These mashed potatoes couldn’t be any easier to make thanks to a secret ingredient: Boursin cheese. Yes, I know, it’s not the healthiest ingredient, but potatoes are a vegetable so the whole thing cancels itself out. It’s creamy, it’s garlicky, and it’s way too easy to eat straight out of the pot.
This recipe makes enough for 10 people, so halve it unless you want leftovers for days.
Ingredients:
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
12 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 cups garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin) (from 3 [5.2-ounces] packages), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
Black pepper, for garnish
Place potatoes in a large pot. Add 12 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Add salt, and reduce heat to medium; simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
Place potatoes back in the pot and mash with a ricer. Add cheese and milk; fold until smooth. Season to taste with salt and garnish with pepper.
Okra is my favorite vegetable so naturally, I love gumbo. That silky, sumptuous texture that good gumbo has? It’s all okra, so unfairly maligned. Served over rice, I could eat this hearty stew all winter.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 cup flour, depending on how thick you want the gumbo to be
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 canned whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
10 ounces okra, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 cups chicken stock
Cooked white rice, for serving
Hot sauce and file powder, for serving
Heat 1/4 cup oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season chicken with salt and pepper, and add chicken to pot. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add sausage and turkey bacon and cook, stirring, until bacon is browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate with chicken.
Add remaining oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until this mixture is the color of dark, reddish caramel and forms a roux, about 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add thyme, cayenne, tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf and cook for 3 minutes. Return chicken, sausage, and bacon to pot along with the okra and stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, okra is tender, and gumbo is thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove and shred meat, then stir back into gumbo. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, hot sauce, and file powder.
It may seem like endless winter in California this year, but technically, spring is finally here. Here’s the perfect dish, adapted from Bon Appetit — toasted sourdough, creamy curried eggs, and crisp radishes — to celebrate our hypothetical spring. Enjoy your twentieth atmospheric river of the season!
Ingredients:
8 eggs 3 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced 1 cup coarsely chopped tender herbs (such as parsley and/or chives) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Juice of 1 Meyer lemon 3 green onions 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 thick slices sourdough bread 1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder 1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Maldon sea salt Aleppo-style pepper
1. Using a slotted spoon, lower eggs into a large saucepan of gently boiling water. Cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, 9 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place radishes, herbs, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to combine; set herb salad aside.
3. Separate dark green tops from green onions and thinly slice; set aside. Thinly slice remaining white and pale green parts; set aside separately.
4. Gently peel eggs and coarsely chop (keep pieces large). Toast slices of bread until golden.
5. Heat oil in a small skillet and cook curry powder and reserved green onion white and pale green parts, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer green onions to a large bowl, add mayonnaise, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mix to combine. Add eggs and reserved green onion tops and gently fold to envelop eggs in dressing. (This egg salad can be made a day ahead of time.)
6. To serve, top toasted bread with egg salad and herb salad. Sprinkle with sea salt and Aleppo-style pepper.
Remember stuffed pasta shells? To me, they’re the ultimate 90’s food: comforting, delicious, and a little kitschy. I used to make a richer version back then as a wee Yogurtsoda, but these days, I’ve updated my go-to stuffed shells to this lighter, healthier recipe adapted from Food & Wine. Trust me, you won’t even notice that these are meatless.
Ingredients:
16 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces), plus more, if needed
1 1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Cooking spray
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium bunches lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
1 12-ounce jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 5 ounce container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin)
4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Salt
1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add pasta shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; set shells aside.
2. Stir together marinara, Calabrian chiles, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. Spray a large glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; spread sauce in an even layer in dish, and set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, and toss to coat. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over kale. Cover and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Add artichoke hearts; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until warmed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Combine beans, spreadable cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor; process until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add bean mixture to kale mixture, and stir until combined. Season with salt to taste.
5. Spoon bean mixture evenly into cooked pasta shells (about 3 tablespoons per shell). Arrange shells on marinara mixture, and sprinkle evenly with provolone. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until provolone melts and sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to high broil, and broil until cheese begins to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.
Who doesn’t love deviled eggs? Not I. Here’s a super easy appetizer that’s perfect for the holiday season (or anytime, really). Roasted red peppers and smoky gouda give these a unique and savory twist.
Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil, drained
1 tablespoon aged gouda, plus 1 teaspoon, for garnish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon good-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped anchovies
1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt
24 capers, for garnish
1. Boil eggs, cool in an ice bath, and peel.
2. Neatly slice cooked eggs in half. Remove yolks and place in a food processor. Add mayonnaise, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon gouda, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, paprika, and salt to the food processor. Pulse yolk mix until creamy.
3. Fill a clean ziploc bag with the yolk mix and snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag for piping. Pipe filling into plated and reserved egg whites. Garnish with capers, remaining 1 teaspoon gouda, and a dusting of paprika.
