Nice and easy, like summer: Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops

Store-bought barbecue sauce and stovetop cooking make the summery taste of barbecue pork chops weeknight quick and easy. Recipe below.

SUMMER AND BARBECUED PORK CHOPS JUST GO TOGETHER. Unless, like us, you still haven’t gotten your grill out (patio redo delays), or you don’t/can’t grill where you live. These skillet barbecue pork chops give you delicious summery saucy flavor with the bonus of being truly weeknight quick. And the bonus bonus of leaving you with just a skillet to clean, not your grill. Continue reading “Nice and easy, like summer: Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops” →

An Umami-rich Classic Beef Hamburger

Adding fish sauce dials up the savory goodness in this simple classic hamburger recipe. Recipe below.

WE LOVE BURGERS. BIG, JUICY, BEEFY, CLASSIC HAMBURGERS. But somehow, we’ve never made them for the blog. I discovered that last weekend when we wanted to make burgers and could only find turkey and lamb burger recipes here. As I looked for recipes elsewhere, Marion mentioned reading something about dialing up the burger umami with an unexpected ingredient. Continue reading “An Umami-rich Classic Beef Hamburger” →

Six dishes guaranteed to make you the best barbecue guest

IT’S BARBECUE-HOSTING SEASON. And for the lucky ones among us, that means it’s being-invited-to-barbecues season. Of course, that also means it’s what-can-I-bring-to-the-barbecue season. Don’t be the guy who brings a big bag of chips, even the fancy kind. Unless your host specifically tells you to bring chips—in which case, maybe you should ponder the things you’ve brought in the past that were not as good as a bag of chips. For the non-chip bringers among us, here are six recipes that will absolutely shine. Continue reading “Six dishes guaranteed to make you the best barbecue guest” →

Weeknight-quick Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew

Shrimp, white beans, lemon, paprika and a mix of aromatics create a hearty, big-flavored stew that is weeknight quick. Recipe below.

EVERY TIME WE HAVE SHRIMP, WE WISH WE MADE IT MORE OFTEN. Shrimp is deliciously versatile, quick and easy to cook, low in calories and high in protein. Having tried it once, this weeknight-quick stew is something we’re definitely going to make more often. Continue reading “Weeknight-quick Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew” →

Quick, easy, delicious—Spicy Lemon Maple Salmon

Spicy Lemon Maple Salmon fillets have a subtle but lively flavor and just a hint of heat. Finishing them under the broiler caramelizes the glaze.

SALMON IS OFTEN OUR GO-TO FISH WHEN WE WANT SEAFOOD. It’s easy to prepare, foolproof delicious and, frankly speaking, more affordable than many other choices. The only downside for me is that I can go on autopilot when preparing it—olive oil, salt, pepper, tarragon and a hot skillet. Again, foolproof delicious, but looking to change things up recently, I poked around in our archives and found this. You quickly marinate salmon in lemon juice, maple syrup, cider vinegar, oil and cayenne pepper, start it in a skillet, finish it under the broiler and you’ve got a real weeknight-quick treat. Bonus? This recipe was inspired by a tuba museum. You’ll find the recipe and backstory here.

A weekend of potato salads

Potato Salad with Capers, Shallots and Mustard

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS THE UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER. For us, summer is potato salad season, and weekend events conspired to confirm that. First, we were invited to an out-of-town birthday barbecue. Because we were traveling, we didn’t want to do anything mayonnaise based that needed refrigerating. Our Mark Bittman-inspired Potato Salad with Capers, Shallots and Mustard does not. Continue reading “A weekend of potato salads” →

Simple Oven-fried Chicken Thighs (thanks, Judy Hesser)

This easy-to-make oven-fried chicken has truly crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. Recipe below.

AS MUCH AS WE LOVE FRIED CHICKEN, WE DON’T DEEP FRY ANYTHING. So imagine our delight when we discovered an oven-fried recipe that produces truly crispy skin and tender, juicy chicken within. And did we mention it’s crazy simple to make? Continue reading “Simple Oven-fried Chicken Thighs (thanks, Judy Hesser)” →

Microwaving puts the quick in Quick Skillet Potatoes

Nuking potatoes instead of parboiling them makes skillet-sautéed potatoes even quicker to fix. Fresh herbs add a nice finish.

YOU USE IT EVERY DAY. BUT CAN YOU MAKE IT COOK? Mark Bittman asked that about microwave ovens several years ago, when he was still writing The Minimalist column in the New York Times. In the article, he sang the praises of actually cooking fresh foods in your microwave. We don’t do that so much, but we often give fresh foods a head start in the microwave. Nudging carrots toward tenderness before adding them to our classic Chicken and Wine. Speeding up our popular favorite, Half-baked Potatoes. Or skipping parboiling for our Quick Skillet Potatoes, making them nice and tender on inside and crunchy on the outside. You’ll find the recipe for these delicious potatoes—and the Mark Bittman article—right here.

On the road, thinking of Mushroom Spinach Quiche back home

WE’RE ON A ROAD TRIP OUT WEST. Today, we ate lunch sitting at the bar at The Kitchen American Bistro in Boulder, Colorado. Marion and I both ordered the quiche, with roasted mushrooms, leeks and Parmesan, along with a beautiful salad they just called “simple greens.” It was perfect. The quiche reminded me of our own version made with mushrooms and spinach. The mushrooms, sautéed with shallots, tarragon and the spinach, lend an umami meatiness to this vegetarian meal. You’ll find our recipe here.

Ethiopian spices turn up the heat and the flavor: Roasted Berbere Chicken Thighs

Berbere, a chili-based spice mix that’s a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, brings respectable heat and big, complex flavor to Roasted Berbere Chicken Thighs. Recipe below.

WE RECENTLY CAME ACROSS BERBERE in a four-year-old issue of Bon Appétit. For me at least, it proves once again that throwing things away is overrated. Berbere (pronounced bair-buh-RAY) is an Ethiopian spice blend used pretty much throughout the country. According to Spruce Eats, “key ingredients are usually red chili peppers, fenugreek, and ginger, with the addition of warm spices like coriander, cardamom, allspice, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and some lesser-known indigenous spices such as korarima, ajwain, and long pepper.” Continue reading “Ethiopian spices turn up the heat and the flavor: Roasted Berbere Chicken Thighs” →