Make Ahead

Use this Indian-spiced tomato sauce in Gujarti Eggplant and Sweet Potato “Lasagna.”

Adding olive oil to this hot sauce recipe lends it body and mellows some of the heat.

Cooking the apples with their skins on adds a beautiful rosy blush to the finished sauce.

This versatile marinade works on everything from eggplant to chicken breasts. Vary ingredients with the seasons, changing up the herbs as you see fit. Basil, thyme, oregano, and tarragon will all work perfectly here.

Heavy cream, alone or in conjunction with oil, can be added to vinegar and mustard, producing a vinaigrette that is excellent with delicately flavored salads. Because of its subtlety, creamy vinaigrette can be flavored easily with herbs such as mint, chives, or chervil. It is also excellent for showcasing a special vinegar.

This creamy, tangy sauce with a garlicky, black pepper punch is ubiquitous on platters of grilled meats sold by halal street carts in major cities across the U.S. We can't stop drizzling it on everything from pita sandwiches to roasted vegetables to crisp salads.

A combination of nut butter, dried fruit, and lots of seeds makes these chewy homemade granola bars downright irresistible. For a crispier bar, toast them in the oven after baking.

We love this cross between steak and cocktail sauce so much, we had to create our own version. The ketchup base has a well-balanced combination of molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, and horseradish that makes it perfect for surf or turf!

Combining favorite fall fruits and spices with sparkling cider, rum, and wine gives sangria a refreshing new spin.

This makes an extra quart of cooked beans. Save (or freeze) for another batch of escarole, or serve them simply warmed in their broth.

Nothing feels more decadent than giant shells of pasta filled with creamy mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta.

Never have button mushrooms been more delicious than in this veg-packed spicy dip recipe, also ideal as a sandwich spread or finisher for simply prepared vegetables.

This simple berry-studded cake recipe is a real keeper.

Okay, this is actually a cheesecake, but it's so creamy and light that you won't care what it's called, you'll just ask for more.

Bake your plums in an anise-tinged, pancake-like batter for a simple dessert that’s airy, silky, and just sweet enough.

Vanilla-infused brown butter adds nuttiness to tender pears beneath a crisp almond topping.

This smooth custard in a flaky shell with a crackling burnt-sugar top was one of the most popular desserts at Michael's in Santa Monica.

When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, my friends and I would always pick up big packages of bratwurst to grill while watching sporting events. I wanted to re-create the sausage of my youth, and I think these bratwurst come pretty close. This is a simple, classic sausage; serve it on a crunchy roll with mustard and sauerkraut.