Tuesday was a big day in the hearts of home cooks everywhere: It's the day Martha Stewart turned 80!
Since the '70s, she has gifted the world with her reliable recipes, genius cooking hacks (see: mayo on grilled cheese, scrambled eggs using a cappuccino maker and vinaigrette using a nearly empty mustard jar) creative decorating hacks and overall domestic dominance.
In honor of the Martha Stewart Living founder, TODAY Food is celebrating Stewart in the best way we could think of — with her own decadent dishes. After more than 40 years of cooking on TODAY, there's plenty to choose from.
Toast to Stewart with these drinks
"Iced tea with orange and lemon slices is one of my favorite summer drinks," said Stewart. "It's refreshingly citrusy and so invigorating."
Green juice drenches your body in plant nutrients, and the benefits are endless: Stewart said it helps with glowing skin, increased energy and strengthening the immune system.
When Stewart is feeling run down, she starts her morning with this tea. Ginger is known for its many health benefits, plus it helps soothes sore throats, strengthens immunity and, perhaps most importantly, relieves stress.
This fizzy alcohol-free spritzer is slightly bitter, a touch sweet and perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.
Nothing warms you from the inside out quite like a cup of rich, creamy hot cocoa on a chilly day. This perfectly chocolaty recipe is one of Stewart's favorites.
Appetizers and sides for a special celebration
Other greens work well in this recipe, too: spinach, mustard greens, Swiss chard, collards, beet greens and turnip greens each contribute their distinctive flavor, all with slightly different results.
To avoid a watery salad, the cucumber should be added to this fresh slaw right before serving. Peel, seed and cut them, then keep them in a separate container until ready to serve. The result is a refreshingly tangy, not-too-heavy coleslaw.
It doesn't get any easier than this! Prep Stewart's insanely tasty, three-ingredient blistered Padrón peppers with sea salt as an appetizer, hors d'oeuvres, side dish or snack.
This delicious recipe for mashed potatoes enriched with cream cheese was passed down to her by her mother — and now, Stewart is passing it onto us.
Grown-ups and kids alike will love this spin on the traditional ranch dip. Use it for crudité, crunchy chips or as a spread on sandwiches. Thin it with a little water and it also dresses a salad.
Who's up for a birthday brunch?
Lemon zest and brandy bring this thick French toast major brightness. Drenching the bread in egg batter and rotating it in the pan creates a tender yet crisp texture, which holds up when you keep finished batches in a warmed oven.
Despite their name, Stewart said, soft-boiled eggs shouldn't be boiled throughout the cooking process. Rather, bring them to a boil and then immediately remove from heat. This cooks the eggs more gently, resulting in a perfectly soft (never rubbery!) egg.
Make the most of late summer squash and tomatoes with Stewart's savory tart. It's the perfect brunch dish but can be enjoyed during any meal of the day.
Salmon is a wonderful fish to cook on the grill because it is less delicate than other varieties and won't fall apart. Pair the grilled fish with sweet snap peas and hearty potatoes for a healthy and satiating salad that doesn't feel redundant.
Do it up for dinner
It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to indulge in a gorgeous roast turkey. This recipe yields a plump and regal bird, with crisp, golden-brown skin and an aroma to match.
A flavorful marinade infuses these Korean-style short ribs with an irresistible blend of sweet and sour flavors. Serving the tender meat in crisp lettuce cups with crunchy veggies ensures that every bite is satisfying and delicious.
It's a clambake that can be done on the stove any night of the week! Adding the ingredients in the right order is the secret to this recipe's success; the ones that take longest to cook go in first. The optional layer of seaweed (available from most fishmongers) imparts a salty ocean essence and keeps the potatoes off the bottom of the pot.
There are plenty of stories about how the sloppy Joe got its name — from a Cuban bar, from a diner in Sioux City, Iowa. Stewart's version of the all-American favorite dispenses with the usual ketchup or chile sauce in favor of crushed tomatoes, chile powder and maple syrup. Just don't forget the napkins.
"I love this grilled chicken recipe because it is simple to prepare, cook and serve," said Stewart. "The herbaceous and full-flavored dressing really brightens up the dish."
Stewart's absolute ideal sandwich is a simple but decadent combo of Iberian ham, mozzarella and her "secret sauce": red pepper mayo. We call it "The Martha."
Of all the different stocks Stewart has made in the pressure cooker, ham stock was the most surprising — in a delightful way. It's hugely versatile, and she especially loved it as the base for this earthy mushroom ramen with scallions, zesty lime and bitter greens.
You can't go wrong with this classic version of Buffalo chicken wings. They're a crowd-pleasing dish for any get-together and especially great for a party.
Stewart certainly knows her way around a kitchen gadget, and she truly masters this Southwestern stew made effortlessly in the slow cooker. It's perfect for cool nights or summer festivities with aside of cornbread or tortilla chips.
This summery sandwich is best served immediately when the flaky white fish is hot from the fryer. Topped with Stewart's homemade tartar sauce, it'll be the star of any fish fry.
Ward off vampires but welcome guests with this 20 cloves of garlic chicken. A riff on the French bistro classic, Stewart actually cut the garlic in half (yes, the 6- to 8-person dinner typically calls for 40!). But the slow cooker's ability to intensify flavor and moisture perfects the chicken's lemony, garlic profile for a bright, elegant dish.
Many slow-cooker recipes with similar names simply call for a bottle of barbecue sauce tossed with chicken pieces. This recipe teaches you how easy it is to develop much better, fresher-tasting barbecue flavor from scratch, with just a few pantry staples.
Decadent desserts for the domestic diva
Truly, madly and deeply chocolate: Pools of rich salted caramel separate layers of chocolate cake, which are then swathed with dark chocolate frosting and sprinkled with flaky salt. This dessert is so irresistible, Stewart's neighbor, Richard Gere, asked her for the leftovers after seeing it on TODAY.
A wild streak runs through this dessert beneath a coating of rich chocolate frosting. Cut a slice and reveal zebra-like stripes of vanilla and chocolate cake. It’s a surprisingly easy trick to pull off — simply alternate spoonfuls of batter in the center of the pan and create concentric rings.
Adding Chinese five-spice powder to the filling may seem unorthodox in this classic fall pie, but two of its components (cinnamon and clove) can already be found in standard pumpkin-pie spice. The dramatic crust is delightfully easy to create and will please absolutely everybody.
Lemon and meringue make one of the all-time great culinary duos. Here, they’re whipped up into a light-as-air cake. A Swiss meringue frosting is piped on and then toasted for a golden hue, to highlight its sensuous curves.
Crunchy, chewy, savory and sweet, these addictive cookies satisfy every last corner of your palate. The butter pecans and salty chips really bring it all together in this unique treat.
These homemade cups taste just like the beloved classic confection. Velvety chocolate enrobes creamy peanut butter in a perfectly sized two-bite treat.
Extremely moist with sticky notes of the tropical season, this decadent and fruit-filled confection will be a repeats for anyone who's a fan of pineapple … or cake.
Horizontal slices of rich brownie cake make dramatic stripes in this striking frozen dessert, which features all the fixings of an old-fashioned sundae — and then some. Two kinds of ice cream — vanilla and strawberry — are used as the fillings, along with crunchy peanut butter and crushed raspberries.
Ditch old-fashioned oatmeal for another grain with these farro flour-based cookies loaded with chocolate chunks. They're crunchy, chewy and sweet — just the way a cookie should be.
Think of these beautiful cookies as mini blooming versions of the classic Linzer tart. They boast the same mouthwatering combination of buttery hazelnuts and fruity jam, just in a smaller package.
