Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy

What do you make when you come home from the farmers’ market with a bag full of beautiful fall produce, and no plan for what to do with it?This week, we’re sharing our top fall farmers’ market must-haves AND how we’re using them at home to make approachable dinners, nutritious meal-prep salads, satisfying lunches, and cozy vegetarian mains.By the end of this episode, you’ll:Find new foolproof techniques for cooking fall staples like eggplant and sweet potatoesDiscover a hearty, weeknight-friendly sheet pan meal that makes the most of seasonal squashMake the most of unexpected market finds, like quince, plus ideas for turning them into something deliciousPress play now for inspiration for your next farmers’ market trip — and what to make when you get home!***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links:Join Sonya in person for a guided Portland Farmers' Market tour through Airbnb Experiences!Delicata SquashLemon garlic roast chicken with delicata squash by David Tanis for NYT CookingSweet PotatoJapanese sweet potato with creamy miso glaze by Faraway KitchenPeppersVegetarian stuffed poblano peppers by the Picky EaterPeperonata by Serious EatsRoasted red pepper and cheddar cheese egg bites from Jenn LuekeEggplantOlia Hercules' Azerbaijani butter-braised eggplant, SedakhEggplant adobo by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking ApplesCrunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw by Hetty Lui McKinnon from NYT CookingCaramelized onion, apple and goat cheese melts by Jerrell Guy for NYT Cooking QuincePoached quince by David Leibovitz, I like to serve with whipped cream, creme anglaise, or ice cream -- or turn into his quince tatinPearsEasy maple baked pears by Sally’s Baking Addiction ****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

Could beets become a family favorite if you just found the right way to make them? In this bite-sized episode, we share a listener's question with expert advice, simple strategies, and lots of delicious ideas to inspire your cooking!By the end of this episode, you’ll discover our favorite ways to use beets, like in colorful soups, as crispy chips, and in meal-prep-friendly salads. You’ll also learn some unexpected ways to incorporate beets into both savory AND sweet dishes. Plus, we share our best tips for the easiest ways to cook a big batch or even freeze beets for later. Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here. And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links: Pineapple beet smoothie from Three Little ChickpeasRoasted beet hummus from Food 52Persian yogurt beet dip from Unicorns in the KitchenJeweled roasted vegetables (mix of beets, carrots, and Brussels sprouts) from The Food You CraveOven-baked beet chips from A Spicy PerspectiveScuttlebutt sandwiches from NYT CookingSabich sandwiches from Food NetworkBeautiful Soup by Celia Barbour for NYT CookingSonya’s family borscht recipe Ukrainian beet salad (Vinegret) from The New BaguetteRoasted beet salad over labneh from Evergreen Kitchen Roasted beets in a sherry vinegar marinade from Superman CooksFlourless beet brownies by Jerelle Guy for NYT Cooking Chocolate beet cake by Nigel Slater for Food 52****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if your fridge were stocked with delicious fall salads, ready whenever you needed an easy lunch or a dish to bring to the next potluckFall gets busy fast, and that’s why this week we’re sharing eight make-ahead salads that hold up beautifully in the fridge, so you can have easy, nutritious meals and sides ready all week long.By the end of this episode, you’ll find out:The best fall produce for prepping salads in advanceSimple techniques for keeping vegetables crisp, layering textures, and maximizing flavorFlexible recipes for hearty lunches, potlucks, and holidaysPress play now for make-ahead salads that make busy fall days a little easier!***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links:Sonya’s fennel, apple, celery, pomegranate salad, and we like to use this mandoline for slicing veggies thinHoney and harissa farro salad by Deb Perelman from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, via Serious EatsQuinoa with caramelized corn and scallions by Lauryn Tyrell for Martha StewartFour bean salad with green romesco by Alison Roman from her cookbook: Dining InWarm green bean and lentil salad by OttolenghiLentil salad with roasted radicchio and cauliflower by Alexandra Stafford for Food 52Pearled couscous and tomato salad from Baked By MelissaDeborah Madison’s Ravioli and Tomato Salad with Masses of Basil from her cookbook: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (and the shelf-stable tortellini Kari gifted to Sonya, which would go great in this salad)****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

What if using phyllo dough didn’t have to be difficult, and you could make a golden, buttery pie with a mountain of vegetables?In this bite-sized episode, we share delicious moments about the best things we ate this week to inspire each other – and you!By the end of this episode, you’ll discover a seasonal cookbook full of flavorful intuitive recipes, and you’ll also find out why David Tanis’ fig and almond cake is a must-bake that's perfect for fall hosting.You’ll also learn how to make a meatless main packed with chickpeas, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes that reheats like a dream and has a surprise technique that makes it easy to make.Tune in for a quick dose of home cooking inspiration!***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links:How to Start a Cookbook Club from our SubstackCookbook club pick: David Tanis’ A Platter of Figs, which is out of print, but can be found used or at your local library tooSome highlights from cookbook club were: Corn, squash, and green beans with jalapeno butterFresh shell beans with sage and garlicBerbere pizzaFig and almond cake by David Tanis for NYT CookingSpiced veggie phyllo pie by Melissa Clark for NYT Cooking****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!

How do you make dinner happen every night without feeling like you’re starting from scratch?If you’re staring into the fridge at 5 p.m. with no idea what to make, this week Maggie Hoffman, host of The Dinner Plan, shares smart strategies for making weeknight cooking easier, along with a lineup of deeply satisfying fall dinners that come together quickly.Think: chewy noodles tossed in a 5-minute sauce, a crowd-pleasing sheet-pan meal, and a foolproof take on pasta e ceci.By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:Flexible meal-planning tricks that help ingredients stretch furtherFlavorful, low-effort meals that can pull you out of even the deepest cooking rutTwo meatless dinners that might end up in regular rotation in your kitchenPress play now for practical strategies and quick fall dinners that will make answering the question, “What’s for dinner?” a little easier.***For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here.And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid!***Links:Follow “The Dinner Plan” now wherever you listen to podcastsSubscribe to Maggie’s Substack: The Dinner Plan for more recipe inspiration.You can also find Maggie and more about The Dinner Plan on Instagram!Maggie’s favorite pasta: Zaynab Issa's Gochujang-Sesame noodles (With Sun Ramen Noodles)Meatless dinner: Georgina Hayden's clean-out-the-fridge pasta salad, from her cookbook: Medesque (with tons of weeknight-friendly recipes)Sheet pan meal: Melissa Clark's Harissa chicken with Leeks, from her book: “Dinner Changing the Game” which has many more sheet pan recipes.Maggie also highly recommends switching from half sheet to using stainless steel quarter sheet pans for this style of cooking (they fit in a toaster oven, and are dishwasher safe!)Maggie (and our!) favorite brand of harissa paste is from NY ShukComforting fall dinner: Jamie Oliver's Pasta e Ceci, from his book: Jamie’s Italy. Maggie loves to make small batches of stock with leftover rotisserie chicken bones in an Instantpot.Standout from “The Dinner Plan:” Maureen Abood's Arayes from her cookbook: Lebanese BakingWhat to cook when you don’t feel like cooking: A great loaded up sandwich like this Feta brined-chicken sandwiches made with grilled chicken.Maggie recommends grilling proteins for multiple meals at the same time, and for recipe inspiration she recs Noah Galuten’s Grill Time!Some of Maggie’s favorite cookbooks right now:River Cafe Green by Rose Gray and Ruth RogersVegetables the Italian Way by Giulia ScarpaleggiaCarla Lalli’s new book: Food is a Feeling****Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here.Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!