Meal Prep

I love a good corn muffin, and nobody makes one better than Loic Feillet of Panorama Baking in Alexandria, Virginia. The muffin is so good, in fact—moist and studded with chewy little bits of corn—that as soon as I tasted it, I knew I’d incorporate it into an egg dish. The muffin reminded me of an artisanal English muffin, and I just happened to be working on a Mexican variation of eggs Benedict. How perfect! The corn muffin would replace the traditional corn tortilla in huevos rancheros, and I’d poach instead of fry the eggs. Immediately, I had a dish worthy of the muffin, but best of all, even a lesser muffin tastes great when capped off with these ingredients.

The anchovy butter would also be terrific on grilled meats or steamed green beans.

These large white beans (gigantes means "giant" in Greek) are a classic ingredient in Greek cooking. Timing note: The beans need to soak overnight, so plan accordingly.

The addition of goat cheese, apricots, and pesto lends a Mediterranean flavor to chicken. The pesto is made with fresh mint and almonds, rather than the usual basil and pine nuts.

The sauce known as all'arrabbiata—or "in the angry style"—is made with hot red pepper flakes (and sometimes fresh chilies for an extra kick). I like to use the briny elements of olives and capers and skip the fresh chilies, adding depth to the spiciness rather than just more heat. Perfect with penne or rigatoni.

The yellow pepper mole may have lots of ingredients, but the result is a delightfully complex sauce. Golden raisins and white chocolate preserve the golden color of the roasted peppers, and while those may sound sweet, onion, garlic, and tomatillos keep the sauce savory, fresh, and never cloying. At the restaurant we give this a hint of smoked red pepper sauce and cilantro oil and garnish it with cilantro.

Abe experimented until he came up with the lightest, fluffiest, most Jewish motherly matzo balls imaginable.

Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. To make tacos, you'll also need 24 to 32 warm corn tortillas, 2 cups of salsa, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. Santibañez recommends serving the tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa , Roasted Pineapple Salsa , or Taco-Shop Guacamole, a blend of avocado and tomatillos. This heavenly steak is the kind of treat you'd get in tacos at the little stands in Mexican markets, tucked into warm tortillas and topped with spicy salsa. I love the beefy flavor, the chew, and the low price of skirt steak, but you can use any type of steak you'd like. If it's a thick cut, just sear it in a hot pan, then finish it in an oven preheated to 350°F.

Editor's note: This recipe is part of Susie Fishbein's Tricolor Matzo Ball soup .
Due to the high water content of fresh spinach, these matzo balls may be a little harder to roll than the other two flavors. If this occurs, add some extra matzo ball mix or matzo meal, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the batter can be rolled into balls. You want to use as little extra as possible so that the matzo balls remain light and fluffy. Meat or Parve
Gebrokts

Parve
Gebrokts

Editor's note: This recipe is part of Susie Fishbein's Tricolor Matzo Ball soup . What a thrill it was for me as these matzo balls and I proudly made our debut on the Today Show with Katie Couric! Meat or Parve
Gebrokts

There are some high-quality, great-tasting low-fat tomato sauces available on the store shelves these days, so if you don't want to make sauce from scratch (don't tell Mama!), you'd do well with any of the leading brands. But my name is Rocco, after all, and I figured I was under obligation to include at least one from-scratch marinara sauce. There's just a hint of olive oil in it; everything else was bulked up to create great flavor.

The herb-and-spice blend would also be terrific with eggplant or lamb.

This recipe comes from Chef Barry Maiden, of Hungry Mother Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's wonderful with any pie filling, but do try it with his scrumptious Hungry Mother Spicy Peanut Pie. His piecrust uses a combination of butter and shortening. The butter delivers flavor, while shortening provides a flaky texture. The soft texture of this dough makes it best for single-crust pies.