Simple Cooking

The secret to this version of potato salad is sweet pickle relish—not diced cucumbers, dill pickles, or cornichons.

Meet the chicken spiedie: chicken that tastes like it has been marinated in Italian dressing, skewered and grilled over charcoal, and put onto a soft, white bun with absolutely nothing else on it.

Gluten-free and literally packed with good things, a slice of this bread is a great way to get your daily dose of seeds and nuts.

We highly recommend finishing the pasta with finely grated Parmesan and some extra cracked black pepper—they’re great flavors with the creamy lemon sauce.

These energy bites not only hit the spot for something sweet, they’re also nutrient-dense and hit all your macros.

You can use ground turkey or chicken here, or swap in a vegetarian protein of your choice. 

Make a big batch of these bright orange waffles when you want to slow down and make a nice, hot breakfast—then freeze the leftovers to pop in the toaster on mornings that aren't so slow.

The Instant Pot’s sauté function is key here: the chicken thighs get crispy and browned before they finish cooking in a briny, lemony, garlicky stock.

Using a vanilla bean makes this creamy pudding extra special and aromatic. But if you don’t have one on hand, just stir 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the pudding along with the egg yolks. Although rice pudding is traditionally served cold, I also like this when it’s still warm and a little runny, poured over sliced strawberries and raspberries, which add both juiciness and acidity.

Based on a Middle Eastern mujaddara, a homey mix of spiced simmered lentils and rice, this easy, meatless dish is rich with allspice, cinnamon, and sweet browned leeks. The handful of baby spinach stirred in toward the end turns it into a one-pot meal, and adds a bit of welcome color, too. If you don’t have leeks, use an onion or two instead.

Layering and baking sautéed garlicky greens, beans, and Parmesan on top of make-ahead Parmesan Polenta creates a super fast, pantry-friendly weeknight dinner that’s sort of like a polenta pizza.

This highly riffable dinner salad features cubes of leftover polenta, tossed in Parmesan, and crisped in a skillet for croutons that are naturally gluten-free, delightfully crunchy on the outside, and warm and creamy on the inside.

Start by serving this big pot of polenta as a soft, creamy side dish when it is freshly made, then divide the rest into baking dishes to use later in the week as polenta croutons and polenta crust.

This salad evolved from my father’s favorite road-trip snack—carrot sticks with roasted almonds, lemon juice, and salt. I’ve punched it up with fresh ginger, lots of parsley, and dates.

This recipe from Salt & Straw takes sweet, rich strawberry ice cream up a notch—honey balsamic vinegar adds some tang and finely ground black pepper brings a little spice.

This is my adult version of cheesecake, full of togarashi. I use it a lot in savory recipes to add spice, but here it gives the cake a sharp, spicy note that helps balance the denseness.

This flavored salt takes its name from Russian monks who flavored blackened salt with herbs from the monastery gardens.

This revamped tuna noodle casserole is homey, bright, and pantry-friendly. You’ll toast dry pasta in oil until golden brown before cooking it in the tomato sauce.