This antipasto-like relish can be as salty, tangy, or spicy as you like, depending on the pickled peppers you choose.
Entreés
Ina Garten’s Red Wine–Braised Short Ribs
This may be my favorite recipe ever. In the winter when it’s really cold, a hearty stew of beef short ribs simmered with a whole bottle of red wine, a bottle of Guinness, and lots of vegetables, is about the most comforting dinner you can possibly imagine.
Porcini and Orange Braised Short Ribs
Break out the slow cooker! This sweet-and-sour braise is a great meal on a very cold night. Make sure you crumble the dried porcini so they contribute the most flavor to the stew, providing an earthy contrast to the vinegary orange sauce.
Freezer-to-Oven Whole Turkey
A turkey roasts beautifully even in its frozen state. Yes, it takes longer. But the skin will get browner and even crunchier, a definite plus.
Microwave Pasta Carbonara
The mere notion that you can make a creamy carbonara pasta dish in minutes—using dried pasta that cooks right in the sauce—is in and of itself pretty amazing. This recipe has weeknight dinner written all over it.
Giant Portobello Burgers with Caramelized Onions
This messy sandwich uses the meatiest of all vegetables: the Portobello, a thick juicy mushroom that’s not at all like the slimy canned ones I came to fear in childhood. Grilled with a bit of garlic and balsamic, a smoky umami infuses the entire mushroom.
