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Pozole Rojo

Pozole Rojo (Pork and Hominy Stew)

Pozole rojo is a hearty stew made with pork or chicken in a red-chile broth and studded with hominy (big, chewy kernels of dried corn, also called pozole, which are soaked in slaked lime to remove their hull and germ). The stew’s base is made using the traditional method—first, two kinds of dried chiles are toasted, and then the chile paste is sautéed in oil to coax out the complex flavors.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Venetian-Style Bean and Pasta Soup

Venetian-Style Bean and Pasta Soup

The flavor of this pasta fagioli is so haunting and the texture so voluptuous that you’ll wonder how such modest ingredients could conspire to create something so indulgent. And what makes it successful as a make-ahead main is that the pasta is cooked separately. I make vats of the bean soup ahead, then each time I reheat a portion, I boil up a fresh batch of dried pasta so the al dente texture balances the creaminess of the soup.—Kemp M. Minifie

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Black Beans

Kemp’s Black Beans

Don’t be fooled by the short ingredients list; these vegetarian black beans have a surprisingly complex flavor. Since I can’t use a meaty bone or lard for a boost, I rely on my trusty trinity of Sherry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce, three power ingredients that play well together. The pressure cooker makes cooked-from-scratch beans easily feasible for a spur-of-the-moment supper, though I still prefer to cook up a pot on the weekend; beans thicken as they stand, so by making them ahead and thinning them before serving, I actually get more. This recipe serves as the base for two different meals: I set aside half for flavorful beans and rice and purée the other half into a hearty soup spiked with additional Sherry and lime juice.—K.M.M.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Curried Red-Lentil Stew with Vegetables

Curried Red-Lentil Stew with Vegetables

In India, lentil-based dals are often served as a side dish, but adding a host of vibrant vegetables turns this into a main course. Brightened with turmeric and infused with garlic, ginger, and spices, the red lentils are cooked down into a creamy purée. Best of all, the flavor improves with time, so make it ahead for a night when you need a quick supper.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables

Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables

Navarin d’Agneau is the perfect dish for saying farewell to winter and celebrating spring. For this transitional month—it can still be chilly in many parts of the country, yet hints of the new season are all around—our lamb stew offers winter heartiness paired with the sweetness of spring vegetables.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Velvet Chicken

Velvet Chicken

As a working mother with four daughters, my mom had very little spare time, yet she always managed to turn out meals reminiscent of her native Canton, China. This dish, one of her specialties, takes its name from the moist, velvety texture the chicken gets from being poached at a low temperature. My mother loved the short preparation time (the chicken finishes cooking through heat retained in a covered pot) and that the poaching liquid can be strained and then chilled or frozen to be used again.—Lillian Chou

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Fougasse

Baked Kibbeh

This dish is a meatloaf-like pie of ground lamb, onions, and spices, enclosed in a crust of bulgur and lamb.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Roasted Vegetable Gravy

Roasted Vegetable Gravy

This gravy makes a nice accompaniment to the broiled polenta sticks and the roasted squash and mushrooms, as well as the sautéed Broccolini.

Photograph by Andrea Fazzari

Stir-Fried Pork with Long Beans

Stir-Fried Pork with Long Beans

Pounding the spice paste with a mortar and pestle is hard work, but cooking teacher Prasan ("Pip") Fargrajang insists that’s what brings out all the nuanced flavors. Our advice: Make a few batches of the paste for the beans and pork, and freeze them for another time.

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne

Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne

Hazelnuts in a butternut squash lasagne? It’s actually a classic Italian flavor combination, and the nuts lend just the right amount of crunch to the silky pasta and lush squash.

Photograph by Beatriz da Costa

Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas

Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas

Barely a day goes by at the Puerto Rican table without rice and beans making an appearance, but this version is pull-out-the-stops-special rather than everyday—you won’t believe how much flavor can be packed into such an understated dish. The secret is an abundantly seasoned sofrito—the flavor base—and the slight crust, called pegao, that forms on the bottom of the pot.

Photograph by Roland Bello

keywords
freezer-friendly
soup
poultry
vegetarian
rice
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