crispy chicken and apple salad... 30 minutes

the goods:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 cup panko

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 large head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

2 apples, such as Gala or Honeycrisp, cored and cut into thin wedges

1/2 cup dried cranberries

On a plate, season flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a shallow dish, whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water. On another plate, season panko with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat chicken dry. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Coat with panko, pressing gently to adhere.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken; cook until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total, flipping once. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Arrange lettuce, apples, and cranberries on a platter. Slice chicken, add to platter, and drizzle with dressing.

pork lo mein... 35 minutes

the goods:

3/4 pound lo mein noodles
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
9 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 pound cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
6 ounces snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
reserved pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Cook noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a large skillet or wok, heat 3 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to soften, 4 minutes.

Add bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add snow peas and cook until crisp and bright green, 2 minutes. Add noodles, pork, and soy sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are coated with sauce and pork is warmed through, 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

pork tenderloin with roasted fall vegetables... 45 minutes

the goods:

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pork tenderloins, excess fat and silver skin removed

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Heat broiler: On a cutting board, sprinkle a generous pinch of salt over garlic and drag the blade of a knife at an angle across the mixture until a paste forms. Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and whisk in 2 teaspoons oil. Place pork on a broilerproof rimmed baking sheet. Rub all over with garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until browned, about 10 minutes, flipping once. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss together brussels sprouts, parsnips, onions, thyme and 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roast vegetables on bottom rack and pork on top rack, about 10 minutes. Remove pork from oven, transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Transfer vegetables to top rack and roast until tender and browned in spots, 15 minutes. (Refrigerate half of 1 tenderloin for pork lo mein.) Thinly slice remaining pork and serve with vegetables.

steak pizza with peppers and onions... 35 minutes

the goods:

1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen (I used whole wheat)

5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces sirloin steak

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), thinly sliced

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a 14-inch oval. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with 1 teaspoon oil. Bake until crust is puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes, piercing large air bubbles with a knife if necessary halfway through.

Meanwhile, pat steak fry and season with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high until almost smoking. Cook steak until medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes.

In skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add onion and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender and dark brown in spots, 8 minutes.

Thinly slice steak against the grain. Top crust with steak, vegetables, and cheese. Bake pizza just until cheese is melted, 3 minutes.

Hawaiian-style short ribs... 5 hours and 20 minutes

the goods:

2 red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges, root ends left intact

4 garlic cloves, smashed

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (about 6), trimmed of excess fat

1 and 1/2 cups dark-brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Sriracha or other chili sauce

3 cups 1-inch-cubed pineapple

cooked white rice and chopped scallion greens, for serving

Place onions, garlic, and ginger in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with short ribs in a tight layer. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and Sriracha and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until ribs are almost tender, 4 hours. Add pineapple and cook until pineapple is tender, 1 hour.

With a slotted spoon, transfer ribs, pineapple, onions, and ginger to a platter and tent with foil. With a ladle, skim fat from cooking liquid. Serve ribs and pineapple mixture with rice; drizzle with some cooking liquid and sprinkle with scallions.

pasta carbonara with leeks and lemon... 30 minutes

the goods:

6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

4 leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced

3/4 pound short pasta, such as campanelle, orcchiette, or fusilli

2 large eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add pasta to pot and cook according to package instructions. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.

Drain pasta and immediately add to egg mixture. along with bacon, leeks, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with more cheese to serve.

vegetarian bean chili and cornbread... 45 minutes

My Texas man has a new favorite chili!

the goods:

chili:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles

4 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

cornbread:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for pan

1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3 large eggs 

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, poblano, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in green chiles, chili powder, and cumin and cook 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and juice and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and chili is thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Transfer batter to pan and smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes before serving.

Serve chili with sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.

green chili... 2 hours and 10 minutes

the goods:

3 pounds tomatillos (husks removed), washed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large white onion, diced small
2 poblano chiles, ribs and seeds removed, diced small
3 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
sour cream, for serving
crumbled tortilla chips, for serving

In a food processor, puree tomatillos until smooth. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add pork and cook until browned, 9 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a plate.

Add onion, poblanos, and jalapenos to pot and cook until onion is translucent, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Return pork to pot and add tomatillo puree and 2 and 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high.

Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until pork is tender, 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some crumbled tortilla chips.