Persian Rice
This Persian rice recipe by Chef John features fragrant basmati rice cooked with butter and cumin until tender, then mixed with a pinch of saffron.

Place water and kosher salt in a pot; bring to a boil.

Add rice; cook and stir for exactly 7 minutes.

Drain.

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.

Cover the bottom of the pot with 1 layer of potato slices.

Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes.

Cook until potatoes are sizzling 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer.

Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.

Top the pot with a layer of clean paper towels then place the lid over the towels.

Steam until rice is fluffy about 45 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup
This easy butternut squash soup with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion cooks up quickly into a thick, velvety soup that’s ready in about 1 hour.

Onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and squash should be cooked in butter in a large pot over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.

Add enough chicken stock to the vegetables to cover them.

Heat to a rolling boil over medium-high.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Chicken Chow Mein
Chicken with baby corn, mushrooms, onions, and celery in a thickened broth served over rice or crispy noodles is a mild but appetizing dish.

Melt butter or margarine in a wok or skillet over medium heat.

As soon as the onions have wilted, add the mushrooms, celery, and garlic powder.

Add baby corn and chicken broth.

Cook the celery until it is tender but still crisp.

Add the soy sauce and green beans or bean sprouts after stirring.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water.

Stir the vegetables in gradually.

The sauce ought to begin to slightly thicken.

Add chicken, stir, and heat through.

Crab and Shrimp Louis
This shrimp and crab Louie is a California original of seafood atop fresh greens with Thousand Island dressing. This makes a perfect light meal.

In a saucepan, add the eggs and then the cold water.

Boil the water, cover it, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.

Peel and chop after removing from hot water.

Among the four salad plates, distribute the lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and eggs equally.

Add crab and shrimp on top.

Mix mayonnaise, chili sauce, relish, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.

Dress the salad and top with the lemon and parsley for decoration.

Jerk Chicken Pizza
Another recipe that my boyfriend and I came up with is this one. We decided that the typical combo pizza was becoming monotonous, so we heavily spiced it. Possibly not for the faint of heart, this recipe. It contains some excellent ingredients, including jerk sauce, portobello mushrooms, and German salami.

Heat the broiler in the oven.

Place the green pepper on a baking sheet and brush with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

5 minutes should be spent broiling each side until the skin starts to burn.

After 15 minutes, remove from heat and seal in a plastic container.

Slice, remove the skin and pulp from the seeds, and dice.

Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).

The chicken should be cooked for ten minutes, or until the juices run clear, in the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the portobello mushroom, garlic, and jerk sauce to the roasted green pepper mixture.

Cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Easy Lemon Cake
This recipe, which has long been a family favorite, was given to me by my mother-in-law. Given that it is served straight from the pan, it is excellent for potlucks.

Combine cake mix and gelatin mix.

Mix well.

Oil, eggs, water, and lemon extract are the next four ingredients to be added.

Lightly blend.

Bake in accordance with the directions on the cake box’s back.

Combine confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice to make frosting.

When the cake is finished baking and is still warm, frost it.

Mediterranean Chicken
This Mediterranean chicken recipe features plenty of olives, onion, tomatoes, and herbs for a deliciously light dinner that won’t disappoint.

Over medium heat, warm white wine and oil in a big skillet.

Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, or until golden.

Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.

Sauté the garlic in the pan drippings for 30 seconds.

Add the onion, and cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until the onions are tender.

Bring to a boil after adding tomatoes.

Add 1/2 cup of white wine, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for ten minutes.

For five more minutes of simmering, add the basil and thyme.

Cook the chicken in the covered skillet over a low heat until it is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink inside.

For one minute, add the parsley and olives.

Serve after seasoning with salt and pepper.

Pressure Cooker Cream of Tomato Soup
Pressure cooker cream of tomato soup is quick and easy to prepare thanks to the pressure cooker and is perfect on cold days.

In a pressure cooker, combine tomatoes, juice, chicken broth, and salt.

In accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, cover and cook for three minutes at medium pressure.

Pick your quick-release carefully before releasing pressure and removing the lid.

When the tomato mixture is no longer bubbling, add baking soda.

Add salt, pepper, and milk cream to the tomato mixture.

Using a handheld blender, puree the soup.

About 15 minutes, heat the soup over medium-low heat while stirring frequently.

Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Use this recipe to make a quick basil pesto to serve over spaghetti with shrimp and sugar snap peas.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Cook spaghetti in the boiling water stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite about 12 minutes; drain.

Blend basil lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil garlic and salt in a blender until smooth.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Cook and stir sugar snap peas in hot oil until tender about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp and red pepper; continue to cook until the shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center about 5 minutes.

Stir basil sauce into the shrimp mixture and remove from heat; spoon over spaghetti to serve.

Instant Pot Classic Hummus
Instant Pot classic hummus made from scratch saves you time and is easy to make. The hummus is soft, velvety, and creamy.

Garbanzo beans and vegetable broth should be combined in a multipurpose pressure cooker (like the Instant Pot®).

Lock the lid by closing it.

Set the timer for 35 minutes while choosing high pressure in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Give the pressure 10 to 15 minutes to build.

Utilizing the quick-release technique with caution, release the pressure for 5 minutes as directed by the manufacturer.

Lock removed, lid removed.

Garbanzo beans should be strained, saving 2/3 cup liquid.

Put the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.

Takes about 3 minutes to blend until smooth and creamy.

Scrape bowl, add salt and the reserved 2/3 cup liquid cumin, and blend for an additional one minute.