Recipes for the week
Reader faves + ideas from the archives 🌞
Happy Sunday. Today, I have a few reader faves and recipes from the archives to inspire your holiday cooking next week.
Weekend Update
Yesterday was my birthday, so I had a wonderful weekend celebrating. On Friday, I had a girls’ dinner with my friends. We started at Sisu in Baltimore, where I had the most amazing espresso martini. They also serve popcorn that I could have eaten by the bucket. It was so salty and flavorful, exactly how I like it. For my birthday, my best friend got me a purse with a hand-painted espresso martini on it to match hers. I love it so much!
Yesterday, I did a quick overnight trip in Philly to celebrate. I had afternoon tea at the Sofitel in Rittenhouse Square and some of the best sushi of my life at Uchi. What I love about Uchi is that they extend the happy hour to the weekend, so not only can you get lots of great prices on nigiri and small bites, but you can get a full 9-course omakase experience at a really good happy hour price. We ended up skipping the omakase, opting to just build our own experience, and everything was so good. Lots of unique sauces and dishes, and the service was really amazing.
Today, I had really good coffee at Persimmon Coffee in Fishtown. I did their winter latte, which included yuzu, rosemary, and cranberry. It was incredible!
Overall, it was a wonderful celebration weekend filled with good food and good friends.
But now I’m ready to share some recipes to inspire your holiday meal plan. Let’s dig in.
READER FAVES
Cream of Mushroom Soup
I’m delighted to hear that this soup has become an immediate favorite. The smoky mushroom topping really makes this a special soup you’ll want all the time.
Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating! With a spicy, aromatic broth, lots of chicken, and tender-crisp broccoli, this soup is just what you need on a cold night.
Chicken Soup with Farro and Leeks
I think everyone collectively decided that last week was the week for soup, and I don’t blame them! Thank you so much for this wonderful comment, Bailey! So happy this worked for you with barley! It’s such a comforting soup. YUM.
FAVES FROM THE ARCHIVES
Shrimp with Pearl Couscous
Normally, I get into my in-laws' house early enough to help make Christmas Eve dinner, but this year we’re arriving later on Christmas Eve, so I don’t think I’ll be able to this year. This shrimp with pearl couscous is usually what I make on Christmas Eve, and it’s always a hit. So flavorful and looks stunning plated up. Perfect for a Feast of Seven Fishes!
Chilean Sea Bass with Beurre Blanc
This is what I will be making for New Year’s Eve this year! I developed this recipe in 2017, and I’ve received so many positive comments about it over the years. Such a wonderful combination of butter fish, tender scallops, potatoes, and tender-crisp veggies. Definitely a great way to ring in the new year!
Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce
Filet mignon paired with a luxurious red wine mushroom sauce is the quintessential celebration meal.
Il Tocco: Genoese Meat Sauce
This Genoese meat sauce is so comforting and perfect for a hearty celebration dinner.
Short Rib Lasagna
If you’re looking for a holiday meal that delivers both comfort and celebration, this short rib lasagna is the one.
Cranberry-Orange Upside-Down Cake
This cranberry-orange upside-down cake is a perfect holiday dessert that combines sweet-tart cranberries, a moist blood orange cake, and a sweet, herbaceous rosemary whipped cream.
That’s all for this week! I hope everyone has a great week filled with lots of tasty food. If you make one of my recipes, please drop a comment on the post to let me know how it turns out; I’d love to hear from you! You can also respond directly to this email! Byeeeeeeee! 💖💖
-kylie
And if none of these recipes caught your eye, use the link below to view all my recipes.
Looking to incorporate more vegan dishes into your meal plan? View all the plant-based recipes I post on Exploring Vegan!
This roundup is incredibly helpful for holiday meal planing! The way those soup recipes layer flavors rather than just dump everything in the pot makes such a diference. I tried somethign similar with building a mushroom base last month and it completely transformed how rich the final dish tasted. Balancing comforting soups alongside celebratory mains is exactly the approach most people need right now.