Midwest Living January February 2018 Recipes

These crazy-good fried chicken tacos aren't for weeknights--but they aren't hard at all. Save them for a weekend party, when you'll have time to make TV host and author Andrew Zimmern's Tomatillo-Avocado and Grilled Pineapple salsas, too.

Chicken Carnitas Tacos 

This delicious and healthy twist on a traditional Middle Eastern parsley salad features protein-rich quinoa, cranberries, sunflower seeds and crisp fennel.

Winter Tabbouleh with Fennel and Cranberries

This rich, creamy (and surprisingly easy!) chocolate tart is the most-requested recipe at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Door County, Wisconsin.

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

Chicago chef John Shields' vegetable dish is sweet, bitter, tangy and completely beautiful—perfect for serving with a special-occasion roast.

Carrots with Chicories and Brown Butter Vinaigrette

Minnesota-based TV star Andrew Zimmern's boyhood fascination with Chinese cuisine manifests itself in this hands-off braise. Whole spices perfume the meat (and your kitchen), but they don’t dominate: The dish tastes emphatically, gloriously of chicken. For anyone raised on takeout, it’s a revelation. Serve with white rice.

Chairman Mao's Red Chicken

The Papineaus and Shieldses (the farmers and chefs behind Smyth and The Loyalist, in Chicago) top these pancakes with maple syrup and Chile-Garlic Topping, but plain butter and syrup is just fine! Friendly warning: These pancakes involve a little bit of prep the night before.

Yeasted Sweet Potato Pancakes 

This recipe is a comforting standby for Minnesota TV host and author Andrew Zimmern. The onion-infused pan gravy is begging for mashed potatoes.

Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy 

This is one of Chicago chef John Shields’ favorite kitchen secrets, a simple condiment you can keep on hand to amp up meat, vegetables, eggs—or, yes, even Yeasted Sweet Potato Pancakes.

Chile-Garlic Topping 

Minnesota TV personality and author Andrew Zimmern's version of a Jewish deli staple is the perfect antidote to a cold winter night.

Matzo Ball Soup

An unusual buttermilk marinade lends moisture and flavor to Chicago chef John Shields' roast lamb. Garnished with fresh herbs, it’s ideal for early spring celebrations.

Roast Lamb with Buttermilk, Maple and Herbs 

According to Minnesota TV host and food writer Andrew Zimmern, a good homemade stock is an essential building block of cooking that can transform the flavor of a dish.

AZ's Ultimate Chicken Stock 

Avocado gives some creamy body to TV host and author Andrew Zimmern's version of fresh salsa verde. Though tasty with chips, it's especially good on tacos for cutting the richness of fattier meats like pork carnitas.

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa 

Created by Roger Landes, a former bartender at The Loyalist in Chicago, this hot toddy is sweet and lightly herbal, thanks to the Italian liqueur Strega.

Brown Dog

Chicago pastry chef Karen Urie Shields' sandwich cookies are a labor of love (and a bit pricey) but really unusual and delicious for a treat.

Toasted Corn Grit Sandies with Maple Cream