After a long and crazy day at the Rock, I totally crave a bite of comfort for dinner. For my family, huevos rancheros fits the bill—it’s our chicken soup. I usually have all of the ingredients in my fridge too, so not only is it friendly on my wallet and totally delicious, but it’s easy to throw together. Sometimes, when I’m too beat to bother with frying the tortillas, I’ll throw in the towel and use store-bought chips instead. In fact, huevos rancheros is a great use for the last few chips in the bag—and I get more chill time (and sometimes that’s worth a heck of a lot more than money!).

Ingredients
3–4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4 corn tortillas (4″–6″)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large eggs
1 cup grated Mexican Blend cheese
Hot sauce or salsa for serving

Fry the tortillas. Heat the oven to 250°F. Warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tortilla and fry until crispy and brown on each side. Transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate (an opened-up brown paper bag works too) to drain, and then put it on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to stay warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, reducing the heat and adding more oil if necessary.

Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper to the same skillet you used for the tortillas, cooking them until the onion and pepper soften and the garlic is fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin, bring to a strong simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the tomatoes begin to break up, about 5 minutes.

Fry the eggs and assemble. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 4 eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and fry until the white is opaque, about 3 minutes. Place the tortillas on 4 plates. Slide 2 eggs onto 2 of the tortillas and top each of the 2 plates with a quarter of the tomato mixture and some cheese. Serve the first 2 portions immediately while you fry up the second batch of eggs.

Canned tuna is a great value, so why just use it for tuna salad? Paired with pasta and capers, it makes a great, rustic, and flavorful dinner that seems fancy even though it’s pretty bare bones.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juice (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon + 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 pound spaghetti
2 cans (6 ounces each) olive oil–packed tuna, drained
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 lemon

Make the sauce. Pour the oil into a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook gently over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 11⁄2 minutes. Add the parsley and capers and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low, add 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Boil the pasta. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Reserve 1⁄4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Add the tuna and serve. Break the tuna into small flakes and add to the sauce along with the pepper. Add the sauce and the butter to the pasta, tossing gently until the butter is completely melted (add a little pasta water if the pasta seems dry). Squeeze the lemon half over the pasta, toss, divide the pasta among 4 bowls, and serve.

Having some ground meat in the freezer definitely comes in handy — especially when I have a kitchen full of hungry kids clamoring for food! Mini burgers are a great solution. They’re the perfect handheld size, and grown-ups love them too, so really they’re a win-win snack (double the serving for a meal). These turkey burger BLTs are extra-yummy, but you can scratch the BLT part if you don’t have the fixings and just top them with ketchup, mustard, pickles, or Swiss. Any kind of ground meat works here, even super-lean and flavorful bison. Oven-cooking the bacon and burgers is a lot less messy than pan-frying, though of course the burgers are great grilled, too.

Ingredients
6 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (light or dark meat, or a combo of the two)
6 mini buns or dinner rolls, about 3″ in diameter, split
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄2 garlic clove, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2–3 lettuce leaves, torn into 3″ pieces
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Cook the bacon. Adjust 1 oven rack to the uppermost position and leave the other in the middle position. Heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped and browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Pour the bacon fat from the baking sheet into an airtight container (or top off the bacon fat you already have stored in the fridge) and refrigerate. Wipe off the baking sheet and turn on the broiler.

Make the burgers and the mayo. Sprinkle the salt and the pepper over the ground turkey and gently mix to combine (squeezing and compacting meat makes for tough burgers). Divide the turkey into 6 mounds and lightly roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on the baking sheet and flatten them with your hands into patties slightly larger than the buns (the burgers will shrink a little with cooking). Arrange the buns, cut-side up, on a second baking sheet and place on the middle rack. Broil the burgers on the upper rack until cooked through and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. While the burgers cook, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Toast the buns. Take the burgers and buns out; set the burgers aside. Brush the cut side of the buns with some melted butter and broil just until lightly toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oven and spread each bun with the garlic mayonnaise. Place a patty on each bun bottom, top with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and the bun top, and serve.

D2D
Save the fat left over from cooking bacon in an airtight container in the fridge. Use it instead of butter or oil for sautéing or roasting vegetables or pan-searing chicken.

When the craving for fish cakes hits, I choose the economical and tasty canned salmon that’s always in my pantry.  Canned salmon is packed with the same big flavors and nutrients that I expect from fresh salmon.  If you haven’t given canned salmon a try, I highly recommend it.

When I serve these to company, everyone wants the recipe. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients
2 cans (14.75 ounces each) salmon, drained
11⁄2 cups panko bread crumbs
1⁄2 cup tartar sauce or mayonnaise
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, or 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 cup canola oil

Make the salmon mixture. Mix together the salmon, 1 cup of the panko, the tartar sauce or mayonnaise, scallions or onion powder, the egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Shape the cakes. Form the mixture into eight 3″ cakes that are about 1″ thick. Place the remaining 1⁄2 cup of panko in a shallow dish and press the cakes into the bread crumbs until all sides are evenly coated.

Fry the salmon cakes. Heat 1⁄2 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, fry the salmon cakes in 2 batches until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, adding the remaining 1⁄4 cup of oil to fry the second batch if necessary. Place the salmon cakes on a paper towel–lined plate to drain, and serve hot.

This is my go-to party dish because it seems fancy and expensive. Stretch a pound of shrimp by slicing them in half lengthwise, so it looks like there’s a ton of shrimp in the pan. When I serve it to my family we’re all thinking the same thing: leave some for leftovers tomorrow.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
12 ounces chorizo or other spicy sausage, sliced 1⁄2″ thick
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
3–31⁄2 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (25-30) large peeled and deveined shrimp
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Make the paella base. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until the sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, tomatoes, and wine, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Cook the rice and seafood. Add 3 cups of the broth, the saffron, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the rice is cooked through but still firm, about 20 minutes, adding the remaining 1⁄2 cup broth if the pan seems dry before the rice is done. Add the shrimp, cover, and cook until the shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

If your kids are like mine, they would eat pasta every night of the week — and for lunch, too! That’s why I know this meal will be a hit with your whole family. My kids go bananas because they’re getting pasta, and I’m happy because they’re getting some veggies and protein from the olives. (Fred, well, he’s just a happy guy in general.) Because it’s as delicious warm as it is at room temperature, the dish is a real winner for picnics and barbecues.

Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped into 1⁄2″ cubes
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
1/2 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and ribbed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper (or less to taste), seeded and ribbed
1⁄ tablespoon finely chopped basil, cilantro, and/or oregano
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Pasta
1 tablespoon + 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2″ cubes
1⁄2 cup sliced black olives (preferably the oil-cured kind)
Finely chopped fresh basil or oregano (optional)

Make the tomato sauce. Combine the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño pepper, herbs, vinegar or lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. If you want your sauce to have a smoother texture, add the optional tomato paste.

Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and the olive oil and cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving 1⁄4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Toss it all together. Place the orecchiette in a large serving bowl and add the warmed sauce. Toss to combine, then add the mozzarella, olives, and herbs (if using), and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt. Toss a couple of times so that the mozzarella gets a little melty (you can add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to make the pasta saucier or get the cheese to melt a little more). Serve right away or at room temperature.

D2D
Pasta is amazing for breakfast! Microwave leftover cooked pasta from the night before with some butter and a touch of olive oil. Top with a fried or poached egg, and if you’re really feeling decadent, some crumbled bacon.

Maybe it’s because I own and run a restaurant, but it’s definitely one of my pet peeves when I order a meal and know right off the bat that I could’ve made it better. Now I’m the first to admit that there are some restaurant dishes I’ll never be able to one-up (I mean, how do they get the soup into those Shanghai soup dumplings anyway?), but there are others that I can definitely top, and cheesy enchiladas are one of them.

That’s why I never, ever order enchiladas in restaurants anymore, and honestly speaking, I bet you won’t either once you’ve tried making them yourself. Super simple, inexpensive, and so good, they leave you feeling happy and satisfied, not comatose, after eating.

Ingredients
About 2 1⁄4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 small red or white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and ribbed for a milder flavor, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups No-Cook Garden Vegetable Sauce or your favorite salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (8″) flour or whole-wheat tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream, for serving

Make the filling. Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in a large bowl and gently mix with the onion, jalapeño (if using), all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce, the lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Roll and bake the enchiladas. Evenly spread 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce over the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Place the tortillas on your work surface and divide the filling among them, arranging it in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the baking dish.

Cover with the remaining 2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

Flank and skirt steaks are two of my favorite low-cost, big-flavor meats. Turned into fajitas, one steak easily stretches into four servings (and the recipe can be doubled to serve more), especially when smothered with onions and peppers. Fajitas are super adaptable to nearly any situation, too — if you have tortillas in the fridge (quesadillas are a house favorite so we always do), you’re in the clear. If not, serve it as southwestern steak stir-fry alongside some red beans and rice.

Ingredients
21⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, juiced
1⁄4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1⁄2 to 2 jalapeño chile peppers, ribbed, seeded, and finely diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11⁄4 pounds flank or skirt steak, sliced crosswise into 1⁄4″-thick pieces
2 large green or red bell peppers or 1 cup of roasted pepper strips
1 large white onion
8 flour tortillas
Salsa, for serving

Marinate the meat. Whisk 11⁄2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños (if using), garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Place the meat in the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside while you slice the peppers and onion into 1⁄4″-thick strips.

Sear the steak. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron works great) for 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade. Drizzle 1⁄2 tablespoon of the olive oil into the pan and then add half of the steak to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the steak is nicely seared on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer the steak to a large plate and repeat with the remaining steak slices. Use tongs and a wad of paper towels to wipe out the skillet (be careful—it’s hot).

Brown the vegetables. Place the skillet back over the heat and drizzle in the remaining 1⁄2 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the onion and bell peppers to the pan and cook until charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Heat the tortIllas. While the onion and peppers cook, wrap the stack of tortillas in a kitchen towel or paper towels and place them on a plate. Microwave them until they are soft and supple, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the steak and vegetables to a large shallow dish and serve with the warm tortillas and the salsa.

Burgers go from ho-hum to fancy when you form the mixture around a skewer. This recipe is a great one for parties and entertaining—it offers that wow factor without you having to shell out big bucks on shrimp or filet. The kebabs are fantastic cooked on the grill, too.

Salad
10 radishes, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced
2 large cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Kebabs
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the salad. Place the radishes, cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, mint (if using), and salt in a large bowl and toss together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Mix the meat. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil
and set aside. Place the meatball mixture, nuts, sugar, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl
and mix to combine.

Shape and broil the kebabs. Divide the meat into 24 pieces and shape into oblong torpedoes. Thread 3 lengthwise onto each of 8 wooden or metal skewers and place the skewers on the baking sheet. Fold a sheet of foil in half lengthwise and place over the skewer bottoms to keep them from burning if using wooden skewers. Broil the kebabs until browned, 5 to 6 minutes, turn the skewers over, and broil the other side until browned, another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the salad on the side.

Shop Smart
When I see a sale on ground turkey (preferably dark meat), ground pork, ground veal, or even ground bison, I’ll buy a few pounds and freeze it for a rainy-day meatball marathon. Cutting other types of ground meat into the beef keeps the mixture flavorful, tender, and moist.

Eating this dish is like time travel. It takes me back to New Orleans where I learned how to make it as a way to use leftover rice. We love it so much, it’s a special request and like chili, it’s very wallet-friendly.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, ribbed, seeded, and finely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Tex-Mex Rub
1 can (14 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 11⁄2 cups cooked pinto beans
3 cups cooked white rice
Hot-pepper sauce, optional

Make the Tex-Mex rub. I keep a couple of my own spice blends in the cabinet.  They keep for up to 4 months if stored in an airtight container or jar in a cool, dark, and dry spot. To make a batch of this one, I mix 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the chili powder and Tex-Mex Rub. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, and then mix in the pinto beans and rice. Continue to cook and stir until the beans and rice are heated through, about 5 minutes, adding water if it looks as if the spices or rice are sticking and burning. Serve with hot-pepper sauce on the side if using.

Meaty Red Beans and Rice
This is the version that is on offer at the restaurant, and people go crazy for it. Before sautéing the onion and bell pepper, I brown 1 pound of ground beef and 1⁄2 pound of sliced smoked sausage (such as andouille or kielbasa). Once the meat is browned, I add in the onion, bell pepper, salt, and black pepper, and continue with the recipe above.