Recipe: Tex Mex Casserole

This is a really great and easy meal that is very customizable. What really took this casserole over the top was adding some crushed nachos on top for a great texture difference and a nice little pop of salt but you could put anything on top to change the texture and taste. This is also surprisingly good the next day so it might be better as a make ahead meal where you just heat it up and place extra toppings on it before serving.

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Recipe: Brownies

These brownies are really perfect they’re not too chocolate-y and not to heavy and not too cake-like. I know that everyone has their perfect type of brownies but these are pretty close to mind. The recipe includes cream which is kind of a weird addition to the pantheon of brownies but it does give them a really interesting crumb and a delightfully creamy taste so don’t substitute it if possible.

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Recipe: Cauliflower Musakhan

Obviously the original version of musakhan is a big leg of chicken with pinenuts and sumac served on a flatbread but this recipe gestures towards it and is both really easy to whip up (especially if you have some frozen or ready made naan). Usually it’s not served with a yogurt sauce but I think most things in life would be better with a yogurt sauce. You could easily add some fresh olive or tomatoes or finishing olive oil instead and those would all be nice additions too.

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Recipe: Chicken Chasseur

This is a great fancy weekend meal because it is a nice and extra special dish but also it isn’t too involved. The only ingredient you might have to go out of your way to get is cognac. You can substitute in a white wine (or use both cognac and white wine) but that flavor really makes the sauce special since it’s such a simple dish. This can be easily doubled, made ahead, or frozen meaning decadence can be available at almost any time.

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Recipe: Chocolate-Orange Cheesecake

I recently made a cheesecake and then I made another and then, just for a good measure, I also made this cheesecake and this one was the winner by a clear mile. This cake is rich and creamy. The citrus seems to cut through a lot of the fatty flavors, I think this cake doesn’t need anything else added to it but you can top it with candied orange peel, dried mint, or more chocolate ganache if you want to really take it over the top.

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Recipe: Poppyseed Strudel Roll

This poppyseed bread roll is absolutely divine. The bread is soft and fully and the filling is nutty and just a little sweet making it very easy to eat and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. The dough is very easy to work with and though some of the filling oozed out when I rolled it up there was plenty to make a very lovely looking swirl inside with a nice soft crunch as contrasting texture.

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Recipe: Aash e Jow

There’s an entire category in Persian food of thick stews/thick soups, آش [Aash] and since that’s one of my SOs favorite types of food I have been trying to find ones that we both like and it just so happens this very simple barley stew is a winner with us. This soup is filling on its own without bread or other side dishes and it has soft comforting flavors that aren’t too challenging for people not used to Persian flavors.

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Recipe: Orange Cookies

This one bowl cookies are absolutely perfect for when you’re craving those supermarket bakery cookies with the thick sugary icing on them (if you’re in the US you know exactly which ones I mean). These cookies are super unique and delicious with a citrus tang that is just sour enough to off-set the sweetness of the frosting. Add some sprinkles if you’re feeling cheeky or if you want these to be classy you can pipe some royal icing messages on top. The cookies don’t need to be chilled before baking so these are great for when you’re in a little bit of a rush as well.

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