Now & Again by Julia Turshen

I sure didn’t think I needed yet another recipe in my life, but also can hardly resist trying one. This version of red sauce enchiladas was a massive hit with everyone in my family, and the kids were literally begging for thirds. They are quite mild and I would probably amp up the spice a bit next time, but I also loved them as written.

Not only do these taste fantastic, the method was brilliantly simple (the hallmark of a Turshen recipe, in my opinion.) Anything that puts enchiladas on the table faster with less work for me is a huge win in my book.

I used to avoid arugula due to one bad experience, but I’ve been coming around lately. I made this simple arugula salad one evening to go along with my tomato mozzarella pasta with fresh basil and it was a perfect accompaniment. I omitted the pine nuts because I don’t love them, but if you do then by all means, keep them in.

I made this easy and cozy dessert one Friday evening as the perfect sweet but light finish to a meal of comfort food. I think the kids were initially skeptical when I told them dessert was roasted apples with ice cream, but they ended up loving it so much that Caroline ate the leftovers for breakfast with Greek yogurt and they have both been asking me to make them again and again ever since that first night. I also love that this is so easy, the kids could do most of this with minimal help from me.

I truly adore all of the recipes I have made from Now & Again so far, but I think this soup is my favorite of all for several reasons. First, it is by far and away the best tortilla soup I have ever made or eaten anywhere. I’m often underwhelmed by tortilla soup and almost skipped over this one as a result. I am so glad I didn’t! Second, the method is so simple and brilliant that I actually laughed out loud with delight when I realized how little the recipe was asking of me. Third, it is ideally made ahead of time on a day when you have a few hours to let it simmer, meaning you have dinner ready for an evening when you might need it most. I made this on a Sunday when I knew that my Monday was going to be total insanity and it was the most wonderful, comforting meal to come home to after the end of a long day.

I made these tacos out of utter desperation for something simple and relatively quick. I just returned from traveling and unfortunately was delayed in getting home, so my plans to grocery shop before Monday were out the window. I was immediately thrown into the first day of a busy work week and had about 10 minutes between work and picking up Caroline to grab few random groceries. I saw chorizo, potatoes, and a very ripe pineapple, and this meal took shape in my head as I recalled seeing it in Now & Again.

This simple and comforting meal completely turned my crazy Monday around. Everyone went wild for these and again, the kids were asking for thirds. I wasn’t sure how they would feel about the pineapple with tajin, but they loved it as much as I did! Julia, please never stop writing cookbooks.

Minimalist cakes are some of the best desserts, even when I feel the need to be a little bit extra and add a second layer. This is a lovely cake for fall, full of warm spices with an irresistible honey cream cheese frosting.

I’ll be sharing a full post including this recipe tomorrow, so check back then. I will update this section with a link when it is published.