Mushroom Pate
Serve this vegetarian pâté recipe as an appetizer with crackers and pickled onions or try it as a sandwich spread. Nutritional yeast, rich in vitamin B12, adds a cheesy flavor without any dairy. Look for the yellow yeast powder or flakes in natural-foods stores.
Baked Cod Casserole
Dry white wine and Gruyère cheese give this fish casserole a rich flavor that hides its virtue. Before baking, we top the dish with seasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs, which add a wholesome, nutty flavor and dietary fiber. For variety, you can substitute almost any mild white fish.
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients matter for this traditional French dish. Wine is a crucial component of beef bourguignon (you’ll use a whole bottle of it!). Pinot noir is a medium-bodied wine that won’t overwhelm the stew, but has a good amount of tannins that help tenderize the beef as it simmers. Be sure to choose chuck roast to trim and cut into chunks yourself, versus buying pre-cubed stew meat—those pieces of beef can come from any part of the cow and may vary in taste and fat content. Tomato paste is a super-concentrated ingredient that adds umami—or savoriness—to the stew.
Sugared Rosemary
Use these festive-looking sugared fresh rosemary sprigs to decorate any holiday dessert platter. They look especially beautiful alongside a traditional yule log cake.
Savory Chestnut Puree
Try this easy, elegant chestnut puree with roasted quail, turkey or chicken.
Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche
This quiche recipe is full of broccoli, Cheddar cheese and smoky ham surrounded by a crispy hash brown crust. Look for precooked shredded potatoes in the dairy section or in the produce section--or use frozen hash brown potatoes in this easy quiche recipe.
Warm Pear & Spinach Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette
Mature, larger-leaved spinach holds up better to the warm bacon vinaigrette than baby spinach in this healthy spinach salad recipe. If you don't want the spinach to wilt, let the dressing cool before tossing it with the salad.
Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup
In this genius slow-cooker soup recipe, two types of onions are caramelized for hours before adding a sherry-spiked broth. For a bistro-worthy presentation, ladle the soup into ovenproof crocks, top with the bread and cheese and broil.
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Omelet
The key to this healthy omelet recipe is cooking the eggs over low heat so the curds set up nice and soft. A splash of milk in the eggs is added insurance to keep the omelet from turning rubbery.
Quick French Onion Soup
Bring the allium family--onions, leeks, garlic--together in this simpler and heartier version of French onion soup. If you've always found the traditional melted cheese topping too intimidating to try at home, you'll find this version user-friendly; just top toasted bread with cheese and pour the soup over to melt it. Including chickpeas makes it filling enough for a main course.
Meringues
Perfect meringues depend on totally yolk-free whites. The seemingly fussy step of separating each egg into a small bowl before combining them guarantees yolk-free whites for bakeshop-quality meringues every time. These crispy little morsels travel well and make great gifts too.
Provençal Baked Fish with Roasted Potatoes & Mushrooms
This easy healthy meal--which requires just 15 minutes of active time--is typical of southern France. You can use halibut, grouper or cod for this simple Mediterranean baked fish recipe, so just choose what looks best at your market. Look for herbes de Provence, an aromatic spice blend, at most grocery stores.
