Lunch

“Acid and texture are the most important things,” says chef Eli Kulp, High Street on Market, Philadelphia. His hearty vegetarian breakfast sandwich—with its mix of marinated mushrooms, soft eggs, melted cheese, and a buttery toasted roll—proves his point.

Keep summer going just a little bit longer: Serve these with a pile of steamed, buttered corn.

Looking for something quick, healthy, and vegetarian? Cue this soy-and-ginger-marinated tofu—no cooking required!

The key to this dish from Thai-Kun is not letting the noodles stick together. Keep them moving in the pot, drain very well after rinsing, and add the oil to coat right away. If you like, quickly grill a few slices of sirloin steak and toss them in at the end.

Says Del Posto pastry chef Brooks Headley of these crisp, buttery-sweet biscuits, “Serving them hot is all that matters.”

Zucchini may not be the most loved vegetable, but when shallow-fried into patties, even kids will go crazy for them.

Used in place of mayonnaise, yogurt brings tang and brightness to these crostini.

A version of this recipe helped chef Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.

Chef Ryan Pera, Coltivare Pizza & Garden, Houston, learned the art of arepas from his sister-in-law. Now, this recipe is his easy Sunday meal of choice, packed with leftovers or farm-fresh produce.

This recipe was created by reader Kim Smithers in our Chef Watson potato salad challenge.

This recipe will convince you that a savory breakfast can be a wonderful thing.

What’s better than cheese and crackers for lunch? Salami, too! Use whatever hard cheese and cured meats you prefer.

The pasta will continue to absorb the broth as it sits, so use a small noodle like ditalini, stars, or alphabet shapes.

This white chili recipe works well with ground chicken or turkey, too.

Leftovers are the key to packing lunches easily—and this recipe is perfect for that. Plus it freezes well, too; if you freeze in small portioned containers, all you have to do is reheat and go.

Try pouring the soup directly over the sliced sandwich for an irresistible cheesy bread soup.

Make a big batch of this crunchy oven-fried chicken on Sunday for easy packing during the week. A little grated cheese in the breadcrumbs is a welcome addition.

Use this boiled egg recipe to boil 'em in bulk at the beginning of the week. Make egg salad with the egg-stras!

The soup equivalent of dipping your bread into tomato sauce, this rustic dish is summer’s comfort food.

Hot weather and spicy foods just go together, but this speedy stovetop dish won’t heat up your kitchen.

The best blue cheese for this is salty but creamy, not too sharp or funky.

Park 121 makes its own zucchini pickles for these messy (in a good way) sandwiches.

The flesh immediately surround-ing the seeds is the most succulent part of any melon; if you haven’t tried eating the crunchy seeds before, hold on to your hat.

A super-juicy watermelon is key; it should feel heavy for its size and sound hollow when tapped.