Recipe: Creamy Pistachio Pasta with Crispy Guanciale

Creamy Pistachio Pasta with Crispy Guanciale

Inside the Rustic Kitchen

5 stars

Delicious!!! A bit on the heavy side but this is definitely restaurant worthy even though it's a pretty basic pasta. We used some dry pistachio pasta that I had picked up in Hico, TX in a small cafe.

Pistachio pesto ingredients: unroasted pistachios, basil, garlic, Pecorino Romano, EVOO, salt, pepper

Ingredients: pasta, guanciale, heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano

Tips/Notes:

• Had made our own pesto prior to making this dish so it wasn't pistachio pesto
• Use bacon next time instead of guanciale as the latter is SO fatty

Recipe: Chicken Salad with Haricots Verts

Chicken Salad with Haricots Verts

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2014, p. 102
4.9 stars

I love salads that have potatoes and green beans in them -- this hit the spot and is definitely a restaurant-worthy $28 salad. Note that we used salmon instead of chicken. I may not need to order this in a restaurant anymore!

Ingredients based on our recipe: salmon, mixed greens, potatoes, haricots verts, radish, shallot, garlic, Sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme, sugar, olive oil, black pepper

Recipe: Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce
Food & Wine Magazine, Jul 2025, p. 39
5 stars

This sauce goes with the Vietnamese Spring Rolls that we made.

Delicious! Just like in the restaurant!

Ingredients: hoisin sauce, sriracha chile sauce, tahini, soy sauce, water

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't include any water as the sauce thickness was good

Recipe: Spicy Black Bean and Chicken Salad with Roasted Cumin Vinaigrette

Spicy Black Bean and Chicken Salad with Roasted Cumin Vinaigrette

A McCormick Gourmet Collection Recipe by Cat Cora

4.7 stars

We made this plant based using Impossible Chicken. Good salad, but the dressing was a bit acidic for me. Overall, we liked it and will make it again.

Vinaigrette ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime peel, lime juice, cilantro, ground cumin, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper

Salad ingredients: lettuce, chicken, black beans, cherry tomatoes, corn, red bell pepper, red onion

Tips/Notes:

• Used Impossible Chicken
• Added queso fresco

Recipe: Sweet Corn Salad with Pancetta and Mushrooms

Sweet Corn Salad with Pancetta and Mushrooms

Food & Wine Magazine, Sep 2015 p. 120
4.8 stars

Lovely salad by then Baccarat Hotel chef Shea Gallante, so definitely restaurant-worthy. Love all of the textures and flavors!!! The Gruyere cheese is a must.

Ingredients: frisee, corn, scallions, pancetta, cremini mushrooms, chives, Gruyere cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used mixed greens instead of frisee
• Used frozen corn
• Used baby bella mushrooms instead of cremini mushrooms
• Next time, need to shave the Gruyere cheese on to the salad.

Recipe: Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites

Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2016/Jan 2017, p.60
4.9 stars

So... we had extra puff pastry left, and I pulled this recipe and didn't realize it uses phyllo pastry (not puff pastry), but it still worked and was delicious!

Ingredients: phyllo pastry, Gruyere, black and white sesame seeds, butter, egg white, smoked paprika, salt, pepper  

Tips/Notes:

• For our modified recipe, we didn't use egg white

Recipe: Cashew-Chickpea Salad with Cabbage Slaw

Cashew-Chickpea Salad with Cabbage Slaw

Martha Stewart Living, Jan/Feb 2022, p. 99

4.8 stars

Really good(!) and I like the cashew chickpea mix. Interesting ingredients that work together -- this is restaurant worthy.

Cashew-Chickpea Crunch Ingredients: chickpeas, cashews, cashew butter, sesame seeds, miso, tamari, ginger, extra-virgin olive oil

Salad Dressing Ingredients: unseasoned rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Other Salad Ingredients: Savoy or red cabbage, radishes, cilantro, mandarin oranges 

Tips/Notes:

• Used almond butter instead of cashew butter
• Used mixed greens instead of cabbage
• Used Cuties oranges

Recipe: Congee Pot Pie

Congee Pot Pie

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2022, p.88

4.7 stars

Really delicious Asian pot pie. Like most pot pies, it's a bit "heavy" especially because of the rice, so we won't make this very often, but it tasted just as I expected it to!

Ingredients: biscuit dough, rotisserie chicken, all-purpose flour, white rice, chicken broth, scallions, shallot, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, butter, ground white pepper, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used puff pastry instead of biscuit dough
• Used Impossible Chicken (air fried) instead of rotisserie chicken
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
• Instead of individual ramekins, made one large casserole
• The rice actually broke down in the last 25 min mark

Recipe: Ramen Noodle Salad

Ramen Noodle Salad

Food & Wine Magazine, May 2026, p. 44

4.8 stars

Delicious and easy -- just a bit of prep work! The dressing tasted like peanut sauce. Super healthy. Added some plant-based protein -- see tips/notes below.

Salad: instant ramen, baby arugula, napa cabbage, corn, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, nori, scallions

Dressing Ingredients: rice vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, toasted sesame oil, sriracha chile sauce, ginger, garlic, granulated sugar

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't use napa cabbage or nori
• Used frozen corn (blanched it)
• Added mixed greens, edamame, and seared tofu with togarashi

Recipe: Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes with Lemon Crema

Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes with Lemon Crema

Saveur, issue?, p. 38
4.7 stars

This should be called a HEALTHY Dutch baby, not a pancake!!! There is not much sugar in this so it tasted super super healthy. Definitely need maple syrup on it!

Ingredients: quinoa, flour, buttermilk, eggs, whole milk, 2 cinnamon sticks, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, butter, Kosher salt; Mexican crema or sour cream, lemon, granola, maple syrup

Tips/Notes:

• Next time, make 1/2 the batter! This recipe made 3 LARGE Dutch babies
• Served with a side of bacon

Recipe: Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2015, p. 71
4.7 stars

If you look at the recipe on epicurious.com or bonappetit.com, you'll see that ours looks very different from their photo. It's because we did not slice the vegetables into rounds and did not invert the whole thing on to a plate. I'm actually not sure how we could invert it as there was so much liquid. We'll try it again, but during a fall/winter month as this really is more of a fall/winter dish.

The goat cheese and sage really make this dish!

Ingredients: Yukon Gold potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip, fresh goat cheese, red onion, olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, rosemary, sage, Kosher salt, pepper; also all-purpose flour, butter, apple cider vinegar, Kosher salt for the pie crust

Tips/Notes:

• Cut the vegetables into rounds next time
• Forgot to add the white wine vinegar to the caramel so added it afterwards -- need to remember next time

Recipe: Pasta with Greens and Beans

Pasta with Greens and Beans

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2025, p. 101
4.7 stars

The ingredient list looked a bit plain, but I thought we might as well give this a whirl. It turned out to be great! Definitely need the Parmesan on top, and with the Calabrian chiles, this dish had good flavor (and protein for a vegetarian dish)! As the intro to this recipe says, "Ready in about half an hour, this weeknight pasta dinner demonstrates how just a few basic ingredients can become a complex and flavorful meal." True!

Ingredients: pappardelle or tagliatelle, mustard greens, cannellini beans, Calabrian chiles, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, EVOO, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used kale instead of mustard greens
• Added some lemon zest

Recipe: Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2013, p. 36
4.8 stars

I hadn't made a dessert in a while so pulled this out of my pile of magazine recipes I had saved. So easy and delicious! Made this with sis for Easter.

Ingredients: 8 oz peanut butter sandwich cookies, peanut butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salted roasted peanuts, unsalted butter, salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used Central Market peanut butter cookies from the bakery instead of Nutter Butters which is listed in the ingredients list
• Needed only 1/2 the amount of butter
• Next time, make 50% more crust
• Served with peanut butter w/chocolate chunk ice cream!

Recipe: Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup

Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2015, p. 60
4.6 stars

Good, healthy soup. See tips/notes below to make this "tastier!"

Ingredients: cannellini beans, 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, fennel bulb, onion, vegetable broth, Swiss chard, garlic, bay leaves, Sherry vinegar, olive oil, red pepper, Kosher salt, roasted almonds

Tips/Notes:

• Used lacinato kale instead of Swiss chard
• Added Monterey Jack cheese on top for serving (it needed something!)
• Had Parmesan bread on the side
• Forgot the roasted almonds for serving!

Recipe: Roast Salmon with Sweet Chipotle Glaze and Hominy Puree

Roast Salmon with Sweet Chipotle Glaze and Hominy Puree

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2011, p. 25

4.9 stars

I loved this meal so much -- restaurant worthy!

Note: You have to be in the mood for salmon that's like this where the glaze is the prominent flavor.

I would make this dish with our normal butter, lemon, thyme salmon as the hominy puree was YUMMY!!!

Ingredients: salmon, hominy, chipotle chiles, apricot jam or preserves, cilantro, red wine vinegar, ground cumin, vegetable oil spray, butter

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't have apricot jam so used orange whisky jam that we had on hand
• Served this with steamed broccoli and Parmesan bread

Recipe: Peppery Potato Frittata

Peppery Potato Frittata

Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2023

4.7 stars

For the different frittata recipes we've made, this is one of my favorites. I like that it's hearty with the potatoes, and it has good flavor especially with Sriracha (not shown in the photo) on top! Note that this recipe requires a dozen eggs.

Ingredients: eggs, heavy cream, russet potato, onion, garlic, cilantro, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, pepper, flaky sea salt, Sriracha

Tips/Notes:

• Served this with a salad on the side

Recipe: Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Salsa

Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Salsa

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2013, p. 42

4 stars

This was fine... another version of a Mexican "bowl." I was not a fan of the ginger chile salsa -- I think it was too acidic, but everything else was good; a good base of a bowl.

Ingredients: brown rice, black beans, onion, cilantro, jalapenos, vegetable broth, garlic, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, ground coriander, ground cumin, Kosher salt, pepper, avocado, Cotija or feta cheese

Recipe: Soy-Dressed Gnocchi and Mushrooms

  

Soy-Dressed Gnocchi and Mushrooms

Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2022, p. 18

4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out -- Asian gnocchi? It was so good; I think I ate most of the leftovers! Great flavor and so easy.

Ingredients: potato gnocchi, mixed mushrooms, carrots, scallions, onion, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, soy sauce, mirin, unseasoned rice vinegar, sugar, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Used mix of baby bellas and shiitake mushrooms
• Next time, use half an onion
• Served with togarashi tofu 

Recipe: Pepper-Shrimp-and-Noodle Salad with Crunchy Spring Vegetables

Pepper-Shrimp-and-Noodle Salad with Crunchy Spring Vegetables
Martha Stewart Living, Apr 2021, p.99
5 stars

So delicious!!! Lots of veggies and loved our additions -- definitely adding this to the rotation. So flavorful and loved all of the textures. We've made a recipe like this before, but this was GOOD.

Couldn't find a link to this recipe online.

Ingredients: ramen, shrimp, natural peanut butter, cucumber, radish, cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, hot sesame oil, vegetable oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used crunchy peanut butter since we didn't have creamy which the recipe called for
• Used avocado oil instead of vegetable oil
• Used 4 garlic cloves instead of 10-12
• Added edamame
• Added tofu -- make 2x next time
• Made 1.5x the dressing, but note didn't increase the amount of avocado oil
• Served with vegetable egg rolls

Recipe: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo

Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo

Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2024/Jan 2025, p. 54
4.9 stars

This was another recipe where I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. In fact, we were not looking forward to making this recipe. It was GREAT!!!! It's a dish where I looked forward to eating the leftovers. Super simple with lots of flavor.

Ingredients: Spanish chorizo, Yukon potato, carrots, yellow onion, dried brown lentils, sweet mild pimenton, chicken broth, garlic, olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used 2 tsp of a mix of sweet and hot paprika vs. just sweet; use more if you use more veggies
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
• Used plant-based Spanish chorizo

Recipe: Tofu Cashew Nut

Tofu Cashew Nut

Better Homes & Gardens Aug 2021, p. 92

4.9 stars

The title of this recipe is actually Chicken Cashew Nut -- it's a recipe from Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder, authors of The Pepper Thai Cookbook.

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out because I knew we were going to make some substitutions, but it turned out GREAT. Love all the flavors and textures and especially the flavor of white pepper and sesame oil that came through. It's just like cashew chicken but with tofu!

Ingredients: jasmine rice, chicken, cashews, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow onion, scallions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chile jam, garlic, dried red chiles like chile de arbol, light brown sugar, sesame oil, dry sherry, cornstarch, white pepper, red pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used TWO blocks of tofu instead of chicken
• Used sweet chile sauce instead of jam
• Take out the chiles before serving
• Made rice and also quinoa
• Add sriracha at the table
• Next time, make 2x the sauce as there is more tofu than chicken called for

Recipe: King Ranch Casserole

King Ranch Casserole

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2025, p. 48

4.8 stars

Really delicious, not hard for a weekday meal, but it's not super healthy -- though we tried to make it healthier!

Ingredients: corn tortillas, rotisserie chicken, red bell pepper, yellow onion, diced tomatoes and green chiles, chicken broth, heavy cream, sour cream, salsa macha verde, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, Monterey Jack cheese, chili powder, ground cumin, Kosher salt

Serve with avocado and fresh cilantro

Tips/Notes:

• Instead of rotisserie chicken, added a can of drained black beans and 1.5 cup of cooked quinoa
• Instead of rotel, used one can (about 14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes and a 4 oz can of chopped hatch chiles
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and because of the greater quantity of tomatoes and hatch chiles, cut down the broth to 2 cups
• Cut up the corn tortillas
• Cooked everything in a large casserole dish

Recipe: Chocolate-Amaretto Pudding Cake

Chocolate-Amaretto Pudding Cake

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2025, p.42

4.8 stars

I'm starting to bake again(!) and decide on this "easy" recipe because of its description: "At first glance, pudding cakes may look like classic cakes with a breadlike crumb, but they actually bake into two different textures."

I loved that this had a cake-like texture on top and then a gooey pudding/lava-like cake at the bottom -- and chocolate chips that added crunchy texture throughout when eating it cold. It was an interesting process making this as there were essentially 3 "layers" I created, including the coffee and almond extract that were poured on top.

Ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa, dark chocolate chips, coffee, sour cream, amaretto, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, baking soda, Kosher salt, water

Ingredients for serving: vanilla ice cream, fresh berries

Tips/Notes:

• Used decaf coffee
• We were out of amaretto, so used almond extract (did research and used one-eighth amount of almond extract)

Recipe: Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup

Food & Wine Magazine, Jan 2025, p. 45

4.9 stars

We will definitely make this again! It really is what it says ~ it's a lasagna soup! I thought it was interesting that harissa is an ingredient -- it gives SPICE to it, but you wouldn't guess it was in the dish.

Ingredients: lasagna noodles, Italian sausage, yellow onion, harissa, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, dry white wine, chicken broth, basil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• It was SPICY! Use 2 Tbsp instead of 3 Tbsp of the harissa
• Did not add any salt, and it was fine
• Used Beyond Sausage
• Used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth

Recipe: Spicy Braised Tofu

Spicy Braised Tofu

Bon Appetit Magazine, Sept 2020, p. 79

4.8 stars

Delicious! One of my favorite preparations of tofu. YUMMY sauce. We had never used gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder) before, and it was good.

Ingredients: extra-firm tofu, scallion, gochugaru, soy sauce, mirin, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger,  grapeseed or vegetable oil, Kosher salt; sesame seeds and rice for serving

Tips/Notes:

• This is so good -- make double the amount!
• Served with QUINOA and steamed broccoli

Recipe: Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils

Bon Appetit Magazine, Oct 2020, p. 14

4.7 stars

This tasted a lot better than it looks!

LOVED the glaze -- and all the components together ~ scallions, pistachios, etc. was better than expected!

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, lentils, scallions, pistachios, maple syrup, soy sauce, white miso, sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes

• To cut on time, cut the potatoes before roasting them
• It was a bit too many scallions for me -- reduce and also cut them to smaller than matchsticks

Recipe: Layered Taco Salad

Layered Taco Salad
Gourmet Magazine, Aug 2023
4.8 stars

Really great recipe! I think this is the best taco beef recipe we've made -- so flavorful and moist with the tomato sauce.

Salad Ingredients: lettuce, tomato, avocado, black beans, black olives, extra-sharp Cheddar

Beef Ingredients: ground chuck, medium onion, tomato sauce, garlic, serrano chiles, chili powder, ground cumin, olive oil, salt, pepper

Dressing Ingredients: lime juice, cilantro, sugar, chili powder, ground cumin, olive oil, salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used Impossible Beef
• Heated up the black beans

Recipe: Spicy Bulgur in Lettuce Cups

Spicy Bulgur in Lettuce Cups

Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2021, p.43

4.5 stars

This grew on me! The dressing wasn't that exciting, but overall the flavors were good ESPECIALLY with the falafel added. The lettuce wasn't strong enough to hold everything together so it ended up being a salad.

Salad Ingredients: Little Gem lettuce or romaine, bulgur, walnuts, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds, Kosher salt, black pepper

Dressing Ingredients: pomegranate molasses, double-concentrated tomato paste, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Aleppo-style pepper, biber salcasi (Turkish hot pepper paste) or more Aleppo, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Served falafel with it
• Didn't have biber salcasi so used more Aleppo pepper
• Substituted date syrup for the pomegranate molasses

Recipe: Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

"I Love You" by Pamela Anderson, p. 114
4.8 stars

Another great Buddha Bowl recipe! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sesame-crusted tofu, and for some reason, the roasted sweet potato and broccoli tasted really good even though it's how we always roast our vegetables.

New recipe for us to rotate in!

Ingredients: brown rice, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tofu, red cabbage, avocado, cilantro, cornstarch, maple syrup, tamari, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper

Sauce Ingredients: creamy almond butter, maple syrup, tamari, rice vinegar, black vinegar, ginger, sriracha

Tips/Notes:

• Used quinoa instead of brown rice
• Used balsamic vinegar instead of black vinegar
• Used soy sauce instead of tamari
• Used an organic broccoli slaw instead of cabbage
• The sauce is thick
• Didn't blend the sauce in the blender -- didn't think it was necessary
• Add a squeeze of lime for acidity and add more sriracha at the table

Recipe: Chipotle-Shrimp Tacos with Fennel and Beans

Chipotle-Shrimp Tacos with Fennel and Beans

Martha Stewart Living, Jun 2021, p. 102
4.8 stars

Reading the ingredients, I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out -- it was delicious! An easy weeknight meal. The longest part of prep is shelling (and deveining) the shrimp. We served this with black beans and rice.

Ingredients: tortillas, shrimp, pinto beans, fennel, chipotle in adobo, cilantro, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lime, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Didn't grill -- sauteed them in a pan
• Make sure to buy sour cream as that would have made it amazing!

Recipe: Lemon Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

Lemon Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2024/Jan 2025, p.38
4.7 stars

This was good, not amazing -- but then we forgot to add the hot honey which would probably take it to another level, so we need to make this again! The grocery store also ran out of large pasta shells, so we used manicotti shells instead.

Ingredients: jumbo pasta shells, marinara sauce, frozen chopped spinach, whole milk ricotta cheese, garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin), egg, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, hot honey, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Use just a little bit of lemon zest like 1 tsp, not 2 Tbsp. Even with 1 tsp, it was very lemony.
• Added crumbled Impossible meatballs

Recipe: Vegetarian Red Lentil Wraps

Vegetarian Red Lentil Wraps

Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2024/Jan 2025, p.59
4.6 stars

Delicious and healthy. The red lentil and bulgur wheat mixture had the consistency of fluffy Mexican rice.

Tomato Brown Butter Ingredients: butter, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, Kosher salt

Wrap Ingredients: flour tortillas, red lentils, bulgur wheat, carrot, white onion, romaine lettuce, peperoncini slices, tomato paste, ground cumin, Aleppo pepper, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, water

Tips/Notes:

• Not sure it was necessary to make the Tomato Brown Butter -- I think it used too much butter; next time, I'd heat up the fire-roasted tomatoes and garlic with just a little butter.
• Didn't blend the butter to make it smooth as we didn't think it was necessary to be "butter."
• Basically made tacos!
• Peperoncini slices added a nice kick (acid) to it.
• Served with salad.