325 crackling recipes

Dry veggieburger mix combines blender-cracked corn, brown rice, white rice, lentils, black beans, oatmeal, and whole-wheat flour into a shelf-stable pantry mix. Add water to make custom plant-based patties.

Crunchy low-fat coleslaw with shredded green apples, red and green cabbage, and a tangy honey-mustard yogurt dressing. No mayo needed for this crisp, make-ahead slaw.

Fresh blackberries macerated in aged balsamic vinegar, layered with creamy Greek yogurt and honey, then topped with a crackly torched sugar crust. A no-bake crème brûlée that's elegant enough for a dinner party.

Vegan Cuban-style black beans with two stages of green pepper, classic sofrito, and a finish of apple cider vinegar. Slow-simmered until the beans crack open. Plant-based comfort that holds its own.

This relish is based on a prize-winning English recipe of more than a generation ago. It is less sweet than traditional chutneys; most of its sweetness comes not from sugar, but from apples, dates, and parsnips. I generally use Winesap apples but any well-flavored, crisp eating apple will do.

Rice and garden vegetable is a pantry-fast bowl: whole grain brown rice stirred into reduced-sodium vegetable soup and warmed through in minutes. An easy, low-effort meal with a kick of cracked pepper.

Vegetarian corn-stuffed bell peppers with a double-corn filling, creamed corn and kernels bound with cornbread crumbs, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Basted in vegetable broth for tender, juicy shells.

Pissaladiere-style pizza with caramelized leeks, roasted eggplant, roasted peppers, capers, basil, and balsamic vinegar on a homemade whole wheat crust. Vegan-friendly.

Lamb rib chops broiled under a rosemary-garlic quince jelly glaze. A 15-minute dinner-party main with a sweet-savory lacquer that caramelizes under the broiler.

Bafla are Rajasthani wheat dough balls boiled in spiced moong dal, then baked until cracked and golden. Break them open, drizzle with ghee, and pour the aromatic dal right over top for a soul-warming vegetarian meal.

Rack of lamb crusted with cracked black pepper, garlic, chervil, rosemary, and thyme, seared at high heat then roasted to a rosy medium-rare. Elegant enough for a dinner party, simple enough for any confident home cook.

Mom's homemade apple pie pairs a flaky shortening crust with canned apple filling for a from-scratch taste in half the time. Brushed with milk and dusted with sugar, the top crust bakes up golden and crackly.

Sugar-glazed beet julienne served on a warm onion vinaigrette with champagne vinegar and olive oil. A refined microwave-cooked beet side dish with elegant plating.

Hot Hoppin' John salad with black-eyed peas, rice, ham, and crispy bacon served over stir-fried cabbage. A Southern rice and pea dish with a kick of hot sauce.

Turkey roulade stuffed with foie gras, wrapped in savoy cabbage, and steamed. Served with a Sauterne and sun-dried cherry reduction and crispy sweet potato julienne.

Seared pork chops finished in the oven, served over a warm Granny Smith apple relish with curry, cinnamon, ginger, and toasted almonds. Sweet, tart, and warmly spiced for a grown-up fall dinner.