Weeknight Meals

This popular Thai dish has been cooked regularly in our kitchen ever since we first tried it in Bangkok. The first time we made it at home, we stayed true to the original recipe by stir-frying rice noodles in a sweet and a slightly spicy sauce, but through the years, it has slowly transformed into something new. Instead of stir-frying rice noodles, we now simply peel a daikon radish (courgette/zucchini also works fine) into thin strips that we toss with carrot strands, tofu and fresh herbs and cover with a peanut butter and lime dressing. Even though we have changed both cooking method and ingredients, it still has that wonderful flavor combination of sweet, nutty, tangy and a little spicy and the experience is light, fresh and, in our opinion, even tastier.

Brighten up simply broiled salmon steaks with an unexpected salsa of poblano chiles, capers, and lemon.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

Vibrant greens, handfuls of fresh herbs, nuts for crunch, and horseradish for bite. Ingredients are suggestions; feel free to mix it up.

Flip the script on a winter vegetable that's usually stewed: Collards are great when briefly sautéed.

You'll love this spiced alternaburger with its fresh finishes; kids will love the handheld dinner.

Massaging the dressing into the kale with your hands helps break down some of the fibers so the greens are more tender.

If I had to choose my all-time favourite family recipe, it would be this.

The following is a slightly-NSFW recipe from the brilliant minds behind the popular cooking blog Thug Kitchen. To learn more about them, read our profile.—Epicurious Editors Grab beer and get to work. Just don't get sloppy 'til you're done cooking.

You'll have extra butternut squash left over after making the ribbons; cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for an easy side dish.

The sweetness of the squash, dates, and coconut oil in this simple roast is balanced by the garlic and woodsy herbs.

Shishito peppers give a mildly spicy kick to this old-school breakfast classic. If you can't find them at your farmer's market, use any chile pepper with a similar heat level, like poblanos or pimentos de Padron.

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. The marinade in this recipe is the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and savory—in fact, I also love to use it with steaks or chicken. The Sriracha sauce (aka rooster sauce) is a must, and you can find it in the Asian section of most supermarkets.

Pasta, lush tomatoes, and a pool of ricotta lend this dish all the flavor of a lasagne—without the heaviness.

Think of this as a carbonara, but with tomatoes in place of the eggs.

A version of this recipe helped Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.

"At home I cook quick, healthy, and vegetarian," the chef says. Cue this soy-and-ginger-marinated tofu (no cooking required!) that tastes way better than takeout.