Author: Chef M

Tuck one of these energy bars, packed with seeds, nuts, oats, and raisins, into your bag for a meal on the go. The superb combination of crunchy and chewy textures in a subtly sweet, cookie-like bar will keep you returning to this recipe. If you want to make them gluten-free, look for oats labeled as such, sold by Bob’s Red Mill and others.

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My inspiration for this recipe came from a holiday issue of Bon Appétit magazine. These cookies are quite festive: The bright-green pistachios resting atop a glistening bed of dark chocolate are truly stunning. I recommend cutting the shortbread with a hot knife wiped clean after each cut for the most striking presentation.

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These little almond gems are sophisticated in appearance and taste while being very easy to make. The sweetened grated almonds on top are what really make these cookies special. For the holiday season, I like to cut them into diamonds rather than squares.

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Inspired by steak pizzaiola—tender steaks topped with a chunky, long-simmered sauce of tomatoes and mushrooms—we set out to create a weeknight-friendly version of the restaurant classic. A Dutch oven allowed us to get a great sear on the steaks and was then roomy enough to build our sauce; the vegetables benefited from picking up the flavorful fond left behind by the meat. We used thick-cut strip steaks for their intense flavor. Since the thick steaks needed to spend some time in the hot pot, we minimized the band of overcooked meat on the surface of the steaks by flipping them…

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Steak and potatoes are a classic duo for a satisfying weeknight meal, and using our Dutch oven allowed us to streamline cooking and cleanup to a single pot. We decided to pair simple steak tips with a horseradish-spiked potato salad. Small, low-starch fingerlings were perfect since they cooked up creamy and didn’t require much prep. Starting the potatoes in just an inch of cold salted water and then bringing them to a simmer ensured that they cooked evenly; meanwhile, we marinated the meat. Once we had drained the potatoes, we seared our steak tips in the Dutch oven and removed…

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The delights of classic chicken pot pie are many from the burnished, flaky crust to the luscious, savory filling. But putting it together can be a chore: Between making pie dough (which often requires pulling out a food processor), poaching chicken in one pot and building a gravy in another, and then transferring the filling and crust to a pie plate to bake, this comfort food requires a major time commitment, not to mention a battery of pots and pans. We wanted an easier way and found our trusty Dutch oven to be just the ticket to get us there…

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Many followers of the keto diet love to snack on cheese. That’s because it has minimal carbs and is very convenient. Why not take it to the next level by wrapping the cheese in bacon? After you try this warm wheel of creamy cheese, you’ll never want to go back to regular cheese!

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I have to thank one of my readers, Saira, for helping me with this recipe, which is fast and, with that lovely tomato ginger sauce, absolutely delicious. She mentioned it once in my Facebook group as something her mother used to make that she really missed eating. I started to play with the recipe. After one or two tries where I missed the mark, she pronounced this recipe a success. This is a staple dish in Pakistan. Karahi means “wok,” but you certainly do not need to make it in a wok.

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Yes, this is my recipe, and yes, I am indeed asking you to buy curry roux in a packet. I asked many, many readers of Japanese descent, and they all told me this is how curry is made in most Japanese households. One thing I did add was coconut milk for a creamy thickness. You can choose to omit or increase the coconut milk let your taste buds be your guide on this.

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