Peas and Carrots with Two Onions

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2. 1 small onion, finely chopped
3. 3 large scallions, minced
4. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5. 1 1/4 cups water
6. 1/2 pound carrots, diced
7. 3/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
9. 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
10. 1 pound frozen petite peas

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the onion and scallions and cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in the flour. Add the water, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to moderate and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the peas. Cover and simmer until the carrots and peas are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Yukon Golds with Shallot Butter

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 1/4 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
2. 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
3. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4. 1 tablespoon minced parsley
5. 1 medium shallot, minced
6. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a saucepan, boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the mustard seeds over moderate heat until they pop, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the butter with the parsley, shallot, lemon juice and mustard seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Drain and halve the potatoes lengthwise. In a large dish, toss the potatoes with the shallot butter and serve.

Mom's Meat Loaf

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
5. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
6. 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons ketchup
7. 1 egg, lightly beaten
8. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
9. 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
10. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
11. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12. 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13. 2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
14. 1 pound ground beef chuck
15. 1/2 pound ground veal
16. 1/2 pound ground pork
17. 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
18. Pinch of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the milk until evenly moistened. Add the 2 teaspoons of ketchup and the onion mixture, egg, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, black pepper and mustard and mix until blended.
3. In a food processor, pulse the bacon until finely chopped; add it to the bread crumb mixture. Add the ground beef, veal and pork and mix gently with your hands until evenly combined.
4. In a medium roasting pan, form the meat into a 9-by-5-inch loaf. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of ketchup with the brown sugar and cayenne. Spread the ketchup over the top of the meat loaf. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the glaze is browned and an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat loaf registers 160°. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Corn and Goat Cheese Grits

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 cups water
2. 1/2 cup whole milk
3. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4. Kosher salt
5. 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
6. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
8. 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
9. 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears) or one 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels
10. Freshly ground pepper
11. 4 ounces fresh goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Cook the grits over moderate heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until thickened and the grains are tender about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the corn mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until the mixture is just smooth.
3. Stir the pureed corn and the goat cheese into the grits, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through. Transfer to a bowl and serve

Roasted Salmon with Lentils and Bacon

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2. 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3. 1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4. 1 rib celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
5. 1 clove garlic, minced
6. 1 1/4 cups lentils
7. 2 1/4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
8. 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
11. 1 bay leaf
12. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
13. 1 3/4 pounds skinless center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
14. 1 tablespoon cooking oil, more if needed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until browned. Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, broth, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the lentils are just tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and stir in 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.
3. Heat the oven to 450°. Sprinkle the salmon with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. In a large ovenproof nonstick frying pan, over moderately high heat, heat the reserved bacon fat, with enough oil to measure 2 tablespoons. Add the fish, skinned-side up, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn. Put the pan in the oven and continue cooking the salmon until just barely done (the fish should still be translucent in the center), about 3 minutes longer for a 1-inch-thick fillet. Put the lentils on plates and top with the salmon.

Easy Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
3. 1 large celery rib, finely chopped
4. 1 large carrot, finely chopped
5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
6. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
7. One 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
8. 2 cups veal or chicken stock
9. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10. Four 2-inch-thick, flanken-cut short ribs with bone (2 3/4 pounds)
11. Salt and freshly ground pepper
12. Buttered egg noodles, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and carrot, cover and cook over moderate heat until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the wine and veal stock and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Season the ribs with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until they are well browned, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the short ribs to the casserole. Partially cover and cook over moderately low heat until very tender, about 2 hours.
4. Transfer the ribs to a plate and remove the bones. Strain the sauce into a heatproof measuring cup and skim off the fat. Return the sauce to the casserole and boil until reduced to 2 cups, 10 minutes. Return the meat to the sauce and simmer over low heat until heated through. Serve the ribs with egg noodles.

Chicken-and-Andouille Étouffée

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1/4 cup canola oil
2. 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3. 1 onion, diced
4. 1 small green bell pepper, diced
5. 2 celery ribs, finely diced
6. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
7. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8. 1 andouille sausage (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10. 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
11. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
12. Steamed rice and hot sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Whisk in the flour and cook over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the sausage and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken and simmer until cooked through, 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and serve over rice, with hot sauce.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2. Salt
3. Ten 1-inch rosemary sprigs
4. 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5. Freshly ground black pepper
6. Two 1-pound boneless rib-eye steaks

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.
2. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and shake over moderately high heat until the potatoes are dry, 10 seconds. Spread the potatoes and rosemary sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring a few times, until the potatoes are sizzling and starting to brown. Tilt the baking sheet and pour off any excess oil. Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes longer, until browned and crisp.
3. Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Season the steaks with salt and black pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until well-browned and medium-rare, 8 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Carve the steaks into thick slices and serve with the potatoes.

Cheesecake Flan

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3/4 cup sugar
2. 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese (7 ounces)
4. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
5. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
6. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half
7. 3 large eggs
8. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9. Boiling water
10. Whipped cream and fresh berries, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice and cook over moderately low heat until an amber caramel forms, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately pour the hot caramel into six 1-cup ramekins, swirling them to coat the bottoms.
2. In a blender, combine the cream cheese with the condensed and evaporated milks, half-and-half, eggs and vanilla and blend on medium speed until smooth. Refrigerate the custard for 10 minutes, skim off the foam and pour the custard into the prepared ramekins.
3. Set the ramekins in a small roasting pan; add enough boiling water to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake the flans for about 1 1/2 hours or until they are set and a toothpick inserted in the centers come out almost clean. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
4. To unmold each flan, set the bottom of the ramekin in a pan of hot water for about 1 minute. Run a thin blade around the edge of the flan and cover with a plate. Invert the plate and shake once or twice; the flan should release easily. Serve with whipped cream and berries.