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Excerpted from Everything Delish: 100+ Simple Recipes for Making What You Want to Eat--and Nailing It Every Time by Jamie Milne. Copyright © 2026 by Jamie Milne. Published by Penguin, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Caprese Pasta Salad
You know when you start dreaming about the summer and doing things like hanging out in a friend’s backyard with a glass of rosé and a spread of effortlessly polished dishes made with the season’s freshest ingredients? This is that dish! And to serve it— especially at barbecues, picnics, and other summer gatherings— is to live the warm-weather entertaining dream.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- Kosher salt as needed
- 1 pound dried pasta of choice (I used rigatoni)
For the Honey Balsamic Dressing:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Serving:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups mini mozzarella cheese (such as bocconcini or ciliegine), torn into pieces
- 1 cup packed baby spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add a generous pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: In a jar with a fitted lid, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, and Dijon with a pinch of salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Seal the jar and shake well until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
- Serve: In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the tomatoes, mozzarella, spinach, and basil. Pour the dressing over the top (I like using all of it) and gently toss to coat. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze, season with the salt and a couple cracks of pepper, and serve.
Bubbie Ruth’s Cabbage Roll
My Bubbie Ruth is one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to food. She was always hosting meals at her house, and it didn’t matter whether she’d known you her whole life or for five minutes, when you walked in, you were family—and you were fed. There would be a million different chocolate-covered treats in bowls, dishes of roasted peppers and jams, and plates upon plates of food. One of my favorite recipes of hers was this meat-and-rice-stuffed cabbage dish, which she grew up making with her mom. From the time I was seven, I was requesting that she make it for me. I loved—and still do—how buttery the cabbage gets from cooking low and slow for hours in a sweet, tomatoey sauce. My favorite way to eat this dish is to sop it all up with a big hunk of challah! To have a serving is to know a bubbie’s love.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 (28- ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large white onion, halved
For the Cabbage and Filling:
- 1 large head of cabbage (make sure it’s nice and firm)
- 1 pound lean (80/20) ground beef
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the sauce: In a large pot, stir together the crushed tomatoes, stock, brown sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the onion halves and 1 cup water, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until it tastes delish, about 1 hour.
- Prep the cabbage: Peel off any damaged or wilted outer leaves of the cabbage. Then place the cabbage on a cutting board, stem side up. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut a cone-shaped incision around the core, cutting deep enough so that you can remove the entire core. Gently pull out the core and discard.
- Make the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium- high heat. Add the cabbage and boil until the outer layers are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cabbage from the pot and allow it to cool just enough so you can handle it comfortably. Peel off the soft leaves from the tougher inner leaves and set aside. Return the center of the cabbage to the pot and boil until soft, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cabbage and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, egg, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until thoroughly combined.
- Assemble the rolls: Lay one cabbage leaf on a cutting board or clean work surface. Scoop a handful of the filling mixture into your palm and gently roll into a log. Place the filling at the bottom of the cabbage leaf, then tightly roll the cabbage over the filling. Repeat until you’ve used all the filling.
- When the sauce is done simmering, carefully nestle the rolls into the pot so they are all submerged. Cover and cook until the cabbage is buttery soft and the filling is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove the onion from the sauce and discard or freeze to use at a later date for veggie broth.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Ladle a layer of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the rolls in a single layer in the dish, then pour any remaining sauce from the pot over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Gently flip the rolls and bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the cabbage leaves are tender and easily pierced with a fork or knife. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Spoon them over rice or enjoy with a nice bowl of chicken soup.
Five- Layer Mediterranean Dip
If you’ve ever been to a potluck of any sort, then you are likely well versed in the beloved Mexican-inspired seven-layer dip. It’s classic, it’s perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing, Although, I was inspired to imagine it as a Mediterranean mash-up. Think all your favorite Med charcuterie board fixtures like tzatziki, olives, cucumbers, sumac-dusted tomatoes, feta, and toasted pine nuts layered up and ready to be scooped with your favorite dippers.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Tzatziki Base:
- 1 large English cucumber
- 2 cups plain 2% Greek yogurt or your favorite nondairy yogurt
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Layers:
- 3 medium Roma tomatoes, quartered and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup black olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (preferably in brine)
- 1/2 large English cucumber, chopped
- 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
- Juice of 1/2 small lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
For the Herby Oil:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Serving:
- Sesame-Crusted Pita Chips (recipe below), crackers, toasted baguette slices, or sliced raw veggies.
Directions
- Make the tzatziki base: Grate the cucumber on the largest holes of a box grater. Use a cheesecloth or your hands to squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil, mint, dill, lemon zest and juice, garlic, a pinch of salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. Fold in the cucumber and set aside.
- Make the layers: In a small bowl, toss together the tomatoes, sumac, 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the olives, basil, remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, and a couple cracks of pepper. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, toss together the feta, cucumber, onion, dill, lemon juice, and a couple cracks of pepper. Set aside.
- Add the pine nuts to a small saucepan and toast over medium-low heat until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the herby oil: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, basil, parsley, dill, and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the dish: Use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the tzatziki over the bottom of a medium shallow serving dish.
- Layer the tomatoes over the top, followed by the olive tapenade and lemony feta. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top.
- Finish with the herby oil and a couple cracks of pepper. Serve with your dippers of choice.
EVERYTHING YOU WANT SWAPS
• Swap Whipped Ricotta, Lemony White Bean Dip, or THE Schmear for the tzatziki base.
• Make this dairy- free by using nondairy yogurt and nondairy feta.
• For a pretty presentation, serve in a tall clear container so your guests can see all the layers.
• Make it a salad by heaping this dip over some greens, such as arugula.
Sesame-Crusted Pita Chips
Ever since I started toasting pitas to make my own chips at home, I’ve never gone back to store-bought. It’s super quick and easy, a great way to use up less-than-fresh pitas, and the perfect opportunity to coat them in roasty, nutty sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 pitas
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 × 13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the prepared pan with the sesame seeds, drizzle with the oil, and give a little stir to combine.
- Cut each pita into 8 triangles, then toss the pita pieces in the sesame seed mixture along with a pinch of salt and a couple cracks of pepper until well coated. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely before serving.
- Store the fully cooled chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
EVERYTHING YOU WANT SWAPS
• Try these with different toppings: za’atar and olive oil, parmesan and thyme, harissa and honey, or, for something sweet, cinnamon and sugar.
• If your chips soften over time, you can crisp them up in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Blueberry and Rosemary Spritz
This fruit-herb pairing is for chillier seasons. Blueberry lends subtle sweetness, while the rosemary brings its signature piney, wintery scent that makes me think about sitting by a fireplace or gathering around the table for the holidays. It’s also a pretty presentation that would be a lovely addition to any special-occasion table.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup fresh blackberries
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling wine
- 16 ounces soda water
- 1½ cups ice
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
Directions
- In a blender, combine the blueberries, ¼ cup of the blackberries, and the vodka and blend until smooth. Add the mixture to a 10-cup pitcher, then gently stir in 20 ounces of the sparkling wine (save the remainder for chef’s treat), the soda water, ice, remaining ¼ cup blackberries, and rosemary sprigs.
- Divide the cocktails among stemmed glasses and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
EVERYTHING YOU WANT SWAPS
• If you don’t have sparkling wine, you can use your favorite fruity white wine.
• Turn this into a mocktail by swapping 2 cups of ginger beer and 2 ounces of alcohol-free sparkling or flat white wine for the sparkling wine and vodka.