Citrus

My grandmother used to spend all day making her Old World cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef, onions, rice, and raisins. We all loved them, but I don’t have the time or the patience to do it her way. Feel free to substitute chopped mushrooms in place of the ground meat for a vegetarian version. Hope you enjoy my take on this heirloom recipe!

This tangy dish has an unexpectedly sweet, zesty flavor that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. I love serving this to company and seeing their surprise when they discover that they’ve been enjoying turnips and parsnips—vegetables with undeserved bad reputations. Personally, I prefer to leave the skins of the potatoes, parsnips, and turnips on and simply scrub them well and remove any eyes or bad spots. I try to use organic produce whenever possible, particularly when using whole fruit. Peeling is always optional in an infused one-pot meal, as vegetable skins add many vital nutrients. On the other hand, I prefer to eat chicken without the skin.

Larb is traditional Thai comfort food. The mint adds a clean jolt of flavor to this casserole-type meal. My cousin Abi lived in Thailand for a time and helped me fine-tune my version of this classic dish. Typically, the meat and rice are served over raw cabbage, but we think this style is pretty tasty as well. You can use serrano, Anaheim, or almost any other kind of chile pepper if you can’t find a jalapeño. Of course, your meal will be as spicy as your chile. Consider adding 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil or cilantro to the mint mixture for a slightly different taste.

For rarer meat, chop the potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower into smaller pieces, as they will cook more quickly that way and become tender before the meat is cooked through. Try this recipe with steak tenderloin or a turkey tenderloin if you don’t want lamb. Use boneless lamb fillets in this meal as bones just take up precious real estate in your pot. Trim the meat well of fat. Sun-dried tomatoes come either packed in oil or dry. Either is fine to use here.

Summer is tomato time; be sure to try the new heirloom varieties. In winter, I usually find that Roma, or plum, tomatoes are the most flavorful. Oil-cured olives will add other notes, but use water-packed olives if you’re looking to cut back on fat. Make a quick broth with part of a bouillon cube. Purchase bouillon from health food stores for versions lower in sodium and other preservatives. An easy way to trim exactly the right amount from the bottom of an asparagus stalk is simply to grab an end in each hand and bend until it snaps. It will break at the point where the stalk becomes less woody.

I keep individually wrapped boneless tuna steaks in the freezer just for meals like this. Just pull out the frozen steak and put it directly into the pot. There’s no need to thaw and it won’t add any cooking time. You can make this meal with salmon or halibut, but also with pork, turkey, or almost any kind of steak. It would also be great with shrimp or scallops for another kind of seafood dish. To toast sesame seeds, simply scatter them on a sheet pan and place in the oven while it is preheating. Shake the pan once or twice after a few minutes and keep a close eye on the seeds, as they will burn quickly.

This is a lovely light and flavorful recipe that’s perfect for summertime dining. I have fun using pattypan squash, but any yellow summer squash will fit the bill. And if it’s not asparagus season, consider substituting broccoli spears.

We’ve had some incredible West Indian food on some of the cruises we’ve taken, and this is our nod to those island flavors. Adventurous kids will like this slightly sweet, creamy, nutty rice. You should also try it with Broiled Tuna with Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa (page 57) and Spicy Honey Chicken Salad over Spinach (page 150).

This salad looks almost too pretty to eat! Try it with other Asian-inspired dishes like Broiled Tuna with Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa (page 57) or Bobby’s Favorite Beef Teriyaki Stir-fry with Broccoli and Peppers (page 18).

Potato salad always brings back good memories for us. Our dad would make it, and just as soon as the warm potatoes were tossed with the dressing, we’d all dig in. Try serving it with Roasted Spicy Mayo Chicken Breasts (page 43).

Back in the days of The Bag Lady, when Mama was making bag lunches and we were delivering them, she would always make a chicken salad. For the fall and holiday season she would add walnuts and mandarin oranges to make a colorful, festive lunch with a delicious nutty-sweet appeal. This is Jamie’s version. It’s a hearty, packed-with-protein meal that looks as good as it tastes.

Jamie’s a fan of shrimp scampi, but Jack is not. Turns out they can both agree on this chicken version.

A lemony butter sauce infuses these shrimp with a flavor that is perky and decadent all at once. You’ll be tempted to serve it over all your seafood dishes. But look out! You may find yourself talking in a Georgia drawl by the end of the meal. Serve this dish with white rice or Easy Almond Rice Pilaf (page 47) for a no-fuss fancy meal.

This recipe was born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee where, as kids, we went camping with our parents. We caught fresh trout, and Mama cooked them right up on the grill in foil packs. It was the best-tasting fish we’d ever had. If we’re making this over a campfire, we serve it on its own. At home, it goes well with green beans.

Salmon is something so healthy that we just had to put mayonnaise on it. The lemon mayo gives it a great zesty flavor and oomph—it keeps the fish moist, too. Our lettuce and cucumber salad is a perfect match for this light dish.

We can get behind any recipe with peanut butter in it! This savory dish, with just a hint of fiery red pepper flakes, is a nod to our favorite Thai take-out dish from Kao Thai in Savannah. Best of all, it’s based on ingredients you probably already have in the house.