Step One: Place ground beef and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes
Step Two: Stir in tomato sauce, kidney beans, and stewed tomatoes with juice. If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add water. Season with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes
Notes: Swap out beef for turkey for a healthier option.
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere’s), or to taste
4 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 teaspoons file powder, divided
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 pound lump crabmeat
3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
Step One: Make the roux: Whisk together flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Cook roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking
Step Two: Place celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until all vegetables are very finely chopped
Step Three: Stir vegetables into roux, and mix in sliced sausage. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside
Step Four: Combine water and beef bouillon cubes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until bouillon cubes dissolve, then whisk roux mixture into the boiling water
Step Five: Reduce heat to a simmer and mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark
Step Six: Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder just before serving
Step One: Place pork, jalapeños, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, coriander, and cumin in Instant Pot. Toss with your hands until well combined. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes
Step Two: Release pressure manually. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a large bowl; fish out jalapeños and garlic and discard. Shred meat with two forks or your hands. Pour cooking liquid over meat and toss to combine
Step Three: Working in batches, transfer shredded pork to a large nonstick skillet set over high heat and cook, undisturbed, until underside is well browned, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until some of the edges are caramelized and crisp, 5–7 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm and moist
Step One: Toss 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 6) with 2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium bowl to coat
Step Two: Toss 2 ripe peaches, peeled, cut into ½” pieces, and remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a mesh sieve set inside another medium bowl to combine; set aside
Step Three: Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook chicken in a single layer, turning halfway through, until charred in spots and cooked through, 12–16 minutes. Transfer to a platter
Step Four: Discard (or drink; it’s delicious!) any juice in bowl. Transfer peaches to bowl and add zest and juice of 1 lime and 1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems and toss gently to combine. Taste peach salsa and season with more salt if needed. Spoon over chicken thighs
Step One: Heat a dry large nonstick skillet or wok over high. Add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, then 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed. Using a wooden spoon, break up sausage into bite-size pieces and cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until sausage is mostly cooked through with some golden brown edges, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate. Pour fat in skillet into a small heatproof bowl or measuring glass
Step Two: Add 1 Tbsp. fat back to pan and cook 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, tossing every 30 seconds or so, until softened but not floppy, about 3 minutes. Stir in 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minute. Transfer to plate with sausage
Step Three: Heat another 3 Tbsp. fat (or vegetable oil if you’ve run out of fat) in same pan. Add 1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved, season with kosher salt, and toss to combine. Arrange brussels sprouts so each piece has as much contact with pan as possible. Let cook, undisturbed, until golden brown around edges underneath, about 3 minutes. Toss and pour in 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and ½ cup water. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan, and cook until brussels sprouts are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and return sausage and onion mixture back to pan if you have room. Add 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar and 2½ tsp. five-spice powder and toss to combine. (If you don’t have enough room in the pan, toss everything together in a large bowl.)
Step One: Cook pasta shells according to pasta instructions for “al dente”. Drain and set aside
Step Two: In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and begin to melt. Add flour and stir to form a paste. Slowly Add milk to the flour mixture while stirring. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in white cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is fully melted into the sauce
Step Three: Toss pasta shells in with the cheese sauce and serve immediately
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
Instructions:
Step One: Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes
Step Two: Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute
Step Three: Stir in chicken stock and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste
Step Four: Add chicken and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces, discarding bones
Step Five: Stir in chicken and pasta and cook until tender, about 6-7 minutes
Step Six: Remove from heat; stir in parsley, dill and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste
3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1½ teaspoons sugar
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on a diagonal
1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions:
Step One: Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position
Step Two: Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside
Step Three: Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours
Step Four: Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the stew warm — or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired
Notes: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot
Add Celery/Carrot Sticks And Ranch Dressing (for serving)
Instructions:
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set a wire rack on top.
Step Two: Add the chicken wings to a large bowl and dry with a paper towel, then toss with the baking powder and salt until evenly coated.
Step Three: Arrange the wings on a wire rack, then bake for 1 hour, flipping every 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Step Four: Make the buffalo sauce: In a large skillet over medium, combine the salt, hot sauce, butter, honey, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the wings and toss to coat.
Notes: Serve with tater tots or french fries! Allow these to cook in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Step One: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set it in the refrigerator to air dry overnight
Step Two: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set it in the refrigerator to air dry overnight
Step Three: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and pat dry some more with paper towels including the cavity
Step Four: Preheat your oven to 450”F. Meanwhile rub the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with the truffle salt and paprika all over. Stuff the cavity with the thyme and sage sprigs, garlic cloves and bay leaves
Step Five: Thinly slice 6 slices of the black truffle. Without tearing the skin make sure to stuff them underneath the skin of the chicken breast
Step Six: Make a slit in the fat hanging from the back of the chicken and insert the end of each chicken leg through the slit in the opposite direction, having the legs cross each other
Step Seven: Very lightly oil the bottom of a large roasting pan and set a roasting rack in the middle. Make sure to oil the roasting rack before placing the chicken on top breast side up. Make sure to tuck in the wing tips as well
Step Eight: Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. While the chicken is resting, scrub and cut the potatoes into large but equal pieces. Transfer to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, add a good pinch of sea salt and boil for 7 minutes
Step Nine: Drain the potatoes in a collander and allow them to dry in their steam for a few minutes. Meanwhile transfer the truffle chicken to the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes have past carefully open the oven door and add the potatoes in the bottom of the roasting dish together with the sage leaves. Gently toss them to coat a little in the drippings from the bottom
Step 10: Roast everything together for another 25 minutes and carefully using a spatula try to turn the give the potatoes a gentle toss
Step 11: Very carefully add the truffle butter on top of the chicken. It will immediately melt from the heat and drip down onto the sage potatoes to coat them
Step 12: Roast everything together for another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165”F
Step 13: Remove the truffle chicken from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving dish. Taste the sage potatoes and give them a final sprinkling of truffle salt if necessary. Then scoop them out and place them on the serving dish surrounding the truffle chicken
Step 14: Thinly slice the remaining black truffle and sprinkle it over the top of the chicken together with the thyme leaves and whatever edible flowers you might have around
Notes: Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing
