Weeknight Meals

It makes a great side dish, but this salad is even better as a pizza topping. Brush the with olive oil, sprinkle it with sea salt and shredded mozzarella, then bake. When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the salad.

Saffron gives the couscous a gorgeous yellow color.

Peeling spring's fleeting fresh fava beans takes some time, but the results are well worth the effort. You can blanch and peel the beans a day ahead.

Spread the pesto over the dough , then add toppings. Roasted asparagus, well-drained cooked spinach, and crumbled feta would be delicious.

Gremolata is usually made with parsley, garlic, and lemon peel. Here, shallot replaces garlic, and tarragon and orange peel are added.

Tender baby artichokes add richness to the potato hash. Aleppo pepper, from northern Syria, gives a sweet, earthy flavor to the steak and its accompanying aioli. Look for it at specialty foods stores and online at wholespice.com. If you can't find it, substitute 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder.

The easiest way to crack the coriander seeds is to put them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and pass over them with a rolling pin. For a great sandwich, split a biscuit and fill it with sliced ham or smoked salmon.

Double this recipe if you want leftovers for rice bowls.

An Italian tomato-based sauce for steak, pizzaiola gets amped up with fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. Serve this dish over soft polenta.

This recipe is as delicious for lunch or supper as it is for breakfast. Morel mushrooms tend to trap grit, so swish them around in cool water, transfer them to fresh water for a 15-minute soak, and pat dry before using.

A lovely taste of spring.

Sweet sausage will workin this springtime risotto, too; the final result just won't taste spicy.

Marinate the chicken overnight, then pop it into the oven the next day.

Crunchy toasted almonds make crisp snow peas even more fun to eat.

The pasta cooking liquid helps turn the cheese, cream, and sautéed vegetables into an incredible sauce.

Ramps stand in for both basil and garlic in this new spin on pesto.

Matzo brei is a Jewish dish made from eggs scrambled with matzo that is traditionally served for breakfast. This version has a few Mexican twists.

You'll often see a Western-style salad on the menu at a restaurant in South Korea—in all likelihood, a result of the American presence there since World War II. Romaine retains a nice crunch, even after marinating in a hot dressing. Like the cucumber apple pickle , this dish adds a welcome splash of green to the table.

This gently simmered tofu topped with a stir-together sauce is a common banchan. It would also make a great vegetarian main course served with rice. The sauce—speckled with chopped garlic, scallion, sesame seeds, and Korean hot red-pepper flakes—couldn't be simpler or more satisfying. You will want to eat it on everything.