Crimini Mushroom

The technique: On Thanksgiving, do-aheads are key. This super-savory gravy can be made a day ahead. All you have to do before serving is heat it up and stir in some tarragon.
The payoff: No last-minute pan-scraping and reducing required.

The earliest Mexican cuisine was vegetable-based, so in times past, before Spanish beef, chicken, and pork worked their way into every taco, there were no doubt plenty of satisfying vegetable taco recipes. Today most vegetables are consumed as salsas, in soups, or stuffed into quesadillas and empanadas, but there's no reason why a vegetable taco shouldn't be every bit as tasty and unusual as any other. This sumptuous vegetarian feast is based on the classic combination of roasted poblano chiles and mushrooms, with the addition of corn and mild-flavored, soft queso fresco. This taco is often favored by even the most committed carnivores. In other seasons, bits of diced cooked sweet potato, zucchini, chayote, squash blossoms, or golden winter squash would be welcome additions. Fresh epazote, used as a flavoring in this taco, has a minty-oregano taste and is often available at Mexican markets. (It is also hardy and easy to grow.) Fresh or dried mint or Mexican oregano may be substituted, but do not substitute dried epazote.

If you have mushroom fans in your family, this contemporary take on a classic pasta dish is bound to please. High-calorie sour cream is replaced with a healthy dose of soy.

Porcini and crimini mushrooms give this hearty soup its deep, almost meaty flavor. Cottage cheese holds the cheesy, parsley-flecked dumplings together.

It does not get cozier than this hearty dish. Yes, you’ll make your own gnocchi. And yes, it’s totally worth the effort.

Rustic and delicious, this healthy meatless stew is a hearty main course.

Smothering—that is, braising—both tenderizes the pork shoulder chops and concentrates the flavor of the sauce.

An irresistible vegetarian main course can take a little extra love and time, but food editor Melissa Roberts would be the first person to tell you it's worth it. Fortunately, all the components of this shepherd's pie—from the heady vegetable stew with its red wine gravy to the crown of fluffy mashed potatoes and celery root—can be made ahead. Protein-rich seitan (pronounced "SAY-tan," it's sometimes labeled "wheat gluten") has long been used as a meat substitute by Asian cooks, who know how to coax the most out of its satisfyingly chewy texture. Seitan doesn't have a strong taste of its own, but it soaks up the flavors of whatever it's cooked with.

Look no further for a go-to recipe when making vegetarian stews and gravies. The stock here gets its deep flavor and color from roasting the vegetables and then deglazing the pan with red wine.

A complete, one-pot meal.

Poblanos, often called pasillas, are mild, green-colored chile peppers sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores, farmers' markets, and Latin markets.

This gratin, which is delicious with roast chicken or pork chops, employs a favorite technique: cooking vegetables covered with a round of parchment paper placed directly on them, rather than with a lid. This low-tech method allows just enough steam to escape while keeping the vegetables—leeks, in this case—perfectly moist. A bit of lemon zest helps balance the gratin's richness.

Mushrooms spiked with the flavors of India add complexity and exoticism to beefy, well-marbled rib eye. They also go with virtually any other cut of steak.

Even self-described mushroom haters are surprised by how much they love these burgers! Because there’s no use trying to improve perfection, I just had to include this recipe, a slightly modified version of Dreena Burton’s from The Everyday Vegan.

This vegetarian main course is satisfying and flavorful.

Forget deep-fried noodles: Miso dressing gives this hearty vegetable meal flavor minus the saturated fat.