Potato Curry Sandwich
This sandwich was a staple of my childhood, fueling my family at every picnic, beach day, road trip, and Disneyland visit. It brings together some of my favorite things: green pea-flecked, cumin-spiced potato curry, buttered slices of white bread, a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese, and lots of chopped cilantro. The whole thing is pressed in a sandwich maker, which seals the sandwich shut, crisps up the edges, and portions it into neat little triangles that are easy to transport. Growing up, we’d eat the triangles dunked in tomato ketchup or cilantro chutney, alongside banana chips or an Indian snack mix called “mixture,” and wash it all down with ginger ale or chocolate milk.
Big Batch Honey Deuce Spritz with Raspberry Ginger Lemonade
A honey deuce–the official cocktail of the US Open–is as Instagram-worthy as it is delicious. It’s made with vodka, fresh lemonade, a raspberry liqueur such as Chambord, and is of course garnished with a spear of honeydew melon balls to mimic tennis balls.
Carbonara Two Ways
This version of carbonara, Rome’s beloved dish, transforms basic ingredients, including spaghetti, eggs, bacon, and ham into a rich, silky pasta loaded with crunchy, salty meaty bits. Although I call this “breakfast pasta” to intrigue my kids, it’s sophisticated enough for a grown-up dinner party.
Garlicky Leeks in Olive Oil
So often leeks are the delicious basis for something else, like a good soup. This recipe lets the leek shine with other savory flavors that are meant to simply enhance. I love that this is a Lebanese-style leek dish, one that surprised me when I first adapted it from Hussein Dekmak’s The Lebanese Cookbook. The Lebanese are devoted to careful preparation of our vegetables, here with fine olive oil and a garlicky herbal undertone.
Chili Crisp Grilled Cheese
The world of grilled cheese has no bounds. All you need is your favorite selection of melting cheese, two slices of bread, and any other flavorful addition your heart desires.
Skillet White Beans Caesar From Deb Perelman
Skillet White Beans “Caesar” from Deb Perelman features creamy warmed white beans tossed in a garlicky olive oil, anchovy, Dijon, and lemon sauce. It’s finished with toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and fresh parsley for a quick, tangy, comforting dish.
Salatet Fattoush California Fattoush Salad from Reem Assil
With fireworks of juicy, crunchy, herby, tart, and sweet, Reem Assil's simple, California-style take on fattoush salad is the meal you'll want to eat all summer. And here's the kicker: Thanks to a few-ingredient pantry dressing, it can be the salad of fall, winter, and spring, too.
Versatile vegetable stew
You can add any veg you like to this versatile stew. Just add root vegetables and squash at the beginning, green vegetables towards the end and frozen peas or sweetcorn at the last minute. Adding baked beans adds a little sweetness, plus fibre and protein.
Budget chilli con carne
A cheap and cheerful chilli con carne recipe that's not just a student staple, it's great for families, too. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.
Bean and rice burrito
This budget vegetarian burrito uses tinned beans and frozen sweetcorn. You can even use a microwave to cook the whole recipe.
Prawn spaghetti
This healthy prawn spaghetti recipe is given a bit of a spicy kick with the addition of chilli flakes.
Healthy pasta carbonara
This healthy pasta recipe tastes rich and flavourful, but is also fairly low in calories. Purists may not be happy with the addition of vegetables, but it does help you get your five-a-day.
Tuna Niçoise wrap
We made these protein-packed wraps to take on a picnic and they were substantial and tasty – a feast in a flatbread. They survived the journey in a bicycle pannier well too, so just the thing for a day out in the hills and dales.
Palak paneer orzo
I adore the soul-warming flavours of Indian Palak Paneer, but often tire of eating it with roti or rice (although the latter combo was a mainstay when I was a student). Here's a fresh take on the classic spinach and white cheese curry using orzo as a vehicle for getting an Indian restaurant food fix at home. It looks quite like a creamy spinach risotto but has big, bold Indian flavours.
5-ingredient sausage pasta
Add a few extras to a ready-made tomato sauce for a wonderfully quick and substantial pasta dish!
Crispy smashed potatoes
Cooking potatoes in the microwave and then frying on the hob is quick and easy, and you get to see the skins crisp up before your eyes. The key is to leave the potatoes to do their thing – resist the temptation to keep turning and you will be rewarded with a beautifully crisp spud.