It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
February 7
Freezer-friendly green curry
I’ve been making freezer-friendly meals that I can rely on when it’s dark early and I have zero desire to cook. One of those is soup; another is a green curry. I sifted through some Bon Appétit recipes that use green curry paste and found two that piqued my interest: Shrimp and Coconut Curry With Rice Noodles and this Green Curry Pork Tenderloin. I ended up combining the two for a pork-and-shrimp green curry bolstered with sweet peppers from the farmers market, green beans, and carrots. If you haven’t used Maesri curry paste before, this is your sign to do so. With reliable big flavor, it’s a gateway to so many meals. Next time, I’ll be using the paste to make my coworker Shilpa Uskokovic’s Green Curry Pot Pie to stash in the freezer—Marie Callender’s, watch out. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Hands-off risotto
I am a Rice Cooker Evangelist and will talk anyone’s ear off if pressed on its merits. It is the kitchen appliance that gets as much (if not more) action as my coffee maker. When senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk suggested we make a Rice Cooker Risotto in this trusty dinnertime helper, I was all in. (It’s not the first time I’d lean on the rice cooker for a full-fledged meal, after all.) The end result is a hands-off riff on a classic that frees you up to do as you please while dinner is cooking. Don’t skip the bright lemon and fresh mint—they’ll have you almost believing spring is just around the corner. —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
An easy meal for moving week
Moving means not immediately having the fully stocked pantry of your dreams. But with some lingering honey and Dijon mustard that survived the U-haul trip, I decided to make this Ali Slagle sheet-pan dinner. Sausages, brussels sprouts (I subbed in broccoli), and baby potatoes mingle in a scorching oven. Halfway through the roast, they get coated in a sticky, honey-mustard glaze, then continue cooking until tender and caramelized. Eaten straight off the sheet pan (unpacking plates was tomorrow’s issue), this dinner was just the nourishment I needed. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Red curry tempeh and rice cakes
I should stop talking about former BA staffer Rachel Gurjar’s Red Curry Pork and Rice Cakes, but I can’t. This dish is savory and fast, reliant on a number of pantry staples, and so delightful to eat (thanks to the pairing of crisped-up ground pork and bouncy Korean tteok). This week I made the dish at home with a small tweak (the first time I’d dared adjust the perfect recipe)—vegetarian-ifying them with crumbled tempeh instead of pork. The pork is better, but this absolutely worked in a pinch. —Kendra Vaculin, test kitchen editor
Morale-boosting chocolate cake
My partner’s team has been working late nights to get a show off the ground at the end of the week (if you’re in New York, I highly rec Grangeville at Signature Theatre). So, I made my coworker Shilpa Uskokovic’s Chocolate Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Frosting to boost their morale. Nothing says, “Perk up, Buttercup!” like unicorn sprinkles. I knew Shilpa’s recipe was unstoppable as is, but I couldn’t help adding my own little twist. First, I replaced ¼ cup of the water in the cake batter with coffee liqueur. Next, instead of the dry milk powder, which Shilpa toasts in the brown butter to give it even bigger caramelized notes, I swapped in malted milk powder, adding an extra layer of flavor. —Joe Sevier, senior SEO editor, cooking
