Food writer, chef, and recipe developer Alison Roman has had plenty of dishes soar to viral acclaim online, and her simple approach, paired with easy-to-use and find ingredients, has been the secret to her success.
Roman's new cookbook, "Something from Nothing," is similarly full of simple cooking concepts for fellow pantry-staple warriors, as well as new recipes and old favorites.
Roman is sharing some of those recipes with home cooks looking to try their hand a simple but delicious dish.
Check out the full recipes below, as well as a list of pantry staples Roman suggests having on hand.
Chickpeas
Olive oil
Sherry vinegar
Canned tomatoes
Lentils
Bouillon (concentrated cubes or paste for stock)
Kosher salt
Preserved lemon
Pasta
Red pepper flakes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs (smaller work better here)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock (or water plus Better Than Bouillon)
1/2 cup frozen peas (sadly, a whole bag is too many peas for me)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon (optional)
12-ounce or 14-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (or two 8 1/2-ounce sheets pressed together at the edges)
1 large egg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large (8 to 10-inch) skillet (preferably cast iron or another heavy-bottomed skillet) over medium heat. Sear the chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown and most of the fat has begun to render out, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the chicken is evenly browned and cooked through on the other side, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board, leaving the drippings behind in the skillet.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly softened with a bit of caramelization at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender and just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it is mostly evaporated, a minute or so.
Add the flour on top of the vegetables and stir to coat them all. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour has started to turn a light golden brown with no white, floury bits left, 3 to 4 minutes. (You're toasting the flour here, but because of the vegetables, it might take longer than a usual roux.)
Slowly add the chicken broth or stock, 1/2 cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to blend and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Do not worry about lumps or it looking too thick -- it'll smooth out, promise. Once all the broth or stock is added, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
Remove any bones and cartilage-y bits (discard or compost them) from the chicken and shred the meat and skin into bite-size pieces. (Alternatively, use a knife and fork to cut into bite-size pieces.) Add the picked chicken, peas, parsley, chives, and tarragon (if using) to the skillet and stir to combine. Season one final time (lots of seasoning in this recipe) with salt and pepper.
Carefully unfold the puff pastry and, if you feel like it needs it, smooth it out using a rolling pin (or your hands). For extra credit, you can roll it into more of a circle shape (approximately 12-inch in diameter), but don't stress too much about this. Working quickly, place it on top of the skillet, letting some of the dough hang off the sides (this will keep it from shrinking too much).
Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush it onto the top of the puff pastry. Cut three 2 1/2-inch slits, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper, maybe a few parsley leaves for superfluous yet delightful decor. Place the skillet on the prepared sheet pan to catch any drips as it bakes.
Bake until the puff pastry is deeply golden brown, cooked through all the way, and the filling has started to bubble out of the top, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before eating.
EAT WITH: A large spoon, a bowl of parsley dressed with lemon and salt.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more (or more olive oil)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Two 15-ounce cans white beans, such as navy, butter, or cannellini, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or water plus Better Than Bouillon)
1/4 head cabbage, core removed, coarsely chopped (about 8 ounces/2 cups)
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice, plus more
1 cup dill, coarsely chopped
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Directions
Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring too much or too frequently, so the onions get nicely browned and frizzled, 5-8 minutes. You do not want jammy, caramelized onions, but you also do not want burnt onions, so just adjust the heat and stir as needed. Using a slotted spoon, transfer one-quarter of the onions to a small bowl; set aside.
Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. Using a spoon, smash some of the beans, breaking them up to release the creamy, starchy interior (this is what will thicken your stew). I say "some of" because we are not making refried beans, nor are we making bean puree. Think whole, tender beans swimming in a pot of creamy, broken-down, lightly brothy beans.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the texture is to your liking (soupier, stewier -- you choose) and everything is tasting nice and savory, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and vinegar, stirring to wilt. Simmer until the cabbage is totally tender and all the flavors have melded, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar if you like.
Remove from the heat and stir in half of the dill. Divide among bowls and top with more dill and some frizzled onions. Add a teeny knob of softened butter -- live a little -- or a drizzle of olive oil and, if the mood strikes, some sour cream.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 bunches small carrots (about 1 pound), unpeeled, tops trimmed
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces (or more olive oil)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
For fun and if you feel like it, thinly slice some of the carrots into coins. Halve the remaining ones lengthwise, quartering them if they're especially large or thick (don't overthink this!) -- it's just nice to have different shapes that lead to different textures once roasted.
Toss the carrots, walnuts, and olive oil together on a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, coriander, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed, and toss to coat. Scatter with the butter (or more olive oil). Roast, tossing every 15 minutes or so, until the carrots are deeply browned, well past the point of tender, and starting to frizzle at the edges, 30-35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and toss with the raw garlic (the warmth of the carrots will soften the raw bite). Serve warm or room temperature.
On Monday, Roman joined the show to guide "GMA" viewers through another cozy fall recipe with pantry staples. See the full recipe below.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small head (about 1 1/2 pounds) cabbage, cut into 1-inch wedges
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Two 15-ounce cans large white beans, such as butter beans, gigante, or cannellini, drained and rinsed
8 ounces tomatoes, preferably small, halved if small, quartered or chopped if large
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or white distilled vinegar
A hunk of Parmesan cheese for grating on top, ricotta for spooning over, or feta for crumbling (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet (preferably oven-safe) over medium heat. Add the cabbage, cut-side down, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without disturbing or peeking, until the cabbage is deeply golden brown on one side, 8-10 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, carefully flip and repeat on the other side, another 8-10 minutes.
Once the cabbage is well browned on both sides, add the shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring or shaking the skillet occasionally to make sure the shallots can make contact with the pan, until they are nicely browned and totally tender, 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the beans in a 1 1/2-quart to 2-quart baking dish. Once the cabbage and shallots are nicely browned and tender, add them to the baking dish, along with the tomatoes, vinegar, and 1 cup water. Season well with salt and pepper and rearrange the goods, adjusting some of the wedges of cabbage and pieces of tomato so that they make their way to the top. (They will get so delicious in the oven.)
Place in the oven and bake until the liquid has reduced by quite a bit, everything is bubbling up the sides of the dish in a sticky, caramelized way, and the top is delightfully browned, bordering on crisp, 50-60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with or without cheese.
DO AHEAD: The beans can be made 2 days ahead, wrapped, and refrigerated. Reheat in a 425 F oven, uncovered, until warmed through and bubbling once more, 20-30 minutes. Leftovers can also be scooped into a skillet and rewarmed on the stovetop.
EAT WITH: A hunk of sour, rustic bread, preferably made with hearty whole grains, for dipping and dunking (a modern "brown bread" perhaps).
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