Seed

Kick off the holiday sweet(s) season by sending guests home with this crunchy, easy-to-make-ahead brittle.

Choose dried chiles that are fairly flexible, a sign they're not too old.

China meets the Southwest in this unusual fusion salad. Glistening Chinese black rice—usually sold under the label Forbidden Black Rice—set off against bright orange segments and avocado's pale green gives the mixture striking visual appeal.

Customize this recipe by subbing in other nuts and seeds.

Consider this sweet and crunchy dessert a free-form fruit crisp. Be warned: The nutty oat topping is addictive.

Rich in protein, essential fatty acids and fiber, chia seeds are harvested from Salvia hispanica, a herbaceous plant native to central Mexico that was as an important food source of the Mayans and Aztecs.

"I love the richness of the feta and the crunch of the sunflower seeds against the tender squash."—Dawn Perry, senior food editor

Add this to salads, yogurt, rice dishes, and grilled vegetables.

Soaking seeds makes a healthier, creamier pesto, but you can skip it if you're in a rush.

Start this recipe one day ahead; the pork is best if it is left to marinate overnight.

November weeknights are for simple pan-seared pork chops and roasted squash.

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

With a recipe that is simple enough for beginners yet customizable for experienced bakers, this bread will end the days of buying overpriced loaves. Choose your favorite 7- or 10-grain cereal and then experiment with your own mixture of seeds and nuts to determine the taste and texture that suit you. This loaf is special enough to be a gift but requires less than an hour of active prep time. Use it for sandwiches or eat it toasted with a smear of butter or jam.

This zinger of a pesto sauce breathes new life into a nutritious winter staple, and works well with acorn and kabocha squash, too.

In this unique and lively salad, juicy clementines combine with crunchy jícama, salty pumpkin seeds, and creamy queso fresco to create a vibrant yet harmonious medley of textures and flavor notes. The garlicky vinaigrette is versatile enough to use on almost any salad. For a healthy, quick dinner, top the salad with a piece of grilled mahimahi, or pair it with a piece of avocado toast and call it lunch.

Chicken makes this ceremonial Aztec soup healthier than the pork-based original. While this does require some preparation, the extra time and effort pay off with an intense, flavorful entrée.

Thank goodness Epicurious member Mary Jean Goodman from Woodbridge, Connecticut, has been testing and retesting different iterations for this breakfast cake since she tried it as a little girl. The recipe has seen many incarnations and is now perfection, yielding a sweet, crumbly slice that is perfect for brunch or a special occasion. Try substituting different citrus fruits to flavor the cake to your preference.

Hearty greens like escarole or kale shine in this fall or winter salad, thanks to tangy kumquats and a vibrant, apple-laced dressing. You can prepare the greens and kumquats in advance, making this an ideal choice for holiday gatherings.

Be sure to use Deglet Noor or another firm date variety; Medjool dates are too soft and sticky for this recipe.

Rae: This is an old-timey High Holiday vegetable side dish, sweetened with honey and raisins or prunes and, sadly, often simmered to mushy blandness. To get past that problem, roast the carrots first, to brown them and coax out their natural sweetness, and then bring everything together on the stove top at the end. Sunflower seeds add a nutty note to the chewy prunes and raisins.