Vegetarian

These pancakes get their light texture from a batter made with club soda. Pressing hard on them when frying makes them crisp.

Sour cream isn’t just a gimmick. Used in place of the more typical cream or buttermilk, it adds a rich, tangy flavor, and its acidity helps make the biscuits incredibly tender.

The key to this flaky galette crust is to move fast! Rolling and folding the dough before the butter has a chance to warm up creates distinct layers of butter and dough that will steam apart during baking, becoming light and flaky.

Letting the dough do its first rise in the fridge overnight means improved flavor and ease of handling, but if you don’t feel like waiting that long, leave it out at room temperature until doubled in size—three to four hours.

Silken tofu is the base of this dressing, creating a punchy sauce that's creamy and silky. Bryant Terry uses it to dress a hearty grain salad with celery, persimmons, and chopped nuts—but you can also drizzle it over grilled vegetables, or use it as a dip for crudités.

Classic Russian cheese pancakes have a tangy-sweet flavor that goes well with a dollop of jam or sour cream on the side.

Don’t be afraid to take the leeks to the point where they almost look burnt. A well-charred exterior means the interiors will be creamy, soft, silky, and delightfully sweet.

These crepes are a great solution for using up discarded sourdough starter. Tender and a little bit tangy, they make an ideal blank canvas for sweet or savory toppings like jam, crème fraîche, demerara sugar, or lox.

These Dominican mashed plantains are creamy, hearty, and full of flavor, while still tasting fresh and light. They have a mellow, tropical earthiness that becomes a canvas for colorful toppings like pickled red onions and avocados.

Broccoli rice is the base for bright toppings like fresh peas, avocados, and pickled ginger. Round out the bowl with a creamy, herby dressing and a soft-boiled egg.

The key here is using cornstarch and rice flour. Cutting the okra in half from top to bottom, the seeds cling to the rice flour and cornstarch so the batter isn’t going anywhere.

The secret to this version of potato salad is sweet pickle relish—not diced cucumbers, dill pickles, or cornichons.

We highly recommend finishing the pasta with finely grated Parmesan and some extra cracked black pepper—they’re great flavors with the creamy lemon sauce.

Make a big batch of these bright orange waffles when you want to slow down and make a nice, hot breakfast—then freeze the leftovers to pop in the toaster on mornings that aren't so slow.

Based on a Middle Eastern mujaddara, a homey mix of spiced simmered lentils and rice, this easy, meatless dish is rich with allspice, cinnamon, and sweet browned leeks. The handful of baby spinach stirred in toward the end turns it into a one-pot meal, and adds a bit of welcome color, too. If you don’t have leeks, use an onion or two instead.

Layering and baking sautéed garlicky greens, beans, and Parmesan on top of make-ahead Parmesan Polenta creates a super fast, pantry-friendly weeknight dinner that’s sort of like a polenta pizza.

Start by serving this big pot of polenta as a soft, creamy side dish when it is freshly made, then divide the rest into baking dishes to use later in the week as polenta croutons and polenta crust.