Recipes with salt and black pepper

A Greek lamb salad of lemon-and-rosemary marinated lamb, griddled and sliced over a loaded tomato, cucumber, and olive salad with a herby dressing and crumbled feta. A summery main-course salad.

Slow-simmered black beans with ham, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and cilantro in chicken broth. A from-scratch dried bean recipe with Cuban-inspired flavors topped with sour cream.

Ginger beef stir-fry with fresh ginger, garlic, green pepper, celery, and tomatoes in a savory soy-cornstarch sauce. A fast wok dinner served over hot rice.

Seasoned beef meatloaf with oatmeal, thyme, nutmeg, and cayenne, bound with eggs and beef stock. Starts at high heat for a crust, then bakes low to stay juicy.

Duxelles is a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs cooked in butter. It is used to flavor soups and sauces, as a garnish, and a stuffing. Take a thinly pounded pork chop, veal or chicken cutlet, or even a flank steak. Spoon the precooked duxelles down the center. Roll the meat and then sauté or roast it.

Pork medallions seared and finished with a red wine pan sauce built on shallots, ginger, balsamic, honey, and butter. Bistro-style technique that turns boneless pork loin into a 35-minute dinner.

Turkey breasts stuffed with jalapeño cornbread and wrapped in a golden potato crust. Pan-seared then oven-finished, served with southwest shoestring fries for crunch.

Homemade gyros with ground lamb, allspice, coriander, and savory threaded on skewers with bacon and broiled crispy. Served build-your-own style in pita with yogurt and tomatoes.

Turkey goulash with paprika, caraway seeds, and tomatoes, oven-braised until fork-tender and served over tagliatelle. A lighter take on the Hungarian classic with lean turkey.

Pan-roasted squab with bing cherry red wine reduction, butter-braised salsify, and wilted spinach. Restaurant-quality French-American game bird dinner for four.

Veal stew browned on the stovetop then finished in the microwave with beef bouillon, mushrooms, tomato, and onion in a flour-thickened sauce. Fork-tender veal in under 40 minutes.

Shark fillets braised Marseille-style over tomatoes, onion, garlic, and parsley, finished with dry white wine. A French-inspired fish dish with a strained tomato-wine sauce.

Linda McCartney's chilled avocado and green chili soup blended with soy milk, lemon juice, and dry sherry. A creamy vegan soup ready in 20 minutes with no cooking required.

Vegetarian cottage pie with kohlrabi, barley, and mushrooms in red wine, topped with diagonal rows of mashed white and sweet potatoes. Hearty and meat-free.

Joyce's steak and mushroom gravy: flour-dredged round steak browned and slow-simmered in cream of mushroom soup. Classic midwestern comfort over mashed potatoes.

Yummy chicken curry: tender curried chicken in a quick, creamy sour cream sauce with sweet golden raisins, ready in about 20 minutes. A fast, mild weeknight curry that skips the coconut milk and the long simmer.