Nut Free

Dark chocolate and espresso add the slightly bitter notes needed to balance this dessert. Remember, the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate.

Onions become meltingly soft and improbably delicious after dry roasting.

Tasty, and healthy, too: Coconut water is high in potassium and other electrolytes. And Flaxseeds are a good source of beneficial omega-3s.

Use mature flat-leaf spinach— the baby leaves lack flavor and texture.

This deeply savory tomato-based pasta sauce is flavored with garlic, red pepper flakes, and a mix of ground pork and hot (or sweet) Italian sausage. Use any short, tubular pasta you like.

For this dish, balsamic vinegar adds the sweetness needed to balance the sharp flavor of red wine vinegar.

Tarte Tatin meets gingerbread cake in this pretty upside-down dessert.

Bonus points for serving one huge stack and making your family get all Jenga on it for seconds.

This one-pan shrimp dinner is just the thing for a busy weeknight when you want something warm, but also light and fresh.

"Pineapple is great for marinades; it lends amazing sweet-and-sour flavor and contains enzymes that help tenderize the meat." —Alison Roman, assistant food editor

For the ultimate nachos, layer tortilla chips with beer-braised carnitas, black beans, and shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack. Bake until the cheese is melty, then serve it with all your favorite toppings.

Frittatas are excellent served warm or at room temperature, which means that this meatless main is a perfect do-ahead dish.

These dumplings are delicious with pomodoro sauce, or try them with brown butter and sage.

If you can't find fresh chorizo, use any fresh sausage. For less heat, choose a sweet (mild) Italian sausage.

"I love to give tangy, sweet pineapple the Mexican-corn treatment by sprinkling it with salty Cotija cheese and dusting it with cayenne pepper." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

This lightly sweetened, crepe-like dessert is a great way to end any meal, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's delicious with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Chopped lemon pulp and peel are added to the couscous for a complex bittersweet flavor.