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You'll find over 470 of my favorite recipes here, including ideas for Quick meals, Cooking for 2, Feasting on Leftovers, and cooking with 5 Ingredients or Less. I'm adding new posts regularly; you can subscribe by email or RSS feed if you'd like to receive the latest recipes. Bon appétit!
Oven Fried Potatoes for 2
This is one of my favorite ways to fix potatoes. They need very little oil and are delicious on their own. Of course, you can also eat them with ketchup or your favorite French fry sauce.
I like these best with russet potatoes, but Yukon Golds are also good prepared this way.
(We bought Yukon Gold seed potatoes yesterday. I can’t wait for our home-grown potato crop!)
Oven Fried Potatoes for 2
Serves 2
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1 large russet potato
1 teaspoon olive oil
Paprika
Salt
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1. Preheat oven to 425˚.
2. Scrub the potato well and slice lengthwise in eighths.
3. Put potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with the oil.
4. Arrange the potatoes skin side down and sprinkle with paprika and salt
5. Bake for 20 minutes; gently stir (they no longer need to be skin side down), and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until they are done as you like them.
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Sugo al Burro e Pomodoro (Butter and Tomato Sauce)
Both Marcella Hazan (Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking) and her son, Giuliano Hazan (The Classic Pasta Cookbook), have recipes for Sugo al Burro e Pomodoro (Butter and Tomato Sauce). It has been a family favorite of theirs for years. It’s Italian comfort food!
The flavor is pure and it’s a very simple sauce for pasta. I used spaghetti, but it would be a perfect sauce for gnocchi or homemade tortellini.
Giuliano calls for 2 pounds of peeled and seeded plum tomatoes or 3 cups peeled canned tomatoes. (Don’t use fresh tomatoes unless they are in season and flavorful. Canned is better this time of year.) I used a 28-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes. I don’t mind seeing the tomato seeds in the finished sauce so I didn’t bother to seed them.
The recipe calls for a medium onion; my onion was huge, so I used just half of it instead of the whole thing. (Next time I may try using the whole onion, even if it is large.) Both Marcella and Giuliano suggest tossing the onion halves when the sauce is done. Bob was shocked; he enjoyed eating them!
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Butter and Tomato Sauce (Sugo al Burro e Pomodoro)
(Adapted from the recipes in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking and Giuliano Hazan’s The Classic Pasta Cookbook)
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Makes enough to sauce one pound of pasta
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Serves 4 – 5 as a main course, 6 – 8 as a first course or side dish
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2 pounds of peeled and seeded plum tomatoes, or 1 (28-oz) can of peeled canned tomatoes, and their juice
5 – 6 tablespoons butter (Marcella calls for 5; Giuliano uses 6. I usually use 6.)
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt to taste (you won’t need much with canned tomatoes)
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Cut the tomatoes into small pieces (Canned tomatoes are easily cut right in the pot with kitchen scissors.)
Put everything in a pan and simmer, uncovered, over low heat. Cook for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are reduced and you can see that the butter has separated out.
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Remove the onion halves and discard. (Or enjoy eating them, as Bob did.) Toss the sauce with hot pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese to grate at the table.
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Roast Chicken, Italian Style
I think I have a new favorite roast chicken recipe! Marcella Hazan’s recipe for “Roast Chicken with Lemons” is in her classic cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. She said that over the years people have often commented to her about how much they love this recipe.
If the chicken skin remains intact, the chicken is supposed to puff up as it roasts. Mine didn’t. But not to worry, Marcella reassures. She says the flavor won’t be affected if it doesn’t puff up.
The chicken had great flavor (of course, I did start with an organic chicken) and it was incredibly moist. The leftover chicken was exceptionally good. I’ll definitely be making it again.
Roast Chicken, Italian Style
(Adapted from the recipe in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)
Serves 4
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A 3 – 4 pound chicken*
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 small lemons (often called “baby lemons” in the produce section)
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1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Rinse the chicken and dry it off inside and out with paper towels.
3. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt, inside and out, and rub it in with your fingers. Grind some black pepper over the chicken.
4. Wash the lemons and roll them on the counter to soften them. Puncture them all over with the tip of a sharp knife.
5. Put the lemons inside the chicken, and close the opening with toothpicks. (Close it well, but you don’t want it absolutely closed up tight because the chicken might burst.)
6. Use a piece of kitchen string to tie the drumsticks to the body. (If they’re not tied, the drumsticks will pull away from the body during roasting, breaking the skin.)
7. Roast breast-side-down for 40 minutes.
8. Carefully turn the chicken over and roast for another 35 minutes.
9. Turn the oven temperature up to 400˚ and roast for another 20 minutes.
10. Let rest, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving
11. Serve with the delicious juices.
*The roasting times worked perfectly for my chicken, which was just under 4 pounds. If you have a larger chicken (4 – 5 pounds) you’ll want to increase the roasting time a bit. It’s always good to use a thermometer to make sure it is done. The thickest part if the breast should be 160˚- 165˚. The thickest part of the thigh should register 170˚- 175˚.
Update (April 15, 2010)
I roasted a 5 pound chicken and found these times to be perfect:
Roast breast-side down at 350˚ for 50 minutes.
Turn over and roast for another 40 minutes.
Turn the oven temperature up to 400˚ and continue roasting for 20 minutes.
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Slow-Cooked Carrots with Sweet Garlic
Cooking 1-2-3, by Rozanne Gold, is an interesting cookbook. Each recipe uses only 3 ingredients, not including water, salt and pepper. Although the ingredient lists are simple, the recipes are not necessarily quick.
This recipe for carrots is an example. The slow cooking brings out the sweetness of the carrots and the garlic. Rozanne calls for “baby” carrots, but I used regular organic carrots cut in pieces similar in size to baby carrots. I think regular carrots are more flavorful than the packaged baby carrots.
Slow-Cooked Carrots with Sweet Garlic
(Adapted from a recipe in Cooking 1-2-3)
Serves 4
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1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut in pieces about the size of “baby” carrots
6 large cloves garlic, cut in fourths (or 12 small cloves, cut in half)
¼ cup olive oil
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1. Put the carrots and garlic in a pan. Add the olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Add water so the carrots are just covered.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for 50 minutes until the carrots are very tender.
3. Remove carrots and garlic and boil the pan juices until they are reduced to a syrupy sauce. Pour the sauce over the carrots and serve.
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Classic Meat Loaf
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Sunday night we had the meat loaf that I have been making for almost 30 years. I’d say that makes it qualify as a “classic” in the Dedon kitchen. It’s adapted from a recipe in the 1981 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.
I have usually made it with just ground beef, but this time I used 1 pound of ground beef and ½ pound pork.
It made a great sandwich to take for my lunch break yesterday (subbing in the 1st grade)!
You can put potatoes in the oven when you turn it on to preheat and they’ll be ready when the meat loaf is done.
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Classic Meat Loaf
(Adapted from a recipe in the 1981 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)
For 100% gluten free, use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats.
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Serves 6
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2 eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup quick cooking oats (Gives a better texture for meatloaf than regular rolled oats. You could also just process regular oats in a food processor a bit to make smaller bits.)
¼ cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sage
1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey (or sugar)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
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1. Heat the oven to 350˚.
2. Beat the eggs and combine with the milk oatmeal, onion, salt, and sage. Add the ground meat and mix well.
3. Put the mixture in a loaf pan and bake for 1 ¼ hours.
4. Combine the ketchup, honey and dry mustard and spread over the top of the meat loaf. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
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Leftovers reheat beautifully to eat plain or to make sandwiches
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By Kath Dedon
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Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes is a wonderful recipe from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s The Italian Country Table. Who knew canned tomatoes could taste so great? Once they’re roasted, you can use them any number of ways. Lynne suggests eating them on bread or bruschetta, tossing them with pasta; or using them in salads, bean dishes, risotto….the possibilities are endless.
The recipe calls for two 28-ounce cans of tomatoes. That may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that they cook down a lot. You can cut the recipe in half, but every time I’ve done that I’ve been sorry.
Next time I roast the tomatoes, I may try it without the garlic to have basic roasted tomatoes on hand.
I got the tomatoes in the oven this morning, toasted some bread and had lovely Tomato Bruschetta for lunch!
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Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes
(Adapted from the recipe in The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper)
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2 (28-oz.) cans peeled whole tomatoes, halved
½ – 2/3 cup olive oil
14 large basil leaves, torn
5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1. Preheat the oven to 300˚.
2. Place the tomato halves on a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with the basil leaves and garlic. Stir gently so everything’s coated with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
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4. Roast in the oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours, stirring about every half hour.
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It’s best to let them rest at room temperature for a few hours, but they were awfully good right out of the oven!
The tomatoes keep in the refrigerator for 4 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
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Tomato Bruschetta
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Good bread for toasting (I used La Brea Rustic Italian Antipasto bread)
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
Some Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes
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Heat the oven to 400˚. Slice bread into ½-inch slices. Brush with olive oil. (Today I used the flavored oil from the roasted tomatoes.) Spread the slices on a baking pan and toast for 8 – 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cut the garlic clove in half, and rub each piece of toast with the cut side of the garlic.
Top with oven-roasted tomatoes. (You can leave them whole, as I did, or chop them up.)
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Enjoy!
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Update 5/31/10:
I made 1/2 of the recipe for Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes; I cut them into smaller pieces, and tossed them and all of the wonderfully flavored olive oil with 5 ounces of cooked penne for a great pasta dinner for 2! It was so flavorful and needed no other ingredients.
(And yes, I regretted not making the whole recipe. Leftover oven-roasted tomatoes would have been very useful.)
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Fred’s Hottest Shrimp
By Kath Dedon
I always enjoyed reading Fred Ferretti’s columns in Gourmet magazine. Over the years he has contributed to many publications, including the New York Times and Food Arts magazine.
According to the introduction to Fred’s Hottest Shrimp in The Tabasco Cookbook by Paul McIlhenny with Barbara Hunter, Fred loves Tabasco sauce. They attribute this recipe to him, and it’s one of my favorite ways to prepare shrimp.
Fred calls for a small green pepper and a small red pepper. I’m not a big fan of green peppers, and I would call the peppers that I find “large”. So I used ½ of a red pepper and ½ of a yellow pepper. (I have made it using just 1 large red pepper, too.)
Don’t be nervous about the “hottest” designation in the title. It has a kick, but is not really too hot. Of course, you can cut back on the Tabasco, if you must.
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Fred’s Hottest Shrimp
(Adapted from the recipe in The Tabasco Cookbook)
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Serves 3 – 4
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1 pound shrimp, peeled and shells reserved
½ cup water
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons honey
A grind or two of black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ large red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ large yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup diced onion
1 tablespoon wine (or shrimp stock)
Hot cooked rice for serving
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1. Put the shrimp shells and ½ cup water in a small pan and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the shells and reserve the stock. You should have 2 – 3 tablespoons.
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2. Combine 1 tablespoon of the shrimp stock, the Tabasco sauce, ketchup, salt, honey and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the red and yellow peppers and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Remove the peppers from the skillet.
4. Add another tablespoon of oil along with the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the shrimp and cook for a minute or two until the shrimp are about done. (Timing will depend on the size of the shrimp.)
6. Add the wine (or an additional tablespoon of shrimp stock) and the peppers and cook about 30 seconds.
7. Add the Tabasco mixture; stir and heat for a few seconds.
8. Serve over rice.
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Million Dollar Chicken
By Kath Dedon
In 1998 Ellie Mathews of Seattle won the Million Dollar Grand Prize in Pillsbury’s Bake-Off® Contest for her “Salsa Couscous Chicken Recipe”. We have always referred to it as “Million Dollar Chicken”!
This recipe serves 4, but you can easily cut it in half to serve 2, or double it for a crowd.
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Million Dollar Chicken
(Adapted from the recipe developed by Ellie Mathews, the Million Dollar Grand Prize winner in the 1998 Pillsbury’s Bake-Off® Contest)
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1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 cup salsa
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. currants
1 Tbsp. honey
¾ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. cinnamon
Cooked rice
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To make the sauce, combine the salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon.
Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the almonds and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the nuts from the skillet.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until browned. Turn and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until done. Serve topped with almonds over couscous or rice.
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For boneless skinless thighs:
Use about 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs.
When you add the chicken, cook for about 2 minutes on each side (4 minutes total). Then add the sauce ingredients and mix well. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until done. Serve topped with the almonds over rice or couscous.
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Maui Ribs
By Kath Dedon
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When we stayed in a condo in the Kihei area of Maui years ago, we discovered Azeka’s. They sold the most delicious ribs that really had a cult following. They were thinly sliced “flanken-style” beef short ribs that were marinated in a teriyaki-style sauce. (You might also see this style of ribs called Kalbi Ribs or Korean Ribs.) We would take them back to the condo, steam some rice, make a salad, and throw them on the grill. Easy and delicious vacation cooking!
After over 50 years in business, Azeka’s closed in 2006. There are several different recipes for the marinade floating around on the Internet, posted by loyal fans trying to recreate the ribs at home. This is the version I have used for years.
The long marinating time really tenderizes the ribs; they only need about 10 minutes over a medium fire on a grill—about 5 minutes on each side.
If you don’t have a grill, you could broil them, but put them on a rack a few inches below the broiler and watch them carefully. The sugar in the marinade makes it easy for them to burn. I’ve never broiled them, but I imagine it would also take 4 – 5 minutes on each side.
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Maui Ribs
(Inspired by the ribs from Azeka’s)
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(Serves 4; you can cut in half for 2 or double for a crowd)
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3 – 3½ pounds flanken beef short ribs
½ cup soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)
¼ cup dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar (or honey)
2 green onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons thinly sliced ginger
(Optional) Extra green onions for garnish
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Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, onions, garlic and ginger. Put the ribs in a non-reactive baking pan (like Pyrex) or Zip-loc bag and cover with the sauce. Cover and refrigerator for at least 24 hours. They can marinate for up to 3 days and only get better if you marinate them for a longer period of time. Turn them in the marinade a couple of times a day.
Grill the ribs over medium heat—about 5 minutes on each side.
Serve with rice and topped with some fresh green onions.
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Chicken Sauté with Cider and Almonds
By Kath Dedon
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I bought 1¼ pounds of organic chicken breasts to make the Flash Chicken Sauté with Cider and Almonds from The Splendid Table’s® How to Eat Supper written by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift.
You would think that much chicken would be 4 breasts, but it was 2 huge breasts! Using a sharp slicing knife, I sliced them in half to make 4 more reasonable portions.
Slicing them also enables the chicken breasts to cook more evenly and quickly. I cooked them in two batches, keeping the first two warm in the oven, so the pan would not be too crowded.
I used my cast iron pan, which was probably not the best choice for this recipe. It cooked beautifully, but the sauce was probably darker than it would have been in a different pan. And now I have to re-season my pan after reducing the vinegar in it… Sigh…
P.S. The salad was quickly put together; it was just sliced cauliflower, lettuce, red onions and the last of my marinated olives all tossed with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Salted and peppered, of course.
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Chicken Sauté with Cider and Almonds
(Adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift‘s How to Eat Supper)
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Serves 4
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1½ cups chicken broth, or 1 can
Olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 large ones sliced in half)
Salt
Pepper
6 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, roughly chopped into slightly smaller pieces
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1. Turn the oven on to Warm and put a plate in the oven.
2. Boil the broth in a large skillet until it is reduced by 2/3. Pour the broth out and reserve it. Dry the pan.
3. Put about 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan. Heat over medium-high heat.
4. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and put the in the pan. If the chicken breasts won’t fit in the pan without being too crowded, cook 2 of them for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are lightly browned and thoroughly cooked.
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Remove the breasts to the plate in the oven and cver them with foil. Repeat with the other 2 breasts.
5. Add the garlic and vinegar to the pan and boil, scraping up any bits on the bottom, until the cider is reduced to about ¼ cup.
Stir in the reserved broth and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the butter and stir just until it is melted in.
6. Serve the chicken with the sauce and top with the almonds.
In the kitchen with Kath 
