Braise

The Instant Pot’s sauté function is key here: the chicken thighs get crispy and browned before they finish cooking in a briny, lemony, garlicky stock.

Pan-searing, then quickly braising, celery in wine turns the humble vegetable into something worthy of a main course. (Of course, adding marinated lentils, crusty bread, and a fried egg doesn’t hurt.)

Red split lentils cook even more quickly than other types, making them ideal for weeknight dinners. Turn them into a meal by pairing with savory spiced greens.

Dark soy sauce along with regular soy sauce is what gives these wings their rich color. We like to use all flats—arguably the best part of the wing!—but a mix with drumettes or whole wings works too.

This recipe picks up speed by calling for (slightly) wet greens. The water that clings to the leaves will help the greens cook; the fact that you don’t have to haul out the salad spinner is a time-saving bonus.

One spoonful of this smoky-spicy guajillo braising liquid and you’ll understand just how complex dried chiles can be.

No searing, no chopping, one baking dish.

For adobo that’s sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky, and ready in a fraction of the time, don’t peel and slice each garlic clove: Just cut open a whole head and simmer it in the sauce.

When you warm lettuce in butter and wine it gets velvety and rich—a perfect foil to the pop of sweet peas. Serve this spooned over quiche for brunch.

Meet your new favorite, cold-weather one-pan salmon dinner. It’s warm and creamy with coconut milk and just spicy enough with green curry paste, ginger, and garlic.

Boneless chicken thighs cook in an apple-thyme sauce until they’re tender, then get served on top of a crispy, large-format potato pancake. You’ll finish it off with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs.

Make a big batch of this simple braise and stash it in the fridge or freezer to turn into stews, tacos, hashes, sandwiches, soups, and more in the weeks to come.

You need the fresh, soft, fiery red version of chorizo for this dish, the kind that bleeds out bright red-orange grease into the pot when you heat it.

Cod and pollock are both great alternatives for the halibut.

At Maydān the lamb shoulder is cooked sous vide until meltingly tender and then finished in the hearth until crisp and golden brown. We adapted their recipe for the oven to similar effect.