Essential Recipes for Quick & Flavorful Home Cooking

Delicious Morning Meals

Tomato Scrambled Eggs

For today's breakfast, fluffy, creamy eggs hold together a mass of tangy, juicy, sweet tomatoes. Best enjoyed when tomatoes are in season.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 cups fresh tomatoes or 2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper

Additions

• Fresh basil or other herbs, chopped

Instructions

1. Put a small pan on medium heat and melt the butter, then swirl it around to coat the pan. Add the tomatoes.
2. Cook until the tomatoes release their juice and most of the juice evaporates, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and add a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork.
4. Once most of the juice has cooked out of the tomatoes, turn the heat down to low and add the eggs to the pan.
5. Using a spatula, gently mix the eggs and tomatoes. Carefully stir the eggs to keep them from forming chunks. Turn down the heat as low as possible; the slower your eggs cook, the creamier they'll be.
6. Once the eggs are done, turn off the heat and add any chopped herbs you have around. Basil is the best with tomatoes.
7. If you have some around, serve over toast or a tortilla.

Classic Omelette

I make this omelette at least once a week. It's insanely delicious, whether laden with veggies or kept simple. I love it with dill, but it's good with almost any herb or scallions. Once you are a pro at making this, add any other cooked veggies you have around.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Butter for the pan
• 1 shallot or 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Instructions

1. Crack the eggs in a bowl. Add the dill, salt, and pepper, and beat with a fork.
2. Put a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Melt a small blob of butter in the pan. Once the butter is sizzling, add the onion and sauté for about two minutes, until it's translucent and smells great.
3. Add the egg mixture to the hot pan and swirl it around to coat the surface evenly. If the center of the omelette cooks more quickly than the edge, use a spatula to pull any raw egg into the middle. Then stop touching it.
4. After about 30 seconds, toss the cheese on top along with any other raw or cooked vegetable you feel like adding.
5. Once none of the egg remains translucent, fold the omelette in half with your spatula, then lift it out of the pan. You don't want any brown on your eggs.

Serving Tip: If serving two people, I usually cut one large omelette in half rather than making two. However, when you feel like being fancy, you can make a pair of two-egg omelettes simply by using half the ingredients for each. For extra fanciness, roll up the omelette instead of folding it — that's how the French do it, traditionally. The result will be quite thin and tender.

Creamy Banana Pancakes

With the creamy texture and delicious flavor of bananas, these pancakes are stunningly good. You will be seriously popular if you feed these to your family or friends. Another plus: this is a great way to use mushy bananas (that doesn't involve making banana bread).

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 bananas, sliced (for topping)
• Butter for cooking

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly with a spoon.
2. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas (or just mash them in the bowl), eggs, milk, and vanilla, then mix.
3. Add the dry mixture from the first bowl into the second bowl. Gently stir it with a spoon until everything just comes together. Tender pancakes come from not over-mixing the batter. If there are still a few pockets of flour, don't worry about it.
4. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Place a non-stick or cast-iron pan on medium heat. Once it's hot, melt a small amount of butter, about 1/2 teaspoon, then ladle some pancake batter into the center of the pan. A normal amount is about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter. If it's your first time making pancakes, make them smaller; they'll be easier to flip.
6. As soon as the batter is in the pan, place 3 to 4 banana slices atop the uncooked side of the pancake.
7. Once the edges of the pancake start to dry up and you can see the middle start to bubble, flip the pancake over. Cook until it is browned on both sides.
8. Stack the finished pancakes on a plate in a warm oven and repeat the process until you run out of batter.
9. Serve hot, with butter and syrup.

Hearty Soups and Main Courses

Dal (Thick Lentil Soup)

This thick lentil soup is a flavor-packed staple of the Indian table. There are a ton of ways to prepare dal, but the core — beyond the lentils themselves — is usually ginger, garlic, and chili, along with some dry spices.

Ingredients

• 2 cups lentils
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger root, grated
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preparation: You can use any type of lentil you like. If you're using larger lentils (like chana dal, French lentils, or split mung beans), soak them for 30 minutes to start. If you're using the small orange lentils, then don't bother soaking them; they cook very quickly.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and let it cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin and mustard seeds and stir them around with the onions until they sizzle.
3. Toss in the turmeric powder, garlic, and chili and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the ginger root and stir fry quickly for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the lentils along with enough water to cover them, then place a lid on top. Let everything cook for 20 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
5. Taste the dal and add salt and pepper. You'll probably need a fair bit of salt to bring out all the flavors — a teaspoon or so.

If you have them available, top the dish with a splash of cream or some chopped fresh cilantro.

Creamy Corn Soup

This thick, sweet, satisfying soup is a favorite of kids and adults. This is wonderful to make at the beginning of autumn when corn on the cob is at its peak, but canned corn can also make it a warm reminder of summer in the depths of winter.

Ingredients for the Soup Base

• 4 cups corn, fresh, canned, or frozen
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 green or red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small potato, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp cornmeal or flour
• Salt and pepper

Corn Broth (Homemade Option)

• 4 to 8 corn cobs (kernels removed for soup)
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
• Salt

Alternate Broth (Store-Bought Option)

• 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock

Instructions: Making the Broth

If you're making this soup with corn on the cob, the first step is to make corn broth. If you're using canned or frozen corn, you'll need chicken or vegetable broth instead, and you can skip the following steps.

1. To make corn broth, place the cobs and bay leaves in a large stockpot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and let the water boil for about 30 minutes.
3. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper until it tastes lightly corny. Boil it down until you have about 5 cups of liquid.
4. The broth will keep for several months if frozen, or a few weeks in the refrigerator.

Instructions: Making the Soup

5. To make the soup, melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and potato, then stir. Cover the pot and let everything fry and steam for about 5 minutes.
6. Take the lid off the pot and add the garlic and chili pepper, if using. Stir the vegetables, using a splash of water or broth to free any that get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
7. Let the vegetables cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. They should be lightly browned and soft, although the potatoes will not be fully cooked yet.
8. Add the corn and cornmeal or flour to the pot and stir. Cover with about 5 cups of broth (homemade corn broth or alternate stock) and bring to a boil.
9. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. The broth will thicken and become opaque.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you made your own corn broth, you'll probably need at least a teaspoon of salt; if you used store-bought broth, you'll need less.

Serve with a slice of garlic bread or add a hard-boiled egg for extra protein.

Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato

Serves Two

This is similar to a traditional pasta alla norma, but without anchovies and ricotta salata. I like to use a tubular pasta for this dish, but you can use anything, even spaghetti. The eggplant and tomatoes come together into a sauce that is thick, jammy, and savory.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb pasta (rigatoni or similar)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2 cups canned tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan, freshly grated
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Put a pot of water on high heat and add a good shake of salt. Bring it to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
2. While the water is boiling, splash the olive oil into a wide pan on medium-high heat. Let it get hot.
3. Add the eggplant cubes and sprinkle them with salt, then cook for about 5 minutes. If the eggplant starts to look too dry, add a bit of water.
4. Once the cubes are a little brown on all sides, add the garlic and chili flakes and stir.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Again, if it looks too dry, add a bit of water. Everything will shrink up and become a sort of loose, thick sauce.
6. Add half the cheese and half the basil, if you have it.
7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the saucepan. Toss everything together, then turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve it in bowls sprinkled with more Romano and basil.

Chana Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

Serves Two

This Indian chickpea dish is a staple in my home. If you don't have cooked chickpeas around, you can use canned, but it will cost about $1 more.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or 1/2 tbsp butter plus a splash of olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
• 3 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup canned tomatoes, pureed
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup water

Garnish

• Fresh cilantro
• Yogurt

Instructions

1. Measure out all the spices except the cumin seeds and put them in a small bowl.
2. Let the ghee melt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. (Ghee is the traditional Indian choice, but you can substitute butter and a splash of olive oil if you can't find ghee.)
3. Once the ghee begins to sizzle, add the cumin seeds and stir for about 5 seconds.
4. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ginger and jalapeno and cook for 1 more minute.
5. Add the spices and then the pureed tomatoes. Mix, then put a lid on the pan and let everything cook down for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Once the tomato has reduced and the ghee starts to separate from the sauce, add the chickpeas and water.
7. Mix, then bring it to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then squish a few chickpeas with a spoon to thicken the sauce.
8. Garnish with yogurt and cilantro. For a full meal, serve over rice or with roti.

Flavorful Sides and Appetizers

Ever-Popular Potato Salad (Vinaigrette Style)

Serves Four

I developed this salad because I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise-based potato salads. This is really the simplest thing: just potatoes in a regular vinaigrette. You can add all kinds of extras to it to make it more festive, but people always rave about the salad as is. The secret is that potatoes actually have really nice flavor — all you have to do is season them properly. Let potatoes be potatoes, no need to hide 'em!

If you have leftover roasted potatoes or other root vegetables, the same idea works great. Just skip the cooking part and go straight to the dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 lb potatoes (any type will be fine)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• Scallions

Additions (Optional)

• Fresh dill, chopped
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Paprika
• Fresh chilies, finely chopped
• Pickles, finely chopped

Instructions

1. If you're using very large potatoes, chop them into halves or quarters to speed up the cooking — or dice them into bite-sized pieces if you're really in a hurry. Otherwise, keep the potatoes whole.
2. Cover the potatoes with water in a large pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and set the lid ajar so that steam can escape.
3. After about 25 minutes, try piercing the largest potato with a fork. If the fork pierces the potato easily, it's fully cooked. If not, boil for 5 more minutes. It's fine if they're a little overcooked, but undercooked potatoes are awful.
4. Drain the water. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle safely (but still warm), roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces, if you haven't already.
5. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, citrus juice or vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk it briskly until the liquid is blended. If you don't have a whisk, simply whip with a fork.
6. Throw the potatoes into the bowl and stir to coat them in the dressing. Add a generous amount of salt as you stir. Potatoes are very bland without salt! Then let them marinate for 10 minutes.
7. Chop a handful of scallions and sprinkle them over top. Toss the salad once more, then taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar as you see fit.

This salad keeps very well and travels nicely.

Smoky and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

Serves Four

Roasted veggies are always delicious, but there's something magical that happens to cauliflower in the oven. It gets so crispy and nutty, and that flavor is brought out even more with the spices here. I'm happy to just eat a bowl of this for dinner, maybe with an egg on top.

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Turn the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
2. In a medium-sized roasting pan, arrange the cauliflower pieces and the unpeeled cloves of garlic.
3. Pour the butter over the cauliflower and then sprinkle the spices over top. Use your hands to thoroughly coat the cauliflower with butter and spices.
4. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how crispy you like the florets.
5. Squeeze the roasted garlic throughout the dish and discard the skins before serving.

Quick Spicy Green Beans

Serves Two

Whenever I make these, I think, "Why don't I have this every day?" Throw a fried egg on top, serve with rice, and you have a delicious meal.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (or 2 tsp chili flakes)

Additions (Optional)

• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Add the vegetable oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Once it's hot, add the green beans. Let them cook undisturbed for about 1 minute.
2. Mix the garlic, soy sauce, and sambal oelek in a bowl (along with the ginger and lemon juice, if using).
3. The beans should have turned bright green. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan. Cook another 2 minutes, until the water is mostly gone.
4. Pour the sauce into the pan and toss gently to coat. Cook another 2 minutes, until everything is fragrant and most of the liquid is gone.
5. Poke the beans with a fork: if it goes through easily, they're done. They should take about 5 minutes total.
6. Taste and add more chili sauce or soy sauce if you want the beans hotter or saltier.