Recipe: Green Pesto Pasta with Whipped Ricotta

Green Pesto Pasta with Whipped Ricotta

Food & Wine Magazine, Jun 2026, p.91

5 stars with modifications

This was delicious -- but we would make it differently next time as we didn't like their pesto recipe nor steps. The addition of the ricotta mixture was a nice addition.

Ingredients for next time: pesto, pasta (bucatini), ricotta, heavy cream, sugar, butter, salt; top with pine nuts and Parmesan

Tips/Notes:

• Basically, we're not going to follow the recipe's pesto instructions using mixed greens and will make our own homemade pesto
• Didn't mix in the ricotta mixture with the pasta but will next time, 
• Served with salad and Beyond Sausage

Recipe: Lentil and Mushroom Gratin

Lentil and Mushroom Gratin

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2026, p. 93
4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out because of the simple ingredient list -- it is extremely flavorful and love the flavor combination of the herbs and Dijon mustard. Much much better than what we expected. Served with toast.

Ingredients: dried du Puy lentils (green lentils), mixed mushrooms, yellow onion, carrot, celery, broth, parsley, thyme, Dijon mustard, panko, creme fraiche, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Use less broth ~ about 3.25 cups instead of 4 cups
• Next time, bake panko separately (or saute in dry pan to brown) to keep it crisp and top bowls at table

Recipe: Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme

Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme

HalfBakedHarvest.com
5 stars

This recipe is very similar to the Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos recipe. Basically the same but different toppings. The meat seasoning was really good/flavorful!

Taco meat ingredients: ground meat, yellow onion, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, red pepper, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Assembling ingredients: corn tortillas, tortillas, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, poblano or jalapeno, Greek yogurt, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, avocado, hot sauce,  extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Tips/Notes:

• Used Impossible ground beef
• Did not need the "Doritos" seasoning at all

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2026, p. 66
4.8 stars

We modified this recipe to make it VEGETARIAN -- it was delicious. My only complaint is I felt like there were too many onions like French onion soup. The tofu was a great substitution; make sure to sautee it in advance. Avocado and queso fresco are a must.

Ingredients: chicken stock, rotisserie chicken, white onions, cilantro, can of crushed tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, garlic, bay leaves, cumin seeds, olive oil, kosher salt; avocados, lime wedges, pickled onions, queso fresco, tortilla chips

Tips/Notes:

• Used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock
• Sauteed 2 blocks of tofu and used instead of the rotisserie chicken
• Added cilantro as a garnish
• Added sliced radishes as a garnish
• Did not add pickled onions

Recipe: Creamy Tomato Pasta

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Food & Wine Magazine, Aug 2025, p. 87

4.8 stars

This was delicious -- almost restaurant worthy! Great flavor; burrata is a must for the creaminess.

Ingredients: spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, butter, red pepper, kosher salt, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, burrata cheese, fresh oregano

Tips/Notes:

• Used gluten-free pasta
• Served with plant-based sausage
• Didn't garnish with fresh oregano

Recipe: Bucatini with Shiitake Cream Sauce

Bucatini with Shiitake Cream Sauce

Food & Wine Magazine, Oct 2025, p. 50

4.9 stars

Super delicious and flavorful -- restaurant worthy! It's very mushroom-y because of the mushrooms in the sauce AND chopped up. We made it plant-based by using plant-based sausage. The leftovers have been so good.

Shiitake Cream Sauce: oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, shallot, dry white wine, heavy cream, olive oil, red pepper

Pasta: bucatini, spicy Italian sausage, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, shallot, dry white wine, chicken stock, olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, lemon zest and juice

Tips/Notes:

• Use plant-based sausage
• Used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock
• Next time add 50% more mushrooms to the pasta

Recipe: Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles

Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles
Sam Tumball (ItDoesntTasteLikeChicken.com)
4.5 stars

This was fine, not amazing. I have another NYTimes recipe for something similar so will compare. For this one, the tofu was still really wet even though we baked it longer; didn't use all the salsa as that would've caused it to be even more wet!

Ingredients: tofu, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, soy sauce, oil, salsa

Had this in hard shell tacos with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, avocado

Recipe: Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder

Smoked Salmon Corn Chowder

Food & Wine Magazine, Nov 2025, p. 44
5 stars

I wasn't sure about this recipe and how it would turn out, but it was easy, flavorful, and delicious! Restaurant-worthy! I can't wait to eat the leftovers.

Ingredients: smoked salmon fillets, frozen corn, celery, small red potatoes, scallions, shallots, chicken stock, heavy cream, flour, olive oil, butter, Old Bay seasoning, red pepper, thyme, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used double the number of celery stalks -- could actually triple it next time
• Used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock
• Used 1 tsp of Chesapeake Bay seasoning instead of 1/2 tsp of Old Bay seasoning
• Next time, could add cannellini beans to the chowder for protein (if we don't want to add smoked salmon)

Recipe: Cheesy Chickpea Salad Toast

Cheesy Chickpea Salad Toast

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2023, p.18
4.7 stars

We'd made this before, but I'd forgotten to take a photo and blog about it. It seems like it would be an odd mix of ingredients, but it all really works together. You need EVERYTHING, though, we didn't use dill. Really good -- super flavorful. Great with chips and a salad.

Ingredients: bread, chickpeas, celery, extra sharp cheddar, cornichons, red onion, dill, butter, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, flaky sea salt, hot sauce

Recipe: Mushroom and Lentil Ragu

Mushroom and Lentil Ragu

Food & Wine Magazine, Sep 2025, p. 44

5 stars

I love this recipe so much! It was DELICIOUS!!! I can't wait to eat the leftovers. So flavorful!

One note: It was a little watery but thickens with time (next day - it was the perfect consistency).

Ingredients: cooked polenta, black lentils, crushed tomatoes, mixed mushrooms, yellow onion, carrots, tomato paste, dry red wine, vegetable broth, heavy ream, garlic, red pepper, oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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