If you've ever watched an episode of Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa," you're probably familiar with Ina's welcoming kitchen, which is well-stocked with fully ripened fruits, aromatic herbs and vibrant veggies, all hand-picked from her home garden. You're also probably familiar with her simple yet comforting recipes, which include everything from truffled mac and cheese to carrot cake with ginger mascarpone frosting.
Turns out, you don't need to live in an East Hampton estate or drive a Mini Cooper to cook like Ina. Most of her recipes are incredibly budget friendly, making them perfect for the most frugal home cook. All you need on hand are fresh produce, some spices and a few cuts of meat or fish to cook these dishes from the comfort of your own home.
In the same vein as peanut butter and jelly, tomato soup and grilled cheese is a match made in heaven. Ina takes the classic combo one step further by transforming a plain ol' grilled cheese into croutons — which are basically cut up cubes of the sandwich. Her rendition of grilled cheese only calls for three ingredients: country white bread, melted unsalted butter and grated Gruyère cheese. As for the tomato soup, Ina spruces it up with saffron threads, freshly ground black pepper, orzo, homemade chicken stock (don't worry, store bought is also OK) and heavy cream. Bon appétit!
If you're looking for new ways to enjoy salmon, Ina has got you covered with her beginner-friendly recipe for Panko-Crusted Salmon. Honestly, you should be enjoying all your fish roasted and covered in breadcrumbs, which gives it that extra delicious crunch factor.
In addition to salmon filets, you'll need panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs), minced fresh parsley, grated lemon zest, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil (Ina asks that you use "good" olive oil, of course), Dijon mustard and vegetable oil. Enjoy the salmon with rice and roasted veggies, like asparagus, squash or zucchini.
Ramen sometimes gets a bad rep for being a cheap, college meal. But it doesn't have to solely be that — it can also be a hearty, weeknight dinner.
Ina's chicken ramen-noodle soup calls for two split chicken breasts and plenty of veggies, like onions, sliced carrots, fresh ginger, minced garlic, baby bok choy and scallions. This is a great soup to enjoy year-round when you're craving something warm and soothing. If you're looking for a meal that feels like a warm, snuggly hug, this is it!
You can never go wrong with roasted chicken, especially when it's served on a bed of roasted garlicky potatoes. Ina's recipe calls for four large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that are marinated in salt, pepper and buttermilk before being further seasoned with Dijon mustard, dry white wine, thyme and Hungarian paprika. Yum! There's also a pound of medium Yukon Gold potatoes, which are cooked in the same oven-safe cast-iron skillet, with minced garlic and more salt and pepper.
You've heard of Cacio e Pepe, but have you heard of Cacio e Pepe Roasted Asparagus? If not, prepare to be blown away by Ina's recipe for roasted asparagus spears that are generously coated in butter, salt, pepper, Pecorino, Parmesan, lemon and fleur de sel. Enjoy the asparagus on their own or alongside Ina's Skillet-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes or her Panko-Crusted Salmon.
Considering that many of the recipes in this list call for both potatoes and Gruyère cheese, it's only fair to include a recipe that incorporates them both into a rich dish that's perfect for lovers of cheesy starch!
In addition to the potatoes and Gruyère — which are mixed with cream, salt and pepper — Ina's Potato-Fennel Gratin includes two fennel bulbs that are sliced and sautéed in olive oil and butter. The potatoes along with the fennel are baked together for a little over an hour, until the mixture is evenly browned and bubbly.
Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon. She writes about food news and trends and their intersection with culture. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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