• nicolepellegrini on December 16, 2022

  This is easily my favorite book that I've gotten through the Hardcover Cook club so far. The recipes are generally easy yet clever, not requiring a lot of specialty ingredients yet good enough to go into regular rotation in our home kitchen. The vegetable sides and vegetable-forward dishes are particular favorites of mine so far.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Sesame rice bowls with tofu, quickles & peanut sauce

  • Cathyschuh on March 12, 2021

    So good. I used all the same ingredients but riffed a roasting vs frying method off of another recipe. Tear your pressed tofu, toss with your oil, fish sauce, soy sauce etc and roast at 425 for 20 minutes, turning once at 10 min in. It was delish! and healthier I think? I used the same recipe on the same prep with pieces of tilapia. A keeper for sure.

  • Rradishes on March 21, 2021

    Delicious. A great way to cook tofu too, can use any sauce or flavor you like. Made all the components and it didn’t take that much time. Next time can go without the PB sauce, which was great but the dish is good even without it.

  • Emily Hope on April 22, 2021

    Have made some version of this dish many times, but I liked this variation, in particular because the tofu preparation is different than what I've usually done (here it's crumbled into pieces and fried with soy sauce and fish sauce), and that approach gave it a nice texture and flavor. Also like the simplicity of slicing the cukes and carrots vs. julienne. The peanut sauce was a little bland/thin for my taste, so I added some more peanut butter along with a little grated fresh garlic and a small amount of brown sugar.

  • hbakke on May 21, 2021

    Tasty rice bowls. I followed the recipe for the "quickles", rice, and peanut sauce, but used a packaged, marinated tofu. The tofu I used was pretty tasteless and bland, so I wish I had followed the tofu portion of the recipe since the other parts of the recipe turned out great. I would make this again.

  • cheffreddie on May 25, 2021

    I love this book, but this recipe was a miss for me. Although I followed the recipe to the letter, the tofu came out very hard, crunchy, and dark brown. I notice the recipe instructs you to tear the tofu into "bean sized" pieces, but the photo shows much larger chunks. Next time I would crumble up the tofu less, cook it for a shorter time, and not add the chili sauce until after it finished cooking to prevent it from burning. The peanut sauce was also very watery as written - I ended up dumping out about half and adding more peanut butter to thicken it up.

  • bernalgirl on June 11, 2021

    others have shared how great this tofu is, and I agree, although I thought both the quickles and peanut sauce needed punching up. For the quickles, I added sliced Tokyo turnips and a few slivered scallions, and fish sauce. For the peanut sauce, I added a teaspoon or sriracha and a generous squeeze of lime juice. For the rice, the amount of oil seemed excessive and I found it resulted in a mouthfeel that I don’t love, I’ll try reducing the oil but I also might try just toasting the sesame seeds and not the rice. I added stir fried bok choy to the plate and would do so again.

  • MollyB on June 14, 2021

    Not a huge hit for us, though I had high hopes for the recipe and and have really liked other recipes from the book. We found the seasoning a bit bland overall, for the both the peanut sauce and the quickles. I agree with cheffreddie's comment that following the recipe's instructions to the letter for the tofu produced hard, crunchy little tofu rocks - bigger pieces and less time would be better.

  • gamulholland on August 07, 2021

    I should have read people’s comments before I made this— the rice was good, loved the pickled veggies, the sauce was bland, and the texture of the tofu delighted my husband because it reminded him of “the gristly bits” of meat, which was exactly why it didn’t delight me. :). I think tofu pieces the size of beans are just too small. I will use the pickle recipe again for sure, but the rest is a pass.

  • jenburkholder on September 05, 2021

    Loved the tofu method. We only riffed on this, since the peanut sauce seemed bland we punched it up in our usual fashion (nothing about peanut sauce isn't improved by a little red curry paste!). The quickles are a nice addition but letting them soak a bit might increase their flavor. It's a great concept to play with.

  • stockholm28 on October 28, 2021

    This was just ok for me. I thought the sauce was pretty boring; despite the addition of soy sauce and rice vinegar, I really only noticed the peanut butter. I did take away the technique for cooking the tofu which resulted in some nice crispy bits.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    Was not a fan of this. I thought the tofu technique was cool, but neither of us liked the peanut sauce, and the dish never quite came together.

  • avogel on May 18, 2022

    One of my all-time favorite recipes. This is so easy and I’m always so happy to eat it!

  • anya_sf on September 23, 2022

    I just made plain jasmine rice (more of it) in the rice cooker, but used part sesame oil for the tofu, and also served sesame snap peas along side. The additional vegetable was welcome. The quickles were fine, but a little too sweet. I used seasoned rice vinegar in the peanut sauce, plus some ginger, which boosted the flavor. To me, the tofu was the star of the meal. We're not huge tofu fans, but this had so much flavor and texture. Overall, my family enjoyed this and 3 of us finished it all.

  • Babycarrot on April 18, 2023

    This recipe so far for me has been the best recipe in the book. I love the combination of the peanut sauce with the crunch of the quickles. The tofu method resulted in a nice crispy exterior. Made as written. Will make again.

  • thefritschkitchen on October 22, 2024

    This is a family favorite - we are not huge tofu fans, so I make it use ground pork. Everything else is the same, although always need extra quickles!

  • molly17659 on February 25, 2025

    I love this recipe. I've made it many times and it's pretty good for meal prep!

  • emilycaj on August 30, 2025

    Quinoa can be substituted for rice and it turns out great. And sunbutter can be substituted for peanut butter. What can NOT be substituted is the nonstick pan. If you try to use a regular pan, even with lots of oil, all your tofu will glue to the pan. I enjoyed this, but it isn't fast. It's four separate recipes-- rice, tofu, quickles, sauce. Lots of dishes, took 45 minutes or an hour to do it all.

  • thefritschkitchen on January 30, 2026

    This is a family favorite. I do sub a pound of ground pork for the tofu. And I add in a bit of brown sugar to the sauce, but I only have natural peanut butter. Serve with diced avocado, sesame seeds and/or steamed edamame!

• Doug's Tex-Mex turkey meatballs

  • Rradishes on March 09, 2021

    These were a big hit with everybody. Very easy to make, esp if grinding the chips in a food processor. Made them a day ahead and warmed up in the oven the next night for dinner. The meatballs are soft, melt in your mouth tender, with some corn tex-max flavor. Definitely will be making these again and again.

  • lofolky on March 24, 2021

    These were delicious! Loved the flavor from the tortilla chips, have never made meatballs like these before. Big hit with the whole family. I had a few that didn’t fit on the pan so I threw them in the air fryer and they were great that way as well.

  • Cheri on March 26, 2021

    These we SO good! Added a bit of ancho chili powder to the meatballs. East. Delicious.

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    Incredibly good and incredibly easy - a win win! Make sure to measure the weight of your chips before crushing them or else the volume measurement will vary wildly. Also, a big portion of the flavor of these comes from the salsa you use so make sure you pick one you really like.

  • Emily Hope on May 06, 2021

    I totally loved these, but our family was more divided--the 8-year old complained about texture added by the tortilla chips, and C felt like there was way too high a chip to turkey ratio and they felt bready (I weighed my chips, and was already under by weight). I will definitely try again (they are super easy to put together) but may adjust some things--reduce the amount of tortilla chips, maybe soak them in the salsa or a little milk. I was also worried based on the headnote whether even with sides the recipe would feed 3 adults and 2 kiddos, so I doubled it--this ended up making enough for 2 full meals for everyone. I did serve with rice, beans, and cabbage slaw.

  • Zosia on August 07, 2021

    Family loved these! I doubled all of the ingredients except for the corn chips - I used the original amount - and their flavour still came through.

  • gamulholland on August 07, 2021

    This was delicious, and reheated really well. I used up some spicy salsa with it— memo to self, stick with mild salsa for my mild family, because only Son #1 and I are fond of spice, unfortunately. Anyway, loved it, adding it to the rotation!

  • Skamper on August 26, 2021

    Best dish from this book so far. Easy and tasty. my meatballs may have been a little large; I got 17. M used them as taco filling the next day for lunch. The sauce is a must.

  • dinnermints on August 26, 2021

    Yep - these were delicious, everyone loved them. My picky-eater niece declared them her new favorite recipe. I made them a bit smaller (got 55 for a double recipe) and so overbaked them a bit, but nobody complained about that. I used 2% Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and would do that again. I might also try reducing the corn chips by half like Zosia.

  • bernalgirl on August 31, 2021

    I made a double batch following the meatball part of the recipe exactly, then formed them into longer thicker patties like a kebab — these were a huge hit! My Big particular liked the toasted corn flavor imparted by the tortilla chips. The salsa + sour cream sauce just didn’t appeal so the first night I served these with a tomatillo sauce (and Best Black Beans and the Amá red rice) and on the second night I made it with rajas con crema and adapted the Indian-ish cheesy rice to more Mexican flavors.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I appreciated how easy these were, but they weren't my favorite. The texture was a bit mushy, the flavor was one-note, and they were on the salty side. They did taste better reheated as leftovers. My husband refused to touch the leftovers because he couldn't get over the strong tortilla chip flavor.

  • anya_sf on February 15, 2024

    Using a large cookie scoop, I got 24 meatballs. They were slightly overdone after 20 min, probably because convection mode was on. My family really liked them and I'd definitely make them again.

  • dbuhler on April 02, 2024

    I enjoyed these meatballs, but neither of my kids liked them. I'm not sure if it was the flavor or the texture that turned them off. The texture is a bit odd, but I didn't mind that as I liked the flavor. The sauce is a must. I served these with Mexican rice and a simple green salad.

  • emilycaj on May 18, 2025

    Aggressively bland, despite using my favorite salsa. Very bready. The sauce is necessary to add some kind of dimension to them, but even with the sauce: not a keeper.

  • Ducksinarose on October 27, 2025

    I loved these! I can see how someone can say this is mushy because I can taste the corn meal-y texture in the meatball. Me and my family enjoyed the mushiness, though Mark suggested using beef instead of turkey next time. Also, I didn’t use the sauce, Mark doesn’t think the sauce from the cookbook would be substantial enough. He suggests a mole sauce.

• Swedish turkey meatballs

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    Not pretty but so good and shockingly tender! Make sure to whisk the sauce well so it doesn't break. Also, measure out the freshly grated nutmeg - I went too wild on the nutmeg the first go around.

  • julesamomof2 on July 27, 2021

    This was pretty dissapointing.. I used white meat turkey (which she says works fine) but the meatballs were done in 5 minutes versus the 20 minutes stated in the recipe. That meant I had to take them out of the pan and let the sauce reduce and by the time it reduced to the right consistency there was very little left in the pan. Meatballs turned out pretty dry too. I'm all for flexible recipes but dark meat turkey is really the only way this recipe works.

  • Lsblackburn1 on October 29, 2021

    Not too exciting, but good for a weeknight. I added butter to my egg noodles because there wasn’t a ton of sauce.

  • TrishaCP on December 10, 2022

    The meatballs were good, but the sauce was just ok for us (too much sour cream).

  • Babycarrot on April 18, 2023

    Used dark meat ground turkey. I liked the way these tasted and how quickly I was able to mix and form the meatballs. I may have made them a little too large. Definitely took more than 20 minutes for these to cook on low heat. I had plenty of sauce but unfortunately made the user error of not whisking well enough and my sauce broke. Still tasty! Not sure if I’d make again though.

  • ellencooks on March 06, 2024

    I had some leftover sour cherry jam so sweetened with a little sugar. Served with rice and roast broccoli and red cabbage. Fantastic!

  • dbuhler on February 21, 2025

    This was not a favorite for us. The sauce cooked down too much so there wasn't enough to pour over the noodles so I had to thin it significantly with chicken broth, and the sour cream flavor was too overwhelming for me (and I love sour cream). I will not repeat this.

  • teandoranges on October 10, 2025

    This was easy to throw together, and serving it over buttered egg noodles with some lingonberry sauce was the way to go. That said, I won't make again. Too much allspice maybe? The sauce kinda weird. Lucky for me, I live near Ikea, I'll just go there next time.

  • Brittania on February 17, 2026

    Prefer this cooking method to frying meatballs.

  • elizabeth_vre4b3 on May 29, 2026

    Very easy - the sauce cooks fast - needed a lot more broth . Basic recipe with some flavor

• Pork tenderloin piccata

  • Cheri on March 26, 2021

    Easy. Standard prep. Reliable. Good

  • nicolepellegrini on May 06, 2021

    We loved this. Excellent flavor for something so simple to throw together and with so few ingredients.

  • bernalgirl on June 28, 2021

    Easy, flavorful. I pounded the sliced tenderloin, which was a mistake as the cutlets were done before the flour crisped. Will follow the recipe next time.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    This recipe blew me away! Surprisingly simple with great results every time. I'll never go back to chicken picatta.

  • averythingcooks on February 03, 2022

    I made this exactly as written and yes, we did enjoy it but we both agreed that I make many other outstanding pork tenderloin recipes which means it may be a long time before I opt to repeat this one. As T said "good but not that exciting".

  • Babycarrot on June 24, 2024

    Subbed chicken stock. Easy and quick like others have commented. Do go easy on the flour. Good with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

• Fancy weeknight salmon salad

  • lou_weez on April 19, 2021

    A great salad, tangy, crunchy, sweet and overall delicious. I substituted zucchini for mushrooms.

  • Ileana on May 17, 2021

    The dressing is really delicious and is something I keep on hand because I can't live without it now. The pickled shallots are necessary. Used toasted pumpkin seeds because I didn't have almonds. Would definitely repeat this one.

  • Lepa on June 07, 2021

    We loved this salad. It has a complex flavor but is easy to throw together and doesn't dirty many dishes. I loved the salad dressing here and think it really pulled all the elements together. Highly recommend!

  • snoozermoose on October 29, 2022

    This is a very good and quite unique salad. It feels very extravagant but is not hard at all to pull together. It makes a really dramatic and beautiful presentation as well. My husband loves it and begs me to make it all the time.

  • Soulkitchenjen on April 11, 2023

    This was…fine? I only subbed spinach for arugula. Everything else was made as directed. It tasted a little cobbled together. There was something not cohesive about it that I can’t quite place. The mushrooms might be it. They were a little random. It was a fine dinner, but I doubt I’d repeat.

  • ezwriternc on May 04, 2024

    I thought it came out really good but my fish cooked too long and I only did 20 minutes. I added tomatoes and cucumber to the salad. Used romaine lettuce. And added toasted pistachios. I’d make this again.

  • anya_sf on June 04, 2024

    The combination of ingredients seemed odd, but we enjoyed it. My salmon fillet was thin and I had 20 oz mushrooms, so I roasted them on separate sheet pans; the salmon took 12 min, the mushrooms 30 min. I used pickled red onions left over from another recipe, and increased the greens (mesclun) to 8 oz; there was still a little too much dressing.

  • nicolepellegrini on March 27, 2025

    Another winner from this book, though I made a couple changes based on reading the notes. Agree that it's a lot of dressing for the amount of greens so I mixed it, poured it off from the main bowl, and added as necessary. Left the skin on while roasting the salmon for the extra moisture and flavor. My mushrooms were done in about 20 minutes, the fish slightly longer as it was a thick filet, so just watch both while cooking to make sure neither element is over/under. But beyond that the flavor combo was really excellent (I only had mixed baby greens/spinach but next time I can see the arugula adding a nice peppery bite.)

  • dakota_dqnii0 on January 27, 2026

    I’ve made this several times. I don’t cook the mushrooms and salmon though. I need more control than that.

• Mustardy cracker crumb fish

  • Lepa on March 09, 2021

    I made this with saltines. It was good but not as delicious as the buttery version in Ina's recent cookbook (but healthier!) I made the slaw recommended in the headnote and it was really good. We ate this with mashed potatoes- total comfort food!

  • Cheri on March 26, 2021

    I made this with oyster crackers. Very good. Loved the kick from the mustard.

  • Emily Hope on May 03, 2021

    Made this with the Trader Joe's equivalent to Ritz Crackers, and liked it a lot -- super easy to put together, healthy-ish, and delicious. Alas, this was not the dish to convert the kiddos to white fish. Served with a potatoes salad with lemon, olive oil, cornichons, capers, and herbs, which was a nice match, and sauteed broccolini. Definitely will be a repeat.

  • patioweather on June 22, 2021

    Easier than making boxed mac and cheese

  • Twysbeek on July 23, 2021

    Made this with some whole wheat club crackers we had on hand. Came together in minutes, very tasty! Would reduce salt in the cracker mixture next time. Made it in the toaster oven.

  • snoozermoose on January 15, 2022

    Tasty and easy fish dish. It was a good use of leftover Ritz crackers I had lying around after a party and came together very quickly on a weeknight. I think I prefer a less mustard-forward crumb topping for fish, but my husband really enjoyed it.

  • anya_sf on August 26, 2022

    This worked really well with previously frozen tilapia. I used Ritz crackers. Delicious and easy. Served with baked potatoes and peas.

  • Babycarrot on April 18, 2023

    I also liked this recipe but next time will make sure to use unsalted butter as the result was a tad too salty with the Ritz cracker crumbs and the Old Bay seasoning - will know for next time. Definitely needs a hit of fresh lemon or other citrus. I used cod. Overall was a really easy, quick, and delicious dinner that I will make again.

  • bernalgirl on February 02, 2024

    Very good flavor, although the coating on mine was soggy. I reduced mustard by half, used red snapper and ritz crackers. The fish itself was delicious but we all wanted some crispy coating. Maybe next time I’ll pan-fry, or cook under a broiler.

  • SheilaS on July 25, 2024

    I thought this was great. It only took about a minute to prep and I was able to use my small countertop oven and avoid heating up the house on a hot day. I served it with a potato salad with Caesar dressing which was a good complement to the mustardy fish.

  • katiesue28 on November 08, 2024

    I used Ritz crackers. I loved the mustard flavor of the dish! I did wish for a bit of a butter sauce to go with it, but the simple squirt of lemon made this a quick and healthy meal.

• Arayes with yogurt sauce

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Made with ground turkey. Made on the grill and they took the 7 minutes listed. Great success. Only change would be to experiment with using the same volume of lebanese 7-spice or palestinian 9-spice in place of the spices listed here. Great make-ahead potential, and can use the Yogurt, Tahini + Parsley Sauce (pg 154) in place of the yogurt dip.

  • Rradishes on March 08, 2021

    Made with ground beef, served with roasted pepper sauce and cucumber salad+yogurt dressing. This is a fun recipe to serve, very portable. Make sure the grill is not too hot though, a few pitas got burnt. This is a great alternative to a burger (not as many carbs). I love the general idea - stuffed and grilled pita pockets, genius! Would be fun to experiment with the filling, add cheese, herbs, do ground chicken ...

  • jimandtammyfaye on April 30, 2021

    Flavorful and delicious, casual recipe. I assembled the Arayes in the morning and kept them covered in the fridge until evening. Served as main part of the meal with yogurt sauce and sliced, salted cucumbers. I was worried that the beef would not cook completely in the 7-minute grilling period, but it was thoroughly cooked. This will be added to my recipe rotation. It will be fun to experiment with different meats, seasonings, and fillings!

  • dc151 on May 21, 2021

    Super easy to put together. The hardest part was cutting the bread without ripping it open. Good base recipe, think I might want to zhuzh it up next time. I think I little braised red cabbage might be just the thing! I made these with a vegetarian version from Sababa with mushrooms, and used that yogurt sauce.

  • Leahspitzer on June 19, 2021

    Delicious with Beyond Meat

  • Zosia on July 01, 2021

    Really tasty. I baked them at 400F for 20 minutes.

  • bernalgirl on July 09, 2021

    Such an easy and delicious summer weeknight dinner, perfect with Israeli salad or an array of salatim. I worried they would be greasy but they’re not. I substituted homemade shawarma spice that needed using but I’m sure it’s great as written. I’ll definitely be making these again and again.

  • darcie_b on March 27, 2022

    I enjoyed the texture of the grilled pita, but next time I would use more spice or a different spice blend. These would be great for a cookout because you could form them ahead of time and they cook quickly.

  • snoozermoose on May 31, 2022

    Agree with darcie_b that these need more spice and seasoning. Even with the yogurt sauce, they were bland and needed a lot of lemon juice to liven them up. I would probably double the spices and increase the salt to 1.5 tsp next time. Since I don't have a grill, I broiled them on low for about 5 minutes total (totally burned my first batch broiling on high).

  • Babycarrot on June 05, 2023

    I made these on my cast iron grill pan as I couldn’t muster the energy to fire up the charcoal grill. I added a teaspoon of za’atar to the spices based on the comments. These were tasty. I only had large pitas so a pound of meat made about two pitas (cut in half) worth of arayes instead of four. I topped with Ottolenghi’s sumac yogurt sauce. I used beef but these would have been great with lamb. Yum!

  • anya_sf on May 01, 2024

    Easy to make and pretty good. I used lamb and agree that the spices should be dialed up. Cooked on a gas grill, I feared the arayes would burn, especially spots where the pitas tore so the lamb was peeking through, but the charred bits (yes, there were some) tasted fine. I did have to turn the flame to low. I added lemon juice and sumac to the yogurt sauce for more flavor.

  • colleen_f53upm on March 17, 2026

    These are so delicious we've made them more times than I can count- and when it's too cold to use the grill or we don't want to take the time to heat it up they also bake really well and work heated in a saucepan too. We make with ground turkey and they are still to die for!

• Kale & mushroom pot pie

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    I added 1.5lb of shredded poached chicken breast and cooked this in a 12" cast iron skillet without having to adjust the amount of sauce. So good!

  • SheilaS on June 12, 2021

    This is delicious and the leftovers reheated beautifully.

  • TippyCanoe on December 24, 2021

    Super easy and weirdly addictive. I substituted broccoli for the kale because it was what I had. Tasted fantastic. This will be on heavy rotation at our house from this point.

  • Brittania on February 15, 2026

    Soooo tasty, thanks to the Boursin - Julia Turshen genius!

  • julesamomof2 on December 12, 2024

    This was delicious and we loved it, although it is really not healthy comfort food as the book title states. Despite the misleading description, it made for a substantial vegetarian weeknight main.

  • anya_sf on October 08, 2022

    Absolutely delicious! I used a 10" skillet (which was pretty full), but initially placed the pastry triangles too close together, so the topping was a little uneven. That didn't matter much, except it needed 10 extra minutes to get nice and brown.

  • Lsblackburn1 on March 18, 2023

    I thought this was just okay. Yes, easy to make and tasty, but not terribly interesting. My husband, like the other noters, loved it, so clearly I’m in the minority on this!

  • snoozermoose on June 27, 2023

    This was so delicious. I couldn't get enough of it, and it even reheated well. My husband however thought it was just okay, which is why I haven't made it again.

  • Babycarrot on April 18, 2023

    Pretty good! I thought the incorporation of the Boursin was really inventive which I appreciated. I added come celery to the roasted veg portion. Agree with SheilaS that the leftovers do reheat beautifully. Do not try eating this cold, as it really does need to be warmed up. I did blanch the kale and carrots separately as I am not sure how all that veg would fit into a medium sized pot. Don't skimp on the black pepper or else this could result in a fairly bland filling.

• French onion meatloaf

  • jaelsne on July 17, 2022

    I made this for guests (close friends) with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was an absolute hit!

  • Cheri on March 28, 2021

    This was just ok. Made with beef instead of turkey, a bit dry. Not our favorite. This makes a BIG meatloaf. We did like it better the second day, but probably not enough to repeat

  • kari500 on November 14, 2021

    I did the onions the day before, which made this a breeze. We liked it a lot, definite repeat. Used ground turkey, but would like to try with Impossible meat. Served with roasted potatoes and fennel salad.

  • TrishaCP on February 28, 2022

    This was really easy and really delicious. It stayed moist as leftovers too.

  • bernalgirl on June 11, 2021

    A very good tender meatloaf, great for those avoiding red meat but who miss a good plate of this comfort food. Wondering what I could brush on top so it browns a bit more…

  • ameliab86 on November 04, 2025

    I love this recipe! The second time I made it, I made meatballs. I also doubled the onion sauce and saved half to put over the top (on top of mashed potatoes too).

  • molly17659 on February 25, 2025

    This is very good. Time consuming because of the onions but easy. Biting into the pieces of gruyere is delicious!

  • jessicao750 on April 08, 2026

    Substituted ground beef for the turkey and aged cheddar for the Gruyère. Very tasty and the substitutions work well

  • cklauber2 on September 23, 2024

    This makes so much meatloaf! It could be easily halved. I think I would also make it into smaller loaves because some of the best parts were the bubbly cheese on the edges.

  • dbuhler on March 30, 2026

    This was incredibly delicious!! I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow! I overbaked mine (1 hour was too long for my oven) and it was still moist and tender (in the middle...the ends were a bit dry, but that didn't stop them from being devoured)! This is going on the repeat list and also the "share with company" list.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    Very unphotogenic but absolutely delicious!! I can't get enough of this meatloaf. You absolutely can't tell it's turkey, and it's wonderfully moist. Probably my favorite meatloaf recipe ever.

  • pattyatbryce on February 22, 2024

    Really yummy. My husband's favorite. Just plan on time for the onions to properly cook first.

  • anya_sf on October 08, 2022

    Fantastic flavor! Not a looker though. I've made cheesy meatloaves before, but this is the first one where the cheese really added something. Loved the onions (cooked those ahead).

  • Nkrieda78 on May 27, 2021

    We had this as written with Turkey and it’s amazing! Incredible off the charts delicious, especially because it’s meatloaf.

  • julesamomof2 on November 08, 2024

    This was a very delicious meatloaf, but time consuming. It took me over 2 hours, between caramelizing the onions and the hour long bake time. Not weeknight friendly and I think of meatloaf as a weeknight kind of dish. I used about half the cheese called for and all of the onions. Leftovers were nice the next day, and this makes ALOT of meatloaf.

  • thefritschkitchen on October 22, 2024

    Maybe the ugliest meatloaf you have seen, but also the most delicious. This is my house meatloaf. I always double the caramelized onions - they freeze beautifully. I have also frozen the cubed cheese, which means I can throw one of these together in about 5 minutes, if I remember to thaw everything. I typically use 1 pound each of beef and pork, but have used a variety of ground meat options.

• Stewed chickpeas with peppers & zucchini

  • jaelsne on January 09, 2026

    Quick, easy and tasty weeknight dinner. I used zaatar instead of ordinary oregano and added chopped fresh tomatoes. We enjoyed the dish. I may try using Greek yogurt instead of mayo as suggested here.

  • wester on August 01, 2022

    Not bad at all, but not amazing either.

  • SheilaS on May 26, 2021

    This is a great, simple vegetable stew that's perfectly punched up with the lemony parsley sauce. I totally agree with cheffreddie, don't skip it! I'll probably toss in a de arbol chile or 2 next time.

  • Apollonia on June 25, 2025

    Tasty and easy enough, as well as very handy to use up veggies. I used greek yogurt instead of mayo and dill instead of parsley in the sauce - both worked beautifully.

  • MollyB on April 23, 2025

    Very nice, easy meal, perfect for a weeknight. I had it with some wheat berries and the accompanying sauce from the recipe, and liked it a lot. It was a great way to make a healthy meal from cupboard ingredients and slightly-past-their-prime vegetables languishing in the fridge.

  • avogel on May 23, 2022

    This is in the regular rotation for me. I like to serve it with orzo.

  • mdagl on December 17, 2022

    I'm a big fan of this one. The sauce is not to be missed here.

  • cheffreddie on May 25, 2021

    This recipe is way more delicious than it has any right to be. I added the smoked paprika from Burlap & Barrel that Julia recommends in the introduction - so good. Don't skip the lemon aioli sauce!

  • Melissa_427 on October 27, 2021

    A great way to use up a few veggies we had on hand. I didn't have fresh parsley, but did have some frozen cubes of one fresh herbs that I thawed for the sauce and it worked well enough! I'm not really a fan of mayonnaise but this sauce was a nice addition, I'd be tempted to swap in Greek yogurt or sour cream in a future prep.

  • dc151 on August 31, 2021

    I'll add my voice to the chorus here about this dish. The thing is, I don't even like zucchini. The sauce tasted horrible on its own and I got worried. But it pulls together into a wonderful, low-key meal I couldn't stop eating! Make this!

  • molly17659 on February 25, 2025

    This was good but not worth going out of your way to make. I think it's very adaptable and such a good way to use up veggies. I usually have all of these ingredients on hand so this is a good one to tuck away when things are close to their throw out date. To echo other reviews, this is greater than the sum of its parts - the veggies are fine, the sauce is fine but together they are much better.

  • ksg518 on July 17, 2024

    I'm in the minority here but I did not care for this at all. The sauce helped, but not enough. I think perhaps my issue was the chickpeas turned to mush and the whole dish felt very muddled. Not a repeat.

  • Lepa on August 31, 2021

    I kept paging by this recipe because it sounded a bit boring but I had all the ingredients and decided to make it for dinner. It is delicious- especially with the white sauce, which makes the whole dish zippy and wonderful. We ate this over a combination of rice and quinoa. We will be making this again for a healthy, easy weeknight dinner.

  • julesamomof2 on September 09, 2021

    Easy, delicious vegan dinner. I am trying to introduce more vegetarian dinners to the carnivores in my family and I have to admit it's tough to find meals that are filling enough to take the place of a steak. This one fit the bill nicely - plenty of protein from the chickpeas and texture from the zucchini along with the sauce which made it special.

  • dinnermints on May 12, 2022

    I had high hopes after reading the reviews, but found this to be pretty mediocre. Not a repeat.

  • Skamper on January 25, 2022

    A good solid meatless Monday option. Next time I'd cut the pepper strips in half and slice the zucchini a bit thinner than chunks. I served over couscous.

  • hbakke on August 17, 2023

    We both liked this recipe. I added extra vinegar at the end of cooking for more tang. The sauce goes well with the stewed chickpeas, peppers, and zucchini. I accidently left this on the stove cooking for over an hour and I think that actually improved the flavors. Will repeat.

  • emilycaj on August 30, 2025

    I thought this was so, so boring. Leftovers are currently languishing in the fridge. Will they get eaten before they go bad? Maybe, but not with enthusiasm.

  • anya_sf on August 31, 2022

    On its own, the stew was just okay - fine, but really basic ("healthy tasting"). I used cheffreddie's suggestion to add smoked paprika, plus a lot more salt, which improved it. But the sauce really took this from meh to pretty great tasting. Couscous was a good base.

• More-vegetable-than-rice fried rice

  • jaelsne on March 16, 2026

    We thought this was a very good weeknight meal. I had every ingredient on hand. We liked it, but I think I’ll try some of the suggestions here (fried egg, sriracha) to jazz it up.

  • anya_sf on October 14, 2023

    I used double the (white) rice, slightly more vegetables, double the sauce, and added eggs (scrambled with the rice) and diced, cooked chicken. That was a big pan of food! I was slightly skeptical about the sauce (ketchup?) but really liked the flavor.

  • Timprota on March 15, 2022

    I added just a touch of sesame oil at the end. Great weeknight meal!

  • VineTomato on April 17, 2021

    I really enjoyed this and served with a fried egg on top. Loved that it has lots of different vegetables. Mr VT didn't love this, but he didn't hate it so there is room for a next time! When I make it again I will reduce the amount of oil to make it even healthier.

  • dinnermints on March 11, 2024

    Uses all pantry/fridge staple ingredients! And was delicious. My 5yo wasn’t a fan (as currently is true of most things I make), but my niece and nephew loved it. For the best version, serve with a fried egg on top, cilantro, and of course, sriracha. Also, next time I’d try cooking all the veggies together in my largest stainless steel pan - taking the first batch of vegetables out of the pan to then cook the cabbage per the instructions was a bit fussy - and cooking the rice separately in my largest nonstick so it can cook at the same time as the veggies and crisp up a bit more. Adding to the rotation!

  • ezwriternc on March 01, 2022

    I've made this a bunch of times. Good, easy fried rice dish. Add what you want. Great weeknight meal.

  • lou_weez on February 23, 2022

    I cooked more rice than the recipe needed, probably about double...oops! Luckily there was enough sauce to take the extra rice. Nice as is, but we added some kecap manis and siracha sauce.

  • mdagl on December 17, 2022

    As others are saying, a good weeknight meal that really packs the veggies in. We enjoyed this, but might not repeat.

• Roger's jambalaya

  • Jane on January 18, 2022

    This was time consuming (almost two hours start to finish) but worth it. I did make 1.5 times the quantity as my packs of chicken thighs and andouille warranted it so there was more chopping than the recipe if you do the set amount. I skipped the cayenne and it was still plenty spicy. I didn't add the shrimp as with chicken and andouille it felt unnecessary. Really enjoyable and a definite repeat.

  • JoanN on March 12, 2022

    Not as enamored of this as others. Thought it was just okay. Easy one-pot meal, but I'll stick with Paul Prudhomme's jambalaya recipes which are first cooked stovetop and then baked.

  • bernalgirl on July 22, 2021

    Easy and flavorful, the whole family enjoyed this one

  • olympia_mhnhwe on March 19, 2026

    Really great

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    My favorite recipe in the book! Easy, hearty, super flavorful, and feeds a crowd (or makes plenty of leftovers if you're only cooking for two). I don't even find that it needs the shrimp because there's a lot of protein in there already compared to the amount of rice. But I usually still add it because who doesn't love shrimp?

  • cheffreddie on June 16, 2025

    I've made this recipe at least 10 times, it is our go-to jambalaya recipe now. I almost never bother with the shrimp and often will leave out the chicken thighs too, so I only have to source one kind of protein (I still use all the spices it calls for, but add them in towards the end of sautéing the vegetables). Still delicious and filling.

  • anya_sf on December 21, 2023

    Easy and tasty. I used half the chile peppers in deference to my son; my husband and I added Tabasco to our servings. Although I used 1 1/4 cups rice, the jambalaya was still a bit wetter than expected, although not unpleasantly so.

  • lou_weez on March 25, 2021

    This was great!! Left out the chilli so it was more kid friendly and used chorizo instead of andouille sausage. Reheated brilliantly for lunch the next day too. Will be making this again.

• Lubav's green spaghetti

  • Cheri on March 26, 2021

    This is easy, somewhat bitter.

  • caitmcg on November 04, 2021

    I liked this alright as a pesto variation, but I would include more feta in the sauce, because its flavor didn’t really come through in the blended mixture and that pungency would be welcome. I only added about half a cup of water to begin with, and that made a mixture that was certainly loose enough for tossing with pasta.

  • Emily Hope on June 09, 2021

    This is... fine? I was expecting the sauce to be a bit more pasty (similar to other kale pesto recipes I've made) but it was quite liquid with the cup of boiling water added -- though that made it easy to mix with the pasta. I wanted more flavor, so added some pecorino to the sauce and some lemon juice, and more texture, so added chopped toasted walnuts (and more pecorino) on top. Not sure it will be a repeat, though leftovers were surprisingly good pan-fried in a skillet with an egg.

  • bernalgirl on September 01, 2023

    This is easily my favorite of the green spaghetti series, the flavors are fresh and rounded with enough allium to keep things interesting. I added a good dash of chile but otherwise made as written and topped with additional feta.

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    Next time I'll easy more spinach and less kale as the kale flavor was a bit strong for my family.

  • MonicaMadeIt on March 10, 2022

    We used this recipe kind of as a jumping off point. We had a bag of frozen spinach so used that instead of fresh spinach and kale. Blended it up with the basil (used frozen) cheeses, olive oil, and pasta water. Unfortunately it was pretty watery so had to add more of the spinach and cheese. Also added juice of half a lemon because it needed some acid. Finally the sauce tasted good, but it was completely cold so had to microwave it to warm it up. Served with a sprinkle of salt and parmesan.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    This felt like a blander version of a pesto. We kept adding more basil and feta to give it more flavor but it was still hard to taste anything. Not worthy of a repeat for me.

• Best black beans with avocado salad

  • westminstr on December 03, 2021

    I liked the avocado salad (but skipped the tomato bc December). The beans were not the best, sadly. Just didn’t love the sofrito- maybe it was the spices? I had lovely black beans from Oaxaca & almost preferred them without the sofrito.

  • PennyG on June 28, 2021

    I just made the beans from this recipe and they were some of the BEST black beans I have ever made! This will be my go-to black-bean recipe going forward.

  • bernalgirl on August 31, 2021

    My batch skewed sweet and I don’t know if it’s the ayacote amarillo beans or the addition of a single red-ish pepper. I’ll try again with black beans and only green peppers

  • Lepa on May 20, 2021

    We loved this dinner. The beans were exceptionally tasty and the salad was good, too. I used cherry tomatoes because tomatoes aren't in season and it was a good substitute. We ate this with cornbread, cheese and sour cream and it was a great dinner.

  • breakthroughc on November 01, 2025

    I’m with the majority here. The salad is good, but the beans were not. I think the sofrito over powers the beans. I would not make the beans again.

  • hbakke on May 22, 2021

    I liked the avocado/tomato salad, but the beans were not something I would make again. The smoked paprika was a bit overpowering and the sofrito mixture was kind of gritty.

  • breakthroughc on November 02, 2025

    The beans were much better the second day.

  • mdagl on May 23, 2024

    Avocado salad was simple and delicious. Will make it again repeatedly. The black beans were not a favorite. I think it was primarily the addition of the smoked paprika that threw everything off, because the rest of the ingredients in the sofrito were pretty standard. Served with rice.

• Stewy escarole & white beans with fennel & lemon

  • SheilaS on June 01, 2021

    This was delicious and exceeded my expectations. I was sure it would need a sprinkle of cheese or something but just as Julia says in the header notes, the shiitake mushrooms add plenty of umami and depth. I used curly endive and baby kale instead of escarole, Rancho Gordo Marcella beans and homemade chicken stock instead of veg stock.

  • snoozermoose on June 22, 2022

    This was really delicious and comforting! And this is coming from someone who doesn't even like beans. I used half the amount of lemon as I'm quite sensitive to it and still found it plenty bright.

  • Afiesler on January 31, 2026

    This was such a delicious and easy lunch. I added in 3 cups of broth but it would be even thicker using the 2 cups of broth in the recipe.

  • Lsblackburn1 on September 04, 2023

    This was delicious. I used a cup and a half of dried canary beans and subbed curly kale for escarole and chicken stock for veggie. Served with grated Parmesan and bread.

  • Skamper on November 18, 2024

    Delicious. Escarole has gotten impossible to find in LA and I didn't have time to go to the farmer's market so used rainbowchard instead, which seemed to work very well. otherwise made according to recipe and I loved it.

• Shrimp & kimchi stew (Saev-kimchi-jjigae)

  • SheilaS on March 19, 2025

    This is one super simple, super flavorful recipe. With a jar of kimchi in the fridge and shrimp in the freezer, this can be on the table in the time it takes the rice to cook. I used low-sodium soy sauce and reduced the amount by half but it was still rather salty for me. Next time, I'll likely skip the soy sauce. I also added a little extra water since my kimchi wasn't particularly juicy. I served this with steamed broccoli and Massa Organics brown rice. Delicious.

  • bernalgirl on August 31, 2021

    Heeding others’ advice about a bland broth, I added dashi base and used a well rounded kimchi. I also added some yuba/tofu skin that needed using. All but my Little loved this dinner, and I’d make it again. So quick!

  • patioweather on June 26, 2021

    Easy, but kind of one note with my sour homemade kimchi.

  • allisonsemele on May 23, 2021

    The whole dish comes together in the time it takes to make the rice, so this is incredibly fast and easy. Results depend heavily on the quality of your kimchi—mine couldn’t quite carry it on its own, and also made this a salt bomb, even though I cut the soy sauce down to a dash. I still thought this was fine, and I appreciated her tip for cutting the kimchi in the jar. I found myself wishing there was some tofu in this.

  • Melissa_427 on October 12, 2023

    I really loved this dish! I think one thing that helped (based on other reviews) was that I used a shrimp broth rather than water, so there was loads of good flavor! I also doubled this recipe with no problem. I'd also say, your kimchi will make such a huge difference. I happened to have one jar of old, homemade kimchi and one store bought jar, the old kimchi definitely adds lots more flavor than a newer kimchi

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I wish Julia gave recommendations for the brand of kimchi she prefers in this. I used the brand I most commonly see in Asian grocery stores, and the dish turned out so sour that it was difficult to get through. We normally like kimchi in other dishes, but this was too much.

• Roasted cauliflower & red cabbage tacos

  • Apollonia on April 22, 2021

    Simple, tasty. We really enjoy the Smitten Kitchen cauliflower tacos and wasn't sure we'd like this as much without the beans that recipe calls for, but the cabbage was fantastic and very filling. The sauce was a bit acidic straight out of the processor, but lovely on the tacos. Will make again, maybe with some cotija on top.

  • Rradishes on April 02, 2021

    Yum! I was skeptical thinking cauliflower and cabbage would be too cabbage-y, but not at all. Cabbage caramelizes and adds a nice layer of flavor. Served with corn tortillas and avocado sauce, a great healthy dinner, easy too. Will definitely repeat.

  • ellencooks on November 09, 2021

    Cabbage got overdone but was still good. Slice thicker or cook less next time. Avocado sauce I made as written. Next time I’ll just make guacamole or use sliced avocados. Still very good and there will be a next time!

  • molly17659 on February 25, 2025

    I was shocked by how much i liked these! another winner!

  • dc151 on September 08, 2021

    Another hit from this book! The cauliflower came out perfectly, the cabbage was a bit too charred for my taste. Next time I won’t cut it quite so thin. Sauce was great.

  • cheffreddie on May 25, 2021

    This recipe was a huge hit with my partner and I. So many delicious layers of flavor from the roasted veggies and avocado sauce. We toasted the corn tortillas over the gas range on the stove for extra tasty charred flavor. Very filling and satisfying!

• Street fair stuffed mushrooms

  • MollyB on August 30, 2022

    Not a success for us as written. I had really big portobello mushrooms that took a long time to cook and maybe just weren't very good mushrooms. The filling was great, so I might try again with smaller mushrooms. I had extra filling and used it in a baked pasta dish with some fresh tomatoes and ricotta added, and mozzarella on top. I enjoyed that a lot more that the original dish.

  • Lsblackburn1 on June 09, 2021

    Easy and tasty weeknight meal. My portobellos were huge but 20 minutes was enough. Used panko for the breadcrumbs and served with cheesy grits, which was a nice combination

  • shylastrath on May 20, 2025

    12 stuffed cremini, 3 stuffed portobellos, mixed in goat cheese, topped with Parmesan. Made the day before. Tasty!

  • mnrickert on April 28, 2021

    A sleeper hit of a recipe. As is, they were absolutely delicious fresh from the oven and reheated in the microwave. I also repurposed as Julia suggests by tossing diced leftovers with pasta, pasta water, and some more goat cheese crumbles and WOW. I doubled the recipe without any real additional work and I suggest you do the same based on your family size because you will want leftovers! Also, I used WW breadcrumbs without any flavor impact.

  • Soulkitchenjen on September 22, 2025

    These were really good. Only complaint is that my mushrooms did not cook through at the temp recommended. If your portobellos are chunky, maybe consider a par-bake for a 5 minutes or so before stuffing. I also used spinach instead of arugula. Would definitely make again

• Everything bagel hand pies

  • MollyB on March 08, 2021

    Pretty good but not a great success for us the first time around, but we may have changed too much with the dough. We used drained regular yogurt, not Greek, and whole wheat pastry flour plus AP flour for the dough, and the dough was pretty fragile and hard to handle. I'd up the salt to 3/4 tsp for both the dough and filling next time, as it seemed a bit underseasoned. I think they'd be very tasty with a bit of chorizo or breakfast sausage added to the filling (and that might also solve the salt problem).

  • SheilaS on May 07, 2021

    I had to add a LOT of extra flour to get something I could knead. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup(63g) of all purpose and 70g whole wheat. I ended up adding another 60g of all purpose and still needed lots of sprinkles while rolling them out. Julia says to feel free and mix up the filling so I reduced the # of eggs and added a mix of sautéed mushroom, onion and spinach along with a sprinkle of grated Parmesean. I would recommend amping up the filling flavors or serving with a zesty condiment as I think plain scrambled eggs might be bland. The end result was indeed like a stuffed bagel. I'll be curious to see how they reheat.

  • Apollonia on April 18, 2021

    This was a mixed success for us. The dough really did have a nice bagel chew and flavor, but it was very hard to work with. I needed to use a lot more flour than called for to make it handleable (and I am pretty handy with high-hydration dough). The pies took a lot longer to get golden in my oven than called for, which made my eggs a little more done than I'd prefer. I would also up the salt next time. That said, they were warm, filling, and tasty, and I would probably try again which a few changes.

  • emilycaj on April 23, 2025

    I found the dough to be incredibly bland. It did need a good bit more flour than called for, so possibly it also could have used some extra salt? The filling isn't very exciting, either, so overall this was just an overwhelmingly bland meal.

• Creamy roasted tomato & orzo soup

  • MollyB on March 09, 2021

    Great recipe! It was a simple and very tasty weeknight meal, made from ingredients I usually have in the pantry. Roasting the canned tomatoes is a genius idea to amp up the flavor. The 9-yr old would have been happier without the orzo- you might want to pull a serving out for picky eaters before adding the orzo.

  • NJChicaa on May 20, 2023

    Excellent! Next time I will keep the cooked orzo separate because it absorbs the liquid as it sits in the fridge which turns everything into mush.

  • SugarTreeBaking on April 28, 2021

    Quick and delicious. The roasting of the tomatoes is a killer technique that I’ll use in other recipes. Will make this again.

  • hirsheys on May 09, 2021

    Very yummy and quite easy, though it dirties a number of dishes and the blender. A keeper.

  • Melissa_427 on October 18, 2023

    I made a batch of shakshuka recently but opted to freeze half of the sauce. I then ended up using the sauce in place of the roasted tomatoes (blended obviously) and it was such a great soup. So, this is a note to myself but also to anyone who happens to have a great sauce on hand: blend it up, add broth and orzo. Definitely enjoyable!

  • jimandtammyfaye on February 17, 2022

    Delicious flavor. Chose to omit orzo b/c it tasted so good without it. Used immersion blender instead of vitamix.

  • ginger2212 on November 16, 2021

    This was very delicious! I didn't have whole tomatoes but still roasted a can of crushed tomatoes. It still gave it the tasty roasted flavor. I also didn't want to dirty a blender so I just used my immersion blender after bringing everything to a boil with the stock. I also used whole milk because that's what I had. I'm sure half and half would be more luxurious, but I don't feel like I was missing out.

  • pattyatbryce on September 29, 2023

    This is perfect pantry tomato soup. I didn't use orzo per comments and I was serving with pasta and pesto. Like others, an immersion blender is perfect. This is a great, easy, weeknight soup.

  • snoozermoose on March 09, 2022

    Made this with vegetable stock for a vegetarian friend. It was easy and very delicious!

  • BearTrapHouse on March 30, 2026

    Exceptional pantry meal, and relatively hands off.

• Turkey shepherd's pie

  • nicolepellegrini on June 05, 2021

    Another absolute winner from this cookbook. I made a couple changes based on what I had available. I used ground chicken instead of ground turkey - loved how the tomato paste and Worchestershire sauce gave the meat a richness like using beef or lamb would without the heaviness. Also I used a celery root instead of cauliflower for the topping in combination with the potato as that's often my preference for "lightening" up mashed potatoes. It's a fair amount of work but well worth it, everything came out perfectly staged and timed following the recipe directions.

  • bernalgirl on January 28, 2026

    This has a lot of steps but comes together easily — and it will be easier to do steps more concurrently on the next round. The filling seemed bland so I added a teaspoon of Penzeys Northwest seasoning mix which perked it up nicely — that with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce elevated the ground turkey to something truly savory. The food processor results in a silky smooth topping, definitely worth the effort.

  • julesamomof2 on July 29, 2024

    5 stars for this lightened up Shepherd'spie. I wish I didn't have to pull my food processor out to make it, but the topping was nicely smooth. My family loved this dish and will repeat.

  • Skamper on August 26, 2021

    Second best recipe from this book so far. Really loved the combination of potatoes and cauliflower. we ate half and froze half in mini loaf pans and it reheated very well.

  • anya_sf on January 16, 2023

    I added diced yellow bell pepper with the onion, plus chopped rosemary (per the head note), as they needed using. Using a 12" cast iron skillet, I was able to stir the turkey mixture into the sauce in the pan. My cauliflower and potato were large, so there was plenty of topping for the larger pan. My family has enjoyed many versions of turkey shepherd's pie and this was no exception.

  • Ecngreg5 on May 18, 2022

    We absolutely loved this recipe! I used all cauliflower and no potato, and it was wonderful! All four adults I served this loved it!

  • cklauber2 on November 17, 2023

    My potatoes and cauliflower turned out pretty lumpy since I don't have a food processor. But they tasted great and I can imagine how lovely and smooth it would be if I used a food processor! Loved the addition of cheese too.

  • Ileana on November 18, 2022

    I didn't have cauliflower so used potatoes for the topping. It was hearty and delish.

• Sizzle burgers

  • abrownb1 on February 14, 2025

    Delicious but a little dry with turkey. The onion sauce is so good - def will be using it for other recipes. I look forward to trying it again with beef or a more fatty ground turkey.

  • bernalgirl on July 01, 2021

    A keeper just the way it is written, the turkey burgers remain tender, not dry, and the onions in Worcestershire are an excellent foil. The whole family enjoyed these, I'll be making this recipe again and again.

  • susankay on December 01, 2021

    Oh my gosh these are spectacular!

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    These were fine? Good, not great. I think I still prefer a beef burger, but for a turkey burger, this wasn't bad. We served it over potato buns instead of rice though. Maybe that affected it?

  • kshell on February 27, 2026

    Used ground beef and served over rice. It was easy and had a nice flavor for such a short ingredient list. This really smoked up my kitchen and my windows were frozen shut. Might be easier to just break the meat up into crumbles as it cooks. Less char that way but also less smoke.

  • Melissa_427 on October 18, 2023

    I've made these a couple times but have substituted frozen beef patties (that I let sit out while slicing the onion) and they are so tasty given how few ingredients and how little work goes into them. I've enjoyed them with mashed potatoes and in a bed of sheet pan roasted mushrooms and spinach.

  • skvalentine on January 16, 2025

    These were a hit with adults and kids! I did add a teaspoon or so of a spice mix to the ground turkey (nutritional yeast + herbs blend) because I worried the burgers would be bland. Served with steamed broccoli and marinated beans.

  • Zosia on February 03, 2022

    Very easy to make and family enjoyed them...so that's a win in my books.

  • julesamomof2 on January 10, 2023

    These were a nice alternative to a grilled burger, nothing earth shattering but a good weeknight dinner. I added 16 oz of cremini mushrooms to the onions which was a nice addition. Will probably repeat just because they are so easy to whip up.

  • NJChicaa on May 20, 2023

    I used ground beef because that's what I had on hand. They were good and a nice way to have a bunless burger. I'll make again.

  • anya_sf on March 21, 2022

    Honestly, I expected the turkey burgers to be rather dry and flavorless when tasted without the onions, but they were actually really good, and we loved the onions.

• Carrot & chickpea korma

  • bernalgirl on March 15, 2024

    I knew this would be too sweet for us with all carrots so I added a small head of romanesco. It seemed like a lot of garam masala, but this worked! Really loved this with brown basmati rice. Can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers for lunch!

  • yellowbird531 on April 17, 2021

    Loved this and can see using tons of other veg with the seasons. Suggest adding some acid at the end and cilantro would be great on top.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I adored this. The carrots were a bit time-consuming, and I think I'll skip them next time in favor of some chicken since I'm not vegan, but the sauce was stunning. So rich and deep in flavor.

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 02, 2022

    We LOVED this. My daughter was so excited to have Indian food at home and surprisingly, she was not upset about the presence of nuts in her meal. The sauce was not perfectly smooth but it was still delicious.

  • Twysbeek on July 24, 2021

    My husband doesn't love cooked carrots, I added a diced chicken thigh for him (I don't think it needed it). He gave it a 3.5/5 stars, he said the sauce, onions, chickpeas with brown rice was great. This dish took longer than many of the others in the book for some reason, but I think the end result is delightful. Greater than the sum of its parts.

  • breakthroughc on November 23, 2022

    Didn’t love it, but it was okay. The sauce is lovely and I might repeat with different vegetables. Steamed carrots are just too insipid to carry this dish. Msaybe roasted cauliflower?? My Breville blender had no trouble making a smooth sauce. I did add some peas for color. I also added a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some lemon at the end based on the other reviews. I hit it with Tabasco before serving so I would up the heat more and maybe add a little cayenne.

  • anya_sf on December 31, 2022

    I used fewer carrots and added 1 lb frozen cauliflower florets with the chickpeas and 8 oz baby spinach at the end. The cashew cream was super thick and started to scorch on the bottom, so I needed to add another cup of broth. Due to the extra broth and vegetables, I also added another tsp garam masala and a dash of Kashmiri chili powder. Also sprinkled cilantro on top. With those changes, this was super delicious and my family couldn't believe it was vegan.

  • Lepa on March 17, 2021

    This was just okay, definitely not a repeat.

  • julesamomof2 on November 09, 2021

    This was just not for me - I don't like carrots enough to make them the main focus of a dish. But that is just personal preference as the dish turned out fine and was easy enough for a weeknight. I did end up using almost twice the amount of stock to get the desired consistency but that could have been due to the size of my carrots (I did not weigh them and she doesn't give cup measurements which I find annoying). Will not repeat.

  • selena__rhea on August 18, 2021

    I thought this was lovely. I used a Vitamix to make the cashew cream and results were so thick that I needed to add more veggie broth to thin. Definitely adding heat to the dish next time I make it.

  • patioweather on June 22, 2021

    Basic but satisfying. My sauce ended up grainy which usually does not happen with my Nutribullet. I think this would have been remedied by putting less liquid in when I blended the cashews, and mixing the rest of the broth later.

• Ricotta & potato chip fish cakes with peas

  • bernalgirl on June 08, 2021

    Not as texturally pleasing as my favorite fish cakes from Jubilee, but so easy and very tender. A great weeknight recipe

  • Brittania on February 17, 2026

    Keep the cakes small or they fall apart.

  • lateralligator on May 11, 2024

    There's a reason the recipe says to make 8 patties and not 4, and to use butter to cook them in the pan. Their texture is mushy and this is offset by the browned, crispy exterior. I used coconut oil in the pan instead of butter and they stuck like crazy. Because they were big and mushy (I made 4 patties), they were nearly impossible to flip. I ended up with a mushy pile of salmon cake, some parts of it browned, but delicious. I used sweet paprika, garlic powder, and kosher salt instead of Old Bay, as suggested in the recipe notes. I ate it alongside red lettuce. My 3 year old devoured this along with some peas. Delicious, creative, and the issues were due to user error! This is the first recipe I made from this book and I will trust Julia from now on.

  • nicole_mwyopi on April 14, 2026

    A bit crumbly but delicious!

  • skvalentine on November 20, 2021

    My whole family enjoyed this, which was shocking to me! I was expecting a fish cake to be mostly a miss for them. It was so fast and easy-- definitely will be making again soon. I thought the peas needed a lot more seasoning.

  • purrviciouz on June 24, 2021

    I enjoyed these fish cakes very much. The simplicity was a big bonus and I have a few pre-formed cakes in the fridge for dinner tomorrow too. The peas didn't appeal to me so I served the cakes with a bunch of coleslaw which I thought was a great accompaniment.

  • anya_sf on August 21, 2022

    Easy to make and pretty tasty. I shaped the cakes a couple hours ahead and chilled them, which helped them hold together better. Made with cheddar and sour cream Ruffles, the flavor was pretty good. The peas went well with them, but weren't exciting on their own; some herbs would be good. I used heavy cream for a thicker sauce.

  • ksg518 on February 10, 2026

    I really liked these fish cakes and plan on making them again. Like other reviews, I agree the peas lacked something. I think a pea and mint puree would be better but it would mean more work and clean up so I'll think about it since I really appreciated that this all gets made in one pan. I chilled my cakes for about an hour before cooking which helped them stay together. I think chilling them even longer would be better.

  • Lepa on March 18, 2021

    I was so excited about this recipe but it was disappointing. I expected a really interesting flavor from the sour cream and onion chips and bay seasoning. Instead, the burgers were mushy and bland. Unfortunately, not a repeat.

• Ratatouille & ricotta baked pasta

  • Brittania on February 17, 2026

    Very good and handy for the week. 1lb of pasta perhaps makes a little too much!

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    Julia was right - there really is a shocking amount of vegetables shoved into this pasta dish! That said, my family didn't notice and went back for seconds so I'm calling it a win. Next time, I'll double the amount of cherry tomatoes and perhaps more ricotta as I like my pasta a little bit more saucy.

  • Lsblackburn1 on September 05, 2021

    Not mind-blowing, but easy, healthy and tasty on a weeknight. Makes a ton! I used wagon wheel pasta - they worked great for this.

  • patioweather on July 02, 2021

    This was simple and great. My partner who hates eggplant even gobbled it up. I slightly increased the amount of tomato because I had two normal-sized tomatoes laying around. The creamy eggplant was the star though.

  • anya_sf on October 09, 2022

    I just had 2 zucchini but double the tomatoes - this recipe is flexible that way. Part-skim ricotta worked. The sheet pan method to finish the pasta really added a nice texture. Very good!

  • CCloutier on July 16, 2023

    I cooked the tomatoes with some onion in a pan and ended up adding a can of cherry tomatoes and cooked it all until jammy for a sauce (threw in some basil and some extra fennel. Loved the crispy texture of the pasta edges from baking.

• Sheet pan lamb meatballs with sweet & sour eggplant

  • okmosa on September 13, 2021

    So many things about this dish. I had only two-thirds the eggplant called for but I made the rest of the recipe the same. I would cut the eggplant larger next time - they shrank a lot and would be nicer to be closer in size to the meatballs. And maybe double the eggplant or half the balls. I like more veggies than meat. I also think there could/should be more sauce. It wanted to be saucier for me. Unless all of the rendered lamb fat was supposed to be part of the sauce. Oh, no, not for me! I drained off at least one-third cup. Yikes. Next time I’ll bake the lamb balls almost done, take them out, drain off the fat, roast the eggplant, then put the sauce and balls in to finish. I think the lamb balls could use a lot more spice/flavor to counteract the lamb-i-ness. I really like the concept of this dish, but execution could change up quite a bit.

  • nanknitte on December 17, 2021

    I loved this. I definitely recommend making this with lamb and keeping the render fat in the sauce- so delicious. Served with a buttery rice pilaf. My husband, does not get excited about lamb or eggplant (i do), ate with enthusiasm and was grabbing the leftovers for lunch. I agree with leaning on cutting the eggplant on the larger size. i also thought there would be too much eggplant, but it shrinks a lot. i also thought the amount of sauce looked excessive (and very watery) at first, but it ended up quite nice.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I enjoyed this quite a bit, while my husband was more neutral about it. I subbed ground beef for ground lamb. The meatballs ended up a little overcooked (could be because of my substitution), so I would watch them carefully and potentially pull them out ahead of the recommended cooking time. The eggplant ended up perfect--just luscious and heavenly in that sweet and sour sauce. Would make again.

  • anya_sf on August 28, 2022

    My eggplants were a little larger so I initially divided them between 2 sheet pans, then consolidated before adding the sauce and meatballs. My family loved this! Served over spinach rice, there were no leftovers.

  • Lsblackburn1 on February 12, 2023

    Meh… I wanted this to be more interesting - the sauce didn’t seem especially “sweet and sour”. I did love the herbs-I used cilantro and mint. Served over couscous, which was also nice.

• Shredded pork in the spirit of cochinita pibil

  • Babycarrot on April 18, 2023

    My advice would be to follow the ingredient list and suggested ingredients if making this recipe. I did not have achiote paste and instead subbed chipotles in adobo as the book instructs but I am not sure that that added anything as I also added other dried chilis. I'm not sure if maybe I used too much citrus as the end result was really bitter. Would likely not making again.

  • mnrickert on May 06, 2021

    Restaurant quality flavor. Don't skip the suggested ingredients (I was able to order on Amazon inexpensively) as that is what really elevates this dish. Also, very quick to prep (under 5 minutes) before it went in the oven for a long nap.

• Rascal House stuffed cabbage

  • julesamomof2 on November 18, 2024

    This an enjoyable yet lighter version of stuffed cabbage with the use of ground turkey instead of beef. This recipe turned out as expected. The sauce was VERY sweet but I assume that is how it's supposed to be.

• Eighth Avenue ropa vieja

  • anya_sf on January 12, 2023

    My chuck roast was just 2 lbs and there was a lot of vegetable/sauce flavor relative to meat, so I just added 2 Tbsp olive brine. Next time I'd use more meat if I had it. Quite tasty served with rice and black beans. Leftovers were even better, so make ahead if possible.

  • hbakke on May 22, 2021

    I was worried about the amount of added yellow mustard when this went into the oven, but it turned out great. The raisins add a sweetness and the olives brininess is tamed in the oven. I used yellow and red peppers instead of green and served this with the black bean recipe in this book. I would make this again.

  • breakthroughc on November 01, 2025

    This is a delicious recipe. I made the mistake of simmering it the next day instead of just reheating., It was seasoned perfectly, but go too salty with additional simmering. Lovely flavors and melt in your mouth beef.

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Very good hands-off dinner recipe. Trust that while the mix of things looks very strange in the pot when it goes into the oven, they all meld together. My 3lb roast took 3 hours, 30 minutes. Served over rice. Reheats very well.

  • snoozermoose on May 29, 2022

    This was so delicious and easy! Definitely a surprise hit with my family.

• Best vegan chili

  • mdagl on December 17, 2022

    I really liked this chili recipe! Really hearty and easy to throw together.

  • katy_gutkv0 on November 24, 2025

    This chili was excellent - rich flavors, tofu was delicious.

  • breakthroughc on March 06, 2022

    This was good, but not great. The tofu did make it hearty and give that meaty feeling. Overall I think I like the black bean chili from Appetite for Reduction better.

• Black bean & corn tamale pie

  • Dannausc on April 18, 2021

    I didn’t have a red bell pepper, so I used a can of diced green chiles instead. For the sauce I mixed 1/2 c sour cream with 1 T of lime juice and 1 T of brine from a jar of pickled jalapeños. Pretty decent and hearty.

• Caribbean pelau with kidney beans & spinach

  • anya_sf on August 26, 2022

    I won't rate this since I made a combination of this and the original chicken pelau, using a can of black-eyed peas and 1 lg chicken breast instead of kidney beans. Seasoned the chicken with paprika and garlic powder per the other recipe. Everything else was per this recipe. We thought this was fine, but lacking in flavor (and the sugar did get pretty black). I ended up adding more salt, some thyme, and lots of hot sauce - then it was pretty good. Served with chopped cucumber and tomato for much-needed crunch.

  • julesamomof2 on August 24, 2021

    Loved this dish- very flavorful, and aside from all the chopping, not overly time consuming to make. This is one of those 'I can't believe it's vegan' dishes. I only used one can of beans, as that is what I had, and a bag of baby spinach is 8 oz, not 10, so used that. Will repeat!

  • VineTomato on November 11, 2021

    Burning the sugar was a new and interesting technique for me, and on Julia's advice you just need to "trust!". It produces a lovely depth of flavour, even if it is a tad on the sweet side. Mr VT loved this dish, I thought it was okay. This is a riff on the chicken pelau in Small Victories based on what Jennie, her babysitter made for her while she was growing up. I think I will try that one next.

  • dc151 on October 17, 2021

    Another winner from Julia! So good, and not time consuming. Plus, practically a cupboard meal for me- made it to use up some spinach. The girls who don't eat went for multiple rounds of this one. Plus, a sneaky way to get in that spinach.

  • molly17659 on February 19, 2025

    I love this dish. I've made it many times and it checks a lot of boxes - one pot, mostly hands off, mostly pantry items/things I always have on hand and shockingly vegan.

  • mdagl on December 17, 2022

    This was not a winner for us, but it likely was my error. The rice's texture wasn't quite right for us, and I wasn't a big fan of the coconut milk in this.

• Garlic & sesame noodles with mushrooms & broccolini

  • crysta_63qusi on May 13, 2026

    Easy, fast, and delicious. I added some spinach at the end, along with some roasted chicken. Will make again.

  • hashi on September 10, 2025

    Super fast, easy, and delicious! I used green tea soba.

• Spinach & artichoke dip chicken bake

  • Rradishes on March 12, 2021

    Easy to put together and tasty. Will repeat. Definitely tastes like the dip just lighter. Served with quinoa on a side.

  • SheilaS on June 12, 2021

    I usually go by the book the first time but made a few changes and the recipe stood up with a result that was comforting and delicious. I used soy curls instead of chicken and added mushrooms and caramelized onions.

  • kari500 on November 10, 2021

    Delicious. I didn't have the full amount of chicken, and it looked like a pretty small amount of food for the 3 of us, but it is rich, and with a ciabatta roll each, it did the job. Really easy to make. I'll be making it again.

  • Emily Hope on April 22, 2021

    This was a hit with the family -- relatively easy, delicious, and healthy-ish. Used a cast-iron skillet instead of nonstick, which worked fine. Served with buttered egg noodles, which the kids appreciated, but in retrospect, I'd like to try it with baked potatoes or sweet potatoes (another option she suggests).

  • nicolepellegrini on February 18, 2026

    Another so simple and so surprisingly good recipe from this book. I served it over/with baby potatoes and could see making it in the future with fresh tortilla chips to go more with that spinach & artichoke dip feeling.

  • aimeekitty on March 26, 2025

    easy and fast and everyone liked it.

  • patioweather on November 15, 2021

    I tried three pans before I figured out the perfect size--a 9-inch round. I subbed chickpeas and mushrooms for the chicken. I thought the mushrooms did a good job replacing the chicken in terms of texture, but they tasted too "mushroomy" so back to the drawing board in finding the perfect chicken replacement. Overall, my partner loved this dish and made sure I marked it to make again, and I only thought it was o.k.

  • Skamper on September 09, 2024

    We thought this was ok over pasta, but really enjoyed it cold in a salad and sandwich. I threw in a handful of fresh basil and chives since I had some that needed using.

• Sticky chicken

  • MollyB on May 19, 2021

    Easy and the sauce is great. We used chicken breast and our sauce took a while to thicken, so the chicken was a bit overcooked. (We still went back for seconds!) I’ll use thighs next time, or maybe add a bit more cornstarch.

  • averythingcooks on May 29, 2021

    I scaled this back to roughly 2/3'rds to serve 2 (beside a veggie laden noodle dish) and we really enjoyed it. With both the sauce prepped & the chicken cubed early in the day, it was super fast to make. For us, the sambal oelek is not really optional - its heat & spice were the perfect counter to the sweetness of the ketchup & honey. I would absolutely make this again.

  • anya_sf on August 23, 2022

    I was able to cook the chicken in one batch using my nonstick wok. I loved this! Using 1 Tbsp chili-garlic sauce, it wasn't too spicy, just well balanced. Broccoli and brown rice were perfect with it.

  • dc151 on December 21, 2021

    Doubled the recipe, so it took a bit to brown everything in batches, but this is certainly an easy dish to make, and it was GONE. I cut down a bit on the sambal for some eaters' comfort, and gave the more spice-tolerant some hot sauce to add. I did drain some oil/fat before adding the sauce since I cooked so much chicken (I used thighs). Served with broccoli, rice and some crusty bread. This book has yet to disappoint!

  • Twysbeek on July 01, 2021

    Doubled the garlic and sambal and it was great! Served with steamed broccoli as suggested. Easy and tasty, there was some unappealing pooling of oil however, will cut back a bit next time.

  • jimandtammyfaye on April 30, 2021

    Tasty and easy! Loved as written, but will play around with adding other ingredients, too.

  • molly17659 on February 25, 2025

    This was good but i think adding red bell peppers or pineapple would make it more interesting

• Chicken reuben skillet

  • tarae1204 on November 29, 2023

    Make in 12” skillet. The black pepper is almost a little too strong.

  • hirsheys on November 07, 2021

    I love reuben sandwiches, so I was really interested to try this - it's supposed to be like the flavors of a reuben in a chicken dish. I was skeptical about how well this would actually work, but shouldn't have been - it came out great and was quite simple to make! Anyway, this was homey and a nice change from my usual. It's not a pretty dish, but definitely one I'll keep in my arsenal. I served this with some pumpernickel bread, but next time I'd serve it with something plainer like roasted/steamed potatoes or French fries (probably how I'll eat the leftovers).

  • Melissa_427 on April 13, 2022

    Really enjoyed this dish and the ease of this dish. Had the opportunity to substitute homemade goose pastrami for the chicken and was very happy with the switch. This also lead to my skipping the seasoning since the the pastrami seasoning was so similar.

  • vglong29 on September 04, 2023

    Everything about this is great. I cooked it all on the stove instead of stove and oven. I didn't tinker with any of the ingredients, tastes just like the sandwich.

  • pattyatbryce on March 22, 2021

    This was great! Super easy for a weeknight supper. Serve over a piece of rye toast for an open-faced sandwich and add a veg and dinner is ready.

• Green chile braised chicken thighs with pinto beans

  • susankay on June 30, 2022

    I made this dish with previously cooked rio zape beans from Rancho Gordo. I used the mixture as the filling, along with a shredded 3-cheese blend, to fill tortillas that I folded in half, and topped with cilantro and peach salsa. It was phenomenal.

  • kari500 on December 04, 2021

    Incredibly easy, and pretty tasty. I doubled and 3 of us made it through most of it. Careful with the lime, which can overpower. I threw in some frozen corn too, and would do so again.

  • nicolepellegrini on November 26, 2025

    This was....fine? Though maybe the most average/unmemorable dish I've made from this book. OK for a quick/tired evening "dump in pot and cook" meal but nothing really special. Also note to self: using ro-tel tomatoes makes it still too spicy for the husband who just can't tolerate heat of any real degree (even for me it was a little much without diluting with some "plain" canned tomatoes.

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Opted for the "more stew-like" path. Nice warming dinner for cold nights. Reheats well. Garnished with lime and cilantro, but omitted the sour cream.

  • Dannausc on April 18, 2021

    Super easy and quite good

  • purrviciouz on August 23, 2021

    Really tasty for the ease. I served this with cornbread and added red bell pepper and corn. It's a very flexible recipe.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    Tasty and very easy. It's quite lime-forward and almost too tangy. While it was good, I found myself wishing I was eating regular chili (it has many of the same flavors) and probably wouldn't make it again.

  • molly_03e1uw on April 21, 2026

    Based on other reviews, I added only 1 tablespoon of lime, and it was perfect. Delicious served over a roasted sweet potato!

• Low-and-slow baked Greek chicken & potatoes

  • jaelsne on June 21, 2023

    This recipe produced delicious, moist chicken with lovely crisp skin. The sauce was good with the potatoes, not so much for the chicken. Very easy preparation, just allow plenty of time for roasting.

  • julesamomof2 on November 17, 2024

    Just okay, but a little boring. I used a high sided roasting pan which caused by potatoes to take much longer to cook and by that time my very large chicken breasts were dry. That is easily fixed with the right vessel but I probably won't make this one again.

• Jalapeño popper-stuffed chicken

  • tarae1204 on October 19, 2021

    Recipe as written is good for serving jalapeños to children as it is mild. I loved the texture of the thin, moist chicken, cheese and small bits of jalapeño. The cilantro really balances the spice. I sprinkled sliced black olives on top which added more flavor and texture. I left the watery chicken sauce in the baking dish and served the rolled chicken with rice, quick Mac n cheese, microwaveable “Cowboy beans”, steamed broccoli, and aforementioned olives for a relatively easy family dinner with lots of choices. You could also do tortilla chips. I also “mangled” the pounded chicken as did hbakke. Maybe 1/4” is too thin, and 1/3” is more realistic. The damage wasn’t perceptible in finished dish.

  • hbakke on March 09, 2021

    I mangled the chicken breasts when pounding them flat, so they were a challenge to spread the filling and roll up. Otherwise, this turned out well for an easy dinner served with an iceberg wedge and the jalapeño vinaigrette from this book.

  • ethedens on August 13, 2022

    Easy to do and fairly tasty, but not my favorite

  • foodgloriousfood on March 26, 2021

    “Sauce” was watery. Flavor was lacking despite using more jalapeño. Added a lot of fresh lime juice and verde hot sauce to give it some flavor. Wouldn't make again as written.

• Roast chicken with onion gravy

  • kari500 on November 25, 2021

    Flavor was fine. But I don't get bothering to make the chicken skins nice and crispy and then covering them with this gravy. So for me, this won't be made again.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    Not sure what went wrong but my chicken ended up bland, and the gravy very thin and liquidy even after I tried to reduce it. One of my few failures from this book.

  • booksandcooks on May 10, 2021

    Wonderful flavor and very delicious dish for very little effort. My favorite recipe in the book that I've cooked.

• Khao man gai

  • bernalgirl on June 28, 2021

    An incredibly easy riff on this recipe, the broth is outstanding. I used Thai bean paste but my kids might prefer miso. Use the broth to cook jasmine rice to accompany the chicken

  • tarae1204 on December 18, 2021

    Very easy, delicious and family friendly, and with the five components (chicken, rice, broth, sauce and cucumber), one recipe allows you to produce a more than complete family meal. The flavor is light. You could add some better than bouillon to make the broth more flavorful. It inspires me to try slightly more complicated versions like the ones in Molly Baz and Pepper Teigen’s recent cookbooks.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    One of my favorite recipes in the book! It's a decently good copycat of Nong's Khao Man Gai, except for the rice which was lacking that chickeny flavor. Despite that, eating this chicken and drinking the broth feels so restorative and comforting. My husband isn't as big of a fan, but I love it.

  • Nrnarayan on February 18, 2026

    great weeknight meal! I took the extra time and made the rice with the poaching liquid, worth it!

  • hbakke on December 28, 2022

    Easy, nice dinner. We served it with rice and broth on the bottom, topped with the chicken, sauce, and cucumber slices.

  • emilycaj on May 19, 2025

    This is SO delicious considering how easy it is to make and how simple the ingredients are. A great recipe if you have a variety of picky children to feed-- everything is "plain" and served separately (but somehow still tastes delicious)!

• Stewed chicken with sour cream & chive dumplings

  • julesamomof2 on November 17, 2024

    This was a big miss for me. The chicken was dry, the dumplings tasted like baking powder, and the broth was flavorless and thin. I knew I was off to a bad start with instructions to simmer the BS chicken breasts for 30 minutes, so pulled them at 15 but it was too late to save. A rare miss for this book but this is one recipe that needs significant tweaking to be made again.

  • jaelsne on July 17, 2022

    My husband raved about this dish—making sure that I’ll put it into my rotation. The prep was very easy.

  • pattyatbryce on August 18, 2024

    On the fence on this one. Needed more broth, more flavor - garlic/onion? But, it was very veg forward and that was nice. I think it could be tweaked to my taste. I did enjoy the dumplings though!

  • anya_sf on January 03, 2023

    Since I was feeding a teenage boy, I increased the chicken and spinach and added frozen peas, and was happy with those changes. While easy to make, next time I'd add steps for better flavor and texture (saute carrots with onion and celery, cook chicken separately), and add flour for a thicker broth.

  • debbates on April 24, 2026

    The broth was delicious, but I felt that I needed to add an extra cup of water to have enough liquid for steaming dumplings. Also, I was in a hurry so simmered them on medium for 15 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes. All came out grand.

  • mnrickert on April 28, 2021

    This recipe fell flat for me, especially the soup base when compared to the flavorful dumplings. Next time I'll add celery and onion. I also would probably double the dumpling recipe and reduce the salt in the dumplings.

  • tmjellicoe on November 26, 2024

    I hadn’t read the previous comments on this recipe so I was glad I was only here to try the dumpling portion. I really enjoyed the dumplings. I thought 2 tsp of onion powder would be too much but it comes through nicely. I think the fresh chives cut through the powder and my opinion might be different without the freshness. I did think 1 tsp of salt for 4 dumplings was too much so I only used 3/4 and will cut it back further next time.

  • Jviney on July 16, 2021

    Somehow perfect for a rainy summer day. The dumplings were delicious and truly had the richness of sour cream and chive. I will pare back the chicken next time, it overwhelmed the veggies for me. A new favourite weeknight dinner for sure.

  • Babycarrot on February 27, 2024

    Since a previous commenter found this recipe to be flat, I added some onion and celery as she only calls for using carrots. I think leftovers were better the next day as some of the flavors melded, but it still was a rather boring stew/broth. The dumplings were definitely the best part and would make those again.

  • jimandtammyfaye on June 29, 2021

    Comfort food and simplicity. I worried the onion powder would be too much, but it tasted delicious in the dumplings. Next time, I'll increase the meat/veggie base ratio. Sweet potatoes would work in place of carrots.

• Mushroom & barley soup for dad

  • Zosia on November 09, 2023

    Hearty and delicious. I, too, added thyme. I only had a 14g bag of mixed dried mushrooms that I soaked in hot water, drained and chopped before adding to the soup. This was much easier than trying to pull them out later to chop. I used the soaking liquid as part of the broth.

  • anya_sf on January 09, 2023

    I added a thyme sprig and parmesan rind while the soup simmered. Also stirred in some frozen chopped spinach at the end for a green vegetable. Served with some black pepper (which Julia often doesn't call for) and grated parmesan on top, the soup was hearty and flavorful.

  • MollyPellecchia on November 04, 2025

    Nice reminder on how much easier roasting mushrooms is vs the stovetop. Followed the advice & added a parmesan rind & some thyme sprigs. Very nice soup.

• Smoked trout chowder

  • bernalgirl on August 03, 2024

    Very good, I used leftover salmon and a tin of smoked trout, added dried thyme, and finished it with lemon juice. Very big hit with the family!

  • anya_sf on August 27, 2022

    I like my chowder thicker, so I added 2 Tbsp flour to the cooked vegetables and thought the consistency was perfect. This was really good! Like jenburkholder, I used TJ's smoked trout but actually didn't worry about removing the tiny bones and we did not notice them.

  • jenburkholder on February 05, 2022

    Very good, very easy, weeknight friendly. The smoked trout gave it a lovely depth - almost bacon-y - though my son would have much preferred clams to fish. I used an 8 oz packet of smoked trout from Trader Joe's, just be wary of the small bones hiding in there.

  • patioweather on June 28, 2023

    I didn't have clam juice or broth and I felt like it was missing a little something. I added nutritional yeast.

  • melanie_tszu70 on December 31, 2025

    Easy and kids loved it.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    A sleeper hit! This was delicious and couldn't be easier. We savored every spoonful.

• Golden chicken broth with real egg noodles

  • Rradishes on March 08, 2021

    Makes a very flavorful broth. The egg noodles were much simpler and quicker to make than I though. Also added some chickpeas to be more filling. Next time would take the broth and maybe noodles as base, and add some veggies. Spinach and carrots would work great.

• Roasted cauliflower soup with turmeric croutons

  • ezwriternc on November 13, 2021

    This soup is all about those turmeric croutons. They elevated a typical cauliflower soup to another level. Don’t skip out on making those! So good.

• My mother-in-law's Brunswick stew

  • anya_sf on March 21, 2023

    Easy, good, hearty stew. I used rotisserie chicken meat from the freezer, so didn't have bones anymore, and just used canned chicken broth instead of making a quick stock. I only had 3 slices of bacon, but next time would use more as the bacon really bumped up the flavor.

  • shep0012 on March 10, 2024

    I used yukon gold potatoes instead of lima beans because that's what I had (after doing some internet sleuthing), and it was a good substitute. I also added a little bit of Worcestershire sauce at the very end to brighten it up. Don't skip the flour/butter mixture at the end because it really does bring everything together. It was great and we look forward to eating the leftovers all week.

• Italian sausage, farro & tomato stew

  • thefritschkitchen on October 22, 2024

    Do not forget the ricotta to top off - it really does elevate. My family was 50/50 on this recipe - a nice, hearty stew, that is warm and comforting, but not too heavy. My diced tomatoes are still large, and the chucks of tomatoes were not warmly received by children and husband alike :P Will try again with crushed tomatoes

  • anya_sf on April 05, 2024

    I really enjoyed this, especially with the recommended ricotta on top. The store only had "Italian-seasoned" turkey, which was less flavorful than sausage, so I added some dried fennel, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. I used a whole 250 g bag of TJ's 10-minute farro and 2 small bunches of kale, and needed to add another can of water and more salt.

  • stockholm28 on October 28, 2021

    This isn’t a repeat for me. It makes a very hearty stew, but I didn’t feel this recipe was more than the sum of its parts.

  • susankay on January 11, 2023

    Absolutely delicious. This will be a regular meal for us from now on.

  • julesamomof2 on November 08, 2024

    I love a stew that's hearty enough to be a main dish and this was perfect for a chilly night. I used turkey sausage and forgot the ricotta- will try that next time.

  • Jane on August 28, 2021

    I loved this. So much so that rather than freeze individual portions for future me to enjoy, I ate it 5 nights in a row (and didn't get bored of it at all). There are no unusual ingredients or techniques but somehow it makes a really satisfying dinner with a lot of flavor. Also very easy to put together. A definite repeat.

  • nicolepellegrini on November 11, 2022

    Delicious! Another non-fussy yet outstanding recipe from this book. Husband loved it (even if he went a little crazy adding ricotta as suggested.) It had more flavor than I even expected and I made it exactly as followed except adding a bay leaf.

  • Dannausc on April 18, 2021

    I added about 2 T. Red wine vinegar and about 2 t. Red pepper flakes. I sprinkled feta on top. I liked it quite a bit. Makes a nice, hearty stew.

  • Skamper on April 07, 2023

    This was good not great. I used slightly less sausage (14 oz), slightly more kale (10 oz), and TJs 10 minute farro. I wanted more of a stew and less of a soup, so only added about 18-20 oz of water. Topped with some feta.

  • mnrickert on May 03, 2021

    Do yourself a favor and take Julia up on her recommendation to add a spoonful of ricotta to your serving - you won't regret it!

  • mdagl on March 01, 2026

    Really good! Didn’t have carrot or ricotta but we all liked this. Will make again.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I agree with stockholm28. This sounded better than it actually turned out. I love all the ingredients individually but wasn't wowed by this. Update: I froze half of this soup, thawed it out the other day, and added more chicken stock and salt. It was somehow better this time? I think with some tweaks, this could be excellent.

• Matchstick carrot salad

  • nicolepellegrini on April 21, 2021

    Delicious! A great way to enjoy carrots and the leftovers were almost better the next day. I'd for sure make this for summer entertaining or picnics in the future.

  • Zosia on August 07, 2021

    Delicious version of a carrot salad.

  • anya_sf on May 08, 2024

    Delicious carrot salad. Slicing the carrots as directed really didn't take that long.

  • averythingcooks on March 28, 2021

    I cut this in 1/2 & it was a great way to easily add some more colour & crisp veg to dinner. Like the author, I don't mind making the (very small) effort to carefully matchstick the carrots (which I did pretty quickly early in the day & not by her diagonal coin method...I cut thin flat planks and go from there) and I think we liked this texture more than my usual grated carrot salads. This time, a spoonful of diced pickled red onions & some chives went in with everything else. A repeat for sure.

  • shep0012 on March 10, 2024

    Simple but very good. I used half lime/half lemon juice and I loved the combination.

• June's corn salad

  • bernalgirl on July 01, 2021

    Great base salad, I added a teaspoon of Rancho Gordo Stardust seasoning (like Tajin) or a diced jalapeño would be good.

  • nicolepellegrini on May 06, 2021

    Another super-easy yet winning recipe from this cookbook. I don't like raw cucumbers so I substituted diced kohlrabi for a similar fresh and crunchy element.

  • katiesue28 on September 07, 2022

    This was very quick and good. The cucumber adds a unique flavor to the corn salad.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    This was a wonderful side dish. My husband and I couldn't stop eating it. Definitely worth a repeat once corn is back in season.

• Asparagus & snap peas with peanuts & basil

  • bernalgirl on February 22, 2022

    An easy and flavorful side for a picnic or dinner. I made it with snap peas and Thai basil, and reduced the honey by half and added the juice from half of a lime. I plan to make it all spring and summer long. This would also be great with crispy or smoked tofu as an entree with rice or buckwheat noodles.

  • susankay on March 09, 2025

    Delicious and beautiful. I’ll certainly make this again.

  • Brittania on February 17, 2026

    Very good. Quick. Dont make too much - not great reheated.

  • eileen_861138 on April 13, 2026

    Really good served with rice, crispy tofu, and chili crisp to make it a meal!

• Potato salad by request

  • nicolepellegrini on November 17, 2025

    I thought this was...fine? But nothing really memorable or special. I did use half the amount of mayo as suggested and thought it was plenty (I don't like potato salads that are too "soupy" with mayo.

  • bernalgirl on February 12, 2024

    Doubled this for a Super Bowl party and it was a hit. Marinating the potatoes in the mustard-vinegar-onion-celery mixture results in flavorful potatoes without the metallic taste that sometimes comes from vinegar alone. I added diced dill pickles and sliced black olives as my grandmother did.

  • SheilaS on September 30, 2021

    Excellent potato salad! I've made potato salads where you add vinegar to the hot potatoes or even to the cooking water but as aeverythingcooks said, getting the Dijon mustard and onions in there, too, really makes for a flavorful result. I added chopped red bell pepper and sugar snap peas. Will definitely make this one again.

  • averythingcooks on August 17, 2021

    This is a really good potato salad. I had 2 larger Yukon golds to use up (= to the mass of a 1/2 recipe) and chopped them into small chunks after the boil. This method (where you mix the big impact flavour ingredients into the warm potatoes and then add the mayo once that mix has cooled right down) gives delicious results! Of course, I had to add chopped hard boiled eggs at the end.....because that's a non-negotiable for this style of potato salad in this house :)

  • Lepa on February 21, 2024

    This is much easier than the Ina recipe I usually make and we liked it just as much- maybe even more? It reminds me of the simple potato salads I ate growing up. I especially appreciated the kick of mustard and vinegar. This may become my go- to going forward.

• Palm Springs pearl couscous & citrus salad

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    While pleasant on its own, the salad was super delicious topped with grilled Moroccan-spiced chicken. I made the mistake of cooking the couscous ahead and chilling it; it congealed into a big lump. Fortunately, I was able to loosen it by warming it in the microwave. I increased the recipe by 50% to use a whole 8 oz box pearl couscous; served on a bed of chopped romaine with chicken on top, it just served 3 for dinner + 1 lunch.

  • SheilaS on May 31, 2021

    I made this with pink grapefruit instead of oranges and found it to be an excellent salad or side dish. I look forward to trying it with other citrus. Toasting the couscous adds a great flavor.

  • bernalgirl on February 12, 2024

    This salad has crunch, freshness, a bit of salty-sweet. It’s pretty and delicious. I added the onions to the salted vinegar while the pasta cooked and appreciated the pickled flavor and bright pink color.

  • julesamomof2 on November 08, 2024

    This is my most made dish out this book, I have lost count of the times I've made it. It's the perfect non-leaf side to anything. Especially great in summer alongside grilled anything.

  • cklauber2 on August 28, 2024

    This dish is so pretty! I wouldn’t typically think of putting these ingredients together a dish, but it really is quite lovely all together.

  • snoozermoose on May 29, 2022

    This far exceeded my expectations. Bright, refreshing, and a perfect balance of salty and sweet. The pistachios also add great flavor and texture.

  • avogel on June 26, 2022

    I accidentally bought small couscous instead of pearl couscous so I made this recipe with that. It worked but I’ll try it with pearl couscous next time.

  • cheffreddie on September 09, 2021

    Just a really delicious side salad, what more can I say? I only had 1 orange on hand when I made this but I would definitely use 2 as the recipe calls for next time. The pistachios really make the dish. Would be a perfect dish to bring to a potluck or a BBQ - just double or triple the recipe because people will be coming back for seconds!

  • allisonsemele on February 11, 2026

    Very satisfying and refreshing side dish I would make again. Made 1.5x the recipe, which made about six servings as a side. Will try another nut like almonds next time—not sure this was the best use of expensive pistachios.

• Grace's green beans with garlic & tomatoes

  • bernalgirl on June 20, 2021

    Update: I’ve made this two ways now, first removing the sliced garlic from the oil after it reaches a golden color, then adding it back once the tomatoes caramelize, and second as directed with wax beans. In the second method, I had to put a lid on the pan and add a few tablespoons of water to get the beans cooked properly without the tomatoes drying out, but the resulting jammy tomatoes were spectacular. Since that would cause grayish green beans, next time I’ll branch the beans before putting them in the pan. I love this combination and it works great with Romano beans as well.

  • nicolepellegrini on March 14, 2021

    Made this using canned cherry tomatoes as fresh are...not very good this time of year. Similar to a recipe my mother always likes to make, though a little heavier on the tomato. Husband loved it, I thought it was quite good--especially with some crusty bread to enjoy the blistered tomatoes and garlic. Might try adding some oregano or basil next time.

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Probably my favorite recipe from the book so far. Quick to come together. Likely the simplest recipe in the book, but not short on flavor. Sampled with and without the feta. Prefer without. Already made more than once.

  • Soulkitchenjen on July 30, 2024

    Simple and delicious to use up a garden over abundance. I sprinkled a little feta on top. I could eat this every day. I think my ratio was off. More tomatoes than green beans. Use what you have.

  • snoozermoose on May 30, 2022

    I made this exactly as written and it was perfect. These are some delicious green beans! This will be my new go-to way to cook green beans.

  • pattyatbryce on February 08, 2025

    Had some trouble getting the beans cooked. I think bernalgirl had it right to add a lid and a little water. Overall, we liked it, but I don't know that we'd make again.

• Hasselback carrots with pimentón and roasted lemon

  • bernalgirl on February 03, 2024

    I love the idea of these but carrots don’t easily carmelize in this format the way that slim young carrots or quartered carrot quarters do. I love the flavors and made a pool of the spiced yogurt beneath the carrots. I love pimenton with carrots (and cumin, so I added 1/2 teaspoon), and the garlicky yogurt is a delight, so I’ll make this again tossed in olive oil and spices, eliminating the cooking water, to roast till properly caramelized.

  • Skamper on April 12, 2023

    These tasted 0% different from roasted carrots and were 100% fussier and more frustrating.

• Sweet & spicy mashed sweet potatoes

  • julesamomof2 on November 17, 2024

    These were a nice alternative to plain mashed potatoes and would be nice with grilled anything. The food processor really made for a smooth result.

  • nicolepellegrini on December 16, 2022

    Made this several times now, even the husband likes it (and he's usually meh on sweet potatoes.) Best to adjust the heat and sweetness from the chipotles and honey, depending on your potatoes after cooking and mashing them; sometimes if the potatoes are dried I'll add a little bit of milk as well.

  • Melissa_427 on September 02, 2021

    Used a hot honey but was inspired to do so by this recipe, a quick and delicious touch to mashed sweet potatoes

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    I really wanted to like this more but I found it too sweet to use as a side dish. I do like the idea of adding hot sauce but it wasn't enough to make up for the overwhelming sweetness.

• White pizza-style kale

  • MollyB on August 19, 2021

    Very good recipe if you have a lot of kale on hand and don't want anything too complicated. Even the 10 year old who typically hates cooked greens ate some and barely complained. (We skipped the red pepper flakes and garlic powder for him.) We had a mix of Russian kale and lacinato kale, and the bites with lacinato were definitely better.

  • tarae1204 on December 31, 2023

    Delicious! I sautéed sliced mushrooms first, then added the kale. When that had cooked down, I added bagged baby kale and baby spinach. That increased the water content of the dish somehow but it came out from the broiler just fine and was very good over pasta.

  • patioweather on September 07, 2022

    Hard to go wrong with this much cheese! The kale seemed like it was going to be too much kale, but it was exactly right.

  • katiesue28 on November 19, 2024

    This is very yummy and a great way to use up leftover ricotta! I do think it needs some acid at the end, so finish it with some lemon juice or white wine vinegar.

  • Apepin on January 01, 2022

    This is delicious. You can't go wrong with this much cheese.

  • skvalentine on December 29, 2021

    I liked this a lot! I only had russian-style kale, and I can't wait to try it with lacinato. Unfortunately my husband and kids didn't care for this, but that's OK I ate the whole pan :)

  • cklauber2 on November 29, 2023

    I love how fast and simple this recipe was. I will definitely make this again since I can tell it will be very easy to adapt to however much kale I have.

• Cheesy ranch grits

  • anya_sf on August 11, 2023

    I used quick grits which cooked much faster. I thought these were yummy when seasoned with enough salt plus some pepper. They went well with chile-glazed pork.

  • averythingcooks on March 06, 2024

    We enjoyed these under a saucy pork, red chile & bean stew. I like a bit of texture in my grits so my cook time was 30 minutes rather than the suggested 40. The spices give a nice background flavour & are easy to increase if a taste warrants it. Although good as written, I did add thinly sliced pickled red peppadews for a little extra colour/punch. These are worth repeating.

  • SheilaS on May 21, 2021

    I like grits plain and don't usually go for the cheesy sort but curiosity got the best of me so I tried these and like them quite a bit. The seasonings - onion powder, garlic powder and dry mustard go in at the end but it's worth letting them sit for a bit to let the flavors meld. I used an extra sharp aged cheddar and served them with collards and a boiled egg for a nice breakfast.

  • Dannausc on April 18, 2021

    Good but not as great/flavorful as I thought it would be.

• Go-to dressing

  • westminstr on November 25, 2021

    Equal parts tahini, tamari, olive oil, & ACV - fast, easy & very tasty! Reminds me of the tahini tamari dressing from long lost Temple in the Village. Great for a lunch salad, I think I would like it on a veg grain bowl too.

  • MollyB on April 06, 2021

    Very good, easy dressing. It was tasty on a simple green salad with radishes, as well as over roast turkey (which was dry and needed some help). I really like the equal parts ratio, which makes it really easy to scale up or down.

  • anya_sf on August 27, 2022

    Made a lemon juice version. Very good - nice change from our usual oil and vinegar dressing. So easy to make.

• Parmesan & peppercorn dressing

  • stockholm28 on November 11, 2021

    I liked this, but thought the lemon was a little too dominant. I ended up adding more parmesan and pepper. Next time I might try it with a bit less lemon juice.

  • averythingcooks on March 10, 2021

    This made a very tasty & thick dressing. I used a 50:50 mix of mayo & yogurt and we had it over some romaine leaves. I still prefer our favourite Caesar dressing but as Julia says - this can be used for a "Caesar-esque" salad :) Also, I made it 3 days before we used it and it was still great. I think it would be a good quick option for a dip as well. A definite repeat (try all yogurt next time).

  • cklauber2 on September 21, 2024

    Maybe because this is so similar to Caesar dressing, I felt like it was missing a kick. I would make it again and put some grated garlic in it.

  • MonicaMadeIt on November 24, 2021

    I was out of parmesan so used cotija cheese instead, and used half mayo/half Greek yogurt. It needed something so I added a tiny amount of toasted sesame oil, which gave it some depth and cut the sharpness of the lemon. Maybe that would not have been necessary with the correct cheese, so next time I'll use parmesan and find out!

  • mdagl on June 05, 2022

    It is Caesary, indeed! Very easy to throw together and was great on romaine lettuce.

• Creamy feta & scallion dressing

  • averythingcooks on March 12, 2021

    This thick & creamy dressing was (as promised) delicious over a mix of crispy lettuces. This (like her parm & peppercorn dressing) would also make a great quick dip for veg or chips.

  • Rradishes on April 25, 2022

    Great dressing, can also be used as a dip with a veggie platter.

  • allisonsemele on May 19, 2021

    Delicious creamy dressing that I will make again. Good for using up the end of the feta and some stray scallions. I liked it even better the next day.

  • Skamper on August 27, 2021

    Delicious dressing. served on a simple green salad with the arayes from the same book.

  • Jviney on April 15, 2022

    I tried this several ways (on toast with fried eggs, as a chip dip) and it didn’t do it for me. Too oniony and vinegary, and too thick to use as a salad dressing, but all that could totally be a matter of personal taste.

• Jalapeño vinaigrette

  • averythingcooks on March 14, 2021

    After making as directed, we both tasted this and agreed it was very good....but I did then go ahead and add a couple spoonfuls of yogurt to thicken it a bit. It was great over a mix of crispy lettuces!

  • hbakke on March 09, 2021

    A nice tangy dressing. I used one jalapeño and it wasn't spicy at all, which was fine with me. I served this with an iceberg wedge and some diced tomato.

  • jimandtammyfaye on April 30, 2021

    Very good dressing! I agree with averthingcooks- adding 2 TBS of yogurt made it creamy and perhaps cut the heat of the jalapeno. This will be a workhorse for salads that complement Mexican-themed meals.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    Delicious and unique salad dressing. Mine was plenty thick the way it was. We served it over iceberg wedges. This would make a great sauce for chicken or fish as well.

  • Melissa_427 on October 17, 2023

    Absolutely adored this dressing and was blown away by how utterly simple and delicious it was, will definitely be on repeat!

• Yogurt, tahini & parsley sauce

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Very good with the Arayes (pg.20) in place of the yogurt sauce.

• Roasted pepper & corn relish

  • averythingcooks on March 20, 2021

    I cut this to 1/3 to use for tacos. I used the kernels from 1 cob topped up with some frozen corn and I went a little heavier with the apple cider vinegar and a little lighter with the honey. Because I used hot peppadew peppers this time, I skipped the red pepper flakes. I now have a great little jar packed with flavour in my fridge.

• Sled dog muffins

  • anya_sf on June 04, 2024

    I appreciated that the muffins were healthy, but unfortunately they tasted like it - like less moist baked oatmeal cups. We will eat them but I doubt I'll make them again.

  • Rradishes on April 07, 2023

    These came out very plain. Next time i might experiment with adding another banana, and/or vanilla + honey

  • SheilaS on June 08, 2021

    I was worried that these would be heavy but they are quite light. The applesauce, banana and dab of jam add the perfect amount of sweetness. Love having a vegan, gluten-free breakfast baked item as an option for guests with those restrictions.

  • Jviney on November 17, 2021

    These lacked flavor to me... maybe some honey would have helped? Or even some almond extract? Without a significant flavor, I was left to focus on the texture which felt gummy and heavy to me.

  • Melissa_427 on October 10, 2023

    When I make these again, I think I'll skip the jam dollop as I think the muffins need an actual spread of jam or butter or honey when you're digging in. They're definitely more of a "healthy choice" muffin, rather than a "breakfast indulgence" muffin.

• L-E-O scramble

  • SheilaS on June 08, 2021

    Classic and delicious deli-style breakfast.

• Breakfast nachos

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Great flavor for a fun breakfast. Salt levels perfect using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. Personally, would move rack farther than 6 inches to ensure the cheese melts evenly without charring in spots. The avocado take on pico de gallo was a great balance to the cheese and egg.

• Walnut "sausage" patties

  • SheilaS on May 29, 2021

    I found the texture of these patties to be good but the flavor was quite bland. If I were to make them again, I'd up the amount of sage, add plenty of black pepper and try Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or some of that TJ's mushroom umami seasoning. These definitely need a good dose of umami.

• Sweet potato hash browns

  • SheilaS on May 29, 2021

    This came out more like hash than hash browns, likely due to my own ineptitude. Maybe I should have used a bigger pan to make a thinner layer. I got blackened bits on the bottom layer but never really got that golden brown crispiness I want in a hash brown.

• Kitchen sink frittata

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2021

    Other than scaling down to a half-sized, 3-egg, 3-serving version and using hot Italian instead of breakfast sausage, I made this as written and it was delicious. More importantly, Julia's suggestions in the head notes open up all sorts of other ideas. I gotta try the salami, goat cheese and arugula version!

  • averythingcooks on July 29, 2021

    This was great "eggs for dinner" option with lots of crisper clean out potential. I left my breakfast sausages in the casings (cut up into small chunks) and added broccoli, shredded cheddar and some lingering sweet peppers (in addition to the tomatoes & spinach called for). The cook time was pretty much right on and we enjoyed this beside some crispy hash browns.

  • Melissa_427 on June 15, 2021

    Subbed duck eggs and cleaned out some bacon and wild asparagus

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    This was okay. I followed the recipe exactly and it was fine, but not greater than the sum of its parts. I've made tastier frittatas.

  • BearTrapHouse on April 07, 2026

    Good technique! Added feta.

• Roasted banana & sour cream waffles

  • anya_sf on June 15, 2023

    Tasty waffles - loved the spices with the banana. Exterior was slightly crisp, interior a little heavy, but I think this is par for the course with bananas + whole wheat. I used white whole wheat flour, 205 g sour cream (all I had) + 35 g milk. Yield was 5 round waffles. Did not need extra sour cream on top.

  • SheilaS on May 25, 2021

    The flavor of these waffles is excellent. The texture is a little bit heavy. I used stone-ground Glenn wheat flour. Next time, I will try another variety or just mix in some Sonora wheat flour.

  • crysta_63qusi on January 04, 2026

    Delicious flavor - I will be roasting bananas like this again! To make them gluten free, I used 100g of King Arthur Measure for Measure GF blend, plus 40g of buckwheat to keep the more whole-grain spirit. I did need to add 3-4 tablespoons of milk to thin the batter just a bit, but they turned out great.

  • luluinphilly on January 06, 2023

    After reading Sheila S review, I did 3/4 of the flour as KAF AP and then the rest as spelt. The texture was still a bit stodgy, so I added some buttermilk to thin it out. They were delicious , light and crisp with those changes and had a warm banana flavor. it is also wonderful with sourdough discard for some of the flour and liquid

• Yogurt with roasted pineapple sauce & toasted coconut

  • SheilaS on June 08, 2021

    The roasted pineapple sauce didn't work out very well for me. I chose the option of using 1 lb frozen pineapple and ended up with something close to fruit leather. Maybe I should not have used the convection setting. I did love the idea of using toasted coconut as a topping.

• Coffee crumb cake for Georgine

  • NJChicaa on May 20, 2023

    I didn't like it at all.

  • snoozermoose on September 03, 2022

    Very easy crumb cake with a high crumb-to-cake ratio. I wished it had a little more flavor and a lighter texture (probably personal preference).

• White bean & pimentón dip

  • SheilaS on May 13, 2021

    The smoky flavor here isn't my top favorite for serving with veggies but it's so quick and easy that I'll certainly keep this recipe in my back pocket.

  • pattyatbryce on March 22, 2021

    Super easy with nice flavor. Great for a last minute dip.

• Honeyed apricots with cream cheese & pistachios

  • hirsheys on November 07, 2021

    I made 1/3 of a recipe (4 apricots). I found these strangely addictive, and I'm looking forward to trying a cocktail with the leftover apricot honey syrup (as Julia recommends). I agree that labneh might be better in these, though. Next time I have some I'll try a batch to see. Regardless, this was a quick bite that's easy to put together and looks very pretty. Would be great for a cocktail party. Update: cocktail made with bourbon is DELICIOUS. Might make syrup on purpose in the future.

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Delicious and straight forward. I almost always have labneh on hand, which I think I'd use instead of cream cheese next time. As per the headnote, the leftover soaking liquid made for an outstanding gin cocktail.

  • Jviney on July 04, 2021

    These were such a lovely surprise. Not too sweet, a little tang from the cream cheese, crunch from the pistachios, and they are so pretty. Great find of a recipe.

• Parsnip latkes

  • Apollonia on January 12, 2024

    Meh. Maybe I'm just sick of parsnips, but these were just ok. Nothing on a potato latke.

• Buffalo Brussels sprouts

  • hirsheys on November 07, 2021

    I definitely preferred the sprouts that were less toasty in this case because the buffalo flavor came through more. That said, the whole dish was definitely good - next time I'd just double the buffalo sauce to increase that flavor a bit more. (I've also just realized that I cut them in half and maybe wasn't supposed to.)

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Absolutely delicious. My sprouts were a bit on the large side so I opted to halve them, leaving them cut-side down when roasting, and they turned out great. Absolutely no leftovers.

• Zucchini, green olive & feta fritters

  • Jane on May 31, 2021

    I've made several different recipes for zucchini fritters over the years. I liked these for the extra flavor pops from feta and green olives. They held up reasonably well though I rarely seem to flip fritters perfectly. The salty garlic yogurt was a good, easy dipping sauce.

  • ellencooks on March 03, 2024

    I’ve made these multiple times and we love them!

  • Lepa on August 23, 2021

    We liked these fritters. They were easy to make and I liked the flavor of the feta and olive. I cooked these on an electric griddle and they held together well.

  • jenburkholder on August 13, 2023

    Great version of a zucchini fritter. I used a fairly starchy GF flour instead of the flour + cornstarch, worked well. Went back for seconds but my husband had eaten the rest so everyone liked them, apparently!

  • emilycaj on May 11, 2025

    These were delicious, quick, and easy. Greek yogurt works just fine for the dipping sauce.

  • Skamper on January 14, 2023

    These were delish. I used a yellow squash and added a quarter of a yellow onion, grated. I like that there's just enough flour and egg to hold everything together. I made 6 larger fritters rather than 12 small. Move to a rack set inside a baking sheet to cool. Recipe makes more sauce than needed but it is tasty.

  • Soulkitchenjen on July 29, 2024

    These didn’t seem to cook all the way through. The taste was good. The texture was all wrong. Garlic and lemon yogurt is always good.

  • Pandan on September 15, 2024

    Fast and easy to prepare, also didn’t fall apart while frying. They were just a bit too salty for me and would have tasted better with less olives.

  • BearTrapHouse on November 03, 2025

    These are a summer favorite!! 5/5!

• Card night ginger cookies

  • averythingcooks on September 13, 2022

    To get 20 cookies, I used approximately 42 g / cookie. I also cut the powdered ginger back a bit and added minced crystalized ginger to the dough. This was a good use of whole wheat flour but we also prefer a crisper cookie....having said that, I predict that these will disappear pretty quickly.

  • cklauber2 on September 18, 2024

    I was looking for a way to use up some whole wheat flour, and these cookies fit the bill. Not the greatest ginger cookie I've ever made, but they were easy to make and my co-workers enjoyed them!

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    These were a nice soft ginger cookie. I'm not a fan of soft cookies so they're not my favorite, but the flavor is solid. I used Julia's suggestion of making ice cream sandwiches with them, and they were a big hit with friends.

  • Lsblackburn1 on January 30, 2022

    Nice flavors and soft delicate texture.

  • breakthroughc on December 23, 2022

    Delicious soft ginger cookie. I added some minced stem ginger and chilled before baking. I used a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop and got just over 40 cookies. I mistakenly baked them at 325 and they took almost the full time to bake as the larger cookies. I will fill some of them with cream cheese frosting for a sandwich cookie.

• Orange & Greek yogurt cake

  • anya_sf on November 16, 2023

    Basic, good, easy, relatively healthy yogurt cake. I added poppy seeds. Despite being rather squat, the loaf took 5 min extra to bake. It was fairly moist and tender, and lightly sweet.

• Blueberry crumble

  • anya_sf on August 16, 2025

    Very good, basic berry crisp/crumble recipe. I used 550 g fruit, 2/3 blueberries, 1/3 raspberries, but didn't alter anything else. Sweetness level and topping:fruit ratios were just right for me (I always top mine with vanilla ice cream).

  • thefritschkitchen on June 03, 2025

    Simple and delicious. Took about 7 minutes to throw it together and served warm after dinner. Will definitely be making again

  • nutrica6 on May 09, 2025

    I made this with frozen cherries and it was perfect. Just a classic crumble dessert. Served with coconut milk vanilla ice cream.

  • nicole_mwyopi on May 28, 2026

    So easy and so delicious

• Any frozen fruit & cornmeal cobbler

  • Lepa on December 10, 2021

    This wasn't the best cobbler I have made but it is very easy and perfect for a weeknight dessert after having a virtuous salad for dinner. It took minutes to make, required little clean up and was very satisfying. I would probably use a finer cornmeal next time as it was a bit too crunchy with the raspberries. This took 55 minutes to cook.

  • SheilaS on May 13, 2021

    I usually think of fresh fruit with cobblers and was surprised how great this was with frozen fruit. I made a half batch in a smaller pan with peaches and cherries. Julia says leftovers are good cold with yogurt for breakfast. It is indeed good with yogurt but I think it's worth warming up to re-crisp the cobbler layer. Looking forward to trying other combinations. Mango & blueberry up next!

  • bernalgirl on June 02, 2021

    I don’t live ve to bake do this is an outstanding recipe to have on hand — not to sweet so the leftovers lend themselves to breakfast with yogurt. I generally halve the recipe and cook in an 8” pan

  • Rradishes on April 12, 2021

    Very easy and a crowd pleaser. Used 1 part peaches, 2 part raspberries. Next time can try more peaches, or peach+raspberry+blueberry. Great with vanilla ice cream.

  • stockholm28 on November 02, 2021

    This is incredibly easy. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and dirties one bowl. I made half a recipe in an 8x8 pan. I used sour cherries from my freezer stash. I used white cornmeal (she calls for yellow). Cobbler is probably my favorite homestyle dessert, so I enjoyed this. While there are other cobbler recipes that I prefer, this is definitely the easiest and I can see making this again when I want a quick dessert.

  • j.va on March 03, 2021

    Incredibly easy to assemble. Made with 2 lbs of mixed frozen berries, which combined with the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch gelled much more than expected so it was lacking that saucy quality below the dough layer. Vanilla ice cream balanced the flavors. Would reduce the cornstarch when making again.

• Coconut marble loaf

  • anya_sf on June 07, 2023

    Good, fairly moist, rich cake. I wasn't sure I understood the layering instructions, but what I did seemed to work. Despite using coconut extract (but not coconut flour), the coconut flavor wasn't that prominent, although it was stronger than the chocolate. If I made this again, I'd definitely add the optional chocolate chips and maybe some flaked coconut as well.

  • snoozermoose on December 04, 2021

    This was a lovely loaf cake, perfect for a coconut lover. The coconut extract is definitely worth seeking out. It's what gives this cake a strong but not overpowering coconut flavor.

• Pear, polenta & almond cake

  • stockholm28 on November 16, 2021

    This a an easy (and gluten free) cake. You don’t even need a mixer. It is made with yellow cornmeal (I subbed white) and almond flour. It also uses olive oil and pear baby food and only 1/2 cup sugar so as desserts go it is relatively healthy. Ms. Turshen says you can sub apple sauce for the pear baby food and I think that would have been fine. I liked the cake fine, although am not sure I would make it again. I found it a bit dry, but I also think I probably overbaked it. It is not very sweet and it is fairly plain. I think it might be good with a hint of cardamom. I individually wrapped the leftover slices and put them in the freezer. I had one today after a quick zap in the microwave and I think I liked it better than the day I made it.

  • nutrica6 on October 27, 2025

    Agree very easy to make. The pear flavor is very subtle, if there at all. I think the baby food is actually just for moisture more than anything. I would take this out of the oven five minutes sooner next time, as it was a tiny bit dry. Good cake for snacking, and not too rich or sweet!

• Grace's favorite biscuits

  • ezwriternc on January 16, 2022

    These were easy but dry. I think the lack of fat explains why. They didn’t brown on top either. I cooked them for 25 minutes. Could be my oven but they were still colorless after 15 and 20. I’d make biscuits with fat next time.

  • JeffALNY on April 27, 2026

    Could be more flavorful but the ease is inarguable.

• Buttermilk & cornmeal pancakes

  • bernalgirl on April 27, 2026

    Overall we really loved these. I tasted a bitter edge and would consider decreasing the baking soda next time. I also added about 1/3 cup more buttermilk because we like a thinner pancake. They were delightful with strawberry jam and maple syrup — my favorite way to enjoy cornmeal pancakes.

  • skvalentine on June 04, 2024

    Loved how easy these were. Great way to use up buttermilk (and cornmeal!)

• Kimchi chicken salad on toast

  • hirsheys on November 20, 2021

    Made this because I saw the other EYB review and it drew my attention. (Otherwise, I would miss all these "list" recipes....) All in all this is a tasty, quick meal. Open faced is the way to go - my first round I ate it as a sandwich and the balance was off. My kimchi is weirdly mild, so I'm wishing for more of a kick - next time I would taste it carefully to make sure that the balance is right. Still, the concept is good. (Also, in her first book, she has a great avocado toast with kimchi mayo - I think avocado would be lovely on this sandwich as well.) I will keep this in my back pocket for a quick dinner for sure.

  • ezwriternc on November 19, 2021

    This book introduced me to the combination of kimchi and mayo. It's absolutely delicious so how can you go wrong if you add chicken and scallions? Great chicken salad. If you like kimchi, make this.

  • Skamper on January 04, 2023

    The mayo really dulls the heat of the kimchi. I added some gojuchang to increase the kick. Even so, we didn't really care for this. I'd been wanting to try it for some time and it didn't live up to my expectations.

• An egg with a cheese skirt

  • SheilaS on May 29, 2021

    This is fun - a fried egg surrounded by frico!

• Broccoli with soy sauce & butter

  • anya_sf on August 23, 2022

    Good, easy way to prepare broccoli. Like Julia, I would definitely eat this over rice and call it dinner, maybe with an egg as she says.

• Fish & shrimp in parchment with soy & butter

  • TrishaCP on March 17, 2022

    I agree this is a very flexible and delicious method for fish (I used halibut, and the halibut stayed moist and delicious). I didn’t have ginger, so I just skipped it- the shallots that I used were sufficient but I also like the idea of Zosia’s garlic tweak.)

  • Zosia on November 09, 2021

    Simple and very tasty and quite easy to make for several people if needed. I replaced the butter with a splash of olive oil and added minced garlic (tossed it with the the shrimp first). The technique is sound; the flavours can easily be adjusted to taste.

• Toaster oven fish stick tacos

  • tarae1204 on July 20, 2023

    This recipe is tucked in the back of her book, and described narratively without set amounts of ingredients. It works really well though! Instead of mayo, we used Mexican Thousand Island Dressing from Trejo's Cantina. We added a little thinly sliced white onion to the sliced cabbage, and topped the tacos with thinly sliced radish and some pickled red onions.

  • Jviney on July 24, 2023

    I loved this - really fun. I used little street-sized corn tacos and they charred really well over the gas flame. Definitely will make again.

• Spicy string bean & peanut stir-fry

  • Zosia on November 16, 2023

    These were delicious! I served them as a side with pork chops and brown rice.

  • Jviney on August 05, 2023

    This was a great way to use up an abundance of summer green beans. I sautéed them with a scoop of chili garlic crisp, some sriracha, and tamari, and served over ramen. Even my non-green-bean-loving husband said it looked and smelled delicious.

• Almond chicken cutlets for Grace

  • breakthroughc on January 06, 2022

    These were a split decision. I liked them better than hubby, but agree they were too salty. If I make again I wouldn't use the old bay seasoning, but the alternative spices so I could control the salt content. I did like the mayo/mustard layer. They were moist, flavorful with a nice topping.

  • nutrica6 on May 09, 2025

    These were moist and delicious, but a bit salty. I would cut back on Old Bay next time. Keep the thermometer in the chicken while they cook and pull out when they hit 162-163.

• Honeymoon chicken

  • amyscookbooks on May 02, 2022

    Simple and delicious weeknight dinner. Used all of the seasoning on half the meat (used 4 chicken thighs instead of 8). Served with rice and a salad.

  • nicole_mwyopi on April 12, 2026

    I haven’t roasted chicken in forever and this was an excellent return to it. My kitchen smells amazing. Adding roasted pineapple too because I just feel like it.

• Jody's French lentil & kale stew

  • Orleams on April 04, 2026

    Good but not exciting. Confess I used the instant pot and reduced the lentil cooking time to 20 minutes natural release, and the liquid to 4 cups.

  • Skamper on February 08, 2024

    Made this on Monday to have on Tuesday but life intervened and we ate it on Wednesday. good enough but nothing special.

  • purrviciouz on September 02, 2021

    This is one of those recipes where you're like, how can this be so delicious with so few ingredients? This was really incredible and I absolutely love the garnishes.

  • patioweather on November 13, 2023

    The first day I thought it was a bit bland, but I devoured the leftovers! The ricotta takes it over the top. Made with puglia lentils.

• Roasted onion soup

  • snoozermoose on May 29, 2022

    Tasty and fairly easy, but I felt like it was missing something to get it to "excellent".

• Old-school borscht

  • mdagl on June 29, 2022

    Be aware - 3 hour cook time after prepping everything. Also needed to add a couple cups of water with the veggies. I tried to hold out because according to the recipe the veggies would give off a lot of water, but it wasn't as much as it needed. It turned out delicious though! Very hearty and used up a lot of veggies that we had from the CSA.

  • Melissa_427 on October 22, 2023

    Things I had to substitute: White tail deer steaks for beef stew meat (allowed first simmer time to be reduced) Increased potato, decreased beet because of availability. Used about 1.5 cups of sauerkraut rather than cabbage, added at the end of cook time and opted out of the vinegar. Loved this dish so much more than anticipated!

  • Lsblackburn1 on January 11, 2022

    Good solid borscht recipe. I did add an additional 3cups of water or so with the vegetables. Also, I did not peel my vegetables and that seemed fine.

• Braised red cabbage & green apples

  • purrviciouz on June 19, 2021

    We loved this. I doubled the recipe and portioned in the freezer to reheat as a weeknight side and it held up well. We also topped chicken with roasted garlic and Gruyere sausage sandwiches with this (in place of kraut) and it was delicious!

  • Lsblackburn1 on September 05, 2023

    So simple and delicious. Great side dish for some fancy sausages I got at the farmers market.

• Lemon poppy seed & yogurt dressing

  • mdagl on December 17, 2022

    Since it was quite sweet, it was difficult to find a fitting use for this one. Not bad, but not a repeater. Does feel very old school, as Julia said.

• Spinach & potato bites

  • Jviney on January 19, 2022

    I appreciated the effort to develop this recipe, but it didn’t turn out for me as described. The bites flattened into a leathery disc, and I was able to cut them into bite sized squares with a knife but the cutouts were a fail. The flavor was fine if paired with hot sauce and Ranch…probably not a repeat for me.

• Pork & pineapple toothpicks

  • ginger2212 on June 05, 2025

    omg this is good and easy. i made as a dinner with leftover coconut rice! it needs a veg but it was fabulous. I had leftover canned pineapple from pineapple upside down cake so a great use of that too but im sure it would be extra special with fresh pineapple.

• Apricot & almond biscotti

  • Lsblackburn1 on April 22, 2024

    This was tasty but did not get crisp for me, so it’s basically cake. Not sure where I went wrong.

  • nutrica6 on January 06, 2025

    These didn't work well for me. The dough came together nicely but I think it needed longer in the oven maybe? I also sliced them when they were still warm, which was a mistake as they fell apart. They never got crispy, so just soft cookies, despite leaving the sliced pieces in the oven an extra 20 minutes. Maybe they need a higher oven temp. Also I would roughly chop the almonds next time, as the whole almonds were hard to cut through when slicing.

• Lemon ricotta cupcakes

  • breakthroughc on January 10, 2022

    I thought these were just okay. They were totally fine, just nothing special. The lemon flavor was mild, I liked the frosting (added a bit more sugar). I won’t repeat.

  • Melissa_427 on May 07, 2021

    I made these as a muffin rather than a cupcake, meaning I skipped the frosting and added a tablespoon of poppyseeds. Shared them with coworkers and received rave reviews.

• Carrot pineapple cake with maple cream cheese frosting

  • nutrica6 on November 01, 2025

    I made these as cupcakes, ended up with 24 cupcakes perfectly baked after 22 minutes in the oven. The frosting has very little sweetness, and I actually ended up adding more maple syrup to it.The cake itself is so delicious!

• Banana & chocolate chip layer cake

  • MonicaMadeIt on February 21, 2022

    This came together very quickly. I used 9 inch cake pans and could have used about 10-15% more frosting due to the higher surface area. It's good--tastes like banana bread with chocolate frosting! Not super sweet or rich so it feels slightly healthier.

• Miniature egg white frittatas

  • vglong29 on August 14, 2023

    The technique for this is great, other recipes I tried at higher temp and longer time resulted in very overcooked eggs. Easy to customize with different fillings.

• Buttermilk & honey pudding

  • Melissa_427 on April 14, 2021

    Such a perfect use for leftover buttermilk. Really enjoyed the tartness of the buttermilk and hint of sweetness from the honey. Will definitely return to this time and time again, especially when a buttermilk marinated chicken (or pheasant) is on the menu.

• Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

  Julia Turshen is our generation’s culinary icon and her latest book showcases her laid-back style and modern approach to cooking.

  Full review