Easy & tasty: Cozying up with simple meals

by LisaG · Published January 5, 2015 · Updated January 17, 2016

Every winter I get the urge to cook and bake — hibernate and cozy up with a great meal. Of course, work, friends, family, and, well, life gets in the way. Every so often, though, I try to make it a priority again. Here, a couple Epicurious recipes sure to please, and maybe you’ll forego that restaurant meal for an evening.

Prep time for both, not including oven time, is 25 minutes.

Black-Pepper Salmon with Dill Smashed Potatoes
by Andrea Albin, from Gourmet Magazine

For this one, I picked up frozen salmon from Trader Joe’s and let it defrost in the fridge all day. When I got home, it was ready to prep with spices — I prefer to hit The Spice House and use the Bridgeport Seasoning instead of pepper, though you may find your favorite. Also I substitute butter for oil in the potatoes and add in some milk — much tastier prep. Unfortunately I didn’t take photos of this prep, but I’ll add them on later when I make this again!

Milk Chocolate Brownies
Gourmet Magazine

The ingredients!

I’m constantly playing with this recipe and find that removing an egg and the baking powder make for much fudgier brownies. For cakey ones, stick to the recipe as-is. I used Nielson-Massey Vanilla and fresh eggs and sifted the flour for a fresher, lighter result. I’m playing with the idea of using their Madagascar Vanilla for a spicier taste. Trust me, you won’t look at store-bought brownies again.