Photo: Linda Pugliese

The Spiced and Ridiculously Good Flatbread "Pizzas"
We couldn't love this Middle Eastern–inspired chicken dinner from Lindsay Maitland Hunt's new Healthyish more: It's fast, easy, unfussy and surprisingly rich in flavor. On a rimmed baking sheet, you drizzle oil on top of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a can of rinsed chickpeas, and dust them with cumin and coriander. Roast for about 15 minutes, and then shred the chicken into pieces with two forks, smash the chickpeas with those same utensils, and arrange both on top of toasted flatbreads with cucumber-dill sauce, arugula and fresh dill.

Get the recipe: Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Flatbreads with Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki

Photo: © 2018 by Ashley McLaughlin

The "Sushi" Dinner Anyone Can Make
Rolling your own sushi might be a stretch for many of us—but a sushi bowl? It's way easier than you'd think. This recipe from Gena Hamshaw's new book, Power Plates, keeps many of the flavors of sushi while omitting the raw fish. The key is the sauce, a sriracha mayonnaise, which pulls all the ingredients together (you simply whisk together mayo, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, garlic and tamari). Steam some brown rice; spoon it into bowls; and top with cubed tofu; sliced cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, avocado and nori (seaweed sheets, which you can find in most supermarkets) and drizzle with the mayonnaise for a no-stress, Japanese-influenced supper.

Get the recipe: Sushi Bowls

Photo: Alanna Taylor-Tobin

A New Way to Cook a Candy-Like Veg
Our go-to technique with sweet potatoes is to roast them whole or in wedges, but in her new book Masala & Meatballs: Incredible Indian Dishes with an American Twist, Asha Shivakumar shows us that they're equally tasty diced and sautéed (and it takes about 6 minutes). Along with toasted cumin seeds, some ground spices, red kidney beans and lime juice, they make a wonderfully satisfying sandwich filling. Shivakumar stuffs pitas with this mixture, plus a fruity and crisp jicama-mango salad and peppery greens, such as arugula or watercress.

Get the recipe: Pita Wraps with Chaat Masala-Spiced Kidney Beans and Sweet Potato and Jicama-Mango Salad

Photo: Ed Anderson

A Homemade Spin on the Takeout Classic
Sweet, crunchy and juicy General Tso's chicken is a standard on Chinese restaurant menus, and now, actor and Food Network star Patricia Heaton shows how to make it with shrimp. The dish, from Heaton's new book Patricia Heaton's Food for Family and Friends , is just as delicious with shellfish, and—bonus!—cooks in approximately 3 minutes. Serve it with Heaton's rich garlic-ginger sauce, fluffy rice and a steamed veggie—anything from snap peas to broccoli or asparagus.

Get the recipe: General Tso's Shrimp

Photo: © 2018 by Masha Davydova.

A Healthy Soup That Still Feels Indulgent
This colorful lentil dish is a great reminder of why we love the quick-cooking legumes so much. In the recipe, from Anya Kassoff's new Simply Vibrant, you simmer green or French lentils for about 15 minutes, then transfer a portion of them to a blender, where you puree them with coconut milk. The result is a chunky soup, which bold flavors—sautéed onion, garlic, ginger; tamari, lime juice and chili sauce—take to like a charm. The final addition of broccoli florets, carrot ribbons and spinach cooks right in the soup and adds some heft and nutrition.

Get the recipe: Creamy Coconut Lentils with Broccoli
Published 02/04/2018