The truth is that I’ve always liked some soups, this one included. And I also reserve the right to change my mind about soup, in general. But all of that is neither here nor there. Either you love lentil soup or you’re willing to give it a shot and, either way, this is the recipe you should try because it’s simple, delicious, quick cooking, and only calls for 7 affordable staple ingredients.

My goal was to replicated my yiayia’s fakes (fah-kehs) and I think I did a great job. Truth be told, it’s not all that tricky given how simple and straightforward the recipe is, in general. It also cooks up quickly, which I love: you get all the feels of a long-cooked dish in just about 30 minutes.

Two other great things about this recipe: it tastes even better on day two and it’s easy to cook in small or large batches (aka, if you like this but your family doesn’t, you can half the recipe to have a makes-you-happy dinner or personal lunch on hand for whenever you want to treat yourself).

I usually top this with Feta cheese, but sometimes I’ll saute loose sausage meat (sweet or hot Italian both work well) and add that to the soup as well.

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When I first spied the recipe, I figured that I’d make my chicken cutlets and just copy the honey, peppers, and Parm that Benny includes in his. But when I cracked the book open, I decided to put his whole recipe to the test. And it passed with flying colors.

My entire family loved this. And, yes, you can just copy the honey, peppers, and Parm part the way I almost did — because you have a chicken cutlet recipe you love, right? If you don’t, or if you’re curious to try this one out, it’s honestly, one of the best cutlets I’ve cooked and it’s also easy as far as cutlets go since the breading process is only egg wash and breadcrumbs. No flour! And it works great. Even if you cheat and buy thin-cut chicken breasts to skip step one. (Highly recommended.)

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Soufiko is a Greek vegetable stew that originates in Ikaria, though it’s not completely unlike myriad vegetable stews that you can find slow cooking in home kitchens around the country. This version, a riff on a recipe taught to me by Diane Kochilas, is reimagined as a casserole and baked instead of stewed in a pot. By some magical alchemy, the twist takes Soufiko from tasty to sublime.

All you need for this recipe are vegetables, leeks, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Other than potatoes and tomatoes, which are constant, I love using late summer staples (that tend to be available all year around): peppers (Cubanelle or bell), zucchini, and eggplant.

Some important notes:

✨ Slice all your veggies to the same approximate thickness. You want everything to cook evenly.

✨ Press down on each layer of vegetables to make them as compact as possible.

✨ If you make this when tomatoes are out of season, your grated tomatoes will be watery and less flavorful; you can either add tomato paste or substitute canned pureed tomatoes for half of the fresh.

✨ You can always add fresh herbs! I love using dill. Fresh oregano would be great too. Add them to the sauce when you add the tomatoes in step two below.

✨ This is delicious as is, right out of the oven, or topped with crumbled feta cheese.

This version of Soufiko is very forgiving, but though laid back, it’s not exactly quick. Be prepared for a number of steps, but rest easy knowing that each step is quite simple and — more than that — beyond worth it.

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The Puerto Rican version of arroz con pollo is often made with beer, which I use here, and annatto seed, which I left out because it can be hard to find in mainstream markets in the United States. If you spy it, though, grab some and look up how to make annatto oil, then use it in place of the olive oil here. It’s worth it!

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Paired with salad and crusty bread, this soup makes a satisfying weeknight meal or cozy Sunday dinner.

This recipe is from a long-time friend’s back-in-the-day cookbook, The Ultimate Blender Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal. It’s been years since I’ve made this soup, but I remembered it (fondly), recalling that it was in heavy rotation for at least a year. One taste again, and I remember why.

This soup is dead easy and so delicious.

I wouldn’t expect anything less from my friend, a long time recipe developer, talented cook, and discerning eater. And, honestly, though single focus cookbooks can sometimes seem gimmicky, I promise that The Ultimate Blender Cookbook is not. The blender is less of a hook and more of a method for prepping easy, delicious meals.

Even if you’re not sold on the whole book, do yourself a favor and try this smoky, tangy, satisfying soup. It’s a perfect family recipe: delicious, easy for all eaters, and quick cooking.

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When I first started making chili, I followed the most elaborate recipes I could find and experimented with long lists of spices, peppers, beers — you name it. But the more I developed an understanding of what makes a great chili (and the busier life got), the more I realized I could eke out great flavor from a short, simple list of ingredients. This everyday version, with green chilis and white beans, is a perfect example.

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Besides dirtying too many bowls for my taste, the donut loaf is soaked in an apple cider reduction, which lends a lovely sweet apple flavor. But truth be told, I prefer the flavor of warm spices.

These are not fussy donuts. You whip them up with basic pantry ingredients in two bowls using only a whisk. Baking doesn’t get more simple than that. And the donut is not just dusted with cinnamon-sugar, but made with a batter spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In fact, these donuts are a tasty treat even without the cinnamon-sugar coating; perfect for toddlers!

The only catch — if you can call it that — is that you need a donut pan. If you don’t have one or are not into spending money on one, you can turn this batter into muffins. You’ll have to extend the baking time: I’m guessing here, but you’re likely looking at a 20-25 minute bake time. Start checking the muffins at 20 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Skip the bowls. Skip the reduction. Skip the fuss. However you make these, just do it.

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Well, it’s not exactly true.

As I started running through dishes that I think of as his comforts, we agreed that pasta with meat sauce was at the top of the list. “You’re eating it right now!” I proclaimed. But as kids are always wont to do, he pointed out that I don’t have just one single meat sauce recipe. There’s my ground beef meat sauce, my pulled meat sauce that combines beef and pork, and this Chicken Thigh Ragu.

So I guess we were both a little right and a little wrong. But at least he gets to eat a lot of delicious pasta with meat sauce — and apparently this is his favorite of all of them.

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Slightly sweetened with honey and, if you ask me, only done right with a touch of cinnamon, this snack — something between a cracker and a cookie — goes with anything from chocolate and marshmallow to mashed bananas.

— This recipe was mentioned in an episode of Didn’t I Just Feed You —

In most recipes that call for whole wheat pastry flour, I say that you can substitute all—but not in this one. Graham crackers made without graham or some form of whole wheat flour are just not graham crackers. The good news is that is you invest in a bag of whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe, it’s interchangeable with all-purpose flour and can easily be used up.

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I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Nutella Thumbprint Cookies in my archive — I developed it 8 years ago — and hardly believed it would work. No flour at all? Not even a gluten-free binder? Just peanut butter, egg, and sugar? Thankfully, it’s so fast and easy to bake, that I could test a batch with hardly any effort. And the verdict:

I’m good at my job.

These are as delicious as they are quick and easy. In fact, you can have the kids whip them up (even little ones can manage these). The warm cinnamon and chocolate-hazelnut are surprisingly delicious paired with peanut butter. And without any gluten and just a bit of sugar, you can almost call these a health food, right?

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