The year was 2012, a time when not everyone—and their pet—had a blog. But Erin Clarke, new to Madison, Wisconsin and with a law student husband who was spending all his time studying, needed something to do and so decided to write one. Two years and a name change later, Clarke’s blog, WellPlated.com, was so successful that she quit her day job and devoted all her time to writing. In 2020, her first cookbook, The Well Plated Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes You’ll Want to Eat was released, selling over 130,000 copies. Fast forward.
She now has, if you’re into social media numbers like I am, 440,000 Instagram followers, 562,000 followers on Facebook, 37.2 K on YouTube, and her followers’ number (as of this week) 410, 200 on Pinterest. And now her latest cookbook, Well Plated Everyday: Recipes for Easier, Healthier, More Exciting Everyday Meals (Avery 2024), has just recently been released.
She didn’t think it was going to happen.
“When I finished my first cookbook, it was like never again, I gave every good idea I had,” Clarke told me in a phone interview recently.
But ideas are never in short supply for Clarke who is so incessantly enthusiastic about all aspects of food that she jots her culinary thoughts whenever, including when dining in restaurants and in bed at night.
“I won’t go to sleep if I have an idea without writing it down,” she says. “And so, as time went on, a theme emerged about how much I enjoy cooking for people, and I became really hooked on the idea of creating recipes inspiring enough for days when you don’t feel like cooking and that are simple enough to make weeknight cooking exciting.”
She also wanted to ensure they were healthy, having long outgrown such fav food groups as Pop Tarts.
Describing herself as obsessed with food, Clarke says she’s extremely passionate about her recipes as well including those in her new book such as Sheet Pan Honey Orange Pistachio Salmon, Pumpkin Gingerbread Squares, and Creamy Harvest Chicken Pasta.
“I stand behind all of my recipes,” says Clarke who divides her time between Park City, Utah and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I never put anything on my blog and certainly not in a cookbook that I don’t absolutely love. I like recipes made of nutritious and healthy ingredients that don’t require a trip to a specialty grocery store and that preferably can be ready in under an hour or even better in 45 minutes.”
Clarke’s love of cooking started early with two grandmothers who spend time in the kitchen with her, teaching her the exact way to measure and sift when it came to baking and such dishes as her ham casserole (thank you Grandmother Dorothy) and the green chili chicken enchiladas her Grandmother Sondra made for Christmas dinner every year.
There are other culinary influences as well—Ina Garten, Dorie Greenspan, and Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.
When I ask if there’s anything else she’d like readers to know, Clarke is quick to respond about her goal for both of her cookbooks.
“I just hope that they become the most splattered and dirty and well used books in people’s kitchens,” she says. “Good cookbook should not stay in pristine shape and so though my new book is gorgeous, I hope people just use the heck out of it and that its appearance reflects that love. The messier the better.”
The following recipes and photos are courtesy of Erin Clarke’s new cookbook Well Plated Every Day: Recipes for Easier, Healthier, More Exciting Daily Meals.
Kind-of Cobb Salad
Serves 4 to 5
Total time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11/4 pounds)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus additional to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
- 1/3 cup raw pecan halves
- 2 small-medium sweet potatoes (about 11/4 pounds), scrubbed and 3/4 inch diced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, or diced tomatoes of choice
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped into bite- size pieces (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)
- 2 ounces goat cheese, or blue cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish or baking sheet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pat the chicken dry, then place in the baking dish and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Toast the pecans: Spread the pecans onto an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and toasted, stirring once halfway through. Roughly chop and set aside.
Roast the sweet potatoes: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the sweet potatoes in the center. Top with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat evenly, then spread into a single layer. Bake on either rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside, turning once halfway through. Set aside.
Hard-boil the eggs: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a gentle boil. With a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Let the eggs simmer at this low, gentle boil for 8 minutes for slightly jammy yolks (or up to 9 minutes for fully set yolks). In the meantime, prepare a large ice bath. Use the slotted spoon to carefully transfer the boiled eggs into the ice bath. With the back of a spoon, gently crack each shell, then return the eggs to the water (this makes the eggs easier to peel). Peel and halve or thinly slice.
Once the chicken has rested 20 minutes, drizzle the top of it with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and rub to coat. Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the chicken reaches 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest uncovered for at least 5 minutes (the chicken’s temperature will continue to rise as it rests). Dice.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Shortly before serving, slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the avocado into 3/4-inch dice.
Assemble the salad: On a very large serving platter, place the romaine and arugula. Drizzle lightly with some of the dressing, then toss to moisten and combine the greens evenly. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Arrange the diced chicken down the center in a straight line. In rows, line egg slices on one side and sweet potatoes on the other. Place the avocado next to the sweet potato and the tomatoes next to the eggs. Sprinkle the goat cheese and pecans all over the top.
Spoon on a little more dressing. Enjoy immediately, with additional dressing as desired. (You also can skip the fancy presentation—toss everything together in a giant bowl and have at it.)
Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
Yield: Serves 4
For the Cabbage
- 1 small head savoy cabbage or green cabbage
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Chicken
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¼ pounds)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a few additional pinches
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour or
- all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided, plus additional as needed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Prepare the cabbage: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 450°F. Cut the cabbage into eight wedges: First, cut it in half lengthwise through the stem. Then lay each half flat on the cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Finally, halve each quarter lengthwise. For easy cleanup, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cabbage in a single layer on top and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Flip the cabbage over.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the honey. Brush liberally over the tops and sides of the cabbage, then drizzle any remaining over the tops. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the cabbage for 20 minutes, then flip with a spatula and continue roasting until the cabbage is tender and the edges are dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Don’t worry if some of the edge pieces are super dark; they’re the yummiest parts. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: Split each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin cutlets. As you cut, carefully lay your hand on top and feel to make sure you are splitting it fairly evenly. Working one at a time, place a cutlet in a large zip-top bag or cover with plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the base of a skillet, lightly pound out the chicken until it is super thin – about ⅛ inch. Proceed slowly and gently to ensure you do not tear the meat. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt.
Set up your dredging stations: In a wide, shallow dish (a pie dish works well), place the flour. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish, then combine the bread crumbs and cayenne in a third. With tongs, grab one end of a chicken cutlet and dip the cutlet in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs, coating both sides and shaking off any excess as you go. Dip just one cutlet at a time and handle the meat as little as possible to keep it tender. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and keep it near the stove. Return the cabbage to the oven to keep it warm.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and swirl it to melt. Working away from yourself, carefully lower two cutlets into the skillet, ensuring that they have some space between them (if the pan is crowded, cook them one at a time or they will be more dense). Cook on the first side until golden, about 3 minutes, then add another 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Flip and cook on the other side until it is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of additional salt, and place in the oven to keep warm.
Add another 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter just before flipping. Serve with the caramelized cabbage and lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon all over the chicken and cabbage, and season with additional salt to taste.
A version of this story previously appeared in the Northwest Indiana Times.
