Mary's Ways to Impress Without the Stress
With Mary’s step-by-step guidance, even beginner cooks can feel confident in the kitchen.
Episodes
See Episode GuideWhen Life Gives You Lemons
In Mary Berg's world, when life gives you lemons, you put them in everything! Lemons are her absolute main squeeze in the kitchen, and she can never get enough. Using her all-time favorite ingredient as the star, Mary starts with sweets by baking Lemon Raspberry Loaf topped with a bright pink glaze, sure to satisfy her inner old lady at tea time. Moving on to mains, Mary whips up Lemon Parmesan Chicken that's fancy enough for guests but quick enough for any night of the week. Then, she shows off a zesty take on carbonara: Creamy Lemon Crab Pasta with a nutty sesame topping. To finish it off, she obviously has to make Lemonade infused with seasonal berries and fresh mint.
Life is a Fryway
Mary Berg is road trip ready with recipes that are snackable, packable and won't make a mess of your car. She feels like a queen with a Trio of Tea Sandwiches, including Curried Turkey and Apple, Herby Radish and Butter, and Smoked Salmon with Creamy Feta. Then, her Go-To Pasta Salad is always a must with quick-pickled onions, store-bought pesto and jarred tuna. Finally, Mary rounds out her "snackle box" with Edamame Dip, home-baked tortilla chips and Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars.
Scrap Cooking
Reducing food waste is great for the planet and your wallet, and a lot of compost castoffs are still full of flavor! Mary Berg shows how to use corn cobs and Parmesan rinds to make Parmesan Corn Chowder. Then, potato peels find new life as a crispy topping on Mary's epic Twice Baked Potato Casserole, and oat milk pulp finds new purpose in fiber-filled, flavorful Cinnamon Oat Pancakes. Finally, Mary shows there's no end to the ways you can use dried citrus peels.
Relay Smart Cooking
Mary Berg works smarter, not harder with some kitchen relay meal prep that starts with a Tex-Mex Chicken skillet. While that one-pot meal is cooking, she throws some squash in the oven for her Pumpkin Walnut Cannelloni. This prep pulls double duty in pre-baking the components of her Seared Sausages with Veg and Polenta. The final stop in the kitchen relay combines all the remaining bits from the last three meals into a Leftover Sausage and Chicken Soup.
Batch Made in Heaven
Mary Berg fills up the freezer with batch-made meals for her and her friends. Her Go-To Tomato Sauce freezes beautifully, making it a must-have store 'n serve solution to throw together a meal, like Veggie Cabbage Rolls! These have a mushroom and rice filling with walnuts and fresh herbs. Speaking of rolls, Lasagna Roll Ups are pre-proportioned pasta perfection, made with pesto, spinach and ricotta filling and ground beef. Nothing brings comfort like chili, and Mary's Green Chili brings a new smoky spin on a freezer staple, using ground turkey, charred peppers and green salsa. Everything is ready to heat and serve in a jiff!
Throwback Desserts
Mary Berg makes desserts that stand the test of time and have a nod to nostalgia in every bite. She combines bananas and toffee for a Banoffee Pie that's piled high with whipped cream before layering a no-bake Neapolitan Icebox Cake with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Then, her deceptively simple Pineapple Upside-Down Cake decorates itself, and Mary remembers a recipe from her high school cooking class that's still an A+, Classic Custard Fruit Tart.
Livin' on the Veg
Vegetarian cooking can be so much more than just a bowl of greens. Mary Berg celebrates the veggie life by making Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with crumbled tofu and topped with a homemade smoky enchilada sauce and queso fresco cheese. Protein-packed Chickpea Socca is the perfect vehicle for a dairy-free green goddess dressing full of fresh herbs, and a Salad Topper includes toasted nuts and seeds, dried cranberries, and crispy fried wonton strips. Mary's Veggie Pakoras are made with chickpea flour, garam masala spice and whatever veggies and legumes you've got in the crisper.
Tastes of Tuscany
Memories of food are Mary Berg's favorite travel souvenir, and she commemorates a recent trip to Italy with tasty dishes inspired by Florence and Tuscany. Sweets are a must in every cuisine, so she makes Apple Raspberry Crostata -- a zesty, crisp apple-filled tart with rich short crust. For the main dishes, there's cheesy Mushroom Crespelle and a Reverse Sear Steak that pays homage to the Florentine variety. To jazz up any snack or salad, Mary shares her new favorite condiment: Pickled and Preserved Onions with toasted pine nuts and raisins.
