Dinner Recipes - A Couple Cooks

Honey Glazed Salmon

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:30:00 +0000

Impress everyone with this honey glazed salmon recipe! The easy flavorful sauce features honey, soy, miso and garlic.

Here’s a dinner idea that gives you maximum return on investment: this Honey Glazed Salmon recipe! In under 30 minutes, you’ve got tender, flaky salmon fillets that are bursting with flavor from a sticky glaze of honey, soy sauce, miso and garlic. That’s what we mean by return on investment: there’s little time needed to make this incredible dish that will have everyone licking their plates clean!

Ingredients in honey glazed salmon

This honey glaze for salmon can be made in just 5 minutes, making it the ideal quick sauce for weeknight meals. Mix up the 6-ingredient sauce in a bowl, then brush half of it onto the salmon. Broil it up, then pour the remaining glaze on before serving. It makes the best sticky sauce that coats everything in savory sweet flavor. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
Olive oil
Yellow or white miso
Honey
Soy sauce
Rice wine
Garlic powder
Ground ginger
Olive oil, for brushing

Types of miso

Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that’s full of nutrients and savory flavor. It’s known for its intense savory flavor, otherwise known as umami: the fifth flavor. You can find miso in the international foods aisle near the Japanese ingredients. There are many different types of miso, and they all taste different. We recommend using white or yellow miso for this miso butter recipe: sometimes they’re labeled as “light miso”.

White miso (Shiro miso): This variety has a mild, more delicate flavor and less salt than darker miso.
Yellow miso: This type is fermented a little longer than white miso and has a mild, lightly sweet flavor.
Red or dark miso: This variety is fermented longer than white or yellow miso. It has a very strong flavor and can overwhelm the flavors in a dish, so we don’t recommend using it here.

Tips for buying salmon

The most important thing when it comes to making this honey glaze salmon recipe is the quality of the fish. Lower quality salmon can taste very fishy and have a mushy texture. It can also have a lot of white stuff (called albumin) when it’s cooked: while it’s not harmful, it doesn’t look appetizing! Here’s what to know when shopping for salmon:

1 to 1 1/2-inch thick fillets are good for this recipe and look impressive; you might find it labeled center cut at the store.
Look for wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.)
Buy fresh salmon. Salmon that’s fresh from the fish counter usually has the best flavor. Frozen can work too, but try to find highest-quality frozen salmon. Avoid those big economy-sized bags, which we’ve found it typically thinner and can taste fishy.

How to cook honey glazed salmon

This honey glazed salmon recipe is broiled salmon, an efficient method that skips the oven preheating time and cooks the fish in just 10 minutes! You can also make this recipe oven baked or grilled (see below), but our favorite way is broiled because it’s so quick and it gets nicely crisp and browned on top. Oven baking can work, but the salmon comes out more moist and soft. Here are a few tips for this recipe:

Allow the salmon to come to room temperature before cooking (brine it if possible!). This can take 15 to 20 minutes, but it’s important. If the salmon is too cold when heat is applied, the outside can cook much faster than the inside. We recommend brining the salmon, which is letting it sit in salt water while it comes to room temperature. This helps to season the fish and also avoids the white stuff (albumin) when the fish is cooked.
Remember the thickness determines the cook time. 1-inch salmon takes 8 to 11 minutes to broil. Very thin salmon can broil in just 5 minutes, so adjust the cook time accordingly.
Keep an eye on the broiler! Salmon can go from pink to brown very quickly in the broiler: so don’t stray too far away, especially at the end of the cook time.
The salmon is done with the internal temperature is 125 to 130°F when measured in the thickest part. The fish will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. To ensure full safety, the FDA recommended temperature for seafood is 145°F, or well done.

Other methods: baked and grilled

This honey glazed salmon recipe also works baked or grilled! Here’s how to do it:

Baked: Follow the instructions in Easy Oven Baked Salmon, but follow the seasoning instructions in the recipe below. Brush on half the glaze before baking, then pour on the remaining half once it’s done.
Grilled: Follow the instructions in Grilled Salmon, but follow the seasoning instructions in the recipe below. Brush on half the glaze before grilling and brush on half afterwards.

More salmon recipes

This honey glazed salmon recipe is one of our favorite salmon recipes to date! Here are a few more to try with this tasty fish:

Try Brown Sugar Salmon or Honey Garlic Salmon
Mix up Stuffed Salmon
Try fan-favorite Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl
Go for Easy Salmon Bites or Greek Salmon Salad
Make Grilled Salmon or Pan Seared Salmon

Brown Sugar Salmon

Honey Garlic Salmon

Stuffed Salmon

35 Easy Salmon Recipes

This honey glazed salmon recipe is…

Pescatarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Honey Glazed Salmon

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4

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Description

Impress everyone with this honey glazed salmon recipe! The easy flavorful sauce features honey, soy, miso and garlic.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets, room temperature
Olive oil, for brushing
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for brining
2 tablespoons yellow or white miso
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tablespoon rice wine
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

Brine the salmon* (optional): In a shallow dish whisk together 4 cups room temperature water and 3 tablespoons kosher salt until it dissolves. Place the salmon in the water and wait for 15 minutes.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Make the glaze: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the miso, honey, soy sauce, rice wine, garlic powder, and ground ginger.
Prepare the salmon: Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place it on the foil skin side down. Brush the salmon with a bit of the olive oil and sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon kosher salt evenly divided among the fillets. Reserve about half of the glaze and brush the remainder on the salmon.
Broil the salmon: Broil 7 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick salmon (or less for thinner fish), until it’s just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center). Pour the reserved glaze onto the salmon and garnish withe parsley, if using. Serve immediately. Leftovers last refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Category: Main dish
Method: Broiled
Cuisine: Seafood
Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Honey glazed salmon

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Baked Chicken Thighs

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This oven baked chicken thighs recipe is truly the best! Here’s how to bake them so they’re succulent and juicy, with a crispy exterior.

“Life changing” is a phrase that’s completely over-used, but here’s a little kitchen trick that we think truly is…yep, life changing. Try this incredible oven baked chicken thighs recipe! This easy method is the secret to perfectly seasoned meat with a crispy skin and juicy, succulent interior. Dunk them in a bit of buffalo ranch and it’s pure heaven (and in all honesty, the favorite bite I’ve taken all year!). Here are all the tricks of how to bake chicken thighs to perfection.

What you need for this chicken thighs recipe

Many chefs and experts say chicken thighs are the best cut of chicken. Why? They’re fattier than chicken breasts, which gives them a more intense, rich flavor than the white meat.

The best type for baked chicken thighs is bone-in, skin-on thighs. When you bake chicken with the bone in, the flavors inside the bone spread out onto the meat, leaving you with a meatier, richer flavor (per Bon Appetit, who says “bone-in chicken thighs are just plain better.”).

In our taste tests, we tend to agree. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs might be easy to eat, but they don’t hold a candle to the bone-and-skin version! Plus, the crispy skin adds both flavor and texture.

How to season baked chicken thighs

The best seasonings for baked chicken thighs? Our custom seasoning blend works wonders. The secret is to make sure to rub the blend on all sides of the chicken and under the skin. That’s right, just stretch the skin and rub a generous amount under it. This is the key to infusing the seasoning throughout the meat! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the chicken seasoning are:

Kosher salt
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried thyme
Cumin
Chili powder
Allspice

The key to crispy baked chicken thighs

The key to crispy baked chicken thighs isn’t really a secret: people have been talking about it for years. It’s baking powder! Add a bit of baking powder to the seasoning mix and it makes for a perfectly crispy skin. What’s the right ratio? In the recipe below, we use 1 teaspoon baking powder for 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.

How long to bake chicken thighs

How long to bake chicken thighs depends on the temperature of your oven: at 450°F you’ll need 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F at the thickest point. You’ll want to use an oven-safe rack that’s placed on top of a baking sheet to get the best crispy exterior. Here’s how to bake chicken thighs:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Pat the chicken dry. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on all sides of the chicken, then rub it under the skin as well. Arrange the chicken thighs on a oven-safe rack that’s placed on top of a baking sheet.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken at its thickest part is 165°F.
Allow the chicken thighs to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

For extra crispy thighs, try convection

Want extra crispy chicken thighs? Use the convection setting on your oven. Set it to 450°F and reduce the bake time to 20 to 25 minutes. Otherwise, follow the recipe below!

Sauces to serve: buffalo ranch and more!

These baked chicken thighs come out irresistibly crispy and perfectly seasoned. Take them up another level served with buffalo ranch sauce, a quick and easy dipping sauce you can stir together in just a few minutes! The first bite I had of these with the sauce was pure bliss. Of course, there are many other sauces for chicken thighs! Here are a few ideas:

Buy organic chicken if possible

When shopping for baked chicken thighs, keep in mind: the best chicken to buy is organic. Buying organic makes sure that it is the highest quality meat that was raised sustainably. It is also free of chemicals and additives so it’s the healthiest option for eating, and overall: it just tastes better!

Per the USDA, organic chicken must be raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviors (like grazing on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not given antibiotics or hormones.

More chicken recipes

Let us know what you think of this chicken thighs recipe in the comments below! We hope you’ll love it as much as we do. Here are a few more chicken recipes for inspiration:

Try Creamy Garlic Chicken
Make a Rotisserie Chicken
Go for Grilled Chicken or Pesto Chicken
Make a Chicken Pesto Sandwich or Chicken Corn Chowder

Creamy Garlic Chicken

Rotisserie Chicken

Grilled Chicken

Pesto Chicken

This baked chicken thighs recipe is…

Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Baked Chicken Thighs (Best Ever!)

★★★★★

4.3 from 3 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

This oven baked chicken thighs recipe is truly the best! Here’s how to bake them so they’re succulent and juicy, with a crispy exterior.

Ingredients

8 large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on, organic if possible (about 3 pounds)
2 teaspoons* kosher salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 recipe Buffalo Ranch, for serving (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Pat the chicken dry. In a small bowl, mix the salt, seasonings, and baking powder. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on all sides of the chicken, then rub it under the skin as well. Arrange the chicken thighs on a oven-safe rack that’s placed on top of a baking sheet** (or use an oiled aluminum foil-lined baking sheet).
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken at its thickest part is 165°F. (Or, use the convection setting on your oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes.)
Allow the chicken thighs to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. Serve as is or with Buffalo Ranch for dipping.

Notes

*Use 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt if you prefer a less salty flavor.

**We use this baking sheet and rack combo.

Category: Main Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Chicken
Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Baked chicken thighs, how long to bake chicken thighs, baked chicken thighs recipe, oven baked chicken thighs, how to bake chicken thighs

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A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This sun dried tomato pasta is creamy, cozy, and a crowd-pleasing dinner idea! This recipe is simple to make with maximum wow-factor.

You know those recipes where people rave and only you know the secret that it’s actually easy to make? That’s the case with this Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta! There’s major wow-factor to this pasta, which comes together in just 30 minutes. Earthy, fruity sundried tomatoes lend a meaty quality to this easy vegetarian dish, which is bathed in a Parmesan cream sauce. We couldn’t stop raving about each bite!

Ingredients in sun dried tomato pasta

This sun dried tomato pasta comes together in about 30 minutes, with only one ingredient to chop. That’s right, all you need to do is mince garlic! Otherwise, it’s a matter of simmering up a simple sundried tomato cream sauce and boiling a pot of pasta. Here’s what you’ll need:

Short pasta (we used rigatoni)
Butter
Garlic
Milk
Flour
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
Sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
Spinach
Fresh or dried thyme
Salt

Got leftover sundried tomatoes? They’re great in this Sundried Tomato Pesto or tucked into a Pesto Grilled Cheese.

Other types of pasta to use

This sundried tomato pasta recipe works with any type of pasta noodle, but we like it best with short cut pasta. Short cut pasta makes it easy to get perfect distribution of sundried tomatoes, spinach, and bites of chewy pasta. However, you’re welcome to make it with long noodles too! Here are a few varieties we’d recommend:

Rigatoni
Spirals (fusilli)
Penne
Shells (conchiglie)
Cavatappi
Orecchiette
Gemelli
Gigli
Spaghetti
Linguine
Bucatini

Cook the pasta to al dente

The most important part of this sun dried tomato pasta recipe? Cook your pasta to al dente. Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian, and signifies to cook until it’s tender with a small white speck inside when you bite into a piece. There’s nothing worse than soft, rubbery pasta. Here are a few tips for the perfect al dente pasta:

Boil the pasta a few minutes less than indicated on the package instructions. Often package instructions make for overcooked pasta.
Start taste testing early. Start taste testing and stop cooking when the pasta is just tender but you can still see a small white speck inside.

Tips for making sun dried tomato pasta

Besides cooking your pasta to al dente, here are a few things to note about this sundried tomato pasta:

If the pasta finishes before the sauce, drain and stir with a drizzle of olive oil. This prevents the pasta from sticking to the pan.
You’ll add flour as a thickener after simmering the sauce. A standard cheese or cream sauce starts with a roux, a mixture of flour and butter that thickens cheese sauces. This sauce is a little different: it does contain flour as a thickener, but you’ll add it at the end of simmering.
For a gluten-free version, use cornstarch and GF pasta. There are lots of great brands of gluten-free pasta these days, made from gluten-free flour or legumes like chickpeas.

Protein adders

This sundried tomato pasta is a delicious vegetarian pasta that’s filling and satisfying! However, if you want to add protein it’s very easy to add the following:

Chicken like chopped grilled chicken or pan-fried chicken (skip step 3 of creating the pan sauce)
Shrimp like sauteed shrimp
Salmon like pan seared salmon
Scallops like seared scallops
Tofu like crispy tofu

Leftovers and storage info

Sundried tomato pasta tastes the best the day it is made. But unlike many pasta recipes, this one tastes great as leftovers! Store leftovers for up to 3 days refrigerated. You can reheat them in a skillet on the stove, adding a splash of milk to keep the sauce creamy. Or you can simply eat it cold (it’s still good!).

More easy pasta recipes

Love a good pasta? Here are some tasty more pasta recipes that make fast and easy dinner ideas or fun pasta side dishes:

Make Pasta Pomodoro or Classic Red Sauce Pasta
Try Pasta alla Norma
Mix up super simple Easy Garlic Butter Noodles
For sides, make Orzo Pasta Salad or Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Pasta Pomodoro

Pasta alla Norma

Easy Garlic Butter Noodles

Orzo Pasta Salad

This sun dried tomato pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use cornstarch and gluten-free pasta.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

This sun dried tomato pasta is creamy, cozy, and a crowd-pleasing dinner idea! This recipe is simple to make with maximum wow-factor.

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta of any type (we used rigatoni)
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (julienne-cut), drained
3 to 5 cups (3 to 5 ounces) baby spinach or roughly chopped fresh spinach
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

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Instructions

Start a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until al dente (check a few minutes before the package instructions indicate). When cooked, drain the pasta. If it finishes before the sauce, toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan or saucepan over medium low heat. Melt the butter, then add the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the milk, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese has melted and it thickens slightly. Add the sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted.
In a small bowl, mix the flour with 2 tablespoons water. Pour it into the pan with the sauce, then stir until it thickens. Cook 2 minutes more.
Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Stir in a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers last refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Category: Main dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Sun dried tomato pasta, sundried tomato pasta, creamy sun dried tomato pasta

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

Sonja Overhiser — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This Quattro Formaggi pizza is irresistible! It’s topped with a tangy red sauce and the classic Italian combination of four cheeses.

Here’s a pie that’s one of the Italian greats: Quattro Formaggi! This classic Italian combination of four cheese is popular for a reason: combine each flavor and texture and it makes one completely irresistible slice! There’s the melty mozzarella, sharp and salty Parmesan and Pecorino cheese, and the subtle funk of gorgonzola. Combine it all on pillowy pizza crust with zingy pizza sauce and it’s a match made in pizza heaven.

What is quattro formaggi?

Quattro formaggi means four cheese in Italian, and refers to a popular style of pizza featuring a combination of four cheeses, with or without red sauce. The types of cheeses vary based on the pizzeria, but the most common combination is mozzarella, gorgonzola, Parmesan and fontina cheese. Other variations include swapping out the Parmesan and fontina with pecorino romano, asiago, ricotta, taleggio, robiola, or other Italian cheeses.

For this spin on quattro formaggi pizza, we used Pecorino Romano in place of the fontina cheese to bring a salty intensity to this pie. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this pie:

Best Pizza Dough
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk if possible)
Parmesan cheese
Pecorino Romano cheese
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Pizza dough options

How to make a Quattro Formaggi pizza that tastes like you’re in Italy? Make homemade pizza dough! We’ve honed our dough recipes to perfection over a decade of recipe testing. Each one of the recipes below works perfectly in a standard oven or pizza oven to make next-level artisan pizza:

Best Pizza Dough: The standard! This is our best oven pizza dough and works best on a pizza stone.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough: This variation is easy and you can roll it out instead of stretching it.
Pizza Oven Dough: Got a pizza oven? This is the dough recipe for you.
Best-Ever Sheet Pan Pizza: This simple recipe makes the equivalent of two pizzas in a sheet pan: and you don’t need any special tools!

The best sauce for quattro formaggi (or go without)

Quattro formaggi pizza can be served with a red tomato-based pizza sauce or without sauce, called Pizza Bianca (white pizza). They both taste great, but we like bit of red sauce to really make this pie shine. Here are a few notes:

For a red pizza, spread a bit of tomato sauce for a bold, saucy pie. Try this best homemade pizza sauce recipe, which you can whip up in just 5 minutes, no cooking required.
For a white pizza, make sure to brush the dough with olive oil before layering it with cheese. It’s a little more cheese forward and dryer. To add a little more moisture, you could consider spreading a ricotta as a base like in this Pizza Bianca.

Pizza making tools

If you’re making our best pizza dough or thin crust pizza, you’ll need a pizza stone and peel for this recipe. If you’re using a pizza oven, it typically comes with its own pizza peel that can withstand the high temperatures. If you don’t have these tools, consider making the sheet pan pizza dough or a pan pizza! Here are some notes on these tools:

Pizza stone: Baking on a pizza stones makes the crust crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Here’s the pizza stone we recommend.
Pizza peel: This paddle slides the pie onto the hot stone in the oven. We recommend this standard pizza peel or this conveyor pizza peel, which makes transferring to the oven a breeze.
Pizza oven (optional): An outdoor pizza oven makes next level pizza! We have experience with both the Ooni pizza oven and the ROCCBOX (the ROCCBOX is our preference). We used a pizza oven to get the charred crust you see in the photos.

Let us know if you try this Quattro formaggi pizza and what you think in the comments below!

More pizza recipes

There are infinite ways to top a pizza! Here are a few of our favorite pizza recipes:

Go classic Italian with Margherita Pizza, Pizza Marinara, Neapolitan Pizza, or Pizza Bianca
Opt for American-style Cheese Pizza or Taco Pizza
Start the day with a Breakfast Pizza
Try Olive Pizza or Red Pepper Pizza with Feta

Homemade Margherita Pizza

Homemade Cheese Pizza

Breakfast Pizza

Red Pepper Pizza with Feta

This quattro formaggi pizza recipe is…

Vegetarian.

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes
Yield: 1 medium pizza

Print Recipe

Description

This Quattro Formaggi pizza is irresistible! It’s topped with a tangy red sauce and the classic Italian combination of four cheeses.

Ingredients

1 recipe Best Pizza Dough
½ cup Homemade Pizza Sauce
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk if possible)
1 ½ tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons gorgonzola crumbles

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Instructions

Make the pizza dough: Follow the Best Pizza Dough, Thin Crust Pizza Dough or Pizza Oven Dough recipes to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
Make the pizza sauce: Make the Homemade Pizza Sauce. (You’ll use about ½ cup for the pizza; reserve the remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 1 week.)
Bake the pizza: When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
Spread a thin layer of the pizza sauce over the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano, Parmesan and gorgonzola cheese.
Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 to 2 minutes in a pizza oven).
Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before slicing into pieces. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Or, try our Thin Crust Dough or Pizza Oven Dough!

Category: Pizza
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Pizza
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Quattro Formaggi, quattro formaggio, Quattro Formaggi pizza

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Best Vegetarian Chili

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This vegetarian chili recipe is a family favorite everyone loves! It has the best flavor and is so easy to whip up.

When the air gets a certain chill, there’s a recipe we make on repeat: this Vegetarian Chili! In fact, we’ve made it so often for friends and family, they always request that we make “the chili!” It’s bursting with hearty, smoky flavor, with a savory tomato base loaded with two types of beans, corn, and quinoa. The best part is that it’s beyond simple to whip up: essentially a “dump and stir” recipe! Add cornbread and you’ve got a simple, comforting meal where no one will miss the meat.

Ingredients in this vegetarian chili recipe

Why make this vegetarian chili? Well, a great vegetarian chili goes beyond bean soup. It’s hard to replicate the heartiness of that signature flavor without using meat. But this recipe uses a combination of “secret” ingredients to bring a savory, salty umami: ketchup, mustard, butter and Worcestershire sauce lend a richness and intensity to the flavor. Stirring in smoked paprika at the end adds an irresistible smokiness (it’s our secret weapon when it comes to plant-based dishes).

The recipe was originally inspired by open-fire cooking: we first made it in a pot over an open fire in our backyard! Because of that, it’s seriously easy to put together, a combination of great ingredients that bring massive flavor with little effort. Here’s what you’ll need:

Onion and garlic
Olive oil and butter
Quinoa
Beans
Canned fire roasted tomatoes
Corn
Ketchup
Mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt

It’s all in the tomatoes

One other flavor secret to vegetarian chili? It’s all in the tomatoes! You can make this vegetarian chili recipe with any type of canned tomato, but the best option is fire roasted tomatoes. This type of tomato is roasted over an open flame, which infuses a sweet and smoky flavor to the tomatoes. They taste better than standard canned tomato, which can taste flat and bitter.

Can’t find fire roasted tomatoes? San Marzano tomatoes can work in a pinch: this Italian type of tomato has a sweeter flavor right out of the can too. Or, simply use the best canned tomatoes you can find.

Toppings for vegetarian chili

One of the best parts of a vegetarian chili recipe is loading it up with toppings! Once you’ve whipped up a big, steaming pot on the stovetop, assemble your toppings of choice. Here are a few of our favorite options:

Shredded cheese: Try cheddar, Mexican blend or Monterrey Jack.
Sour cream: it’s required, in our opinion! For vegan, use Cashew Cream or Vegan Queso.
Green onion: Onion adds just the right savory flair.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds an herby nuance.
Hot sauce: Try a Mexican hot sauce like Cholula.
Crushed tortilla chips: Add a crunch with crushed tortilla chips.
Roasted pepitas: Pumpkin seeds also add a salty crunch.
Pickled onions: Make a jar of quick pickled onions in advance; they add bright color and tangy flavor to chili.
Pickled peppers: Try pickled jalapeños for a kick!

Variation: make it vegan!

Want to make this vegetarian chili into a vegan chili? Simple use vegan butter or refined coconut oil in place of the butter. Either way, these ingredients add richness and fat, which is important in making a meatless chili taste satisfying. For the topping, use Cashew Cream instead of sour cream.

Sides to serve with chili

Turn this vegetarian chili recipe into a meal by adding a few simple side dishes! Cornbread is an obvious pair with this hearty stew, but there are lots of other options and ideas. Here are some sides to serve with chili:

Add cornbread or corn muffins
Pair with Mexican cornbread or vegan cornbread
Add a green salad like Mexican-style chopped salad or kale Caesar salad
Pair with fries or sweet potato fries
Serve over a baked potato or baked sweet potato

Make ahead and storage info

This vegetarian chili works great as a make ahead recipe for meal prep. However, keep in mind that the chili becomes very thick when refrigerated, so reheat on the stovetop and stir in a little extra water, then taste and add additional salt if necessary until the flavor pops.

Leftovers store for up to 3 days refrigerated. They also freeze well: place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

More chili recipes

This vegetarian chili is a family favorite that’s a delicious meatless dinner idea. Here are a few more chili recipes you might enjoy, many of them meatless:

Try our Ultimate Vegan Chili, full of big flavor
Opt for Pumpkin Chili, a family favorite
Mix up this Quick Chili Recipe in 25 minutes or try this Healthy Chili Recipe
Go for Best Ever Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Ultimate Vegan Chili

Quick Chili Recipe

Best Pumpkin Chili

3-Bean Healthy Chili Recipe

This vegetarian chili recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6

Print Recipe

Description

This vegetarian chili recipe is the best: loaded with hearty flavor and good-for-you ingredients! Even better, it’s quick and easy.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 (or 2) 15-ounce can black beans, drained*
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
2 28-ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes**
4 tablespoons salted butter (or vegan butter)
1 15-ounce can corn (or 1 ½ cups frozen corn), drained
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons each chili powder and dried oregano
1 tablespoon each garlic powder and cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

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Instructions

Dice the onion. Mince the garlic.
In a large pot or Dutch oven***, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender.
Add all other ingredients except for the smoked paprika. Simmer for 25 minutes, then stir in the smoked paprika. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for 3 months. Leftovers become very thick when refrigerated, so reheat on the stovetop and stir in a little extra water, then taste and add additional salt if necessary until the flavor pops.

Notes

*Make this recipe with a total of 3 15-ounce cans of beans for an even more filling meal.

**Fire roasted tomatoes are key for the flavor here. If you can’t find them, use San Marzano tomatoes or best quality canned tomatoes.

***This recipe is easy to cook over an open fire. If you’re taking it camping, prep the minced onion and garlic and place in a sealed container. Place the ingredients from water through kosher salt in another large sealed container, but keep out the dry quinoa and add it when cooking.

Category: Main dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Chili
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Vegetarian chili, vegetarian chili recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Tomato Bisque

Sonja Overhiser — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This tomato bisque recipe is tangy and creamy! This classic soup makes a tasty lunch paired with bread or grilled cheese.

Here’s a cozy, creamy soup that works in nearly any season: try Tomato Bisque! This vibrant puree melds bright tomatoes, garlic and aromatic vegetables with a touch of creamy for a rich, silky body. It’s pure and simple, perfect with a hunk of crusty artisan bread or a grilled cheese sandwich. Here’s how to make a simple tomato bisque!

Ingredients in tomato bisque

A bisque is a creamy pureed soup that’s French in origin. A traditional bisque uses ground seafood shells as a thickener, like ground lobster or shrimp shells, and heavy cream to add richness. There are also vegetable-based bisques that are blended and thickened with cream, like butternut squash, red pepper or tomato.

While it sounds fancy, a tomato bisque is simple to make: it’s essentially a French-style creamy tomato soup. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Butter or olive oil
Yellow onion
Carrot
Celery
Garlic
White wine vinegar (or white wine)
Fire roasted diced tomatoes (or San Marzano or best quality tomatoes)
Vegetable or chicken broth
Sugar and salt
Heavy cream

Use fire roasted or best quality tomatoes

The key to this tomato bisque recipe? The quality of the tomatoes. Low quality canned tomatoes have a bitter, flat flavor that can’t be compensated with extra seasoning. If you can find fire roasted tomatoes, they have a pure, developed flavor with less simmering time. Here are a few notes on finding best quality tomatoes:

Fire roasted tomatoes are a type of canned tomato that’s cooked over an open flame before canning. It makes the flavor beautifully sweet out of the can, instead of acidic like many canned tomato varieties.
Where to get them? This type of tomatoes are becoming pretty easy to find in grocery stores in the US; they’re sold by several brands (Muir Glen is a favorite of ours). Look in the canned tomatoes section.
What if you can’t find them? Substitute the best quality canned tomatoes you can find and increase the simmer time by 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar if the flavor still seems bitter.

Tips for tomato bisque

This tomato bisque recipe is simple to make: you’ll sauté the vegetables, add tomatoes and broth and simmer, then puree the soup and add cream. Here are a few pointers:

Sauté the vegetables until tender. It’s important to make sure the vegetables are tender before adding the tomatoes so they’re not crunchy in the final soup.
A standard blender works best (vs a stick blender). We used to love the convenience of an immersion blender (aka stick blender), but it doesn’t get the soup nearly as creamy of a texture.
Don’t skimp on the cream. The cream brings a rich, thicker texture and a luxurious mouthfeel. It’s absolutely essential!

Ways to serve it

Pureed soups like tomato bisque are delicious: but they’re not a meal in themselves! You’ll need to add some protein to make a filling meal. Here are a few ideas:

Make a grilled cheese like gourmet grilled cheese, grilled cheese in the oven or pesto grilled cheese.
Add bread and cheese like an artisan bread or no-knead loaf
Add a salad like goat cheese salad, kale salad, apple salad, or chopped salad
Opt for crackers and cheese like homemade crackers or almond crackers.
Corn bread: Try classic corn muffins or skillet cornbread

More soup recipes

Love cozy soups? Here are a few more great soup recipes to try?

Make Creamy Spinach Soup, Creamy Celery Soup or Simple Carrot Soup
Opt for Potato Leek Soup
Make 15 Healthy Soup Recipes Everyone Will Love
Go for Easy Cabbage Soup

Creamy Spinach Soup

Carrot Soup

Creamy Celery Soup

15 Healthy Soup Recipes Everyone Will Love

This tomato bisque recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Tomato Bisque

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4

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Description

This tomato bisque recipe is tangy and creamy! This classic soup makes a tasty lunch paired with bread or grilled cheese.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salted butter or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar**
28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes*
1 quart vegetable broth or chicken broth
½ tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup heavy cream

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Instructions

In a medium pot, heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the white wine vinegar and cook until evaporated.
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and salt and bring to a steady simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender using a ladle, then blend until creamy (or an immersion blender). Stir in the cream.
Serve immediately, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil or cream and chopped or thinly sliced basil. Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for 3 months.

Notes

*If you can’t find fire roasted tomatoes, use the best quality tomatoes you can find (San Marzanos are also a flavorful variety). Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, then taste and add a teaspoon or so of sugar if the flavor tastes bitter.

**If you have it on hand, substitute ¼ cup white wine and cook until all of the wine evaporates.

Category: Soup
Method: Stoveop
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Tomato bisque, tomato bisque recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Eggplant Lasagna

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This eggplant lasagna recipe layers eggplant, homemade marinara, and a flavorful three-cheese filling! It’s a hearty dinner that pleases everyone.

Got eggplant and want to turn it into a meal? Try this Eggplant Lasagna, a tasty dinner recipe that swaps out the traditional noodles for roasted eggplant! This gooey pan holds layers of eggplant, homemade marinara, and a flavorful three-cheese filling. Lemon zest and nutmeg takes it to restaurant-style flavor. It’s a hearty gluten-free and meatless dinner idea that everyone will love! This one’s now in our regular rotation to stay.

Ingredients for eggplant lasagna

Eggplant lasagna is a gluten-free version of lasagna that swaps the noodles for roasted lasagna. It’s similar to a classic Eggplant Parmesan, but skips the breading breading on the eggplant. You’ll slice the eggplant into planks, then use that for layering with the marinara and three-cheese filling. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Eggplant
Olive oil
Garlic
Butter
Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce
Fresh thyme
Dried basil, dried tarragon, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt
Cornstarch
Lemon zest
Ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese

The tricks to eggplant lasagna

The biggest issue with lasagna recipes without noodles like eggplant lasagna is that eggplant is 90% water. Raw eggplant would make the dish into a watery mess! So there are a few tricks to making eggplant lasagna with the perfect consistency:

Roast the eggplant. This cooks out a significant amount of the water, making for the perfect tender consistency. You’ll roast at 425°F for about 25 minutes total.
Thicken the tomato sauce with cornstarch. This is another preventative measure! Adding a little cornstarch makes an even thicker tomato sauce with less water.
Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes to set. Right out of the oven, there may be a little moisture. Let the lasagna sit and cool, which lets it absorb any remaining moisture.

A few flavor secrets

This eggplant lasagna tastes restaurant-quality with just a few special items to make the ingredients sing! We recommend making the recipe with each of these ingredients:

Ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese: Using three types of cheese brings a nuance in flavor. Use whole milk mozzarella if you can find it: it melts better than part-skim cheese.
Homemade tarragon tomato sauce: You could use store-bought marinara sauce in a pinch, but this tomato sauce is incredible! Substitute oregano if you don’t have dried tarragon.
Lemon zest and fresh thyme: These bring a zing and freshness that’s absolutely essential to the flavors.

Make ahead & leftover storage for eggplant lasagna

This eggplant lasagna recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to bake, and 15 minutes to rest. So, it’s not a recipe for a quick weeknight meal! However, there are a few thing you can do to prep this recipe in advance.

Roast the eggplant in advance. One of the biggest time savers is roasting the noodles ahead of time. Roast and then refrigerate until the time of baking. They will accumulate moisture in the fridge, so pat them dry before assembling.
Make the tomato sauce in advance. It’s easy to let the tomato sauce simmer while you preheat the oven. But you can make it in advance too! Just refrigerate until serving: the flavor gets better over time.
Or, make the entire pan in advance! Leftovers store well; they can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 375°F oven.

More eggplant recipes

This eggplant lasagna is one of our favorite new ways to use eggplant! Here are a few other eggplant recipes to try:

Go for classic Eggplant Parmesan (Eggplant Parmigiana)
Try tasty Eggplant Rollatini
Mix up a batch of Perfect Roasted Eggplant or Easy Sauteed Eggplant
Make Best-Ever Eggplant Meatballs or Easy Eggplant Pizza
Try Japanese Eggplant with Garlic & Ginger

Eggplant Parmesan (Eggplant Parmigiana)

Eggplant Rollatini

Best-Ever Eggplant Meatballs

20 Tasty Eggplant Recipes

This eggplant lasagna recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Eggplant Lasagna

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Rest time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 9 pieces

Print Recipe

Description

This eggplant lasagna recipe layers eggplant, homemade marinara, and a flavorful three-cheese filling! It’s a hearty dinner that pleases everyone.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, fire roasted if possible
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce, fire roasted if possible
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or oregano)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
1 3/4 pounds eggplant (2 medium)
2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Zest of 1/2 lemon
16 ounces (2 cups) ricotta cheese
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups (7 ounces) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper

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Instructions

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Roast the eggplant: Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices (at least 12 planks; don’t worry if they vary in size). Place the slices on two parchment-lined baking sheets and brush each side with them with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided across the 2 trays. Roast for 10 minutes, then flip and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until tender and golden brown.
Prepare the sauce: Mince the garlic. Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat: once melted, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn down the heat and carefully add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, tarragon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Remove ¼ cup of the sauce and stir it with the cornstarch, then add it back to the pan (this helps to thicken the sauce). Simmer while making the remainder of the recipe, at least 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the cheese filling: Destem the thyme, then roughly chop the leaves. Add 2 tablespoons thyme to a medium bowl and reserve about ½ tablespoon for topping the lasagna. To the bowl, add the lemon zest, ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
Turn down the oven: Turn down the heat to 375°F.
Assemble the lasagna: In a 9” x 9” baking dish or 7 x 11 baking dish (or similar volume dish), spread a ½ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then top with 1 layer of the eggplant, half of the cheese mixture (in dollops) and about ½ cup of the tomato sauce, using a spatula to spread the sauce evenly over the cheese. Repeat again, topping with 1 layer of eggplant, the remaining cheese mixture, and ½ cup of the remaining tomato sauce. Finally, top with a final layer of eggplant, then another ½ cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and ½ tablespoon fresh thyme.
Bake the lasagna: Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes, uncovered. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving (this allows the lasagna to set; you can let it sit even longer if desired). Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 375°F oven.

Category: Main dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Italian inspired
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Eggplant lasagna, Eggplant lasagna recipe, recipe for eggplant lasagna

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Garlic Butter Salmon

Sonja Overhiser — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 16:38:00 +0000

This garlic butter salmon recipe is an easy dinner in under 30 minutes! It’s bursting with flavor from fresh lemon, butter and garlic.

If there’s a perfect flavor combination, it’s this: garlic butter lemon salmon! This recipe pairs these natural partners in harmony, making an easy dinner in less than 30 minutes. It’s zingy from the lemon, rich from the butter and savory from the garlic, making this tender fish taste sublime! This easy salmon recipe works for both weeknight dinners and entertaining, making it one ideal back-pocket idea. Our family loves it and we hope yours will too!

Ingredients in garlic butter salmon

This garlic butter salmon recipe is quick and simple. You’ll pan sear the fillets in a mix of butter and olive oil, then add minced garlic at the end to maximize the pungent flavor. You don’t need much more than fresh garlic, butter and lemon for this salmon recipe, making it an impressively simple recipe. As cookbook authors of a book about simple recipes, that makes us smile! Here’s what you’ll need:

Salmon fillets (wild caught if possible)
Butter
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Garlic
Salt and pepper

Type of salmon to buy

The most important part of this garlic butter salmon recipe is the quality of the fish. Low quality salmon can taste fishy and have a mushy texture. It can also have a lot of white stuff (called albumin) when it’s cooked. While it’s not harmful, it doesn’t look appetizing! Here’s what to know when shopping for salmon:

1 to 1 1/2-inch thick fillets are good for this recipe. You might find it labeled center cut at the store. You can also make it with thinner salmon, which requires less cooking time.
Look for wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.)
Buy fresh salmon. Salmon that’s fresh from the fish counter usually has the best flavor. Frozen can work too, but try to find highest-quality frozen salmon. Avoid big economy-sized bags, which we’ve found is generally thinner and can have a fishy flavor.

Allow the salmon to come to room temp (or brine it)

Another important part of any salmon recipe is to allow the fish to come to room temperature before cooking. This can take 15 to 20 minutes, but it’s important. If the salmon is too cold when heat is applied, the outside can cook much faster than the inside.

Even better is to brine the salmon or let it sit in salt water while it comes to room temperature for 15 minutes. This helps to season the fish and also avoids the white stuff (albumin) when the fish is cooked. Do this if at all possible for the best cooked piece of salmon!

Tips for cooking garlic butter salmon

This garlic butter salmon recipe is pan seared salmon, which is a quick and simple method and makes a beautiful browned, crispy top to the salmon. Keep in mind you’ll want to stay by the stovetop for the entire cook time. Garlic butter salmon doesn’t work as well as a baked or broiled salmon recipe since the garlic can burn, but we’ve got a few tips for changing it up before. Here are a few tips for this recipe:

Remember the thickness determines the cook time. 1-inch salmon takes about 10 minutes to pan sear. Very thin salmon can pan sear in just 5 minutes, so adjust the cook time accordingly.
Keep an eye on it! You’ll want to stay at the pan for the entire cook time, especially since you’ll need to flip the salmon and add garlic at different intervals at the end. It’s not a hands off recipe!
The salmon is done with the internal temperature is 125 to 130°F when measured in the thickest part. The fish will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. To ensure full safety, the FDA recommended temperature for seafood is 145°F, or well done.

Variation: baked or broiled garlic salmon

We prefer pan seared salmon here because it allows the salmon to develop a browned, crispy top layer. Baking the salmon makes for an overall soft texture. You can try it broiled, but garlic tends to burn in the broiler. Here are a few ways to change up this recipe:

Make garlic butter. Make the garlic butter while the salmon bakes or broils, then toss it with the salmon once it’s cooked. Try a half recipe of this Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce or Garlic Butter Sauce.
Bake the salmon. Use this baked salmon recipe, then toss with the garlic butter.
Or, broil the salmon. Use this broiled salmon recipe, then toss with the garlic butter.

More salmon recipes

And that’s it! We hope you love this fast and easy dinner idea as much as we do. Here are a few more great salmon recipes to try:

Try Honey Glazed Salmon or Brown Sugar Salmon
Opt for Easy Salmon Bites, or put them on a Greek Salmon Salad
Make Grilled Salmon or Easy Pan Seared Salmon
Go for Stuffed Salmon
Try a Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl

Honey Glazed Salmon

Brown Sugar Salmon

Grilled Salmon

35 Easy Salmon Recipes

This garlic butter salmon recipe is…

Gluten-free and pescatarian. For dairy-free, use olive oil or vegan butter.

Garlic Butter Salmon

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

This garlic butter salmon recipe is an easy dinner in under 30 minutes! It’s bursting with flavor from fresh lemon, butter and garlic.

Ingredients

1 pound salmon fillets, skin on (wild caught if possible)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for brining
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus one drizzle
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus a few lemon wedges
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (if desired)

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Instructions

Brine the salmon* (optional): In a large shallow dish, whisk together 4 cups room temperature water and 3 tablespoons kosher salt until dissolved. Place the salmon in the water and wait for 15 minutes.
If not brining, allow the salmon to come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub it generously with oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and generous grinds of fresh ground pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When butter is melted, add the salmon skin side up and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until cooked about halfway to center of thick part of salmon.
Reduce to medium heat and flip the salmon (a fish spatula makes easy work of it). Tilt the pan down slightly and quickly spoon the pan juices over the top of the fish a few times. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then drizzle with the lemon juice and add the minced garlic. Continuously baste the salmon by spooning the garlic butter over the salmon and cook and additional 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center when removed).
Remove from the heat. Spritz with juice from a few additional lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley (if using) and serve.

Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Seafood
Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Garlic butter salmon, garlic salmon, butter garlic lemon salmon

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Seafood Pizza

Sonja Overhiser — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:34:00 +0000

This seafood pizza is bursting with flavor, starring succulent shrimp and scallops, seasoned ricotta, and gooey mozzarella cheese. It’s a winner!

Calling all seafood lovers! This pie is just for you! This delectable seafood pizza is full of bold flavors, featuring shrimp and scallops sauteed with garlic until they’re succulent and tender. They’re sprinkled onto a layer of seasoned ricotta cheese, then topped with gooey mozzarella, red onion and herbs. Right before serving, drizzle with a warm garlic butter and it’s a little bit of heaven!

Ingredients in seafood pizza

Seafood pizza is simply any pizza topped with fish or shellfish. Both a shrimp pizza and anchovy pizza qualify under that definition. But some pizzerias serve a pie that’s topped with a mix of different types of seafood, which is what we went for here. We used a mix of shrimp and scallops, chopped into pieces so you can get a juicy burst in each bite. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 recipe Best Pizza Dough
Garlic
Shrimp
Scallops
Olive oil
Ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
Dried oregano
Red onion
Butter
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Some notes on the scallops

We were hoping to find bay scallops for this seafood pizza. Bay scallops are harvested on the East coast of American; they’re smaller than sea scallops and their flavor is sweeter and more tender.

However, we had a very hard time finding bay scallops! Instead, we decided to use sea scallops and chopped them into 1/4-inch pieces. If you have access to bay scallops, you can certainly use them here, keeping them whole since they are smaller and don’t need to be chopped.

Seafood pizza sauce

This seafood pizza has a similar sauce to this Pizza Bianca, aka white pizza. It’s a seasoned sauce of ricotta cheese, made by simply mixing the ricotta with salt and pepper and spreading it over the dough.

Do you prefer a red pizza sauce? You can do that too! Simply swap in ⅓ cup of our quick homemade pizza sauce. It takes just 5 minutes to whip up, no cooking required.

Pizza dough recipes

The best way to make a seafood pizza? With homemade pizza dough! You can use purchased dough if you like, but the best tasting pizza is made with homemade dough. Here are a few of the options we’ve developed over the years, each with their own pros and cons:

Best Pizza Dough (top choice): This is our best oven pizza dough! It works best with a pizza stone in a standard oven.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough: This one is tasty and even easier; you can roll out the dough instead of stretching it.
Pizza Oven Dough: This dough recipe is optimized for a pizza oven.
Gluten Free Pizza Dough: If you’ve got gluten-free eaters, this one makes it work for everyone.
Pan Pizza: Use this recipe to make a single pizza in a cast-iron skillet, without special tools.
Sheet Pan Pizza: This simple recipe makes the equivalent of two pizzas in a sheet pan, without special tools.

Pizza making tools

If you choose our best pizza dough or thin crust dough, you’ll need a pizza stone and peel for this recipe. If you’re using a pizza oven, it typically comes with its own pizza peel that can withstand the high temperatures. Here are some notes on these tools:

Pizza stone: Baking on a pizza stones makes the crust crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Here’s the pizza stone we recommend!
Pizza peel: A pizza peel is a paddle that slides the pie onto the hot stone in the oven. We recommend this standard pizza peel or even better this conveyor pizza peel, which makes transferring to the oven a breeze.
Pizza oven (optional): An outdoor pizza oven makes the absolute best pizza! We’ve used both the Ooni pizza oven and the ROCCBOX; the ROCCBOX is our preference.

More pizza recipes

This seafood pizza recipe is a fun way to impress everyone around the table: it tastes like it’s from your favorite pizzeria! Here are a few more pizza recipes you’ll love:

Go for classic Homemade Margherita Pizza or Quattro Formaggi Pizza
Try Olive Pizza and Red Pepper Pizza
Opt for Greek Pizza with Feta or Shrimp Pizza (3 Cheese!)

Homemade Margherita Pizza

Pizza Dough Recipe

Pizza Sauce Recipe

35 Great Pizza Recipes

Seafood Pizza

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 1 medium pizza (8 slices)

Print Recipe

Description

This seafood pizza is bursting with flavor, starring succulent shrimp and scallops, seasoned ricotta, and gooey mozzarella. It’s a winner!

Ingredients

1 recipe Best Pizza Dough
2 garlic cloves, divided
1/4 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 pound sea scallops*, uncooked
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 handful sliced red onion
1 tablespoon salted butter
Chopped parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

Make the pizza dough: Follow the Best Pizza Dough, Thin Crust Pizza Dough, Gluten Free Pizza Dough, or Pizza Oven Dough recipes to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
Prepare the toppings: Mince the garlic, reserving 1 clove in a small bowl for later. Pat the shrimp and scallops dry and chop them into bite sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp and scallops with 1 clove of the minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium high heat. Cook the seafood for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly cooked through, stirring occasionally. When done, transfer to a bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the ricotta with the ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Bake the pizza: When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
Spread an even layer of the seasoned ricotta onto the dough with a spatula, then sprinkle on ¼ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add the shrimp and scallops, reserving the liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Top with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Top with red onion, oregano, and 2 pinches kosher salt.
Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 to 2 minutes in a pizza oven).
Make the garlic butter and serve: Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two while you make the garlic butter. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the reserved 1 minced garlic clove. Top the pizza with garlic butter and chopped parsley. Slice into pieces using a knife, and serve immediately (cutting it with a knife is easiest to cut through the shrimp).

Notes

*If you have access to bay scallops, you can use whole bay scallops to replace the chopped sea scallops.

Category: Pizza
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Pizza

Keywords: Seafood pizza

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Crispy Tofu

Sonja Overhiser — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

This crispy tofu recipe is the best, with crunchy sides and a tender interior! It’s easy to make on the stovetop or baked.

Over the years, we’ve become huge fans of tofu. And here’s a way to prepare it that we cannot get enough of: this crispy tofu recipe! It’s easy to make and comes out perfectly seasoned, with extra crunchy edges and a tender interior. There’s no need to even press the tofu! It’s actually pretty amazing that it can go from bland to meaty, savory cubes in just 20 minutes.

Ingredients in this crispy tofu recipe

This crispy tofu recipe requires just 5 ingredients to make crunchy squares that are perfect for topping salads, bowl meals, and more. Tofu is soy milk that’s turned into curds and pressed into blocks. It was invented in China and is used in many Asian cuisines from Chinese to Thai. Right out of the package it’s unseasoned and soft, but cook it up properly and it tastes meaty and textured! Here’s what you need for this crispy tofu recipe:

Extra firm tofu: This is important! Do not make this recipe with anything other than packages labeled “extra firm tofu.” Firm tofu or silken tofu will not work here.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch makes for crispy edges! This ingredient is also required. If desired, you can substitute arrowroot starch.
Olive oil: Use olive oil for cooking the tofu in a skillet.
Toasted sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is for seasoning the tofu after cooking it. Make sure it is marked “toasted” on the bottle; regular sesame oil does not have the signature sesame flavor.
Soy sauce or smoked soy sauce: Use smoked soy sauce (smoked shoyu) if you can find it: it adds a delightful smoky savory flavor. If desired, you can substitute tamari for gluten-free or coconut aminos.

Required equipment: a non-stick skillet

This crispy tofu recipe is pan fried on the stovetop. You’ll need one special piece of equipment for this recipe: a non-stick skillet (or an alternative non-stick surface like ceramic)! This is important because the tofu will stick if you use an aluminum or cast iron skillet.

Don’t have a non-stick surface? Go to this Baked Tofu recipe instead: it’s just as tasty!

No tofu pressing required!

Here’s one of our favorite thins about this crispy tofu recipe: it without pressing it! If you’ve made tofu before, you’ll know that often recipes indicate to wrap the tofu in a towel and placing a heavy object on top for 30 minutes.

Instead, this crispy tofu recipe doesn’t require pressing at all! It’s perfect for weeknight dinners because you don’t have to waste the time waiting for it to press. Simply dry it off with a towel and you’re good to go.

How to make crispy tofu

This crispy tofu is pan fried in a skillet, which takes around 20 minutes and is quicker than the baked version. All you need is a non-stick skillet! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Slice and toss with cornstarch: Slice the tofu into cubes. Dry it off with a towel, then toss it with cornstarch.
Cook side 1: Place the tofu in cold oil. Then bring it up to medium heat and cook 5 to 6 minutes until one side is golden brown.
Flip! Remove the pan from the heat to reduce spitting. Then flip the tofu with a spatula.
Cook side 2: Return to the heat. Cook another 5 to 6 minutes.
Season & cook a little more: Add toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Cook another few minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Or, make crispy baked tofu!

If you prefer, you can make crispy baked tofu instead! Our method for baked tofu has loads of positive reviews and is easy to whip up. This is a great alternative if you don’t have a non-stick pan, or you want a method that’s less hands on.

To make crispy baked tofu, you’ll mix the tofu with cornstarch and seasonings, then bake it at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes until crispy. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Ways to use crispy tofu

Crispy tofu makes a meal! This component works with just about anything: add a grain or veggie and it’s dinner. You can also use it as a vegan or vegetarian protein to add to salads, tacos, and more. Here are a few ways to use crispy tofu:

With rice like white rice, lemon rice, or coconut rice
With veggies like broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts or asparagus
Salads like tofu salad or Caesar salad
Bowl meals like burrito bowls or power bowls
With noodles like soba noodles or peanut noodles

Storage and leftovers

This crispy tofu recipe saves very well! Though the tofu tastes best the day of making, it actually holds up well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. It’s great for making ahead for lunches and dinners throughout the week.

More tofu recipes

Our tofu recipes are some of our favorites on this website! The baked tofu and pan fried tofu are standbys, and we’re glad to have this crispy tofu as part of our repertoire. Here are a few more favorite ways to make tofu:

Go for Easy Baked Tofu or Perfect Pan Fried Tofu
Try Tofu Soup with Spinach, or Tofu Salad
Opt for zingy Easy BBQ Tofu
Make Coconut Tofu Curry or Go-To Tofu Stir Fry
Mix up Quick Tofu Crumbles to go in Easy Tofu Tacos

This crispy tofu recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Crispy Tofu (in 20 Minutes!)

★★★★

4 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

This crispy tofu recipe is the best, with crunchy sides and a tender interior! It’s easy to make on the stovetop or baked. For the baked variation, go to Baked Tofu.

Ingredients

14-ounces firm or extra firm tofu
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons smoked soy sauce or soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

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Instructions

Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and pat it dry with a clean towel. Add the tofu cubes to a bowl and sprinkle with 2 pinches kosher salt. Sprinkle with the cornstarch, turning the cubes with a spatula, until evenly coated.
Add the olive oil to a large, cold non-stick skillet* (this is important; it only works with non-stick surface!). Add the tofu cubes in a single layer.
Turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.
Briefly remove the pan from the heat to reduce spitting. Flip the tofu with a spatula. Return the heat to medium-high and cook additional 5 to 6 minutes until browned.
Briefly remove from the heat again and drizzle with the sesame oil and soy sauce (watch for spitting). Return to low heat and cook, turning often, until darkened and sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and if desired, add a few pinches salt. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Perfect for adding to salads, bowl meals, and more.

Notes

*If you don’t have a non-stick skillet, make this Baked Tofu recipe instead.

Category: Main dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Vegan
Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Crispy tofu, crispy tofu recipe

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