Hi Everyone!
I think it’s happening; I believe I’m entering the semi-homemade phase of my culinary life. When I first transitioned from restaurants to developing recipes, I still made chef food. By that, I mean recipes that require all the bowls and sheet trays you own, plus stops at multiple grocery stores, and maybe a tool with some horsepower. Like this chili crisp recipe that required stemming and seeding dry chilies from three corners of the globe. (PS: I’ve got a new, improved, easier recipe for chili crisp that didn’t make the cut in my cookbook. Let me know if you all want it. I know there are oh so many chili crisp recipes that have come out since I published that one, so I understand if there isn’t room in your hearts for another.)
I don’t know if it’s burnout from working on the cookbook or just cooking to the max over the pandemic, but these days I want my meals to dirty no more than three things, require minimal knife work, and it better be a special occasion if I’m plugging something in (unless it’s a smoothie). But that doesn’t mean the food’s not still freaking delicious! Like this easy peasy meaty spaghetti, which only has 8 ingredients, takes under 45 minutes, and you don’t need to chop a thing.
The key is starting with ingredients that are already packed with flavor (hot Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and high-quality bone broth), treating them right to bring out the best in each ingredient (deeply browning the meat and reducing the broth), and using the proper technique to emulsify the sauce (check out all my saucy glossy pasta tips here).
My Semi-Homemade MVP
Good quality bone broth has become my MVP ingredient for easy and quick cooking. Now, I know, I know, bone broth is a marketing term that’s only been around for a hot minute. It used to just be broth (meaty bones and vegetables simmered for a relatively short amount of time) or stock (collagen-rich bones, like knuckles and feet, simmered for a long time). Now, what the hell is this bone broth?
When purchasing a broth/stock/bone broth, I’ve found that the stuff labeled “bone broth” tends to be much closer to something homemade—flavorful and rich with gelatin. While products labeled as “stock” or “broth” tend to my much lighter in flavor, with little to no gelatin, and often high in sodium and/or yeast extracts. Because bone broth has lots of body and flavor, and less sodium, you can reduce it for pan sauces or, in the case of this recipe, to give my sauce the long-cooked flavor of a nonna’s bolognese in no time at all.
I used to be very anti-bone broth, thinking it was just some wellness nonsense, but now I always keep my freezer stocked with several quarts. I’ll reduce some with soy sauce to make a sticky dipping sauce for soba noodles, simmer some with tender greens and tofu for an almost instant dinner, and steam some with beaten eggs for a super savory egg custard. My favorite brand is by Brodo because it takes just like homemade and is so packed with gelatin that it jiggles like jello. It’s a bit pricy, but luckily a little goes a long way. So even though my cooking is getting more semi-homemade, we’re not talking Sandra Lee Kwanzaa cake here.
Other Easy Peasy Recipes
I thought of this Giant Almond Croissant while in bed. You know, one of those nights when you eat dinner at 5 pm and regret it at 10 pm, but it’s definitely too late to make yourself a sandwich, so you stay up fantasizing about food. (Watch the video here.)
Yes, this Sizzlin Skillet of Broccolette is heavily inspired by Carla Lalli Music’s Broccoli D! But with the sweet and nutty additions of honey and pecans. This is my default dinner with Ham’s out of town or working late.
It’s spring! And I can’t think of a better way to use all those snap peas that are just popping up than in this Paneer with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce. If you don’t have paneer, this recipe works just as well with firm tofu, halloumi, or shrimp.
see ya!
sohla
Easy Peasy Meaty Spaghetti
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