bay leaves

Here’s a vegan version of the classic New Orleans dish that uses smoked paprika, miso paste and soy sauce to add a savory notes. Pressure cookers are ideal for preparing dried beans; even unsoaked beans cook quickly and evenly, so that the beans become creamy but still keep their shape (though we’ve got instructions for a <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020816-vegan-slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice">slow cooker approach</a>, too). Here, you want the beans to be very tender, so that the stew is thick — with a few beans that have slightly broken down — and not soupy. This vegan version of “Monday red beans” is not as creamy as the one made with pork, so smashing a few beans against the side of the pot at the end of cooking is particularly important. Louisiana-style hot sauce is key as well.

Vegan Pressure Cooker Red Beans and Rice

vegetable oil

yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

celery stalks, finely chopped

green bell pepper, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

white or yellow miso paste

smoked paprika

sweet paprika

onion powder

garlic powder

ground cayenne, plus more to taste

sage (optional)

red kidney beans (no need to soak)

thyme thyme

soy sauce

rice,

scallions,

Louisiana-style hot sauce,

Turn on the sauté setting of a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker and heat the oil. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, miso paste, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and sage (if using). Grind in a generous amount of black pepper and add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine all the ingredients, then turn off the sauté setting.

Add the beans, bay leaves, thyme and 5 1/2 cups water. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Cook on high pressure until the beans are creamy, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid. Add the soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Using a fork, mash some of the beans against the side of the pressure cooker to make the mixture creamy. It will continue to thicken as it sits, or you can turn on the sauté setting and let the mixture bubble for a few minutes to thicken. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Top the beans with hot cooked rice and scallions; serve with hot sauce.

Roasted garlic is the secret to these deeply flavored mashed potatoes with a lively crunch from garlic chips. This dish takes a little more planning and prep than your average mashed potatoes, but it is well worth the effort. You can roast and fry the garlic and peel the potatoes ahead of time, storing the prepared potatoes submerged in water in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before cooking. Feel free to use either red or russet potatoes here: Red potatoes will make a thick and creamy mash, while russets will yield a lighter and fluffier result (see Tip). If you run short on time, trim the garlic chips from your to-do list. Canned fried onions from your local supermarket, or fried shallots or fried garlic flakes from most Asian markets provide the same jolt of texture on top.

Creamy Double-Garlic Mashed Potatoes

garlic

olive oil

neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil

garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt

potatoes (see Tip)

heavy cream

bay leaves,

rosemary,

thyme

unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the roasted garlic: Set each head of garlic on its side and cut off (and discard) the top 1/4 portion at the pointed end. Transfer each head of garlic to a separate piece of aluminum foil, cut-side up, and drizzle each head with 2 teaspoons oil. Pull up the surrounding aluminum foil and crimp tightly to seal. Transfer to the oven and roast until the garlic is softened and caramelized, 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the heads. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the garlic chips: Line a plate with paper towels. In a small shallow saucepan or frying pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the sliced garlic, stirring often, until just starting to turn golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (They’ll continue to darken from the residual heat, so you’ll want to remove them from the hot oil before they’re fully golden brown.) Transfer garlic chips to the plate using a slotted spoon. Season with salt and repeat with remaining sliced garlic. Set aside.

Prepare the boiled potatoes: Fill a large pot with water and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a medium bowl about three-quarters full with water. Working with one potato at a time, peel each potato, then add it to the bowl of water. Next, working with one potato at a time, dice each into 1-inch pieces, returning each to the bowl of water after chopping. Drain the diced potatoes, then carefully add them to the pot of boiling water. Return the water to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until potatoes are soft and can easily be pierced with a fork, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the herbed cream: Add the cream, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high, about 5 minutes. (The mixture will bubble up vigorously, which helps reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavor.) Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and rinse out the saucepan. Return the infused cream to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. (You should have about 1 1/3 cups.)

Return the cooked potatoes to the pot along with the herbed cream and cubed butter. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from two heads into the potato mixture, discarding the skins, and mash until creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more roasted garlic, if desired. (Store leftover roasted garlic in the refrigerator for 1 week.)

Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl, dot with a generous pat of butter and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and black pepper. Top with garlic chips, and serve immediately.

This comforting stew is loaded with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, catfish, turmeric and fish sauce, and then thickened with toasted rice powder.

Burmese Breakfast Stew

For the Ground Toasted Rice:

jasmine rice

For the Broth:

water

black pepper

white pepper

dry bay leaves

lemongrass—peeled,

ginger,

Kosher salt,

catfish

For the Soup:

lemongrass,

garlic,

paprika

turmeric

red onions,

fish sauce

For serving:

rice noodles

cilantro, divided

eggs,

limes,

½ medium (6 ounces) red onion, thinly sliced

Wake Up to This Burmese Breakfast Bowl

This white borscht, a nod to the tradition of sour soups in Ukrainian cooking, is simply a perfect meal: rich and satisfying, yet bright and delicate and clean all at once. It’s given its distinct tang up front, by soaking a hunk of sourdough bread in the simmering broth, and also at the end, by whisking in a little crème fraîche before serving. At the center is the delicious, subtle, complex broth. The better the kielbasa, the better the broth, obviously, and it’s worth using the whole garland for that complex smoky seasoning it imparts. There’ll be extra for snacking. The chopped dill keeps it all bright and fresh and lively in the mouth. A year-round classic to have in your repertoire, it’s especially beloved in colder months. When weather forecasters announce a dismal spell of sleeting days in a row, you’ll think, oh, good! White borscht weather!  

White Borscht

full horseshoe link of high-quality smoked kielbasa

leeks (6 long, lively leeks)

russet potatoes

unsalted butter (2 sticks)

yellow onion, small-diced (about 2 cups)

garlic cloves,

Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal

crème fraîche

fresh dill, woody stems removed, fronds minced

Cut kielbasa into 4 equal lengths, and cover in a pot with 3 quarts cold water and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then let gently boil for 25 minutes more until swollen and cooked through and beads of oil have formed. Pull sausages from the now smoky and seasoned water, and set aside. Save that water!

While the kielbasa simmers, split leeks in half lengthwise, then soak and rinse in cold water to thoroughly remove all sand. Slice leeks into 3/8-inch half-moons from whites to dark greens, as far up as is viable.

Peel potatoes, trim all four sides to stabilize on the cutting board and trim both ends to “box” the potato. Save the scraps. Cut the boxes into large cubes, about 3/4-inch square.

In a sturdy soup pot, melt 1 stick butter over low heat until foaming. Stir in onion, garlic and a healthy pinch of salt, and let them sweat for a full 5 minutes until translucent.

Stir in remaining butter, the sliced leeks and another generous pinch of salt, then let sweat slowly over low heat for 8 minutes until moist, bright green and glossy.

Add potato scraps, the cube of bread and half the kielbasa boiling liquid. Let gently simmer 10 minutes while the potato scrap softens and the bread hunk becomes flabby and swollen. If you need to increase the heat to get a little simmer going, do so.

Meanwhile, slice kielbasa in half lengthwise. Place two pieces back into the soup pot as is, and then slice the remaining 6 pieces into very thin, 1/8-inch half-moons, and set aside.

Retrieve the soggy lump of sourdough bread with a slotted spoon, and don’t worry if you also get a few bits of leek or onion or whatever is floating in the soup when you pull it out. Also remove about 1 cup of liquid, and set aside.

Add potato cubes and the rest of the kielbasa liquid to the pot. Add another pinch of salt and half the black pepper. Let it come back to temperature, and then to simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes more.

Using either a stick blender or a traditional blender, purée the sodden hunk of bread until foamy, using some of the liquid you pulled in Step 8, if needed. Stir this back into the soup pot once the potatoes are cooked through, and add the sliced kielbasa as well.

Whisk the crème fraîche with 1/2 cup of the hot reserved liquid; stir mixture into the soup. Stir in the chopped dill and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon pepper. Serve very hot.

This Bangladeshi-style chicken korma, named for my mother, Amu, is gently spiced and enriched with yogurt instead of cream or nuts, resulting in a light and bright sauce. This style of braising adds very little liquid, allowing the chicken to stew in its own juices. For full flavor, cook the korma until the fat breaks out of the sauce and pools on the surface. Keep it traditional and serve with paratha or rice, or pull the meat off the bones and pile between mayo-slathered white bread to make a chicken korma sandwich — and, of course, cut on a diagonal.

Amu’S Chicken Korma

onion, peeled,

kosher salt,

chicken,

ghee oil

coriander

bay leaf

cinnamon

green cardamom pods, cracked

green chiles, stemmed,

White bread, mayonnaise, paratha

Cucumber-Tomato Salad, for serving (optional)

Amu’s Chicken Korma

Cut onion in half, trim off the root, and thinly slice one half from root to stem. Set aside. Roughly chop the remaining onion half and purée in a blender, adding as little water as needed to blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Set aside.

In the same blender (no need to wash it out), purée ginger, garlic, yogurt and kosher salt, adding as little water as needed to blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, add to bowl with yogurt purée and toss with your hands to coat.

In a medium Dutch oven, pot or karahi over medium-high heat, add ghee and reserved sliced onions, and cook, stirring often, until crisp and deeply browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. (The onions will continue to brown after removing from heat, so scoop them out of the pot when they are a shade lighter than the desired final color.) Leaving behind the fat, transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, and spread them out so they cool down quickly and don’t clump together.

Add the onion purée, coriander, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and a big pinch of kosher salt to remaining ghee and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and aromatic, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add chicken, scraping in all the yogurt marinade, and stir to coat in onion paste. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken releases its liquid, about 10 minutes. Partly cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is falling off the bone, the sauce is thick and creamy, and the fat breaks out of the sauce, about 30 to 35 minutes. (You want it to be saucy but thick. Add water a splash as a time, if needed, while cooking.)

Add green chiles, three-fourths of the reserved frizzled onions and more kosher salt to taste. Gently stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with remaining frizzled onions, and serve with paratha, rice, or as a sandwich by pulling the meat off the bone, dressing in the korma sauce, and placing between mayonnaise-slathered sliced of untoasted bread. Serve with <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014916-cucumber-and-tomato-salad-with-cilantro-and-mint">Cucumber-Tomato Salad</a> or additional raw onion, green chile and yogurt. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water.

If the flavors of winter could be rolled into one, then this meringue roulade would be the result: Warming cinnamon, burnt honey, sweet apples and tangy orange come together to make a dessert fit for the festive season. Make sure all your individual components have completely cooled before assembling, as you don’t want to create any excess moisture in the roulade. Get ahead by making the apples and cream the day before, then keeping them refrigerated until needed. Feel free to make this roulade your own by swapping out pears for apples, cardamom for cinnamon or more whipping cream for mascarpone. So long as you stick to the basic technique, the flavors are yours to play with.

Brown Sugar Roulade With Burnt Honey Apples

runny honey

vanilla bean

flaky sea salt

orange juice

apples

superfine sugar (caster sugar)

soft light brown sugar

vanilla bean paste

white wine vinegar

cornstarch (cornflour)

whipping cream

confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

orange zest,

Heat the oven 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.

Make the apple filling: Add the honey, vanilla seeds and bean (pod), bay leaves, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon and flaky salt to a large, oven-proof sauté pan. Cook over medium heat until the honey is deeply brown and almost burned, stirring often. (Don’t be afraid to take it to the edge; you want it to be very dark.) This process can take anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes, so make sure you keep an eye on it. Off the heat, whisk in the orange juice. Gently pour 5 tablespoons/65 grams of the burnt honey into a heatproof bowl. Pick out the bay leaves and vanilla beans (pods), and add them to the bowl.

To the sauté pan with the remaining burnt honey, stir in the apples and olive oil. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples have softened and caramelized but still retain their shape. Set aside to cool completely. Pick out the cinnamon stick and add it to the reserved burnt honey bowl. Keep the oven on.

Make the roulade: Line an 11-by-15-inch (30-by-40-centimeter) baking sheet (baking tray) with parchment paper.

Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Combine both sugars in a bowl, then gradually add them to the mixer, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously on medium-high for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture becomes a thick, glossy meringue. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, vinegar, cornstarch (cornflour) and cinnamon, then scrape the sides of the bowl, if needed. Turn the speed to medium and whisk for 1 minute to fully combine.

Spoon the meringue onto the prepared tray and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly about 3/4-inch thick so it measures about 10 by 14 inches (25 by 35 centimeters). Once the apples have cooked, transfer the meringue to the oven and immediately turn the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Bake for 32 minutes, until the meringue is crusty on top and lightly browned. Set aside to deflate and cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the cream: Add the mascarpone, whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until soft peaks form. Stir in 1 tablespoon orange zest.

Place a clean tea towel on top of the cooled meringue and quickly invert the whole thing onto a work surface. Lift off the pan (tin) and peel away the parchment paper. Spread three-quarters of the cream evenly all over the meringue. Top evenly with the burnt honey apples. (Reserve any liquid released from the apples for another use.)

Starting with the longest side closest to you and using the tea towel to assist you, roll the meringue up and over, so that the edges come together to form a log, gently pulling away the tea towel as you roll. Slide the meringue onto a long tray or platter, seam-side down. Use a serrated knife to trim off 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) from the sides to create neat edges. (You can nibble on these, if you like!) Refrigerate to firm up, at least 30 minutes (and up to 3 hours if you’re getting ahead).

To serve, spoon the remaining cream down the length of the roulade. Top artfully with the bay leaves, vanilla pods and cinnamon stick. Drizzle with the reserved burnt honey syrup and sprinkle with the extra zest.

Try our recipe for a gorgeously creamy, yet low in fat rice pudding. Serve this comforting dessert with jam or fruit

Rice pudding

pudding rice

butter,for the dish

sugar

semi-skimmed milk

grated nutmegor strip lemon zest

bay leaf,or strip lemon zest

Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Wash and drain the rice. Butter a 850ml baking dish, then tip in the rice and sugar and stir through the milk. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and top with the bay leaf or lemon zest.

Cook for 2 hrs or until the pudding wobbles ever so slightly when shaken.

Slow-roasting is a great way to keep chicken nice and moist. Adding the potatoes to the roasting tin infuses them with plenty of flavour, too

Foolproof slow roast chicken

butter,for greasing

chicken

1kg roasting potatoes,halved

garlic heads,halved through the middle

milliliters white wine

chicken stock

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Brush a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/test-five-best-roasting-tins">roasting tin</a> all over with butter and smear some over the skin of the chicken.

Place the chicken in the tin and arrange the potatoes around it. Put the halved garlic heads in the tin, pour over the white wine and stock, then cover with foil and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hr then remove the foil and give the potatoes a shake. Add the herbs and lemon wedges, then cook uncovered for 50 mins.

Turn the heat up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cook for 30 mins more, then remove the chicken and potatoes from the pan. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and leave to rest on a plate for at least 10 mins before carving. Keep the potatoes warm. Serve with any pan juices.

Our traditional bread sauce recipe is the perfect creamy accompaniment to your roast dinner. This easy bread sauce is sure to be a Christmas favourite

Bread sauce

milk

butter

onion, chopped

cloves

peppercorns

white breadcrumbs

tbsp single cream

pinch nutmeg, freshly grated

Simmer the milk, butter, onion, cloves, peppercorns, garlic and herbs in a pan for 20 mins. Strain and return the liquid to the pan. Add the breadcrumbs and simmer for 3-4 mins. Stir in the cream or mascarpone. Add nutmeg, season and serve. Can be made up to 3 days in advance and heated up on the hob or microwave on Medium for 3 mins.

A great one-pot rice dish that still tastes great a few days later – perfect for leftovers

Chicken biryani

basmati rice

onion,finely

cardamom pods

chicken breasts,cut into large chunks

tbsp balti curry paste

raisins

coriander,½ chopped, ½ leaves

Soak 300g basmati rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.

Heat 25g butter in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-saute-pans">saucepan</a> and cook 1 finely sliced large onion with 1 bay leaf, 3 cardamom pods and 1 small cinnamon stick for 10 mins.

Sprinkle in 1 tsp turmeric, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks, and 4 tbsp curry paste. Cook until aromatic.

Stir the rice into the pan with 85g raisins, then pour over 850ml chicken stock.

Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook the rice for another 5 mins.

Turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. Stir well, mixing through 15g chopped coriander. To serve, scatter over the leaves of the remaining 15g coriander and 2 tbsp toasted almonds.

In India, just about every home has its own recipe for garam masala, which is the most common spice blend in the country and a cornerstone of the cuisines of South Asia. This recipe, which is sweeter and more minimalist than many other versions, is adapted from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/dining/floyd-cardoz-dead-coronavirus.html">Floyd Cardoz</a>, the pioneering Indian chef who opened Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar in New York. Versatile and aromatic, this blend can be used in everything from curries and dal to pumpkin pie and gingerbread.

Garam Masala

green cardamom pods (1 gram)

black cardamom pods (5 grams)

(1 gram)

cinnamon sticks,

mace blades/arils (3 grams), see Note

star anise pods (2 grams)

bay leaves, preferably Indian

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spread spices on a small rimmed baking pan and toast until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack and let the spices cool.

Using a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle, grind the spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Great served hot or warm, these chicken pop tarts make great work or school lunches.

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