SARA'S WEEKNIGHT MEALS Season 10



#1001 - CREOLE KITCHEN SECRETS
The unique food of New Orleans is on the menu with two spectacular preparations. Sara’s contribution is a Blackened fish with Creole spice and zucchini. Then, a history of how African American foods have permeated our culture and our cooking. Finally, New Orleans chef Airis Johnson makes a Jambalaya Sara says is the best she’s ever tasted. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

#1002 - SNACKS FOR DINNER
Snack your way through dinner with these delicious small bites from all over the world. Sara starts at the birthplace of appetizers for dinner – Catalonia, Spain. There she tastes the famous jamon with a local chef, who teaches her two quick tapas – a Spanish omelet and simple Bread with Tomatoes. In Turkey, Sara tastes local cheese in the bazaar, then joins some Istanbul natives for Mushroom String Cheese Dip slathered on bread. Sara answers a viewer’s question about spices on Ask Sara, and finally, she makes her own favorite snack, a decadent Alsatian Onion Pie with melty Gruyere cheese from the Alps.

#1003 - 5 INGREDIENT SURF N’ TURF
Viewers love five ingredient meals and Sara delivers with three simple and tasty recipes from the land and from the sea. First, Sara recalls her years working with Julia Child with one of Julia’s favorite French dishes - a simple Fish Meuniere. Later Sara’s brother joins her for a manly steak slathered in a special flavored butter, and then a New England summer favorite, peas and Salmon, but with the crispy skin you see at high end restaurants. On Ask Sara – a viewer learns a foolproof way to poach eggs.

#1004 - NO MEAT, ALL FLAVOR
Good for you and good for the planet, vegetarian food will have even more converts once they taste the hearty and flavorful food Sara’s got in this episode, starting with a recipe by vegan cook Adam Sobel. He makes Korean Barbecue Tacos with a satisfying kick of heat. Sara’s got a new quick way to cook spaghetti squash and then she smashes any notion it’s bland with a with a creamy goat cheese sauce. Later, she answers a viewer’s question about vanilla beans on Ask Sara. For a grand finale, a dessert perfect for weeknight or a fancy dinner - dried fruit pot stickers hit the spot, a unique recipe you can enjoy any time of the year.

#1005 - WHEN PIGS FRY
If you’re a secret “porkatarian” then this is the show for you. Wok guru Grace Young joins us with a Chinese Barbecued Pork that’s as sweet as candy and highly addictive. If there’s any leftover, you’ll want to try it in her Yangchow Fried Rice – that’s a meal! Later Sara’s got another tasty grilled pork dish served with a surprising melon and cucumber salsa. And on Ask Sara, the definitive guide to thickeners as Sara answers a viewer’s question about what to use and when to use it.

#1006 - EATING WITH FRIENDS
No need to sweat when company comes if you follow Sara’s simple recipes. Everyone will be talking about the Japanese Beef Fondue where guests cook their own meats and veggies in a flavorful broth. Sara shows a viewer an easy hack to flatten chicken breasts on Ask Sara. For dessert, a make ahead Skillet Apple Pie, spiked with cranberries, topped with crumbled shortbread crust and drizzled with caramel. It makes the holidays – or any meal with friends – stress free.

#1007 - COZY CASSEROLES
On a cold night there is nothing more satisfying than a warm and hearty casserole. Sara’s got a winner with her baked penne with prosciutto and gooey fontina because each person gets their own mini casserole. Another slam dunk – a filling chicken cassoulet. Sara’s buddy Ming Tsai has his own version of that French classic, this one with duck spiked with ginger and orange. Finally, Sara answers a viewer’s question about dried beans on Ask Sara.

#1008 - SUNS OUT, BUNS OUT
Come summer there is nothing so tasty as grilled meat or fish nestled in a buttery bun. Sara’s got three great choices starting with a poor man’s version of the New England lobster roll, with shrimp taking the starring role on a budget. A turkey burger is made succulent and juicy with the addition of spinach, and finally, pork sliders filled with chopped veggies for flavor, crunch and moisture. Meat on a bun, and bring on the sun.

#1009 - BASTA PASTA: US VS ITALY
It’s a stuffed pasta showdown as Sara travels to an ancient Tuscan villa to learn the secrets of homemade ravioli from a real Italian chef, a delicious but time-consuming task involving asparagus, goat cheese and a whole lot of chianti. Back home in her American kitchen, Sara shows us a hack to make a homemade ravioli stuffed with spicy greens, quick enough for a weeknight and pretty darn tasty. Which is best? Only the cook knows.

#1010 - FROM THE LATIN KITCHEN
Sara tours Latin America through it’s kitchens when she cooks with two amazing Latin American cooks. First up, chef Letitia Moreinos Schwartz takes Sara to a Brazilian café to taste some of the unique flavors of her native country; then they shop for some ‘only in Brazil’ ingredients at a specialty market. Back in the kitchen, they put a Brazilian twist on Salt Cod, or bacalhau. Later, a superfan by way of the CIA (and not the cooking school) joins Sara to make an essential dish of her native Puerto Rico – Arroz con Gandules.