Easy

Crunchy, toasty coconut chips transform a simple loaf cake.

Yes, you could serve these crepes before they've been caramelized in sugar, but why deprive yourself?

Affordable leg of lamb is a great way to break out of the usual beef-chicken-pork rut, especially when used in a quick-cooking but complex-tasting dish like this.

This recipe is a two-step process, but nothing about it is difficult. Start by cooking the beef the day before (if you also want to have it for dinner that night, just double the recipe). It's chilled overnight, becoming even more flavorful. The next day, shred the cooked corned beef and throw the hash together, then bask in your accomplishment.

Done well, this should be crunchy, fresh, spicy, sour, and a little bit funky. Taste as you go and adjust as needed.

A favorite, try this versatile crunchy peanut mixture with braised-chicken-thigh lettuce wraps.

This fiery Korean stew is my weekend detox. It's spicy, clean, and capable of reversing any damage the previous night may have caused.

Prepared curry paste speeds up this nuanced dish.

Serve this over a bed of soft polenta for catching the juices, with a simply dressed salad on the side.

We like to serve this main with couscous, rice, or grilled bread to sop up all of the shrimp's intensely flavored cooking liquid.

Some parsnips can have a woody core, which you'll want to cut away before cooking.

This hits all the notes of a great slaw: creamy, tangy, and crunchy.

This versatile oil is a great way to bring heat to just about any dish.

An unfloured surface provides some traction, so it's easy to roll the dough very thin.

If you can't find freekeh, use another whole grain, like spelt or rye berries.

Why have plain white rice when you can have taco rice instead? Taco rice slices, it dices, it juliennes... okay, maybe not, but it does have many different uses. Eat it as a side dish, stuff it into a burrito, use it as a base for a bean-and-rice bowl, or use it as a base for a casserole, like in my Southwest Veggie & Rice Casserole . Taco rice doesn't take much more time than cooking regular white rice, but has so much more to brag about.

I'm probably not supposed to play favorites, but this recipe is definitely my favorite. Pad thai is the epitome of simple ingredients creating dazzling flavor. It's fresh, light, exotic, and faster than any takeout (unless, of course, you happen to live above a restaurant that delivers). Fresh lime is key to creating the unique flavor, but one lime should be enough for a single or even double batch of this noodle dish. Fish sauce, which you can find in the Asian section of most major grocery stores or at Asian markets, gives this pasta a more authentic flavor, but if you can't find any, skip it; this dish will still rock your world.

I could eat a simple bowl of rice, black beans, salsa, and cheddar cheese any day, but this recipe takes that concept to the next level. Taco Rice gives this casserole an ultra-flavorful base to build upon and a mélange of vegetables provides more texture and flavor than you can shake a maraca at. A little cheddar cheese thrown on top is like icing on the cake to this yummy Southwest casserole. So come on, get your veggie on!