noelle@noellecarterfood.com

Los Angeles, CA

424-249-9094

los angeles / las vegas / sacramento 424-249-9094

Make this now: Slow cooker lamb tagine

May 28, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Slow cooker lamb tagine. (Noelle Carter)

Have I mentioned how much I love my slow cooker? Prep the ingredients, throw everything in the cooker, then set it and forget it. The slow cooker is the definition of convenience, particularly if you’re planning weeknight meal ideas, or tackling 20 different projects at the same time — or sometimes simply forgetful, like me, about watching a pot simmering away on the stove top. It’s perfect for long-cooked dishes: stews, chili, hearty soups. And it turns out a wonderful lamb tagine, with very little active work on your part.

Up your grilling game with tips from bestselling author Meathead Goldwyn

May 24, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

With grilling season just around the corner, I recently caught up with grilling and barbecue authority Meathead Goldwyn to discuss handy grilling tips ranging from prepping your grill for the season, to advice for beginning grillers, must-have gadgets, and common grilling mistakes to avoid.

Make this now: Weeknight herb-roasted spatchcocked chicken

May 23, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Herb-roasted spatchcocked chicken. (Noelle Carter)

Looking for a fun alternative to a traditional roast chicken? This herb-roasted spatchcocked chicken is one of my favorite go-to methods, both because it saves time (cooking a spatchcocked chicken takes much less time than a traditional roast chicken), and it browns all pieces evenly.

Make this now: Easy vegan berry bars with streusel topping, perfect for Meatless Monday

May 20, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Vegan berry bars with streusel topping. (Noelle Carter)

One of my favorite dishes this time of year is a super simple batch of berry bars — the recipe is easy to execute and uses only a handful of ingredients, and the bars come together in about an hour. Pack them in the kids’ lunches, bring them to a potluck or picnic, or grab one when you’re on the go. My favorite way to enjoy them? I’ll warm up a bar and top it with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Cooking for one? Renowned chef Anita Lo shares some tips, and a recipe

May 8, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Chef Anita Lo’s recipe for Pork and squid glass noodles from her cookbook “Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One”. (Noelle Carter)

Cooking for one. As with a handful of other activities — eating out at restaurants, going to the theater, catching a new film — cooking for ourselves isn’t something most of us plan for, let alone celebrate. Still, we’ve all been there. Because everyone has to eat, right? In her excellent new cookbook, “Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One,” chef Anita Lo tackles the stigma and challenges when it comes to fending for ourselves in the kitchen.

Rotisserie chicken to the rescue: 12 easy dinner ideas

May 7, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

A grocery store rotisserie chicken. (Noelle Carter)

We’ve all been there: After a long day, you wander into the supermarket not knowing what — or even how — you’ll put dinner on the table. And then, from out of nowhere, the scent of freshly-roasted chicken puts everything into focus. I can’t tell you how many times a supermarket rotisserie chicken has saved me on a busy weeknight. Of course, you can easily serve it on its own, alongside a simple vegetable or salad. But it also works well as a base, a canvas of sorts for whole host of dinner options. Here are 12 easy weeknight meal ideas you can use to put dinner on the table in an hour or less:

Kitchen tip: Roasted garlic 101 (and use it to make this hummus recipe)

April 25, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Roasted garlic hummus with baked flatbread chips. (Noelle Carter)

While you can find roasted cloves at the store, but the flavor pales in comparison to what you can easily make at home. The method is simple: Cut the top of the pointy tip off a head of garlic (no peeling necessary!), then lightly drizzle a little olive oil over the exposed cloves, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic head in a sheet of aluminum foil and roast at 325 degrees until the cloves are softened and aromatic, 40 minutes to an hour. That’s it.

Make this now: Grilled salmon with lemon and dill

April 24, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Grilled salmon with lemon and dill. (Noelle Carter)

It may only be April, but here in Southern California it sure feels like summer. So much so, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling — it’s just too nice outdoors to spend my time in a hot kitchen. I love grilling salmon, particularly on a weeknight, because it cooks in almost no time — I can have dinner ready in about the time it takes to set the table. Put together a simple salad to go with it, and the meal is ready to go. Boom.

Kitchen tip: Anatomy of a chef's knife (and how to hold one like a pro)

April 23, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Anatomy of a chef’s knife. (Noelle Carter)

A chef’s knife is one of the most common tools found in the kitchen. But not all cooks are familiar with the various parts of the knife, or even how to hold one. Learning the basic anatomy of the knife — and how to handle it like a pro — will up your game in the kitchen, and keep you safer in the process.

The only hard-boiled egg recipe you'll ever need

April 19, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Perfect hard-boiled eggs. (Noelle Carter)

There are endless methods for making hard-boiled eggs — even a simple online search will turn up countless options. All of which can make the whole exercise frustrating and leave you wondering, which method should I trust? Years ago, when I worked for a high-end restaurant group in Los Angeles, I hard-boiled dozens of eggs a week. There was one method I used, and it’s never failed me: