Tzatziki

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 30 to 40 minutes, partially unattended

1 pound cucumbers, peeled if desired, seeded, and roughly chopped
Salt
2 cups whole-milk Greek yogurt
Juice of 3 lemons
½ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
Black pepper

1. Put the chopped cucumbers in a large colander and toss with a large pinch of salt. Put the colander in the sink and let the cucumbers sit for 20 minutes, then gently pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Put the cucumbers, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Notes:
Unless you can find seedless cucumbers, you must remove the seeds.

Then, you must salt the cucumbers to draw out as much liquid as possible. If you skip this step, a puddle of near-flavorless liquid will form quickly at the bottom of your salad bowl, your dip or soup will separate like curdled mayonnaise. Salting cucumbers requires only 20 minutes or so and virtually no effort: You just put them in a colander or strainer, toss them with a big pinch of salt or two, and let osmosis do its thing.

Polenta

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes

1½ cups coarse cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons freeze-dried corn powder
Salt and black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter

Put the cornmeal, milk, freeze-dried corn powder, and 2½ cups water in a small pot over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking more or less constantly, until the polenta has absorbed all the liquid and thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir in the Parmesan and butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve warm. (Store leftover polenta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: About 24 cookies
Time: About 3 hours, mostly unattended

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, or more as needed for coating the cookies

1. Beat the brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl) until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir just until combined. Wrap the dough in foil or plastic wrap (or simply cover the bowl) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, coat each ball in sugar, and transfer to a baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Press the tines of a fork flat against each ball of dough to indent it, then make a second indentation perpendicular to the first one. Bake until the cookies are firm and their edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer the cookies to wire racks or paper towels to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.

Honey-Wheat Bread

Yield: One 9-inch loaf (about 12 servings)
Time: 3½ to 4 hours, mostly unattended

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast or one ¼-ounce packet active dry yeast
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
Butter or oil for greasing the bowl and pan

1. Combine the flours, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Put the milk, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and the honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the butter melts. Turn off the heat and add 1 cup lukewarm water to the milk mixture to cool it to 100°F—about the same temperature as the inside of your wrist. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.

2. Transfer the dough to surface lightly dusted with all-purpose flour. Knead until it feels smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the surface. Grease a large bowl (it’s fine to use the same one you mixed the dough in), add the dough, and turn it over to coat it lightly with oil or butter. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, put it in a warm place, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan. Punch down the dough, then form it into a loaf shape and transfer it to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, put it in a warm place, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the pan and bake the loaf for 15 minutes. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan, then brush it all over the surface of the loaf. Continue baking until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it with the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to continue cooling. Slice and serve warm. (Store leftover bread wrapped in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to a few days.)

Broccoli and Cheddar Frittata

Ingredients

8 large eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cups chopped cooked broccoli
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (2 ounces)

Directions

Separate 4 of the eggs, putting the whites into a medium sized bowl and discarding the yolks. Add the 4 whole eggs and 2 tablespoons of water to the whites and whisk well.

In a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and a few turns of pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet covering them evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook until the egg mixture has set around the edges but is somewhat liquid in the middle, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place the skillet under the broiler about 2 inches from the heat until the surface is set and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the egg mixture will become tough.

Cut the frittata into 8 wedges and serve.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 to 3 1/4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with the butter and set aside.

Place the cream in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, and stir well. Add the potatoes, adding more cream if necessary to completely cover the potatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are barely fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.

With a large spoon, transfer 1/3 of the potatoes with some of the cream to the prepared dish, forming an even layer on the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the cheese, and continue layering the potatoes and cheese, ending with cheese on top. Place on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Bento Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients:

 

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 -2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and begin heating.
2.Stirring often, heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.
3. Add water to thin if you over-thicken it.