Ginger

We took loose inspiration from Hainanese chicken rice to create this weeknight-friendly dish that retains the comforting and fragrant qualities of the beloved original.

In this spicy salad, cubes of fried tofu act like tender-bellied croutons amid the leaves of baby kale, only with much more protein and spunk than the usual toasted bread.

Bright in color and flavor, the silky sauce for these meatballs is made from a purée of coconut cream, Thai green curry paste, and spinach.

The magic of steam cooks the squash both quickly and evenly, and steaming the dressing with the squash opens up the flavor of the ginger, garlic, and scallions.

Coconut crisp, laced with chile and garlic, brings texture and heat to this easy salmon dish. Make a double or triple batch of the garnish and use it as a topping for savory oatmeal, hearty soups, or roasted winter vegetables.

A holiday-spiced grenadine syrup, club soda, and a twist is a grown-up Shirley Temple we can all enjoy. For the adults who want to imbibe, a splash of Scotch fits just right.

This velvety Vietnamese rice porridge gets a deep flavor from soaking overnight in chicken or vegetable broth before simmering with fragrant ginger and scallions.

A make-ahead gravy that doesn’t rely on turkey drippings or a roux. The gravy’s depth of flavor comes from roasted poultry bones and—surprise!—a sprinkle of MSG, which has an umami-to-the-max effect.

This dish is triply aggressive, with sweet, sour, and spicy tastes strung together in an intense interplay. To make it your own, experiment with the balance of those three elements—you might make it more sour, or very, very spicy, depending on your palate and preferences.

Set up all of your mise en place before you start cooking. You’ll go from raw ingredients to a glossy stir-fry in the time it takes to make a pot of rice.

Finely grating the aromatics in this Vietnamese-leaning marinade unlocks their flavor without endless chopping.

Molasses, pomegranate juice, and apricot jam lend a deliciously sweet-tart, barbecue sauce–like glaze to this summertime grilling staple.

To keep the snap peas and asparagus peppy and bright, sauté them separately from the meat, then return them to the pan so they get their fair share of the gingery sauce.

The noodles are just a vessel for this savory, gingery, simple weeknight sauce.

No tandoor oven? No problem. This recipe for chicken and vegetables marinated in yogurt and spices is cooked on a single sheet pan in a regular home oven.

A feel-good classic with a new lease on life, this sinus-clearing broth starts with ginger softened in savory caramel. Soy sauce, garlic, and chiles bring even more flavor and a little bit of heat.

This hearty vegetarian stew comes together in under 30 minutes.

My fried rice axiom is this: always use a little more ginger than seems appropriate. This is especially true with this fried rice version, enriched with smoky pork and rich bites of sautéed mushrooms.

Cinnamon, ginger, and dates add spicy, bright, sweet dimension to this warming lamb stew.