Ina Garten's Go-To Dinner Recipes (2024)

Ingredients

2 lbs carrots, preferably with leafy tops
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pure Grade A maple syrup
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
3 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
6 oz baby arugula
6 oz goat cheese, such as Montrachet, medium-diced
2/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Trim and scrub the carrots. If the carrots are more than 1 inch in diameter, cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the carrots in large diagonal slices 1 inch wide by 2 inches long (they will shrink when they roast) and place in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss well and transfer to two sheet pans. (If you use just one, they'll steam instead of roasting.) Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once, until the carrots are tender. Transfer all the carrots to one of the sheet pans, add the maple syrup, toss, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are caramelized. Watch them carefully! Toss with a metal spatula and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then set aside for 10 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk in 3 Tbsp of olive oil. Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the carrots, cranberries (with their liquid), goat cheese, almonds, and the vinaigrette. Toss with large spoons, sprinkle with salt, and serve at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings as a side dish. Per serving: 473 cal, 31 g fat (7 g sat fat), 11 g protein, 42 g carb, 7 g fiber.

Ingredients for the Pork Tenderloins

1 (12-oz) bottle hard cider, such as Crispin
1/4 cup pure Grade A maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp whole fennel seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/4 lbs each), trimmed
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Good olive oil
Roasted plum chutney (see recipe below)

Directions
1. Combine the cider, maple syrup, and 3 Tbsp of kosher salt in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. With a mortar and pestle, grind the fennel, peppercorns, coriander, and cinnamon together and add to the cider mixture. Place the tenderloins in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Add the ginger and rosemary, squeeze the air out of the bag, seal, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

3. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and dry them well with paper towels. Discard the marinade.Place the tenderloins on a sheet pan and rub them all over with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 125°F. Remove from the oven and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the tenderloins diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm with the roasted plum chutney.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 184 cal, 7 g fat (2 g sat fat), 29 g protein, 1 g carb, 0 g fiber.

Ingredients for the Roasted Plum Chutney

1 Tbsp good olive oil
1/4 cup small-diced shallots (1 large)
1 1/4 lbs ripe red or purple plums, pitsremoved and cut into wedges
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and 1/4-inch-diced
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp Port wine
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
1/8 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Cheese and crackers, for serving

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the plums, apple, brown sugar, orange juice, Port, cinnamon, star anise, mace, and salt. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, place in the oven, and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and syrupy.

3. Remove from the oven and discard the star anise and cinnamon stick. (Be careful; I wrap a kitchen towel or oven mitt around the handle of the pan to remind myself that it's very hot!) Mash the fruit roughly with a dinner fork. Serve at room temperature or cold with cheese and crackers.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 108 cal, 2 g fat (0 g sat fat), 2 g protein, 25 g carb, 2 g fiber.

Ingredients for the slaw

3/4 lb green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1/2 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp minced fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the salmon

Olive oil, for greasing the pan
1 3/4 lbs center-cut fresh salmon fillet, skin removed
2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tsp grated lime zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, divided
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 ripe Hass avocados, seeded and peeled
3/4 tsp Sriracha

Directions
1. At least an hour before you plan to serve the tacos, toss the cabbage, cucumber, vinegar, dill, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper together in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the cabbage to marinate.

2. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil and place the salmon in it. Mix the chile powder, lime zest, and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl. Brush the salmon with 1 Tbsp of the lime juice and sprinkle with the chipotle seasoning mixture. Roast for 12 to 15minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the salmon is just cooked through.

3. Wrap the tortillas in 2 foil packets and place them in the oven with the salmon. Roughly mash the avocados with the remaining 2 Tbsp of lime juice, the Sriracha, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

4. To serve, lay 2 warm tortillas on each of 6 plates. Place a dollop of the avocado mixture on one side of each tortilla, then some large chunks of salmon, and finally, some of the slaw. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling (they will be messy!) and serve warm.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 501 cal, 25 g fat (5 g sat fat), 34 g protein, 5 g carb, 14 g fiber.

Ingredients

6 medium zucchini (2 1/2 to 3 lbs total)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
2 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Trim the stem end of the zucchini, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out a small channel of seeds with a regular teaspoon. Place the zucchini in one layer on a sheet pan, brush generously all over with olive oil, and turn the zucchini cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until just tender but still firm when tested with the tip of a small paring knife.

3. Meanwhile, make the bread crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, basil, Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the panko and 31/2 Tbsp of oil and mix well.

4. Turn the zucchini cut side up and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the panko mixture evenly on each zucchini. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the panko is crispy. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 180 cal, 12 g fat (3 g sat fat), 6 g protein, 15 g carb, 2 g fiber.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp goodolive oil
1 Tbsp unsaltedbutter
1 cup choppedyellow onion
3 cups chickenstock, preferablyhomemade
1 1/2 cups couscous
Kosher salt andfreshly groundblack pepper
1/2 cup juliennedfresh mintleaves, looselypacked
1/3 cup pine nuts,toasted

Directions
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

2. Stir in the couscous, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and remove from the heat. Cover the pot tightly and allow the couscous to steam for 10 minutes.

3. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the mint and pine nuts. Taste for seasonings and add about 1 tsp salt, depending on the saltiness of the stock, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 291 cal, 12 g fat (2 g sat fat), 8 g protein, 38 g carb, 3 g fiber.

Get more great recipes from Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

© 2016 by Ina Garten. To be published on October 25 by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Crown Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.