Recipes with salt and black pepper

Grilled mahi mahi marinated in saffron, white wine, and Pernod, served with sauteed fennel, crispy fried fennel stems, and homemade garlic aioli. Restaurant-worthy French seafood.

Hearty vegetable beef soup packed with potatoes, barley, winter squash, carrots, celery, peppers, and green beans in a tomato-thyme broth. A big-batch fridge-clearer that feeds 12 and improves overnight.

Hearty cure-all chicken noodle soup simmered 3 hours with a whole chicken, turkey wing, root vegetables, and garlic. The pureed veggies melt into a rich, silky broth that heals what ails you.

Grilled sweet potatoes, corn, and poblano peppers meet wild rice in this smoky vegetable chowder brightened with lime and fresh thyme. Grill or roast for depth.

Soft shell crabs seared in clarified butter meet brown butter sauce spiked with sherry vinegar, toasted hazelnuts, and sweet sugar snap peas. Elegant springtime seafood in under an hour.

Pasta and peas tosses ditalini macaroni with sweet peas, sauteed mushrooms, and a quick tomato juice sauce. Melted fontina cheese pulls it all together for a 30-minute Italian weeknight dinner for two.

Homemade gyros with seasoned ground lamb on skewers, spiced with allspice, coriander, and savory, bacon-basted on the broiler. Served in pita with yogurt and fresh tomatoes.

Browned pork ribs braised with tangy sauerkraut and caraway seeds, then crowned with fluffy potato dumplings cooked right on top. A German-American one-pot meal for 12.

Golden skewered chicken strips with a rich peanut-hoisin dipping sauce and brown rice. This easy chicken satay goes from skillet to table in just 15 minutes.

Brazilian meat croquettes with roast beef, tomato, garlic, and parsley in a crispy double-coated shell. Fry them golden for a snack that shatters with every bite.

Grilled fresh tuna burgers glazed with sweet pineapple-mustard reduction, spiked with smoky chipotle and topped with spicy green chile pickle relish. A showstopper for your next backyard cookout.

Grilled beef tenderloin topped with melted Menonita cheese, Cotija, and a smoky chipotle sauce made from fire-blistered Roma tomatoes. A Mexican-inspired steak with serious heat.

Italian stuffed mushrooms with escargot and garlic-lemon butter, browned under the broiler. Old-school continental appetizer that turns canned snails into elegance.

PETA Spanish tofu omelette is a vegan take on tortilla española with soft tofu, potato, onion, and green pepper. No eggs, no dairy, ready in 30 minutes. Served with salsa.

Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.

Shrimp simmered in a coconut milk sauce with tomatoes, leeks, orange juice concentrate, mint, and Thai chili paste, served over basmati rice. A one-skillet dinner with sweet, spicy, and creamy notes in every spoonful.