Make Ahead

Complete your Super Bowl snacking lineup with this addictive five-cheese version of the classic Southern spread.

These cumin-spiced chicken thighs and roasted potatoes are balanced by a zippy, jalapeño-spiked alternative to coleslaw.

A whole chicken, poached in a ginger and anise–scented soy broth, is a popular dish served at Chinese New Year celebrations.

Onions, garlic, cabbage, and tomatoes melt into a thick rich blanket of sweet richness for these hearty baked beans.

Rich with nutty tahini, savory miso, and plenty ginger and garlic, this comforting vegetarian soup is just what the doctor ordered for a chilly weeknight.

I love the classic combination of beef, potato, and carrot cooked in a saucy, slightly sweet curry and ladled next to white rice. You can use whatever meat and vegetables you want, but for me, curry has two unbreakable rules: First, make sure that meat is nice and fatty. Second, embrace the premade blocks of Japanese curry roux. Curry is not health food, but neither are the deep-fried pork cutlets called tonkatsu, and I’m not planning to give those up either, no matter what my wife says!

Packed with a creamy cashew spread and plenty of hearty mushrooms, this rich, vegan dish will win over even the most passionate meat eaters.

Loaded potato soup served up with shredded cheese, chives, and bacon is very much a representation of my fused German, Scandinavian, British, and Irish family ancestry. I wanted to make this a new family tradition, with a Japanese spin utilizing purple potatoes, that I could enjoy tummy ache–free. Blending antioxidant-rich purple sweet potatoes with coconut milk makes this soup creamy, rich, and tasty without adding tons of extra fat, sugar, or heavy cream. The roasted salty mushrooms are a perfect replacement for bacon—drizzled with some olive oil, this combination makes for one satisfying soup.

The zest of a lemon or other citrus fruit is the outermost, colored skin that contains flavorful oils. Use a grater to take off just the colored part, not the white pith. Thoroughly washed organic oranges, lemons, or limes should be used for zesting. Dried, grated orange or lemon zest is also available in the spice section of most stores.

Chickpeas are the basis for this savory Italian stew, which gets an extra kick from a spoonful of intensely flavored pesto at serving time.

Don’t just reserve black-eyed peas for New Year’s luck. The combination of sweet, smoky and hot and the freshness of the greens is delicious any time of the year.

You’ll never miss the beans with this “stick to your ribs,” paleo, grass-fed ground beef–and–sausage version of the hearty Southwestern stew.

Pressure-cooked carnitas take a lesser cut of meat and turns it into the most delicious savory shredded pork, perfect for rolling up in a homemade, grain-free tortilla!

Served this quick dinner recipe on buns, like barbecue; or like soft tacos—on flour tortillas topped with sour cream and pico de gallo.

Ancho chile powder adds a remarkable smokiness to this dish, while the cilantro beautifully brightens it up. Choose the best-quality short ribs you can find. It makes a nice difference in flavor and fat content.

Many people enjoy chicken pho with a side of this zippy sauce. They dip the flesh into the sauce as they eat the soup. The fresh ginger bite adds a last-minute layer of flavor that some find to be scintillating while others find to be distracting. Try it out and judge for yourself.

These tacos are a delicious and clever use of "nextovers" (what we call leftovers transformed into a new dish the next day).

You get great flavors in this Cajun dish from the spices. Be sure to smash some of the cooked beans to thicken up your stew. Serve over brown rice, quinoa or sorghum for a change of pace.

This cultured coconut milk yogurt is lightly sweetened and perfectly topped with grain-free granola!

These warmly spiced lamb meatballs are so juicy, light, and flavorful—not to mention easy—they'll be rocking your party world this holiday season.