Healthyish

We would never ask you to use your blender if it didn’t make a smoother and better dressing. The effort is worth it; you’ll have enough sauce to get you through a week of lunches.

We understand if the nori is a deal-breaker; just make sure to give the almonds a good toast to bring out their flavor if they are looking a bit pale.

Instead of just using plain rice, make your own medley! Try a mix of white rice, millet, and/or quinoa, which all cook in about the same time. You can also sub kale for the Napa cabbage.

Roasting at a lower temperature means that no part of the chicken is likely to overcook and get dry when the leftovers are shredded, making it ideal for using throughout the week.

Sometimes with cooking, the best thing you can do is leave a thing alone. In this case, let the cabbage leaves sit and get charred around the edges before you even think about tossing them in the pan.

Make a double batch of the tahini-honey sauce at the beginning of the week to use on salads, as a dip for crunchy vegetables, or drizzled over seared salmon.

This recipe is inspired by Gado-gado, a colorful and crunchy Indonesian salad, made with a wide array of raw and cooked vegetables (and sometimes noodles). The dressing is usually peanut-based, but we used cashews. Feel free to try another tender nut such as pistachios or pecans instead.

You know the soup and salad deal? Well, this is our take on combining the two into one dish.

Toasted sesame seeds can often be found in the Asian sections of some supermarkets, sometimes labeled Gomasio. If ever there was a time of year to keep a big jar of them on hand, pre-toasted and ready to go, this is it. They are the perfect crunchy topper for everything from salads to soups and roasted vegetables.

Choose a chocolate that does not exceed 64% cacao for a mousse with the smoothest texture. If you want the mousse to be fully non-dairy, look for a vegan chocolate bar, though the flavor may differ slightly.

Starting the chicken skin side down in a cold skillet lets the fat render slowly and results in the crispiest skin imaginable. It also yields a pan of flavorful schmaltz, aka liquid gold.

We love the just-set creamy texture of a stovetop frittata, but it does make it a little scary to handle. if you aren’t sure about inverting it to get it out of the pan, we have your back. Instead of flipping, transfer it to a 350° oven to finish cooking through.

You can keep the herbs, sauce, and noodles separate, or combine them all in a bowl like we did.

Some of us still have nightmares about bad puréed black bean soups that were once a “thing.” Creamy puréed pinto beans, chiles, and lots of mix-ins set this soup on the right path.

The Topanga Living Cafe in Topanga, CA, inspired this gluten-free quiche that uses caramelized sweet potato instead of dough.

The assignment: A satisfying, creamy, crave-worthy baked pasta that would still be delicious without (most of) the cheese. Nailed it!

The honey lends a sweet, caramelize-y twist to this quick curry, but if you want to up the heat, add a big pinch of cayenne pepper. Have some thick, crusty bread handy to scoop up all the extra sauce, or serve alongside a pile of rice for a low-maintenance comfort food dinner.

This recipe is inspired by the flavors found in the traditional Ayurvedic Indian drink haldi doodh, made with milk, turmeric, and honey. It's also gluten- and dairy-free.

Greens you can take on-the-go.

A roasting trick for weeknight chicken yields juicy meat and golden, crispy skin.