I like to use jasmine rice for this. It works best if you cook the rice a day ahead of time, but if planning ahead isn't your thing, it works with freshly cooked rice too. If you want to make this dish gluten free, be sure to use tamari instead of soy sauce. Because kimchi versions vary so widely, anyone with dietary restrictions should be sure to read the label. I'm a fan of Mother in Law's Vegan Kimchi, which is vegan and gluten free. This is vegetarian as is, and vegan if you omit the eggs. Feel free to add protein in the form of tofu, shrimp, chicken, or pork. Just saute the protein in the wok and set aside, then add to back in at the end.

This soup has some real savory flavor from the onions, garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, and fish sauce. It has some heat from the ginger (both the fresh and the pickled) and the red pepper flakes and sriracha, but while the heat is perceptible, I wouldn’t call the soup spicy (heat fiends can add more sriracha if they want). It is a smooth soup, but it is not a heavy creamy soup. It actually feels quite light. The garnishes are essential to this soup, the bits of pickled ginger, the sesame oil, and the scallions. This soup is gluten free if made with tamari rather than soy sauce and vegetarian/vegan if made with vegetable stock and without the optional fish sauce. It is dairy free as written. If you’re going with vegetable stock, I like the flavor profile of Imagine Organic’s No-Chicken Broth for something like this. Because I generally avoid cans and hate having odd amounts of coconut milk leftover, I love using little boxes of coconut milk–they’re the perfect size for this recipe.

This mac and cheese uses a no-boil technique with the pasta. You soak the pasta in cool water to allow it to hydrate before it gets added to the sauce and finishes cooking in the oven.

The Brussels sprouts roast in the oven that is already heated to bake the mac and cheese. And meanwhile you make the cheese sauce, which starts with a traditional béchamel. I call for sharp cheddar here, but you can use a combination of gruyere, fontina, gouda or any semi-firm cheese. Don't use pre-shredded cheese in this—it has additives that interfere with smooth melting and will result in a clumpy sauce.

This bakes in a 2-quart baking dish such as an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or a 10-inch round casserole. You can double it and make it in a 9"x13" pan for a crowd.

This is an unpretentious weeknight kind of soup. The amount of black peppercorns is right, but don’t be alarmed. They give the soup a nice background heat. But because of them, this isn’t the kind of soup that you want to leave simmering on the stove for hours (I did that once, and the black pepper flavor took over). This is vegan if you make it with water or vegetable stock and gluten free if the stock you use is certified gluten free (or you could always use water).

This is a simple, creamy pasta that highlights the milky flavor of fresh ricotta while gilding it with some garlic-infused olive oil, crunchy walnuts, and a shower of salty, sharp Pecorino Romano cheese.

You can use Parmigiano Reggiano in place of the Pecorino if you prefer.

This is a simple soup that plays on the sweet and savory qualities of sweet potato. The heat here is noticeable, but still relatively mild. If you like things extra spicy, feel free to throw in a little extra cayenne or jalapeño. Note that if you intend to make this vegetarian/vegan you should be sure to use vegetable broth or water, and if you’d like to make it gluten free be sure that whatever broth you use is certified gluten free.

This classic Italian-American baked pasta is rich and comforting and fragrant with garlic. It's a flexible recipe. Vegetarians can leave out the sausage. You can swap in sour cream, mascarpone, a splash of heavy cream, or a bit of butter for the crème fraîche. Or you can leave that out if you want something a tad lighter.

I like this best with ziti or rigatoni, and penne would be great too.

The cheese melts best if you grate it yourself because there's no anti-clumping additives (but I'm not going to tell on anyone for using the pre-shredded stuff).

This bakes in a 2-quart baking dish such as an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or a 10-inch round casserole. You can double it and make it in a 9"x13" pan for a crowd.

This soup is a hearty, brothy riot of hot, sour, salty and sweet flavors. It comes together quickly and doesn’t need to spend hours simmering on the stove, but it keeps well for several days. It is gluten free if you use tamari instead of soy sauce and it could be vegetarian if you omit the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock–there is still plenty of flavor and enough protein in here that I’m confident it would still be satisfying. This is definitely not the most traditional version of hot and sour soup out there, but it stays true to the spirit of homestyle Chinese cooking and I think it’s delicious.

Fideos is like paella in pasta-form. Thin noodles get toasted in olive oil then simmered in a smoky tomato sauce that gets perked up with a splash of white wine. While it traditionally uses chorizo and seafood, this version is vegetarian with chickpeas, fennel, and kale. You'll need a broiler safe 12-inch skillet (or, even better in this case, a saute pan with straight sides) for this dish. The pan will be really full, so be careful when transferring it from the stovetop to the oven. The garlic aioli is optional, but nice. A squeeze of lemon is also a nice touch.

I love the way this soup balances sweet squash and tart apples. It’s a marriage of two of fall’s most iconic vegetables and fruits, and it really works. Use any orange-fleshed winter squash you like. Red kuri is one of my favorites, and it’s what I used here, but butternut, Kabocha, delicata, acorn, carnival would all be good here as well. Choose a tart apple for this–empire was my choice. This can be made with either chicken or vegetable stock, and it’s vegetarian if you use the latter (I’ve had good experience with the Swanson brand for both chicken and vegetable stock). I highly recommend making the spicy maple pepitas–they add a great crunchy texture to the soup. This soup is gluten free as is. If you avoid dairy, you could swap in olive oil for the butter, coconut milk for the half and half, and skip the creme fraiche garnish (then the soup would be vegan). This calls for 5-6 cups of stock. I know most stock comes in 4-cup packages–feel free to use 4 cups of stock and add water for the rest of the liquid. This freezes well, but squash soup that’s been frozen tends to think out a little after it thaws. If you plan to freeze this, make it slightly thicker than you want it so you have the right texture later. Oh, and while you can do this in a standing blender, it’s so much easier with a stick blender.

This is a reliable, warming, easy-to-make, mostly-from-the-pantry meal. You can adjust the spices to your preference. I start with whole spices and grind them in an inexpensive coffee grinder that I dedicate to spice grinding (you probably don’t want cumin and brown mustard seed powder in your coffee). You can use pre-ground spices if you prefer, but cut the amounts in half because whole spices take up more volume in a measuring spoon. You can make it with any Indian curry powder you like. I usually make this with coconut oil because I love the subtle added coconut fragrance when I’m cooking with Indian flavors, but you can use a neutral oil or ghee if you prefer. I use frozen peas because I usually make this dish in colder months when fresh peas are scarce. I usually serve this over basmati rice (either white or brown), but it’s also good with naan or pita or on its own. You can top with a dollop of plain yogurt if you want to add some creaminess. This is a great make-ahead meal–it keeps well and the flavor deepens as it sits.

This strata is a hearty bread and egg dish. It comes together quickly and can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning if that makes your life easier.

This is an incredibly flexible dish and can be made with pretty much any bread or cheese you like.

This can be baked in an oven-safe 8" skillet or 9" pie plate or 8"x8" square baking dish.

Pasta e ceci is a traditional Roman dish that's a humble stew of pasta and chickpeas. This version uses canned chickpeas and skips the tomatoes and anchovies that sometimes appear in the dish.

Here, half of the chickpeas get blended with an immersion blender to make a thick stewy texture.

I call for ditalini here, but you can use any small pasta you like. You could easily make this gluten free with a gluten-free pasta.

The parmesan rind is optional, but I encourage you to give it a try because it adds great flavor. (Without the parmesan rind, this dish is vegan and dairy free.)