Vegetarian

Broccoli Delight was born on a night when I came home from work very hungry and without a plan, and my near-empty fridge came through for me.

It's also a dish that my teenage son claims is the “best thing you make.” While this could be construed as an insult considering how many other things I’ve made for him, I’m pretty sure it’s meant as a compliment, and that what he’s getting at is that pan-roasted broccoli florets bound to one another by melted-crispy sheets of cheese never disappoints.

For creamy, tender roasted fingerlings, we tossed the potatoes with oil and arranged them in a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan, where they fit snugly in a single layer. Covering the pan with foil to start helped the potatoes steam instead of drying out in the hot oven. Removing the foil and letting the potatoes finish roasting uncovered allowed them to brown for more flavor. Shaking the pan halfway through roasting ensured that the browning was even.

Bathe seared cabbage in turmeric-accented coconut milk until it’s meltingly tender and sweet. 

In Vietnamese, "banh mi" is the word for bread. However, it also refers to a sandwich featuring chicken, pork, or tofu and crunchy pickled vegetables. For our own version, we started by making crispy, flavorful tofu. We sliced the tofu into sandwich-size slabs and drained them on paper towels to make it easier to get a crispy crust. Then we dredged the slabs in cornstarch and seared them in a hot skillet until they were nicely browned. For the vegetables, we quick-pickled cucumber slices and shredded carrot in lime juice and our vegetarian fish sauce substitute.

For a gratin that can satisfy as a complete meal, we paired protein-rich farro and white beans with broccoli rabe. We toasted the farro to enhance its nuttiness and then cooked it in a mixture of water, vegetable broth, and white miso; the miso enhanced the creaminess of the gratin and deepened its flavor. Next, we blanched the rabe to tame its bite and lock in its vibrant color before quickly sautéing it with a generous amount of garlic and red pepper flakes. Sweet-tart sun-dried tomatoes added pops of flavor and a pleasing chewy texture.

Chana masala is arguably one of North India's most popular vegetarian dishes, and it can be quick and easy to prepare. We started by using the food processor to grind the aromatic paste that formed the base of our dish. We opted for canned chickpeas because their flavor and texture were nearly indistinguishable from those of chickpeas that are cooked from dried, and we didn't drain them because the canning liquid added body and savory depth to the dish. The canned chickpeas still retained a bit of snap, so we simmered them in the sauce until they turned soft.

For a roasted vegetable pasta recipe with sweet and complex vegetables, we sliced the vegetables to maximize the surface area available for browning; tossed them with oil, salt, pepper, and a little sugar to jump-start caramelization; and roasted them on a preheated baking sheet to cut cooking time and boost browning. For a sauce that would unite the components of our roasted vegetable pasta recipe, we liked the earthy sweetness of a roasted garlic vinaigrette.

Quinoa stews are common in many South American regions. But authentic recipes call for obscure ingredients such as annatto powder or Peruvian varieties of potatoes and corn. We set out to make a traditional quinoa stew with an easy-to-navigate ingredient list. We found that paprika has a similar flavor profile to annatto powder; we rounded out the flavor with cumin and coriander. Red bell pepper, tomatoes, red potatoes, sweet corn, and frozen peas were a nice mix of vegetables.

We started with the garnish, frying sliced shallots until they were crisp and golden. Then we tossed diced tofu with sriracha and honey and left it to marinate while we quickly pickled some red cabbage and roasted some broccolini and carrots on the same baking sheet. Bulgur, the base of our grain bowl, was supereasy to make: We just poured it into plenty of boiling salted water and cooked it like pasta. We combined a portion of the pickling liquid with the shallot-infused oil, some mayonnaise, and a bit more sriracha to make a zippy dressing.

Be sure to let the sweet potatoes roast for the full 30 minutes: as they cook, they will first get quite soft, then they will slowly crisp as their sides puff up and the edges brown.