Easy

Pretend you’re on the coast—and not your house in the dead of winter—with this bright and spicy aguachile.

A steamed-then-mashed sweet potato adds creamy sweetness and extra nutrients to this cozy oatmeal that can be easily customized to fit dietary preferences. 

Cabbage has emerged as the hero of weeknight pantry cooking. Inexpensive and infinitely versatile, with an impressively long shelf life, one head of cabbage goes a long way. In this recipe, half of a cabbage is bathed in a turmeric-accented coconut milk until it’s meltingly tender and sweet. 

Don’t be surprised if this creamy, coconutty vegan gratin outperforms some of the heavier traditional Thanksgiving sides. 

This one-pot recipe, which makes a holiday table centerpiece with leftovers you’ll be thankful for, is adapted from Sabrina Ghayour’s book Simply. Cooking a lean cut of meat like brisket for an extended period of time in a moist environment yields meat that is, in Sabrina’s words, “ridiculously juicy [and] tender, [with] plenty of flavor.”

Lara Lee’s meat-free version of the Laotian and Thai dish combines smoked tofu with pops of crunchy sesame seeds and a kick of lime dressing.

This is a “necessity is the mother of invention” kind of recipe, born from isolation, scant ingredients, an oversupply of kimchi, and sheer hunger. Yet this unconventional one-pot approach also happens to be one of the simplest ways to prepare mac and cheese. 

The ideal weeknight meal from Maneet Chauhan’s new cookbook Chaat. 

This weeknight pizza introduces the topping you didn’t know you were missing: creamed corn. Blitzing raw corn kernels with ricotta, Parmesan, heavy cream, and olive oil creates a quick and lush creamed-corn sauce. Spicy, salty, and smoky pepperoni complements the creamy sauce, while smoked mozzarella brings an even deeper dimension to the pizza (but regular mozzarella also works). Be sure to top the finished pizza with plenty of bright basil for a super-fresh hit. Although this recipe works best with fresh corn, thawed frozen corn is a fine substitute.

This sour-salty soup was made for using up sweet, late-season tomatoes.

Christina Chaey’s mushroom dashi can go with whatever vegetables and proteins you have in the fridge. It’s her favorite cold-weather meal.

Hibiscus is used in drinks throughout the African diaspora but most notably in Jamaica. Inspired by sorrel—a festive Caribbean punch—this sauce is sweet, tangy, earthy, and the perfect complement to the peppery profile of Jamaican jerk. Rum, allspice, and fresh ginger add a level of warmth and richness of flavor that is the signature of Caribbean cuisine. Serve with Jerk Turkey Sheperd’s Pie. 

Hetty McKinnon’s showstopping tater tot casserole is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española.

Bharta is a Bangladeshi style of seasoned meat or mashed vegetables usually served at room temperature alongside hot steamed rice.

Ginger and orange juice give this raita a holiday feel. Treat it like cranberry sauce–it goes with everything.

This refreshing drink Sohla El-Waylly often uses to break fast during Ramadan gives all kinds of holiday vibes.

Make this on a Monday and show Garfield what’s up.

Crunchy chicharrones are ideal for soaking up bright tomatillo salsa, taking on an ultimate crispy-gone-soggy chewy texture. 

This Persian stew of tomatoes and spiced eggplant is just the warming dish you need on a cool, fall night.

In the fall, crisp peak-season pears or apples are an undeniably delicious way to enjoy this refreshing fruit salad with a nutty Salvadoran seasoning.

Sprinkle this toasty, salty Salvadoran seasoning on everything from scrambled eggs to vanilla ice cream, or use it as the backbone of your next broth.

Crisp, peppery radishes take center stage in this fresh limey Salvadoran salsa.

These “like a thousand times fried” beans are a crucial part of a Salvadoran breakfast.