This tequila-infused carnitas recipe is perfect for festive occasions—or any weeknight you want to party. It’s also a great way to feed a crowd and is super simple to scale up—I make double or triple batches any time I have people over because everyone always wants seconds and thirds! I like to set out a spread of toppings, including queso fresco, chopped avocado, and sour cream, but you can choose any toppings you prefer. Also, if you are avoiding alcohol, feel free to swap out the tequila for additional broth.

This is a simple dish that Ina Garten makes for summer parties. The sauce can be made well in advance, and the fish grilled at the last minute. The recipe is also delicious served at room temperature.

Even sautéed cauliflower feels decadant in this cheesy-crunchy baked pasta from Ina Garten. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.  

For the best texture, use lump crab meat, little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven. Serve with lemon wedges, a garnish of chopped parsley, and/or cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

This Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread is super moist, indulgent and tastes like a brownie! It’s great for dessert, breakfast, brunch or a snack, and definitely doesn’t taste like vegetables!

This all-purpose condiment is an ideal finisher for anything you might care to grill. Make it ahead and have it ready to spoon over grilled meats, fish, and vegetables.  

Sweet sea scallops are seared in a hot pan and basted with melted butter and soy sauce to finish cooking. Tender greens are sautéed in garlic oil, then the scallops are placed on top and everything is drizzled with the remaining soy-butter and a bit of sesame oil. Finish the dish with a good squeeze of lime, thinly sliced scallions and a smattering of sesame seeds. It’s wonderful served over steamed white rice, so be sure to get that on the stove before you begin cooking the scallops, as the rest of the meal comes together in no time at all.

To make our recipe for eggplant “meatballs” with oregano and pecorino, first soak the raisins in a little water. Cut the eggplant into cubes and boil ...

Jean Anderson applies the magic of slow-roasting to a traditional Portuguese preserved red pepper sauce, in this genius recipe from her cookbook The Food of Portugal. Use it to marinate chicken or pork, sauce grilled fish and vegetables, and top pizzas and sandwiches.

This recipe might look long, but none of the steps are complicated, and you can streamline if you like (skip the herb oil, and buy really good quality ricotta). The most important part is getting ripe, in-season tomatoes, and tasting this summery combination for yourself, which will turn your idea of what pizza can be on its head. Also note: you can adapt for a grill pan or even broil the dough.

It's called sauce vierge (literally virgin sauce)—a miraculous fresh tomato sauce you can spoon over fish or vegetables or pasta or anything summer throws at you. It was created in 1976 by Michel Guérard, one of the forces behind the lighter, fresher nouvelle cuisine that sprang up in reaction to cuisine classique, dripping with all its hefty mother sauces.

The summer side you can make whenever you have 15 minutes, and then completely forget about. Because the zucchini is already cooked through and relaxed, the marinade seeps in more quickly and thoroughly than had the order of operations been reversed. The zucchini boats become bright and aromatic, but hang onto their fresh structure and sweetness. It's just about the simplest, best summer side, whether you're serving it to a dinner party, your family, or just you.

Have your own nostalgia-perfect tomato sandwich today, and tomorrow. But on day three—do this instead. Chef Ignacio Mattos and the team at Estela restaurant in Manhattan have created something new—bolder, crispier, juicier, dare we say better.

Uses: Slather onto cornbread or a muffin instead of butter Use it on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise Fold it into sautéed spinach with onions, and finish with just a touch of cream for killer creamed spinach Dribble it onto a hot dog (it’ll remind you of a corn dog) Stir it into risotto and finish with Parmesan Blend it with vanilla ice cream for a crazy delicious milkshake Top tacos or fajitas with it Mix it with shredded cheese, a little sour cream, and a jar of drained jalapeños, bake and serve as a LIFE ALTERING dip for tortilla chips

Turn your herb and vegetable leftovers into a delicious and versatile sauce.

Keep roasted red peppers and silken tofu on hand and you can make this sauce in five minutes. Use it as a dip for fresh vegetables or toss it with your favorite cooked pasta. If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can use fresh basil or dill instead.

With a creamy plant-based cheese, a little spice and fresh greens, these vegan quesadillas have flavor and texture that I think is even more delicious than traditional quesadillas!

This easy no-bake tart gets its richness from pureed raw cashews and its bright flavor from mangoes, lime juice, and fresh raspberries. To make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to select gluten-free rolled oats.

Save time with the Easy No-Soak way to cook Instant Pot Black Beans (Pressure Cooker Black Beans)! Tasty creamy hearty black beans recipe that's perfect as a healthy side dish, burrito or taco filling, topping, or simple black beans soup.

With the look, taste, and texture of a creamy cheese sauce, this vegan cheesy sauce recipe is pure genius. Nutritional yeast and miso paste give the potato-cauliflower base a distinctly cheesy flavor, while mustard and vinegar add tang and ground turmeric lends an appetizing golden color. Use the sauce in any dish that calls for cheese: nachos, mac and cheese, baked potatoes. It’s even great on its own as a dip. It will keep up to a week in the fridge, though it doesn’t freeze well, as cold temperatures will make the potatoes in the base gummy.

The ketchup can also be used on veggie burgers or a potato scramble, and will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

You can make this creamy, delicious (and very authentic-tasting) Caesar dressing as is, or add nutritional yeast for a cheesy twist. You can also reduce the milk and use it as a dip or sandwich spread.

Cooking these earthy-tasting burgers in a very hot skillet creates delightfully crispy edges. All you need to make the delicious patties are five simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Serve with homemade ketchup, fresh-tasting mustard, Cheesy Caesar Dressing, Vegan Cheesy Sauce, or other condiments of your choosing.

Garlic Basil Barramundi Skillet with Tomato Butter Sauce! SO YUMMY and super easy, with basic ingredients like garlic, basil, tomatoes, white beans, Parmesan, and white fish. Perfect with a green salad and crusty bread.

Couscous Summer Salad! Spiced couscous, juicy nectarines, crunchy cucumber, avocado, chickpeas, cherries, sweet corn, and mint. It’s sunshine in a bowl!

Garlic Basil Chicken with Tomato Butter Sauce? This real food recipe only requires 7 simple ingredients: chicken, pasta, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, butter. SO good.

Grilled marinated chicken, fluffy rice, and excessive handfuls of mint and cilantro, finished off with a generous drizzling of big and flavorful creamy coconut lime sauce.

citrus, red onion, and avocado.... What I think makes this a winning combination isn’t just the way the flavors work together, but also how beautiful the orange, purple, and green look on the plate. Try serving with sweet potatoes with chickpea tomato sauce (recipe on CopyMeThat)

This meal comes together pretty quickly on a weeknight, but it can also be made entirely ahead and reheated. With my current captivation with sweet potatoes, I’ve taken to baking several spuds all together on a sheet pan on Sunday and keeping them refrigerated for quick meals throughout the week. The tomato sauce also just gets better and better after some time in the fridge. Serve with Green Salad with Orange, Avocado, and Red Onion (recipe on CopyMeThat)

Lots of sweet potato patty or burger recipes start with mashed, cooked sweet potato. Sounds delicious, but I don’t always have cooked sweet potato on hand, or the time to bake some off. That’s where my trusty ol’ box grater saves the day.

After small cauliflower florets are roasted in a hot oven until crisp, they’re tossed with the traditional hot sauce-butter mixture. Fill lettuce cups with the sauced cauliflower, top with creamy blue cheese crumbles and thinly sliced celery, and now you’ve got a fun appetizer or game-day snack that hits all the right notes of crunchy, spicy, salty, sour, and creamy.

These savory little cakes could be served bite-sized as appetizers, or you could make them a couple inches across as a side dish at dinner or brunch. Just because eggs are off the table for me, I still think they would be dynamite with a poached egg on top!

Craving a fast and healthy lunch? This simple sandwich packs a lot of flavor and nutrition, which makes it ideal for an easy weekday meal. I love stuffing leftover ingredients from previous meals into a pita pocket, sprinkling in a little cheese, salt, pepper, and calling it good. Simple, fast and satisfying.

A good vegan sandwich needs some careful thought and construction. It has to have a good balance of textures and flavors, but it should also be satisfying without relying on meat or cheese. Portobello mushrooms are a popular ingredient choice (for good reason), and this one is no exception. Throw some sourdough bread in the toaster and let’s get cooking!

Spread this garbanzo mixture in a whole-wheat tortilla; add crunchy cucumber sticks, baby spinach leaves, and roasted red peppers; and roll the whole thing up, burrito-style. These sturdy wraps are full of protein, but also contain a hefty dose of fresh vegetables. They’re perfect for lunch, dinner, or anytime in between.

This salad makes use of the whole fennel and adds a generous quarter-cup of fronds to the mix, along with an equal amount of parsley leaves. A tahini roasted garlic dressing is where the garlic flavor in this recipe is coming from, but if you were to dress this with lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt, you’d be just fine.