Vegetarian

Adding olive oil to this hot sauce recipe lends it body and mellows some of the heat.

Look for Castelvetrano olives for this salad recipe; their buttery flesh and mild flavor will convert the most olive-averse.

This tahini dressing recipe goes especially well with bitter greens but can also be paired with sweeter lettuces such as Little Gem or romaine.

This is how vegetables can crisp and caramelize, and not slowly steam and turn to mush.

Lil' Deb's Oasis's take on Peruvian "tiger's milk" features the energizing combo of fresh citrus juice, ginger, and turmeric.

To test boiled potatoes for doneness, use a skewer or the tines of a fork rather than the tip of a knife so you know they’re truly tender (a knife slides through the flesh way too easily). To test boiled eggs for doneness—wait, you can’t! Just make sure the eggs are room temperature when you drop them in the water (otherwise they’re prone to cracking), set a timer right away, and have an ice bath at the ready.

If you want yours soft in the middle, shave a minute or two off the cooking time. 

Think of this as a salad sandwiched between two slices of bread.

Feel free to use store-bought jelly, and avoid the temptation to add oil to the pecans when pulsing. They have plenty of natural fat if you just blitz them long enough.

Dick Gregory, who passed away in August, spent his career advocating for the state—and the plate—of Black America

Choose the largest head of cauliflower you can find. When you cut into it, keep in mind that the two center pieces will stay together, but the two end pieces may fall apart into florets and that’s okay—you should still grill those too! This recipe also easily doubles if you want four solid cauliflower steaks.

This is a perfect recipe to make when you have bought too many tomatoes at the market and they are starting to show their age.

Double the recipe. Triple the recipe. Quadruple the recipe. Whatever. It doesn’t even matter. However many cashews you make, it will never be enough.

The sesame balls will float to the surface before they’re done frying. Use a spider or a slotted spoon to keep them submerged until they’re golden brown and puffed up. This recipe is from Mister Jiu's in San Francisco, CA.

Never have button mushrooms been more delicious than in this veg-packed spicy dip recipe, also ideal as a sandwich spread or finisher for simply prepared vegetables. This recipe is from Palizzi Social Club in Philadelphia, PA.

It takes a little while to griddle all the slices, but it’ll add a lot of richness and flavor. You can do all of the other components ahead of time. 

Quickly boiling the agave thickens it a bit; adding the strawberries while it’s still warm infuses the syrup with flavor and a pretty pink color. Blackberries or pitted cherries can be substituted if you wish!

This makes an extra quart of cooked beans. Save (or freeze) for another batch of escarole, or serve them simply warmed in their broth. 

Potatoes can take a lot of salt. Even though they’re cooked in seasoned liquid, they might need a little more when you toss the dish together.

Using frozen puff pastry is the shortcut that makes this tart a new summer weeknight favorite recipe.

If you have a perfectly ripe melon—great! If you don’t, no worries. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat here will give life to lackluster specimens.

Remember: If the shells are perfectly cooked in the first step, they’ll be mushy and flabby after baking. This recipe is from Palizzi Social Club in Philadelphia, PA.

The dressing has virtually no oil in it, balancing acidity with the sweetness of apple juice and fattiness of the cheese and nuts. This recipe is from Flora Bar in NYC—a sleeper hit of the menu.

Plums have a sweet but brightly acidic flavor, which suits them well as a topping for this savory porridge.