2,800 better recipes

Surprisingly, these particular pancakes taste much better with fruit than with syrup.

Lemony lentil salad with feta, crisp cucumber, red bell pepper, and a generous handful of fresh dill. A no-cook, protein-packed vegetarian lunch that gets better the longer it sits.

Soy-and-rice-wine marinated chicken stir-fried with egg noodles, snow peas, prosciutto, and scallions, finished with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Better than takeout, ready in an hour.

Homemade cinnamon raisin bagels with your bread machine doing the kneading. Plump raisins tossed in cinnamon sugar, boiled for a chewy crust, baked until golden. Better than anything from the store.

Boldly spiced vegan chickpeas simmered with roasted cumin, garam masala, amchoor, and fresh ginger. Ready in 35 minutes and even better the next day.

Cold Italian pasta salad loaded with pepperoni, mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes in a tangy mayo-mustard dressing. A no-cook crowd-pleaser that gets better as it chills.

I made this dish and thought it was too bland. I made it again, doubling all the Indian spices, and it came out much better.

Paksiw na isda, the Filipino vinegar-poached fish with bangus, ginger, bitter melon, and eggplant. A tart, clean-flavored one-pot that tastes better after aging two days in the fridge.

Raspberry pecan thumbprint cookies spiced with cinnamon and allspice, filled with seedless raspberry jam and topped with chopped pecans. Better the next day.

Meatless farmer's chili with kidney beans, zucchini, corn, carrots, and bulgur wheat in a cumin-chili tomato broth. Hearty, crunchy, and better the next day.

A light, brothy borscht of cabbage and beets simmered with carrot, celery, and tomato juice into a ruby-red, sweet-and-sour soup. Vegan, low in calories, and even better the next day.

Tangy Italian antipasto spread packed with artichoke hearts, two kinds of olives, mushrooms, and a zesty vinegar-olive oil dressing. Make it ahead - it's better the next day.

Szechuan cashew chicken with velveted chicken breast, wok-toasted cashews, bell pepper, and bamboo shoots in a glossy hoisin-chili sauce. Better than takeout and on the table in 40 minutes.

Bacon and bean soup simmers slivered bacon with kidney beans, carrots, celery and turnip in a thyme-scented beef broth. A hearty winter soup that tastes even better the next day.

No-bake bourbon whiskey balls rolled in powdered sugar with vanilla wafer crumbs, pecans, and cocoa. A classic Southern holiday treat that gets better the longer it chills.

Shchi is a traditional Russian cabbage and sauerkraut soup with beef brisket, marrow bones, porcini mushrooms, and root vegetables. A deeply layered pot that tastes even better the next day.