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Egyptian Barley Salad from america’s test kitchen

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Do not substitute hulled barley or hull-less barley in this recipe. If using quick-cooking or presteamed barley (read the ingredient list on the package to determine this), you will need to decrease the barley cooking time in step 1.

1½ cups pearl barley
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅓ cup golden raisins
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
¼ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped coarse
3 ounces feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (¾ cup)
6 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
½ cup pomegranate seeds

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add barley and 1 tablespoon salt, return to boil, and cook until tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Drain barley, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

2. Whisk oil, molasses, cinnamon, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add barley, raisins, cilantro, and pistachios and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread barley salad evenly on serving platter and arrange feta, scallions, and pomegranate seeds in separate diagonal rows on top. Drizzle with extra oil and serve
Serves 6 to 8

Cauliflower, Pumpkin Seeds, Breadcrumbs from splendid table

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  • vegetable stock 2 cups/480ml
  • cauliflower 2 lb 2 oz/1kg
  • olive oil
  • fresh white breadcrumbs
  • ⅔ cup/50g
  • parsley leaves ½ cup/10g
  • pumpkin seeds 3 tablespoons
  • fresh horseradish 1 tablespoon

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Trim the cauliflower, then cut into “steaks” about ¾ inch/2cm thick. Lower these into the boiling stock, then decrease the heat so that the stock simmers. Partially cover the pan with a lid and let cook till the cauliflower is soft enough to pierce effortlessly with a skewer — a matter of fifteen minutes or so.

While the cauliflower cooks, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan, then add the breadcrumbs and cook till golden, constantly stirring and tossing so they color evenly. Roughly chop the parsley and pumpkin seeds, and fold into the breadcrumbs with the horseradish. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Blend half the cauliflower steaks to a smooth cream in a blender or food processor with approximately half the hot stock, seasoning as you go.

Warm a glug or two of olive oil in a frying pan, lower in the reserved, cooked cauliflower slices, carefully drained, and fry till golden. Gently turn and cook the other side till lightly crisp around the edges. They may fall apart a little, no matter. Divide the cauliflower purée between two plates, slip the fried cauliflower on top, then season with the crumbs and seeds.

Tips and tricks: 

  • Keeping the slices of cauliflower on the thick side will help the slices hold together. The pieces that stand proud in the stock and cook in the steam are the ones to fry. Those that cook under the liquid are the ones to purée. They will absorb some of the flavors of your stock.
  • Snippets of crisp bacon, pancetta, or pork crackling could be introduced to the breadcrumb and parsley crumble. A trickle of cream and a handful of grated Pecorino would be a worthwhile addition to the cauliflower purée. The sauce, topped with a little grated Parmesan, could be spooned over the cauliflower and broiled, to create a toasted crust.

Two-Ingredient Pizza Dough from food network

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2 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt 

Pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella, for topping

  1. Put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
  2. Put the flour and yogurt in a large bowl and mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. (The dough may appear dry and crumbly at first, but it will come together as you mix it.) Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic, about 8 minutes, dusting with more flour if necessary. If the dough feels too dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time and continue kneading until it is soft and pliable. 
  3. Divide the dough in half, roll into two balls, and then use a rolling pin to roll the balls out into two 10-inch pizza crusts. Dust the back of another inverted baking sheet or pizza peel with more flour, semolina or coarse cornmeal and place a circle of dough on top. 
  4. Top the dough round with sauce and shredded cheese as desired, leaving a half-inch bare border around the edge. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet in the oven. (Alternatively, roll out the dough on a baking sheet, top as desired and put the sheet in the oven to bake.) Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let sit 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough round.

spring asparagus galette from smitten kitchen

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  • 1 pound asparagus
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 grams) ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup (45 grams) grated gruyere, comte, or gouda cheese
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 large egg or egg yolk (optional, for shine)

Make the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle butter over dough and using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle sour cream and 3 tablespoons of water over the mixture and stir/mash it together to combine; it should form large clumps; add last tablespoon water if it does not. Use your hands to bring it together into a single mass. Transfer dough to a large square of parchment paper, patting it into a flatter packet, and wrap it tightly. Chilling it in the fridge until firm, 1 to 2 hours or up to 4 days. You can hasten the firming process along in the freezer, for about 20 minutes.

Make the filling: Hold the asparagus by the tough end (no need to snap it off) and cut the tips into 1-inch segments and the rest of the spears into very thin slices on a sharp angle. In a large bowl, toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and set aside for 30 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, gruyere, parmesan, garlic, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste and set aside.

Drain asparagus in a colander and pat it dry on paper towels. Return it to the empty bowl and toss with olive oil, lemon zest, and pepper to taste. (No need to salt because it will be well-seasoned from the salting step.)

Assemble galette: Heat oven to 400°F. Unwrap firm crust dough and line a large baking sheet with the parchment paper that it was wrapped in. On a floured counter, roll the dough out into a large round-ish shape, about 14 inches across. Gently transfer it to the parchment paper in the pan. Spread ricotta mixture over center, leaving a 3-inch border bare. Spoon asparagus over ricotta layer. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

For a darker, glossier crust, beat an egg or just a yolk with 1 teaspoon of water and brush it over the crust. 

Bake galette: For 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden. Serve warm, in wedges.

Do ahead: This galette keeps in the fridge for up to one week. It’s good at room temperature but even better warm, so the cheese is all stretchy again.

blueberry buckle from yankee

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  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups wild Maine blueberries

Preheat oven to 375° and butter a 9×9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the egg and combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, until well combined. Add the blueberries and fold a few times with a rubber spatula until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the butter and combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. 

TikTok-Inspired Baked Feta Pasta

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2 pints (20 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 8-ounce block feta cheese, drained
10 ounces mezze rigatoni
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt, for servin
lg pinch of thyme


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into a 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish. Place the feta in the center of the tomatoes, then season with a pinch of black pepper, lg pinch of thyme and bury garlic under tomatoes. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 425 degrees F, then continue to cook until the tomatoes and feta are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water, then drain well.

Right as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic. Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth and creamy sauce (it’s OK if some of the oil isn’t fully integrated and combined). Toss in the pasta and half of the basil until evenly coated. Add some pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining basil and a pinch of flaky sea salt for serving.

Note: since I used a dutch oven my tomatoes did not brown as they were not spread out. Added thyme too.

Wacky Banana Cake from momspantrykitchen.com

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1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/3 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Prepare a 9 inch square baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add in all other ingredients and mix until completely blended.

Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Frost cake when completely cooled.

Lemon Frosting
1 1/2  cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and beat until creamy.

Upside-down cranberry pudding from helen

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2 tbsp butter,softened plus
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 c cranberries
1/4 c coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 c plus 1/2 c sugar
1egg
1/2 c flour
1/2 c heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325. With a pastry brush, spread 2 tbsp butter over the bottom and sides of a 8” pie tin. Wash cranberries and pat dry. Spread them in the bottom of pie tin and sprinkle with walnuts and 1/3 c sugar.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and remaining 1/2 c sugar and beat until the mixture thickens and clings to beater. Beating constantly, add the flour a few tbsp at a time.then beat in melted cooled butter and pour the batter over the berries and nuts. Bake in the middle of oven for 45 min or until top is golden. Cool until room temp.

meanwhile whip the cream until stiff peaks.

Unmold cake and serve with whipped cream. Serves 6.
use blueberries as well.

Cheesy Farro-and-Tomato Risotto from food and wine

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  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil  
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped) 
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced) 
  • 1 ½ cups farro 
  • ¼ cup dry white wine 
  • 1 quart of water 
  • 1 cup drained canned tomatoes (chopped) 
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper 
  • 2 tablespoons sliced basil leaves
  • In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the farro and stir until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer until almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Lower the heat to moderate. Add 1 cup of the water and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with the remaining water, adding 1 cup at a time and stirring constantly until the farro is just tender and suspended in a creamy sauce, 30 minutes total.
  • Stir the tomatoes into the risotto and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls, garnish with the basil and serve hot.