Category: Unusual recipes

How to Make ItStep 1Heat a medium skillet over medium. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef, garlic powder, cumin, chile powder, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, and salt; cook, stirring to crumble, until beef is browned, about 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until saucy and thickened, about 2 minutes.

How to Make ItStep 1Let pizza dough stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F.Step 2Heat a large skillet over medium-low. Add oil and garlic; cook, swirling occasionally, until garlic is golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Drain oil from skillet into a small bowl to reserve, keeping garlic in skillet.

This is like The Six Million Dollar Soup—better, stronger, faster than any other version you’ve had. Once the onions caramelize, the broth only needs to simmer briefly to dissolve the Marmite. Look for Marmite in the international aisle or baking section of the supermarket. We’ve also streamlined the cheese-topped bread element: Broiling the bread and cheese on its own takes less time than toasting it as it floats in individual crocks, with the added benefit of keeping the crouton crispy longer.

The challenge:I always end up with soup. Where does all that liquid come from?Our solution: Understand that anything you put in the slow cooker will release liquid as it cooks, and there’s no way for that liquid to evaporate off. If you’re not careful, you will indeed end up with soup. Sometimes, it’s best to add no liquid to the cooker.

The challenge: Everything I make in the slow cooker turns into mush.Our solution: Choose ingredients wisely, understanding that some simply aren’t meant cook that long—especially delicate vegetables and many lean, boneless cuts of meat and poultry. Here, whole-grain hulled barley works perfectly, cooking to a pleasantly firm, chewy texture after eight hours.

Step 1Use fingers to loosen skin under chicken breasts and legs. Rub meat beneath skin evenly with salt. Pat skin completely dry. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 13- x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Place dish, uncovered, on bottom shelf of refrigerator; chill 8 hours or overnight.Step 2Remove chicken dish from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Our unexpected recipe makeover harnesses the power of comfort food in a nutrient-dense, slurp-worthy bowl of beer cheese bliss. Butternut squash complements the rich, savory notes of beer and two types of mustard, while ribbons of melty cheddar add a silky finish. All of these components fuse together to create a hearty yet delightfully dulcet soup guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.

YieldServes 8 (serving size: about 1/2 cup)Inspired by April Bloomfield’s iconic shoestring fries with garlic chips at The Spotted Pig restaurant in New York City, we set about making an oven-fried version that’s still crispy without the deep fryer. The spiralizer is the perfect tool for the job. Use the blade just one size larger than the angel-hair blade; for some spiralizer sets, this may be the smallest blade.

How to Make ItStep 1Preheat oven to 350°F.Step 2Combine apple cider and apples in a saucepan over medium-high; cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Pour apple mixture into a blender; process until smooth.Step 3Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: about 1/2 cup)It’s easy enough to microwave green beans and make a dressing, but taking an extra minute to heat the dressing through changes everything. The shallots mellow and caramelize, and mustard and rosemary bind more easily with the oil. Sherry vinegar has a fantastic savory depth and is worth keeping in your pantry.

Lamb loin chops look like little T-bone steaks and are leaner than rib or shoulder chops. You could also ask your butcher to cut boneless “steaks” from a leg of lamb, another lean cut. If you can’t find lamb, two (8-oz.) sirloin steaks will work; cook for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

How to Make ItStep 1Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil spray. Toss broccoli, cauliflower, squash, and Brussels sprouts with olive oil, and season with salt. Spread vegetables in an even layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring vegetables and rotating pans halfway through cooking time, until vegetables are soft and have begun to brown around the edges.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: about 3/4 cup)We cut out nearly all the prep and cook time of a traditional pilaf by using presliced mushrooms and precooked farro. No need to microwave the farro; it will absorb enough liquid and heat through in the pan. Use the green parts of the green onions as well as the white for flecks of color in the finished dish.

This gorgeous main looks and feels complex, though it actually couldn’t be simpler. It also uses just one skillet, first to sear and roast the pork, then to sauté the fennel and mushrooms until caramelized and tender. If you need to speed up the recipe, transfer the pork to a baking sheet before baking, and cook the fennel mixture on the stove while the pork roasts.

Yield6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces beef and 3/4 teaspoon butter mixture)This recipe is one of our highest-rated recipes ever. Most of the praise is due to the ingredient itself: lean, grass-fed New York strip steak. Besides being more sustainable and nutrient-dense, grass-fed beef simply tastes beefier.

These slow-roasted wedges will make a cabbage convert out of anyone, and are a beautiful starting course sub for the usual appetizer salad. Leave the core intact so the wedges hold their shape in the skillet and in the oven. Caraway has an earthy, anise-like flavor, almost like a combination of cumin and fennel seed.

The traditional version of this Italian-American classic is known to tip the scales: heavily breaded and fried eggplant slices that are then buried in cheese and baked. Our makeover skips the fry and bakes the panko-crusted eggplant until it has a crisp exterior and wonderfully meaty interior. A combination of part-skim ricotta, sliced mozzarella, fontina, and Parmesan cheese allows for even coverage without hiding the eggplant or adding too much fat.

YieldServes 4 (serving size: 1 steak and about 1/4 cup gravy)The staff was unanimous in selecting this old-school comfort food as an al-time fave. Nothing beats a gravy-smothered burger patty with a perfectly charred crust, especially when served with creamy mashed potatoes and simply sautéed green beans.

Fresh cabbage is all about crunch; the more texture, the better. Napa cabbage is an excellent choice for salads because it can absorb bold vinaigrettes without losing its crisp bite. Louis combines the cabbage with more crunch from sweet carrots, pungent red onion, and peppery daikon radish. Red miso paste is a soybean paste that ferments longer than yellow or white miso, giving it a deep umami flavor.

Easy for a weeknight but fancy enough for company, this classic Italian dish has proved a favorite year after year. The recipe uses half as much oil as traditional versions. The sauce picks up every bit of the delicious browned bits left in the pan and is just the right amount of lemony. The dish is versatile enough to go with many sides, such as whole-grain angel hair pasta, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or whole-wheat couscous.