Sara's Weeknight Meals

No time to cook? No problem. Sara’s got great recipes to help you get food on the table fast. First up – Indian scrambled eggs with the crunch of the Indian flatbread, pappadom. On Ask Sara, Sara answers a viewer’s question about eggs, especially how to hard boil them without that ugly green ring around the yolk. We’ll visit a dairy where every cow is a lady and is treated like one, down to a daily shampoo of her tail. Finally, Sara’s brother Peter joins her to make steak and butter. And we really are making butter. It’s easy!

They say opposites attract. There’s something sensational about the sweetness of fruit with the savory taste of meat. Grilled Pork Tenderloin is a fantastic summer meal with a dressing of watermelon and cucumber. And Sara’s son Sam joins her to make a family favorite, Chicken with Lemon and Capers. It’s easy and delicious.

The winter is full of big family meals where you really have to be on your game to get food on the table all at once. Sara is showing a little love to the unsung heroes of the big meal, the sides. She’s got delicious winter vegetables like shredded butternut squash with dates, Brussels sprouts with panko breadcrumbs and a creamy tahini sauce, plus a creamy Root Vegetable Soup that can stand on its own as a main course or serve as a first course. And for the hungry cook – Apple Nutmeg bites to tide you over until dinnertime.

It’s a well-known fact that honeybees are a precious resource for pollinating the food we eat, but they are mysteriously dying off. Sara joins a beekeeper in Savannah, Georgia to discover the secrets of bees and beekeeping. Then they’ll make a honey centered dish that’s pure Georgia – Rosemary Honey and Georgia Peach Chutney Burgers. Next, she’ll travel to Napa, California to gather ingredients at a farm and cook with chef Joey Altman. His Grilled Duck Breast with Honey Roasted Carrots, Farro-Herb Salad and Cider Jus is easier than it sounds, and delicious as well.

The big game and a cold night are both perfect times to enjoy a heart bowl of soup, like Sara’s take on traditional New England chowder, her Smoky Fish Chowder, made even more delicious with bacon. On Ask Sara she’ll show ways to pack for a tailgate, including safely transporting hot soups. Then she’ll join Brazilian chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz on a shopping trip to a Brazilian market before they make Leticia’s Chicken, Shrimp, Peanut and Cashew Stew. Soups on!

A sandwich might be the ultimate weeknight meal – hearty, portable and easy enough for anyone to make. Sara’s got two great ones: her Picadillo Sloppy Joe with the terrific counterpoint of prunes and green olives. Surprisingly, she’ll show you how to grind your own meat! Roasted Vegetable and fresh Ricotta Sandwiches are another winning combo, and Sara even shows you how to make the ricotta. We’ll also visit a worth bakery for bread lovers – Hot Bread Kitchen. This non-profit food incubator helps struggling women get a leg up by teaching them baking skills so they may move on to jobs at other bakeries. We’ll sample some of their delicious bread. Recipes: Picadillo Sloppy Joes Roasted Vegetable and Fresh Ricotta Sandwiches

Sara travels to Charleston, South Carolina and the Grace Church Tea Room, where they open their doors every spring to serve Low Country classics like Crab Soup, Pimento Cheese and Huguenot Torte. Parishioner Susan Cromwell leads the way. Many of these Charleston classics are found in ‘Charleston Receipts’, and Sara discovers the secrets of this hugely successful community cookbook with locals Martha Humphreys and Nathalie DuPree. Recipes: Crab Soup Pimento Cheese Huguenot Torte

Sara is all about empowering women in the kitchen, whether it’s at home or in a restaurant. In this show she visits two up and coming female chefs who are changing their worlds. First, Mashama Baily of Savannah’s The Grey, a hot new restaurant in that cities former Greyhound Station. They will cook together, and Mashama will take Sara on a cook’s tour of Savannah. Back in Sara’s kitchen, Amanda Cohen of New York’s Dirt Candy stops by to cook her Zucchini and Pasta Noodles with Garlicky Yogurt sauce. On the side, her Kentucky Lemonade spiked with a good dose of bourbon and beet juice for color. Recipes: Zucchini and Pasta Noodles with Garlicky Yogurt sauce Kentucky Lemonade Dirty Duck Rice

There is nothing like the height of summer for delicious produce, simply prepared. Sara’s friends stop by to celebrate the season starting with Top Chef winner Hung Huynh. His Grilled Shrimp in Lettuce wraps is delicious, portable and light in calories. Then Sara’s buddy Giuseppe Fanelli makes a gorgeous lamb dish dressed with fresh heirloom tomatoes – Agnello Scottadito. And on Ask Sara, answers to a viewer’s question about avocados. Recipes: Grilled Shrimp in Lettuce Wraps Agnello Scottadito with Heirloom Tomatoes

Sara celebrates the Jewish holidays with two traditional dishes that are often tricky to prepare. She takes us through the process, step by step, starting with wine braised brisket. On the side, her husband’s Aunt Rifka’s recipe for matzo balls they call ‘flying discs’. Next, Sara and her nephew visit Stone Barns, the farm and food incubator in Westchester, New York to get fresh winter vegetables for her Root Vegetable Latkes, Sara’s version of the traditional Hanukah dish. Recipes: Braised Brisket with Flying Disks Root Vegetable Latkes