme
Butternut Squash with Browned Butter and Thyme
If you have only one oven in your kitchen, any Thanksgiving side dishes you prepare generally need to be made on the stovetop, as the turkey is taking central stage in the oven. Here is a simple butternut squash side...
Cardamom Honey Chicken
Cardamom Honey Chicken
On my recent trip to New Zealand, my hosts sent me home with a wonderful cookbook from BeesOnline, a local café and honey factory right outside Auckland. The Cardamom and Honey-Glazed Chicken recipe caught our eye and we made it...
Cauliflower Purée
Cauliflower Purée
People either really love cauliflower or they really don't. Those of us in the first camp will enjoy it almost any way - raw, steamed with butter and lemon, or in this case puréed.
Celery Root Salad
Celery Root Salad
Also known as celeriac remoulade, this salad is a refreshing accompaniment to seafood dishes and very easy to make. Celery root looks like a giant turnip, but tastes more like a cross between celery and jicama. The result is a...
Ceviche
Ceviche
Still on vacation visiting friends here and here. Not much time to cook, too busy lollygagging. In the meantime, here's another favorite from the archives, ceviche, one of the best possible things one can prepare with a fillet of fresh...
Chayote with Tomato and Green Chile
Chayote with Tomato and Green Chile
Perhaps you too have noticed an odd, pale green, oblong is-it-a-fruit is-it-a-vegetable in your market and wondered what the heck it was, or what you could make with it. Actually I've known the name of it for a while—chayote; one...
Cheese Fondue
Cheese Fondue
Being a quintessential Swiss dish, cheese fondue conjures up images for me of alpine ski huts, deep snow and 20°F weather. Well, we don't get much snow or cold weather in the California central valley, but that doesn't mean we...
Cheese Tacos
Cheese Tacos
Most kids grow up learning how to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so they can help themselves in the kitchen when they want some lunch. In our family, it was cheese tacos. It's our stand-by what-do-you-make-when-you-haven't-really-thought-about-it-in-advance lunch. There's always...
Cherry Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad
Cherry Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad
Here it is September and this is the first cherry tomato salad I've had all summer. The culprit? My own greedy hands, the hands that pick them when I'm out in the garden and pop them in my mouth like...
Chicken Apple Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
Chicken Apple Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
Arugula on its own is so peppery it can almost be too much. However, partnered with either walnuts, goat cheese, or in this case both, mellows the tanginess of the arugula. A perfect, light, luncheon salad.
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sage Sauce
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sage Sauce
You know what the best thing is about boneless, skinless chicken breasts? They cook up in about nothing flat. Great for midweek meals when you are just rushing to get something on the table. Chicken breasts also take to sauces...
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)
Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)
Chicken cacciatore is an Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce and often includes wild mushrooms. It is frequently referred to as "hunter style" as the word cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. I don't know the source of...
Chicken Curry Salad
Chicken Curry Salad
I love this curry chicken salad. I made up this recipe 20 years ago after a friend of mine gave me a gift box of curry spices and have been making it ever since. It's quite easy to make. The...
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
The tomatillos in my garden are all ripening at once. Have you ever cooked with tomatillos? They look like little lanterns, with their green papery husks. Sometimes people mistake them for green tomatoes (doesn't help that their Spanish name is...
Chicken Marbella
Chicken Marbella
One of the finest dishes ever to come out of the Silver Palate Cookbook, this chicken marbella is first marinated in oil, vinegar, capers, olives, prunes, and herbs, then baked with added brown sugar and white wine. While prunes and...
Chicken Pozole
Chicken Pozole
I've been begging my friend Arturo to teach me how to make pozole for months now. The problem is that it is sort of like asking someone to make you "taco night". Pozole is a big production, not in the...
Chicken Prosciutto
Chicken Prosciutto
I'm on vacation for the next two weeks and will be pulling recipes forward from the archives that I've made or updated recently, including this favorite chicken cutlet recipe. Originally posted 2003. Enjoy!~Elise The last time I visited my friends...
Chicken Salad with Tarragon
Chicken Salad with Tarragon
Inspiration for good food can be found anywhere, even Starbucks, where I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich recently. The key ingredients other than chicken? Cranberries and tarragon. French tarragon is a distinctive herb, with a slight anise or licorice...
Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon
Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon
"Stews are your best ally for stress-free dinner parties," says Clotilde Dusoulier, of her Mustard Chicken Stew in her Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook, and I couldn't agree more. They cook happily away while you enjoy the company of your guests...
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Have you ever had the soup can classic chicken rice casserole? I admit, I have not, though the idea of it intrigued me recently. It sort of reminds me of my mother's arroz con pollo, but with mushrooms and without...
Chicken with Goat Cheese and Arugula
Chicken with Goat Cheese and Arugula
We have a patch of arugula in our garden that not only re-seeds itself every year, but manages to seed itself outside its raised bed as well. No one in a temperate climate should ever have to pay a dime...
Chicken with Mango Chutney Sauce
Chicken with Mango Chutney Sauce
If I think about the way we most often eat chicken, it's simply oven-roasted and served with mango chutney and plain rice or Spanish rice. There's just something wonderful about the way the sweet and sour chutney balances the savory...
Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) and Tomato Salad
Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) and Tomato Salad
Fresh summer tomatoes, garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), hard boiled eggs, and sweet onions, tossed with a light vinaigrette - here are the makings of a surprisingly delicious summer salad. I made this for lunch yesterday from a recipe...
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles. Chee-lah-KEE-less! I mentioned I wanted to make chilaquiles to a Mexican friend the other day and you should have see the smile and look of rapture that came over his face. This is true Mexican comfort food, what your...
Chile Verde
Chile Verde
Walk into almost any taqueria in this country and you will find chile verde on the menu. The chile will likely be made with chunks of pork shoulder, slow cooked in a green chile sauce of jalapeno chiles, garlic, and...
Chili Con Carne
Chili Con Carne
It seems as if there as many ways to prepare chili as there are cooks who make chili. Ground beef versus chunks, pork versus beef, pinto versus kidney beans, beans versus no beans, red chili or green chili - the...
Chipotle Citrus Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Chipotle Citrus Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Before sprinkling with cilantro This recipe comes from the Sacramento Bee article on Bill Niman of Niman Ranch. They picked it up from Gary Fuller of Laurier Cafe and Wine in Houston. We made it today and it was absolutely...
Chipotle Flourless Chocolate Cake
Chipotle Flourless Chocolate Cake
This flourless chocolate cake by Garrett is to-die-for. Almost like fudge. ~Elise For a recent potluck for all the Sacramento food bloggers I decided to throw together this intensely decadent and very easy chocolate torte. The original recipe is based...
Cioppino
Cioppino
"I'll make cioppino," my brother John announced as the family discussed what to make over the holiday weekend. "Great!" said my father and I, relieved that someone else would do the cooking for a night. "Have you ever made cioppino...
Classic Baked Acorn Squash
Classic Baked Acorn Squash
The weather has finally decided to cool down around here and the first acorn squash have appeared at our local farmers market. Acorn squash are wonderfully easy to prepare - just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, add...
Classic Baked Chicken
Classic Baked Chicken
This baked chicken recipe is one of those recipes that every home cook should have in their repertoire. It uses a minimal amount of ingredients - chicken, olive oil, salt and pepper (and if you want gravy, chicken stock or...
Classic Rack of Lamb
Classic Rack of Lamb
I live for lamb chops. Juicy, tender, rare (please please give me rare), deep reddish pink, browned, crusty, herbed, fatty goodness. So when my father sent me on a mission to make rack of lamb (what? 8 lamb chops in...
Cobb Salad
Cobb Salad
Cobb salad is the quintessential American salad, first pulled together on a whim by Robert Cobb of the former Los Angeles landmark Brown Derby restaurant when he needed to feed Sid Grauman late one night (1937). It was such a...
Cochinita Pibil
Cochinita Pibil
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Simply Recipes contributor Hank Shaw's Cochinita Pibil, or pulled pork braised in citrus and achiote. ~Elise Cochinita pibil (ko-chin-ee-ta pee-beel) is an easy braised pork dish that originally comes from the Yucatan in Mexico. It...
Coconut Curry Mussels
Coconut Curry Mussels
When Garrett McCord told me he had the best mussels recipe in the world I was skeptical, that is until I tried it. Yikes this is good! ~Elise When I need a good party food or want to impress some...
Coleslaw
Coleslaw
The word "coleslaw" comes from the Dutch word, "koolsla", "kool" meaning cabbage and sla, salad. The word entered our English language from the Dutch in New York in the late 1700s. Since then it has been a featured side dish...
Collard Greens
Collard Greens
My brother Eddie was over for dinner a while ago one fortuitous night when we happened to be having collard greens. I say fortuitous because Ed introduced us to a wonderful new way to serve these healthful, somewhat bitter greens...
Cooking Gluten-Free
Cooking Gluten-Free
Please welcome Simply Recipes guest author Karina Allrich of the gorgeous and ever informative food blog, Karina's Kitchen: Gluten-free Recipes. Karina is kicking off a series of articles on gluten-free cooking and recipes. ~Elise Imagine if you were told you...
Corn Chowder
Corn Chowder
With sweet, fresh corn, still available at the local farmers market, we just couldn't resist trying our hands at some fresh corn chowder. The recipe is adapted from one by Mitchell Davis in Kitchen Sense and is full of flavor...
Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
The first time I saw a "cowboy steak" at our local butcher, all I could think was, "wow, that's one BIG steak". Looking like a two-inch thick steak ping-pong paddle, the cowboy cut of steak is actually a beef rib-eye...
Crab Mango and Avocado Salad
Crab Mango and Avocado Salad
I first encountered a crab mango salad at Fringale, the exquisite French-Basque restaurant on 4th St. in San Francisco. Recently at a restaurant in LA I had another delicious crab mango salad, this time with avocado and surrounded by peeled...
Crab Salad with Pear and Hazelnuts
Crab Salad with Pear and Hazelnuts
Most crab lovers know that fresh crab pairs well with avocado. But have you ever tried it with roasted hazelnuts (also called Filberts)? I got this idea from a crab hazelnut pear appetizer prepared by Oregon chef Jason Stoller Smith...
Cranberry Applesauce
Cranberry Applesauce
Every fall we await the arrival of fresh cranberries in the grocery aisles. "Have you seen them yet?" "Are they in?" We compare notes for cranberry sightings at the local stores. When the cranberries do finally come in, we load...
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Sauce
My father loves cranberry sauce. I think he enjoys turkey during the holiday season just as an excuse to eat more cranberry sauce. He stocks up on fresh cranberries when they are in season in the fall, and freezes them...
Creamed Corn
Creamed Corn
Corn season has finally arrived. This morning my father picked up some yellow corn from the local farmer's market that was so fresh we could eat it raw. Must have been picked this morning. Did you know you could eat...
Creamy Polenta
Creamy Polenta
The simplicity of this creamy polenta recipe belies its true wonderfulness. This polenta is so light, so fluffy, so creamy, it could almost be a dessert. Polenta is made from coarsely ground cornmeal and is a staple of Northern Italy...
Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine
Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine
Shown cooked with brown rice pasta. We were recently sent a review copy of Dave's Dinners: A Fresh Approach to Home-Cooked Meals by Dave Lieberman of the Food Network. Honestly, I've never heard of Dave as I don't watch much...
Crispy Hash Browns
Crispy Hash Browns
The debate usually begins like this. ME: Dad, how do you make your hash browns turn out so crispy? DAD: Use a potato ricer. It's the only thing I've found that really gets the moisture out of the potatoes. The...
Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta
Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta
When the hot weather hits, nothing is more cooling than a cucumber salad. Inspired by a fabulous cucumber salad shared with a friend at the Sea Salt restaurant in Berkeley, I canvassed my neighborhood grocers for some delicate Persian cucumbers...
Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Cucumber Yogurt Salad
We eat a lot of hot and spicy dishes around here; a great way to cool the palate is with the delicious combination of yogurt and cucumber. This easy-to-make cucumber salad, also called "tzatziki", is a refreshing accompaniment to spicy...
Curried Squash Soup
Curried Squash Soup
One of the things I love about butternut squash, or any winter squash for that matter, is that they're practically indestructible. They last for months. You can harvest one in November and still find it perfectly good to eat in...
Curried Squash and Pear Soup
Curried Squash and Pear Soup
Tis the season for squash and pear. My friend Lorenza gave me this recipe back in the spring, when neither were in season. I finally made it last week, and it was lovely! Similar to the spicy pumpkin soup I...
Curry Rice Salad
Curry Rice Salad
Years ago when I was living in Japan I bought a high-tech rice cooker with a 14 hour timer and settings for white and brown rice. Occassionally I would make much too much rice, especially brown rice. Not wanting to...
Curry Turkey Salad
Curry Turkey Salad
Once again, we overdid it. I think no matter how many people actually end up coming for Thanksgiving dinner, we still make enough for 14 or more. This year's T-Day dinner seated 6 Thursday night, and then a follow up...
Dad's Fish Stew
Dad's Fish Stew
My father has been making this soup for several years now. It is incredibly easy to make, given how tasty the results. The key ingredient is the clam juice, though I have prepared it for people with shellfish allergies substituting...
Dad's Potato Salad
Dad's Potato Salad
A month ago or so I made some potato salad. I love potato salad and was well pleased with this one. Then the next week my father made his version of potato salad. It was great! Better than mine. The...
Dad's Ratatouille
Dad's Ratatouille
Dad originally got this recipe from Dean & DeLuca, and over time it has become a family classic. Only he has the patience to make it. The recipe is little involved, but the results are fantastic. Luxuriously rich, smooth, and...
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread
Our tour of Brazil continues. After posting the moqueca recipe, several of you asked if I had a recipe for Pão de Queijo, or Brazilian cheese bread, sort of like a chewy cheese puff made with tapioca flour. As a...
Easy Duck Confit
Easy Duck Confit
Please welcome guest contributor Hank Shaw of Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook as he shares his method for making what he affectionately calls "ghetto duck confit". So easy, and outrageously good. ~Elise Duck or goose confit (con-fee) is one of the...
Egg Drop Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as he shares his favorite Chinese egg drop soup. ~Elise In college one of the dishes I relied on was my own version of egg drop soup. It was simple, tasty...
Eggplant and Red Pepper Terrine
Eggplant and Red Pepper Terrine
Another one from the recipe archives, first posted in 2004. Even though my father doesn't like eggplant in general, he loves this terrine from Jacques Pepin and we've made it several times. Once he even insisted in making it during...
Fennel Slaw with Mint Vinaigrette
Fennel Slaw with Mint Vinaigrette
If you are firing up the grill this summer with fish or seafood, consider this fennel slaw as a fresh alternative to regular cabbage coleslaw to serve as a side. Even my father, who runs from fennel as if it...
Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper
Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Red Pepper
Recently I got a call from my friend Elizabeth who said, "You've got to try my mother's flank steak; it's soooo good!" I begged the recipe from Maria (Elizabeth's mother) and tried it out last night. It was terrific. Very...
Franks and Sauerkraut Paprikash
Franks and Sauerkraut Paprikash
When my father told me he had made "weenies and sauerkraut", all I could think of was, not another pork and sauerkraut recipe. My dad must have sauerkraut juice running through his veins by this time, given how often he...
French Green Beans with Butter and Herbs
French Green Beans with Butter and Herbs
Ever see those skinny little green beans in the market? They’re a French variety of green bean, also known as haricot vert, or filet beans. Haricot verts are more delicate than regular green beans and cook up more quickly. This...
Fresh Basil Pesto
Fresh Basil Pesto
Every year we plant basil and every year the plants do so well that we can't use it up fast enough. What to do? Basil pesto, of course! Here is a simple recipe. Note that pesto is always made to...
Garlic Chicken with White Wine Sauce
Garlic Chicken with White Wine Sauce
A Simply Recipes reader, Ms. Annie M, sent us a garlic chicken recipe she found on Epicurious that looked so good we couldn't wait to try it. (Annie, by the way, knows how mortified I am by typos and thoughtfully...
Ginger Chicken with Almonds
Ginger Chicken with Almonds
My friend Steve-Anna recently sent me this wonderful recipe for ginger chicken and claimed that it was one of her all time favorites. My father doesn't eat ginger if he can avoid it, so when I made it I just...
Gluten-free Pumpkin Cupcakes
Gluten-free Pumpkin Cupcakes
Many people are sensitive, some extremely so, to gluten - a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Shauna of Gluten-free Girl has a whole blog devoted to gluten-free cooking (with recipes and gorgeous photography, by the way). As someone...
Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts
Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts
A recipe for those of us who love both beets and brussels sprouts. (Isn't it pretty?) Note that thyme is the essential accent which brings all the ingredients together.
Greek Black-Eyed Peas Salad
Greek Black-Eyed Peas Salad
Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares a favorite black-eyed pea salad. Perfect for hot summer days! ~Elise I spent much of my life thinking that black-eyed peas were a Southern thing, and then I worked in an Ethiopian restaurant...
Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
Green beans are the labradors of the vegetable world, they just seem to get along with everyone. Which is why you will usually find some incarnation of green beans on a holiday dinner menu. This simple preparation of green beans...
Green Beans with Salsa
Green Beans with Salsa
My mother is the only person I know who prepares green beans with salsa. It is such an easy and delicious dish and perfect for the summer when fresh green beans are plentiful. The trick of course to great tasting...
Grilled Corn Salad
Grilled Corn Salad
There are, I think, three essential ingredients to this salad - corn, which you can grill or even prepare by toasting frozen kernels on the stovetop, onions, and cumin. The rest is a medley of whatever fresh vegetables you might...
Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms
Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms
Get ready for something fabulous. Steak and mushrooms. Grilled flank steak that is, and assorted mushrooms dry sautéed first, then sautéed with butter, shallots, and cooked down in a red wine reduction. If you don't want to navigate between the...
Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
This recipe for grilled chicken, marinated in lime juice, and served with a cilantro infused black bean sauce comes from my dear friend Steve-Anna, who, by the way, lives in Arizona, and is clearly not afraid of using her grill...
Grilled Oysters
Grilled Oysters
One of my favorite ways to eat oysters (especially those strongly flavored big ones) is grilled. Guest author Jaden shares a personal lesson from the Shuckmeister on how to do it. Enjoy! ~Elise Even though I live all the way...
Grilled Tuna Kebabs
Grilled Tuna Kebabs
In case you haven't heard, we've been having some awfully weird weather here in Northern California. Late May and it's been windy, rainy, and (gulp) cold for weeks. Practically unheard of for Sacramento. I've been walking around in denial, refusing...
Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish
Grilled Wild Salmon with Preserved Lemon Relish
My father walked through the door the other day with half of a fresh whole wild salmon, announcing to me that he would like me to grill it. Sure dad! When someone presents truly fresh fish to you, there really...
Grits with Corn and Onion Greens
Grits with Corn and Onion Greens
A dear friend of mine from Alabama called me recently and demanded to know, "why aren't there any grits on your site?!" Uh, because I'm not Southern and I don't know what the heck I'm talking about when it comes...
Ham, Potato and Leek Soup
Ham, Potato and Leek Soup
What to do with leftover Easter ham? If it's still chilly where you are, warm up quickly with a simple potato leek soup with some added chopped ham. This is one of our standby recipes when we have extra ham...
Hanger Steak with Shallots
Hanger Steak with Shallots
Looking for a quick, easy, yet special meal for Valentine's? Try this hanger steak, just cut the recipe in half if you are making it for two. ~Elise One of the best things about having a butcher close by who...
Holiday Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Holiday Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
We almost always have puréed sweet potatoes or garnet yams with our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Usually we just bake them, scrape out the insides and mash them with a little butter and brown sugar. My father found a wonderful...
Home Fries
Home Fries
We had dueling home fries here the other day, a veritable home-fry cook-off between my mother and father. Mom makes her fried potatoes sliced, using raw potatoes, and usually serves them as a side when we have fish for dinner...
Honey Mint Glazed Chicken
Honey Mint Glazed Chicken
Can you tell we are gearing up for grilling season? This has to be one of the simplest chicken recipes for the taste, grilled or otherwise. It's just basic grilled (or oven broiled) chicken with a fresh mint and honey...
Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup
Please welcome guest contributor Garrett McCord as he shares this recipe for a Chinese American favorite, hot and sour soup. ~Elise Hot and sour soup is a lot like chili; every family has their own recipe, and each family thinks...
How to Make Chicken Stock
There are two basic ways to make chicken stock. One method uses the leftover bones from a chicken carcass and vegetables, and takes several hours of slow cooking. The second method uses chicken backs and wings, sautéing them first, and...
How to Make Shellfish Stock
How to Make Shellfish Stock
Years ago, on a little island off the coast of Marblehead, Massachusetts, a friend's aunt showed me how to eat a lobster, including the fine art of sucking the tender meat and juice out of the spindly legs. It was...
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos Rancheros
One great benefit of growing up in California (LA actually) and having a Hispanic mother is being exposed at an early age to Mexican food. From the time I was 5 it was my job to prepare the salsa for...
Huevos a la Mexicana
Huevos a la Mexicana
Huevos al la Mexicana, or Mexican-style eggs, are essentially eggs, cooked and scrambled in salsa. My mother has been serving "huevos" (pronounced weh-vose, with the beginning like "when" without the n) prepared like this forever, as her mother before her...
Hummus
Hummus
This basic hummus recipe calls for using canned garbanzo beans. I've made hummus using dried beans, soaking them, cooking them, etc. but the results just weren't as good. The canned beans actually mash up pretty well.
Indian Style Rice
Indian Style Rice
The blessing of a well stocked pantry is that so many more dishes are available to you at the spur of the moment. There are a few ingredients in this classic Indian style rice that you may not have in...
Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto
Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto
Sometimes I'll mention a recipe to my father, and if it starts with the words "Italian sausage" I don't think it matters that much what words comes after, he's already sold. We recently made this risotto recipe together; dad did...
Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup
Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup
We first posted this kale soup recipe four years ago and it has since become a regular winter staple in our home. Roasted vegetables, puréed and then cooked with broth, kale, and white beans make up this hearty soup. Of...
Keller's Roast Chicken
Keller's Roast Chicken
Thomas Keller is most known for his landmark 3 Michelin star restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California. French Laundry food is famously exquisite, requiring an insane amount of preparation for each dish (if you're curious about just how insane...
Lamb Curry
Lamb Curry
What a blessing it is to have friends, and parents of friends, who cook. I had this dish at my friend Elizabeth Abbott's parent's house and begged her mother Maria for the recipe, which, thankfully, she gave me. I changed...
Lamb Shank Stew with Root Vegetables
Lamb Shank Stew with Root Vegetables
These days when I step outside, I just want to turn around and go back in the house. Sacramento makes up for its blazingly hot summers with foggy, gloomy, dark, dismal, chilly winters, perfect weather, come to think of it...
Lemon Chicken
Lemon Chicken
Overheard at the market, "I'm a breast girl." "Really? I'm definitely a thigh girl," pause..."dark meat, so much more flavor." Had to laugh, I'm so so so much a thigh girl myself. Here is the secret to fabulous lemon chicken...
Lentil Stew with Sausage
Lentil Stew with Sausage
I'm in serious weather denial. With what seems like the fourth storm this week to hit California (is Noah building his "arky arky" yet?) I'm still puttering around the house in shorts and flip flops, and dreaming of good times...
Marc's Cashew Chicken
Marc's Cashew Chicken
This cashew chicken recipe is one of my favorites on the site, and not just because it hails from my friend Marc Canter who I don't see nearly enough. I first posted it several years ago after a raucous and...
Marinated Tri-Tip Roast with Mushrooms and Garlic
Marinated Tri-Tip Roast with Mushrooms and Garlic
Tri tip is a popular cut of meat here in California, often cut into steaks, or grilled whole. This flavorful cut comes from the bottom sirloin and is fairly lean. My friend Arturo, a local caterer specializing in Mexican cuisine...
Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter, Goat Cheese, and Sage
Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter, Goat Cheese, and Sage
Guest author Garrett and I made these mashed potatoes the other day. So good! ~Elise The story of my first Thanksgiving away from home is one I tell with pride. Sure, we all have epic disasters in the kitchen and...
Mexican Green Bean Salad
Mexican Green Bean Salad
One of our favorite ways to eat green beans is with salsa. The tomatoes, onions, chiles, spices, and vinegar perk up the beans in the most wonderful way. This bean salad recipe is sort of a riff on the salsa...
Mexican Tostada
Mexican Tostada
If there's anything that comes close to a Mexican version of an open-faced sandwich, the tostada is it. Just when you thought nothing could get messier than taco night, along comes the tostada, which I dare you to eat daintily...
Mom's Chili Beans
Mom's Chili Beans
A staple in our home growing up was my mother's chili beans, which she still makes several times a month with either ground beef or turkey. Many chilis I've encountered seem almost designed to give you heartburn. This one isn't...
Mom's Ground Turkey and Peppers
Mom's Ground Turkey and Peppers
I'm smiling as I write this. Why? Because there is no dish that reminds me more of my mother than her ground turkey with peppers. I've never had it anywhere but at home, not even at a school cafeteria, where...
Mom's Macaroni Salad
Mom's Macaroni Salad
When you have a week straight of over 100° temps, you start looking for cooler things to make. My mother whipped up this macaroni salad earlier this week and I think I ate half of the whole bowl. Think macaroni...
Mom's Perfect Pork Chops
Mom's Perfect Pork Chops
Sometimes the best food is really the simplest. We experiment frequently with different ways of preparing pork chops, but the way we have pork chops most regularly is with a simple dry rub and pan frying. My mother's been making...
Mom's Roast Turkey
Mom's Roast Turkey
From the recipe archive, originally posted November, 2003. Turkey ready to go in the oven My mom's turkey is unlike others. The breast meat isn't dried out, requiring cupfuls of gravy to taste good, but moist and flavorful. I've been...
Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers
Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers is one of those classic comfort food dishes that my family practically lived on when I was a kid. This recipe my mother got from Adele Davis as mom was teaching herself to cook in the 60s...
Mom's Turkey Soup
Mom's Turkey Soup
Every Thanksgiving my mother takes what's left of the turkey carcass and makes a delicious turkey soup that we enjoy for days. The first step is to make the stock, which you can get started on right after dinner.
Mom's Warm Potato Salad
Mom's Warm Potato Salad
I don't know about you, but summer around here has us making potato salads more often than in other seasons. This is the latest one my mother put together; my father has made her make it several times since, and...
Moqueca - Brazilian Fish Stew
Moqueca - Brazilian Fish Stew
It seems like every culture with a coastline has their version of a seafood stew. The French have bouillabaise, the Portuguese bacalhoada, New England "chowdah" and San Francisco cioppino. In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced "mo-KEH-kah"), a stew made with...
Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken Breasts
Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken Breasts
What I love about this recipe is that with just the barest of preparation, you can have a tasty meal within minutes. The yogurt-based marinade is only mildly acidic, so you can leave the chicken in the marinade all day...
Mushroom Caviar
Mushroom Caviar
Whoever came up with the term "mushroom caviar" must have been in marketing. Mushroom caviar just sounds so much more catchy than "mushroom spread" or "minced mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter", even though that's basically what it is. Pretty...
Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is one of those dishes that we love to eat, but neither my father nor mother have the patience to make often. It takes about 20 minutes of careful watching and every few minutes adding a half cup of...
New England Boiled Dinner
New England Boiled Dinner
New England boiled dinner is a one pot dish consisting of corned beef or plain beef brisket or smoked picnic ham shoulder, with cabbage, carrots and potatoes. When made with corned beef, it's an Irish-American corned beef and cabbage dish...
New England Fish Chowder
New England Fish Chowder
My first job out of college was in Boston, in the financial district downtown. My local friends did their best to inculcate this wide-eyed Californian to New England traditions of every sort, especially food. We feasted on indian pudding at...
New Potatoes with Cheese and Tomatoes
New Potatoes with Cheese and Tomatoes
The sauce for these potatoes is very easy to prepare and a wonderful way to cook up some fresh garden tomatoes. The cilantro, cumin, and tomatoes combine to a unique and delicious flavor.
Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions
Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions
Nopalitos are the edible young paddles of the prickly pear cactus, grown throughout their native Mexico, the southwestern United States, and the Mediterranean (brought back by the conquistadores). The paddles are widely available in Mexican markets in the US, either...
Oil-Poached Artichoke Heart Salad
Oil-Poached Artichoke Heart Salad
Do you like artichoke hearts? We do! Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares this delectable artichoke salad recipe. ~Elise One of my favorite artichoke heart recipes, this is a simple salad that is great on a warm spring afternoon...
Okra and Tomatoes
Okra and Tomatoes
Mmm, mmm okra! Yes, some people shy away from this odd little vegetable, usually because depending on the preparation it can be a little slippery slimy. Personally I love okra, any which way, including slimified. Alas, not everyone shares my...
Orange and Beet Salad
Orange and Beet Salad
Here's an orange and beet salad to brighten up a Winter day. The peppery arugula complements the sweetness of the beets and oranges.
Oven-fried Potato Chips
Oven-fried Potato Chips
I gave my father a subscription to Gourmet as a Christmas present 20 years ago and have been reaping the rewards ever since. This simple oven-fried potatoes recipe came from a 1985 issue. It has been so much part of...
Oxtail Stew
Oxtail Stew
Revised and updated, Jan 27, 2009, in honor of the Year of the Ox Have you ever had oxtails? Most people I know haven't even heard of them, which is really quite a shame. Think braised beef short ribs, but...
Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade
Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade
"Bacon" variety avocados are in season in the winter; lighter in flavor than the more popular Haas variety, these large, thin-skinned avocados are exceptionally creamy and are perfect for using in sauces. While remoulade is typically made with mayonnaise, in...
Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper
Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper
Canned tuna has never tasted this good. I came across this recipe on Sher's What did you eat? blog, where she got it from the San Francisco Chronicle. You make a sauce for the pasta with tuna, olive oil, garlic...
Pecan Meringue Cookies
Pecan Meringue Cookies
A reader of Simply Recipes recently left a comment on our Pavlova recipe with a recipe for what she calls "Easter Cookies" (called "Resurrection cookies" by another reader). The commenter, Linda, describes them as a meringue cookie with pecans that...
Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce
Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce
My mother made a pasta dish the other night that took everyone by surprise. My skinny-as-a-spatula 10-year old nephew who won't eat anything, ate his serving with gusto and asked for more. My carb-avoiding sister couldn't resist it. My father...
Peperonata
Peperonata
Have you noticed the brightly colored bell peppers in the market lately? They're glorious. Here's a quick and easy recipe for Italian peperonata, or fried peppers, with onions, fresh plum tomatoes, garlic, and basil. This is one of those "I...
Peppercorn Steak
Peppercorn Steak
A standard on the menu of any respectable steak house is peppercorn steak, or "steak au poivre" as the French call it. There is some debate over the exact origins of this recipe (which French chef, or French king, and...
Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Whenever I make ice cream from scratch, we usually have lots of leftover egg whites to use up. Meringues (or as my nephew calls them, "little pavlovas") are little cookies made with basically just egg whites and sugar, with a...
Peppery Garlic Prawns
Peppery Garlic Prawns
My friends are so very patient with me. BFF Steve-Anna first emailed me this spicy, peppery shrimp recipe, a favorite of hers, four years ago. And then again, at least two or three more times, when I declared I couldn't...
Perfect Guacamole
Perfect Guacamole
Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words - ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently...
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
There has been much written on the best way to make mashed potatoes - how long you cook them, with peel or without, reserving some of the cooking liquid, etc. etc. I have discovered that the real trick to creamy...
Pickled Beets
Pickled Beets
Most pickled beets I find are much too vinegary, hiding rather than enhancing the naturally sweet flavor of the beets. I usually just boil beets and eat them unadorned, but my mother has a way of preparing pickled beets that...
Pork Chops
Pork Chops
Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted August, 2003. This is one of the first recipes I learned to cook from the Silver Palate Cookbook decades ago. I've made some adjustments to the recipe over the years. The original recipe...
Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce
Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce
We adapted this recipe from one we found in a New York Times Sunday Magazine and have prepared it several times since. The Dijon cream sauce perfectly complements the pork. Goes well with new potatoes and green beans.
Portuguese Salt Cod Stew (Bacalhoada)
Portuguese Salt Cod Stew (Bacalhoada)
The first time my friend and fellow food blogger Fernanda mentioned wanting to make a Portuguese salt cod stew, I was skeptical. (Though given how well Fernanda's salmon fish stew had turned out what was I thinking?) Salt cod isn't...
Potato Leek Soup
Potato Leek Soup
Potato leek soup is so easy to make and delicious too. This recipe can be prepared in 40 minutes or less.
Potato Salad
Potato Salad
Looking for a good, basic potato salad? Here you go. A creamy potato salad with Yukon Gold potatoes (the best potato in our opinion for many things, including potato salad), bacon, celery, green onions, parsley, and dill pickles. Yum!
Potato Salad with Apples and Bacon
Potato Salad with Apples and Bacon
Summer is the season for cookouts and potato salad, isn't it? Our standard usually includes pickle juice and hard boiled eggs. Here's a completely different take on a summer potato salad, seasoned with mustard, bacon, and the taste that makes...
Provencal Seafood Bisque
Provencal Seafood Bisque
Hank made this seafood bisque for us the other day and it was so outrageously good I begged him to make it again. I served some of it to a friend from Provence whose eyes lit up upon tasting it...
Purple Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Shiitake Mushrooms
Purple Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Shiitake Mushrooms
Please welcome my dear friend, guest author Ashley Teplin, who made for me the best breakfast potatoes I've ever eaten in my life. They take a little more time, but are oh, so worth it. ~Elise I won’t lie; I...
Quick and Easy Pan-Fried Flank Steak
Quick and Easy Pan-Fried Flank Steak
Flank steak is a lean, flavorful cut of meat that is probably best prepared marinated and cooked over a grill. But sometimes you just don't have time to marinate the meat or deal with the grill. My mother raised 6...
Quick and Easy White Bean Salad
Quick and Easy White Bean Salad
My mother is a genius. She throws together the most simple of ingredients, and they are so good that I have to get up in the middle of a meal to write everything down, for in her words, "if you...
Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa Pilaf
Have you ever cooked with quinoa? It's a South American grain-like seed that one prepares in a fashion similar to rice, simmered in water until the liquid is all absorbed. I first started cooking with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) when I...
Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
Simply Recipes contributor Hank Shaw and I "met" years ago over a comment he made about rabbit on Michael Ruhlman's blog. I hounded him for a rabbit recipe back then so I'm delighted that he is sharing this French classic...
Red Chile Marinated Grilled Chicken
Red Chile Marinated Grilled Chicken
This is some of the best chicken I've ever eaten - grilled, roasted, baked, whatever. Juicy, spicy, tender, lipsmackin' good. Here's the deal, there are two ways to make this recipe. One way entails making your own red chile sauce...
Rice Pudding
Rice Pudding
"Rice pudding is how God intended us to eat rice," my father announced when I mentioned I was thinking about making some. Well that settled it, rice pudding it would be. With a little investigation, I found that there are...
Rice with Carrot, Lemon, Onion and Mint
Rice with Carrot, Lemon, Onion and Mint
Helpers Alden and Piper show off the rice We found a "three-flavor" rice recipe in a recent Parade magazine - long grain white rice accented with carrots, lemon, and mint. Excellent served with roast chicken. I can't quite figure out...
Roast Chicken with Grapes
Roast Chicken with Grapes
I've been roasting chicken this way for over 20 years. The grapes not only absorb the juices and flavor of the chicken, the chicken absorbs the sweet juice of the grapes, making this a succulent way of preparing roast chicken...
Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus
Have you ever had roasted asparagus turn out tough and stringy? Here's a tip from my friend Alanna: use the fat spears, not the skinny ones, for roasting. This is a quick and easy recipe for beautifully roasted, tender asparagus.
Roasted Baby Carrots
Roasted Baby Carrots
My friend Suzanne clued me into a great way to do up carrots. She uses the "Nantes" French carrots from Trader Joe's or the bunched baby carrots at Whole Foods. Note that the "baby" carrots are not those 1 inch...
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
If you show up at my father's house with a bagful of fresh brussels sprouts to be cooked, he will howl and complain like a 3-year old confronted with liver and onions. Such then, is the sweet satisfaction of seeing...
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower
Who knew that cauliflower could be such a perfect vehicle for olive oil, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan cheese? I'm used to eating cauliflower raw, steamed, or puréed. I love cauliflower and will eat it any way it is prepared. But...
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup
Fall is here and it is soup season once again. This roasted eggplant and tomato soup recipe is a terrific recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. The flavors of the roasted tomatoes, garlic, carrots, chickpeas, and curry combine beautifully...
Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts
Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts
Here is a flavorful alternative to boiling your beans - roasting them with a balsamic vinegar honey coating, topped with toasted walnuts.
Roasted New Potatoes
Roasted New Potatoes
Oven roasting new potatoes with a little olive oil, garlic, and rosemary is a simple and easy way to prepare a savory side dish.
Roasted Parsnips
Roasted Parsnips
Recently I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous class, taught by and in the home of local cooking maestra Evie Lieb. In the class we covered many dishes, but my favorite was the Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish-Herb Butter. I...
Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup
Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup
Recipe updated Aug 31, 2010 The inspiration for this recipe comes from my mother's friend Claire, who grows beautiful red bell peppers in her garden. She brought over some soup for us to try and a recipe. Over the years...
Roasted Zucchini with Garlic
Roasted Zucchini with Garlic
Often this time of year, our gardens are filled with more zucchini than we know what to do with. Here is one quick and easy way of preparing zucchini. I had a variation of this the other night at my...
Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce
Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce
Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord, who grilled these chicken skewers with me the other day to rave reviews from the 'rents. ~Elise I've always been a fan of combining sweet fruits with savory spices, it sets up a certain...
Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style
Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style
In Bahia in Northern Brazil, there is a savory fish stew called "Moqueca" that they make with local fish. Fernanda Guimaraes Rosa, who writes the Brazilian food blog Chucrute com Salsicha, brought a Vancouver friend's salmon version of Moqueca to...
Salmon Provencal
Salmon Provencal
Here's a salmon dish made for summer. Fresh tomatoes, fresh chopped herbs, a few shallots, lemon juice, balsamic and olive oil make a perfect sauce to accompany baked salmon fillets.
Salmon with Tomato, Onions, and Capers
Salmon with Tomato, Onions, and Capers
Every year in mid September, my friend Jim organizes a group of his friends to go salmon fishing off the coast of Marin, north of San Francisco. For the second year in a row, I didn't a catch a fish...
Sautéed Chestnuts, Onions, and Bacon
Sautéed Chestnuts, Onions, and Bacon
Please welcome guest author, the inimitable David Leite of Leite's Culinaria. Looking for a good side for Christmas dinner? David shares one of his favorite recipes from his fabulous new cookbook, The New Portuguese Table ~Elise I know within two...
Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika
Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika
We have a thing for greens in our family. Beet greens, collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, kale. My mother even picks dandelion greens to add to soups, and mix in with other greens. The thing about most greens is...
Sautéed Petrale Sole in Herb Butter Sauce
Sautéed Petrale Sole in Herb Butter Sauce
Raised Catholic, I grew up eating fish every Friday (not just during Lent as the custom goes these days). Often it was just a simple tuna macaroni salad, but we kids were exposed to a variety of fish and seafood...
Sautéed Zucchini with Gruyere
Sautéed Zucchini with Gruyere
After several years of observing the results of my feeble gardening attempts, my next door neighbor Pat (76 and still going strong) graciously responded to my pleas for help and has been guiding me this spring with soil amendments, starter...
Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
There are many ways to make delicious scalloped potatoes. For this version, I consulted several books - Kitchen Sense, two James Beards, and the Joy of Cooking. Basically you layer thinly sliced potatoes with any number of extras - cheese...
Scrambled Eggs with Tomatillos
Scrambled Eggs with Tomatillos
Every few days, for the last month, I've gone out to my garden in the morning and gathered enough tomatillos to cook up with some eggs for breakfast. Here it is November, and the leaves are all turning, but we're...
Sea Scallops with Asparagus Sauce
Sea Scallops with Asparagus Sauce
A few years ago my father discovered scallops, not that he didn't know about them before, it's just that some light bulb went off in his head one day and he decided that he had to cook them. So for...
Shaved Fennel Salad
Shaved Fennel Salad
When I announced I was making a fennel Parmesan salad, my father remarked something to the effect, "That sounds like something for 'ladies who lunch'." It does, doesn't it? The idea came from a recipe in the South Beach Diet...
Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp Ceviche
From the recipe archive for the hot days of summer. With the warm days of summer upon us, a great way to cool off is with ceviche. Ceviche is typically made with red snapper that is "cooked" by the acidity...
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp Fried Rice
Please welcome guest author Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen who is doing a series of Chinese American food recipes for us here on Simply Recipes. ~Elise The first time I attempted to cook fried rice on my own, I was...
Shrimp Risotto
Shrimp Risotto
Have you ever had a food epiphany? Years ago I had a seafood risotto at a restaurant on the Grand Canal of Venice (back in the cushy days of business trips with expense accounts) that was so silky, so luscious...
Shrimp and Avocado Salad
Shrimp and Avocado Salad
What better way to cool down in the heat of summer than with a delicious cold salad? Freshly cooked shrimp and creamy avocado are a perfect match, especially with a crisp vinaigrette. The best news? It only takes a few...
Simple Cauliflower Soup
Simple Cauliflower Soup
Making soup doesn't have to be difficult, and if you are working with fresh, high quality vegetables, you don't even have to add stock. This cauliflower soup couldn't be easier; just blanch cauliflower florets for a few minutes, purée them...
Simple Peas and Onions
Simple Peas and Onions
I wasn't always a lover of peas. When I was a kid, on the days peas were being served for dinner, my siblings and I would jockey for a particular seat at the dining room table. This spot had a...
Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Melted Apples
Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Melted Apples
We pulled this recipe recently from the Wall St. Journal and finally made it the other night. It was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I've never tasted pork so tender. The "Melted Apples" part is the gravy, which is prepared in part...
Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Chives
Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Chives
Okay, so "smashed" potatoes are sometimes considered just a lazy way of making mashed potatoes. And indeed, they take a lot less effort. But smashing them is also an excellent way to get butter and herbs into all of the...
Southern Corn Bread
Southern Corn Bread
This corn bread is packed with cheese, onions, and whole corn, and flavored with bacon drippings. Need I say more? Recipe courtesy of my friend Lynn R. of Newton, Mass., who I think adapted it from one in The Southern...
Spanish Tortilla
Spanish Tortilla
To a native Californian like myself, a "tortilla" is round and flat, and comes in only two styles, flour and corn. So the concept that a tortilla could also be a thick potato omelette, took some getting used to. But...
Spareribs and Sauerkraut
Spareribs and Sauerkraut
Spareribs with sauerkraut is something I've never had outside of my own home. My father claims that there are restaurants in Minnesota (where he grew up) that serve them. But I certainly have never seen them as a menu item...
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir
Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir
Here is a delightful spin on a fall favorite - cranberry sauce. The cranberries are cooked in Pinot Noir and spiced with curry, ginger, fennel seeds, and other spices. Simply Recipes reader John Klem passed this Epicurious recipe on to...
Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken
Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken
My father found this recipe (adapted from the New York Times) for chicken coated with cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and cashews, and thought (rightly) that it might be worthwhile to try. When my 9-year old visiting nephew proclaimed, "Hey, this chicken...
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
I love pumpkin soup, don't you? This recipe is adapted from one featured in Oprah Magazine. The original called for the soup to be served in roasted carved-out sugar pumpkins - a nice touch, but a little overkill for my...
Spicy Vegetarian Chili
Spicy Vegetarian Chili
Those of you who have been reading Simply Recipes for a while probably sense (rightly) that my father is a committed carnivore. Thus you may appreciate that dad, spending an afternoon making this vegetarian chili with vegetables that he had...
Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans
Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans
I do believe these are the best black beans I've ever eaten in my life. My friend Suzanne has been teaching me some of her favorite recipes this summer (lucky me!), and this spicy black bean recipe is one she...
Spinach Frittata
Spinach Frittata
According to the Wikipedia a frittata is "a kind of Italian omelette that can contain cheese, vegetables, or even leftover pasta. Frittatas are cooked slowly. Most often, they are cooked on the stovetop on low heat until the eggs are...
Spinach with Sesame and Garlic
Spinach with Sesame and Garlic
Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted November, 2005 I never get tired of eating spinach. Good thing it's so good for you! This is a fun take on spinach, a Korean version, with the spinach wilted in sesame oil...
Split Pea Soup
Split Pea Soup
Updated, from the recipe archives. First published 2006. ~Elise There's something about winter that just begs for the making of split pea soup, wouldn't you agree? Like the proverbial groundhog, who failing to see his shadow, retreats into the comfort...
Spring Fava Bean Fennel Salad
Spring Fava Bean Fennel Salad
Fava beans are a gardener's dream. The come up early in Spring, they're easy to grow, and their roots fix nitrogen in the soil, helping to prepare the soil for vegetables planted later in the season. They are delicious, though...
Spring Lamb Stew
Spring Lamb Stew
There are two butchering seasons for lamb, fall and spring. Most of our lamb stew recipes are fall recipes, heavy on the root vegetables. But even though spring tempts us with flowering dogwoods and daffodils, there's still plenty enough blustery...
Spring Succotash
Spring Succotash
"Sufferin' succotash!" Raise your hand if you grew up with Looney Tunes on Saturday mornings. I'm guessing that outside of the South (where succotash is popular) there are more people familiar with Sylvester the cat's oft-uttered exclamation than there are...
Steak Teriyaki
Steak Teriyaki
I love this photo. It makes me want to eat this steak all over again. Don't you love it when you make something that you know is good, and you feed it to someone who has their doubts (because that's...
Stove-top Baked Beans
Stove-top Baked Beans
Why is it that baked beans are so popular around the Fourth of July, but making them usually requires several hours of baking in a hot oven? Where we live it gets pretty darn sizzling in the summer and the...
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake
What better way to conjure up memories of the joys of youth than strawberry shortcake? Strawberry shortcake consists of sliced strawberries that have been macerated with whipped cream served over a white cake or biscuit. I'm from the camp that...
Stuffed Zucchini with Turkey Sausage
Stuffed Zucchini with Turkey Sausage
Just got back from the BlogHer conference to find a 3 pound zucchini in the garden! Fortunately I remembered this recipe from our recipe archive (originally posted in August 2007). Have a favorite stuffed zucchini recipe? Please let us know...
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Please welcome guest author Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen who brings us another great Chinese-American classic, Sweet and Sour Chicken. ~Elise When Elise asked me to be a guest writer for Simply Recipes, we decided to take Chinese favorites and...
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
A reader emailed the other day asking if I was Austrian on account of the sauerkraut and cabbage recipes on Simply Recipes. My father's grandparents on both sides were from Austria and he grew up with many traditional German and...
Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard
I never liked Swiss chard, until several years ago I had some that had been freshly picked from a friend's garden. It was so sweet and buttery I couldn't believe it was actually Swiss chard. It was then I learned...
Tapioca Pudding
Tapioca Pudding
One of my favorite desserts growing up was tapioca pudding. You don't see it that much anymore. Kids get pre-made over-sugared puddings from the grocery store. My parents don't make it that often as it requires too much (for them...
Tarragon Corn
Tarragon Corn
Recently I had the privilege of dining with one of my favorite food bloggers, Carol Blymire, who after cooking her way through the French Laundry cookbook and blogging about it, is tackling an even more absurdly wonderful but complicated project...
Tex-Mex Lasagna
Tex-Mex Lasagna
Tex-Mex "Lasagna" (also known as "Mexican Casserole" or "Mexican Lasagna") is called such because like the Italian lasagna we know and love, the Tex-Mex version is a baked casserole dish comprised of layers. Only in true Tex-Mex fashion, we are...
Tilapia with Pimiento Sauce
Tilapia with Pimiento Sauce
Tilapia, a tasty farm-raised fish originally from Africa, has become more and more popular here in the states. I recently brought home a whole tilapia from our local Asian fish market and made quite a mess of trying to fillet...
Tomato, Onion, Avocado Salad
Tomato, Onion, Avocado Salad
In spite of the oddly cool weather here in Sacramento, my tomatoes are growing swell. And there is nothing better to do with fresh home grown tomatoes on a summer day than have them in a cool, colorful salad. While...
Traditional Roast Beef Hash
Traditional Roast Beef Hash
Hash is a great way to use up leftover cooked meat. We tend to use roast beef, but leftover pot roast or other meats could easily be used. What really helps making an excellent hash is an old fashioned meat...
Turkey White Chili
Turkey White Chili
From the recipe archive, another good leftover turkey recipe. Enjoy! ~Elise Usually after Thanksgiving we have plenty of leftover turkey and enough turkey stock for several days of dishes. Today I whipped up some turkey white chili, based on our...
Turkey and Bacon Rolls
Turkey and Bacon Rolls
Wandering around the web the other day, I encountered this recipe for gorgeous looking rocamboles de volaille, basically a poultry roll, on a French-language website about Portuguese food. In Brazil apparently rolled foods are called "rocamboles"; if there are Brazilians...
Turnip Potato Soup
Turnip Potato Soup
Church book sales are a great way to pick up cookbooks at bargain prices. Ours was last weekend and we found the Food and Wine Magazine's 1999 Annual Cookbook for a dollar. What a deal! Most of the recipes in...
Tuscan Scrambled Eggs
Tuscan Scrambled Eggs
I honestly don't know if they serve scrambled eggs this way in Tuscany, but ever since we started making eggs this way, pulled from Tuscany: The Beautiful Cookbook we've called them "Tuscan Eggs". They are very easy to prepare; the...
Vegetable Soup with Sweet Basil
Vegetable Soup with Sweet Basil
My father found this recipe by Wolfgang Puck, who says that he got this recipe from his mother. It's really an excellent vegetable soup. Surprisingly tasty.
Veggie Tacos
Veggie Tacos
Why I didn't think of this earlier in the summer, when the zucchini beast was putting out two zukes a day, I don't know. But here it is, a veggie taco that combines the best of summer produce, that you...
White Bean and Tuna Salad
White Bean and Tuna Salad
Some items that you will almost always find well stocked in our pantry are canned beans (white beans, garbanzo, kidney) and canned tuna packed in olive oil. We also keep well supplied with onions, including at least one red onion...
Wild Rice Salad
Wild Rice Salad
Looking for a great summer picnic salad to take to your next potluck? I recently enjoyed this rice salad while visiting my friend Chigiy who was hosting a summer BBQ. "Enjoyed" is the polite way of saying I ate a...