Recipes

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Stone-ground grits are dried corn kernels that have been coarsely ground. Unlike instant and quick-cooking grits, their coarse nature requires a longer cooking time, but the resulting dish is more flavorful and, when cooked long enough, smells like popcorn. Don’t skimp on the cook time, and add more water if needed. You can find white and yellow stone-ground grits at many grocery stores, or purchase them online. This recipe is for cheesy grits, though some people prefer their grits sweet and add sugar. Extra-sharp Cheddar works wonderfully here, but feel free to use a smoked Cheddar or even smoked Gouda for even more flavor.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This weeknight dinner is the perfect homey and rustic dish. Quick-cooking grits become extra flavorful because they are simmered in vegetable stock and get a creamy bite from the combination of milk and sharp Cheddar that’s stirred in once the grits are tender. Using both collard greens and Swiss chard lends more interesting and varied tastes and textures. Because the leaves are cooked just until wilted, apple cider vinegar is added at the end to help balance out any bitterness. A little hot sauce splashed on just before serving helps tie the entire dish together, awakening the flavors in both the greens and grits.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Bourbon adds a wonderful complexity to budget-friendly boneless beef chuck in this warmly comforting dish. Caramelized tomato paste, maple syrup, thyme and bay leaves provide balance while still highlighting the savory notes. Soy sauce does double duty, adding both salt and flavor. By marinating the meat in acidic lemon juice and cooking it low and slow, this inexpensive cut becomes very tender, proving you don’t need a fancy cut of beef to make an elegant, full-flavored main dish. Leftover braising liquid would make a wonderful base for a French onion soup.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

These sweet and spicy chicken thighs pack enormous flavor using only a handful of pantry ingredients. Generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders, they’re roasted at a high temperature to maximize the crispiness of the skin. Halfway through cooking, the chicken is brushed with a butter-and-hot-sauce blend. Finally, honey and lime zest are whisked into the remaining hot sauce butter to coat the fully baked chicken thighs. A squirt of tangy lime juice provides balance and the perfect finishing touch. Serve with a simple and refreshing cucumber salad or coleslaw.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Fill store-bought brioche buns with jammy, caramelized onions and melted Gruyère, for satisfying little sandwiches that make a perfect soup companion or a cozy, comforting meal. Caramelizing the onions takes some time but very little effort, and coaxing out the ingredient’s sweet side is well worth it. The butter used to caramelize the onions adds flavor, and the extra-virgin olive oil allows the onions to tolerate higher heat without burning. (However, if you find the onions are browning unevenly, turn the heat down to low.) Prepare a big batch of these balsamic caramelized onions ahead of time and lunch can be on your plate in 10 minutes.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Braised until soft and yielding, with a mild sweetness stemming from long cooking and a hit of balsamic vinegar, these turnip greens — more tender than collards with a slight pepperiness, similar to mustard greens — become flavorful and savory. Many recipes for turnip greens use smoked meats or ham, but here they get a wonderful smokiness from smoked paprika. Though you can certainly find them attached to their root, turnips, these tasty greens are so popular that they are also sold on their own.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

The creamy base of this elegant and flavorful soup is accented with chunks of crab meat, so each bite has velvety bisque and sweet, satisfying crab. This recipe uses a Creole-centric method — a blonde roux imparts a subtle nutty flavor while also doing the work of thickening the soup. Make sure the roux does not darken too much, since you want the seafood flavor to shine and to not be overpowered by a dark, rich roux that’s more typical of gumbo. Using roux to thicken the bisque allows for a more streamlined preparation than the traditional version, since the blended soup does not need to be strained or filtered. A homemade seafood or fish stock is well worth the effort for this otherwise relatively simple soup, but you can replace homemade seafood stock with store bought in a pinch.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Here’s a weeknight take on the classic shrimp boil: a shrimp broil. Broiling is a quick, simple way to cook the crustaceans with excellent results. The shrimp bathe in a pool of olive oil and butter, which helps them to cook all the way through in a few minutes without having to turn them and keeps them tender, not tough. Corn and potatoes are typically boiled with the seafood in traditional seafood boils. Here, quick-cooking baby corn is a crunchy, flavorful alternative. Potatoes or bread would be great side dishes, and are perfect for sopping up the seasoned oil the shrimp are cooked in.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This festive beverage uses real fruit for a bright flavor and gorgeous dark pink hue that store-bought soda could never match. Strawberries impart a refreshing taste that’s accented by a hint of lime. The lime juice also serves to balance out the sweetness of the syrup without overpowering the delicate strawberry. Much like bottled soda, this one is craveably sweet; feel free to adjust to your liking — add more syrup if you want it sweeter, or more lime juice or club soda for a lighter beverage (the melting ice will also dilute the soda). When cooking the strawberry purée, decrease the heat if it starts to foam up, to prevent it from boiling over. Club soda or seltzer will yield a fizzier homemade soda, but sparkling water works great too. For maximum carbonation, prepare the batch à la minute.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

You may know these as “deviled” eggs, but since they are often served at church functions, they’re sometimes referred to instead as “stuffed.” Here, they’re filled with a combination of their cooked yolks and some favorite ingredients in Louisiana cookery — from pimento peppers to paprika to cayenne — which add a pinch of heat to these savory bites. The relish adds just enough sweetness to balance out the pungent flavor from the Dijon mustard. Be sure to remove the shells from the eggs as soon as they are cool enough to handle so the peeling will be easier. The stuffed eggs can be prepared up to three days in advance, but they are best the day they’re made.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Most Louisiana residents keep a container of Creole or Cajun seasoning within easy reach of their stovetop. To many Louisianans, a savory dish is not complete if it hasn’t been seasoned with a blend of sweet peppers, hot peppers, onions and garlic. This version is a blend of dried, ground spices that are likely already in your spice cabinet. Once combined, you get something uniquely and quintessentially Southern. There’s just enough cayenne to add a little heat, but feel free to adjust it to your liking by increasing it or eliminating it altogether. Many commercially-prepared blends use a hefty amount of salt, so be mindful of adjusting the salt to taste. Don’t limit yourself to using this blend in traditional Creole or Cajun fare like shrimp Creole, gumbo or dirty rice; it is versatile enough to go on pretty much any savory dish, from scrambled eggs to sautéed spinach.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This tangy, creamy lemon icebox pie hits all the high notes, and it couldn’t be easier to prep. Using lemon curd provides a ton of lemony tartness and flavor, and means that you don’t need to fuss around with juicing and zesting fresh lemons. The cream cheese balances out the tart citrus notes, while also making this recipe super creamy. And you don’t even need to turn on your oven. Be sure that your cream cheese is super soft so that there won’t be lumps in your pie. This pie can be served straight from the freezer for a semifreddo-like texture. Plus, it cuts precisely when it’s very cold. You may also opt to let it rest at room temperature to soften a bit before serving.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This casserole is chock full of delicious veggies with a homemade creamy base. Parmesan is mixed throughout the casserole and also melted on top, giving this dish some flair that’s more akin to a creamy risotto. Instead of relying on a condensed soup, this recipe makes a simple cream sauce: Flour is sprinkled on the cooked mushrooms and onions then heavy cream and chicken stock are whisked in just before the Parmesan is folded in. Be sure to season each layer of the casserole — from the spinach to chicken. For a shortcut, the meat from a rotisserie chicken works great here.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This pound cake — with its fine, tender texture and inviting, rich vanilla flavor — gets its height from the mixing method, the number of eggs and the reaction between the sour cream and baking soda. The sour cream, less dense than cream cheese, also adds some tanginess. Be sure to take your time when creaming the butter and sugar so the air pockets that are created will expand and cause the cake to rise in the oven.The cake can be baked in a bundt pan or a tube pan. It’s perfect just as it is, but feel free to add the simple glaze or serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This bread pudding is a cozy dessert that makes smart use of store-bought croissants. Opting for croissants instead of French bread lends an extra buttery and rich base for this dessert. Though bread pudding is traditionally made with leftover, stale bread, which absorbs more liquid than fresh, feel free to use fresh croissants – the soak time should compensate for the fact that they have a little more moisture. The optional rum sauce adds a caramel-like finish to the dessert but a scoop of ice cream would also pair well.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

These juicy turkey sliders are incredibly versatile: They’re simple enough for weeknights, but they’re also the perfect size for parties. The key is to use turkey with enough fat (ground turkey breast isn’t ideal here) so that your sliders will be perfectly moist; slathering them with a combination of barbeque sauce and mayonnaise provides additional insurance. Optional caramelized onions are the perfect savory, jammy topping to balance out the sharpness from the Cheddar and the sweet Hawaiian rolls, but the sliders are also great unadorned.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

In this one-pan gratin, inspired by a favorite appetizer at Mosca’s, an Italian restaurant just outside of New Orleans, fresh oysters are covered in a garlicky butter sauce, topped with a mélange of breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan and baked until tender yet juicy. It’s a hit with those who love oysters — and even those who aren’t fans of raw ones. The shellfish are full of flavor from the Creole seasoning that accents the sauce, with a hint of Italian influence from the herbs and Parmesan. At Mosca’s, they use plump Gulf oysters from nearby waters, a variety that’s especially good cooked and worth seeking out if you live near the Gulf Coast. Otherwise, any oysters work: Using preshucked oysters packed in their liquor at your local grocer or fishmonger makes preparing this dish a breeze. Best enjoyed warm from the oven, this appetizer is meant to be shared with a group.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This creamy stew is a cross between an oyster gumbo and an oyster bisque. Similar to a gumbo, flour is used for its thickening properties without overwhelming the delicate oyster flavor. And much like a bisque, a combination of milk and cream is stirred into the base, lending an extra rich and satisfying element to this minimalist stew. Sweet shallots are a natural complement to oysters, but you could swap in onions in a pinch. Store-bought seafood stock gets an upgrade: One pound of oysters gets blended into it, making a superbriny base for the broth. And there’s no oyster-shucking needed — look for pre-shucked fresh oysters in your grocer’s seafood department.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

King cake, a sweetened, yeast-raised bread eaten throughout the many weeks of Carnival season, is rolled and twisted like a cinnamon roll. Traditional king cakes are flavored with cinnamon and sugar, but today the flavor combinations are seemingly endless; this version pairs strawberry jam and cream cheese. The cream cheese filling is flavored with lemon zest and a little sugar; a spoonful of flour adds structure. Dollops of strawberry jam contribute a concentrated fruity bite; if you want more fruit presence, opt for canned strawberry pie filling. The whole pastry is bathed in a lemony glaze before being topped with green, gold and purple sugar, a visual cue that identifies this wreath of baked dough as a king cake.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Simplicity is key when it comes to a great shrimp po’ boy: Crispy, fried shrimp are nestled in French bread. If you order a po’ boy at a sandwich shop in Louisiana, they’ll ask if you want it “dressed.” Dressed means all the traditional po’ boy trimmings: lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and pickles. There’s no need for rémoulade sauce or other special sauces; the mayo is all you need to tie all of the ingredients together in a tasty sub. Look for Louisiana-style French bread (which is softer and wider than a baguette), but in a pinch, any long loaf with a crisp — not hard — exterior and a soft crumb will do.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Court-bouillon is a richly flavored Creole and Cajun seafood stew, and it’s quite different from the more delicate French broth of the same name. The base of this hearty stew is a combination of roux, the Creole trinity (bell pepper, onion and celery), crushed tomatoes and seafood stock. It’s traditionally prepared with redfish, though you’ll find recipes that incorporate a variety of seafood. Here, mild tilapia or cod are poached in the tomato broth, contributing flavor and savoriness. The slices of lemon that are stewed alongside add citrusy bursts that enhance the fish and broth, and are a hallmark of this dish.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

This hearty stew of white beans, vegetables and sausage is the perfect wintry meal. It’s creamy but there’s no added cream: One can of beans is blended with a cup of stock, thickening the stew’s base. Everything simmers together with a few thyme sprigs, plus a tangy Parmesan rind, which adds both richness and creaminess while packing in savory umami. Use a food processor if you’d like to reduce the prep, blitzing the fresh aromatics at the push of a button. Andouille sausage adds some Cajun flair while the hefty amount of vegetables cook down to create a robust chunky stew.

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking