Erika Houle

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Bucatini with Sardines, Peas, Lemon, and Fresh Herbs

Packed like sardines? Not anymore, thankfully—there’s plenty of room for peas, lemon, dill, and parsley to make things feel light and bright for a pasta-forward lunch or dinner. Sardines are still very much present, though, and they bring joy to the dish in a way that’s not overwhelming but salty and sumptuous.

By The Editors Published May 21, 2025

Stay Stalked

Bright and crunchy breakfasts, childhood snacks-turned-grown-up-salads, and braised side dishes or entrées for when you’re tired of roasted vegetables: When you treat celery well, the favor is always returned.

By The Editors Published April 21, 2025

Braised Celery with Pancetta and White Beans

Celery as a main course—especially when braised and served with beans and pancetta—is something worth writing home about. In this case, it’s also extremely easy to make. Everything happens in one pan, and much of the cooking time is hands off and can be adjusted depending on how crunchy or tender you prefer your stalks. Feel free to swap pancetta for bacon, play around with different herbs, or use whatever beans you love and have on hand.

By The Editors Published April 21, 2025

Ants on a Log-Inspired Salad

Growing up, Cheez Whiz slathered on celery was not just a go-to snack, but a delicacy in our home. Peanut butter and raisins were less common toppings, but there’s a reason the combination is beloved and makes sense: Nutty, creamy, crunchy, fresh, salty, and slightly sweet, it’s hard to find anything wrong with Ants on a Log. This salad incorporates those same elements in a more adult form, on a plate that feels part charcuterie board, part childhood favorite.

By The Editors Published April 15, 2025

Celery “Sea Glass” Toasts with Tomato Jam and Hollandaise

Piled on top of toasted sourdough with a generous spread of sweet and spicy tomato jam, a simple celery salad steals the show and sets the best mood for the day ahead. With a creamy, bright, and garlicky hollandaise, it becomes a fully balanced and slightly decadent meal. Blanching the celery brings out its most beautiful shade of green (resembling sea glass), and keeping the dressing simple allows the celery to shine. You won’t find this precious combination of ingredients on many menus, which is all the more reason to make it at home.

By The Editors Published April 15, 2025

How to Make Beans Your Breakfast

Tucked into spicy tomato sauce; blended into a smooth spread and smeared on toast topped with salad; or stirred together with smoky bacon, bright green peas, perfectly jammy eggs, and ever-essential pickled red onions, beans are one of the most enjoyable ways to get—and remain—up on the right side of bed. 

By The Editors Published March 31, 2025

Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon, English Peas, Jammy Eggs, and Pickled Red Onions

For those who love their eggs to exist somewhere in the sweet spot between runny and hard, these black eyed peas are a perfect match. Slightly firm but also slightly creamy, they’re wonderful when stirred together with barely blanched but well seasoned English peas, small squares of crispy bacon, and pickled red onions for a bright and texturally satisfying bite. (Frozen peas will also be great.) Should you prefer more of a breakfast “salad,” before adding the eggs you can drizzle and toss the entire mix with olive oil and vinegar for extra brightness and flavor.

By The Editors Published March 31, 2025

Lupini Beans in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Poached Eggs, Parmigiano Breadcrumbs, and Basil

I’d be hard pressed to tell you about a more underrated ingredient than lupini beans. Not only are they excellent on their own, they add an unmatched sense of “snap” to salads, snacks, soups, and more. Here, nestled in spicy tomato sauce with poached eggs, toasted breadcrumbs, and fresh basil, bright yellow and plump lupini beans feel exactly right for the morning.

By The Editors Published March 31, 2025

Marinated Cannellini Salad & Spread Toasts with Fresh Oregano

If you’ve never dreamed of beans, I can’t relate, but that’s OK. This breakfast will keep them top of mind first thing in the morning, doing the trick and then some. A creamy spread of cannellini beans topped with a bright and smoky salad is the ultimate toast topper: To get you moving, to please your taste buds, to impress your guest from out of town…this is the one!

By The Editors Published March 31, 2025

Chill Out

We all know someone who’s overwhelmed; from new parents and first responders to hospitality workers and busy next-door neighbors, it’s as important as ever to make sure close ones are well-fed and energized. Here’s how to set them up with hearty bites that come together in almost no time at all, by way of the freezer.

By The Editors Published March 3, 2025

“Green Eggs” Breakfast Burritos

These burritos take almost no time to reheat in the microwave, with the option of crisping them up in a pan afterwards for an ideal texture. It’s the “green eggs” that make them extra special; whisked with a blend of cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and salt, they kick the day off with brightness and buoyancy. Beyond that, this recipe—featuring well-seasoned potatoes, melted Oaxaca cheese, and soft flour tortillas—is simple and easily adjustable to personal preferences. If you’re gifting these to someone, include a favorite hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole, or salsa, for good measure.

By The Editors Published March 3, 2025

Cinnamon and Coffee-Infused Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough

Coarsely chopped milk chocolate, instant espresso powder, and warming cinnamon come together in a brown sugar-forward dough that you’ll want to eat on its own, or blended together with vanilla ice cream. Of course they can be baked on an as-needed basis (a minimum of one cookie per night is a good place to start), too. If you’re gifting this cookie dough to someone you love, include a pint of your favorite vanilla ice cream and a small serving of good quality finishing salt, which balances the sweetness and brings things up a notch.

By The Editors Published February 16, 2025

Aromatic Miso-Mushroom Broth for Rice, Soups, and More

This broth is extraordinarily handy to have on hand for cooking rice, making somewhat of a miso soup, stirring into pan sauces, and more. It doesn’t call for kombu, so those who don’t enjoy oceanic flavors can still feel taken care of. Thirty minutes of simmering time will make a big impact for multiple meals to come. Feel free to double measurements for larger batches.

By The Editors Published February 16, 2025

You Don’t Need Fake Meat to Feel Satisfied

Yes, vegetables can be cutlets, and yes, they’re better than you can imagine.

By The Editors Published February 3, 2025

Celery Root Cutlets with Creamy Egg Salad and Pickled Celery

Is this recipe nothing more than a love letter to celery? Possibly. Should you give it a try? Absolutely. Quick-pickled celery, steamed and fried celery root, and finely chopped fresh celery mixed into egg salad for added crunch and creaminess come together in a dish reminiscent of a comforting classic.

Read on: You Don’t Need Fake Meat to Feel Satisfied

By The Editors Published February 3, 2025

Crispy Cabbage Cutlets with Herby Tartar Sauce and Spicy Cabbage Slaw

Use cabbage two ways—fresh and fried—in a bright but spicy slaw and as panko-crusted “cutlets.” Then go big on green additions to tartar sauce: Capers, pickles, celery leaves, and loads of fresh dill. Get some of everything in each bite. Also, save some slaw for leftovers—it goes great with eggs, sandwiches, and other fried foods, and will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.

Read on: You Don’t Need Fake Meat to Feel Satisfied

By The Editors Published February 3, 2025

Savory Sweet Potato Cutlets with Tomato-Onion Salad and Whipped Feta

You’ll want to make a lot of these. A simple salad of tomatoes, onions, and parsley provides an unmatched sense of freshness alongside warming qualities of cayenne, cumin, and smoked paprika. Any leftover whipped feta is also wonderful for serving with roasted vegetables, or adding to a Turkish-style breakfast plate with eggs, olives, cucumbers, and toast.

Read on: You Don’t Need Fake Meat to Feel Satisfied

By The Editors Published January 29, 2025

“Winter Salads” Do Not Have to Be Sad

In-season, one-ingredient-focused alternatives to those monotonous winter leaves.

By The Editors Published January 8, 2025

Carrot Shard Salad with Ginger-Miso Vinaigrette

You can always count on ginger-miso vinaigrette to carry boatloads of flavor. That it can be prepared up to one week in advance is a bonus. Before garnishing, this salad also holds up very well in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. No need to prioritize knife skills, either. A fun cousin to julienned carrots comes together quickly with less precision and just as much payoff—instead of tiny even rectangles, you’ll end up with a pile of soft shards. Topped with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds, this salad pairs well with everything from fried tofu and roasted sweet potatoes to seared fish and stir-fried beef.

By The Editors Published January 8, 2025

Chilled Beet Salad with Feta, Red Onion, and Orange Vinaigrette

For dinners involving warm and earthy flavors, you’ll want this salad on the table. You might also consider it on its own for a lighter lunch. I’d probably eat it for breakfast. Roasting beets might take a while, but you can zone out for most of the process. I suggest making them in big batches and keeping leftovers refrigerated for more fun salads like this one.

By The Editors Published January 8, 2025