Must-Try Recipes from Food Network Magazine’s April Issue
Steve Giralt
There’s something for everyone in the Big Breakfast edition of Food Network Magazine — even if you’re not a morning person. ( Breakfast for dinner is a glorious thing.) Here, magazine staffers share their favorite April recipes. Included in the roundup: recommendations from a pancake enthusiast, a non-breakfast person and a skeptic of healthy baked goods. While their top picks vary, April’s lox dip was an office hit. So take that as a cue for what to make for your next at-home brunch. Grab the recipe below, and bookmark the following recipes in your magazine (or save them to your recipe box), starting with the cover pancakes (pictured above).
“Full disclosure: Pancakes are probably my favorite food. So I could not be more excited to try out the fluffy pancakes. Every time I make pancakes they look a little flat, but these ones look amazing (they are the ones on our cover!). I love that the pancake feature shows how to make any style you want, which will give me a great excuse to try out all four.”
Christina Holmes, Christina Holmes
“I never have high hopes for healthy baked goods — most don't have enough flavor or the right texture. But Trisha Yearwood's banana muffins really surprised me. In her recipe, she balances good-for-you ingredients (whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, lots of fruit) with just enough butter and eggs to make a muffin that's wholesome without tasting ‘wholesome.’”
Antonis Achilleos
“Pasta is still a guilty pleasure for me; I could never do without my carbs! Finding new ways to cook pastas that feel lighter is fun for me. I loved making the Pappardelle with Spring Vegetables because it’s so simple yet delicious, and it really celebrates spring vegetables. Not only is it a perfect weeknight dinner, but it’s special enough to serve as a first course for weekend entertaining.
“ Egg-in-a-Hole: What else can I say but ‘fun, fun, fun’? Working on that story just made me smile — I wanted more pages, because the ideas kept coming. When I work on stories for our Fun Cooking section, the first thing I look for is exactly that: fun.”
Ben Goldstein/Studio D, Hearst Communications Inc.
“When the Name This Dish recipe was being developed, everyone in the kitchen would be on standby for the tastings! Well, how could you not? Fried chicken bites, mashed potatoes and slaw, all in a to-go cone; if I had to name this dish … it would be Heaven in a Cone!
“While testing Breakfast at Tiffani’s, I had such a great time! Tiffani Thiessen’s recipes worked really well, and it’s so great to see a star from the past blossoming with a new career!”
Unknown author
“I was so excited about a whole issue devoted to the most-important meal of the day — breakfast — and it didn't disappoint! I'm going to stick the 50 Toasts picture from the booklet (partially pictured above) on my fridge. I love having all that inspiration available at just a glance. I'd eat any of them for breakfast, but there are even some perfect for a light dinner.
“This month, my favorite story to work on was Pancakes, Your Way. The science involved in these breakfast treats is fascinating, and I got to try all the different types against each other — not a bad job! I'm going to stick with mine diner-style, but I like knowing I can make them thin and lacy when the craving strikes.”
David Malosh
“My problem is that I never want breakfast at breakfast, so I can't wait to cook my way through the breakfast-for-dinner ideas. I have a feeling Bobby’s Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyère Strata and Jeff's Eggs Benedictwich will be going into heavy rotation at my place, as will Tiffani's Bacon-Egg Griddle Sandwich (pictured above).”
Ralph Smith
“I’m usually a cream cheese purist — the more, the better; just keep it plain — but I could not stop munching on the cream cheese-and-lox dip when our food department tested it in the office. I may have scraped the bowl clean … and I plan to do the same thing when I make it at home.”
“One of my favorite recipes from the April issue is the lox dip with bagel chips. We made it in the office and I couldn't stop eating it. I'm also dying to try some of those egg-in-a-hole ideas!”
Combine equal parts softened cream cheese and sour cream with chopped capers, red onion and fresh dill, then fold in chopped smoked salmon and season with salt. Serve with bagel chips.