• Jane on September 10, 2022

  I’ve tagged so many recipes in this book as ‘I want to cook this’.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Crispy lemon chicken with potatoes, oregano, and capers

  • cjross on February 19, 2023

    Yummy and easy, would make again.

  • peaceoutdesign on January 27, 2023

    I sliced the potatoes with a mandoline just thicker than 1/8" thick and they were awesome. I liked the chicken but I think that there just wasn't enough seasoning to go around.

  • pistachiopeas on October 31, 2022

    This was good but I used chicken leg quarters and next time would do thighs or breasts. Some of my potato slices were too thin. Flavours were great!

  • Lepa on September 07, 2022

    This was tasty but I cut the potatoes too thinly. Next time I wouldn't use a mandolin. The chicken didn't get very crispy or golden but it was still good.

  • ezwriternc on February 23, 2023

    The potatoes in this dish are now my go to. They come out great! The chicken is nothing special. Made a good dinner but I’ll only repeat the potatoes.

  • Jviney on September 12, 2022

    This was yummy, I really liked the potatoes. I cut them about 1/4” thick and it worked well. My chicken was on the scrawny, gristly side and I’ll try again with better chicken.

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    This was tasty albeit not very memorable. We thought the dish was good the first day, but it really shined as leftovers crisped up in the air fryer (the potatoes became almost like thick potato chips).

• Roasted chicken “tagine” with dates, olives, and lemon

  • DFarnham on November 17, 2022

    Easy weeknight dinner. Used a combo of thighs and split breasts; heirloom carrots and garnet sweet potatoes. Really lovely flavor. Definite repeat.

  • peaceoutdesign on January 16, 2023

    Lots of flavor and pretty fast to whip up.

  • stef on October 17, 2022

    I made this because Dorie recommended it in her newsletter. The bone on thighs were nicely spiced and the carrots and sweet potato wedges caramelized nicely. In the last 15 minutes you throw in some olives and dates. I would wait to put in the dates 5 minutes before taking dish out because some of the dates turned hard. We really enjoyed this dish and there is minimal cleanup.

  • Wende on January 17, 2023

    This is so delicious and very easy. Will definitely make this one again.

• Meatball sub sandwiches on garlic bread

  • stef on September 23, 2022

    I cooked the meatballs in the tomato sauce. They were so tender. Followed the rest of the recipe. The garlic bun added so much to the sandwich. My guys loved it. Will repeat.

  • peaceoutdesign on January 09, 2023

    I only used turkey and the meatballs were still really moist. I serve open-face because there was no way it was going to get picked up and a meatball not roll out.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 18, 2023

    Week 3 of the cookbook challenge. Very solid. Only problem is leftovers are basically impossible. I’m guessing it’ll be a soggy mess.

• Garlicky pork chops with cauliflower and pomegranate

  • Wende on September 14, 2022

    I wasn't crazy about this dish and neither was my husband. The flavors didn't quite come together with the vibrancy I have come to expect from Melissa Clark. I might try it with chicken thighs, but I'm honestly not sure that would make much of a difference.

  • bernalgirl on December 01, 2022

    We sat down a little late and hangry and a few minutes into dinner my teen declared this a perfect meal and asked if I’d put it into regular rotation. She had chopped herbs with no pomegranate, the Little had everything plain, and the two adults had it as suggested with pomegranate and chopped cilantro and mint. I honestly found it a little one-dimensionally garlicky without the garnishes, next time I’d consider adding smoked paprika and 1/2 t of Urfa or Aleppo chile. But it’s so easy and with a reaction like that I’m bound to make it again.

• Full English breakfast

  • Melissa_427 on September 18, 2022

    A true delight! I was unsure about the eggs but the method worked beautifully! I lined my baking sheet with foil and parchment for easy clean up. Also subbed cherry tomatoes for the plum tomatoes.

• Miso-glazed salmon with roasted sugar snap peas

  • cdglamontagne on December 10, 2022

    We didn't love this. It was way too sweet for me and I felt the marinade was missing something - ginger? lime zest? jalapenos? The fish was cooked perfectly though. If I make again I'll use less maple syrup.

  • ezwriternc on February 18, 2023

    Good and easy. Used broccoli instead of sugar snap peas. I’d definitely make it again.

  • bernalgirl on February 28, 2023

    R cooked this one, following the recipe and serving it with mashed potatoes. The miso sauce is more citrusy than the Nobu-style miso sauce, which works great with salmon, and the roast snap peas are an excellent lightly sweet and crunchy counterpoint. A keeper.

  • stef on October 14, 2022

    Instead of salmon I used cod. Nice glaze for fish.

  • snoozermoose on November 28, 2022

    Used broccoli instead of sugar snap peas, and put the salmon on a separate sheet pan. My salmon was a perfect medium rare at 10 minutes. This was delicious and very easy. Will make again!

  • ellwell on September 28, 2022

    This was really good. The salmon took us twice as long to cook than the directions suggested, which made the peas a little overcooked. Next time I would put them in the oven at the same time. This will be cooked again!

• Crispy sausage-stuffed mushrooms with broccolini and cherry tomatoes

  • bwhip on November 29, 2022

    This was tasty, and easy to prepare. The only thing I thought was a little odd was that the sausage part wound up being like a thick patty or burger, sort of rigid and heavy. I think I'd have preferred it to be more of a crumbled texture, like when you break it up when cooking in a skillet.

• Stuffed portobellos with creamy, lemony chickpeas

  • Skamper on February 21, 2023

    30 minutes was way too long at this temperature. The mushrooms were completely collapsed and the green beans burnt. The flavor combo in the mushrooms was good.

  • tarae1204 on May 24, 2023

    I agree with Skamper that the time might've been too long. The end result was not at all attractive in its profoundly slumped browny beige-ness. The green beans roasted down to naught, and were chewy. And, the chickpeas on top were a bit rubbery from being baked. I was suspicious of the directions to include 4 teaspoons of sumac, and halved that while doubling the cumin. If you do make this recipe -- such a good one in theory! -- count on 1/3 cup hummus per mushroom cap and don't forget to salt the green beans when prepping them to roast.

• Baked lemony feta with tomatoes and sweet peppers

  • averythingcooks on January 15, 2023

    Maybe it’s the feta I can get…but as much as we enjoyed this on smooshed onto toasted ciabatta, we expected something more. We both agreed that it’s not really anything different/more than the roasted pepper salads & relishes with added feta & herbs that I already make. Having said that, it is pretty easy to throw together for the oven and I will probably repeat this method again.

  • kellilee on February 04, 2023

    We usually go to our favorite Mexican restaurant on Friday nights but last night I suggested we mix it up and try this Melissa Clark recipe. I am probably living under a rock as I was unaware of the "baked feta cheese trend". Substituted pickling spice (which contains coriander seeds) for the coriander seeds but followed the recipe otherwise. Did not have a good loaf of crusty bread but simply toasted up some sandwich bread and that seems to work. Will warm up the leftovers and add to some pasta. Agree with Melissa that this is easy and very pretty but also agree that you need to serve while the feta is still "soft and melty" which means you've got to eat fast!

• Roasted cauliflower and potatoes with harissa, yogurt, and toasted almonds

  • jenburkholder on November 13, 2022

    I love her harissa chicken sheet-pan recipe, so no surprise - this one was also delish! I used a homemade harissa as I discovered mine had gone moldy when I opened the fridge. Luckily my husband buys New Mexico chiles by the pound, so it was just soaking and throwing in the Vitamix with garlic and spices. I didn't have any almonds, and my only herbs were cilantro. Such a satisfying dinner for me.

  • bernalgirl on December 17, 2022

    This doesn’t feel like a full meal but the combination of cauliflower and potatoes is a perfect side for grilled fish. I omitted the almonds but otherwise followed the recipe. I’ll make this again!

• Caramelized carrots with pancetta, olives, and crispy Parmesan

  • bernalgirl on March 03, 2023

    This recipe is so savory and textural. I combined carrots and broccoli, the pancetta and parm crisped beautifully, and the olive sauce beautifully compliments the richness of the pancetta. I made a few adjustments based on my winter pantry and family preference: ground cumin and dried mint added to the “dressing”, using pimento-stuffed green olives. I served it with couscous and seared duck breast, and loved the olive dressing over the duck.

  • kellilee on February 14, 2023

    What a delicious combination of flavors. I accidentally added mint to the olive dressing instead of scattering over the top before serving but it still worked. Served this over brown basmati rice as a dinner.

  • Melissa_427 on January 24, 2023

    Absolute stunner of a dish! I had only about half the required carrots and no pancetta, so enjoyed this a a side dish, but most definitely a favorite side dish to be put into rotation!

• Spiced Brussels sprouts with paneer and tangy lime dressing

  • Lepa on January 10, 2023

    I liked this and found it very compelling. I could eat the entire bowl by myself. Others in my family liked it but didn't love it. I ran out of scallions so I used shallots and that was a fine substitution.

  • ksg518 on November 06, 2022

    This is somewhat of a variation of Clark’s recipe for brussel sprouts with halloumi in her Dinner cookbook. Very good and a likely repeat. Next time I’ll only add the sliced scallions for the last few minutes; adding them from the beginning results in little charred bits.

  • peaceoutdesign on January 15, 2023

    Loved it and the char.

• Glazed tofu with sweet potatoes and silky red peppers

  • pistachiopeas on November 10, 2022

    I was skeptical because I didn't think tofu and sweet potato would work well together, but I was wrong. This was delicious and easy. Will definitely repeat.

  • Lepa on November 18, 2022

    We thought the tofu here was really bland. The sweet potatoes and peppers, however, were very good. Doubt I will repeat this one.

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    I subbed boneless chicken thighs for the tofu, and it worked out well! The glaze is addictive and really complements the sweet roasted veggies without going overboard on the sweetness. We literally liked our plates clean.

• Creamy peanut chicken with charred snow peas

  • Jviney on September 13, 2022

    Big hit at our house. I served over rice and used chicken breast and broccoli. Quick and easy, we really enjoyed it.

• Cheesy meatball Parm with spinach

  • averythingcooks on May 22, 2023

    We liked the generous use of spinach here and we enjoyed this with some garlic toast...but for us, both the meatballs & the sauce really needed more...something. I typically replace some of the ground beef in meatballs with hot Italian sausage - I didn't this time & ultimately wished that I had. As well the optional pinch of chili flakes in the sauce needed to be much more generous...also maybe some onion, red wine or vinegar? I think kids would love this and and it's a great way to get some spinach into a meal but as written, this is not a repeat for us.

• Spicy stir-fried pork with green beans and tomatoes

  • Melissa_427 on September 20, 2022

    Subbed green peppers for the green beans. Served over sweet mashed potatoes. Such a quick and tasty dinner.

  • mllamas on September 12, 2022

    I subbed green bell pepper instead of green beans as suggested. Tasted great.

  • ellwell on September 28, 2022

    I thought this was very average. Didn’t even have seconds. The flavors were too string without something such as rice. Not a repeat.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 25, 2023

    Did this in the wok and it took maybe 8 minutes. Have everything prepped before hand. Absolutely delicious.

• Seared miso-sesame shrimp and asparagus

  • dianev on November 16, 2022

    This was a good recipe but I would tweak it a little. It was very salty so next time I will cut back on the miso and use a little more honey. I used 2/3 lb. shrimp instead of 1 1/2 lb. which made a difference in the sauce vs. shrimp proportions. Also, my sauce coated the shrimp but didn't form a glaze. It could be that there was just too much of it. I swapped out broccoli for asparagus and it was delicious.

  • stef on October 19, 2022

    Very quick to make. The miso made a nice sauce. I used peppers instead of asparagus and made it in a wok. Love this book because it seems I always have all the ingredients on hand.

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    This was easy and tasty. I'm glad I made it as a nice way to shake up my shrimp scampi routine, though it's probably not memorable enough to make all the time.

  • Lepa on November 05, 2022

    Very good. It took a while to devein the shrimp but otherwise this took minutes to cook. I often overcook my shrimp and it ends up rubbery but her directions/timing were spot on here!

  • bwhip on April 07, 2023

    This was just great. The results did not match the effort - they way exceeded the effort! Super simple to make on a weeknight, and the flavors were lovely. We’ll have this again.

• Crispy Thai omelet with stir-fried cabbage and herbs (Kai jeow)

  • bernalgirl on November 15, 2022

    Comes together quickly, intensely flavorful, and a satisfying dinner over steamed rice.

• Parmesan white beans and kale with crunchy, garlicky bread crumbs

  • dc151 on January 06, 2023

    We liked this. I would cut the kale into smaller pieces next time. Be sure to add the lemon. Nice and garlicky. Served with rosemary olive oil bread.

• Farro with spicy sausage and apple cider

  • bwhip on October 28, 2022

    Unusual and very flavorful, with just a hint of sweetness from the cider, and some spice from the hot sausage. The herbs, Arugula and Parmesan added at the end really complete the dish. Prep was easy, and results were very good. I’ll likely make this one again.

• Farro with crispy spiced chickpeas, tomatoes, and leeks

  • bwhip on December 15, 2022

    This was delicious, hearty, and easy to prepare. Just the right amount of spice. We’ll have it again.

• Eggplant rice pilaf with feta, lemon, and mint

  • pattyatbryce on December 02, 2022

    Fantastic. The eggplant just melts in. Love as a side dish. Top with sliced almond and pom seeds for extra yum.

  • ezwriternc on February 23, 2023

    This made so much. It was good. But another just ok side dish in my opinion.

• Crunchy peanut-crusted tofu with asparagus

  • stef on September 22, 2022

    No tofu.I made the sauce and toasted coconut and peanuts and served it over cod. It was liked by family. A repeat

• Beets and greens phyllo pie with feta

  • MollyB on September 12, 2022

    This was good but not great. It would be better, I think, with some acid (lemon or vinegar) added to the chard and beet mixture, rather than just having lemon wedges for serving at the end. An assertive feta cheese would be better than the generic grocery store feta that I had available. I was frustrated by the "large skillet" instructions; I interpreted that as a 12-in skillet, which was too big. After folding the phylllo over my filling, I ended up with empty pan around the edges and got some burned butter on the pan. A 10-in skillet would have worked better.

  • Melissa_427 on October 26, 2022

    I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, but also, made quite a few substitutions based on what was available. I used the last of my beet harvest so swapped the beet greens for the Swiss chard. My beets were also tiny, so I added in a diced apple (a very stunning choice IMHO). I then used cream cheese rather than Brie and blue cheese for the feta and it was all so tasty, surprisingly so!

• Cheesy baked pasta with tomato, sausage, and ricotta

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    This was nothing groundbreaking or new, but I appreciated it as a faster alternative to lasagna, as it's got all the same flavors. The leftovers held up very nicely.

  • DFarnham on November 21, 2022

    Solid recipe: great flavors and simple to prepare. Definite crowd pleaser and will stay in our rotation.

  • dianev on October 31, 2022

    Loved this recipe! I added half an onion, and some garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt to the ricotta. Instead of baking in the pot I transferred mixture to Le Creuset stoneware pans. Came out perfectly and looking forward to leftovers,

  • Lepa on September 29, 2022

    This is pretty good and satisfying. The noodles cooked perfectly and I loved the fact that there is only one pot to clean!

  • Emily Hope on December 02, 2022

    Unsurprisingly this was a hit with the family -- what's not to like about pasta, sausage, and cheese? I used impossible Italian sausage so my daughter could eat it, and no one seemed to mind. Fast enough to do on a weeknight. Served with roasted broccolini on the side. Definitely more than 4 servings for our family of 3 adults and 2 kids.

  • bernalgirl on November 17, 2022

    This is bound to become a classic in our family. Nothing quick is as good as a properly made lasagne but with a few adjustments this ticked all the boxes in terms of ease and flavor and the only clean up was a knife, a cutting board, and a skillet. My changes: sautéed a diced red onion prior to adding Italian sausage, used Oaktown Spice’s Italian herb blend in place of oregano, decreased the ratio of strained tomatoes and whole tomatoes, and increased the whole recipe proportionally to use a full bag of pasta, and cooked it in a large, deep 12”+ skillet. The final measurements that count: 1 lb. sausage, 28 oz. Each strained and diced tomatoes, 500 g giant fussiloni and 2 cups water. I baked it with the lid on for the first 10 minutes to ensure evenly cooked pasta, and ran it under the broiler at the end. Dinner was on the table in an hour and I used the baking time to prep and toast broccoli and make a green salad.

  • Larkspur on April 15, 2023

    This was a hit! Tastes like lasagna but much quicker and easier. I used the whole 16 ounce box of pasta so increased to a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and added a little more water, roughly 1/3 of a cup more. I also used a little more ricotta and Parmesan.

  • ebs on October 04, 2022

    I thought this was great. I used the recipe online at NY Times. I used 1 lb sausage, two large cans tomatoes, about a pound of mozzarella, 16 oz ricotta, some extra water. After cooking (about 28 minutes) , broiled for about 4 minutes so it would brown a bit more. Used my enameled dutch oven. Very easy. Yummy and looked great.

  • ellwell on September 30, 2022

    Basic recipe when you are in a hurry. We both enjoyed it—what could be wrong with cheese, sausage, pasta and tomatoes?

• Cheesy, peppery spaghetti with asparagus

  • cdglamontagne on December 05, 2022

    Made this with 1 bunch asparagus and about half the pasta as there were just two of us. Like the other reviewer I'd probably try other pasta dishes before making again but this was pretty good. Interesting technique and actually the pasta came out perfectly cooked and seasoned. That said, it would have taken a lot less time to use multiple pans... I think this book includes some Melissa Clark recipes that are streamlined to save steps or dishes but also some that are one pan just for the sake of it.

  • Jviney on September 22, 2022

    My asparagus had gone bad, so I replaced with broccoli. The cheeses melted down into a lovely texture, coating the spaghetti well without clumping. All in all, though, there are other quick pasta dinners I’d probably choose before this one.

• Bacon and egg spaghetti with greens and herbs

  • shylastrath on October 10, 2022

    Used bucatini and added small tomatoes and garlic. Sauce was smooth and delicious.

  • DFarnham on January 05, 2023

    I felt I had a fair amount of pasta water in the pan when I added the egg mixture. I added the spinach (I added a 5 oz box, not the 8 oz) and herbs and covered per directions, but the dish became much drier by the time it hit the table. We used bucatini, and there was probably about a cup of pasta water in the pan but probably should have had more. The dish was very goopy, although the flavors were good. We like MC's carbonara recipe in Dinner better so probably won't repeat.

  • kellilee on January 01, 2023

    Everything about this recipe was excellent except one thing: the pepper. Recipe calls for 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt but 1 TABLESPOON freshly ground black pepper. My not-very-refined-cooking-intuition said DON'T DO IT, maybe this is an error in the book, cut back on that pepper. But my rule following self got the best of me and I trusted the recipe as written and the result was TOO MUCH PEPPER. We ate it begrudgingly but complained about the pepper with each serving and laughed at the instruction in the book that suggests that you might need MORE black pepper for serving. Then I scoured the Internet for errata with no luck, saw that at least one other EYB member made it and was happy and once again questioned my not-very-refined-palate. So be warned if like me you prefer more balance between your salt and pepper and one more note: recipe suggests this serves 2 or 3 but in our household it easily served 6 so that was (or would have been) a plus if we'd been happy with the result.

• Spaghetti with tuna, capers, and cherry tomatoes

  • Jviney on September 08, 2022

    This was flavorful and yummy and perfect for a week night dinner. It definitely had tuna casserole vibes but so much lighter. I did add in the anchovies and I think they contributed a depth of flavor that would be missed without them. We liked it a lot.

  • Lepa on January 26, 2023

    This was tasty and easy. We used parsley for the herb. Will definitely repeat.

  • pistachiopeas on November 09, 2022

    Fast and delicious. I used a mix of dill and parsley for the herbs. Don't skip the anchovies.

  • Astrid5555 on November 10, 2022

    Delicious, perfect weeknight pasta dinner recipe. Do add the anchovies!

  • Jane on February 23, 2023

    A good store-cupboard, weeknight dinner. I added the optional spinach and used dill and parsley for my herbs. I think the optional anchovies should definitely be added - even anchovy haters wouldn't notice and they add a deep umami element.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 23, 2023

    Added the anchovies and red pepper flakes. Used a mix of dill and parsley. An absolutely delicious pasta that is full of umami.

• Cavatelli with butternut squash, ricotta, and rosemary brown butter

  • Astrid5555 on October 15, 2022

    Made this only because I had some leftover butternut squash and ricotta in the fridge and was pleasantly surpised. Much more than the sum of its parts, really excellent.

  • MollyB on November 09, 2022

    Pretty good if you have some squash or pumpkin to use up. The fresh herbs and Parmesan at the end are definitely needed to make it all come together. I used (what turned out to be) a fairly bland Cinderella pumpkin, and I think it would be better with a more flavorful winter squash or pumpkin. But it was still quite good for a fairly easy weeknight meal!

  • pistachiopeas on November 10, 2022

    I made this because I had my own frozen and cubed butternut squash in the freezer, as well as ricotta to use up. It was fine but I wouldn't repeat, especially if I had to start with a full squash that I had to peel...

  • kellilee on February 26, 2023

    Swapped out 3 cups whole cherry tomatoes instead of the squash (for a more juicy variation per Melissa Clark). Could not find cavatelli in my grocery store so substituted rotelli which I hoped would be a "dense shape like cavatelli". It worked. So I'd title this recipe Rotelli with cherry tomatoes, ricotta, and rosemary brown butter. Completely agree that this was "gorgeously creamy" and only took one pot to make. I get frustrated when a recipe calls for 12 ounces of pasta but I dutifully left 4 ounces out and it probably worked best that way as far as sauce to pasta ratio goes. I ended up using fresh mint and dill and skipped the crushed red pepper flakes for serving despite Melissa's warning that the pepper was essential for "verve and color". We will have some leftovers for lunches this week which is always nice.

• Lemony orecchiette with chickpeas, chile, and arugula

  • bwhip on February 22, 2023

    Very tasty dish, with unusual but easy prep. We’ll make this again.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 25, 2023

    Very good. Had some issues crushing the chickpeas. Did my best. Added almost a full lemon worth of juice and additional red pepper flakes. Her recipes always need way more salt than noted. I’d make this again.

• Orzo with zucchini, feta, and dill

  • doughet on May 22, 2023

    This made an excellent lunch with a mix of dill and parsley from the garden.

  • Melissa_427 on October 18, 2022

    Incredibly tasty and quick to pull off. Prefect use for the last of my garden zucchini!

• Creamy goat cheese pasta with burst cherry tomatoes and olives

  • breakthroughc on January 10, 2023

    This was delicious. I cut back on the pasta, but I almost always do. We are 2 -3 ounces pasta portion people. I added a small bunch of kale, chopped along with the first tomatoes. Added color and upped the veggie content. Used kalamata olives as I have a Costco jar in the fridge. I skipped the the basil as I had added kale. Really nice combination of flavors.

  • peaceoutdesign on January 14, 2023

    I used sausage tortelini and made it the cheddar version. Made my favorite "burnt" cherry tomatoes for this and added a bit of kale. I was very good and simple.

  • Astrid5555 on January 16, 2023

    Excellent dish, great sauce. Did not add the olives because family prefers it without. Will make again!

  • Emily Hope on December 10, 2022

    I thought this was delicious -- the flavor profile is right up my alley. Swapped green olives for kalamatas as that's what I had on hand. My eight year old liked it, but the 10 year old was not a fan -- he didn't care for the goat cheese. Might try the cheddar variation for his sake. Served with some green beans.

  • MollyB on September 13, 2022

    Great dish! I used mostly goat cheese with some ricotta added in, and loved it. The cream plus goat cheese makes for a delicious, easy sauce. All the cherry tomatoes in my garden decided to ripen at once, and this was a nice way to use a lot of them.

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    This was so delicious! One of my new favorite pasta dishes. The goat cheese sauce is delicious but doesn't feel too heavy and is perfectly balanced by the sweet, tart cherry tomatoes.

• Pasta with garlicky broccoli rabe, lemon zest, and mozzarella

  • cheffreddie on January 03, 2023

    My fiancé loves broccoli rabe, so this recipe jumped out as my first one to try from this wonderful book. If you're a fan of the super cooked-down, bitter, vegetal flavors of classic broccoli rabe from an old school Italian restaurant, you will enjoy this dish! Note that the greens come out a rather drab shade by the end of the cooking process as they boil with the pasta for the full 10 minutes. The anchovies added rich umami without any fishiness, I second Melissa's advice to keep them in. The basil adds some lovely freshness along with the buttery mozzarella to balance the bitter flavors of the rabe. The only change I might make next time is to add some crispy breadcrumbs as an additional topping.

• Skillet shrimp scampi with orzo and tomatoes

  • snoozermoose on February 04, 2023

    I agree with Wende that this was good, but not great. My husband and I both found ourselves preferring the more traditional shrimp scampi with spaghetti that we make over this.

  • Wende on September 14, 2022

    This was good. Not great, but still very good. I had spectacular shrimp from a fisherman down the way on the day I made it, so I don't know how it would taste with frozen or previously frozen shrimp. I went ahead with the sidebar suggestion to add peas to it, but I think the additional starchiness did not do the dish any favors. It was a very easy dish to prepare and I'll definitely make it again sans peas.

  • Summerlandsky on February 23, 2023

    My family loved it, and even better, it was quick to the table. I made a few changes based on our preferences. I used chicken broth instead of wine, although, without kids I definitely would have gone that route. I also doubled the orzo and added more broth and a little full fat goat milk as the liquid. I also added about a half cup of shredded Parmesan to make it cheesy. My kids literally licked their bowl clean lol.

• Spiced pearl couscous with jammy eggplant and tomatoes

  • breakthroughc on April 17, 2023

    I did not like this. The blend of flavors didn’t work for me and my eggplant didn’t get jammy. I thought the suggested garnish of avocado really didn’t go with the flavor profile. I doubt we’ll eat through the leftovers.

• Gingery coconut noodles with shrimp and greens

  • bernalgirl on November 09, 2022

    This is a complete one-pan dinner and it is delicious. I was worried that it would be too mild but my teen described it as “like coconut rice but with noodles”. I substituted quartered baby Shanghai bok choy because my family prefers it, adding the vegetables just before the noodles. Will make again.

• Tender chicken in a pot with pearl couscous, lemon, and mint

  • Melissa_427 on November 23, 2022

    Worked perfect with a wild pheasant. Used only half the called for couscous which lead to more of a soup which we liked. I would, next time, wait to add the peas until the very last minute, I was actually surprised that the recipe had them added so early, they lost a lot of vibrancy in that time. But a delicious preparation of a whole bird, so will definitely be repeating.

  • ezwriternc on February 23, 2023

    This was a hit. I used orzo instead of couscous and used much less than called for. That made it very soupy the first night which was fine by us. The next night the orzo had soaked up all the liquid. I also cooked the chicken the night before then heated it up and added the orzo the next day. Nice comfort food.

  • ellwell on November 30, 2022

    This was absolutely wonderful. My husband made it last night and it was the most satisfying thing Ive had a a while. There was some kind of magic in that pot. Also— I’m not sure how, but the mint punches up the flavor quite a bit. So glad there were leftovers for lunch!

• Cumin-y chicken and rice with peppers and peas

  • eileentien on October 31, 2022

    Easy to make. Tasted similar to paella. Husband and I thought it was great. 5-year-old daughter liked the chicken but didn't like the rice.

  • jfleissn on January 17, 2023

    Mixed on this one. The chicken part was amazing. We used boneless breasts, and cooking them this way—using the spice paste, browning very lightly, then basically steaming whole with the rice—produced incredibly juicy and flavorful chicken. The rice I found rather dry. It was cooked through, but many recipes of this type use tomatoes and I think that might have helped this one. Flavors were good, though I meant to add the suggested optional sausage and forgot to do so because that note was only on the second page in the cookbook.

  • Melissa_427 on November 23, 2022

    I really struggle with the timing given for most one pot rice and protein dishes, my rice was underdone and likely could have used more liquid from the beginning. I might try again and make some adjustments, the flavors were great.

• Crispy chicken thighs with puttanesca green beans

  • mpo on February 23, 2023

    This was very tasty and came together pretty easily. I used a 12-inch pan and not a Dutch oven which was not a problem. I used less oil and squeezed some lemon juice in along the way, but I’d make this again.

  • bernalgirl on February 28, 2023

    Absolutely delicious, wouldn’t change a thing. We used a combination of kalamata and green cocktail olives, and served it with roasted waxy potatoes. This was a favorite with the whole family, adding it to the rotation for family dinners.

  • Wende on September 14, 2022

    This was good but very oily. I will definitely make it again, but cut back on the amount of oil when making it again. I used Castelvetrano olives which worked really nicely, but I will try the alternative Kalamatas the next time for bolder flavor. This dish comes together easily and is quite tasty

• Turkey and bean tamale pie

  • PinchOfSalt on December 05, 2022

    Made this as written, using two of the suggested substitutions: ground beef for the ground turkey and canned red kidney beans for the canned pinto beans. The chili portion tasted great but it had almost no sauce component, even just after adding the tomatoes (including their juice) and the beans. The recipe clearly anticipated that that initial mixture would be wetter than mine was. I was using Muir Glen diced tomatoes. I added some water to keep the chili mixture from completely drying out during baking. I'll also observe that there is absolutely no need to use a 5-6 quart dutch oven for this recipe. The 4-quart Dutch oven that I used for baking was larger than needed. It also was too wide for the cornmeal batter to cover the surface of the chili. In fact, one might consider ignoring the one vessel theme of the book and making the chili in a skillet and doing the final bake in a large casserole (at least 2.5 quarts).

  • bernalgirl on November 17, 2022

    I grew up with tamale pie so I adjusted the filling to what I’m used to: added Mexican oregano, diced peppers (green and red) in equal parts to diced onion, Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles, doubled the beans (happened to have made black beans), and added 1 cup frozen corn. I love this topping although next time I’d put the cheese under the topping to add some cheesy goodness to the casserole. My family loved it as written here garnished with sour cream, chopped scallions and cilantro, and Valentina hot sauce.

  • Lepa on November 03, 2022

    This was the first time I've had tamale pie and I really enjoyed it. Perfect food for a chilly, rainy day! This will be a repeat.

• Wine-braised mushrooms and gnocchi

  • ezwriternc on February 23, 2023

    I decided to make ricotta gnocchi to serve with this. I also added spinach. I liked it but probably won’t make it again. Just nit enough wow factor for me.

• Roasted tuna with brown butter corn, tomatoes, and chile

  • ncollyer on September 19, 2022

    This was excellent with salmon. Added the baby arugula as suggested to “veg it up” and made the full recipe for just two servings of salmon. No regrets!

• Saag paneer

  • ksg518 on April 16, 2023

    I thought this was great! I especially liked the buttermilk. The only downside is that I think the leftovers only hold up for about a day.

• Lemony baked rice with artichokes, white beans, and caramelized leeks

  • Lottabooks on November 05, 2022

    My first public (not private) note on this site. I was so looking forward to this cookbook, and this was my first recipe. To my surprise, it was a fail, because although the flavors were fine, the rice did not cook enough and was crunchy and hard. I followed the recipe to a T, and added 5 extra minutes to the cooking time. Quality ingredients used (homemade stock, good olive oil, Italian olive oil artichokes, garden basil). Curious, I went to other sources, such as Ottolenghi Simple, where there are two baked rice recipes. I think the culprit in Clark's recipe is the oven temperature (I even tested my oven - it was spot on). Ottolenghi and other baked rice recipes call for 450 to 475 degree temps (this one called for 400 degrees). If you make this dish, try a hotter oven. One final comment - in the zeal to make dishes "one pot," use your judgment to mix things separately. I found the 11 x 7 dish difficult in which to mix ingredients.

• Roasted cod with buttery potatoes and anchovy

  • bernalgirl on March 06, 2023

    This turned out absolutely delicious but I made some tweaks based on the comments. I poached the potatoes as directed and they were no where near done so I heated a frying pan, scooped them out of the broth, and finished them stove top. This resulted in some nice crispy bits, and the cod and potatoes were delicious with the mayonnaise sauce, which is similar to an aoli.

  • Lepa on December 22, 2022

    We did not like this dish at all. The potatoes were too buttery (I cannot believe I am saying that) and felt greasy and tasteless. The fish was also not great. The caper mayonnaise was good but would be better on roasted potatoes or something else. I won't make this again.

  • aceedubs on September 22, 2022

    Subbed Mahi Mahi and it worked great.

• Creamy corn and polenta bake with blue cheese

  • averythingcooks on May 14, 2023

    I am fairly new to polenta/grits dishes and here is another one that I really liked. The oven method worked perfectly for the polenta and all the add-ins make this a substantial dish that I ate as my main. I added spinach (as suggested) and was heavier on the scallions. Blue cheese is a personal favourite and so I loved it here but I'm sure it would be equally good with other assertive cheeses. I also agree with breakthroughc - I can see lots of possibilities to change it up using what you have on hand with the same cooking method.

  • breakthroughc on February 02, 2023

    This was delicious. I added some arugula and it was a satisfying vegetarian main course. I served it with a salad. It makes a huge amount, I can’t imagine 4. people finishing it. The blue cheese wasn’t my favorite, I might sub another cheese next time. I can see adapting the method to other flavor profiles. Soy chorizo, green chilies and pepper jack cheese would be good.

• Roasted mushrooms with crispy polenta and Parmesan

  • peaceoutdesign on January 08, 2023

    My friend, Mere made this and it was gobbled up. She used a great variety of mushrooms as written but used the polenta that is premade in a roll. And she gave me the cookbook as a Christmas gift!

  • Wende on September 14, 2022

    Out of the handful of recipes I've made from this book, this is so far the biggest winner. It was really delicious. I used maitake, shiitake and baby portobello mushrooms... and a bit more than the recipe called for. I also used Melissa's brand organic polenta which worked really nicely - it browned on the edges without having to turn on the broiler. My husband couldn't stop eating it. It was an incredibly easy dish to make. Will definitely put this in my dinner rotation.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 21, 2023

    This was better than this cookbook had me convinced it could be. I used oyster mushrooms pulled into bite sized pieces. The only sub that I made was rosemary for thyme (because it’s winter and we use what we have). Everyone gobbled this up. Definitely add the parsley, some extra parm, and red pepper flakes at the end. I’d make this again.

• Cheddar soufflé with prosciutto and arugula

  • bernalgirl on November 06, 2022

    This isn’t a proper soufflé, it’s a baked frittata with *one pound* of cheese! But it received absolutely rave reviews for the complexity of flavors and disappeared quickly so I’m sure I’ll make it again for casual entertaining.

  • Skamper on January 03, 2023

    This was delicious. I used a combination of cheeses that needed using, and probably only used about 8 oz total. I baked it for 40 minutes and next time would bake it just a few minutes less. Paired with a green salad it made 4 servings for us.

  • Melissa_427 on October 02, 2022

    Subbed in Swiss chard and beet greens from the garden and whole-heartedly agree that wilting the greens in the oven was such a brilliant move! Also used ham for the prosciutto and mixed in some mozzarella with the cheese. Really enjoyed the briny hit from the green olives in this dish!

  • srahndennis on September 20, 2022

    We loved this! Used spinach instead of arugula (what i had on hand); marinated artichokes instead of prosciutto; green olives and sun-dried tomatoes and a little less cheese. Very tasty and loved wilting the spinach in the oven instead of dirtying an additional dish.

  • ezwriternc on February 23, 2023

    Good frittata. Used half the cheese.

• Acorn squash with Taleggio, honey, and Aleppo almonds

  • VineTomato on December 23, 2022

    Absolutely delicious! Fabulous and quick dinner to pull together. I used onion squash which is a revelation - a new favourite vegetable. This will become an autumn staple when squash are in season!

  • ksg518 on September 28, 2022

    I liked this although it comes right up to the edge of being too much like a vegetable dish using cheese to hide the vegetable. Between the cheese and the nuts, it's a little on the rich side but would make a great holiday side dish.

• Spiced chicken and couscous soup with vegetables

  • Rachaelsb on February 14, 2023

    Deelicious!! Great texture and spice with kick. Lots of room to modify-might add some chickpeas next time. I added spinach which was great addition and lime gives it that needed punch. Would def make afain.

• Lemony turkey and white bean soup with winter greens

  • Rachaelsb on December 08, 2022

    This was delicious! Great acidy punch with lemon and cumin and red pepper flakes give great heat. Def needed to do more than 4 c.broth. Curious what adding winter squash would do? Next time!

  • ksg518 on December 15, 2022

    Great soup! I make a lot of kale/sausage/bean soup since I get so much kale from my CSA but this is a much lighter version I’ll be making from now on. I used dill as my herb which I especially liked.

  • Cheri on February 06, 2023

    Delicious. Smashed some beans, and only used 4 cups of broth. Perfect.

• Kimchi pork soup with napa cabbage and silken tofu

  • bernalgirl on November 20, 2022

    This is such an easy and warming soup. It’s not an authentic kimchi-jjigae but it comes together in minutes and my family enjoyed it. I served it with fresh udon noodles, which sealed the deal for my little.

• Orzo minestrone with fresh corn, zucchini, and pesto

  • Astrid5555 on September 24, 2022

    Quote from my 15-year old: „Surprisingly good, considering the ingredients!“

  • srahndennis on September 20, 2022

    Wonderful! Perfect pot of soup for this time of year. Adding the cherry tomatoes at the end provided great contrasting texture.

  • Melissa_427 on September 16, 2022

    Some swaps I made: Chickpeas for the cannellini (because it's what I had on hand). 2 cups of homemade marinara for the canned plum tomatoes (because I have an abundance). Unknown frozen pesto cubes which could feature anything from carrot tops to cilantro. Really enjoyed this dish and can't think of a better way to use some of this seasons bounty

• Cheater’s chicken and dumplings

  • bernalgirl on November 07, 2022

    This is delicious and so easy. The use of shelf-stable gnocchi is genius, I don’t love it as pasta but for this non-southerner, it really worked texturally. Do not skip the apple cider vinegar.

  • ksg518 on March 22, 2023

    Very good. The gnocchi is denser than the dumplings I normally make but this is certainly easier. The gnocchi also holds up well as leftovers. This is an instapot recipe but it could easily be made in a Dutch oven probably in the same amount of time once you factor in the time needed to bring the instapot up to pressure.

• Spicy gochujang chicken stew with potatoes and cabbage

  • Astrid5555 on December 18, 2022

    I do not own an Insta Pot so I added some more water and cooked the stew for 40 minutes on the stove. The marinade flavors were quite muted, probably because they were too much diluted. The cabbage however tasted perfect. Will use my pressure cooker next time.

  • bernalgirl on November 29, 2022

    I adapted this recipe to use up leftover dark meat turkey from Thanksgiving and it was fantastic. Great flavors, easy preparation, and I look forward to making the original. I omitted the vinegar but otherwise followed the recipe on stovetop, adding a cup of turkey broth with the potatoes and marinade ingredients to create the stew, and the shredded turkey and Napa cabbage at the end. My family asked for more broth but otherwise enjoyed it.

  • hbakke on April 07, 2023

    Delicious and easy! I used a dark mushroom soy sauce which made the resulting stew darker than the book photo. I used green cabbage in place of napa cabbage. I would make this again.

  • jennsutherland on October 11, 2022

    Really satisfying, simple soup, and excellent for leftovers!

  • Skamper on February 10, 2023

    We both enjoyed this. I had only 1.5 lbs of chicken so added extra carrots and cabbage. I used 2 T gochujang but no extra chili flakes, and next time I'd add a little bit of chili. An easy, satisfying dish.

  • snoozermoose on November 24, 2022

    This was outstanding. My husband and I couldn't get over how good this was, and very easy too. Despite the name, I didn't find this spicy at all.

• Chicken paprikash soup with potatoes and quick pickled cucumbers

  • Melissa_427 on November 23, 2022

    Substituted a couple wild turkey thighs, took a little extra effort to get them cooked until tender, but ended up with a tasty dish nonetheless.

  • Lepa on November 27, 2022

    This soup came together quickly and was really delicious. The quick pickles are an especially nice touch.

• Lemony beef, spinach, and barley soup

  • Lepa on November 16, 2022

    Warning, this takes a bit of time even if it is made in the pressure cooker. I misjudged and we had a late dinner. The soup is really good. My husband complained it was a bit lemony so you may want to dial it back if you don't love lemon. The jalapenos were a wonderful garnish. They made the soup and I highly recommend them if you like some spice.

  • MarciK on October 24, 2022

    This was a good recipe for a warm Fall day. I made some substitutions. I used baby kale instead of spinach. I used farro instead of barley because that’s what I had on hand. I skipped the lemon zest and just used the juice of a whole lemon that I had already zested for a different recipe. All the substitutions went well. I used unsalted stock, so I needed quite a bit more salt at the end. The recipe was easy to follow, and everything turned out as expected. It was tasty and felt healthy.

  • eileentien on November 10, 2022

    Hearty and delicious soup on a cold night. Love it!

• Smoky lentil stew with kielbasa and potatoes

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 19, 2023

    This tastes like flavorless mush. Followed directions to a t. Very disappointing dinner.

  • Lepa on September 14, 2022

    This is very satisfying. I made it in my stovetop pressure cooker but followed the directions exactly. I was concerned that there wasn't enough water but it turned out perfectly. I doubled the kielbasa because I wanted to use up the whole package and didn't regret that decision.

• Spicy tomato white beans with sage, pecorino, and garlicky crostini

  • MarciK on February 06, 2023

    This was decent, but it felt like something was missing that would have put it over the top, a savory element. Perhaps if I had been able to get my onions to brown better in my pressure cooker, that would have added the missing flavor element. I topped it with the optional anchovies, and that helped some even though anchovies aren’t a favorite. I recommend that if you have anchovies around. Don’t skip making the garlic bread. It needs it. Editing to say this was much better the next day. Found out also that I mistakenly bought the wrong cheese, so I added Parmesan as well, and that probably helped. I stand by using the anchovies.

• Farro and kale stew with Parmesan and creamy burrata

  • Jviney on September 18, 2022

    I liked this, it felt so healthful and was pretty quick to put together. I had seven oz of kale once stalks removed and chopped, which I think is less than she was calling for, but I wouldn’t add more - I think it would be a mostly kale stew. The flaky sea salt on top is a must, and it might benefit from a little squeeze of lemon.

  • ksg518 on September 28, 2022

    Very good. I made as directed except I substituted mozzarella for the burrata. I thought my farro was a little underdone at the end but the leftovers absorbed some of the remaining broth and softened a bit more. This is a fairly hearty dish and if you're serving it as a side, it's probably closer to six servings.

  • Emily Hope on December 13, 2022

    Another winner from this book. I made this mostly as written, though I added an end-piece of parma prosciutto to the stew at the same time as the parmesan rind, which heavily influenced the flavor of the broth (in a good way, from my perspective). I also added probably close to 2 extra cups of water because it was too thick for our taste, and squeezed half a lemon in at the end. I was wondering what it would be like to add a cup or two of white beans to this, though with the burrata on top it definitely felt like a complete meal.

• Curried sweet potato and lentil soup with crispy coconut chips

  • tarae1204 on March 24, 2023

    Very good soup! A Melissa classic (she’s offered similar recipes in DCTG and earlier books). You can’t argue with the healthful and delicious combination of lentils, coconut, sweet potatoes and spinach.

  • Lepa on November 19, 2022

    Delicious soup. The kids especially loved it!

• Cardamom sour cream pound cake

  • MollyB on September 12, 2022

    Delicious, simple pound cake. I used cardamom, brandy, and a mix of sour cream and Greek yogurt. It turned out very moist and a bit denser than I expected, but it was fully cooked and tasty. We'll have no trouble finishing it! I live at 5000 ft, so I might make some minor high altitude adjustments next time, maybe upping the temp a little for the first 15 min and reducing the leavener a bit.

  • Skamper on April 26, 2023

    I used vanilla rather than rum. It's quite a dense cake. We didn't love it.

  • Soulkitchenjen on January 25, 2023

    I used cinnamon instead of cardamom and the kids gobbled it up. Would repeat.

• Ricotta olive oil pound cake

  • Emily Hope on December 02, 2022

    Delicious cake--super moist and tender. Very easy to put together -- in the oven in under 15 minutes. I replaced 100 grams of the AP flour with freshly milled pima soft wheat to good effect, and backed off the sugar just a bit. There was a discrepancy between the volume and weight measurements for the oil (97 grams would have been closer to 1/2 cup not 3/4) -- I went with the 3/4 cup and that seemed fine(but also given how moist it was the other way would probably have been fine too!)

  • ncollyer on September 17, 2022

    One of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Moist and flavourful. Delicious all on ts own. Dusting the Bundt pan with sugar instead of flour worked like a charm.

  • Lepa on March 08, 2023

    This is an outstanding cake. I used meyer lemons for the zest. The flavor was delicate and the texture was dreamy. I have too many cookbooks so I rarely repeat recipes but this deserves many repeats.

  • dianev on November 16, 2022

    I made this in a loaf pan lined with parchment and it baked perfectly. Flavored with zest of one lemon and one orange. Good taste but a very heavy cake. We ate it with a little spiced cranberry jam on the side which complemented the flavor beautifully.

• Hands-off baked polenta

  • bernalgirl on November 06, 2022

    I used stoneground polenta, which probably contributed to a dense result but the trade off in time was worth it as I was making multiple dishes for entertaining. Watch the salt, I used veg Better than Bouillon and no additional salt was needed.