FOOD PROCESSOR
BLEND HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
A classic hollandaise is one of the hardest sauces to master. Typically, you heat egg yolks over a double boiler, then very slowly whisk in clarified butter until the sauce is emulsified. With my hack, you’ll get a velvety, rich hollandaise without stressing about curdled eggs or all that whisking.
To make an easy hollandaise sauce, slowly add melted butter to egg yolks and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.
Eggs Florentine with Smoky Hollandaise Sauce
Total
40 min;
Serves
6
1 dozen large eggs
Kosher salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 oz. baby spinach
2½ sticks unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks
3½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sweet pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)
6 English muffins, split and toasted
Snipped chives, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Pour 1 tablespoon of water into each cup of a 12-cup muffin tin. Crack the eggs into the cups and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the poached eggs to a paper towel–lined plate and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderately high until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Season the spinach with salt and pepper.
3.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
In a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and pimentón with 2 tablespoons of water and puree until smooth. With the machine on, gradually drizzle in the hot butter until the sauce is thick, about 1 minute. Season the hollandaise with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the English muffins on plates or a platter. Mound the spinach on the English muffins and top with the poached eggs. Spoon the smoky hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish with chives. Serve right away.
CHURN SOFT SERVE
You can make near-instant soft serve without an ice cream maker.
STEP 1 Add frozen fruit to the bowl of a food processor.
STEP 2 Puree the fruit with condensed milk until smooth.
STEP 3 Serve soft or transfer to a metal baking pan and freeze until just firm.
Almost-Instant Soft Serve
Total
15 min;
Makes
3½ cups
1½ lbs. frozen strawberries, mangoes or blueberries
¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
In a food processor, pulse the fruit with the condensed milk, vanilla and a generous pinch of salt until the fruit is finely chopped. Puree until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Serve soft or, for more of a sherbet-like texture, transfer to a metal baking pan, cover and freeze until just firm.
MAKE AHEAD The soft serve can be frozen for up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
PREPARE CAULIFLOWER RICE
STEP 1 Core and cut cauliflower into florets.
STEP 2 Transfer to a food processor.
STEP 3 Pulse the cauliflower until the pieces are finely chopped and resemble rice.
Stir-Fried Cauliflower “Rice”
Total
35 min;
Serves
4
1¾ lbs. cauliflower, cored and cut into 1½-inch florets
⅓ cup canola oil
3 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 fresh hot red chiles, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower until finely chopped. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the 1 cup of cilantro and the chiles, soy sauce and lime juice. Season with salt, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.
MAKE DIY BROWN SUGAR
It’s late on a Saturday and you’re craving chocolate chip cookies. You head to the pantry only to realize that you’re completely out of brown sugar! If this has ever happened to you, I have an easy way for making sure it’ll never happen again.
Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of unsulfured molasses in a food processor. Pulse until evenly colored. (For dark brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons of molasses.)
Pumpkin Muffins with Crumb Topping
Active
30 min;
Total
1 hr 15 min plus cooling;
Makes
12
FILLING
⅓ cup cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg yolk
TOPPING
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
MUFFINS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1. Make the filling In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar and egg yolk until creamy. Cover and freeze the filling until chilled, about 30 minutes.
2.
Meanwhile, make the topping
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers. Press the mixture into small clumps, then refrigerate the
topping until chilled, about 15 minutes.
3. Make the muffins Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs with the brown sugar, oil and pumpkin puree at medium speed until combined. Beat in the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated.
4. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Drop heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese filling in the center of each cup, then spoon the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.
MAKE AHEAD The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Glazed Agrodolce Ribs
Active
45 min;
Total
2 hr 45 min;
Serves
8
I flavor these tender, juicy ribs with Tuscan seasonings—garlic, fennel seeds and fresh herbs—then quickly glaze them under the broiler with a sweet and tangy balsamic-laced barbecue sauce.
Two 4-lb. racks of pork spareribs, membranes removed
1½ Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1½ Tbsp. finely chopped thyme
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, coarsely grated
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup ketchup
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil and set the ribs on them, meaty side up. In a mortar, crush the fennel seeds with the thyme, crushed red pepper, chopped rosemary, 1½ tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of black pepper. Rub the spice mix all over the ribs and roast for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add both vinegars along with the ketchup and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the ribs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Brush the underside of the racks with some of the sauce. Broil 1 sheet of ribs 8 inches from the heat until browned. Flip the ribs and repeat on the other side. Move the ribs to the bottom rack of the oven to keep warm while you glaze the rest.
4. Transfer the racks to a work surface. Cut in between the bones to form individual ribs and mound on a platter. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.
MAKE AHEAD The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Roasted Pork Loin with Cranberry-Apricot Chutney
Active
30 min;
Total
1 hr 30 min
Serves
6 to 8
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb. fresh or frozen cranberries
¾ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
One 3½-lb. boneless pork loin roast, tied
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cranberries, apricots, sugar, vinegar and ¼ cup of water and cook, stirring, until the cranberries start to burst, 5 minutes. Mash some of the cranberries and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°. In a small roasting pan, season the pork generously with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 400° and roast for about 30 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 135°. Transfer the pork to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Discard the strings. Thinly slice the pork and serve with the chutney.