Recipes with black pepper

Lighter chicken and rice casserole made with skim milk, defatted broth, and reduced-calorie mayo. Topped with toasted almonds and baked until bubbly. All the comfort, less the guilt.

Fresh pico de gallo with tomatillos, serrano chiles, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. A chunky Mexican salsa with a tart twist, perfect on fajitas.

Potato parsley bisque made creamy with blanched almonds instead of dairy. A vegan, silky smooth soup with leeks, lemon juice, and a full cup of fresh parsley.

Vegan tofu and brown rice stir-fry with mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds in tamari. Oil-free, water-sauteed, and ready in under 30 minutes.

Buttery onion soup made with sweet sauteed onions, chicken broth, and melted mozzarella for a creamy, cheesy alternative to classic French onion. A weeknight comfort soup ready in under an hour.

French onion soup builds slow-cooked golden onions on a thyme-and-bay-scented chicken broth, topped with toasted French bread and broiler-bubbled Gruyere. Bistro classic ready in under an hour.

This quick and easy to make salad is tasty and flavorful, the roasted bell peppers, white beans, and feta cheese go very well with the mixed greens, tossed with a very light vinaigrette, which gives the salad a refreshing taste.

Stir-fried tofu or beef with onions tosses pressed tofu (or sliced flank steak) in a sherry-soy-ginger marinade, then wok-cooks with caramelized onions and garlic.

Creamy curried ham and turkey in a roux-based sauce served over toast or biscuits. Freezer-friendly comfort food that reheats beautifully from frozen in one hour.

Curried rice baked with dried apricots and toasted almonds in vegetable stock. A fragrant, hands-off vegetarian side dish with sweet, nutty, and spiced flavors.

Grilled red onion halves marinated in Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Charred, sweet, and smoky in 8 minutes on the grill.

Savory papaya lassi blended with yogurt, ripe papaya, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. The Indian cooler that goes savory or sweet, with a sweet rose-water variation included.

Parmesan noodles Alfredo tosses egg noodles in a quick sauce of butter, half-and-half, and grated Parmesan. Five-ingredient Italian-American comfort dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Pulled pork barbecue tossed with egg noodles in a homemade ketchup-based sauce with cinnamon, chili powder, and apple cider vinegar. A hearty, tangy one-skillet dinner.

Homemade monastery-style herbal sausage with pork, beef, thyme, marjoram, pimento, and ground cinnamon stick. Hand-ground and stuffed into pork casings for traditional European sausage making.

Pumpkin and mozzarella lasagne layered with sage-spiced pumpkin mash, melted mozzarella and Parmesan, topped with chive sour cream and toasted flaked almonds. A vegetarian autumn lasagne with no red sauce.

Potato pancakes seasoned with crushed juniper berries and orange zest, fried golden in butter and oil. A crispy, aromatic twist on classic latkes with just 6 ingredients.

Cucumber yogurt salad with fresh mint, cumin, and nonfat yogurt. A cool, refreshing raita-style side dish that's low-fat and ready in 40 minutes.

Orzo and pine nuts tossed in extra-virgin olive oil with toasted pignoli and dried basil. A four-ingredient Italian side dish ready in 20 minutes that pairs with anything.

Vegetarian mushroom stroganoff with a roux-based vegetable stock sauce, Dijon mustard, and sour cream. A meatless take on the Russian classic that's rich, creamy, and ready in under an hour.

Creamy oyster bisque thickened with rice and strained silky smooth, finished with whole oysters cooked just until their edges curl. Chesapeake Bay-style with a splash of Tabasco and optional dry sherry.

Spaghettini tossed with oil-packed sundried tomatoes, golden-seared zucchini chunks, garlic-infused olive oil, and a lemon-zested vegetable broth. A vegetarian pasta with sunny Mediterranean flavor.

New England fish chowder with bacon, potatoes, onion, and milk. No cream, no flour, no thickener. The bacon drippings and breaking fish do all the work in this pared-down one-pot classic.

Pan-fried soft-shell crabs with a lemon-caper butter sauce, white wine, and shallots. Crispy, briny, and bright with fresh lemon segments in every spoonful of sauce.

Vegetarian tofu pepper tacos with peppered sesame-soy tofu spooned into radicchio leaves and topped with crunchy jicama. Low-carb lettuce-wrap taco with an East-meets-Southwest flavor twist.

Country hearth stew with sauteed beef, egg noodles, and mixed vegetables in a thyme and sage broth, finished with a crunchy cracker crumb topping.

This is another vegetarian recipe, especially in Spring Festival, these green beans are very healthy!

Supreme burgers with onion soup mix and sour cream mixed right into the ground beef for extra-juicy, deeply seasoned patties. Five ingredients, ready to grill in 30 minutes.

Blanched escarole leaves stuffed with marinated chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and white wine vinegar. A vegan, low-fat Italian appetizer served at room temperature.

Pizza spaghetti pie with a baked ground beef shell filled with spaghetti, egg, and Parmesan, topped with pizza sauce, green pepper rings, and melted mozzarella. A retro mashup the whole family loves.

This is a great pizza, and I added some onions too, very tasty and light.

Checkerboard clam crunch: crispy pan-fried clam patties bound with Rice Chex cereal and egg, topped with sour cream. A retro mid-century appetizer with surprising texture.

Lamb ring filled with creamy spinach bakes a tomato-spiked ground lamb meatloaf in a ring mold, then fills the center with sour cream and cream cheese spinach. A retro centerpiece dinner for four.

Stir-fried crab curry is a Thai-style wok dish where cracked whole crab meets fish sauce, curry powder, and sesame oil. Beaten egg swirls through at the end for a silky, aromatic finish over rice.

Vegetable curry with potatoes and tomatoes cooked in ghee with whole cumin, coriander, garam masala, and fresh ginger. A warming vegetarian one-pot dinner served over rice.

Pine nut pasta salad with butter-toasted pine nuts, alphabet pasta, bell peppers, parsley, and a lemon-olive oil dressing topped with Parmesan. A colorful chilled side dish.

Spiced biscotti with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and a surprising kick of white pepper. Crunchy, warmly spiced Italian cookies built for dunking in coffee or tea.

Polish bull's-eye eggs baked in toasted bread with sharp cheddar and cream. A cheesy, golden twist on classic egg-in-a-hole that finishes in the oven.

Sopa de lima, a Yucatan-style lime soup with poached chicken, fresh lime juice and zest, cilantro, tomatoes, and crispy fried tortilla wedges. A bright, tangy Mexican chicken soup.

Orange and onion salad with romaine, mandarin oranges, and toasted almonds in a homemade tarragon-Dijon vinaigrette emulsified with egg yolk. Bright, crunchy, and tangy.

Lavender-pepper pears are ripe Bartlett pears sprinkled with crumbled lavender, cracked black pepper, and lemon juice. An elegant no-cook fruit dessert.

Lime-marinated grilled turkey breast pounded thin and served with fresh tomato-cilantro-jalapeno salsa. A lean, Southwestern-style main dish that grills in under 15 minutes.

Spaghetti carbonara with bacon, beaten eggs, white wine, butter, and grated Italian cheese. The hot pasta cooks the eggs into a creamy, silky sauce right in the bowl.

Chile cheddar burgers stuff seasoned ground beef patties with sharp cheddar and diced green chiles, then grill until the cheese melts in the middle. The Southwest take on the stuffed burger.

Red pepper and goat cheese frittata with fresh oregano and scallions. An 18-minute stovetop-to-broiler vegetarian brunch dish that slices clean and feeds six.

Three bean vinaigrette salad with rice, kidney beans, and marinated artichoke hearts. A no-cook vegetarian salad served chilled over lettuce leaves.

Unfried green tomatoes bake crispy in a cornmeal-flour crust, topped with a warm fresh tomato gravy with mushrooms and onions. A Southern classic with all the crunch and none of the deep-frying.

Basic Cincinnati chili simmered, not browned, so the beef stays fine and silky, spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin. Ladle it over spaghetti for a 3-way or onto a hot dog for a classic cheese coney.