Bacalhau a Bruxa de Valpassos is a traditional Portuguese layered salt cod and potato casserole from Valpascos with olive oil, garlic, onion, and white wine vinegar. Rustic northern Portuguese cooking at its finest.
Linguine with white clam sauce built from canned minced clams, garlic, olive oil, and Italian herbs. Italian-American pantry pasta on the table in 35 minutes for 8.
Oven-baked curried rice pilaf with dried apricots, toasted slivered almonds, and vegetable stock. A hands-off vegetarian side dish with sweet-savory depth.
Gratin Catalan with layered eggplant, roasted peppers, capers, anchovies, and a pine nut breadcrumb topping. A rustic Mediterranean vegetable bake served warm or at room temperature.
Margarita-braised chicken thighs go from a paprika-dusted sear into a boozy braise of tequila, orange juice, lime, and sweet dried tropical fruit. Juicy, citrusy, and built on forgiving boneless thighs.
Classic veal scaloppine with Marsala wine pan sauce, pounded thin and seared golden in butter and olive oil. A quick Italian dinner for two with a rich, sweet wine glaze.
Giant prawns stuffed with smoked salmon, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, then broiled in white wine and finished with a butter pan sauce. An elegant seafood appetizer for two.
Veal scallops pounded thin and sauteed in olive oil, topped with wilted spinach, capers, and lemon in a reduced chicken stock sauce. Six ingredients, 30 minutes, light and elegant.
New Haven-style white clam pizza with chopped clams, smoky bacon, fresh garlic, Romano cheese, and oregano on a cornmeal-dusted crust. No red sauce, no mozzarella, just briny coastal flavor.
Tender black beans tossed with fire-roasted red and yellow peppers, sweet corn, and jalapeño in a cumin-lemon dressing bright with fresh basil.
Fruit Cornish hens: classic Chicken Marbella scaled up for small birds. Cornish hens marinated with garlic, oregano, prunes, apricots, green olives, and capers, then roasted until golden with brown sugar glaze.
Broccoli and avocado salad with blanched florets, ripe avocado strips, and a Dijon-garlic red wine vinaigrette. Light, fresh, and naturally vegan with creamy and crisp textures.
Couscous salad with chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh parsley tossed in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette with Dijon and ground coriander.
Veal Parmesan breaded with Parmesan and oregano, pan-fried golden, deglazed with white wine, then topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella under the broiler.
Garlic and chickpea dip with two whole heads of boiled garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. Chilled in a mold and served with tomatoes.
Field greens salad with seared shrimp, fresh corn, and a homemade ginger dressing made with pressed ginger juice and champagne vinegar. A light, elegant main-course salad.