39 first recipes

Double-cocoa chocolate cookies studded with mint chips, then drizzled with a glossy homemade chocolate glaze. Fudgy, minty, and intensely chocolatey with crispy edges that shatter on the first bite.

Classic crockpot beef stew with potatoes, carrots, pearl onions, and celery. Flour-coated beef browns first, then slow cooks 8 to 10 hours until everything is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Finnish summer soup (kesäkeitto): a creamy Nordic vegetable soup with new potatoes, baby carrots, peas, and green beans in a light half-and-half broth. Built to showcase the season's first harvest.

Beef barley soup made from braised short ribs, canned tomatoes, pearl barley, and a load of carrots, celery, and bell pepper. The ribs simmer first to render rich beef flavor before the vegetables and barley go in.

Everyone loves this dish, even those who don't particularly like egg plant. The flavor virtually explodes with a lively combination of sweet, spicy, tart and savory followed by the refreshing crunch of fresh water chestnuts. Serve as a side dish or first course for Western menus.

If you cannot find fresh peaches, use frozen ones (they will further thicken the smoothie). Peaches were first cultivated in China where they are considered a symbol of immortality and friendship. Nutritionally, they are a good source of selenium and vitamins A and C. Chia seeds are not only a complete protein, but supply the much needed omega-3 fatty acids missing from so many modern diets.

Bircher muesli was first developed by a Swiss physician, Maximilian Bircher-Benner as part of the therapy he prescribed for his patients. Often called simply ‘overnight oats’ Bircher muesli is an ideal breakfast food – it can be assembled the night before, left in the fridge overnight and enjoyed in the morning – there is no cooking required. It's also a perfect combination of plant-based protein, slow-release wholegrain carbohydrates, and essential fats. The version below calls for pears and coconut, but alternative combinations are provided in the notes.